ã€ŠThe Rebirth of Han Yuxiã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Bodily Death (1)

    <strong>Chapter 1 ¡ª Bodily Death (1)</strong>

    The walls of the capital city were tall and lofty, akin to giants as they towered over thend before them, and Yuxi¡¯s face brimmed with pleasant surprise as she took in the spectacle. After escaping from the vige, she had walked for half a month. The days of starvation and misery were finallying to an end; she was home.

    When the rampart guard saw her desperately pounding on the gates, he shouted angrily, ¡°If you don¡¯t beat it right now, don¡¯t me me for not going easy on you!¡± A month ago, the city gates had closed. Without proper documentation, no one was allowed to leave nor enter.

    Yuxi raised her head and answered loudly, ¡°I¡¯m not a refugee, I¡¯m a Miss of the House of Duke Han! I implore you, please open the city gates and let me in!¡±

    The rampart guard was amused¡ªat this time of the year, in order to scrape by, people were capable ofing up with all sorts of lies. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go ahead and call the Empress your sister?¡± He wasn¡¯t exactly being sarcastic, as the current Empress really was from the House of Duke Han, so this woman iming herself as a Miss of the House was the same as iming that she was one of the Empress¡¯s sisters.

    Yuxi immediately eximed, ¡°The Empress is indeed my elder sister.¡± They were half-sisters, to be precise.

    Laughter rang out from the top of the city walls. The guard was no longer in the mood to continue humoring her¡ªforce and intimidation were the most effective in dealing with people like her. He drew back a bow and arrow, prepared to shoot the woman standing below the city walls but was held back by another guard.

    This guard sported a mustache on his face, and he spoke coldly, ¡°Lower your bow. Don¡¯t you feel ashamed, raising your hand against a defenseless woman like that?¡± What kind of honest hero would only push around the women and children but noty a finger on the roving bandits?

    The young guard lowered his bow, not daring to point it at Yuxi again. The mustached man called out to Han Yuxi, ¡°If you want to live, go to the west. There are refugee camps in the west.¡± He had given this woman a way out.

    The sky gradually darkened. The cold wind battered her, and her entire bodyunched into a fit of shivers. She had no choice but to turn around and use her walking stick to support herself as she began to trudge in the direction of the west.

    Too many had fallen victim to the natural disaster. The Imperial Court was afraid that if they didn¡¯t make appropriate arrangements, the refugees would go on a rampage, so an area of the west had been set aside for them.

    The refugees were provided with two bowls of porridge every day, allowing them to preserve their lives so they wouldn¡¯t revolt. They had built quite a few wooden residences, but these sturdy,fortable dwellings were not for Yuxi.

    One of the married women who resided within the western refugee camp took her to a thatched hut that was constructed from twigs and leaves. ¡°The previous upants of this thatched hut died just this morning, so there happens to be space avable. You can live here!¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s pallid face lost even more color, and her lips trembled for a while before she managed to squeeze out two words; ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The married woman nced at Yuxi ¡ªwho carried herself as a nobledy would¡ª and wondered how she fell into such a wretched state, but the thought quickly dispersed. She could barely take care of herself¡ªwhere would she find the time to worry about the woman in front of her? The married woman warned expressionlessly, ¡°Don¡¯t go out at night. It¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    During the past half month, Yuxi had suffered from quite a few shocks. If she hadn¡¯t dirtied her face and smeared a foul-smelling herb onto her body, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to safely reach the city walls.

    Yuxi squeezed her way into the thatched hut, and a peculiar smell wafted into her nose. Coupled with the stench on her body, thebination was truly nauseating. She clenched her teeth and endured it¡ªhaving a thatched hut to stay in for the night was already a blessing. At least, it could block out the wind.

    The day¡¯s journey had thoroughly exhausted her. Sheid down and soon fell asleep, but hunger woke her up in the middle of the night. She dared not go out, so she clutched her stomach and held on till daybreak.

    Since the refugee camp gave out two servings of porridge each day, she had to wait until near noon ¡ªso hungry that she became dizzy¡ª before the time for food distribution arrived. Inside the hut, she found a bowl bestrewn with holes. Rather than call it a wooden bowl, it was more urate to say that it was a hollow piece of wood.

    Order in the refugee camp was alright; no instances of stealing urred. Upon downing a bowl of porridge, Yuxi felt a lot better. Instead of returning to her hut, she mingled and inquired the surrounding refugees, ¡°Senior, are the provisions we receive delivered from the capital?¡±

    When she learned that the provisions were indeed sent from the capital, Yuxi wanted to seek out the envoys and ask them to carry a message from her to the House of Duke Han.

    She was fortunate enough to find the envoys that evening. However, they caught the scent of her odor, and the majority of them covered their nose. One of the envoys had a face that resembled the character ¡®¹ú¡¯. He stepped out and asked, ¡°Do you have business with us?¡±

    Yuxi hurriedly responded, ¡°I am a Miss of the House of Duke Han. I would like to request that you deliver a message to the House telling them to send someone toe pick me up.¡±

    An expression of surprise took over the man¡¯s face as he wondered why someone from the Esteemed House of Han would be at a refugee camp. ¡°Which Miss of the House of Duke Han are you?¡±

    She stiffened and replied with difficulty, ¡°I am the Fourth Miss.¡± She was also the Minister of Personnel¡¯s daughter-inw, Jiang Hongjin¡¯s wife. It was just that she hated Jiang Hongjin; she hated his entire family and therefore was unwilling to say she was a member of their family.

    Right as her words fell, a green-robed envoy sneered, ¡°It wasn¡¯t enough for you to impersonate just anybody, so you decided to impersonate a dead person instead? Half a month ago, in the vige, Lady Jiang was killed by bandits. The obituaries were delivered, and the coffin was buried a few days ago.¡±

    The green-robed envoy knew of this because Jiang Hongjin was simply too famous¡ªafter all, he was the top youngest schr in Zhou Dynasty.

    Yuxi heard him and began to tremble. She didn¡¯t think that the Jiang family would be so ruthless. A corpse wasn¡¯t even found, yet they had already announced the news of her supposed death. ¡°I didn¡¯t die. I escaped from the vige.¡±

    The man scorned, ¡°That lot of bandits were merciless, and they never leave survivors. Let¡¯s not mention you¡ªeven a stalwart man wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape.¡±

    She grinded her teeth and spat out her words out one by one, ¡°That time the bandits raided the vige, I happened to be in the mountains, picking flowers, and that¡¯s why I was able to escape.¡± When she saw the huge fire spreading out within the vige, she had immediately fled.

    The square-faced man looked at Yuxi. ¡°Where¡¯s your maidservant then?¡± Members of rich and influential families always had an entourage of servants tending to them. Tightly fisting her hands, she slowly responded, ¡°At the time, I only had one old maidservant by my side. That old maidservant¡¯s husband and children were living in the vige, so upon seeing the fire, she immediately left me and rushed down the mountain. I¡¯m not lying to you, I really am the Fourth Miss.¡±

    In the course of her escape, she had exchanged her valuables with food until not even a keepsake remained. At the moment, she could only entreat the square-faced man, ¡°I beg you, please help me ry a message to Esteemed Madam Han. She knows I¡¯m still alive and will definitely dispatch someone toe pick me up.¡±

    Sympathy filled the square-faced envoy¡¯s face as he contemted her and said, ¡°Even if I¡¯m willing to ry the message for you, no one wille to pick you up,¡± at which Yuxi shook her head, ¡°Impossible. Great Aunt knows that I¡¯m alive, so she¡¯ll definitely send someone. As long as you pass the message for me, I¡¯ll reward you generously when I get back.¡±

    This caused the square-faced envoy to believe that Yuxi was a bit slow, so he exined frankly, ¡°Even if you¡¯re from the House of Duke Han, you¡¯ve been missing for half a month. Going back is a path of death.¡± A woman who was missing for half a month would be deemed impure since, after all, who knew what kind of unbing cmities she might¡¯ve encountered in that past half month?

    This was also the reason why the Jiang family dered that she had been killed by bandits, and the House of Duke Han would be simrly unwilling to let her soil their reputation like that.

    Thus, if she went back, she would still be trending a path of death.

 Chapter 2 - Bodily Death (2)

    <strong>Chapter 2 ¡ª Bodily Death (2)</strong>

    Yuxi dropped to the ground as numbness rapidly spread throughout her entire body.

    She had ced her unwavering trust in the belief that as long as she could toil her way back to the capital, everything would be alright. That pipe dream had been her sole driving force¡­ and yet reality revealed that the House and the Jiang family had already decided to treat her as dead.

    Then¡­ what would be the point of her continuing to hold on?

    Suppose she did manage to survive this day, or perhaps even survive this disaster. What of her future, then? Han Yuxi¡­ was dead. The vast world had no ce for her.

    ¡­..

    A far distance off, the green-robed envoy finally opened his mouth and asked, ¡°Senior, why did you tell her all that? Don¡¯t tell me you actually believe she¡¯s Lady Jiang?¡± Actually, even he himself was slightly convinced of it; though the woman smelled unpleasant, her bearing was certainly sophisticated to a degree that simply could not be faked.

    The square-faced man nced over his shoulder at the dazed woman and shook his head, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether we believe it or not.¡± At this stage, the truth was not important.

    Those words gave confirmation: Yes, she was Lady Jiang. The green-robed envoy¡¯s love for gossip was piqued. ¡°Hmm, I wonder why Lady Jiang was sent to the countryside vige?¡± In the capital, she would not have fallen to such a miserable state.

    ¡°Half a year ago, Lady Jiang was thrown into the vige because she plotted murder against a Jiang son,¡± said the square-faced man. At the time, the scandal had given rise to much discussion and was widely spread through the capital.

    The sympathetic expression on the green-robed envoy¡¯s face promptly fell away, leaving behind a look of disgust¡ªthat woman had been capable of striking against an innocent child? ¡°A vicious woman like that deserves to be damned.¡±

    With a shake of his head, the square-faced man noted, ¡°The affairs of a rich, distinguished family cannot be exined in a mere two or three words, as the waters are exceedingly deep and unfathomable.¡±

    Seeing that the green-robed envoy was about to ask another question, the square-faced man immediately prompted, ¡°Let¡¯s get going. Knowing too much wouldn¡¯t benefit you.¡± A few remarks andments were fine, but it would be pointless to continue.

    The green-robed envoy stopped asking.

    ¡­..

    The sky began to drizzle, and the cold raindrops sttered onto Yuxi¡¯s cheeks, sliding into her heart and freezing it. She climbed to her feet and staggered to the thatched hut. Unfortunately, the hut could only fend off wind and not rain, so the raindrops spilled through the crevices.

    Yuxi curled up in a corner and didn¡¯t move. Her eyes were nk as she watched the droplets drip from the ceiling and tumble down her body. She couldn¡¯t understand how she fell to this state.

    Although she was without a mother, unloved by her father and paternal grandma, and her stepmother was ill-natured towards her, she had the protection of her Great Aunt. Her life with the Han family had been afortable one.

    When Yuxi came of age, her Great Aunt had selected one of her own nephews to be Yuxi¡¯s groom, and that nephew wasn¡¯t a stranger to her either. His looks weren¡¯t exceptional, but because he was a kind and generous man, she had been very satisfied. Furthermore, her future mother-inw had treated her well.

    In terms of social ranking, the Qiu family and the House were also well-suited. The marriage was a favorable one, and neither her grandmother nor father had objected.

    Then, just before the betrothal was made official, Jiang Hongjin came asking for her hand in marriage.

    In the capital, Jiang Hongjin was an illustrious schr. He was handsome and elegant, reputedly mild-tempered, and the ideal candidate for every unmarried maiden in the city. Unfortunately, Yuxi was not one of those maidens.

    She wasn¡¯t intelligent, but she knew the vast difference between her and Jiang Hongjin. In no way were they suited for each other, so Jiang Hongjin definitely had an ulterior motive for proposing to marry her. Knowing that the other party harbored evil intentions, she had been unwilling to ept his proposal.

    Her father knew she was unwilling, so he had thrown her a strip of white cloth1 and said, ¡°Marry or die. Pick a path.¡±

    She had chosen marriage over death, and her premonition was almost immediately proved to be right. On their wedding night, Jiang Hongjin did not enter the bridal chamber, which was a disgrace to the bride, and thus she became theughingstock of the Jiang family.

    Her mother-inw¡¯s cold detachment, her sisters-inw¡¯s harassment and ridicule, and the servants¡¯ belittlement made her every step in the Jiang family a difficult one.

    Six years. She had been tossed around by the Jiang family for six years, and no matter how much she suffered, Jiang Hongjin never spoke a word to her¡ªshe was invisible in his eyes.

    Once, she finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so she had barged into the study and asked him, ¡°Why did you take me as your bride?¡± Why did he have to ruin her life? If it weren¡¯t for Jiang Hongjin, she would¡¯ve married into the Qiu family and lived her days peacefully.

    Jiang Hongjin had looked at her ¡ªlooked down at her¡ª and kept his silence. He had let the study¡¯s servant boy chase her out.

    The moment of reflection made her realize howughable she was. Six years of marriage and her body was still pure and unsullied. Jiang Hongjin¡¯s personal maidservant, on the other hand, had been pregnant. Even moreughable was that the maidservant¡¯s miscarriage had been med on Yuxi.

    She neither pleaded herself innocent nor defended herself. All she wanted was a divorce. Bing a nun and devoting her life to Buddha would have been better than staying in the Jiang family.

    Instead of getting a divorce, she was sent to the vige. The year she spent in the vige had been the most tranquil she had ever lived since marrying into the Jiang family. And then the bandits arrived. After painstakingly escaping and fleeing to the capital, she never would¡¯ve expected her ending to be like this.

    ¡­..

    The temperature of her body dropped lower and lower as her eyelids became heavier and heavier. Her breathing became more and more shallow, and Yuxi knew¡­ she would not live past this night.

    She murmured, ¡°Jiang Hongjin¡­ why?¡±

    Why marry her?

    Why marry her, and then treat her as invisible?

    Why send her to the vige instead of filing a divorce?

    Why?

    Just why?

    Now, she was on the verge of death, and she would die without ever getting the answers to her questions. It was at this moment when she heard someone shouting loudly, ¡°Here¡¯s another dead one. Move her out, and burn her with the other corpses!¡±

    Those who died in refugee camps were promptly burned, as letting the corpse corrode may result in a gue.

    Yuxi muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be burned.¡± She was not afraid of death, but she didn¡¯t want to be burned until not even her corpse remained.

    The man in charge of hauling corpses felt Yuxi move. He paused, and then called out, ¡°Boss, this woman hasn¡¯t died yet,¡± meaning she still had one breath left.

    ¡°Burn her,¡± was the response. All corpses were done away with once a day. They couldn¡¯t afford any slip-ups.

    ¡­..

    Painful, so painful. Piercing pain finally prompted Yuxi to force open her eyes. Before her, she saw a fiery sea of red that caused iparable hate to fill her eyes. ¡°Jiang Hongjin. If there is a next life, I will definitely make sure you die without a corpse.¡±

 Chapter 3 - Smallpox

    <strong>Chapter 3 ¡ª Smallpox</strong>

    Early morning.

    All was quiet and still. Threads of light from the east side of the horizon strung together to illuminate the baby blue sky, indicating the arrival of a new day.

    ¡°Young Miss, Young Miss, wake up. Young Miss, I¡¯m begging you, please wake up¡­¡±

    Yuxi opened her eyes. Beside her was a woman who looked about the age of thirty. The woman¡¯sbed-back bun served to entuate her round face, and her clothes were in a shade of cyan. When the woman saw Yuxi¡¯s eyes flutter open, she gave a shout of pleasant surprise, ¡°Young Miss, you¡¯re awake, you¡¯re finally awake!¡±

    Yuxi stared nkly at the woman standing before her. So Mama Fang1 was here to receive her? Good¡­ If Mama Fang was here to receive her, then that meant she would be able to reunite with her mother soon. For the first time, she would be able to see her mother!

    Mama Fang stroked Yuxi¡¯s head and spoke happily, ¡°Young Miss, your fever has gone down.¡± That indicated the passing of a dangerous juncture in the illness. Meanwhile, Yuxi wanted to ask where they were, but upon opening her mouth, she realized her throat was burning too intensely that she was renderedpletely incapable of speaking.

    Although Mama Fang noticed Yuxi¡¯s stupefied look, she didn¡¯t think too much of it. After all, the Young Miss had just woken up after being unconscious for several days, so feeling a bit befuddled was normal.

    ¡°Young Miss, are you hungry? I¡¯ll go get you a bowl of congee.¡±

    Yuxi nodded, and as soon as the congee was brought to her, she finished it off quickly and efficiently. Her throat felt a bit better, and she immediately called for another bowl. Since her journey to the refugee camp and the meager time she spent there, she had not eaten a single fulfilling meal.

    Seeing Yuxi down a bowl of congee in the blink of an eye, Mama Fang couldn¡¯t help butugh. She was all the more happy to hear Yuxi ask for seconds, as a good appetite meant she was recuperating well.

    Once the congee was done, Yuxi finally asked, ¡°Mama, where am I?¡± Mama Fang stiffened for a brief moment before answering, ¡°Young Miss, we are in the Bamboo Pavilion.¡± The vacant look on Yuxi¡¯s face prompted her to exin, ¡°Young Miss, although the location of the Bamboo Pavilion is a bit off, it is still within the House, so fear not, Young Miss.¡±

    ¡°The Bamboo Pavilion?¡± Yuxi murmured to herself. The name was a familiar one. Her reaction caused Mama Fang¡¯s nose to scrunch up, ¡°Young Miss, did you forget? You contacted smallpox, so the Head Madam moved you here. Don¡¯t worry, Young Miss. Now that your fever has gone down, your illness will go away too, and we¡¯ll be able to move back to the Rose Courtyard soon.¡±

    Old Madam wanted Yuxi relocated to the vige; thankfully, Head Madam had intervened.

    Yuxi finally realized why the ce seemed familiar. In the past, during the time she was down with smallpox, she had lived in the Bamboo Pavilion for over a month. Mama Fang, on the other hand, believed Yuxi was simply sad, so sheforted, ¡°Young Miss, I know you¡¯re sad, but right now, you must focus on getting well.¡±

    An unintelligible sound slipped out from Yuxi¡¯s lips as her brain short-circuited. Mama Fang continued, ¡°Young Miss, you should rest a bit more. If you feel ufortable anywhere, just give a shout. I¡¯ll be outside.¡± Yuxi nodded.

    Rays of sunlight cascaded in through the window, casting a nket of light on her body. After looking closely at her two shrunken hands, she muttered to herself, ¡°I¡¯ve been reborn?¡±

    ¡°Young Miss,¡± called Mama Fang just before a bowl of medicine appeared in front of Yuxi. ¡°Come, drink the medicine, and you¡¯ll get better.¡±

    Normally, Mama Fang would¡¯ve had to coax and trick her into drinking the medicine, but this time, Yuxi gulped down the bowl of medicine without so much a wrinkle between her brows.

    The medicine contained sedative herbs, so she soon fell to its effects and remained asleep for an entire afternoon. Upon stirring, she gave herself a firm pinch, and the pain that followed confirmed: She had been reborn and sent back to her childhood years.

    Another serving of millet congee was delivered to her, again, by Mama Fang. The sight of it suddenly reminded Yuxi of something.

    Since the Bamboo Pavilion was situated in a remote corner of the House and she was suffering from smallpox, the food was prepared solely by Mama Fang.

    The main kitchen would only send over one meal a day, and that was in the morning. One time, Mama Fang went to ask the kitchen about food, and the servants there used her of trying to spread the smallpox disease.

    If it weren¡¯t the preparations she made beforehand, she would have been beaten to death already. Afterward, she was kicked out of the House. Because of this, Mama Fang became depressed and before long, she passed away.

    Yuxi¡¯s inquiry, ¡°The kitchen hasn¡¯t sent any food over in two days, right?¡± surprised Mama Fang. Howe the Young Miss knew about this?

    ¡°Young Miss, the kitchen is probably busy. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re justte.¡±

    Sure enough. Yuxiughed coldly, ¡°Mama, let¡¯s use the food from the kitchen sparingly!¡± Her Great Aunt was the Head Madam, and with the Head Madam overseeing the kitchen, it didn¡¯t make sense for the kitchen to ck. Something was fishy.

    Ning Shi ¡ªYuxi¡¯s mother¡ª once saved Second Young Master Han Jianye¡¯s life. Head Madam Qiu Shi was someone who knew to distinguish kindness from enmity, so in response to Ningshi saving her son, Qiu Shi promised to take care of Yuxi.

    In her previous life, Yuxi was able to grow up peacefully because Qiu Shi had watched over her. If it weren¡¯t for Jiang Hongjin, Yuxi would¡¯ve married the Third Young Master of the Qiu family; granted, her days wouldn¡¯t have been ones of prosperity and riches, but at least they would be calm and happy.

    A forcedugh spilled from Mama Fang¡¯s lips, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Miss. I will.¡± What worried her wasn¡¯t the kitchen but rather the physician, whose arrival was long overdue.

    Yuxi assumed Mama Fang wasn¡¯t taking her words to heart, so she decided to directly speak her mind, ¡°Mama, someone must¡¯ve incited the kitchen to not send anything. You mustn¡¯t fall for that person¡¯s schemes. If you do, you won¡¯t be able to stay by my side anymore,¡± at this moment, tears began to tumble down her cheeks, ¡°Mama, my mother is gone, so I only have you left. If something happens to you, what will I do?¡±

    Mama Fang wrapped Yuxi in a hug and cooed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Miss. I won¡¯t leave. I¡¯ll remain by Young Miss¡¯s side, always.¡± Yuxi nodded and proceeded to ask, ¡°The physician isn¡¯ting today?¡±

    This was the year smallpox ravaged the capital. Quite a few people ¡ªespecially children¡ª were infected. Two young victims resided within the House: Her and third brother, Han Jianhui. They were half-siblings.

    While the Old Madam had an imperial physician invited to treat Yuxi¡¯s third brother, Yuxi herself only had a normal physician who was requested for by the Head Madam. Then, the Old Madam heard that the physician for Yuxi was quite skilled and called him away too; she didn¡¯t care about Yuxi¡¯s life or death at all.

    Her Young Miss¡¯s sudden acumen startled Mama Fang. Again, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Miss,¡± and reassured, ¡°If the physician doesn¡¯t arrive tonight, I¡¯ll go beg the Head Madam,¡± but Yuxi shook her head.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. My fever has already gone down. Nothing will happen to me.¡± She managed to get through it in her past life, so this life shouldn¡¯t be an exception.

    ¡­..

    Dinner consisted of more millet congee, which saddened Mama Fang. Her Young Miss needed nutrient-dense foods, but instead, she was stuck eating this kind of stuff.

    ¡°Young Miss, please make do with this!¡± Thankfully, the kitchen had left behind a bag of rice; otherwise, even millet congee would¡¯ve been impossible.

    ¡°There¡¯s no harm in having millet congee,¡± Yuxi responded with a gentle smile. Having ess to millet congee was already a blessing in itself. She used to be so picky; now, she would never. Only those who experienced hunger and starvation would truly understand the happiness of having food.

    After drinking the congee, she said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, Mama. Great Aunt will know about this soon. We¡¯ll receive the food tomorrow.¡± Impressively enough, the person working behind-the-scenes had been able to conceal their deeds for two days. If it weren¡¯t for the disorderly state the House was currently in, that person would¡¯ve been found out sooner.

    Afraid she would identally rouse Yuxi¡¯s suspicions, Mama Fang parted her lips and spoke vaguely, ¡°Mhm. The kitchen servants will definitelye tomorrow,¡± while hoping the physician would arrive too.

    ¡­..

    For the past few days, Head Madam Qiu Shi had been swathed with work, while at home, two children were down with smallpox. On top of that, she still had to wait upon the Old Madam, so Qiu Shi was truly exhausted.

    When Qiu Shi¡¯s peifang2 Mama Wang, noticed the unpleasant expression on Qiu Shi¡¯s face, she asked, ¡°Madam, what¡¯s wrong? Is Third Young Master unwell?¡±

    Qiu Shi replied with a question of her own, ¡°I told you to go out and invite a physician. Howe I haven¡¯t heard anything about that?¡± The Old Madam had really been unabashed in calling Physician Bai away despite knowing Yuxi was ¡ªat the time¡ª in aatose state.

    Mama Wang shook her head, saying, ¡°Madam, you know how chaotic it is outside right now. Finding a physician is not easy!¡± They didn¡¯t want any barefoot physicians3 either. Qiu Shi¡¯s expression sunk.

    ¡°Then¡­ that child¡¯s chances are slim?¡± On the Third Young Master¡¯s side, even having an imperial physician tending to him wasn¡¯t enough to wake him from hisa; it was unlikely Yuxi would survive. Mama Wang hurriedlyforted, ¡°Madam, you¡¯ve already done all you could.¡±

    The Old Madam meant to send the Fourth Miss out of the House, but Qiu Shi had intervened and even went to great lengths for the sake of inviting the famed Physician Bai. Without Qiu Shi, Yuxi would¡¯ve long since perished.

    The expression on Qiu Shi¡¯s face was a heavy one. She¡¯d promised Ning Shi she would raise and take good care of Yuxi, but now she would have to go back on her word.

    Right at that moment, a maidservant named Liu Yue came in to report, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s been two days, and the main kitchen hasn¡¯t sent anything to the Bamboo Pavilion.¡±

    Those words added to Qiu Shi¡¯s ire, and she mmed a fist onto her table as she red with anger, ¡°Who is so audacious to dare take the Fourth Miss¡¯s food?¡± She didn¡¯t think someone would actually take advantage of the two days she was busy.

    ¡°This servant questioned the old maidservant in charge of delivering the food. She said that since the Fourth Miss has been unconscious for three days, bringing food to her would be a waste, so she cked,¡± was the muted reply.

    Of course, Qiu Shi didn¡¯t believe that. ¡°Tie that old servant up and interrogate her.¡± From the side, Mama Wang hurriedly advised, ¡°Madam, there are too many things going on the House right now. If the Old Madam hears about this, she won¡¯t be happy. Madam, making a fuss over this matter is not appropriate.¡±

    Thedy in charge of the main kitchen happened to be the Old Madam¡¯s peifang, who was someone even Qiu Shi had to respect. After a moment of contemtion, Qiu Shi asked, ¡°Why is it that this matter was discovered only now?¡±

    Two days; it had hidden from her for an entire two days. What did that mean? It meant someone was able to effortlessly deceive her. This time, it was about Yuxi. Then what would happen next time? Having thought to this point, Qiu Shi decided she would not let the matter go so easily.

    ¡°It was due to this old servant¡¯s dereliction of duty,¡± Mama Wang admitted. She never took Yuxi seriously, making it easy for another to find loopholes. Although Mama Wang was Qiu Shi¡¯s peifeng, Mama Wang wasn¡¯t her most trusted confidant. Mama Li was. s, a few days ago, Mama Li burned with a fever and then caught a cold, so she was allowed back to the Li family to rest. Such a mistake wouldn¡¯t have happened if Mama Li was present.

    Rising to her feet, Qiu Shi said, ¡°We¡¯re going to the Bamboo Pavilion.¡±

 Chapter 4 - Died of Illness

    <strong>Chapter 4 ¡ª Died of Illness</strong>

    Having slept the day away, Yuxi found it hard to fall asleep at night. She looked out the window at the bamboo stalks; they were smooth, vibrant-green, and full of vitality. The third generation Duke of the House loved bamboo, so a hefty amount of money had been expended to nurture a bamboo forest, and then a courtyard was built within the bamboo forest.

    That was how the Bamboo Pavilion came to be. However, due to the bamboo forest being in a remote area and the fact that all of the previous residents had died from unnatural causes, the Bamboo Pavilion eventually became known as an ominous ce and was thus deserted.

    Qiu-shi and her entourage of ten entered the quiet courtyard, and their footsteps sounded especially loud, which alerted Mama Fang. She immediately went to receive them, and the two spoke briefly outside of the courtyard.

    Qiu-shi was very pleased and relieved to hear that Yuxi had woken up and was able to eat, plus her fever was down. That meant Yuxi had escaped death.

    ¡°Mama Fang, don¡¯t worry. I definitely get the physician here tomorrow.¡± After urging Mama Fang again and again to take good care of Yuxi, Qiu-shi took her entourage and left. Mama Fang entered Yuxi¡¯s room and told her, ¡°Young Miss, the Head Madam just visited. She was very happy to learn that Young Miss is now awake.¡±

    Yuxi gave a little nod. Although a debt of gratitude was the reason her Great Aunt treated her well, Yuxi was grateful nheless.

    ¡­..

    It took only a day for Qiu Shi to figure out the culprit; Concubine Rong. Qiu Shi¡¯s eyes shed with resentment as she spat, ¡°That slut.¡± If asked who she hated the most, the answer would be Concubine Rong.

    Concubine Rong was born a servant¡¯s child. At the age of six, she was already tending to the young Han Jingdong and therefore earned his affection. As the matter of fact, not long after Qiu-shi married into the Han family, Concubine Rong had gotten pregnant. If the Old Madam hadn¡¯t hinted that a legitimate child must be born before an illegitimate child and forced Concubine Rong to ingest abortion medicine, the current Concubine Rong would still be bouncing around happily!

    Mama Wang didn¡¯t get it.

    ¡°Why did Concubine Rong target the Fourth Miss?¡± The Fourth Miss¡¯s death wouldn¡¯t have done much.

    Meanwhile, Maidservant Liuyin was anxious for Mama Wang. The attack toward the Fourth Miss was clearly aimed at the Head Madam. Qiu-shi came from a military family, so she had grown up in a simple environment, without all the scheming and shes behind the doors.

    Ever since she married into the House of Duke Han and encountered the sly Concubine Rong, Qiu-shi had suffered countless loses.

    ¡°Leave it for now. Liuyin, go to the storehouse tomorrow and deliver the two new boxes of swallow¡¯s nest to the Bamboo Pavilion.¡±

    Although Mama Wang wasn¡¯t a particrly clever person, what she had said was not untrue. The Old Madam was currently extremely worried about the Third Young Master¡¯s condition, so now was not the time to get into a fight. Moreover, enraging the Old Madam wouldn¡¯t do anyone any good.

    ¡­..

    On the second morning, the Old Madam¡¯s trusted subordinate, Mama Luo, heard about Yuxi¡¯s awakening. Mama Luo immediately ryed the good news to Old Madam Han.

    ¡°The Fourth Miss woke up yesterday morning and reportedly even managed to down two bowls of congee.¡± To be able to recover without a physician¡­ Mama Luo felt that the Third Miss was truly a fortunate child. Meanwhile, the Third Young Master was still unconscious.

    The Old Madam fell silent and focused on turning the prayer beads in her hand for quite some time before saying, ¡°What did Imperial Physician Zhang and Physician Bai say about Hui¡¯er¡¯s condition?¡±

    With some hesitation, Mama Luo answered, ¡°Imperial Physician Zhang and Physician Bai said that if the Third Young Master doesn¡¯t wake up today, then¡­¡± She didn¡¯t dare finish what she was going to say.

    The beads in the Old Madam¡¯s hands stopped moving, and after a long moment of contemted, she instructed, ¡°Yuchen shall not know about this.¡±

    Third Miss Yuchen and Third Young Master Jianhui were twins, and when she learned that her brother was down with smallpox, she was so worried that she herself had fallen ill.

    Old Madam Han had only two sons, one of whom was the Duke Han Jingdong, and the other was Third Lord Han Jingyan, who took three wives.

    His main wife, Jiang Shi, was a legitimate Miss from the House of Marquis Qingping. She was also the mother of Yuchen and Jianhui. His second wife, Ning-shi, was Yuxi¡¯s biological mother. Unfortunately, both wives had died during childbirth.

    Han Jiangyan met his third and final wife, Wu Shi, while he was on duty. Before they returned to the capital, no one knew anything about her.

    ¡­..

    When Concubine Rong learned that Yuxi was still alive, she was very angry.

    ¡°That despicable girl¡¯s life is quite unyielding, huh?¡± Not even smallpox could kill her. If it wasn¡¯t an unyielding life, then what was it?

    A maidservant who went by the name of A¡¯Juan lowered her voice and said, ¡°Concubine, A¡¯Zhong¡¯s daughter-inw was dismissed. Concubine, I¡¯m afraid the Head Madam knows about that matter.¡±

    Concubine Rong chuckled lightly, ¡°Even if she knows, so what?¡± She wasn¡¯t scared of Qiu-shi at all. If it weren¡¯t for the Old Madam, even ten Qiu-shis wouldn¡¯t have been enough to oppose Concubine Rong.

    ¡­..

    Back inside the Bamboo Pavilion, Mama Fang watched as Yuxi finished drinking a bowl of millet congee topped with red dates and said happily, ¡°If Young Miss continues like this, it wouldn¡¯t take more than two days to fully recover.¡±

    Before Yuxi could open her mouth to respond, she heard the clear call of a birding from outside, which immediately improved her mood.

    ¡°Mama, it¡¯s a lovely day today. You should open the windows and doors.¡± Outside, the sun was shining brightly. Opening the windows and doors would also allow her to breathe better.

    However, Mama Fang was unwilling.

    ¡°The wind outside is strong, Young Miss, you¡¯ve just gotten a bit better. What if I open the windows and cause Young Miss to catch a cold?¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know that while she was sleeping the night before, Mama Fang had entered the room several times to check her forehead for fever and persisted until daybreak. Only then did Mama Fang leave, but it was to go prepare millet congee.

    Yuxi was stubborn and refused to yield, ¡°Mama, the room is too stinky, I don¡¯t feel well.¡± Leaving the windows closed for so many days, the room reeked of medicine. Unable to convince Yuxi otherwise, Mama Fang could only oblige.

    When the newly-invited Physician Lu arrived, the windows were still open. Physician Lu didn¡¯t say anything. After he checked her pulse, he concluded, ¡°There are no majorplications anymore. Drink the medicine a few more times, and you¡¯ll have fully recovered.¡±

    The child had a weak body constitution, but unexpectedly, she was actually able to survive this disaster.

    Yuxi was doing well, but the Third Young Master wasn¡¯t.

    ¡­..

    Imperial Physician Zhang finished taking the Third Young Master¡¯s pulse and left to inform the Old Madam, ¡°Old Madam, this old one is helpless!¡± This sentence meant that it was time to let arrange for the funeral affairs.

    Physician Bai also already said that he had done his best. The Old Madam held on tightly to her prayer beads and deliberated for a long time before saying, with some difficulty, ¡°Nothing else can be done?¡±

    She had prepared herself for it, but when it happened, it was nheless hard to bear. Both physicians expressed that even if Hua Tuo was present, it would still be difficult to save the Third Young Master. Those who were infected by smallpox had to rely on both a physician and their own luck.

    Learning that her older brother was gone, Yuchen immediately fainted. The room fell into chaos and didn¡¯t calm down until midnight.

    Qiu-shi was the busiest of them all. Since the Third Younger Master died an early death, his funeral couldn¡¯t be conducted inside the manor, but she definitely had to find a monk toe and chant scriptures.

    During this period of time, many people in the capital had died, and monks weren¡¯t easy to invite. There was a multitude of tasks to do, and handling all of them was too taxing. When there was a moment of free time, Qiu-shi asked Mama Wang, ¡°How is Yuxi?¡±

    Mama Wang answered, ¡°ording to the physician, all is well with the Fourth Miss. A few more bowls of medicine, and she¡¯ll be cured. The precious Third Young Master hadn¡¯t survived, yet the Fourth Miss, who didn¡¯t really have a physician treating her, did. That was fate.

    Although Qiu-shi was dissatisfied with Mama Wang as a person, at least the Mama¡¯s loyalty was doubtless.

    ¡°Watch the manor¡¯s affairs carefully, don¡¯t let anyone take advantage of any more loopholes.¡± The first time was a lesson to be learned from.

    Mama Wang became swathed in work. These days, she had the kitchen gather good foods to send over to the Bamboo Pavilion and was afraid another mishap would happen.

    ¡­..

    The Third Young Master¡¯s passing made its way to Yuxi¡¯s ears. She wasn¡¯t surprised at all because she already knew the result would be like this. She looked at the big, red brocade quilt draped over her body and said, ¡°Mama, change this quilt. Change it into a in color.¡±

    In her past life, she hadn¡¯t received any criticism for the quilt, but it was still better to be cautious.

    The remote location of the Bamboo Pavilion revealed an advantage¡ªthe House¡¯s affairs did not affect her, ensuring her a period of peaceful recuperation. Lying in bed for three days straight made her feel as though her bones were about to fall apart.

    Yuxi exploited Mama Fang¡¯s absence to change clothes and step outside. As soon as she left the room, she smelled a delicious aroma.

    ¡°Mama Fang, you¡¯re making something good?¡±

    Mama Fang was startled, ¡°Young Miss, why did youe out? The wind is so strong, what if you catch a chill?¡±

    ¡°Mama Fang, there¡¯s no wind today, nothing will happen. I wouldn¡¯t put my own life on the line like that,¡± Yuxi reassured,ughing.

    Mama Fang felt that ever since the Young Miss¡¯s episode of illness, the Young Miss had be more clever and sensible, so Mama Fang couldn¡¯t bear to scold her.

    ¡°Well, alright¡­ but if the wind picks up, you have to go in.¡±

    Nodding, Yuxi agreed, ¡°Okay. Mama, what¡¯s cooking in the kitchen? What¡¯s that smell?¡± At that, Mama Fangughed.

    ¡°Today, the main kitchen sent over an aged hen to help replenish Young Miss¡¯s body with. I killed it and put it in the furnace to stew. It¡¯ll be ready soon.¡±

    As the aroma wafted into Yuxi¡¯s nose, her stomach began to growl. Thinking back to the half month she had spent fleeing from cmity and living as a refugee, she felt that her current days were heavenly. However, when the chicken soup slid down her throat, a strange look came across her face.

    ¡°Mama, why didn¡¯t you add salt in?¡±

    ¡°Young Miss, you don¡¯t know. Making stew with an aged hen and an aged female duck and not adding salt is the most nourishing way to cook it,¡± Mama Fang replied with a smile, rousing Yuxi¡¯s interest.

    ¡°There¡¯s actually this kind of saying? Who said that?¡±

    ¡°An elder said it. It is definitely without mistake. Young Miss, I¡¯ve already scooped out the oil from the soup, so it¡¯s not greasy. Eat more.¡±

    After watching Yuxi polish off the bowl of chicken soup and chicken meat, Mama Fang was extremely happy and said, ¡°Young Miss, I¡¯ll rub your stomach.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t like Yuxi was really only four years old¡ªhow could she let Mama Fang rub her stomach? She refused, ¡°No need. I¡¯ll just go and take a walk.¡±

    Her heart was rxed, and she was no longer picky. She¡¯d grown a bit taller and was no longer as skinny as a stick of firewood. Yuxi¡¯s change relieved Mama Fang, who would always pray to the deceased Ning-shi.

    ¡­..

    Compared to Yuxi¡¯s contentment and blissful weight gain, Head Madam Qiu-shi was exhausted and lost a lot of weight. The past few days, aside from handling the House¡¯s affairs, she¡¯d also had to care of the ill.

    Imperial Physician Zhang touched on the endlessly worrisome problem of: ¡°Madam can set her mind at rest. The Old Madam is fine now. However, because the Old Madam is of old age, she shouldn¡¯t be too anxious, and neither can she be too happy.¡± Extreme happiness was actually bad for the body of an elderly.

    Hearing the physician say the Old Madam was fine, Qiu-shi heaved a sigh of relief and switched over to ask, ¡°How is the Third Miss?¡±

    A moment of hesitation passed before Imperial Physician Zhang responded, ¡°The Third Miss is distressed. Her illness will be cured when she lets go of her worries.¡± Distress couldn¡¯t be cured by medicine.

    Qiu-shi felt some helplessness when she heard those words. She¡¯d tried many times to console the Third Miss, but to no avail. Now, she could only pin her hopes on the Old Madam.

 Chapter 5 - Moving Back to Rose Courtyard

    <strong>Chapter 5 ¡ª Moving Back to Rose Courtyard</strong>

    The bamboo stalks outside varied in thickness and length, but each and every one stood strong and upright. A gentle breeze ruffled the bamboo leaves, producing an indistinct melody that resembled the murmurs of a beauty.

    Mama Fang saw that Yuxi had stood in the back courtyard and stared at the bamboo stalks for quite some time already. The older woman wondered what was so interesting about the green cane-like nts.

    ¡°Young Miss, the wind is blowing so strongly, you should go back inside!¡±

    Yuxi turned her head and responded, ¡°I¡¯m not going back inside, it feels stuffy in there. Mama. isn¡¯t it meal time now?¡±

    At that question, Mama Fang couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit helpless. Ever since her Young Miss regained her health, every time she saw Mama Fang cooking, the girl would stay behind to watch and im that she was learning.

    Mama Fang didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. What would a four-year-old child learn culinary for? However, she wasn¡¯t able to dissuade Yuxi, and wanting to learn culinary skills was a good thing anyway, so Mama Fang didn¡¯t oppose much.

    After having the midday meal, Mama Fang informed Yuxi, ¡°Young Miss, today Old Cao, who came to deliver food, told me that in about two days, we will be able to move back to Rose Courtyard.¡±

    Rose Courtyard was Yuxi¡¯s own courtyard.

    The young girl nodded. In her past life, she¡¯d also resided within the Bamboo Pavilion for around a month before moving back, but when Yuchen recovered from the shock of losing her brother, Yuxi was moved to the Bamboo Pavilion again.

    Yuxi hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Mama Fang, I want to ask you something. How did I get smallpox?¡±

    Mama Fang answered with a ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±, prompting Yuxi to exin, ¡°Third Brother got smallpox because he went outside, but I¡¯ve always stayed inside. Third Brother and I didn¡¯te into any contact either, so how did I get smallpox?¡±

    Although smallpox was a dreadful disease, one would be fine as long as they kept clear of the infected. Yuxi had been contemting on it, and no matter how she thought about it, she felt that something was fishy.

    Mama Fang hadn¡¯t really thought about it before. When she heard Yuxi¡¯s words, Mama Fang¡¯s expression fell.

    ¡°Young Miss, your meaning is that someone tried to deliberately harm you?¡± Thinking back on the main kitchen¡¯s previous embezzlement, a weight fell on her heart.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I just feel like it¡¯s very strange.¡±

    Eyes glinting harshly, Mama Fang assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Miss. If it really was deliberate, I¡¯ll definitely let that person experience a living hell.¡±

    ¡­..

    The next morning, three people arrived at the Bamboo Pavilion. The head of the group was a girl with an oval-shaped face and beautiful features. She was wearing indigo-colored clothing, and there were two stalwart old maidservants standing behind her.

    Yuxi felt that the leading maidservant was familiar, but she couldn¡¯t remember the maidservant¡¯s name. Mama Fang, on the other hand, excitedly called out, ¡°Moju, are you here take Young Miss back to Rose Courtyard?¡±

    Only then did Yuxi remember that Moju was her own first-rate maidservant. Yuxi hadn¡¯t seen Moju in over a decade, so she¡¯d forgotten.

    There were hot tears in Moju¡¯s eyes. She paid a greeting to Yuxi and sobbed, ¡°Yes, the Head Madam told me toe and take Young Miss back to Rose Courtyard. Young Miss was able to survive this disaster. Young Miss must be blessed by Buddha.¡±

    With an indifferent look on her face, Yuxi said, ¡°The reason I survived this disaster is because my mother is watching over me!¡±

    Moju nodded repeatedly and agreed, ¡°Yes, it must¡¯ve been because Madam is watching over Young Miss.¡± This time, quite a few people had died from smallpox. The dead were burned, lest their corpses bring about future troubles. Her Young Miss being able to escape this disaster really must be due to the deceased madam¡¯s protection.

    The knots in Yuxi¡¯s heart unraveled. She was finally leaving this ce. There was nothing to pack up since everything would have to be incinerated.

    The Bamboo Pavilion wasn¡¯t very close to Rose Courtyard. Yuxi took her time walking and admiring the scenery. Before, ever since she married into the Jiang family, she¡¯d only returned home a handful of times, so now everything seemed somewhat unfamiliar to her.

    Moju watched Yuxi, and tears started to fall.

    ¡°Young Miss is back.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s four first-rate maidservants were: Moju, Motao, Moyun, and Moxiang.

    Mama Fang chided lightly, ¡°You can talk when we get inside. The sun is poisonous, Young Miss can¡¯t be exposed to the sun.¡± She could see a sheen of sweat on her Young Miss¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Young Miss, quickly, stride over this brazier. It will dispel the bad inauspicious energy that¡¯s on your body,¡± Motao urged after lighting the brazier that was situated outside of Rose Courtyard. Without an ounce of hesitation, Yuxi picked up her short legs and did as she was told.

    Then, she entered Rose Courtyard.

    Rose Courtyard wasn¡¯t big. It had two main rooms that were each nked by additional storage rooms and side rooms. Compared to the other courtyards in the House, Rose Courtyard was a rtively small one. It was named after the stretch of roses that climbed up the left courtyard wall. It just so happened that it was currently the flowering season for roses.

    Mauve and jade-white roses adorned the wall; the sight was breathtaking. A cluster of banana shrubs grew beneath the window. Their fan-like leaves spread out like green silk, casting a sheet of shade over the ground.

    Upon entry, Yuxi swept her gaze over the simplistic design andyout of her bedchamber. A six-column shelf was situated against a wall, and her bed curtains were cyan in color, while the bedding was in a shade of autumn. Positioned opposite of her bed were two wooden chairs, and on the side was a folding screen, which hid a small washing area.

    Aside from the few pieces of essential furniture, embellishments like jadeware, goldware, and porcin were nowhere to be seen. Other courtyards had crude exteriors and elegant interiors, but in Yuxi¡¯s case, it was the opposite.

    Mama Fang came to her side and suggested she take a bath, so she did.

    After bathing and changing, Yuxi¡¯s old clothes were taken away and burned; this was, again, a safety measure.

    As Moju used a clean towel to dry Yuxi¡¯s hair, Moju said softly, ¡°Young Miss, you¡¯ve suffered.¡±

    Yuxi threw Moju a nce. Moju said Yuxi had suffered, but the truth wasn¡¯t so. Days of indulging in delicious food had filled out Yuxi¡¯s cheeks, and herplexion was good too.

    ¡°One who survives through a great disaster will then meet with good fortune,¡± she replied mildly. Because she¡¯d developed some misgivings, she no longerpletely trusted her four first-rate maidservants.

    Speaking of, she realized that her previous life was really quite pathetic. All the way up until her death, she had not one trustworthy person around her.

    Smiling, Moju agreed, ¡°Yes. Young Miss will definitely be very rich in the future.¡±

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Where are Moyun and Moxiang?¡± Out of four first-rate servants, only two were present. Where did the other two go? Without much deliberation, Moju responded, ¡°Several days ago, Moyun¡¯s mother fell ill. Moyun doesn¡¯t know Young Miss is returning today, so she returned home with the Head Mama to look after her mother. Moxiang, she¡­¡± Moju hesitated ¡°Young Miss, Moxiang is gone.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s entire body stiffened.

    ¡°How?¡±

    For a second, Moju paused in her ministrations. Then, she said softly, ¡°Moxiang also died from smallpox.¡± At that, Yuxi¡¯s face fell. After her hair was dried, she moved to sit in front of her dresser.

    The dresser was made from wenge wood, and as far as she knew, all of the slightly well-respected servants, usually the ones in charge, used furniture made out of wenge wood. The shabby furnishing used to upset her, but now, she couldn¡¯t care less about these things.

    ¡°Select some clothes for me. Ones with muted colors.¡±

    Motao used a hairpin to divide Yuxi¡¯s hair into two sections before gathering the two sections into two symmetrical buns and then securing them to the sides of her heads. From each of the buns, Motao pulled out a few strands of hair and let them hang down naturally.

    Looking at her own reflection in the bronze mirror, Yuxi thought back to how utterly skinny she¡¯d been in this period of her past life andpared it to her current full, pleasing, and rosy-cheeked appearance.

    Motao retrieved two small boxes and opened them. Half of their contents consisted of silver pieces of jewelry, and the rest were made of gold or pearl, but not one was made of diamonds or other precious gemstones.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for jewelry,¡± Yuxi said, but Motao dissuaded, ¡°Young Miss, it¡¯s better if you wear some jewelry! Not wearing any is too in, the Old Madam wouldn¡¯t like that.¡± The Old Madam already disliked her Young Miss. If her Young Miss dressed as though she was in mourning, the Old Madam would undoubtedly scold her.

    Yuxi wanted to tell Motao that she didn¡¯t care whether the Old Madam liked it or not, but Yuxi could only keep that thought to herself. ¡°What do you think I should wear then?¡± She asked.

    Motao picked out two flower-shaped hairpins and tucked them into Yuxi¡¯s hair. The hairpins were blue in color, and the flowers on them were fashioned from beads.

    ¡°Young Miss, what do you think?¡±

    However, Yuxi was unmoved. Although she had recuperated for an entire month and herplexion was looking much better, her body was still too frail. To truly be in perfect condition again would take a while. Dressing up now, no matter what she wore, wouldn¡¯t make her look good in any notable way.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    Once her hair was properly done up, Moju carried over a set of aqua-blue clothing. With a shake of her head, Yuxi rejected it. Blue was the color she always wore, and she was starting to dislike it.

    A whileter, she was finally ready to go. Moju apanied her to the House¡¯s master residence, which was quite a distance from Rose Courtyard. Like before, Yuxi walked slowly in order to refamiliarize herself with the paths.

    They passed through the flower-hung gate of the inner courtyard, made some turns, and continued down a hallway until the bright, spacious, and neat courtyard itself came into view. Five main rooms and a great number of side rooms. Everything was magnificently decorated.

    A beautiful, violet-robed girl saw Yuxi and smiled, ¡°Fourth Miss, the Old Madam fell asleep just now. After the Old Madam awakens, this servant will report to her.¡±

    There was not a single trace of dissatisfaction on Yuxi¡¯s face. She merely smiled back and reassured, ¡°Then I¡¯ll trouble big sister Cuiyu to do so.¡±

    Cuiyu was taken aback. In the past, the Fourth Miss would react in a gloomy manner, but after her illness, it seemed that she had be more clever.

    ¡°It is naturally this servant¡¯s duty.¡±

    Right as Yuxi turned to leave, she saw Yuchene out of the room. Yuchen was wearing gossamer white clothes and a jade-white shawl. Her skin was pale and smooth, her exquisite face small and oval-shaped, and her eyesrge and lustrous.

    Although she had a pallor and looked emaciated, she still gave off the charm of a rare beauty. The sight of Yuchen caused aplicated look to appear in Yuxi¡¯s eyes. Even when given an extra chance at life, Yuxi still thought that the Heavens had shown Yuchen too much love. Not only did Yuchen have an appearance capable of overthrowing cities and ruining states, but she was also outstandingly talented.

    The pressure of having such a radiant elder sister was not light. Yuxi possessed good-looking features too, but in front of her sister, she would forever serve as a foil. This led Yuxi to lose all confidence in herself, and she¡¯d always felt especially inferior.

    Suppressing her peculiar emotions, she called out with augh, ¡°Third Sister.¡±

    Another chance at life allowed Yuxi to be more open-minded. Some things were destined to be the way they were. Envy and jealousy were pointless, and self-inferiority was more so. They would not hurt anyone but the person themself.

    Seeing Yuxi immediately saddened Yuchen, as she was reminded of her deceased brother again, but Yuxi¡¯s white attire caused Yuchen to look upon Yuxi a bit more favorably.

    ¡°Grandmother didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday, so she has fallen asleep. Fourth Sister, why don¡¯t youe visit my room?¡±

    Surprised, Yuxi thought back to her previous life. She hadn¡¯t received treatment like this before, but she was pleased to have it.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    The Old Madam adored Yuchen, so Yuchen had been by the Old Madam¡¯s side since birth.

 Chapter 6 - Favoritism

    <strong>Chapter 6 ¡ª Favoritism</strong>

    Yuchen lived in one of the side rooms located in the left side of the upper courtyard. All three of the side rooms there belonged to her, actually. The instant Yuxi stepped into Yuchen¡¯s room, she noticed that in the center, there was a long narrawood table, and a three-legged incense burner seated atop it. There was a sickeningly sweet scent in the air.

    Yuxi looked down and swept her gaze over the thick wool carpet that embellished the floor. The carpet was embroidered with exceedingly beautiful designs¡ªsuch a carpet was worth an undoubtedly grand sum.

    A gold-spun curtain of red crystal beads hung from the ceiling, preventing a clear view of the room¡¯s inner area. A maidservant, Shi-shui, moved the curtains to let Yuxi and Yuchen in. Yuxi took in the furnishings. Rosewood furniture and priceless treasures brimmed the room, and even the stationery items on the writing table were extraordinary products.

    There was a saying that went: sons must be raised in poverty, and daughters must be raised in luxury. Yuchen was the epitome of ¡°raised in luxury,¡± making Yuxi¡¯s own courtyard seem absolutely pitiful inparison.

    Yuxi still remembered the first time she saw Yuchen¡¯s room. Her past self had a rampant breakdown right after returning to her own residence. The current Yuxi couldn¡¯t be more indifferent toward the disparity, but despite that, there was still one thing in the room that made her eyes feel hot.

    It was a piece of two-sided embroidery. One side depicted a beauty in the midst of admiring flowers, and on the other, it showed a flourishing peony flower.

    ¡°So beautiful.¡±

    Embroidery was the only skill the past Yuxi could pull out. After marrying into the Jiang family, it became her only pastime. Seeing Yuxi¡¯s eyes shining so brightly that they also appeared to be casting light, Yuchenughed and said, ¡°If you like it, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±

    Yuxi asked, pleasantly surprised, ¡°Really?¡± If she could study the embroidery and its techniques, she too would be able to sew two-sided embroideries. Behind Yuchen, Maidservant Shi-shui was worried. The two-sided embroidery was so valuable, how could it be so casually gifted away? She¡¯d hoped the Fourth Miss would reject, but judging from the expression on her face, Shi-shui knew it was unlikely.

    ¡°Young Miss, you mustn¡¯t! This was given by the Old Madam!¡±

    Hearing that, Yuxi¡¯s fervent enthusiasm immediately dissipated, and she started to shake her head, ¡°Third Sister, this embroidery is too precious, I can¡¯t ept it.¡±

    Yuchen¡¯s face still contained a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m giving it to you, so just take it.¡± This time, Yuxi didn¡¯t reject. She returned the smile and gave her thanks.

    The splendor of Yuchen¡¯s room stretched beyond the furniture and decorations to the exquisite stationeries on her writing table. One nce at the yet-to-dry calligraphy on the table elicited an internal sigh from Yuxi.

    Yuchen, at five years old, was already so aplished in the art of calligraphy. Yuxi herself, back then, was mediocre.

    Shi-shui had caught on to where Yuxi was looking and exined, ¡°This set of Sapphire Mand stationery was awarded to my Young Miss by the Old Madam.¡± In other words, don¡¯t get any ideas on it.

    Yuxi¡¯s expression stiffened. She turned to Yuchen, ¡°Third Sister, I still need to go pay my respects to Great Aunt. I wille againter to pay my respects to Grandmother.¡±

    She would not tolerate herself being treated as though she were a thief, like she would steal something if left unsupervised. After Yuxi left, Yuchen tossed Shi-shui a nce, ¡°Who gave you the guts?¡±

    Heart lurching, Shi-shui hurriedly knelt down and pleaded, ¡°Young Miss, this servant has overstepped her boundaries. This servant was only considering how the embroidery was given to you by the Old Madam, so this servant became worried and forgot her ce.¡±

    Yuchen gave an ¡®en¡¯.

    ¡°On ount of this being your first offense, I will let it go, but if it happens again, don¡¯t me me for being cruel. Regardless of everything, the Fourth Miss is still a master of the House.¡± Grandmother and Father didn¡¯t care about Yuxi, but Yuxi was a Miss nheless. It was not a servant¡¯s ce to humiliate her.

    The frightened Shi-shui remained on her knees, not daring to utter a word.

    ¡­..

    Yuxi was unaware of what had happened. She took Moju with her to the master courtyard. Madam Han ¡ªQiu-shi¡ª lived in the House¡¯s most impressive courtyard. Like the inner courtyard, the master courtyard had five main rooms that were lined with side rooms and storage rooms. Expansive and magnificent.

    Maidservant Liuyin weed Yuxi with a smile, ¡°Fourth Miss,e. Madam is waiting for you inside!¡± With that, she ushered Yuxi in.

    Qiu-shi was dressed in a set of homely robes, her appearance mellow and rounded, her smile mild and affectionate. One could effortlessly tell that she was easy to get along with.

    At first, Yuxi didn¡¯t speak. She lowered herself to her knees and kowtowed three times before saying sincerely, ¡°Many thanks to Great Aunt for saving my life.¡± The three kowtows were not only for the smallpox affair but also the care Qiu-shi had shown Yuxi in her past life.

    It took a while for Qiu-shi to recover from her shock, and when she did, she went forward to help Yuxi up.

    ¡°Child, what are you doing? What saving your life? This is what Aunt should do,¡± she scolded.

    Gratefully, Yuxi said, ¡°Aunt, I know. If it weren¡¯t for Aunt, I would¡¯ve lost my life already.¡± Not only that, Qiu-shi was also the sole reason Yuxi was able to peacefully grow up in her past life.

    Rxing, Qiu-shi rubbed Yuxi¡¯s head and said softly, ¡°You should also thank yourself and your own body for being able to endure.¡± In reality, she hadn¡¯t held much hope. Inviting a physician over to look at Yuxi was for the sake of settling her own heart, and she hadn¡¯t expected Yuxi to really survive.

    Before Yuxi could respond, the maidservant outside announced, ¡°Madam, First Miss has arrived.¡± First Miss Yuru was born from one of Qiu-shi¡¯s dowry¡¯s maidservants, but the maidservant had passed away not long after Yuru¡¯s birth.

    Yuru was wearing a set of pale mauve robes, and her hairstyle was simple: two buns with a jade hairpin inserted in each. Slender eyebrows. Large, bright, and enticing eyes. A slight smile, revealing two tiny dimples on each cheek. Yuru was yet another young but gorgeous face.

    After she finishing paying her respects to Qiu-shi, Yuru looked at Yuxi and said, ¡°Fourth Sister, I heard you¡¯ve just about fully recovered. Congrattions.¡±

    Yuxi returned the gesture and responded, ¡°I¡¯ve made First Sister worry.¡± Yuru was eight this year, meaning there was a whole four-year gap between them. The two didn¡¯t interact much.

    ¡°The two of you are sisters. There is no need to be so polite with each other,¡± Qiu-shi remarked with a smile.

    At that moment, one of the maidservants in charge came in with a report for Qiu-shi. Yuru was very sensible and knew to withdraw. Before leaving, she said to Yuxi, ¡°If Fourth Sister doesn¡¯t mind, why note to take a seat in my room?¡±

    Yuxi was surprised. First, it was Yuchen, and now, it was Yuru. Nothing like this happened in her past life. ¡°Alright!¡±

    Once the Misses of the House became eight years old, they would be granted their own courtyardpound. Yujing, who was still living with Concubine Rong, was an exception.

    Yuxi entered the room and saw that inside of an embroidery basket, there was a pair of shoes. The needlework was verypact, and one could easily tell that quite a bit of effort had been put into it. Yuxi smiled and asked, ¡°First Sister, are you making shoes for Great Aunt?¡±

    Yuru nodded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s for Mother.¡±

    The corners of Yuxi¡¯s eyes curved into two crescents. She said, ¡°Great Aunt will definitely like them.¡± In truth, as the House¡¯s Head Madam, what kinds of things did her Great Aunt not have? Yuru¡¯s actions implied that she was simply trying to curry favor with Qiu-shi.

    The pair of shoes caused Yuxi to realize how terrible she was. For so many years, her Great Aunt had unconditionally cared for her, and yet Yuxi had never done anything in return. She started to reflect on herself.

    Although Yuru was a bit surprised, she was still very happy about thepliment.

    ¡°The embroidery is not good enough to be praised.¡±

    In response, Yuxiughed, ¡°First Sister is showing her filial piety. Great Aunt will surely like it.¡± Her Great Aunt was a very generous person, so despite Yuru being motherless and an illegitimate, her life was not made difficult.

    After a brief conversation, Yuxi returned to her own yard. Yuru watched as Yuxi left, a thoughtful look on her face. Her maidservant Qingxuan felt it was a bit odd and asked, ¡°What is Young Miss looking at?¡±

    ¡°Fourth Sister changed a lot,¡± Yuru murmured. Yuxi used to be a gloomy child, and now she had be a lot more peaceful. This change¡­ might not necessarily be a good thing.

    Qingxuan brought over the embroidery basket. ¡°The Fourth Miss has be better. It will be easier to interact with her.¡±

    Yuru gave a wry smile, ¡°I¡¯m an illegitimate daughter. The Fourth Miss is unloved, but she is still a legitimate daughter. Why would she want to interact more with me?¡± Yuru¡¯s thinking wasn¡¯t unjustified. She treated Yuchen well, but Yuchen¡¯s attitude toward her had always been distant. Qingxuan didn¡¯t know what else to say.

    ¡­..

    When Mama Fang saw Yuxiing back, she went up to her and said, ¡°Young Miss, the Third Miss sent over an embroidery. I couldn¡¯t reject it. Young Miss, happened?¡±

    When Yuxi entered her room, she saw the double-sized embroidery. ¡°Third Sister gifted it to me.¡± She nned on sitting down and studying it soon. Anxiously, Mama Fang asked, ¡°Young Miss, why would the Third Miss suddenly gift you such a valuable item?¡± Mama Fang couldn¡¯t be med for feeling so anxious.

    The Old Madam wouldn¡¯t be happy.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Yuxi, shaking her head. She really didn¡¯t know why Yuchen decided to send such a valuable object over, but since she did, Yuxi wasn¡¯t going to reject it.

    Mama Fang was in the middle of speaking when she heard someone announce that Liuyin had arrived. Liuyin was also carrying gifts. Qiu-shi had sent over not only precious tonics but also two bolts of brocade. One red, and the other green.

    After sending Liuyin off, Mama Fang stared happily at the two brocades, ¡°With this material, we¡¯ll be able to make lots of new clothes for Young Miss.¡± Yuxi¡¯s clothes were all very in. She owned six sets for each season. For an ordinary person, six sets of clothes were a lot, but for a Miss of the House, six was a rather pathetic amount.

    Moju opened the box of swallow¡¯s nest and cried out in surprise, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s actually blood swallow!¡± Blood swallows were the best kind of swallow¡¯s nest. They were exceptionally nourishing.

    Yuxi was somewhat distracted. She remembered that in her past life, her Great Aunt had only brought her some tonics, so why was it different now? Yuxi fell into deep thought.

    Mama Fang wasn¡¯t happy for long because the Old Madam¡¯s maidservant, Cuiyu, also arrived. Cuiyu came not to grant a reward, but to pass a message from the Old Madam, ¡°Fourth Miss, the Old Madam said that you must rest well and that you will not need to go pay respects every day.¡±

    Mama Fang¡¯s face changed slightly. What was the Old Madam doing? Telling her Young Miss that there was no need to go pay respects every day? That was going too far.

    The Old Madam was clearly implying that she didn¡¯t want to see Yuxi. When this happened in her past life, Yuxi had felt very sad and even fell ill because of it. Now, she didn¡¯t even falter, but she still stered a shocked expression on her face.

    ¡°Please tell Grandmother that I will see to my recovery.¡±

    Cuiyu said, ¡°I will pass on the message.¡±

    Mama Fang was afraid Yuxi would be distressed and hurriedly reassured, ¡°Young Miss¡¯s body has not fully recovered yet. The Old Madam is worried about Young Miss and doesn¡¯t want you to wear yourself out.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t easy for the Young Miss to be more cheerful. It wouldn¡¯t be good if she started toin about the Old Madam¡¯s favoritism and became depressed again. Yuxi deliberately gave a bitter smile and changed the topic.

    ¡°I saw First Sister making embroidered shoes for Great Aunt today. Mama Fang, I want to learn how to embroider and make shoes for Great Aunt too!¡±

    Mama Fang hurriedly assured, ¡°Yes. If Young Miss wants to learn, then Young Miss will learn.¡± Having something to do will prevent the Young Miss from thinking about other matters, which was not a bad idea.

 Chapter 7 - Embarrassingly Short Of Money

    <strong>Chapter 7 : Embarrassingly Short Of Money</strong>

    The main room of the main courtyard was filled with fragrance of sandalwood.

    The Old Madam leaned on a semi-old green back pillow with Yuchen hitting her leg, and said, ¡°This child, don¡¯t you know how precious the double-sided embroidery is? How can you give it to Fourth Girl just like that?¡± Actually, she wasn¡¯t that angry at Yuchen. She just felt that Yuxi had shallow eyes. When Yuxi saw other people¡¯s good things, she immediately wanted to take those things as her own.

    Yuchen exined with a smile, ¡°Grandmother didn¡¯t see her at that time. When Fourth Sister saw the double-sided embroidery, she looked at it as if it was the world greatest treasure. Since I saw how much she love it, I decided to just send it to her.¡± She knew that the double-sided embroidery was precious, but she wouldn¡¯t considered it as a unique item.

    Old Madam shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll ignore it this time. But you should stop giving away the items your mother had left for you.¡±

    Yuchen smiled and nodded, ¡°I know, Grandmother.¡±

    Naturally, Yuxi won¡¯t rush to see the Old Madam just like she did in her previous life. In addition, Old Madam even forbid her toe. Despite having so much free time, she wasn¡¯t idle either. Early every morning, she would pay her respect to Qiu Shi and when she returned to her courtyard, she would learn to embroider from Moju.

    Moju started to teach her the basic of embroidery, such as how to use the needle or how to embroider in a line. After a short period of teaching, Moju knew that her Miss had a natural talent for embroidery as Yuxi managed to grasp all the basics of embroidery in a short time.

    When Qiu Shi learned about this, she smilingly asked Yuxi on her next visit, ¡°Fourth Girl, Aunt heard that you started to learn to embroider. Is this true?¡±

    Without a word, Yuxi took out a headband that she had made. ¡°Eldest Aunt, this is what I had done. As you can see, I didn¡¯t do it well. I hope Aunt won¡¯t dislike it.¡±

    Headbands

    More Info (Text in Chinese though)

    Lately, Yuxi felt that Qiu Shi¡¯s attitude towards her had changed a lot. In her previous life, Qiu Shi took care of her like she was one of her routine. In this life though, her aunt had be more caring and more concern of her. She knew that it was the result of her insistence to pay Qiu Shi a visit every day during this period.

    Qiu Shi took the headband and took a good look at it. ¡°Did you really embroider this?¡± asked a surprise Qiu Shi. The pattern on it was a bit messy, but the stitches were done delicately. It was absolutely impossible for a person who had only studied for half a month to made them.

    Moju, who stood beside Qiu Shi, was the one who answered, ¡°I don¡¯t dare to deceive Madam, but this headband was really embroidered by Miss. We didn¡¯t even lend her a hand.¡±

    Yuxi blushed and said, ¡°Aunt, I will make you another one, once my skill has be much better.¡± She deliberately embroidered the patterns disorderly. Because of her past experience, her learning process was much faster now. However, if she went beyond the normal range, she afraid she would be regarded as a monster. That was why she started to embroider slowly.

    As Qiu Shi heard her promise, she no longer being doubtful of Yuxi¡¯s skill. Then, she smilingly said, ¡°This work is very good. Aunt likes it very much.¡± It was rare for this child to always think of her, but as Yuxi¡¯s elder, she should also reminded her, ¡°When your embroidery skill have improved, you should also make one for the Old Madam.¡±

    When Yuxi heard this, her smiling face turned gloomy. She bowed her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid Grandmother won¡¯t like it.¡± If your heart really dislike something, it would be obviously shown in your attitude.

    Qiu Shi went silent for a bit and then said, ¡°How can Old Madam not like it? That¡¯s you, showing your filial piety to her. Obviously, she should be very happy to receive it.¡±

    Yuxi reluctantly agreed.

    At this moment, Mama Wang stepped forward and muttered a few words in Qiu Shi¡¯s ear. With a smile on her face, Qiu Shi informed Yuxi, ¡°Tomorrow, a group of new maids would enter the residence. You shoulde over and pick out some that you like.¡± Usually, the maids in the residence were children born from the current employed servants and they were seldom been bought from outside.

    Yuxi nodded and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± In herst life, new maids would directly be send to Rose Courtyard. But now, the situation was different. Her aunt had given her the option to choose her own maids.

    When Yuxi returned to her own courtyard, she immediately told Mama Fang about it and then she asked her, ¡°Mama, did you find anything strange about Moyun and Moxiang?¡±

    Mama Fang hesitated for a moment and answered, ¡°Miss, there¡¯s nothing strange could be found about those two.¡± Out of Yuxi¡¯s four senior maid servants, Moju and Motao were bought by Ning Shi. Their servant deeds were in Miss¡¯ hand. If Miss had an unfortunate short life, their future would also be affected, thus they had the lowest possibility of bringing harm to Miss. While, Moyun and Moxiang were children of the old servants in the residence, so the likelihood of them being responsible for Miss previous illness was quite high.

    Yuxi was not that disappointed either. After all, she had spent more than a month in Qingzhu. Obviously, that would give enough time for the culprit to clean one¡¯s track.

    Mama Fang continued, ¡°Miss, right now, Moyun is busy looking after her sick mother. Why don¡¯t we take this opportunity to let her off?¡± Although there was no solid evidence against Moyun, but since there was a suspicion on her, the safest way to act was toy her off when she wasn¡¯t around.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not the right time, Mama.¡± Moyun¡¯s family was in difficult situation right now. Since she also wasn¡¯t Moyun actual master, she didn¡¯t have the power to let her leave the residence permanently. If she did have that option, it would bring more trouble to Moyun¡¯s family. If Moyun left the residence, her investigation on the real mastermind would also turn cold. Only Moyun knew the real person behind her incurring smallpox.

    Mama Fang thought for a moment and felt that Yuxi was also worried about the same thing, that¡¯s why she decided not to act recklessly.

    Yuxi then said, ¡°Mama, let¡¯s send twelve tael (a unit of weight used in east Asia approximately equal to 1.3 ounces) of silvers each to both Moxiang¡¯s and Moyun¡¯s families.¡± Moxiang had passed away because of smallpox. As for Moyun, since her mother had fell ill, she needed to spend a lot of money for her mother¡¯s treatment. Unfortunately, Yuxi didn¡¯t have much in her hand, so she couldn¡¯t give her more than what she had.

    Mama Fang awkwardly said, ¡°Miss, we only have not more than twenty silvers left. We wouldn¡¯t have much if we send some to their families.¡± Yuxi had no other ie except from the twenty silvers allowance that she usually received in second month and six month every year. From that allowance, one or two pieces of silvers had to be rewarded to the courtyard servants, and some for misceneous expenditures. It was not easy to keep these twenty silvers without proper nning.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°No matter how difficult it will be, those tael of silvers still need to be send to both of their families.¡±

    Although Yuxi¡¯s mother, Ning Shi, was a illegitimate daughter, she was married off to the Han family to fill the empty third Han household. Since her husband came from a noble family, the Ning family gave her a lot of dowry to save her face. However, when something bad happened to the Ning familyter on, Ning Shi sold all her dowry to help them. Despite all that, her maiden family still couldn¡¯t be saved. At the same time, she was already heavily pregnant. With her being unable to sit still, as a result, she faced difficulty during her delivery. Since she lost a lot of blood at that time, she passed away as soon as she gave birth to Yuxi.

    Mama Fang felt a terrible thump in her heart. At that time, she advised Ning Shi not to sell all her dowry, as she had to leave some for the child in her belly. But, Ning Shi would not listen. Without silvers, how would she be able to reward the servants. Without rewards, the servants would look down on her, despite her being their master.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Mama, please find an opportunity to exchange the golds and silvers given by Grandmother and Eldest Auntst New Year for broken silvers and copper coins!¡±

    Mama Fang was somewhat reluctant as she said, ¡°Miss, you will need these things in the future. You should save them.¡± When Miss was send out to marry in the future, Miss won¡¯t afford to do some social mingling and rewarded her future servants. She would certainly be criticized because of it. Outside people would not have good view of her once she had obtained a penny-pinching reputation.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s always a way to find money. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Mama Fang felt that Yuxi had became more decisive after she recovered. For her, it was a good change, so, she decided not to argue with her Miss.

    Yuxi was very satisfied with Mama Fang¡¯s attitude. then she said, ¡°Tomorrow, mama wille with me to the main courtyard, and help me choose some good maids.¡± The new maids that were sent over to her courtyard in herst life was not to her liking.

    The next day, on the way to the main courtyard, Yuxi met Concubine Rong and Second Miss, Yujing.

    Concubine Rong was so charming that when she looked at people, her eyes were full of amorous feelings. It was no wonder that she could still cling firm on Duke Han.

    While, today, Yujing wore a yellow dress with a reddish gold prominent cor and a same colored jewel hairpin in her hair. The ruby in the middle of the cor shined blindly, making her looking truly rich and impressive. She also had an outstanding appearance, with a pointed face and slender eyebrows. Nevertheless, with traces of arrogance and cruelty in her eyes, one could see at a nce that she wasn¡¯t a good person.

    Concubine Rong looked at Yuxi. Her eyes shed as she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Fourth Miss to be looking so well. It¡¯s like seeing a new person.¡± Yuxi used to be as thin as a bamboo pole and talked with her head bowed down. She even acted timid around her own family and also had ack of self-confidence. However, nowadays, she was looking a bit chubbier, with a healthy color skin tone and no longer acting timid. It was like she had turned into another person.

    Yuxi answered with a light smile, ¡°My mother never stop blessing me from heaven.¡±

    Concubine Rongughed touchingly, ¡°I heard that Fourth Miss has begin to learn embroidery. If Fourth Miss does not dislike it, you cane to my Pleasant Courtyard and I will personally teach Fourth Miss.¡± Her needlework was so excellent that even the royal embroiderydy couldn¡¯t be a match for her.

    Yuxi straightly answered, ¡°No need.¡±

    Yujing¡¯s face turned bad. She red at Yuxi and said angrily, ¡°My Concubine Mother would love to invite you toe to our Pleasant Courtyard, but you made it like this invitation rarely happen. You should juste over.¡°

    Yuxi nced at Yujing and said, ¡°Actually, it is also quite rare for me to deny your request.¡± She was smart enough to know that she couldn¡¯t be someone who didn¡¯t had a mind of her own. Concubine Rong and Eldest Aunt Qiu Shi were sworn enemies. Since she was on Qiu Shi side, she couldn¡¯t have any close rtionship with Concubine Rong. So, she always ignored her advices and now she suspected that it was her who had tried to kill her. For that reason, she won¡¯t leave even a shred of sympathy for her.

    Yujing was furious. She tried to rush over to Yuxi and gave her a lesson herself.

    Concubine Rong¡¯s eyes were fast and so were her hands. She caught hold of Yujing, and smiled at Yuxi, ¡°Fourth Miss, please try to reconsider. If not, then, just forget about it.¡± Yuxi stared at Concubine Rong and simply replied, ¡°I would never ever reconsider it.¡± She did a good job of embroidery herself. Even if she didn¡¯t do it well, she still would not go to Concubine Rong. Even her current status in the residence wouldn¡¯t allow her to learn from Concubine Rong.

    The smile on Concubine Rong¡¯s face cracked. She didn¡¯t realize that Yuxi¡¯s speech had be so ruthless. When she saw Yuxi¡¯s eyes remained deep and serene, she decided to maintain her usual calm face as well.

    After they departed way, Mama Fang whispered to Yuxi, ¡°Why did Miss offend her? If Miss doesn¡¯t want to learn from her, then just politely refuse.¡± Although Concubine Rong was only a concubine, she was still deeply favoured by the Duke. It wasn¡¯t worth it for Yuxi to make enemies with Concubine Rong over something trifle.

    Yuxi said expressionlessly, ¡°Mama, who is the most likely be the culprit behind my recent illness?¡±

    Mama Fang¡¯splexion changed, ¡°What does Miss mean? That¡¯s impossible. Second Miss¡¯ side has no grievances against Miss. How can they n a malicious scheme against Miss?¡± She thought that Yuxi was just merely overthinking.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Mama, do you remember at that time, when my Second (Cousin) Brother had an ident and my Eldest Aunt fell ill? If at that time he had left the world, she would surely loose any will to stay alive.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be good for a sick person to receive that kind of huge blow as it would only ruin the patient¡¯s spirit to live.

    Yuxi alsoter learned that her Second Brother nearly drown ident was not actually an ident. It had been orchestrated. She suspected that Concubine Rong was behind that incident. She was also quite sure that Concubine Rong had a grudge against her mother. Now that her mother had gone, Concubine Rong transferred her revenge towards her.

    Hearing Yuxi¡¯s words, Mama Fang¡¯s face slowly turned blue.

 Chapter 8 - Moyun

    <strong>Chapter 8 : Moyun</strong>

    When Yuxi arrived at the main courtyard, she saw a line of young girls standing in a small yard. There were twenty of them, with age ranged from six to ten years old.

    Yuru was the first one to make her pick. She picked four servant maids with no outstanding appearance. When it was Yujing turn, she picked the good looking ones. When it was Yuxi¡¯s turn, there weren¡¯t many maids left for her to pick from.

    Yuxi looked at them carefully and said, ¡°Please take a step forward.¡±

    The six remaining maids listened and immediately took a step forward. Yuxi asked about their families, and then asked them some random questions, such as what their hobbies were and who they were close with.

    Yujing snorted and sneered, ¡°Fourth Sister, are you having fun here? We are merely choosing a servant girl, not apanion for you to practice reading with. Even knowing what their hobbies are and who they are close with, are not rted to their jobs.¡±

    Yuxi did not pay attention to Yujing¡¯s sneer, and chose three maids from the middle. The three servant girls shared twomon characteristics which were having a clever mouth and a clear eyesight.

    When they went back to Rose Courtyard, Mama Fang finally couldn¡¯t help herself and asked, ¡°Miss, why did you only choose three? There are six vacant spots in our courtyard!¡±

    Yuxi whispered, ¡°Mama, it¡¯s better to have quality maids over having so many.¡±

    The three new maids still need to learn the rules of the courtyard well, so they would not be sent to serve Yuxi yet.

    To Yuxi¡¯s surprise, Moyun returned to the residence the very next day. Moyun permanently left the residence early in herst life, so, Yuxi had no profound impression of her. After all, at that time, she was only four years old, and could not even remember anything yet!

    When Yuxi saw Moyun, she was somewhat shocked. Unbeknownst to her, Moyun had a good looking appearance, with her eyebrows and eyes looking quite elegant. Although she was wearing a simple indigo-blue dress, it could not hide her graceful attitude. This was the first time for her to see such a beautiful maid. She suppressed her thought and asked with concern, ¡°Is your mother doing okay?¡±

    Moyun gratefully said, ¡°My mother¡¯s illness is already cure. Many thanks to Miss for the gifts.¡± Moyun was Yuxi¡¯s personal maid, so, she naturally knew that her Master had short supply of silvers.

    Yuxi responded, ¡°That¡¯s okay. You look so haggard though. Why don¡¯t you go and take a rest first? ¡±

    After Moyun withdrew from the room, Yuxi¡¯s face suddenly turned gloomy. Although on the surface Moyun looked haggard, she could clearly see that Moyun¡¯s hands were both smooth and clean, with neatly manicured nails. It showed that they were carefully maintained. If Moyun had to look after her sick mother day and night, when did she had time to take a good care of herself?

    Yuxi thought about it for a moment, and drew Mama Fang to her side. She asked, ¡°I remember that Moxiang has a younger sister. Do they look alike?¡±

    Mama Fang shook her head and answered, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen how her sister look like.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°Mama, try to find her. If she does look like her sister, Moxiang, bring her in quietly. Don¡¯t let anyone else know.¡±

    Mama Fang was puzzled as she asked, ¡°Miss, what are you nning to do?¡±

    Yuxi told her suspicion to Mama Fang, and then exined what she had nned. ¡°Mama, don¡¯t let a soul know about this. You have to do it by yourself.¡±

    Mama Fang hesitantly said, ¡°Miss, once this matter is done and your guess is found wrong, the Old Madam will surely punish you.¡±

    Where would Yuxi be afraid of the Old Madam¡¯s punishment? She confidently replied, ¡°Mama, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m still young. Even if Grandmother is angry with me, the worst she would do is by confining me inside the courtyard.¡± The Old Madam will surely dislike her more, but she won¡¯t resort to kill her.

    Mama Fang hesitated for a long time but finally agreed.

    Yuxi sighed slightly. Mama Fang was loyal, but apparently she didn¡¯t know how to plot at all. Unlike the maids that she had trained, that were all loyal and quick-witted. This saved Yuxi the misery of spending time employing more people for her courtyard.

    The rtionship between servant maids were sometime close and sometime distance. For Moyun and Moxiang, their rtionship was really close because they had been sharing the same room for a long period of time. Since Moyun had returned to the courtyard, it was not unusual for her to still reside in the same room.

    That night, in her sleep, Moyun heard the sound of a door being opened. When she opened her eyes, she saw her bedroom door was wide open. She was so scared till her hair stood up. She clearly remembered that she had locked the door before she went to bed. So, how did it opened?

    In her confusion, she saw a woman in a white dress floating to her bedside. Moyun shrank to a corner of the bed, shivering all over.

    The female ghost muttered, ¡°Why did you killed me?¡±

    Moyun looked at the pits on the ghost¡¯s face and wished she could faint. When the ghost climbed into bed and tried to strangle her, she knelt down and starting to beg, ¡°Moxiang, I didn¡¯t know there was dirt in the sachet. I didn¡¯t mean to harm you. You let me go, please let me go. I promise, I¡¯ll burn you a lot of paper money every year.¡±

    ¡°What sachet?¡± the ghost asked eagerly.

    A sachet is a small cloth scented bag filled with herbs, potpourri, or aromatic ingredients. During the Chinese Warring States period a scented sachet was an ornament worn on the body and used to absorb sweat, repel insects and ward off evils. In the Han Dynasty both boys and girls wore sachets and in the Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty scented bags gradually became preferred only by women. A scented sachet became a love token in the Qing Dynasty. ¨C Wikipedia

    Moyun was about to answer when she suddenly found that something was wrong. She stared at the ghost and asked sharply, ¡°Who are you? You actually dare to pretend to be a ghost here?!¡±

    Yuxi was standing at the door quietly, patiently waiting for Moyun to scream for help, but now, the ¡®female ghost¡¯ had totally ruined her n.

    Mama Fang, who had run out of her patient, rushed into the room and grabbed Moyun. She asked angrily, ¡°What sachet did you said? What dirty things did you put in the sachet?¡±

    Moyun looked at Mama Fang and the person standing by the door. At this time, the real answer to their problem was still unclear. No matter how Mama Fang forcefully interrogated her, Moyun would immediately turn stiff and kept on saying that she was frightened and muddle-headed when she spoke those words.

    Yuxi went into the room. She looked at Moyun and asked, ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡±

    Moyun knelt on the ground and said, ¡°Miss, I was just frightened and confused therefore I started to talk nonsense. Miss, this servant is wronged.¡±

    Yuxi was aware that she could not let her people got involved with this problem. She also knew that she couldn¡¯t be the judge on this matter. So, she ordered Moyun to be tied up for now. After daybreak, she went directly to the main courtyard with Moyun bundled up like rice dumpling. The Old Madam would dislike her more over this, but Yuxi couldn¡¯t anymore tolerate the person who had poisoned her.

    As soon as the Old Madam finished washing, Feicui saw Yuxiing into the courtyard. She whispered, ¡°Old Madam, Fourth Miss hade with Moyun, who looked like she had being tied up. I don¡¯t know what she had done wrong for Fourth Miss to treat her like that.¡± Feicui¡¯s cousin was Moyun¡¯s cousin, that made them somewhat rted to each other. In fact, the rtionship between servants in the residence was quiteplex with many of them had family ties with each other.

    The Old Madam frowned. Although she did not like Yuxi, she also knew that Yuxi would not have tied the maid and brought her here to her courtyard without any reason, so she just gave a simple order, ¡°Let them in.¡±

    When Yuxi saw the Old Madam, she immediately knelt down and said, ¡°Grandmother, this granddaughter doesn¡¯t mean to disturb Grandmother¡¯s peace this morning. This matter is just too big for me to handle, so, I have came to ask for Grandmother¡¯s help.¡±

    The Old Madam swept a nonexistence dust at the corner of her clothes and then smoothed it out. She then asked, ¡°What¡¯s the problem here?¡±

    Yuxi told her of what happenedst night, and then said, ¡°I received a beautiful sachet from Moyun two days before I became ill with smallpox.¡± The meaning of this statement was self-evident.

    Moyun was paralyzed. She thought Yuxi would hand her over to Qiu Shi. She had prepared a lot of counter argumentsst night. But when it became obvious that Yuxi had brought her to the main courtyard to look for the Old Madam, she knew she was finally done for. Qiu Shi was soft-hearted and strict, so it was impossible to punish her just based on Fourth Miss¡¯ words. Even if she was being punished, the worst she would receive was to be sold out. However, the Old Madam was different. As long as she been used, whether there was evidence or not, she would die without a proper burial ce.

    The Old Madam¡¯s hand was close tightly, but still she calmly asked, ¡°And then?¡±

    Yuxi told Old Madam what she had foundst night, ¡°Last night I asked Moju about the sachet that I received from Moyun. She said, after I felt ill, Moxiang took it away.¡±

    Instead of looking at Moyun, who was struggling to get herself free, the Old Madam continued to ask Yuxi, ¡°Then, why are you doubting Moyun?¡±

    Yuxi did not hide her thought and answered, ¡°Grandmother, after I had gotten better, I felt doubtful over this matter. I hadn¡¯t been out of Rose Courtyard and never directly met those who had been infected, so, how can I possibly gotten smallpox? When I went back to the Rose Courtyard and heard that Moxiang was also infected with it, I didn¡¯t feel right.¡± After a short pause, she continue exining.

    The Old Madam looked at Yuxi with great surprise. She did not expect this girl to get enlighten just after getting well from illness. Then, she ordered, ¡°Mama Luo, pull the maid down and ask her thoroughly.¡± This ¡®ask thoroughly¡¯ was not as simple as just asking questions, but also came with tortures.

    Less than half an incenseter, Mama Luo came back and said, ¡°Old Madam, that maid said that both of them did it because they were quite angry with Fourth Miss. She had scolded them before because of a problem over a meal. For a revenge, they put dirty things into a sachet, then gave it to Fourth Miss and that was it.¡± The Old Madam only nodded her head.

    A ze of anger shed into Yuxi. It was an obvious attempt to kill her, but the Old Madam just took it lightly? Was her life really not that important in this household?

    The Old Madam nced at the unwilling Yuxi and said slowly, ¡°Your Mama Fang is also getting old. It¡¯s about time to let her out.¡± Not to mention that Mama Fang had managed the Rose Courtyard into a mess. She even indulged Yuxi in her childish n to y ghost in Rose Courtyard.

    Yuxi was dumbfounded. Rather than punishing Concubine Rong, the culprit, her Grandmother had decided to drive away her Mama?

    The Old Madam didn¡¯t care about Yuxi¡¯s reaction at all. She just looked at a maid beside her and said, ¡°Hongshan, you go to Rose Courtyard with Fourth Girl.¡± Hongshan was a young second-ss maid beside the Old Madam. Her meaning was to give Hongshan to Yuxi.

    Hongshan was raised to be clean and pure. After hearing the Old Madam¡¯s words, without any hesitation, she went over to Yuxi and bowed to her.

    Yuxi was not in the mood to see Hongshan at this moment. Her mind was full of thoughts on what to do after Mama Fang was expelled from the residence. In her previous life, Mama Fang died of illness soon after she was driven out of the house. Would the same thing happen to her again in this life? No, absolutely not. She would not allow that to happen. However, she knew it was useless to beg the Old Madam. It was up to her to figure it out for herself. For the first time, Yuxi felt that she was so ipetent. In her excitement to trap Concubine Rong, she somehow implicated Mama Fang too.

    The Old Madam noticed that Yuxi didn¡¯t try to beg her on behalf of Mama Fang. She frowned. She felt that Yuxi was somewhat being unsympathetic toward Mama Fang, but when she saw that Yuxi stood unstable with a pale face, she stopped talking to her.

    Mama Fang knew that the Old Madam was going to let her off. She wanted to rush into the main courtyard like a bolt of lightning and tried to plead with the Old Madam. However, Yuxi took her hand and whispered, ¡°Mama, just go back to our courtyard first. We will talk there.¡± Her Grandmother was firm with her decision and nothing could change it. Nothing good wille from pleading with her now. The Old Madam will surely reprimand them if they were adamant to bother her.

    Hongshan was speechless seeing Mama Fang in such bad situation, but Yuxi¡¯s attitude over this matter totally surprised her. It seemed like Fourth Miss had changed a lot. She no longer timid and didn¡¯t easily flinched anymore. Before, she only know how to cry when something bad happened to her, but now she had be more creative and full of ideas.

    Although, it was regrettable that she could not always stay by the Old Madam. After all, being a maid beside the Old Madam was more powerful than being one of Fourth Miss¡¯ maids. However, she didn¡¯t think much about it. Firstly, the Old Madam had told her that she couldn¡¯t defy this order. Secondly, Fourth Miss was only four years old. She just need to wait for five or six years beside the girl. If in the future, her mother came to ask for a favour for her, the Old Madam was willing to release her at that time.

 Chapter 9 - : Livelihood (1)

    Chapter 9 : Livelihood (1)

    From the Old Madam¡¯s courtyard to Rose Courtyard, it only took a quarter of an hour journey. But today, for Mama Fang, it somehow felt a bit difficult for her to walk as usual.baozi</i>shop.¡± Although it would be hard to find money to open one, it was still the best option for Mama Fang. If she had something busy to do, she won¡¯t waste her time worrying about her life.</a>Baozi</i>(Chinese: °ü×Ó), or<i>bao</i>, is a type of filled bun[1] or bread-like (i.e. made with yeast) dumpling in various Chinese cuisines. There are many variations in fillings (meat or vegetarian) and preparations (usually steamed). In its bun-like aspect it is very simr to the traditional Chinese<i>mantou</i>(steamed bun). ¨C<i>Wikipedia</i></a>Leah Sprague</a>

    <blockquote>

    A<i>baozhi</i>shop is like Chinese snack shop. It¡¯s not only sell<i>baozhi</i>, Chinese steamed bun, but other kinds of Chinese snacks like<i>mantou</i>, rice cake etc.</blockquote>baozi</i>shop. In addition, it won¡¯t be at the west and east of the town as the rents are too high there.¡±baozi</i>shop certainly can¡¯t be opened there.¡± If it was opened there, they won¡¯t be able to pay rent just with the sale from the shop.baozi</i>shop in the south. The shop would be small, so the rent won¡¯t be high too. Even if it was not managed well, we would not lose too much. If it did well, it reputation will umte and it won¡¯t be toote for us to expand the business.

 Chapter 10 - Livelihood (2)

    <strong>Chapter 10 : Livelihood (2)</strong>

    Yuxi asked a lot questions to Qiu Shi and she patiently answered each one of them with a funny smile on her face. Qiu Shi found it was interesting to meet a four year old child who would talk seriously about business with her.

    Yuxi asked Qiu Shi all the questions that she could think of.

    Qiu Shi said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the location. I¡¯ll have someone help you to inquire about it now. There should be news soon.¡± If it was difficult to find a good location at the east or west streets, it should be much easier to find one in the south.

    Yuxi was somewhat embarrassed and said, ¡°I will have to trouble Eldest Aunt over this matter.¡± She knew it was wrong to find Qiu Shi whenever she had something, but she could not find anyone else to trust in the mansion, except for her. At present, she could only rely on her. When she finally had the ability, she would surely repay her back.

    Qiu Shi only smiled and pat her head as she said, ¡°You silly child, why are you being polite to your aunt? Like you, I¡¯ll also have something talk with my auntter on. ¡±

    After Yuxi left, Mama Li said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Fourth Miss, who had be away from home for more than two months, would have this drastic change of attitude.¡± In the past, Fourth Miss would only know how cry and hide, but now, she knew how to solve her own problem. She seemed like a different person.

    Qiu Shi was very happy with the changes she saw in Yuxi. She used to be concerned with her just because she owed Ning Shi for saving her son¡¯s life. But, now, she really did liked that child. When she saw Yuxi being able to think so carefully for the people around her, it showed that she had a truly big heart and a smart mind.

    Mama Li said with a smile, ¡°Speaking of which, Fourth Miss is still a bit immature. After asking so many questions, she forgot to ask Madam the cost of opening a store.¡±

    Qiu Shi smiled and said, ¡°Did you forget how old Yuxi is? It¡¯s good for her to think a lot about so many things. I was also responsible for this great disaster to befall on her. Tell Xiangyang to go to Shangyuan Street and see if there is a suitable shop for rent.¡± Xiangyang was Mama Li¡¯s only son and he helped Qiu Shi in managing her silk shop.

    Mama Li heard this and thought of something. She immediately said, ¡°Madam, Fourth Miss is only a four years old kid. Concubine Rong would do anything to harm that child. What else has she dare not do? We still have to watch out for that child safety.¡±

    Qiu Shi nodded her head in agreement.

    Unbeknownst to both of them, Yuxi already knew the cost of doing business. The reason why she didn¡¯t ask her aunt this question was, she didn¡¯t n to borrow any money from her. With more than a lifetime of experience, she learned that she could only solve her own problems with her own abilities. She suddenly asked Mama Fang, ¡°Mama, can you show me the jewelries that Mother had left behind?¡± All estates, shops and houses under Ning Shi¡¯s name had all been pawned away. Only a few pieces of gold and silver jewelries were left to Yuxi by her mother, all of which she wore on herself. The jewelries were also sold at that time, but only serve as coteral, or else it could not had be left behind.

    Mama Fang reluctantly said, ¡°Miss, these jewelries were left to you as your dowry and can¡¯t be sold.¡±

    Yuxi helplessly said, ¡°I may not know when horse month of Monkey year is, but I clearly know what was I talking about. Moreover, when we finally making money, by then, we could buy even much better jewelries. Mother would surely be very happy beyond the grave.¡± Jewelry was renewed every year. The jewelries she had were long out of date. To her, it was better to buy new ones than to spend money to make them prettier again.

    Mama Fang couldn¡¯t beat Yuxi when it came to being eloquent, so, she reluctantly took out the jewelry box.

    Seeing Yuxi staring intently at one of the gold hairpin, which iid with emerald and ruby gemstones, Mama Fang exined to her, ¡°This is the gift that the Old Madam gave Madam when she first entered the house.¡± The jewelry that the Old Madam sent out was never cheap but also exquisite.

    When Yuxi finished looking at the jewelries in the box, she remembered that a new person will enter her courtyard in the future. She saw in her previous life the same gold and silver jewelries inside the box had been taken by someone. As for who would do it, it was self-evident that it must be the new Mama who wouldter manage the Rose Courtyard. It was also because of this matter, Yuxi had decided to take care of these things herself in the future.

    Mama Fang did not know what Yuxi was thinking about. She thought that when Yuxi saw those things, she would be reminded of all the people who had passed away in her life. Her heart became soft at that moment. ¡°Miss, as long as you are well, Madam will surely be happy in the next world. But don¡¯t work too much. You are a girl. Slowly do one at a time.¡±

    Without even thinking much about what Mama Fang had said, Yuxi immediately selected several heavy gold ornaments from the box, to be brought to the pawnshop. She said, ¡°These items should be enough to open a shop.¡±

    Mama Fang looked horrified and said, ¡°Miss, we would only open a small shop. Where do we need to use so many things? It would be enough just by pawning that gold ne.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s also convenient to have plenty of money, Mama¡± After pausing for a bit, she added, ¡°Mama, you can rest assured. I won¡¯t pawn any more of these.¡± This was the first and thest time.

    That evening, Hongshan met with Yuxi and reported to her, ¡°Miss, when the Lord Duke returned home, he knew about Concubine Rong being banned and went straight to her room.¡±

    Yuxi had been busy with Mama Fang¡¯s affairs that she somewhat forgotten that Hongshan was now working in her courtyard. She, as her master was really muddle-headed, ¡°Sister Hongshan, you have been wronged by following me here.¡± Hongshan¡¯s paternal grandmother was the Old Madam¡¯s confidant and maid. Although she had passed away, the Old Madam still thought of her. Hongshan¡¯s father was the third steward of the residence and her mother was the stewardess of the inner court. With this kind of background made it hard to order Hongshan around. Yuxi knew this because Hongshan would note serve her even when she called. All the servants of the Duke Han¡¯s official residence knew she was unloved by the Old Madam and her own father. That was why, not all of her courtyard maids were from the main house. Aside from Mama Fang, who was dowry maid of Ning Shi, others were either bought from outside or picked up from hamlets.

    Hongshan chuckled and said, ¡°What was Miss saying? It is my blessing to serve Miss.¡± Girl, it was most important to start doing your job well, she reminded herself.

    It was supposed to be a happy event to have a capable pretty maid with a good background, but Yuxi couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of the Old Madam. Her grandmother had been cold to her all her life, and now, with this sudden change of attitude made her be anxious. Yuxi casted aside those confused thought and asked, ¡°Did Grandmother lift Concubine Rong ban?¡±

    Hongshan shook her head and said, ¡± No.¡±

    Yuxi was not disappointed that she had not been punished severely. If Concubine Rong didn¡¯t have saved some good ns in her past life, her Eldest Aunt would not have been in a slump after more than a decade fighting with Concubine Rong.

    The Old Madam¡¯s hands and feets were very fast. Yuxi had thought that she could take care of Mama Fang at least for another three or five days before she would be assigned with a new Mama. She didn¡¯t expect that a Mama surname Shen came the next afternoon.

    Old woman Shen was tall and thin, with a long face and a decent smile on her face. Although the other party was very respectful to her, Yuxi still didn¡¯t like her. The reason was simple. No one ever likes another person to monitor oneself.

    The handover waspleted in the morning. Just when Yuxi wanted to go and plead with the Old Madam to let Mama Fang stay a few days longer, Qiu Shi informed her that she had found her the right shop.

    Yuxi was somewhat surprised and said, ¡°That was quick.¡± All the people living in the south were civilians. It was not difficult for a noble family to find a small shop there, but to be done this fast?

    Qiu Shi said with a smile, ¡°It was also a coincidence. Just south of Shangyuan Street, there is a small rental shop that meets your requirements. If you think that shop is good, go sign a contract tomorrow. ¡±

    Yuxi considered it for a moment and said, ¡°Mama Fang¡¯s workmanship is good, but she doesn¡¯t know anything about the outside world. So, there are still many things that she would worry about in the future.¡±

    Qiu Shi thought that Yuxi was quite thoughtful. She smiled and nodded, ¡°What ever difficulty she would face in the future, she could go and find Xiangyang. He would be ready to help her anytime.¡±

    After done talking about the shop, Yuxi asked again, ¡°Aunt, do you know what Mama Shen did before she came to my courtyard?¡±

    Qiu Shi was familiar with the Old Madam¡¯s side of the story and said, ¡°From what I heard, Old woman Shen was also one of the Old Madam¡¯s maid. Somehow, she did a mistake which I didn¡¯t know of and was send to a hamlet by the Old Madam.¡± Yuxi nodded her head.

    ¡°Aunt, I want to check the shop and bring along Mama Fang tomorrow. What do Aunt think?¡±

    Qiu Shi saw that Yuxi was so keen on this matter. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll let you go tomorrow.¡± Qiu Shi happily promised her. It was because Yuxi was only four years old this year, but she had never been protected by anyone and never see the world outside.

    Mama Shen knew that Yuxi was going to Shangyuan Street to look at a shop the next day and said, ¡°Miss, you are a girl from a noble family. You shouldn¡¯t be bothered by these trivial things.¡±

    Yuxi said kindly, ¡°This baozi shop is rted to Mama Fang future livelihood. I must see it by myself before I can be at ease.¡±

    Mama Shen saw that Yuxi had made up her mind and asked, ¡°Does the Old Madam knew about this?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell my Grandmother, but I already asked my aunt and she already agreed.¡± The Old Madam had been indifferent to her affairs, so she didn¡¯t want to tell the Old Madam her n.

    Mama Shen¡¯s heart thumped and she immediately said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow.¡± She could see that Yuxi was a girl with great ideas despite her young age, so she didn¡¯t want to go against her. Otherwise Yuxi would reject her, and the Old Madam¡¯s mean of letting here to Yuxi courtyard would no longer could be used.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Wait for next time.¡± This time not only they were going to see the shop, but also to pawn some jewelries, which she couldn¡¯t let Mama Shen knew about.

    The next day, Yuxi went to the pawnshop first, and pawned several gold ornaments for 62 silvers and changed them to silver note. She felt some of them, and became little bit more confident.

    In Shangyuan Street, Xiangyang led her into a shop. The shop was very small, even less than half of Yuxi¡¯s room, but there was a yard behind the shop. There were two main rooms and two sundry rooms in the yard, as well as a kitchen.

    Mama Fang was very happy to see the yard, ¡°Miss, we will sell steamed buns at the front and make steamed buns in the kitchen. The rooms can be upied. It¡¯s very convenient. It¡¯s very considerate of the steward. ¡±

    Xiangyang said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re ttering me, Mama Fang.¡±

    When Yuxi got out of the carriage just now, she saw a lot of people on the street. The business of baozi shop here should not be bad. ¡°How much does this shop rent a year?¡±

    Xiangyang said, ¡°Including this yard, it¡¯s 320 a year.¡± Mainly because the yard was also included. For the price of both areas, it was not that expensive.

    Yuxi thought it was a good deal, as she said, ¡°Steward, do you think it would be better for us to sign a contract with duration of several years? Also, what should we pay attention to when signing the contract? ¡±

    Xiangyang didn¡¯t underestimate Yuxi just because she was young, so he told her in detail what they should be paid attention to when signing a contract, and then said, ¡°The contract should be signed with duration of a year first.¡± He didn¡¯t know how good Mama Fang¡¯s skill was, so it was better to sign a contract with a short time at first. If you didn¡¯t do well, you would loose less, if you did well, renewed your contract. With the backing of a noble residence, the owner of the shop did not dare to make another offer to another person.

    After discussing with Mama Fang, Yuxi finally agreed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s settle the contract now!¡±

    After signing the contract, Yuxi was ready to pay for it but Xiangyang stopped her and said with a smile, ¡°Fourth Miss, Madam said, after signing the contract, let people of the residence to settle the bill.¡±

    Yuxi insisted on paying by herself and shook her head. ¡°This is the shop I opened for Mama Fang. How could I let my Aunt pay for it?¡±

    Xiangyang thought that Yuxi was quite an interesting person. If people did not take advantage of her, Fourth Miss would not take advantage of that person either. This was quite rare, but Yuxi¡¯s behavior made him looked up at her.

    After everything waspleted, Yuxi sincerely said to Mama Fang, ¡°In the future, if Mama has any question to ask or want to learn more on how to manage the shop, just find Steward Xiangyang and he will help you.¡±

    Xiangyang generously responded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. Madam has told me to take good care of this baozi shop in the future.¡± With him watching and protecting the shop, Mama Fang would not be harassed in Shangyuan Street.

 Chapter 11 - Guest

    <strong>Chapter 11 : Guest</strong>

    The roses in the Rose Courtyard were in full bloom. The dense flowers had covered the whole courtyard wall. Their colors were as gorgeous as sunrise, with full of vitality under the ornament of green leaves.

    Yuxi sat in the yard, carefully embroidered roses on a handkerchief. She did her embroidery for a short time every day and only when the light was good. She did not do it at other times, afraid that it would ruin her eyesight. In herst life, her eyes turned bad because she did too much embroidery works, without caring if the light was enough for her to see her them.

    While she embroidered, Hongshan came into her yard with a smile and announced, ¡°Miss, Liuyin is here.¡±

    Liuyin always came to Rose Courtyard to send things from Qiu Shi. But it wasn¡¯t the case this time around. She had came to invite Yuxi toe over to the main courtyard.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know that Qiu Shi had intended to give some jewelleries to them, four sisters until she arrived there. Those jewelleries would be their dowry when they got married in the future.

    After Qiu Shi brought forward a tray of jewelries, she said to the them, sisters, ¡°Each one of you choose two or three kinds that you like.¡± Rather than being thankful to Qiu Shi for being generous, Yujing instead hated not being able to take all the good jewelleries back to her room.

    She looked at the jewelleries in the tray and said, ¡°It won¡¯t be enough with just only two or three with these jewelleries being really beautiful, Mother. So, I want to choose two more.¡±

    Qiu Shi had expected this, so she said, ¡°There will be another new batch of jewelleries from Linglong Pavilion in a few days. By then, I will acquire some more for you sisters.¡± Linglong Pavilion was the best jewellery shop in the capital. The jewelleries sold there was novel in style and exquisite in workmanship. The shop was a favourite among women of noble families.

    When Yujing heard this, she was no longer attached to the jewelleries in front of her.

    Yuxi was the youngest, so she was always thest to pick, every time. When it was time for Yuchen to choose, she looked around and said, ¡°Aunt, Third Sister hasn¡¯te yet.¡± This means that she couldn¡¯t choose anything till Yuchen finished her turn.

    Qiu Shi smiled and answered, ¡°Your Third Sister has already chosen hers.¡±

    Yujing¡¯s eyes shed with jealousy when she heard this. It was not a wonder that she felt like this. Yuchen¡¯s clothes and jewelleries were all excellent. Even if Yujing were given special treatments with all kinds of good materials and jewelleries from the residence, she still couldn¡¯t bepared with Yuchen from day to day.

    Yuxi took one look at Yujing and knew what she was thinking. It could be said that Yuchen was the symbol of misfortune to her other sisters.

    Seeing that Yuxi still sitting, Qiu Shi smilingly said, ¡°Yuxi, what are you stunned about?¡±

    After being shocked by her aunt speech, Yuxi immediately walked to the tray and picked out a string of ruby flowers head ornaments and a pair of red emerald beads earrings. Influenced by her experience of fleeing in her previous life, Yuxi especially liked jewellery that looks valuable.

    After Yuru and Yujing left, Qiu Shi asked the maid to take out a gold lock charm with string attached. It was inscribed with the words Prosperity and Long Live. She was nning to give it to Yuxi.

    ¡°Aunt, this is too valuable for me to ept,¡± eximed Yuxi. This gold lock charm was exquisite in workmanship, with round pearls hanging at the bottom. Yuxi estimated it to be worth at least 782 silvers.

    This is the the type of lock charm that Qiu Shi had, except hers had pearls hanging down on the lock charm, like the picture on the right. Its function is the same as other type of charms, to protect a person from evil and to bring good luck, fortune, official rank and long life. The lock charm was then either worn around the neck by the child or hung in the house in order to ¡°lock¡± the child to life.To read more on this, try visit Made in China website by clicking either of the picture above.

    Qiu Shi patted Yuxi¡¯s head andughingly said, ¡°This is Aunt¡¯s dowry, which Aunt doesn¡¯t have any use of now. Aunt has no daughter, so Aunt decides to give this to you.¡± After that, she hung the gold lock charm on Yuxi¡¯s neck.

    Yuxi shyly said, ¡°Thank you, Aunt.¡± In the past two months, from time to time, Qiu Shi would sent her things. They were usually clothes or foods. Only this time, she was given this big valuable thing by her aunt.

    Yuxi did not stay long at the main courtyard. She returned to Rose Courtyard with the gold lock charm hung on her neck. The news spread quickly in the Duke Han¡¯s official residence. Within half a day, all the people in the residence knew that Qiu Shi had bestowed Yuxi with good things.

    Yujing knew that Yuxi had received Qui Shi¡¯s golden lock charm and bitterly cursed, ¡°tterer.¡± Although Yujing was domineering, she was not stupid. Qiu Shi didn¡¯t like her, but she won¡¯t withhold Yujing¡¯s share from the public ount for the sake of her own reputation. It was Yujing wishful thinking to grab some good things from Qiu Shi¡¯s hands.

    Yuru didn¡¯t say anything when she knew about it. Before Yuxi got smallpox, her mother was very kind to her. However, after Yuxi got well, her mother became more indifferent to her.

    Qingxuan saw that Yuru was sad again and tried to console her, ¡°Miss, Madam is good to Fourth Miss because her mother had saved her son¡¯s life. Don¡¯t worry, Madam still loves Young Miss dearly.¡±

    Yuru who was silent at the beginning still didn¡¯t utter a word. Whether her mother love her dearly or not was clear in her heart. Mother disliked Yujing, and Yujing treated her nicer because of her close rtionship with mother. But after Yuxi cured from her illness, she found out that her mother¡¯s kindness toward her was in fact superficial.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t aware that because of the lock charm, some people in the mansion would be feeling miserable. She returned to Rose Courtyard and let Moju opened the wardrobe to choose some clothes.

    Moju asked with a smile, ¡°How did Miss suddenly remember to take care of her own clothes today?¡±

    Yuxi stated, ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯m going to attend a banquet at granduncle¡¯s mansion. So, my cloth has to be jubnt.¡±

    On the day of the banquet in Zhou residence, Yuxi wore a cherry bright red dress with her hairbed into two buns. They were decorated with a pair of headdress flowers made of strings of ruby beads. She also wore the gold lock charm that her aunt had gave her. While on her white and tenders hands were a pair of gold bracelets. Her appearance was extremely festive.

    Yujing was also wearing a bright red dress. However, she was a much older youngdy. Obviously her style wasn¡¯t as childish as Yuxi. While, Yuru was well-dressed in an autumn colored attire. She stood next to Yujing and both of them managed to attract others attention.

    Unfortunately, everyone attention on them was short-lived. When Yujing saw Yuchen in the main room, her face immediately turned bad.

    Yuchen was wearing a simple sapphire blue attire, deliberately didn¡¯t dress herself up. Even when she just dressed up normally, she still stood there like the beautiful Goddess of Mercy, immediately turning Yujing who had spend half a day to dressed up into an act of uselessness.

    Yuxi¡¯s dress was originally festive, but when Yuchen was present, her look immediately looked cheap. As if she didn¡¯t aware of it, Yuxi smilingly went up to Yuchen and cried, ¡°Third Sister.¡±

    Yuchen slightly nodded at Yuxi. She also greeted Yuru and Yujing. Unfortunately, both Yuru¡¯s and Yujing¡¯s amiable impression were very unnatural when they faced Yuchen.

    The Zhou family was the Old Madam¡¯s maiden family. The current Marquis of Changping was the Old Madam¡¯s brother. At this time in Yuxi previous life, she was still recovering from illness in Rose Courtyard, so she couldn¡¯t attend the Marquis¡¯ Eldest daughter-inw¡¯s birthday banquet.

    Marquis of Changping¡¯s residence was not as spacious as Duke Han¡¯s, but it was richly decorated everywhere. All the servants were also well-disciplined.

    When they arrived at the Marquis of Changping¡¯s residence, they first pay respect to Old Madam Zhou. She wore a dark dress with gold-printed thousand characters, which made her looked kind and had good-nature.

    Old Madam Zhou looked at Yuxi and said with a smile, ¡°This child looks so happy.¡± Elderly people like Old Madam Zhou, liked looking at lively and lovely children.

    The first time you met/pay respect to an elder, there would always be a jian mian li, a first-time meeting gift. After meeting Yuxi, Old Madam Zhou gave her a gold bracelet, which was iid with five huge pearls.

    The people in the room looked at the gold bracelet with a strange look. Although it was a valuable item, nobody would wear it because the bracelet looked too tacky.

    On Yuchen and Yuxi way out from the main hall, the Ninth Miss of Marquis of Changping¡¯s residence, Shixu, asked Yuxi with a smile, ¡°Will you wear the bracelet in the future?¡± The question was hostile, as if it was asked to mock Yuxi¡¯s obsession to gold.

    Yuxi should not have answered her, but still she did, ¡°It¡¯s too heavy to wear.¡± She loved this kind of bracelet since its value were determined by how heavy it was. The heavier it was, the more valuable it would be.

    Shixu giggled and said, ¡°Then you can wear it when you grow up.¡± She had never seen such a money-grabbing person like Yuxi before.

    Hearing this, Yuchen frowned, but when she looked at Yuxi, she didn¡¯t felt angry with her. Although in her heart, she was ufortable but she didn¡¯t say anything to the conversation between those two.

    When they reached the garden, a beautiful little girl came up and said to Yuchen, ¡°Sister Chen, you are here too!¡±

    Yuchen introduced Yuxi to the girl, ¡°Sister Shihua, this is my Fourth Sister, Yuxi.¡± Zhou Shihua, who was seven years old, were the Sixth Miss of the Marquis¡¯ residence.

    Zhou Shihua looked at Yuxi for a moment and said with a smile, ¡°Cousin Yuxi is so cute.¡±

    Instead of feeling embarrassed, Yuxi generously replied, ¡°Thank you cousin for your praise.¡± She maybe inferior to Yuchen in terms of beauty and talent, but why would she intentionally want to dress up looking shabby? She adorned herself with jubnt clothing and essories so that people will like her when they saw her.

    In her previous life, Yuxi had never been to the Zhou family residence so the Young Misses from Zhou family had treated her indifferently. Because of this, Yuxi felt pity for herself. Later, when she had the chance to go to the Zhou¡¯s mansion, she avoided meeting them. But in this lifetime, the situation was different. She didn¡¯t know if it was because of the introduction made by Yuchen earlier but somehow, Zhou Shihua had treated her much kinder in this life.

    Zhao Shiya, The Eight Miss of Zhou family, was also four years old this year. When she arrived at their gathering and saw Yuxi, she smiled and said, ¡°Ah, you look good.¡±

    Yuxi looked at her with some embarrassment. She noticed that Zhao Shiya was also wearing a cherry bright dress, with a ring of red coral beads wrapped around her pair of hair buns. On her neck, she wore a gold ne with 18 precious jewels lying on her chest. Yuxi and Zhao Shiya were not only dressed the same way, but quite also simr in appearance. They were both round-faced and had tender white skins. If it wasn¡¯t for Yuxi¡¯s short stature, others would definitely think they were twins.

    Yuxi¡¯smunication skill was bad. She could only managed to respond with, ¡°You look good too.¡±

    Zhou Shiya couldn¡¯t stop herself from being delighted with Yuxi¡¯s praise and said, ¡°Well, we both look good.¡± Zhou Shiya was the only daughter in the second branch and was born as a legitimate daughter. Therefore, she was extremely favored which made her a bit naive.

    When Zhou Shihua heard this, she became speechless. But she managed to asked, ¡°Eight Sister, is there such a woman who is like Wang Po and boasts of herself?¡±

    It¡¯s a Chinese Idiom which mean to give credit where credit¡¯s due. It was based on the story of a melon seller named Wang Po during Song Dynasty. You can read the shortic version by clicking the image.

    Image credit to Global Chinese Network

    Zhou Shiya tilted her head and blinked her big round eyes. She asked, ¡°Sixth Sister, don¡¯t you think I look good with my fourth cousin?¡± I would cry if you said I was ugly, she thought.

    Zhou Shihua lightly said with a smile, ¡°Yes, you are good-looking and my Eight Sister is the best one. Eight Sister, Fourth Cousin is feeling bored. Why don¡¯t you y with her?¡±

    Shiya turned her back on Zhou Shihua and said to Yuxi, ¡°Cousin, there¡¯s a lot of delicious food in the pavilion over there. Let¡¯s go there.¡±

    Yuxi knew that she was not good inmunication and must improve on it. Making more friends was more than talking to other people, but also for acquiring more contacts. Thus, she would not decline Shiya¡¯s friendly offer.

    Shiya took Yuxi to a pavilion and asked a maid to bring fruit snacks there. Sweeping her eyes on the fruits that the maid had brought out, she said to the maid beside her, ¡°Go and bring out the litchi send by my uncle.¡±

    Litchi or Lychee.

    Peggy Greb, USDA ARS [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

    Yuxi had eaten a few litchi before. After all, it was transported from southern Fujian, so average person could not afford to eat it. Even Duke Han didn¡¯t eat much litchi. ¡°No need to worry. They are free!¡± said Shiya. Yuxi remembered that a kilo of litchi in the market worth several taels of silvers.

    Seeing Yuxi¡¯s reaction, Shiya pursed her lips into a smile and said, ¡°This is from my uncle in Southern Fujian. So, they didn¡¯t cost any money.¡±

    Yuxi felt a little embarrassed but still she said, ¡°You should keep them for yourself!¡±

    Shiya felt that Yuxi was wasting too much time, so she retorted back, ¡°I¡¯m providing you with something to eat it, so why are you arguing so much?¡±

    The maid soon brought out a te of litchi. Shiya peeled off one of the litchi skin and revealed the white tender flesh inside. When she saw Yuxi didn¡¯t move, she urged, ¡°This is a private collection. Not everyone has it. Better try it.¡±

    Yuxi thought for a moment and then stop arguing about it. Both of them started to eat the litchi one by one.

    Zhou Shihua looked at Yuxi and Shiya from a distance and felt that they were getting along well with each other. She smiled and said to Yuchen, ¡°I heard that Fourth Cousin was very dull before but I personally think that she was quite an interesting person.¡±

    Yuchen also smiled and said, ¡°Fourth Sister has be much more clever ever since she gotten well.¡±

    Zhou Shihua felt this situation was very interesting. With smallpox wrecked havoc in the capital, even her family got affected. Four children from the mansion got infected and died afterward. All those who had survive were lucky, while those who had hard luck, passed away.

    On their way back inside, Zhou Shiya took Yuxi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Cousin, next time when we met, we should wear the same clothes and essories again. In this way, when others look at us, they will surely think that we are twins. Hey, hey, think about it, okay? I find it particrly interesting. ¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face turned stiff. Shiya was a terrifying girl. This little girl had been talking continuously from morning till now, which already reached half a day. She didn¡¯t even feel tired with all the chattering. Yuxi couldn¡¯t hold herself anymore, she stop Shiya and said, ¡°Let¡¯s continue talking next time, okay?!¡±

    Who would have knew that when Yuxi went to Marquis of Changping¡¯s residence for the first time in this life, she would also gained a friend.

    Yuchen had been to the Marquis¡¯ residence before, so she knew the temperament of the Zhou¡¯s Eight Miss. She smiled and said to Yuxi, ¡°Cousin Ya is actually very easy to get along with, except she is a chatterbox.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Yuxi said with her still stiff face. Everyone had shorings, and so was her. As long as you had a good heart, everything else would be all right.

    Despite her being absent from the banquet, Qiu Shi still knew about Zhou Shiya requesting Yuxi to wear the same clothes as her the next time they met. She found it very interesting. When Yuxi came to pay respectter on, she told her, ¡°Yuxi, I think it will be interesting to see you dressed just like Shiya next time.¡±

    Yuxi immediately shook her head and said, ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to.¡± She didn¡¯t want to be treated like a monkey.

    Qiu Shi was merely joking around with Yuxi. When she saw that Yuxi really did not want to talk about it anymore, she told her, ¡°Yuxi, you should go out and walk more in the future.¡± Just now, her maids had told her that Yuxi did not perform well today. Since it was Yuxi first time going out, she did not criticize her. However, she decided to take Yuxi out to socialize more in the future, otherwise it would be a big trouble if she didn¡¯t even able speak well.

    Yuxi won¡¯t opposed her aunt¡¯s advice so she replied, ¡°Okay.¡± At the banquet, she watched Yuchen getting along so well with Zhou Shihua that she was feeling envious of Yuchen and felt ashamed for herself. The Old Madam¡¯s biased with Yuchen was not unreasonable. Yuchen was wless in every aspect.

 Chapter 12 - Beauty

    <strong>Chapter 12 : Beauty</strong>

    Today, when Yuxi got up in the morning, she saw a magpie calling from top of a tree. Mama Shen smiled and said, ¡°Miss, the magpie is calling. Today must have been a good day.¡±

    Credit : China Online Museum

    The magpie is universally admired for its intelligence and guile but it can be a nuisance to farmers. In China it has a positive connotation, a harbinger of joy and as such a magpie is used in paintings to wish someone joy as x¨« means ¡®d; joy; happiness¡¯. If the character is shown upside down, like fu (good fortune), it means happiness is arriving. ¨C Chinasage

    It was indeed a good day for Yuxi. At noon, she received good news about Mama Fang¡¯s baozi shop. Even when the shop was only recently opened for business, Mama Fang managed to gain two to three taels of profits.

    Yuxi told the news bearer, ¡°Please told Mama Fang to take it easy and not get herself tired.¡± The baozi shop now had a strong woman working besides Mama Fang. This old woman was not a servant of the Duke Han¡¯s residence, but was bought by Yuxi herself. Her servant deed was kept by her.

    Yuxi also had made a lot of considerations when buying her. The old woman could act as an assistant to Mama Fang when managing the shop, be herpanion and made sure of her safety.

    Since the shop started to make money, Yuxi could finally put down the heavy burden on her mind. In herst life, when Mama Fang was kicked out from the residence, she became so sad that she passed away early. In this current life, Yuxi was sure Mama Fang won¡¯t face the same fate as the one in her previous life.

    When Yuxi went to pay respect to Qiu Shi the next day, she noticed that there was another woman in the room. The woman was wearing a sky blue with willows green beizi. Her face was pure and delicate. Her skin was white and she had a graceful figure. She was a bright beautiful woman.

    ¡ª¨C***¡ª¨C

    Beizi(ñØ×Ó) was a type of Chinese Hanfu. Legend said, this type of Hanfu was started to be wore during Tang Dynasty, then preserved till Song and Ming Dynasty.

    It was a type of Hanfu with a parallel-cor ¡°jacket¡± with side slits beginning at the armpit or at the waist. It can be secured at the front either with ties or a metal button. Extremely versatile, it can be long or short, had narrow or wide sleeves, and was worn by both men and women. During the Song Dynasty, it was popr to wear narrow-sleeved beizi over a chest undergarment and skirt/pants. Another name for Ming Dynasty-style beizi is Pifeng/Åû·ç. ¨C My Hanfu Favorites

    ¡ª¨C***¡ª¨C

    Qiu Shi smiled when she saw Yuxi¡¯s puzzled face and said, ¡°Yuxi, this is Concubine Lian.¡±

    Yuxi pressed down the thought in her mind and gave her greeting to Concubine Lian.

    Concubine Lian bowed at Yuxi and gave her a small gift. Then she also gave Qiu Shi a gift before she asked to be excused and went out with her maid.

    Yuxi was determined not to asked Qiu Shi about this kind of backyard affair, so she can only talk to her about the news she received about the baozi shop. Yuxi told her about how Mama Fang¡¯s shop had started to make money even when it was just newly opened. ¡°Now that the shop is making profit, Mama Fang bes very energetic, so I don¡¯t have to worry much about her anymore.¡±

    Qiu Shi lovingly touched her head and said, ¡°You are a good girl¡± Not only her heart was good, but she was also kind, thought Qiu Shi. Generally speaking, when a servant was let out, she will only be given some money. Where would you find a master who would take care of a servant future after being led out off his/her master¡¯s residence?

    Yuxi went back to her courtyard after their conversation. After returning to Rose Courtyard, she went to find Hongshan and asked, ¡°What is going on with this Concubine Lian?¡± Sinceing to Rose Courtyard, Hongshan became Yuxi¡¯s main source of information. She had a lot of rtives working in the residence, so it was convenient for her to know the current news of the household.

    Hongshan said, ¡°Miss, Concubine Lian was awarded by the Old Madam to Duke Han.¡±

    Yuxi was a little upset and asked, ¡°Why did Grandmother send a woman to Uncle?¡± It was not a big problem for a mother to sent a woman to her son, but it was a big problem when this kind of thing had never happened in her previous life. This sudden appearance of Concubine Lian brought a sudden feeling of panic inside her. There were so many variables in this life that she has no chance to understand any of them yet.

    Hongshan shook her head and said, ¡°This is indeed strange. The Old Madam has never personally given any woman to any of her sons. I don¡¯t know why she did it this time.¡± When a mother-inw was trying to suppress her daughter-inw, she liked to stuff her son with a new concubine. However, the Old Madam had never done such a thing but instead asked her two sons to respect their main wives. Unfortunately, her eldest son doted on his concubine more, and her second son¡¯s respected main wife had an early death, making the Old Madam¡¯s thoughts went in vain.

    After noticing Yuxi¡¯s doubtful face, Mama Shen asked, ¡°Did you in any way cause this matter, Miss?¡±

    Yuxi opened her eyes wide and asked, ¡°What does this have to do with me?¡±

    Old woman Shen exined, ¡°This old servant didn¡¯t dare to tell lies. Miss really had something to do with this matter. Does Miss remember what happened a month ago?¡±

    Yuxi immediately thought the matter of Moyun. She asked, ¡°Do you mean that Grandmother had given Concubine Lian to Uncle because of my anger? How is this possible?¡± Although she suspected that Concubine Rong was behind the incidentst time, but there was no evidence to convict her. Later, Mama Luo informed her that she had already given up pursuing the culprit because she knew it was wasting so much time. Now, they told her that her grandmother gave her a woman to fight Concubine Rong. This was utterly nonsense!

    Old woman Shen shook her head and said, ¡°Concubine Rong has crossed the line, so the Old Madam must solve this problem.¡± Norge family could tolerate a concubine who tried to murder the residence masters¡¯ children. Whatever the reason, Concubine Rong had already vited the Old Madam¡¯s bottom line, so this time she must be cleaned up.

    In herst life, Yuxi was a simple person. A bit an idiot and too naive. Fortunately, she was aware that these old attitudes of her were her shorings. So, now, she was working hard to correct them. After listening to Mama Shen¡¯s words, she pondered for a while. When she was done thinking in every angle, she concluded, ¡°What Mama means is that Grandmother gave Concubine Lian to Eldest Uncle in order to win his favor. When he no longer spoils Concubine Rong, he will get rid of her?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± answered Mama Shen. In her heart, she was shocked with Yuxi¡¯s deduction.

    Yuxi became more confused as she listened to Mama Shen¡¯s answer. ¡°Why is it so troublesome for Grandmother to get rid of Concubine Rong?¡± The Old Madam was the master of the backyard. She needed only one word to deal with Concubine Rong. Why should she go in circle to do it? Her mind was too tired to even continue being panic.

    Old woman Shen thought that Yuxi was not actually bad. She could think so much with that head of her. ¡°To know a child, better ask the mother. The Old Madam knows Duke Han¡¯s temperament so well. If she deals with Concubine Rong rashly, the Duke will surely turn against the Old Madam.¡° If the Old Madam could actually deal with Concubine Rong without thinking about her son, she would have kicked her out ten years ago.

    Yuxi knew that in order to amodate Concubine Rong, her Eldest Uncle almost turned his face with his own mother. Old people depended on their sons to live well in their old age. So, it was normal for Old Madam had some scruples. Only Yuxi still felt suspicious, so she asked, ¡°Eldest Aunt also provided a few concubines to Eldest Uncle before, but unfortunately they were all broke under Concubine Rong¡¯s hands. Mama, can this Concubine Lian fight well with her?¡±

    Old woman Shen said, ¡°Since the Old Madam herself has choosen Concubine Lian, she naturally has her own advantages. However, this matter cannot be solved overnight.¡± It would take a while before Concubine Rong could be taken down.

    Yuxi was silent and curiously asked, ¡°Mama Shen, why did you tell me all of this?¡± It was not that she was being too suspicious, but she really felt that Mama Shen¡¯s action did not have good-intentioned. This kind of things should have be hidden. How could she freely told her?

    Old woman Shen did not hesitate to say, ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t act with one muscle. You have to bow when you need to bow your head. Otherwise, you¡¯re bound to suffer.¡± During this period, Mama Shen found that Yuxi did not act in ordance with the rules and regtions. She did not consider the consequences of her actions at all. Now it¡¯s okay when she was still young, but when she grew up, she will definitely lose a lot because of her temperament.

    Although Yuxi was not particrly clever, she knew what Mama Shen had said were for her own good. She asked, ¡°Mama Shen, what do you want to say actually?¡±

    ¡°I hope Miss will not get angry when she listens to what I say,¡± said Mama Shen. Everyone liked to listen to praises, but not everyone liked to listen to criticism.

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°Mama, you can tell me. I¡¯m not that narrow-minded.¡±

    Just as Madam Shen was about to speak, Moju announced from outside, ¡°Miss, the maid from the residence of Marquis of Changping has brought something for Miss.¡±

    Knowing that she just disturb their conversation, Moju hurriedly brought in two melons. She took a nce at Mama Shen who suddenly stopped talking.

    Yuxi looked at the two melons send by Zhou Shiya and said with a smile, ¡°Put them in the well water first and open them up after lunch.¡± The melons would taste sweeter when they were being cool inside the well water in such a hot day.

    After Moju left, Yuxi asked, ¡°Mama, what was it you wanted to say?¡±

    After a moment of silence, Mama Shen asked, ¡°Does Miss avoiding the Old Madam?¡± Fourth Miss looked quite afraid of the Old Madam, which not only she could see, but so did the Old Madam. Otherwise, she would not have been assigned by the Old Madam to be Fourth Miss new Mama.

    Yuxi was not foolish. If she nodded to Mama Shen¡¯s question, didn¡¯t it meant she was not being filial? So she could only pretend to be aggrieved and said, ¡°Mama, Grandmother told me not to greet her in the future. I didn¡¯t want to upset my grandmother, so I only dare to do so only on the 15th day of the first lunar month.¡±

    Mama Shen thought that Yuxi was a very clever girl butcked guidance from an adult. So, she said, ¡°The Old Madam has send Hongshan and this old servant to serve Miss, so Miss should know that the Old Madam has changed her attitude towards Miss.¡±

    Yuxi was not moved by what the Old Madam had done, but as a precaution, she asked, ¡°Mama Shen means that the Old Madam actually loves me dearly too?¡±

    In order to guard against other people suspicions, Yuxi behaved foolishly in many aspects except for her amazing talent in embroidery. No matter how shrewd Mama Shen was, she wouldn¡¯t have noticed these things. Mama Shen answered, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re the granddaughter of the Old Madam¡¯s immediate family. Is there any reason, why she shouldn¡¯t feel pain when you¡¯re hurt?¡±

    Yuxi raised her head and looked at Mama Shen with great surprised. She said, ¡°Mama, you said my Grandmother loves me too. Is this true?¡±

    When Mama Shen saw Yuxi¡¯s affection and admiration for the Old Madam, she breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Naturally, it is true. Miss, in the future, you should visit the main room more often. Only by getting the Old Madam¡¯s favor, will you get a better life in the future. ¡±

    ¡°What does Mama mean by that?¡± asked Yuxi with a puzzled face. ¡°Is there anyone else in the residence who will bring trouble to me? That cannot be. Eldest Aunt loves me very much. So does my grandmother. Who else would make things difficult for me in this residence?¡±

    Mama Shen felt that Yuxi was too simple, but still she was not discouraged. Yuxi had never been personally involved before and she was only four years old. She was very malleable. ¡°Miss, now the Third Lady is in Hebei with the Third Master, it¡¯s natural that nothing would happen. However, after three to five years, when she returns, Miss¡¯ life will not be asfortable as it is now. ¡±

    Yuxi felt that Mama Shen mother was digging a hole for her. ¡°Mama Shen, Mama Fang told me that mother is a very good person.¡± This mother referred to her stepmother, Wu Shi, not her actual mother.

    After hearing this, Mama Shen felt that the Old Madam was right to let Mama Fang go. With such a silly Mama, Fourth Miss would definitely be taken to the pit. Fourth Girl was already predominant. If she said something bad about Wu Shi, she will probably be dissatisfied with her. ¡°Whether she¡¯s good or bad, Miss will know by then,¡± said Mama Shen gently.

 Chapter 13 - Teacher

    <strong>Chapter 13 : Teacher</strong>

    It was time for lunch when the two people, Yuxi and Mama Shen, done talking. Everyday, Yuxi¡¯s daily meals would consist of three dishes and one soup. Today lunch was no exception. There were steamed perch with scallion and ck beans sauce, saut¨¦ed shrimps with green vegetables, crispy fried tofu, and Chinese pickled cabbage spareribs with bitter bamboo shoots soup. There were also two side dishes.

    Steamed perch with scallion and ck beans sauce

    Saut¨¦ed shrimps with green vegetables

    Chinese pickled cabbage spareribs with bitter bamboo shoots soup

    Crispy fried tofu

    ¡ª¨C***¡ª¨C

    T/N: If you interested in the recipe, just click on the title of the pictures with links. It will lead you there. Though, they are mostly written in Chinese¡­(^¨Œ^;)

    ¡ª¨C***¡ª¨C

    Today, Yuxi had a good appetite. She finished a bowl of rice and half of the dishes on the table. After she had done with her meal, she drank a cup of soybean milk with honey in it. Unfortunately, there was no objective that she needed to fulfill. If she had one, she would have to drink goat milk every day, just like Yuchen.

    Then she tried to rest by taking a nap. However, when she was left alone in the room, she opened her eyes and stared at the pattern on the top of the bed, thinking about what had happened just now. She didn¡¯t know whether Mama Shen¡¯s words were taught by the Old Madam, but it was absolutely impossible for Mama Shen to actually respect her and her aunt. Not to mention, her Grandmother had being indifferent to her in herst life. She had promised that when Yuxi came out of smallpox, she would help cure her. But instead, her doctor had left her to die. This act would surely cut off the affection between grandparent and grandchild.

    Yuxi did not know why the Old Madam suddenly being kind to her, but she knew that the Old Madam did so with a definite purpose. Those who lived under the same roof, had no choice but to bow their heads. Since she couldn¡¯t leave the residence now, she could only bow her head ording to Mama Shen¡¯s words.

    Since then, every morning, Yuxi would first pay her respects to the Old Madam before doing the same to Qiu Shi. However, her attitude was quite different with both of them. She was more respectful than friendly when she went to the main room. While she would try her best to amuse Qiu Shi when she was in the main courtyard.

    Seeing this, made Mama Shen worried that what she did was not as good as it used before. She had to think about this matter slowly, so that it wouldn¡¯t backfire to her.

    On this day, as usual, Yuxi went to pay her respects to Qiu Shi and saw Concubine Lian there again. This time, she wore a pink brocade Hangzhou silk double-breasted summer beizi, with a light purple phoenix tail skirt on her waist. Her hair bun was adorned with a fish-shaped tassel on an enamel colored hairpin, which made her looked really charming.

    When Qiu Shi saw Yuxiing, she smilingly said to Concubine Lian, ¡°I know your heart, go on!¡± Hearing this, Concubine Lian immediately went back to her yard. Although all these years, her husband had doted on the concubines more, Qiu Shi felt quite blessed by having such a sensible mother-inw. This feeling of gratitude had also made mother-inw and daughter-inw got along extremely well all over these years. Butter on, because of Yuxi¡¯s affair, she was suddenly afraid of what the Old Madam would do.

    This time, the Old Madam had rewarded Concubine Lian to her husband which made Qiu Shi worrying for half a day. It wasn¡¯t because she was afraid of Concubine Lianpeting for the Duke¡¯s favor. Her current main priorities were not on her husband but the internal affairs of her sons and the household management. She didn¡¯t even care about her husband having many concubines at all. She was only worried about whether her mother-inw had felt any dissatisfaction with her. However her concern was dispelled when she saw that Concubine Lian, the currently favoured concubine, was behaving in a polite manner towards her, unlike Concubine Rong.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t care, but Concubine Rong was terrified. She had suffered a little grievance before but then, the Duke had always been on her side. But now, she had been under house arrest in Pleasant Courtyard for so long. Instead of trying to get her out of house arrest, Duke Han only went to Pleasant Courtyard twice. Concubine Rong was no better than Qiu Shi. At least, Qiu Shi was the main wife and had sons. She also had a good life without the Duke¡¯s favor. While her, on the hand, all her life¡¯s honours and graces depended on the Duke. Once she lose the Duke¡¯s favor, she would fall into the mire.

    When she heard that Duke Han of the State had gone to Concubine Lian¡¯s yard again, her face distorted and screamed, ¡°What did you say? The Lord went to that vile woman¡¯s house again? ¡±

    Xiaojuan answered timidly, ¡°Yes.¡± For more than a month, Duke Han had spent most of his time there. She was afraid of waiting outside for her Master to leave the new concubine yard as the weather had changed for the worst outside.

    Concubine Rong wished she could bite Concubine Lian to death, but now she was under house arrest in Pleasant Courtyard. She tried every method to see the Lord Duke but none managed to bring him to her.

    While in Rose Courtyard, Yuxi was feeling stuffy because of the hot weather. She muttered, ¡°It would be nice if it rain next.¡±

    Just as the words were said, a sh of white light, like a sword wielded by a swordsman, suddenly could be seen outside. Not for a momentter, a loud roar of thunder shook the ground. Then big raindrops, the sized of soybeans, rained down one after another.

    Moju smilingly said, ¡°Miss words are really effective.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and answered, ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence.¡±

    Summer rain came and gone quickly. The rain stopped within a quarter of an hour. After the rain, the sky was especially blue and the air was very fresh.

    Yuxi came out of the house after the rain went away and felt that the air was much cooler.

    At this time, Mama Shen returned from the outside and brought good news to her. She smilingly said, ¡°Miss, the Old Madam has invited a teacher for the Young Misses.¡±

    Yuxi suddenly remembered something. If she remembered correctly, her Grandmother had invited Teacher Song. Teacher Song¡¯s real name was Song Mingyue. She was born in a literary family. She was a free and intelligentdy. She was also proficient in the four arts andposing ode. At that time, she was known as the first talented woman in Beijing. She then married Lu Zon, the second son of Marquis Zhongyong. Later on, her family met a mishap. It was also rumored that the Lu family wanted her to die of illness because of it. Somehow, in the end, she managed to peacefully separate with Lu Zon using means that was unknown to the public.

    After she left her inws family, Song Mingyue took all her dowry and help her Song family going through their most difficult time. Later, shebed her hair and started to teach the youngdies of noble families in Beijing. As she was also well-known during her younger year, many rich families wanted to invite her to teach their daughters.

    Yuxi hide her knowledge and asked, ¡°Who is this teacher?¡±

    Mama Shen smiled and answered, ¡°Miss, the invited teacher is called Teacher Song. She is proficient in the four arts andposing ode. Even by inquiring a bit of knowledge from her, Miss can still enjoy afortable life in the future. ¡±

    Yuxi said hesitantly, ¡°Mama, I heard that Teacher Song¡¯s teaching is quite harsh. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t stand it!¡± Teacher Song was famous for her teachings, but so was her being harsh during sses and almost abnormal teaching method. It was said that only a few people can survive while being taught by her. Of course, those who survived could learn a lot of practical things in the end.

    Mama Shen gave her a meal and said, ¡°Miss, eat bitterness among the bitter, upright man will be exalted (mean the same as No Pain No Gain). As long as Miss can survive, it will path an easier road for Miss to get marry in the future. ¡±

    There were a lot of people who were very interested to invite Teacher Song. Once they employed her, if their youngdies didn¡¯t met her requirements, she will immediately quit her job. She also had two well-known rules that the families had to follow. The first was that no matter how she taught their children, her employer must not interfere. The second was, to teach them for three months first. If there was no student who satisfied her, she would not continue teaching. Many people had been baffled by these two rules. However, the young misses who met Teacher Song¡¯s requirementster became famous and married well. This was also why, despite her strict teaching, she was still popr with powerful families.

    ¡°I need to think about this again, Mama,¡± said Yuxi with a tangled face.

    After Mama Shen went out of the room, Yuxi took off her act and showed an air of determination. There was no need for Mama Shen to convince her. She would surely learn from Teacher Song, just like what Mama Shen said, learning from her will benefit you all your life.

    Yuxi stayed in the house for half a day, specially to make Mama Shen think she was struggling. She didn¡¯te out until the evening meal. After she done with her dinner, she then directly went to the main room to find the Old Madam.

    Once there, Yuxi didn¡¯t beat around the bush either. She directly stated her purpose, ¡°Grandmother, I heard that our residence will invite Teacher Song. I also want to learn from her.¡±

    Old Madam Han frowned. This time she invited Teacher Song without taking Yuxi into consideration. It was not that she was biased against Yuxi or anything, but Yuxi was too young. ¡°Teacher Song is very strict in teaching and you are too young to bear it. You¡¯re still young. It¡¯s not toote to learn from her in another two years. ¡±

    Yuxi pleaded, ¡°Grandmother, I will definitely study hard, so that my other three sisters won¡¯t get dragged behind because of me.¡±

    Old Madam Han still won¡¯t agree.

    Yuxi knelt on the ground and begged, ¡°Grandmother, let me learn from Teacher Song together with my sisters! Grandmother, Yuxi beg you. ¡±

    Old Madam Han¡¯s confidant, Mama Luo, said with a smile, ¡°It is rare for Fourth Miss to be so ambitious. Old Madam, please help Fourth Miss!¡± They all knelt down and begged for the Old Madam¡¯s permission. If she still refused, then it would be too much.

    Old Madam Han frowned and finally said, ¡°Teacher Song is very strict. Even if I promise, it will be in vain if Teacher Song does not agree to this.¡±

    Yuxi immediately said, ¡°Grandmother, I will definitely obtain Teacher Song¡¯s permission.¡±

    After Yuxi left, Old Madam Han said, ¡°This girl is really like a new person now.¡± She did not like Yuxi before. First, it was because she was not fond of Ning Shi, and then she did not like Yuxi. It was because, Yuxi always looked depressed, as if she had been abused and she also had a weak body. But since she gotten well, the gloom on her dissipated. Old Madam Han thought maybe Yuxi had changed because she had experienced life and death. So, the Old Madam felt her mind rxed a bit.

    Mother Luoughed and ttered the Old Madam, ¡°That¡¯s what the Old Madam had taught her. Since Mama Shen went to Rose Courtyard, she has be more and morew-abiding.¡± Fourth Miss used to avoid Old Madam like a taboo. Now she came to the Old Madam¡¯s courtyard to pay respect every day. She even apanied the Old Madam to talk. Although it couldn¡¯t bepared with the other three Misses, it was still much betterpared to how she was before.

    Old Madam Han just narrowed her eyes and said nothing more.

    Qiu Shi knew about Yuxi asking Old Madam Han to study together with Yuru. When Yuxi paid her a visit the next day, she asked Yuxi, ¡°Teacher Song is very strict in her teaching. If you don¡¯t meet her requirements, you will have to work harder than any of your sisters. Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡±

    Yuxi answered that she was not afraid.

    Qiu Shi sternly told her, ¡°You have to think it over clearly. Once you learn from Teacher Song, no matter how bitter and tired you are, you cannot give up halfway. Otherwise, your reputation will be damaged. Once your reputation is damaged, you will face difficulty in getting marry in the future.¡± It was obvious that Qiu Shi was inly threatening Yuxi. Even if Yuxi couldn¡¯t hold on, who would not think about her age? Even if she could not hold on, no one will say anything about it. The main reason was that Teacher Song¡¯s teaching method was too abnormal. People who couldn¡¯t carry it still could try multiple times. So, there was still ce for Yuxi if she wanted to learn from her in another years .

    Yuxi said with a firm face, ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t give up halfway.¡±

    Qiu Shi touched Yuxi¡¯s head and felt some relief. During this period, Yuxi had came to greet her regardless of the wind and rain, and apanied her to talk. She was so considerate. ¡°Since you have this intention, Aunt will have Teacher Song agree to ept you.¡± After that, Qiu Shi ordered Liuyin to go to the warehouse and pick up a whole set of stationery.

    Everyone reaction to Teacher Song¡¯s arrival was very different. Yuxi and Yuru were eager to learn from this famous person in the capital. Yuchen was very calm. She knew very well that the Old Madam had spent so much time inviting Teacher Song for her sake. As for whether Teacher Song would fancy her, it was not for her to think about.

    Only Yujing, the Second Miss, would recoil when she heard that Teacher Song could beat her hand. ¡°Mother, that Teacher Song can beat people. I don¡¯t want to go,¡± she cried. Concubine Rong could not read a single character before she met Duke Han. Ever since she served the him, she could not only read but also write two bad poems. Because of that, Yujing began to understand Chinese characters easily at the age of four. Now, she recognised a lot of Chinese words.

    Concubine Rong usually followed suit any of Yujing¡¯s whim, but she would not follow this time around. She sternly told her, ¡°You must go and learn till Teacher Song ept you as a student. Once you be one, then you can marry into a rich noble family and do not have to be a dwarf like your mother.¡±

    After listening to her mother¡¯s words, Yujing finally sumbed.

 Chapter 14 - Copybook

    <strong>Chapter 14 : Copybook</strong>

    Since Yuxi knew that Teacher Song wasing, she spent half an hour every morning and afternoon doing embroidery works. At other times, she would be reading with Mama Shen.

    It was a fine day today. So, Yuxi went to the yard to embroider on a handkerchief.

    Moju came in happily from outside and cried to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, Second Young Master is here!¡±

    When the Second Young Master, Han Jianye, remembered fondly of Ning Shi¡¯s kindness in saving him, he became very concerned about Yuxi. But since he studied martial arts with his masterst year, he seldom returned home.

    When Yuxi saw Han Jianye, her mind filled with inexplicable thoughts. The other person who treated her very nicely in her past life beside Qiu Shi was her second brother. However, he suffered a serious setback in his marriage, which was hindered by Wu Shi¡¯s niece, Qiu Yanfu. Without marriage prospects, he finally had to marry Qiu Yanfu. Later on, in order to avoid Qiu Yanfu, her second brother went to Liaodong and never came back.

    Han Jianye looked at Yuxi standing foolishly at the door. He came over and touched her little buns and said with a smile, ¡°Why? Are you so d to see this second brother that you suddenly turned foolish?¡±

    Han Jianye¡¯s appearance looked a lot like a person from the Qiu family, with his square face, thick eyebrows and big eyes. As a result of him training martial arts since childhood, he was a head taller than his peers.

    Yuxi held Han Jianye in her arms and wiped her tears. ¡°Second brother.¡± She vowed that she would never allow Qiu Yanfu to mess up her second brother¡¯s marriage in this life. Then, he would not go to Liaodong and die young.

    Han Jianye was dumbfounded. What with this situation?

    Moju also didn¡¯t know what was going on with her Miss and asked with a smile, ¡°Miss, what is wrong with you? Second Young Master is finally back. Why are you crying? ¡±

    When Yuxi came back to her senses, she blushed and quickly took her handkerchief to wipe her tears. She had just seen her second brother, who had died in herst life and to saw him alive in front of her, made her overwhelmed with excitement.

    Han Jianye was a rough man. Seeing Yuxi¡¯s reaction, he smiled happily and said, ¡°To really cry when seeing second brother,e on, second brother bought this for you to see. See if you like it. ¡± He ttered that his sister missed him so much till she shed her tears.

    Yuxi speechlessly looked at a small box filled with rouge. She was only four years old. Why did she let him buy her rouge? ¡°Second brother, don¡¯t buy me anything anymore. It¡¯s a waste of your money.¡± Who could let a four-year-old child used rogue? Well, she could just use this to reward someone in the future.

    Han Jianye mumbled sadly, ¡°It¡¯s all right. It didn¡¯t cost much.¡±

    Yuxi was speechless and quickly changed the subject. She said, ¡°Second brother, if you could buy me a copybook, I would be more happy.¡±

    Han Jianye picked Yuxi up and went into the house. After putting her down, he smiled and asked, ¡°Has Xi¡¯er(used as endearment) started to read? What copybook do you want?¡±

    Yuxi thought for a moment and said, ¡°Yan Zhenqing¡¯s copybook.¡± She heard that it was the best.

    Credit : City University of Hong Kong

    Yan Zhenqing£¨709-789) was a well known Chinese calligrapher during Tang Dynasty. His early book Duobao Pagoda had been used as a copybook by beginner calligrapher from back then till today.

    Han Jianye promised, ¡°It is rare for Xi¡¯er to make such great efforts. Second brother will buy it for you in the next two days.¡± Yuxi was very close to him before, but not as natural as now. However, Yuxi¡¯s changes still satisfied him.

    As they was talking about a painting, Moju brought in Yuxi¡¯s embroidered basket. ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll put this in the room.¡±

    Hearing this, Han Jianye was surprised and asked, ¡°Xi¡¯er, have you started learning embroidery?¡± Seeing Yuxi nodded her head, he smiled and asked, ¡°When will you embroider a purse for your second brother?¡±

    Yuxi estimated her timing and said, ¡°Second brother, this purse is for Cousin Yashi. Once I¡¯m done with this, I¡¯ll make one for you. ¡±

    Han Jianye cheerfully said, ¡°OK, I¡¯ll wait.¡±

    Yuxi deliberately said, ¡°Second brother, you are not afraid people willugh at you if my purse looks ugly?¡± With Han Jianye, Yuxi felt particrlyfortable to say anything.

    Han Jianye said without hesitation, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they will only envy me.¡± He had other several brothers learning martial arts with him, but they had not received any purse from their families. So when the time came for him to receive a purse from his sister, those few people would definitely envy him.

    Yuxi cracked a smile at him and said, ¡°Second brother, please rest assure. I will surely embroider you a beautiful purse.¡± Han Jianye¡¯s words always warm her heart.

    The two chatted for a while before Han Jianye left.

    The next morning, Han Jianye went out early to buy a copybook for Yuxi, but he couldn¡¯t find the one that she wanted. He finally remembered that his eldest brother, Han Jianming, had copies.

    The Han¡¯s apparent heir, Han Jianming, heard that his younger brother wanted Yan Zhenqing¡¯s copybook, which was a trend in the current market. Obviously, he asked for it not for himself, but for Yuxi. ¡°Even our Fourth Sister know how to practice calligraphy. What about you? When will you also start practicing your writing?¡± Han Jianming grew up with Old Madam Han, who was very demanding. He learned Chinese characters at the age of three and went to school at the age of five. However, his status did not require him to pass the imperial examinations. He diligently read to increase his knowledge and broaden his vision. While, Han Jianye hated studying since he was younger. He saw a book like he saw an enemy. Even his brother, Han Jiaming thought the words wrote by him were simply horrible.

    Han Jianye blushed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thatter. Elder brother, Fourth Sister said she wanted a copy of Yan Zhenqing¡¯s copybook. I remember that you seem to have quite a lot here! ¡±

    Han Jianming was really going to be subdued by this second brother. What did he meant by he had a lot? It seemed that Yan Zhenqing¡¯s copybooks were importantmodities. ¡°I¡¯ll send them to her tomorrow.¡±

    How would Han Jianye be willing? He said, ¡°Eldest brother, I¡¯ll choose it myself. I¡¯ll send it to her after I¡¯ve done choosing it.¡± It¡¯s not like he didn¡¯t know his brother. His elder brother was really stingy. If you let him chose, he surely would not give you the best one.

    Since Han Jianming was the heir of Duke of the State, he had many good things in his hand. There were more than ten copybooks collected alone. Although they were not authentic, they were notmon goods either.

    Han Jianye was not satisfied with the basic Yan Zhenqing copybook collected by his brother which he just found. While searching , he finally saw a copybook on the room desk. When he opened it, it turned out to be Yan Zhenqing¡¯s ¡®Controversy on Seating Protocol (Zh¨¥ng zu¨°w¨¨i ti¨¥¡¯¡¯) . ¡°Eldest brother, this is it! This is good. ¡±

    Controversy on Seating Protocol (Zh¨¥ng zu¨°w¨¨i ti¨¥)

    Image Credit : World Digital Library

    Zheng zuo wei tie (Letter on the controversy over seating protocol), also referred to as Lun zuo tie (Letter on the seating), and Yu Guo pu ye shu (Letter to Vice Director Guo), wasposed and handwritten by Yan Zhenqing in the running script style. It is a manuscript of Yan Zhenqing¡¯s letter to Guo Yingyi, Prince of Dingxiang. The letter addresses the issue of seating protocol for various civilian and military officials at court banquets. As it happens, Guo, in order to curry favor with the eunuch official Yu Chao¡¯en, had twice ced him at the head table. This letter is representative of Yan Zhenqing¡¯s calligraphy in running script, but the original no longer exists. During the Song dynasty, An Shiwen created a stele reproducing the letter on stone in Xi¡¯an, Shaanxi, which is now in the Forest of Stone Steles Museum in Xi¡¯an. Presented here is a Song dynasty rubbing, originally in the collection of Liang Qichao (1873?1929), thete-Qing schr and reformer. After it was bound in ordion format, he wrote the title. ¨C World Digital Library

    Han Jianming was stunned silent when he saw it. ¡°This is written in cursive script. Fourth Sister just began to read and you want her to read this?¡± What Han Jianming meant was for him to change the book to the one that was easy and simple.

    However, Han Jianye did not care so much about that. He felt that this copybook was written with flying dragon and dancing phoenix (idiom. lively and vigorous flourish in calligraphy). Moreover, the copybook that his eldest brother could copy must have also be absolutely good. ¡°Eldest brother, this is it.¡± Afraid that Han Jianming would not be willing to give the book up, he took it and ran away.

    Han Jianming looked at his younger brother¡¯s back view and shook his head helplessly. ¡°Really¡­¡± He often felt helpless with his younger brother, who was almost ten years old but still acted like a child.

    Yuxi saw that the copybook Han Jianming sent her was Yan Zhenqing¡¯s ¡®Seating Protocol¡¯. She didn¡¯t know if she should cry orugh. Currently, she was only four years old and just started her education. It must be no problem for him to send her this copy of cursive copybook.

    Han Jianye looked at Yuxi, tried to see if she liked it or no. He simply asked, ¡°Xi¡¯er, what do you think? If you don¡¯t feel good about it, I¡¯ll change it for you! ¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I like it very much. So, no need to change it.¡± Although it was not genuine, Yuxi knew that this copybook was also very precious.

    Han Jianye¡¯s teacher, Master Yang, was very skilled in martial arts, but he had a strange temperament. He had been living in the mountain and was reluctant toe down. Hence, Han Jianye could only live in the mountain when he practiced martial arts with him. After staying at home for three days, he went back to the mountain.

    After writing twenty words, Yuxi put down her brush and saw that Hongshan was going to say something but then she hesitated. Yuxi curiously asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you hesitating if you have something to say?¡±

    Only then did Hongshan said with lower voice, ¡°Miss, the copybook that Second Young Master gave you was the Heir¡¯s favorite book.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t think so much about it. She only smiled and went to the copper basin. After washing both her hands, she smilingly asked, ¡°How do you know that the copybook was eldest brother¡¯s favorite? Who told you that? ¡±

    Hongshan looked at Yuxi and saw no changed in her look. She responded, ¡°Sister Ziyi told me.¡±

    Yuxi stopped smiling. Zhiyi was one of Eldest Cousin¡¯s hall maids. Clearly, she had purposely told Hongshan about the copybook. Yuxi deliberately pretended not to know anything. ¡°What does she mean by saying this?¡±

    Hongshan told Yuxi her guess, ¡°Miss, I think Sister Ziyi want us to return the copybook.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s look turned a bit ugly. What did that maid meant? Did she meant that Second Brother took the copybook and sent it to her without the consent of Eldest Brother? Otherwise, it meant that Second Brother had not been aware of how proper things work anymore. But, it was impossible for him to do such a thing. Ziyi waspletely ndering Second Brother. Yuxi¡¯s eyes gleamed with cold light, and she did not know who gave Ziyi the courage. ¡°I know about this.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t say anything to Zhiyi¡¯s face, but immediately told Qiu Shi instead. Of course, she did not directlyin, but said in a teasing tone, ¡°Second brother is really¡­ Although Eldest Brother will not me him, but still I feel quite embarrass because of this. I will ignore Second Brother next time hees back.¡±

    After hearing what Yuxi said, Qiu Shi said with a smile, ¡°Your second brother is such a careless person. But you can rest assured that your eldest brother is not so stingy. The copybook, you can keep it. No need for you to return it. ¡±

    Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°Does Eldest Brother really not going to me him?¡±

    Qiushi stroke Yuxi¡¯s head and smiled kindly: ¡°It is just a copybook. Your eldest brother will not be stingy.¡±

    Yuxi naturally won¡¯t nag this matter furthermore. She just smiled and said, ¡°Aunt, when I look at the calligraphy inside the copybook, they look beautiful like flying dragon and dancing phoenix (idiom. lively and vigorous flourish in calligraphy). I think, if I could embroider them on a embroidery, it would look very nice. That¡¯s why I hope I don¡¯t need to return it.¡± This meant that she would be able to copy themter.

    Qiu Shiughed, ¡°You, ah, you, don¡¯t always think about embroidery. Teacher Song wille early on the tenth month. So, you must prepare yourself. ¡± It was good for girls to embroider, but the girls in their family did not make a living by embroidering. So, they did not need to put all their energy on it.

    Yuxi was not nervous, and said, ¡°Aunt, I have finished learning both Three Character ssic and the Hundred Family Surnames books! Soon, I¡¯m going to learn Thousand Characters ssic book.¡±

    Qiushi was somewhat surprised, ¡°How long have you been studying with Mama Shen, for you to finish those two books?¡±

    Yuxi felt that she already did it very slow, ¡°I have studied those two books for ten days. I¡¯ve also heard that Third Sister learns things faster too. I will be able to do the same thing as soon as she (Teacher Song) starts teaching .¡±

    EXTRA NOTES ON WHAT YUXI WAS READING

    In the dynasties following the Song, the Three Character ssic, the Hundred Family Surnames, and Thousand Character ssic came to be known as San Bai Qian (Three, Hundred, Thousand), from the first character in their titles. They were the almost universal introductory literary texts for students, almost exclusively boys, from elite backgrounds and even for a number of ordinary vigers. Each was avable in many versions, printed cheaply, and avable to all since they did not be superseded. When a student had memorized all three, he had a knowledge of roughly 2,000 characters. Since Chinese did not use an alphabet, this was an effective, though time-consuming, way of giving a ¡°crash course¡± in character recognition before going on to understanding texts and writing characters.- Wiki

    Three Character ssic

    Three Character ssic by Wang Lingyin

    Image Credit : ÈÊÁxÖÐ‡øµÄ²©¿Í

    Until thetter part of the 1800s, it served as a child¡¯s first formal education at home. The text is written in triplets of characters for easy memorization.

    Thousand Character ssic

    Thousand Character ssic

    By UncertainNote: The National Pce Museum states that the Qing imperial catalog Shiqu Baoji (Ê¯ÇþŒšóÅ) attributed this work to Emperor Gaozong of the Song dynasty, but they also stated that the work appears to actually have been done by a member of said emperor¡¯s Calligraphy Academy. ¨C Selections. The ¡°Thousand Character ssic¡± in Chinese Calligraphy (exhibit). Taipei: National Pce Museum., Public Domain, Link

    Hundred Family Surnames

    The Hundred Family Surnames is a ssic Chinese textposed ofmon Chinese surnames. The book wasposed in the early Song Dynasty.[1] It originally contained 411 surnames, and waster expanded to 504. Of these, 444 are single-character surnames, and 60 are double-character surnames. About 800 names have been derived from the original ones.- Wiki

 Chapter 15 - Teacher Song (1)

    <strong>Chapter 15 : Teacher Song (1)</strong>

    How could Qiu Shi didn¡¯t know of Yuchen¡¯s intelligence? In order not to hurt Yuxi¡¯s self-confidence, she immediately changed the subject, ¡°The copybook your second brother found for you is inappropriate. So, is there any copybook that you want to find?¡°

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. ¡°

    Qiu Shi thought for a moment and said, ¡°Teacher Song wrote a beautiful zanhua xiaokai script. If you want to practice calligraphy, you better find a copybook on that script.¡± Yuxi already studied zanhua xiaokai in herst life, so she didn¡¯t want to bother herself to find another copybook on it again.

    Image Credit: TodayOnHistory

    ¡ª¨C***¡ª¨C

    Zanhua Xiaokai (ô¢»¨Ð¡¿¬) was created by Lady Wei, the most prominent female calligrapher during Jin Dynasty. It was based on Zhong Yao¡¯s regr script, but written a bit narrower than him. This type of calligraphy is one among the most used copybook for student of calligraphy.

    ¡ª¨C***¡ª¨C

    Seeing no response from Yuxi, Qiu Shi reminded her, ¡°Yuxi, you are the youngest out of the four girls in this residence. Teacher Song will definitely examine you first, and only through this examination can you seed. If you can¡¯t write, she definitely won¡¯t ept you. ¡±

    Yuxi really didn¡¯t expect this, ¡°Then, what can I do?¡± This was a rare opportunity that she didn¡¯t want to miss! But, wouldn¡¯t it be strange, if she suddenly could write with Teacher Song¡¯s favourite script ¨C zanhua xiokai?

    Qiu Shi turned around and asked Mama Li, ¡°Do I have a zanhua xiokai copybook here?¡± There were too many things for her to remember.

    Mother Li shook her head and said, ¡°No, Madam. ¡° Qiu family was the home of military generals. All the men in the family were required to be able to read and write. Even better, if the girls in the family would also learn the same thing. But, they won¡¯t be forced, if they decided not to learn. Even Qiu Shi didn¡¯t like studying. After reading a few books and knowing how to do ounts, she stopped her study.

    Qiu Shi thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll find the copybook for you. When I find one, you have to begin practicing your calligraphy.¡± She also hoped that Yuxi could follow Teacher Song¡¯s ss. She lost her mother at an early age and was not loved by her biological father. It would not be easy for her to find rtivester on. If she could get Teacher Song¡¯s approval, then she could also find a good household in the future. When that time came, Qiu Shi could also rx a lot.

    After Yuxi left, Qiu Shi¡¯s face fell and said, ¡°Mama Li, go and bring over Zhiyi!¡± Just now, when she heard what Yuxi had said, her heart already burning with anger. But she didn¡¯t want Yuxi to see her ugly face, so, she pretended to be okay.

    When Yuxi returned to her courtyard, she read with Mama Shen again. Enlightenment books, women¡¯s books, she had learned all them in her past life. In order not to arouse suspicion, she slowly learned them again this time around.

    After taking a nap, Yuxi took the embroidery basket to do some embroidery works. Hongshan came in with a white face, looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°Miss, did you tell Madam about the copybook?¡±

    Yuxi blinked her eyes, ¡°Yeah! What¡¯s up? ¡°

    Hongshan was going to cry, ¡°Miss, Sister Zhiyi is going to be released by Madam.¡±

    Old woman Shen who was also there asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡° Zhiyi was the Heir¡¯s personal maid, so, how did she get involved with her Miss?

    Yuxi exined the matter in a few words to Mama Shen and then said to Hongshan, ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would be like this. When I saw my aunt today, I just said it offhandedly.¡± Four-year-old children will be guarded against if had too many intentions, so Yuxi won¡¯t admit that she said it intentionally.

    Old woman Shen said, ¡°Miss did the right thing. This matter should being told to Madam. This Zhiyi was too daring. To let her stay would only bring disaster.¡° For her to dare framing the Second Young Master for not being uptight and honest, if such a servant girl not being kicked out of the residence, she didn¡¯t know what will happen in the future.

    Hongshan did not dared to speak anymore.

    Yuxi deliberately pretended to be worried and said, ¡°Mama Shen, I¡¯m afraid my grandmother will me me.¡± The four pretty maid around the Heir were all given by the Old Madam. Now, by getting rid one of the maid, her grandmother would surely became more displeased with her.

    Mama Shen said with a smile, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. Zhiyi isn¡¯t one of the maid given by the Old Madam to the Heir. Ziqing, one of the maid sent by the Old Madam, gets married at the end of the year, so she was released. Zhiyi came as her recement. ¡°

    If Yuxi could tell Qiu Shi about this, she would not be afraid of retaliation. Yuxi took one thoughtful look at Hongshan. She thought Hongshan was clever, but this time she did something stupid. If she didn¡¯t guess wrong, Hongshan even did it on purpose. As for her reason, Yuxi really didn¡¯t know. She asked, ¡°Hongshan, what is the rtionship between Zhiyi and you? ¡°

    Honghan saw Yuxi¡¯s displeasure, and her heart was still pounding. She lowered her head and said with a lovable look, ¡°Miss, Sister Zhiyi is my first cousin.¡±

    In front of Yuxi, old woman Shen said, ¡°Your cousin, nine times out of ten, has been nned on.¡± It was said that the Heir liked this Zhiyi very much. It was expected that the other maids were jealous of her, which was why this thing had happened. But she was only the servant girl beside the Heir, so it was not really her concern.

    Hongshan face turned pale.

    Yuxi thought this Zhiyi was really stupid. Wasn¡¯t it stupid to arrange the fault of one of her master? Even without her getting involved, Zhiyi would still be kicked out.

    Yuxi went to greet the Old Madam the next day. The Old Madam rewarded her with a pair of twisted suede jade rings, and a zanhua xiaokai copybook.

    The Old Madam said, ¡°You did a very good job. ¡°

    Yuxi knew what the Old Madam was referring to, and she smiled happily when she received the gift. However, the Old Madam was actually satisfied with Mama Shen by two points for her report. Anyway, she also felt that Yuxi was easily tempted by money, just like the girls from her maternal home who were extremely shallow.

    When Yuxi was alone in the Rose Courtyard, her expression wasplicated. As could be seen from this copybook, the Old Madam knew whenever there was trouble on her side, which meant that no matter what she did or said , she was under the Old Madam¡¯s eyes and had no privacy.

    She was d that she was very well-behaved in other aspects besides showing her genius in embroidery, which was different from that of ordinary people. She was just like a normal four-year-old child, otherwise, the Old Madam would have been suspicious of her. It was also because of this, Yuxi became more cautious in the future.

    In the following period of time, Yuxi was having a hard time in her life. Usually, she slept until the end of Maoshi (5-7 am) hours. As a result, Mama Shen woke up at the beginning of maoshi and started chanting about Yuchen¡¯s excellence in Yuxi¡¯s ears. She then said that Yuchen had started learning to y the zither after she done with women¡¯s literature. Currently, she was learning the art of painting and zither. Yuxi reluctantly got up and practiced her calligraphy. However, she was only willing to sit on three things, namely, reading, practicing calligraphy and embroidering. She was not willing to learn other things, for example, if she was persuaded to learn zither, for the life of her, she would never will herself to learn. She would just give an excuse that she had a headache, then ran away.

    Was Mama Shen kidding around? Was Yuchenparable? She had lived an extra lifetime and learned things very quickly, but she was still iparable with a monster like Yuchen. Comparing oneself to Yuchen, made it easy for one to loose one¡¯smon heart.

    When Mama Shen saw that her talk for half a month had no effect on Yuxi, she finally decided to give up.

    More than a month passed in the blink of an eye. Today was the day when Teacher Song woulde to the residence.

    As Yuxi done memorizing books and practicing writing words in the morning, she noticed that Motao did note back. After she waited for a while more, she ordered a nearby maid, ¡°Go and see why hasn¡¯t breakfast been brought in yet? ¡±

    After half a column of incense, Motao came back with the food box in her hand and angrily said, ¡°Miss, the crispy thick porridge was stolen by Yunbo, the Second Miss¡¯ maid, saying that her Miss wanted to eat it.¡± The effect of the crispy thick porridge was to nourish the five Zang organs (lung, heart, spleen, liver and kidney), tonify Qi and blood, and moisten hair. Yuxi¡¯s body was well-known for being weak, and eating this porridge was just for nourishing it.

    Crispy thick porridge is a food made with ghee, honey and glutinous rice. Just cook it like the usual way you make a normal rice porridge.

    Despite losing her porridge, Yuxi¡¯s expression stayed the same. Then she said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry, set out my meal.¡± It was not that she had a big heart, but today was a special day. She would suffer if she made any noise today.

    Speaking of Concubine Rong¡¯s ability, she was currently put under house arrest in Pleasant Courtyard by the Old Madam. In the case of a Concubine Lian, she could still be able to pull the another half of the Duke Han of the State back to her by the hand of Yujing. The reason why she was called half was that the Concubine Lian was also favored by Master Duke. But despite this, Yuxi still admired Concubine Rong¡¯s means. Of course, Concubine Lian would not let Concubine Rong to seed in her n. It was known that the concubines that Eldest Aunt gave to Eldest Uncle in the past could notpete with Concubine Rong. Yuru¡¯s mother died in her hands. It must be said that the Old Madam was still the most powerful in the government.

    After breakfast, Yuxi changed her clothes and went to the main room. By the time she arrived, everyone was there.

    When Yujing saw Yuxi, she deliberately pretended to be surprised, ¡°Fourth Sister, you are only four years old. Do you want to study together with us?¡±

    Yuxi despised Yujing so much. She also had to learn from Teacher Song. Though, no one in the whole mansion knew about it. Yujing said knowingly, ¡°Well, Teacher Song is a famousdy in the capital city. If I can learn anything from Teacher Song, I will be satisfied.¡±

    Yujing sneered, but she also wanted to learn a little. Not to mention whether Teacher Song will ept her or not, it would certainly notst for three days.

    Old Madam Han nced at Yujing and she dared not speak anymore. Yujing¡¯s worst fear was the Old Madam, no other. As long as she did something wrong, the Old Madam would shut her up in the Buddhist temple to copy Buddhist scriptures.

    Yuxi also knew that the Old Madam did not like Yujing, but the Second Miss had good luck. She was her father favorite child, and nobody dared to provoke her for being arrogant and domineering in the official residence.

    Qiu Shi seemed to ignore the contradiction just now and said with a smile to the Old Madam, ¡°Madam, Magnolia Courtyard has already been set up, but the maid has not been chosen yet. I think it is better to let Teacher Song chooses the maid herself. ¡° She has prepared several maids, but she did not know Teacher Song¡¯s preferences, so she did not wanted to be a good advocate. In doing so, she also expressed her respect for Teacher Song.

    Old Madam Han always believed in Qiu Shi¡¯s ability to handle internal affairs, ¡°Well, you think so well.¡± If you rushed to send a servant girl to Teacher Song, she would think that they were prying into her privacy!

    At the end of the morning, the long-awaited Teacher Song finally arrived. She went up to Old Madam Han and gave her a gift.

    Today, Teacher Song was wearing a gold butterfly patterned cyan colored beizi, a brown skirt, and ck hairbed into a bun, adorned with a pair of double ¨C happiness hair sps iid with cat¡¯s eyes gems. This dress was very old-fashioned.

    Yuxi had seen Teacher Song several times in her previous life. Every time she saw Teacher Song¡¯s facial impression, she would feel afraid. But now she didn¡¯t feel afraid at all.

    After exchanging a few words of greetings with Teacher Song, Old Madam Han then introduced Yuru and her other grandchildren one by one to Teacher Song.

    Teacher Song only nced at Yuru and Yujing, and then her attention was focused on Yuchen. When Old Madam Han talked about Yuxi, Teacher Song shook her head and said, ¡°Old Madam, the Fourth Miss is too young to join.¡±

    Yuxi stood up and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, it was me who asked my Grandmother and Aunt, and they couldn¡¯t resist me. I really want to learn Chinese characters with Ma¡¯am.¡± After a pause, she continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ma¡¯am, I won¡¯t hold back my other three sisters.¡±

    Before Teacher Song came, she had made a clear inquiry on the situation inside the State House, and also made a lot of inquiries on the Fourth Girl. However, all Teacher Song knew was the news before Yuxi fell ill, which made her felt that Yuxi was different from the information she had received. However, she still shook her head and said, ¡°You are too young.¡± If teenagers couldn¡¯t even stand the way she thought, let alone a four-year-old child.

 Chapter 16 - Teacher Song (2)

    <strong>Chapter 16 : Teacher Song (2)</strong>

    When Yuxi saw that Teacher Song disagree with the suggestion, she looked at Qiu Shi with eager eyes.

    Qiu Shi smiled and said, ¡°Teacher Song, this child is very eager to learn and quite wise. In less than a month, she had finished learning the Three-Character ssic, the Hundred Surnames and the Thousand-Character ssic. Teacher Song, please give this girl a chance! If shegs behind at that time, needless to say, she will give up by herself.¡±

    Teacher Song was somewhat surprised.

    As Qiu Shi noticed that Teacher Song started to loose up a bit, she quickly said, ¡°If Teacher don¡¯t believe me, Teacher can test her.¡±

    Qiu Shi was a member of the Duke Han of the State official residence, so, Teacher Song had to give her some face. She then said to Yuxi, ¡°Fourth Miss, if you can answer my question, I will promise to teach you. ¡°

    Yuxi answered frankly, ¡°Okay. ¡°

    Teacher Song looked at Yuxi with her self-confidence, and said, ¡°Diligence at start indeed is fine (d¨³ ch¨± ch¨¦ng m¨§i);pleteness at ending, duly grand, (sh¨¨n zh¨­ng y¨ª l¨¬ng); Glorious works as the foundation (r¨®ng y¨¨ su¨¯ j¨©); no limit to one¡¯s reputation (j¨ª sh¨¨n w¨² j¨¬ng); Studies superior, step up to serve (xu¨¦ y¨­u d¨¥ng sh¨¬); be given your duties, join government¡¯s work (sh¨¨ zh¨ª c¨®ng zh¨¨ng)¡­ ¡° She paused here and looked at Yuxi.

    Yuxi understood that Teacher Song wanted her to continue. She thought about it for a while before opening her mouth, ¡°Alive, under a sweet pear tree (c¨²n y¨« g¨¡n t¨¢ng); gone, in song of eulogy (q¨´ ¨¦r y¨¬ y¨¯ng); Music distinct by social rank (yu¨¨ sh¨± gu¨¬ ji¨¤n); rites ording to prestige (l¨« bi¨¦ z¨±n b¨¥i)¡­ ¡° Yuxi recited all the following contents in one breath.

    They both were reciting a part in Chapter 3 of Thousand-character ssic.

    Teacher Song nodded her head and said, ¡°Write two words for me to see.¡° This child had good talent, and she didn¡¯t know how the people she had asked to inquire about the Fourth Miss had be ignorant of this. They even said that the child was stupid and unreliable.

    Yuxi wrote four big characters of ¡°Heaven rewards diligence (ti¨¡n d¨¤o ch¨®u q¨ªn ¨C Chinese idiom, meaning God help those who help themselves) ¡°.

    When Teacher Song saw Yuxi¡¯s writings, she straightened her back, focused her eyes, and nodded secretly in her heart. When she saw the characters written by Yuxi, although they were not good ¨C looking, they were absolutely correct. She said, ¡°It¡¯s very hard to learn from me. You are still young and no need to suffer from it.¡±

    Yuxi said firmly, ¡°As long as Ma¡¯am give me a chance, I will learn it well.¡± Yuchen was thest disciple taught by Teacher Song in her previous life. After teaching Yuchen, Teacher Song shut herself in the mountain. Of course, Yuchen did not lose her reputation either because of it.

    Teacher Song said lightly, ¡°Self ¨C confidence is a good thing, but over-confidence is arrogance.¡±

    Yuxi epted the criticism modestly, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I will pay attention to itter.¡±

    Teacher Song just nodded her head, ¡°If you can¡¯t keep up with the learning process and drag everyone back, I won¡¯t show you any mercy.¡±

    This made Yuxi fiercely look up at Teacher Song and said , ¡°I won¡¯t hold anyone back.¡± She would never let such a thing happen. Even if Teacher Song could not admit her as a student, she would still want to go through the first few months of sses.

    After agreeing to ept Yuxi as a student, Teacher Song said to the Old Madam, ¡°Old Madam, you know my rules. No one is allowed to raise any objection during my teaching period.¡± If everyone told her what to do, she would not be bothered to continue teaching.

    Old Madam Han actually didn¡¯t want to agree, but in the end said, ¡°Of course.¡± The so-called ¡®strict teacher produces outstanding student¡¯, showed that the students taught by Teacher Song, even those girls who had not managed to be talented women, still had a good reputation in the end. Most importantly, she invited her for Yuchen. She was very sure that she would be satisfied with her.

    After that, Qiu Shi personally took Teacher Song to Magnolia Courtyard. While, all four of the Han Residence Young Misses including Yuxi, returned to their own courtyard to prepare for the afternoon ss.

    Magnolia Courtyard was located in the west. The atmosphere was very quiet with variety of trees nted all around the property, and the name Magnolia Courtyard was also due to several Magnolias trees that had been nted in the yard.

    Image credit: Stevrese

    Magnolia denudata, known as the lilytree or Yn magnolia (simplified Chinese: ÓñÀ¼»¨; traditional Chinese: ÓñÌm»¨; pinyin: y¨´l¨¢nhu¨¡; literally: ¡°jade orchid/lily¡±), is native to central and eastern China. It has been cultivated in Chinese Buddhist temple gardens since 600 AD. Its flowers were regarded as a symbol of purity in the Tang Dynasty and it was nted in the grounds of the Emperor¡¯s pce. It is the official city flower of Shanghai. ¨C Wiki

    Teacher Song was very satisfied with the arrangement of the courtyard. When she entered the room and looked at the elegantyout inside, she was even more satisfied, ¡°It must had been hard for Madam.¡±

    Qiu Shi just smiled and said, ¡°As long as Teacher likes it.¡°

    After seeing Qiu Shi off, old woman Ding beside Teacher Song said unhappily, ¡°Ma¡¯am, why did you promise them? Even Fourth Miss with so little talent is stuffed under your care. They said that Ma¡¯am would only teach the Third Miss.¡° She grew up with Teacher Song from a young age and had been with her all these years.

    When there were only two people left in the room, Teacher Song¡¯s face rxed a lot and she was no longer as strict as before. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Although Yuxi was so confident, Teacher Song did not think Yuxi could hold on. It wasn¡¯t that she despised her, but she was too young for her ss. She definitely wouldn¡¯t stand those sufferings.

    Old woman Ding was very upset in her heart, but she also knew that she had to agree to her Master to some degrees when doing things for others. She said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, don¡¯t take any more jobs after teaching the Third Miss. The money saved over the years is enough for us to live a good life! ¡±

    Teacher Song smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Meanwhile, Mama Shen was feeling very happy when she heard that Teacher Song had promised to let Yuxi followed suit, ¡°Miss, when you go to school, you must study hard. It is good for Miss to learn well.¡±

    Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°Mama, rest assured. I will seriously learn.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if you looked at Teacher Song more or less, one could clearly see that she was indeed a schr. She must learn as much as she could! After waiting for a few months, she dismantled the double-sided embroidery and studied the stitching of the double-sided embroidery. Yuxi looked back at her life. What came into mind was her dark past life and her face instantly turned pale.

    Mama Shen felt the change in Yuxi and asked, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Nothing. Mama, please leave! I want to take a rest.¡± Every time she thought about things, she was reluctant to have people around her.

    Yuxi took out the double-sided embroidery from the cab and looked at it in a daze. Why did she studied double-sided embroidery stitches? If she fell into the situation of her previous life, what about her unique embroidery skill? Would this skill save her from trouble? No.

    When it was lunch time, Mama Shen went into the house and called Yuxi. Not long after lunch, Yuxi took Moju to Magnolia Courtyard. Since Zhiyi¡¯s incident, Yuxi had acted indifferent to Hongshan.

    From Rose Courtyard to Magnolia Courtyard, one had to go through the main garden of the state residence. Therefore, this was the first time Yuxi had visited the garden since she was reborn.

    The rockeries and the curved bridge in the state residence were astonishing, The scenery was spectacr, deep and serene. Especially the view of stone peaks or apanying auspicious trees of other courtyards that could be seen from all directions. The posture was exquisite and peculiar. It was quite impressive that you could even enjoy it by lying down and when people entered the gully, they would feel like they were visiting some famous mountains.

    Moju looked at Yuxi and saw that her face was not looking good. She asked carefully, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss?¡± Looking at her Miss looked worried, made her felt very uneasy.

    Yuxi shook her head and replied, ¡°Nothing.¡± She was still young and had enough time to learn how to protect herself, but she had to n what she should learn.

    When approaching Magnolia Courtyard, Yuxi saw Yuchen and her four maids. Speaking of which, Yuxi wondered that Yuchen had always been indifferent to her in her previous life, but treated her very good in this life. Of course, this was much betterpared to her past life.

    Yuchen walked up to Yuxi, frowning and said, ¡°The sun is so hot. I don¡¯t know if I should let the maid carry another umbre.¡± Yuchen¡¯s personal servant girl, Shishu, was opening a green oilcloth umbre to shield her from the sun!

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°No need to worry about me.¡±

    Yuchen did not know why Yuxi was being ignorant, ¡°The sun is poisonous. Not to mention heatstroke, your skin will easily darken if you get too much sun.¡±

    Yuxi said nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m still young!¡±

    Yuchen sighed slightly, which was too much of a pity for herself. However, she looked at Yuxi¡¯s indifferent face, and no longer entangled with the matter. ¡°Why do you only take such a little thing?¡± She couldn¡¯t see anything else besides a box in Moju¡¯s hands. The box was not big either. Just by looking at it, you would know that there was not much could be put inside.

    Yuxi scanned the three maids behind Yuchen. Each of them was holding a big box. There were a lot of things. ¡°I only brought the four treasures of the study room (ink brush, ink stick, paper and ink stone) and other utensils. Other things, I think Ma¡¯am will certainly prepare it.¡° Yuxi only brought pen and ink with her inkstone, but no paper.

    Just as she spoke, Yuru and Yujing also arrived.

    Yuru greeted them and smiled gently.

    Yujing stared at Yuxi and said, ¡°Your life is already hard enough, with you just survived from the smallpox.¡± Her mother was ced under house arrest because of this lowly girl. She must pay for this revenge.

    Yuxi felt inferior and weak in her previous life, and got scolded by Yujing for her hard life. She endured it all. But now she knew a truth: good people were bullied, good horses were ridden, retreating step by step will only let everyone bullied you to the end. ¡°I can heal not because my life is hard, but because my mother protects me from the heaven!¡± With that, she nced at Yujing and said with a smile, ¡°Ah, why didn¡¯t Second Sister wear new clothes and jewelry today?¡± Yujing usually liked to dress herself up beautifully. They must wear new clothes when receiving visitors at home or went out to socialize, but today she was wearing an old dress.

    Yujing was angry. This lowly girl, she dared to ridicule her before she returned her mother¡¯s revenge. But before she could give any response, her personal maid, Yunqi whispered beside her, ¡°Miss, this is Magnolia Courtyard. It would be bad if Teacher Song saw this.¡± Her Miss was so much older than the Fourth Miss. If they quarreled with each other, her Miss would be the one people said to be with no reason in her mind. If this scene fell into the eyes of Teacher Song, she would surely feel that her Miss was not friendly with her sisters. It was not good for her Miss to leave such a bad impression right away.

    Yujing had some misgivings to continue, so she immediately gave Yuxi a vicious nce before they continued moving forward.

    As soon as they entered the Magnolia Courtyard, they saw several Magnolia trees. Magnolia bloomed in the third and fourth months, but now the flowers had already withered.

    When they entered the Magnolia Courtyard, they were led into a room by a maid. The room was spacious and well lit, with a long case at the top, and four desks and chairs at the bottom.

    Yuchen picked the front position on the left.

    Yuxi went to the table positioned in front on the right. However, before she could sit down, Yujing walked up to her and said, ¡°You sit at the back.¡±

    Yuxi firmly said, ¡°No. I can¡¯t see anything if I sit at the back.¡±

    Yujing didn¡¯t care so much about that. She directly pushed her away to sit on the chair.

    Yuxi sneered and said, ¡°Second Sister, you snatched my porridge early this morning, and now snatching my seat. Do you really like snatching other people stuff so much?¡± Picked a persimmon with a soft pinch (Chinese phrases, meaning can easily be bullied), but she was not a soft persimmon right now.

    Yujing did not expect Yuxi dared to ridicule her. She snorted coldly, ¡°I like it. What can you do?¡± Yuchen was the apex of the Old Madam¡¯s heart, so she didn¡¯t dare to provoke, but Yuxi¡­ she hadn¡¯t put her in her eyes. Moreover, she and this cheap girl still had a bill to calcte.

 Chapter 17 - Teacher Song (3)

    <strong>Chapter 17 : Teacher Song (3)</strong>

    Moju¡¯s eyes were sharp. When she saw a person standing outside the room, she immediately whispered to Yuxi¡¯s ear.

    Yuxi stopped arguing and obediently sat in the back. Although she was not afraid of anything, she did not want to leave a bad impression on Teacher Song, especially on the first day, because of a quarrel with her sister.

    After they all done choosing their seat, Yuchen¡¯s maid immediately took out a white cloth to wipe the table and stool. Then she spread out a tablecloth mat.

    Yuxi looked at the already spotless desks and chairs, and did not understand why they needed to be wiped again.

    Yuchen¡¯s maid immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention as soon as she pulled out all Yuchen¡¯s study utensils one by one. This set was made of top-grade sapphire material, with each of them carved with simple patterns. In a nce everyone could see that they were worth a lot of money.

    Yuxi originally thought that her set of equipment was very good, but whenpared with Yuchen¡¯s four treasures, they turned into junks.

    Shishu looked at Yuxi¡¯s green eyes with disdain in her heart. Before Fourth Miss fell ill, she had this look of a frail girl who could easily fall over even from a wind blow. After she got better, her eyes became more shallow. Thest time she saw her Miss double-sided embroidery, her eyes were glistening. Now, they were glowing green when she saw her Miss stationery, like she hated not having them for herself.

    Yuxi was not a fool. How could she not feel Shishu¡¯s disdain stare. But she was puzzled. Shishu had gone as far as guarding against her like she had a general appearance of a thief, just because she took Yuchen¡¯s double-sided embroidery.

    Yujing also took noticed of Yuchen¡¯s whole set of things and could not hide her jealousy. The Old Madam was too entric. Everything good was given to Yuchen, as if she was her only granddaughter.

    Her jealous eyes were so obvious that they managed to make Yuchen frowned. However, she didn¡¯t care that much, as she knew Yujing won¡¯t dare to bully her.

    After a while, Teacher Song walked in with a few books. Their eyes only stop only for a second on them. Their eyes were fixed on a piece of ruler on the books.

    Yuxi looked at Teacher Song¡¯s ck and bright ruler with some trepidation. No wonder many people were shocked when they heard Teacher Song¡¯s name. She was also shocked when she saw the ruler.

    Teacher Song ced the book and ruler on the table, frowned and said, ¡°Second Miss, you change seat with Fourth Miss.¡±

    Yujing was unwilling, ¡°Ma¡¯am, my Fourth Sister don¡¯t like to sit in the front. She like to sit at the back.¡± She really didn¡¯t want to look at the back of Yuxi¡¯s skull.

    Yuxi felt very angry in her heart, but she knew that she should not argue in front of the teacher, so she kept her head down and stayed silent.

    Teacher Song said with a cold face, ¡°Second Miss, you and Fourth Miss will switch positions.¡± This was a direct order, not a consultation. Inquiries revealed that Yujing was arrogant and domineering, and now it seemed even more unbearable than the rumors. She didn¡¯t even know modesty and propriety, also had a mouth full of lies.

    Yujing didn¡¯t want to change her seat, but seeing Teacher Song indifferent expression scared her. Thinking of her mother¡¯s warning, Yujing reluctantly stood up with Yuxi to changed their seats.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t show any reaction on her face, but her heart was feeling veryfortable. After the two exchanged positions, Teacher Song asked them, starting from Yuru, what books they had read.

    There was no doubt that Yuchen read the most books. Yuxi thought she had read the least, but then she realized that Yuru read much lesser than her.

    Yuxi took the book handed out by old woman Ding and opened it to read the Three-Character ssic, which was written in zanhua font. She heard before that all textbooks that Teacher Song used for teaching were copied by herself, so she didn¡¯t need to buy them from outside. This also led to the fact that all the girls who studied with Teacher Song were also able to write in zanhua xiokai.

    The book was handed out to the four of them. Instead of giving a lecture immediately, Teacher Song asked the maids around Yuru and the others to emptied out their masters¡¯ prepared inks.

    Then she ordered, ¡°Grind your own ink.¡±

    Yuxi was somewhat puzzled, but she did not say anything as she saw Yuchen poured out her ink, washed it, and poured in clean water. Then she picked up the ink stick and began to grind the it. Yuchen listened to what Teacher Song said, so Yuxi dared not say anything.

    Two minutester, Teacher Song said, ¡°You are all grinding ink with wrong posture. When grinding ink, you should not only keep a calm mood, but also be gentle and slow. Maintain the ink level. Circle the inkstone vertically and not grind it obliquely or push it straight.¡± After that, she demonstrated to the four girls.

    Yuxi recognized a few words uttered by Teacher Song from her previous incarnation but she blink foolishly, like she knew nothing.

    How would she know that there were so many things to learn in grinding ink, not to mention other studies.

    When the posture of the four girls was correct, Teacher Song said, ¡°Write a line of words with your own ink.¡±

    Yuxi was doing fine. She had been grinding her own ink for more than a month now. This was also her habit of doing everything by herself. The other three did not. The ink used to write on weekdays was all polished by maids, so when Yuchen looked at the words written in her own ink, her face changed for the first time.

    After reading the words written by the four girls, Teacher Song did not praise or criticize anyone, but said, ¡°The ink should be ground to a moderate shade, and the words written with too strong or too weak ink are not good. In the future, you should practice more. In addition, it takes a long time to grind ink. In order to prevent the right hand from getting tired, it is better to practice grinding ink with your left hand. ¡°

    Yujing shrugged it off. There were so many maids around her so she didn¡¯t need to grind the ink herself, but she didn¡¯t dare to refute Teacher Song¡¯s words during ss.

    Teacher Song¡¯s sharp eyes naturally saw Yujing¡¯s expression, but she did not care. Over the years, she had taught many girls, and seen many others with such temperament as Yujing. ¡°Today, let¡¯s start by learning the Three-Character ssic.¡±

    There was nothing special about Teacher Song¡¯s teaching. She exined it sentence by sentence and then left some time for the four girls to take notes before she continued. It took one morning for her to read out a quarter of the ¡°Three¨CCharacter ssic¡±. Luckily, all four girls already had foundation. Even though Teacher Song spoke quickly, they could still manage to catch up.

    When the ss was over, she assigned them homework, which was to write down all the words they learned today.

    Yuxi¡¯s face almost cracked. If she wrote more than 500 characters in one night, and none of them could be wrong, wouldn¡¯t her hand be broken? She felt the horror of Teacher Song for the first time.

    Yujing directly objected, ¡°Ma¡¯am, it is impossible to write more than 500 words in such a short time which we only have this evening till tomorrow morning.¡±

    Teacher Song replied with a straight face, ¡°Then, no need for you to write. No one forces you.¡±

    Yujing face flushed bright red.

    With this such precedent, naturally, others didn¡¯t dared to raise objections. Yuxi nced at Yuru and Yuchen secretly. Yuru had a bitter face, while Yuchen¡¯s face still looked so light, like writing more than 500 words for her was just a piece of cake.

    On the afternoon of the ninth month, although it was rtively cool, Yuxi was sweating after walking for more than a minute. As soon as she entered the Rose Courtyard, the maid immediately brought Mung Bean soup to relieve her from the summer heat.

    ¡°How are you doing today, Miss?¡± asked Mama Shen with concern.

    Naturally, Yuxi could not say that she understood everything during ss, but she vaguely said, ¡°I understand everything Teacher Song said.¡± Originally, she felt that she had some advantages. After all, she had learned zanhua xiokai in her previous life, but now, when she saw Yuchen¡¯s beautiful handwriting, she wanted to drill a hole in the ground. Despite her extra lifetime, she still couldn¡¯t even bepared with the present Yuchen. She was ashamed to becent there.

    During dinner, she noticed that there were six dishes and one soup on the table and asked, ¡°Why are there so many dishes today?¡± On weekdays, usually there were only three dishes and one soup.

    Mama Shen smiled and said, ¡°The Old Madam said that you have worked hard, so she ordered the kitchen to add more dishes for Miss.¡±

    Yuxi said nothing. Anyway, these too many dishes won¡¯t be wasted. If she couldn¡¯t finish them, then she could leave the dishes for the maids around her. Yuxi deliberately pretended to be casual and asked, ¡°Is it for today only or every day?¡±

    Mama Shen turned pale and said, ¡°Only for today.¡±

    Yuxi no longer spoke.

    The way to keep fit was to eat till seven percent full, so that meant more than half of the dishes would be left on the table. After Yuxi done with her dinner, she did not rush to do her homework. Instead, she went out for a walk and began to do it after she came back.

    Fortunately, she had learned the ¡°Three Character ssic¡± by heart, and could write it without reading the textbook. Thus, she could write the text much faster than normal.

    She did not finish writing until the end of Haishi (9-11pm) hours. Before she fell asleep, she said to Mama Shen, ¡°Mama, please wake me up at two or three o¡¯clock tomorrow.¡± She had done with her homework today, but she didn¡¯t have time to check it. In order to not be beaten up, she wanted to got up early tomorrow, so that she could check and corrected her mistakes as soon as possible.

    The next day, she first recited the text and then began to check her homework. After everything was in order, it was time for her to have her morning meal.

    When she arrived at Magnolia Courtyard, she saw Yuru and Yujing had panda eyes, just like her. Obviously, neither of them slept wellst night. However, Yuchen¡¯s manner was natural, and she could not see any signs of exhaustion.

    Well, Yuxi couldn¡¯t help sighing in her heart. Sure enough, there were always talented people that gave people feeling of irritation. Therefore, it really took great courage to learn with such person. Otherwise, you would feel inferior if you were not careful.

    Teacher Song examined their homework, brought by old woman Ding. She asked them four to recite the text. It wasn¡¯t just for reviewing what they wrote, but rather to recall every single words they had written.

    Yuru could only recite half of the text, so she was hit five times on her hand. The first time her hand was hit, her tears immediately fell down.

    Teacher Song did not seem to notice that Yuru was crying. The ruler still hit her hand with a loud noise.

    Yujing¡¯s face was blue, didn¡¯t know if it was because she felt frightened with the scene. When it was her turn, she could only recite two sentences.

    Teacher Song said, ¡°Put our your hand.¡±

    Yujing reluctantly put out her hand. After her hand being hit, she refused to put it out again. She was pampered and spoiled since she was a child. Not to mention being beaten by a ruler, she had never been treated roughly by other people.

    Teacher Song said coldly, ¡°Get out.¡± Seeing that Yujing did not move, she viciously said , ¡°If you don¡¯t go out by yourself, I¡¯ll let the maid drag you out.¡± If Yujing couldn¡¯t suffer this much hardship, then it was better for her to leave. She would not teach such a person without character.

    Yujing ran out crying.

    Yuxi mulled happily in her heart. Teacher Song was indeed fierce. Good. Very good.

 Chapter 18 - Teacher Song (4)

    <strong>Chapter 18 : Teacher Song (4)</strong>

    Yuxi was a little too happy.

    Next was Yuchen¡¯s turn.

    Teacher Song said, ¡°Third Miss, recall what you have written.¡± For Yuchen, she still held great hope. She was willing toe to the Duke of the State¡¯s residence because she knew that Yuchen had extraordinary qualifications and was outstanding in every way.

    When Yuchen recited the text in m¨¢ li¨± (Chinese dialect, meaning fast) style. It was finished in a blink of an eye. There was no pause in the middle, no mispronounced word, and even the analysis was perfectly answered.

    Although Yuxi did not make any mistakes in reciting the text or analyzing it, she was slightly inferior to Yuchen.

    Teacher Song was somewhat surprised. Yuchen performed so well as she expected. After all, she was not only highly qualified, but she had learned all these things. But Yuxi did not learn it before, and the news she heard also said that she only had general qualifications. She put down her doubts, opened the book and said, ¡°Good, now open the book.¡± Yujing¡¯s departure had not brought any effect on her.

    In Pleasant Courtyard, Concubine Rong, who was doing embroidery work, saw Yujing crying all over her face. She got a fright. She put down her embroidery and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What happened? ¡° At this time, Yujing was supposed to listen to Teacher Song¡¯s lecture in ss. Why did she run back crying?

    Yujing kept on crying, unwilling to tell her mother that she had never been so humiliated since she was young. Concubine Rong could only ask Yunbo, Yujing¡¯s personal servant girl.

    She finally knew that Yujing ran from her ss, so she scolded her, ¡°You dare to run from your ss. Do you have any brains?¡±

    For the first time, Yujing was scolded by Concubine Rong. She forgot to cry and stared at her mother with two lines of clear tears on her face.

    Concubine Rong was almost furious, ¡°Go back with me now and apologize to Teacher Song.¡±

    Yujing was unwilling to go, ¡°I won¡¯t go. She hit me and now my hand has swollen.¡± After a pause, she embraced Concubine Rong and cried, ¡°Mother, I almost die of pain when that ruler hit my hand. Mother, I don¡¯t want to go. Mother, let me learn from you, okay?¡±

    Hearing this, Concubine Rong tried hard to suppress her anger and said, ¡°No. You should never quit school. If you grind your teeth, you have to stick for me just for a few months.¡° In fact, she also had a headache. Her previous energy was focused so much on finding ways to give birth to a son. When she finally felt hopeless after two years of trying, she found out that Yujing had been malnourished. She had always wanted to straight out Yujing, but with little sess.

    Yujing still did not want to, ¡°Mother, I wrote all nightst night. I can¡¯t even hold a pen today. If she really beats me ten times, my hand will surely be broken. ¡±

    Concubine Rong said with a cold face, ¡°If you want to marry a low-ie family in the future, I will not stop you from living that bitter and cold life.¡±

    Yujing¡¯s greatest wish was to marry into a high-ranking family and be a rich, powerfuldy. To let her marry a poor man was equivalent to bring her early death.

    Concubine Rong hugged her and said, ¡°Dearest child, Jing-er, you have to suffer now if you want a good future life.¡± In those days, she recited poems all night in order to gain the favor of Duke Han of the State. At least this bit of suffering in the end paid her something.

    Yujing was silent. She did not want to learn from Teacher Song or married into a low-ie family.

    Concubine Rong didn¡¯t give Yujing time to think about it. She took Yujing¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Go to Magnolia Courtyard now and apologize to your teacher.¡± Seeing that Yujing did not understand, she stopped reasoning with her and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t go there with me today, I¡¯ll not have you as my daughter anymore.¡±

    Yujing was frightened. ¡°Mother¡­¡± She didn¡¯t want to go there and lost face. But under the pressure of Concubine Rong, she finally went to Magnolia Courtyard, feeling grievance.

    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t enter the ss because Teacher Song won¡¯t let her in.

    Yujing wanted to leave but Yunbo took her hand and said, ¡°Miss, if you leave, there will be no room to turn around. Miss, please think about what your mother had said.¡° She didn¡¯t stopped her Miss before, but now she couldn¡¯t let her go any more, or else Concubine Rong will hold her responsible.

    Yujing remembered what her mother said, and if she left again now, there would really be no room for her to turn around. She felt like there were one thousand heavy things on her feet, dragging her down.

    Standing at the door waiting, Yujing found that time really passed very slowly. Every second was a suffering for her. She even felt that all the maids in Magnolia Courtyard were secretlyughing at her. Thinking till here, her face became more and more ugly.

    Atst, ss was over, and Yuxi shook her hand, which was very sore.

    Yuru walked up to Yuchen with some embarrassment and said, ¡°Third Sister, can you lend me your notes?¡±

    Yuchen smiled and handed her notes to Yuru while saying, ¡°You¡¯re wee, Eldest Sister.¡±

    They didn¡¯t have to pack their things, since they had to use them again for the afternoon ss. Outside of the room, Yuxi saw Yujing apologizing to Teacher Song. Unfortunately, Teacher Said did not ept, ¡°I have already said, do note back after ss.¡± She did not continue talk to Yujing. She turned and walked away.

    Yujing tried to catch up, but was stopped by the old woman next to Teacher Song. ¡°Miss, my Master is tired and needs to rest. Please, Miss, go back!¡±

    Yujing noticed that Yuru was looking at her as the three people came out from the room. Her face turned color as red as a pig¡¯s liver.

    Yuchen said, ¡°Second Sister,e with me to see Grandmother!¡± Yujing couldn¡¯t solve the problem herself. Only her grandmother could solve it.

    Yujing was not stupid. Naturally she knew what this means. She was now extremely regretful. If she knew earlier that she would be humiliated like this, she would not have run out of ss just now.

    Yuxi won¡¯t take care of Yujing¡¯s misdeeds. But when Yuchen came forward to help, and if only Yuxi went straight to her courtyard, she would be considered disregarding sisterhood. For the sake of reputation, she decided not to leave her spot.

    Yuru hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Second Sister, this can only be said to Grandmother. Otherwise, teacher won¡¯t let you join.¡±

    Yuxi identally took a nced at Yuru. Her words sounded like a plea, but why did she heard a trace of schadenfreude in them?

    Old woman Ding told her Master what she saw in the yard. ¡°Ma¡¯am, the Third Miss is really talented.¡± In her eyes, Yuchen was good in everything, with no single w.

    Teacher Song nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯ve been teaching for more than ten years. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve met such a talented person.¡± Excellent appearance, excellent qualifications, and more importantly, good temperament. Yuchen was very familiar with what she teached, but not only did she not show any impatience in ss, but she also listened carefully, and did very good in her homework. It was Teacher Song¡¯s good fortune to meet such a student.

    Old woman Ding added, ¡°but that Second Miss¡­¡± She did not know how to describe her but in four words, she was terribly awful.

    Teacher Song smiled and said, ¡°Even the girls of Yu¡¯s family cannot all be good.¡± She was making reference of a famous family in the south of the Yangtze River, which had served as Imperial Official Assistant for two terms.

    Old woman Ding shook her head and said, ¡°But there is no one in this mansion that is talented except for Third Miss. Eldest Miss qualifications are poor, and can not bear the hardships. She certainly would not go through the first few months.¡±

    Teacher Song smiled and said, ¡°Fourth Miss is also very good.¡±

    Old woman Ding shook her head and said, ¡°Fourth Miss qualifications are not bad, but her character is still questionable.¡± Through today matter, she felt that Fourth Miss was being unkind to her sisters, and had a high attitude of indifference.

    Teacher Song also saw that Yuxi was somewhat aloof. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°There are causes and results in everything. It is definitely not by chance that she developed such temperament.¡± Today was her second day in the residence, thus she was afraid to make any judgment.

    Old woman Ding was surprised. ¡°Ma¡¯am, you¡¯re thinking of taking her as your student?¡± Those who wanted to be Teacher Song¡¯s students must had a goodbination of aptitude, perseverance and character. In character alone, she felt that Fourth Miss could not pass the test, not to mention that her qualifications was a bit lower than Third Miss.

    Teacher Song shook her head and said, ¡°It takes a lot of effort to teach one, but it is definitely impossible to teach two.¡± It took a lot of energy to teach a student and she didn¡¯t have that much energy for more than that.

    The Old Madam was well informed and soon learned about Yujing¡¯s escape from the ssroom. Although she was angry but it was not much, since she had no expectations for her.

    She sat on the couch and listened to Yuchen¡¯s story. She then looked at Yujing and asked, ¡°Why did you run out of ss at that time?¡±

    Yujing stretched out her swollen hand and cried, ¡°Grandmother, my hand hurts.¡± Her hand was still burning with pain.

    Yuru looked down at her own swollen hand, with inexplicable mind.

    The Old Madam nced at Yuchen without trace, and when she saw that her hands were still fine, she felt relieved, ¡°Now that you have left, why do you want to join back again? After going back to ss, your hand will still need to be hit. ¡°

    The Old Madam¡¯s eyes just now seemed to have no trace, but she was still perceived by the keen Yuxi. She sneered in her heart. From this small matter, she could see how biased the Old Madam was, but fortunately she did not care anymore.

    Yujing winced when she heard her Grandmother¡¯s words, but she still said through her gritted teeth, ¡°I was just frightened and did not meant to disrespect Teacher Song. Grandmother, I still want to learn from her.¡±

    Yuchen also began to plead, ¡°Grandmother, we only went to school yesterday, and Second Sister only didn¡¯t go today. If this goes out, it will ruin her good reputation.¡± If Yujing had a bad reputation, it would not also be good for them.

    The Old Madam thought for a moment and said, ¡°You all go back. I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± Even if Yujing couldn¡¯t suffer and refused to learn, she couldn¡¯t leave this way.

    Yuxi woke up at noon and began to write. In the light of yesterday¡¯s situation, she should write a thousand words today, but she would not be able to finish them in the evening.

    Mama Shen knew much earlier that Teacher Song was harsh, but it was one thing to hear and another thing to see. ¡°Miss, take it easy.¡± If Yuxi went on like this, her hand would soon be useless.

    Yuxi also wanted to take her time, but Teacher Song wouldn¡¯t let her. She did not want to be hit by her tomorrow, and she also did not want to leave a bad impression on her.

    In the afternoon ss, Yujing also appeared in ss. Yuxi looked at Yujing¡¯s hand which was as red as a pig¡¯s hoof and smiled unkindly. It seems that she missed a lot of good shows because of her illness in herst life.

    Yuxi had to gather more than one hundred percent concentration during ss. She had no choice. Teacher Song spoke too fast. If she slipped, she would miss a paragraph.

    After the ss was over, Teacher Song assigned them homework. To Yuxi¡¯s surprise, she only asked them to write down the texts written in the morning and recited what they had learned today. In other words, they would only write more than 600 words, but less than 1,000 words as she first expected.

    She breathed a sigh of relief. She had written nearly 200 words at noon. With this, she could finish her task early in the evening.

 Chapter 19 - : Deep Water and Scorching Fire (1)

    <strong>Chapter 19 : Deep Water and Scorching Fire (1)</strong>

    After dinner, Yuxi walked around the yard to help her digestion.

    Seeing Mama Shen absent, Hongshan whispered to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, at noon the Old Madam asked Eldest Madam to intercede with Teacher Song and Second Miss situation.¡± Yuxi had been cold to her these days, making Hongshan feeling very ufortable. She knew she had done something wrong and now she tried to brush her presence in front of Yuxi. Her advantage was to spy on news of the inner residence. She believed that as long as the news was useful to her Miss, she would not always acted cold to her.

    Yuxi¡¯s face shed with scorn. Her Eldest Aunt hated Concubine Rong and her daughter, but the Old Madam still asked her to plea with Teacher Song. This was disgusting.

    At the end of the day, Yuxi finished her schoolwork, but she didn¡¯t went to sleep either. Instead, she reviewed her books. Not only did she reviewed on what she had learned, but she also review on basic enlightenment books such as ¡°One Hundred Family Names¡± and ¡° Thousand ¨C Character ssic¡±. Based on Teacher Song¡¯s progress, these books would be finished in less than half a month. This gave her a sense of crisis.

    Yuru, who was also writing, could not write more than half of her schoolwork. She wrote too much and her hands hurt badly. ¡°Zhuxuan, I don¡¯t want to go to Magnolia Courtyard any more.¡± One or two days were tolerable. If in the case of three months, she would go mad.

    Zhuxuan also felt sorry for her Miss. ¡°. Miss, we have to find a way out if you don¡¯t want to continue, but it can¡¯t be the same as the Second Miss.¡±

    Yuru nodded and said, ¡°I really can¡¯t stand this.¡± She couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. She had to think of a good way to get rid of it.

    On the other hand, after writing for half an hour, Yujing cried out, ¡°Mother, my hand hurts. I can¡¯t write any more. Mother, my hand is about to break off.¡±

    Concubine Rong hardened her heart and said, ¡°Write even if your hand hurt, or you will have to take care of yourself again tomorrow.¡± Beating was a trivial matter. What they were really afraid was Teacher Song expelled Yujing from school for her poor performance.

    Yujing was forced to continue writing. However, being forced to learn by oneself was quite different from learning by oneself. She had been writing until midnight but still had more than one hundred words to write.

    Concubine Rong had no choice but to say, ¡°Go to bed first and get up tomorrow morning to write.¡±

    Yujing sobbed, ¡°Even if I finish my homework, I will be punished if I can¡¯t recite the text.¡± Tomorrow, she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the ten strokes.

    She felt very miserable. Although she wrote with her left hand, it also affected her writing speed. Teacher Song was really a devil.

    The next day, Yuru was hit six times. While, Yujing was hit eight times. Yuchen was still the same as yesterday. Not only she recited it smoothly, but also exined it urately. Yuxi had no problem reciting the text and analyzing it, but she still paused two times.

    Actually, Teacher Song was quite satisfied with Yuxi¡¯s performance. It was really good that she could perform so well even without any foundation. She praised Yuxi, ¡°Very good, but still have to continue to work hard.¡±

    Yuxi did not felt any joy by receiving Teacher Song¡¯s praise. Although she deliberately paused for two times, she knew that even if she didn¡¯t have any self ¨C deception, the best she could do was to draw even with Yuchen. This was a blow to her who has lived an extra lifetime.

    Yujing felt unfair, ¡°Ma¡¯am, Fourth Sister also made mistakes. Why not hit her too?¡± Even if there was no mistake in the analysis, Yuxi did paused two times.

    How could Teacher Song fail to see the jealousy in Yujing¡¯s eyes and said with a straight face, ¡° If you feel unfair, you can leave.¡± Under the eaves, people had to low their heads (meaning when a person has to depend on others like foods, pay etc, that person has to do what they say), so yesterday they made a concession. If there was a second time, she would never let Yujing appeared in her ss again.

    Yujing thought of yesterday¡¯s incident. She was afraid that she would be expelled from the ss so she didn¡¯t dared to pick anymore faults. This moment, she could only bitterly look at Yuxi, waiting to find a chance to punish the smelly girl.

    Once the ss was dismissed, Yuxi shook her sore arm. She had written too much these two days till she felt like her hands were no longer hers.

    When Yuchen saw Yuxi¡¯s movement yesterday, she didn¡¯t said a thing. She did not expect Yuxi would repeat the same movement today. Atst she could not help but said, ¡°Fourth Sister, this move of yours is very indecent. You can¡¯t do it again.¡± Ladies from good family should smile without showing their teeth and walked gracefully like their feet were in . Where should there be such rude movements? This was also the case when they went to socialize in the future. Indecent movements would make people thought thedies of their residence were ill ¨C bred. Yuchen felt that she should tell grandmother about Yuxi¡¯sck of etiquette.

    End of Yuxi¡¯s mouth twitched. Then, she said, ¡°I only shook my arm because it was sore.¡± She had a sore hand. She was not swinging her arm around for fun.

    Yuchen was surprised that Yuxi would refute her words, that she was silent for a moment. The people around her were always obedient to her. Even the tyrant Yujing didn¡¯t dared to talk big in front of her.

    Yuxi ignored Yuchen¡¯s reaction. Everyone used to indulge Yuchen. Only she didn¡¯t want to do the same. At the same time, she was unwilling to offend her. After packing up her things, Yuxi said, ¡°If Third Sister has nothing else to say, I¡¯ll go back first.¡±

    Shishu gazed at Yuxi¡¯s back view and regrettably said, ¡°She really is such an ignorant person. Miss, let¡¯s leave her matter alone next time.¡±

    Yuchen pursed her lips and said, ¡°How could I?¡± Yuxi was also her younger sister. If she indulged her,ter on, people would use both of them of being uneducated.

    Yuxi wrote dozens of words, till she couldn¡¯t write anymore. She had written too much these days. Not only her hands were burning with pain, her arms were also aching badly.

    Upon seeing this, Mama Shen could only help massaged Yuxi¡¯s shoulders. It took less than half an hour before her shoulders felt much morefortable. The same happened to her hands after being applied with ointment.

    Yuxi bitterly said, ¡°What could I doter on?¡± It was only been two days. She worried that her hands were going to break if this thing continued.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. Teacher Song was only this strict at the beginning. Just wait until you pass this hurdle,¡± Mama Shenforted her.

    Yuxi seldom went out in her previous life and spent most of her time in her courtyard. Despite Teacher Song taught Yuchen in the government for five years, she still did not understand her and asked, ¡°Why did she only be very strict at the start? Will it not be this toughter on?¡±

    Mama Shen did bother to inquire about Teacher Song, ¡°This study is a hard work. If one can¡¯t bear the first bit of suffering, how can onest? This old servant spected that Teacher Song want to see whether Miss can bear hardships. ¡°

    Yuxi was skeptical. No matter what the result was, she must stick to it for several months.

    It took Teacher Song only two and a half days to finish the Three-Character ssic, and half an hour to check out their schoolwork, pointing out the shorings of their big characters.

    Of the four, Yuchen wrote the best, and the worst was not Yuxi but Yuru.

    When Yuru heard Teacher Song said that her handwriting was vain and weak, like that of a patient, she burst into tears again.

    Teacher Song felt that it was really impossible to carve a rotten wood (share the same meaning as you can¡¯t teach an old dog new tricks). She taught so fast not to mess with the four girls, but to let them learned all the basic of enlightenment books. It was equivalent to say that she was now reviewing what the four people had learned, did more analysis and deepen her impression on four of them. As a result, Second Miss no need to be evaluated, while the Eldest Miss was also in a mess. She didn¡¯t want to work hard even though she had no qualifications. She cried when she met a little bit of hardship. Watery mud couldn¡¯t be used to ster the wall (meaning, some people are hapless beyond helping).

    A strangeness sprang up in Yuxi¡¯s heart. ording to reason, she should be the weakest in writing among the four people, but somehow Yuru took the title.

    Teacher Song paid no attention to the weeping Yuru, and said, ¡°Words are also a person¡¯s face. If they are not written well, they will beughedter on. The second thing is it will show whether you learn well or not. So, you must write the words well. In the future, you must practice writing your characters well. ¡°

    Yuxi felt that the words were golden. Unfortunately, when she did her homework that night, she was not feeling sofortable. She wrote too much, until her hands were filled with blisters which looked very scary. Mama Shen took a needle to Yuxi, broke them and then applied ointment.

    Looking at Yuxi¡¯s gnashing her teeth and bearing the pain, Mama Shen also felt a little sorry, ¡°Miss, just endure this period of time. There is an old saying that goes, eat bitterness among the bitter, upright man will be exalted (mean the same as No Pain No Gain).¡°

    Yuxi looked at the ointment in Mama Shen¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Will this ointment leave scar?¡± It reminded her of a prescription for removing scars.

    Mama Shen shook her head with a smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. This ointment will quickly relieve the swelling and pain, and won¡¯t leave a scar.¡± She said this to let Yuxi knew that the Old Madam cared about her.

    Yuxi was not ungrateful. It was estimated that she used the jade cream on it way to Yuchen. So she said lightly, ¡°Okay.¡±

    After applying the medicine, she took a short rest, then went to the table to continue writing. Mama Shen was busily stopping her, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t write today because you just put some medicine on your hand. Write them tomorrow! ¡°

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°There are still more than one hundred characters left. If I don¡¯t finished them today, I can¡¯t get up and recite them tomorrow morning.¡° She always heard that Teacher Song¡¯s teaching was horrible. Now, from her personal experience showed that those rumors were not exaggerated.

    Moju was quick ¨C mouthed, and said, ¡°Miss, how do you write with all the medicine on your hands?¡± Looking at her Miss suffering, she felt terrible too. Teacher Song was too horrible.

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°If the right hand can¡¯t do it, then the left hand will have to take over.¡±

    In herst life, she was unpopr in Jiang home and disliked social interaction all her life. She stayed in her courtyard all day long and could do nothing but embroidery. Embroidered every day made her right hand a little tired. Once, she tried to used her left hand to embroider. After several years of practice, she was able to do it. However, she didn¡¯t use her left hand to write. She didn¡¯t have a goodmand of the strength when she wrote. The words she wrote were all a mass of ink. After she had mastered the strength, the words were also written in a simr way with her right hand. Yet, they varied in length, thickness and ugliness.

    Mama Shen looked at Yuxi dumbfounded. She never expected that Fourth Miss had this skill. Moju stunned speechless with her mouth hanging open.

    Yuxi spent twice as much time writing the rest of her homework. Before she could go to bed, she took out her books to do some review.

    Moju saw that the candle was almost burnt out and went to fetch another one.

 Chapter 20 - Deep Water and Scorching Fire (2)

    <strong>Chapter 20 : Deep Water and Scorching Fire (2)</strong>

    Yuxi had some symptoms, just like what Yuru and Yujing currently had.

    Yuru looked at her hand full of blisters and said in a low voice, ¡°Qingxuan, what method should be used to avoid being punished, where people wouldn¡¯t question it?¡± She could not stand such intense study, and on the other hand, she felt ashamed. Out of them four sisters, she was the worst. Every time teacher hit her, she wished she could get into a hole. Every day was hard on her, both mentally and physically.

    Qingxuan muttered in her heart that it would be inappropriate to withdraw voluntarily by any means. After thinking for a moment, she still felt that she should tried to advise her Miss again, ¡°Miss, let¡¯s hold on for a few more days. When Second Miss or Fourth Miss withdraws, we¡¯ll try our best to follow suit. In this way, Miss, you won¡¯t be conspicuous. ¡° In this family, her Miss was the oldest daughter, but if she quit first, then her face at that time would be disgraceful. Looking at Second Miss and Fourth Miss, they were not in good condition either. Why not wait for another two days, for surely they would quit?

    Yuru shook her head and said, ¡°No, I can¡¯t stand this any more. I have already recognized so many words. In the future, I will only be in charge of ounts and household matters. No matter how much I learn, it will be useless. Later, it will be enough just to learn needlework and managing well one household. ¡°

    Qingxuan didn¡¯t even know how to persuade anymore. Contrarily, Qingye was the one fetched and brought over the ointment. When she heard this, she couldn¡¯t help adding a few words, ¡°Miss, when you apply the ointment, your hand will not hurt so much.¡±

    Hearing this, Yuru could no longer contain her anger, ¡°Do you know that my hand now feel like it¡¯s not mine? You¡¯re happy to see my hand bes useless, aren¡¯t you?¡°

    With such a big burst from Yuru, how would Qingye still dared to speak.

    As Yuxi used her left hand smoothly, it was obvious that there was a big difference between the words written at the front and behind. Old woman Ding suspected that she was cheating. During the break, she told Teacher Song, ¡°Fourth Miss has problems with her schoolwork today.¡±

    Teacher Song went out and turned cold after looking at Yuxi¡¯s schoolwork. ¡°Please invite Fourth Miss toe here.¡± The words in front were absolutely neat and the words behind were extremely ugly. Even if the words were written with painful hand, they couldn¡¯t be looking so bad. It was hard to not doubt them.

    Yuxi followed old woman Ding to the opposite room. This room decoration was very simple. In addition to the table, chairs and soft couch, andscape painting was hung on the wall.

    Teacher Song put Yuxi¡¯s schoolwork on the table and asked, ¡°Fourth Miss, what¡¯s going on?¡± She only hoped that she made a mistake, or she would immediately kicked Yuxi out from her ss if this was true. It didn¡¯t matter if the homework wasn¡¯t finished, but finishing it by cheating meant that Yuxi had a character problem.

    Yuxi said sheepishly, ¡°Yesterday I could not write with my right hand. I was afraid that I could not finish my schoolwork, so I wrote with my left hand. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t written with my left hand before, so the words I¡¯ve written are not good ¨C looking. ¡°

    Teacher Song was stunned for a moment, but she quickly responded, ¡°Bring me pen and ink.¡± Never relied on what the mouth said, but believed in what you saw.

    Yuxi did not have stage fright either. She raised a pen in her left hand, dipped it in ink and wrote the word ¡®³Ï (ch¨¦ng = sincerity)¡¯ on a piece of white paper. After putting down the writing brush, she said seriously, ¡°Ma¡¯am, even if I personally suffered a deadlock, I wouldn¡¯t resort to deceit, by asking someone to help me with my homework.¡± If she really did this, once it spread, her reputation would bepletely destroyed. If a girl¡¯s family did not have a good reputation, she would definitely not going to be chosen as potential daughters-inw by good family in the future. By then, everyone would be sure that she couldn¡¯t bring any benefit to the family. So, The Old Madam would definitely abandon her.

    Instead of being embarrassed by misunderstanding Yuxi, Teacher Song said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you think so. If a person¡¯s character is not good, no matter how smart he is, he will be in vain.¡±

    Yuxi nodded heavily, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I understand.¡°

    After Yuxi went out, old woman Ding said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Fourth Miss could write with her left hand.¡± Originally, she was feeling ufortable for such a small girl to be interrogated, but somehow, Fourth Miss unexpectedly gave them many surprises.

    Teacher Song nodded and said, ¡°This child is good. She didn¡¯t say a word despite her hand hurting so much.¡° Unlike Yuru who easily cried, or Yujing whose face always gave the appearance of great bitterness, deep hatred (Chinese idiom which mean deeply ingrained long-standing resentment), which made Teacher Song felt ufortable just by looking at her. As for Yuchen, she knew all the ins and outs of her daily life from early in the morning, so she was not surprised. The only person that surprised her was Yuxi, who was able to bear hardships, and with a good talent.

    In the ssroom, Yuru whispered to Yuxi in a soft voice, ¡°Fourth Sister, why did Teacher Song called you over?¡± Looking at Yuxi¡¯s appearance, it seemed like nothing bad happened.

    Yuxi also didn¡¯t hide or made up anything. She just told her what really happened.

    Now, let alone Yuru and Yujing, even Yuchen was shocked, ¡°Fourth Sister, you said you could write with your left hand? Is that true?¡±

    Yuxi wrote her name with her left hand with a smile, ¡°Yesterday my right hand was unable to write, so I wanted to try my left hand on a whim. I didn¡¯t think that I could really write with it, but the words I wrote were not very good ¨C looking.¡±

    Yuchen¡¯s eyes were somewhatplicated. She was ustomed to being better than other people in everything. Suddenly, Yuxi had one thing better than her which made her heart not feeling quite good.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know what Yuchen was thinking. She just felt that Teacher Song had no objection on her writing with her left hand today. When she was tired of writing with her right handter on, she could just change to her left hand.

    Mama Shen was overjoyed when she knew that Yuxi had won Teacher Song¡¯s respect, ¡°Miss, Teacher Song was impressed by this. As long as Miss continued to work hard, she won¡¯t be sure to not take Miss as her student. ¡°

    Yuxi smiled and asked, ¡°Do you think Teacher Song will choose me over Third Sister?¡±

    Mama Shen didn¡¯t want Yuxi topete with Yuchen either. They were not on the same level. ¡°Teacher Song didn¡¯t say that only Third Miss would be selected. If you are liked by your teacher, it is not impossible for her to ept both of you as students. ¡°

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I hope so, but it is very difficult.¡± Deep down, she also hoped to learn from Teacher Song. However, she knew that this idea was very difficult to realize.

    She was doing her homework that night when Mama Shen brought a bowl of bird¡¯s nest porridge and said, ¡°Miss, eat the bird¡¯s nest porridge first, then continue writing!¡±

    Image credit and

    From what I read on , bird nest porridge would enhance immunity for kid like Yuxi. Yes, Yuxi is still a kid in this chapter since she¡¯s still a four years old kid.

    I thought you need to use rice to for this porridge, but I was wrong. Based on the recipe I saw in , it only need bird nest, rice wine and suitable amount of filtered water. Just put everything inside a stew pot, then boil for 2 hours. Once ready, just add one tablespoonful of pure, natural bird nest, then reheat it.

    Yuxi felt a bit strange. ¡°Haven¡¯t we finished using all the bird¡¯s nest? Did my aunt sent bird¡¯s nests again today? ¡± In her previous life, she didn¡¯t care about anything happened in her courtyard, which led to the disappearance of the precious jewelries left by her mother. Now she had learned her lesson as she took note on everything happened inside Rose Courtyard. In this way, she would not be afraid of people around her trying to cheat or did anything to damage her interests.

    Mama Shen shook her head and said, ¡°This is the Old Madam¡¯s gift to Miss. Miss Cuiyu just sent it here. ¡° This gift from the Old Madam meant that Teacher Song had praised her Miss.

    Yuxi, without any joy, asked, ¡°Is it just for me, or is it for all?¡± She didn¡¯t want to be special.

    Mama Shen said with a smile, ¡°Third Miss received it too.¡°

    Yuxi finished up the bowl of bird¡¯s nest porridge and then continued to write.

    Mama Shen was a little disappointed. She tried hard for so long, but Fourth Miss still didn¡¯t want to show up in front of the Old Madam. Fourth Miss was very independent, which was beyond her control. However, the Old Madam didn¡¯t like this trait of her. Because of this, Fourth Miss would suffer in the future.

    At this time, Yuru was writing her homework under an open window.

    When Zhuxuan entered the room, she saw the window open and was ready to close it. Yuru stopped her and said, ¡°I¡¯m a little hot, don¡¯t close it.¡±

    As Yuru¡¯s personal maid servant, how could Zhuxuan not understand Yuru¡¯s intention, ¡°Young Miss, do you really want to do this? Miss, once you do this, there is no room for regret. ¡° Her heart ached for her Master, however, she always felt that the first person to quit was quite shameful.

    Yuru looked at her swollen hand and gritted her teeth. ¡°I won¡¯t regret it,¡± she said. She was not as intelligent as her Third Sister, nor as persistent as her Fourth Sister. She could not bear it. In order to guard against beingughed at, she could only use this kind of bitter trick.

    Zhuxuan was a little sad, ¡°Miss, please think again properly. I heard it was just hard for the first few days. Just try to get over the first half of the month.¡°

    Yuru shook her head and painfully said, ¡°I can¡¯t endure another single day.¡° Her left hand was almost broken, while her right hand was almost useless. She wouldn¡¯t wait for a day, let alone half a month.

    Zhuxuan sighed slightly. She knew her Miss very well. Now she couldn¡¯t endure the pain, so she wanted to quit. Once Third Miss and Fourth Miss finished their learning, she would regret it. Nevertheless, Zhuxuan also knew that it was useless to say anything now.

    Next day, Yuxi didn¡¯t see Yuru in ss. Her mind muttered, did she gave up? She always thought that Yujing would be the first to back down, not Yuru.

    During break, she heard Shishu said, ¡°The doctor said Eldest Miss was weak. She fell ill after overworking during this period of time. The doctor also said that she needs to be well taken care of while she is in this circumstance.¡± What the doctor said was equal as saying that Eldest Miss would note to school anymore.

    When Yujing heard this, she snorted coldly and asked, ¡°Is she pretending to be ill?¡± It was not a wonder for her to have this doubt. It was true that Teacher Song¡¯s teaching method was so tormenting that even she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. If her mother had not forced her, or if the prospect of marriage to rich family had not tempted her, she would have given up too.

    Yuchen nced at Yujing and said, ¡°Doctor Bai is a famous doctor in Beijing. He wouldn¡¯t lie.¡± Eldest Miss was also half transparent in the residence. Where did she had the skill to let Doctor Bai lied for her?

    Yujing looked at Yuxi with a puzzle face and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you fall ill?¡± Before Yuxi got smallpox, she would get sick three or five times. She had the worst body health among the four of them. Now, with Teacher Song tormenting them, Yuru was the one who fell sick, while Yuxi was still fine. She felt there was something wrong with this situation.

    Yuxi said expressionlessly, ¡°My body has gotten well.¡± In the past six months, she had worked hard to exercise, ate properly and had a supper in the evening. Her health had been much better than before.

    Yujing snorted coldly, ¡°I told you long ago that you have hard life fate, otherwise¡­ ¡°

    Yuchen said with a cold face, ¡°Second Sister, there are some things you can¡¯t say.¡± Bearing a hard life reputation, it would be difficult for Yuxi to get married in the future. So, Yujing could ruin Yuxi¡¯s life with just a few words.

    Although Yujing was extremely dissatisfied with Yuchen, as she looked at Yuchen¡¯s indifferent expression, she dared not say the rest. In fact, she still had some lingering feelings in her heart.

    Yuxi was unwilling to bear the title of a person with hard life fate. She looked up and said, ¡°This is a blessing in disguise for me. My blessing is yet toe.¡±

    Hearing this, Yujing was annoyed with Yuxi¡¯s vile manner.

 Chapter 21 - Deep Water and Scorching Fire (3)

    <strong>Chapter 21 : Deep Water and Scorching Fire (3)</strong>

    Yuxi took the initiative and said to Yuchen, ¡°Third Sister, shall we go and see Eldest Sister in the afternoon?¡±

    Yuchen was somehow surprised. In her impression, Yuxi had always acted indifferent with her other sisters, not distant, but not close either. However, she was very happy when Yuxi took initiative to show her goodwill towards them.

    After lunch and a short rest, Yuxi began to write again. After writing a hundred words, she put down the writing brush, rubbed her hands andined, ¡°I don¡¯t know when this will end.¡± She was now going through the ordeal of Teacher Song. She did not believe that Teacher Song would continue doing this for three consecutive months. No one could stand this ordeal, even Yuchen.

    In order to cheer Yuxi up, Mama Shen said, ¡°It will take about half a month at most.¡±

    Yuxi muttered in her heart that she hoped so. She rubbed her eyes. It was not just her shoulders and hands that were hurting these days, her eyes were often painful. She suddenly remembered one thing. Yuchen kept a jar of fish in her room. The fish bowl was made from ceramic ze, and you could clearly see the fish swimming freely among the tender green aquatic nts. She looked at it with envy, but now, she thought that the fish tank may not only be beautiful decorative item. She asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think there is something missing in the room, Mama Shen?¡±

    Image credited to

    This is an example of ancient Chinese fish bowl that were made by . It was much bigger than themon modern fish bowls. And it usually put on a pedestal.

    Mama Shen knew Yuxi had something in her mind when she asked this question. Yuxi seldom talked to her unless something happens. Of course, Yuxi also seldom talked to Moju and Motao too which made her didn¡¯t suspect anything unusual. ¡°Miss, what is missing in the room?¡±

    Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°If a jar of fish is kept in the house, it will also warms the heart, delight the eyes (Chinese idiom, meaning pleasing).¡±

    Mama Shen thought she knew what Yuxi meant and said with some embarrassment, ¡°Miss, the Third Miss fishbowl was sent by the Marquis of Pingqing, not bought by the residence.¡±

    Yuxi really wanted to spit out, why did everyone thought she was lusting over Yuchen¡¯s stuffs one after another? Was she so short-sighted in these people¡¯s eyes, or was she that greedy when she saw good things? Yuxi felt depressed and ufortable, said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I must have her fish tank. I just want to keep at least two fishes in the house. It¡¯s good to see them when I have nothing to do.¡± Although she didn¡¯t know what effect a jar of fish would have in the house, but it was right for her to learn from Yuchen.

    Mama Shen couldn¡¯t guess what Yuxi thought, but she nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    In the afternoon, as soon as Teacher Song said school was over, Yujing packed up her things and prepared to leave Magnolia Courtyard.

    Looking at Yujing, who already tidy up and ready to go back, Yuxi asked, ¡°Second Sister, you are not going to see Eldest Sister with us?¡±

    Yujing answered, ¡°I have something else to do. I¡¯ll see my Eldest Sister some other day.¡±

    Yuchen shook her head secretly. Second Sister was really spoiled, even ignoring the sisterhood. ¡°Fourth Sister, let¡¯s go!¡±

    As they walked and talked, the distance became very short, as if they could reached Yuru¡¯s courtyard in a blink of an eye.

    Yuru¡¯s yard was nted with jujube trees instead of flowers, which looked monotonous.

    When they entered Yuru¡¯s room, they saw her lying on the bed, pale and bloodless. Yuxi went to the bedside worriedly and asked, ¡°Are you feeling better, Eldest Sister?¡±

    Yuru nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s much better now.¡±

    Yuchen said with concern, ¡°Eldest Sister, you should take good care of yourself. Don¡¯t worry about your schoolwork. When you are well, I will lend you my notes.¡± She really thought that Yuru had overworked and fell ill.

    Yuru said weakly, ¡°If I¡¯m dyed for several days, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t catch up.¡° Not to mention dying for several days, she couldn¡¯t catch up even without any dy.

    Yuchen did not notice the bitterness in Yuru¡¯s words and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Eldest Sister. When you are well, we will ask Teacher Song to give you a private lesson.¡±

    Hearing this, Yuru coughed violently. She managed to get rid of Teacher Song with difficulty, now they wanted to send her to Teacher Song¡¯s door when she got better. She would not going to seek further abuse!

    Looking at Yuru¡¯s performance, Yuxi became more sure that Yuru deliberately made herself ill. However, she was not prepared to delve deep into the matter either. Whether Yuru wanted to learn or not, it had nothing to do with her. ¡°The most important thing now is to have the disease cured first, and other things have to wait until then.¡± In this way, Yuru would never go to school again even after she got well.

    The two left after apanying Yuru for a short conversation.

    Zhuxuan looked at the entangled look on Yuru¡¯s face and whispered, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t think too much. Maintaining good health is the most important thing.¡±

    Yuru whispered, ¡°I won¡¯t regret it.¡± Her mouth said she won¡¯t regret, but when she saw Yuchen and Yuxi still in healthy good condition, her heart shed with a bit of unwillingness. Why were they daughters of the first wives? Why were they so loved by God? Everything good was always in their hands.

    On the way back, Shishu told Yuchen in a lower voice, ¡°Miss, I just asked about it. Last night, Eldest Miss bedroom window was not being closed, so the wind blew into the room. Eldest Miss caught the chill from the wind.¡± It was easy to get such important news, which showed how loose Yuru¡¯s yard management was.

    Yuchen frowned. Her Eldest Sister wouldn¡¯t have done such a thing!

    Shishu thought Yuchen didn¡¯t listen to the unspoken implication, so she hastily said, ¡°Miss, It¡¯s impossible for a servant girl to be so careless that she couldn¡¯t even close the window. The day before, she was doing a good job. Why didn¡¯t she do the same yesterday? ¡°

    Yuchen¡¯splexion showed she was uneasy. She said, ¡°After telling me this, you should forget about it. Don¡¯t tell anyone, not even to my Grandmother.¡± She had not thought about it before, but after hearing Shishu words, she had her doubt. Yuru¡¯s body had always being healthy. How could she get ill because of overworking when she only studied for five days? Except that, it wasn¡¯t something that would be pleasant to speak out, so she didn¡¯t want to pay attention to it any more.

    In fact, the Old Madam and Qiu Shi both knew that Yuru deliberately got sick in order to avoid going to school. Yet no one had uncovered it, and they still asked medical treatment for her.

    Teacher Song did not slow down her teaching process because of Yuru¡¯s illness. It took only one and a half days for her to finish talking about the One Hundred Surnames. In the afternoon she exined the advantages and disadvantages of the three people¡¯s homework.

    This time she praised Yuxi, ¡°Fourth Miss has made great progress, but she still need to work hard.¡± Yuxi really gave her a big surprise.

    Yuxi was embarrassed.

    There were those who were praise and critics by Teacher Song. Her target of criticism was Yujing, ¡°Second Miss, you haven¡¯t finished your schoolwork these days. If you do this again, you don¡¯t need toe anymore.¡± Yujing believed that if she didn¡¯t finished her homework, her palm won¡¯t be hit. Unlike reciting the text, which she was currently focusing on. Consequently, her homework had never beenpleted even once.

    Hearing what Teacher Song had said, Yujing¡¯s face turned pale. She had worked so hard for so long that she didn¡¯t want to be driven out of ss again. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I will work harder.¡±

    After ss, Teacher Song called Yuchen into her room. ¡°Third Miss, the performance of these two days is much worse than that of the other days. What is the reason?¡± With Yuchen¡¯s qualification, such a thing should not happen. Teacher Song still very concerned about this student whom she would appoint as her future student.

    Yuchen¡¯s face turned red. Under the pressure of Teacher Song, she could only say, ¡°These two days, I have been practicing writing with my left hand.¡±

    Teacher Song was stunned for a moment, but then quickly responded, ¡°Do you want to learn to write with your left hand because Fourth Miss could use her left hand?¡±

    Yuchen slowly nodded.

    Teacher Song thought Yuchen was too ambitious and said, ¡°Third Miss, have you ever heard that within three hundred and sixty professions, every profession has top performers (Chinese idiom which meant regardless of profession one is in, it is possible for one to be top-notch)?¡±

    Yuchen nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it. This means that no matter what you do, you should do a good job so to make others iparable.¡±

    Teacher Song couldn¡¯t help sighing. The Old Madam¡¯s high expectations of the Third Miss led her topete with others in everything. Didn¡¯t she know that this was a heavy burden for the child? ¡°No matter what kind of profession, there will be excellent talents in every three hundred sixty professions. It is good that there are chess masters in the chess field, and painting masters in the painting field ¡­ but one cannot learn everything from everyone.¡°

    Yuchen understood what Teacher Song was saying, ¡°What Teacher Song mean is that I am wasting my time by learning to write with my left hand like my Fourth Sister?¡±

    Teacher Song nodded and said, ¡°Yes, you can practice your usual handwriting better or do other things well within this time.¡±

    Yuchen¡¯splexion was a little unnatural.

    Teacher Song really likes Yuchen, and she has considered Yuchen as her own student. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have said these words today, ¡°Third Miss, you are gifted and have started much higher than others. However, no matter how talented you are, you can¡¯t learn everything. Third Miss, you have to know that one¡¯s energy is limited. ¡°

    Yuchen knew that Teacher Song was thinking for her own good, but still she said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I have to learn , poetry and ode.¡± These were the tasks given to her by her grandmother, and she could not avoid it.

    Teacher Song replied, ¡°I will naturally teach you if you want to learn from me, but, Third Miss, you must remember that there is a difference between learning to master and learning just the basics.¡±

    Yuchen sincerely said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I remember. I will study hard and learn all these things well. ¡°

    Teacher Song nodded her head. Although Yuchen was somewhat lofty and proud, she could still ept other people¡¯s opinions, which was a very good trait. ¡°You are the most talented child I have ever seen. As long as you can work as hard as you do now, your future achievements will be absolutely extraordinary.¡± This was not apliment, but her expectation of Yuchen.

    Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Ma¡¯am.¡±

    Yuxi looked at the relieved face of Yuchen and could not help but sigh in her heart. It was different to have a famous teacher to guide you. If you had a good teacher, you would avoid many detours. Today, Yuchen was still young. However, when she grew up, she would be excellent in everything, and she would make people around her unable to breathe. Even now, when she was somewhat blushed with shame.

    It took only five days for Teacher Song to teach them and the . Next, she began to teach them .

    Yuxi looked at the book ¡± and suddenly fell irritated.

    Moju asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss?¡±

    Yuxi was a little agitated, ¡°I¡¯m tired of writing and want to go for a walk.¡± Looking at this book, she questioned herself. Could she really change her fate by learning these things? Could these things help her if she really met with difficulties or stranded outside? Obviously, no.

 Chapter 22 - Deep Water and Scorching Fire (4)

    <strong>Chapter 22 : Deep Water and Scorching Fire (4)</strong>

    Yuxi was walking in the garden, thinking about things. The wind blew and a refreshing fragrance came to her face.

    Knowing that Yuxi was in a bad mood, Moju wanted to say something to ease her mind, so she said with a smile, ¡°Miss, the nted in this garden bloomste, but the fragrance is especially strong. Less than half of the garden is full of fragrance.¡±

    Yuxi listened to Moju and went straight to the tree, looking up at the tall, thick sweet-scented tree. Her mind could not help but remembered that she once wiped a foul-smelling grass on her body in order to be safe when fleeing the country, back in her past life. It was also because of this fishy smell that people retreated three feet from her, thus saving her. An idea seemed to rise in her mind.

    It took Teacher Song only three days to finish her lectures on , then two days to talk about , and then she began to talk about .

    Yuxi previewed these books a few days ago, so it wasn¡¯t hard for her. It just that, neither she knew what was really going on. Yujing suddenly began to have a strong determination to seed. She listened attentively in ss and her schoolworks were alsopleted on time. Even the text and analysis were recited very well. Yuxi did not perform worse than Yujing, only that Yujing had suddenly made a great progress. By contrast, Yuxi was inferior.

    Yujing said with a full face of smile, ¡°Fourth Sister, we have to work hard!¡±

    Yuxi turned her head and ignored Yujing¡¯s sarcasm. She was very clear about Yujing¡¯s temperament which was not a person who could suffer hardships. There must be something fishy with this big change.

    Moju really wanted to spray Yujing on her face. She didn¡¯t even look at how old she was and how old her Miss was. She still had the face to ridicule her. On the way back, she said indignantly, ¡°That Second Miss has not being hit for these two days, but she was hit by the teacher a few days ago. How dare she mock Miss.¡° Honest people also had their own temper.

    Yuxi replied, ¡°It¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t do a good jobtely, so I have to work harder.¡±

    Moju wanted to cry, ¡°Miss, you have worked hard enough. I¡¯m afraid your body can¡¯t even endure it anymore. Miss, you must take good care of yourself!¡° Her Miss didn¡¯t sleep until midnight these two days and then, she would get up at the beginning of Maoshi (5-7am) hours. Because of it, everyone lost a lot of weight and the meat she had just raised was also gone. Moju felt distressed when she looked at her Miss.

    Yuxiughed, ¡°I will not invert root and branches (Chinese idioms, meaning to do things in the wrong order) .¡± Learning something was important, but no matter how important it was, it was not as important as a healthy body. If the body copsed, everything would be in vain.

    Over the next few days, Yujing had always wanted to push down Yuxi and even actively provoked her. Unfortunately, Yuxi simply ignored Yujing and left her alone.

    Yujing was so angry which made her teeth itched (phrases : greatly irritate or annoy by someone) .

    Motao brought a set of green clothes for Yuxi to change into.

    When Yuxi wore it, she found it was too big. She took it off and said, ¡°Take it and change it.¡±

    Sitting back in front of the dresser and looking at herself in the mirror, Yuxi couldn¡¯t help touching her face. A little meat that she had been raising for months disappeared again.

    She changed into a peach-colored dress and took Moju to Magnolia Courtyard.

    Motao was looking anxious as she said to Mama Shen, ¡°Mama, this is not the way to go, right? Miss¡¯ health would not bear it.¡± The new clothes were all made a month ago. Now, all couldn¡¯t be wore. They could be altered, but she was really worried that Miss¡¯ body would finally stop enduring.

    Mama Shen couldn¡¯t do anything about it too. If Miss didn¡¯t work like this, she won¡¯t be able to catch up with the lessons. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the kitchen to cook some more delicious food. ¡° With a full dining table, Miss could at least eat more. If she could eat more, her physical strength would not be easily broken down.

    Motao was worried, but she could not help her Miss solved the problem.

    Yujing saw Yuxi¡¯s hungry face, and said with a smile, ¡°Fourth Sister, how is your recitation today?¡± She was very proud of herself, when she believed she had managed to suppress Yuxi.

    Yuxi looked at Yujing, who was still in high spirits, and said with a straight face, ¡°I have memorized all of them. ¡±

    Yujing smiled proudly, ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t give a wrong answerter on or you will be criticized by teacher again.¡° Once she have done talking, she ignored Yuxi and went straight to Magnolia Courtyard.

    Moju turned red with anger.

    Actually, Yuxi was not that angry as she¡¯d believed. It wasn¡¯t something worthwhile to be angry over Yujing¡¯s words.

    Yuchen looked disapprovingly at Yujing. Yuxi¡¯s performance was no worse than hers, but she was praised twice by teacher and she was already satisfied with this? What could she achieve with just that?

    Yuxi saw the sent to her hand. She had no objection on learning it. Just thinking aboard it meant that they would also be taught of , and . This made her, who thought she was finally going to be relieved, felt like crying.

    Yujing stood up and asked, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I don¡¯t understand why I need to learn the ?¡±

    Teacher Song answered with a straight face, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t want to learn? ¡°

    Yujing really didn¡¯t want to learn, because she felt it was something useless to learn. It wasn¡¯t like learning , chess, calligraphy and painting, which were good for rising reputation. ¡°Ma¡¯am, is a scientific research book. It is useless for us to learn it.¡± From what she said, it was a waste of time to learn it.

    Teacher Song didn¡¯t like Yujing, but she won¡¯t go as far as making her life difficult, so she said, ¡°Then tell me, why did you study with me?¡±

    Yujing wanted to learn such things as , chess, calligraphy and painting. She wanted to be a talented woman and then she could marry into a rich family. However, she could not give that kind of answer. ¡°To study with teacher is naturally to learn something.¡±

    Instead of paying intention to Yujing, Teacher Song turned to Yuchen and asked, ¡°Third Miss, tell me something, what are you studying for?¡±

    Yuchen thought for a moment and then answered, ¡°Naturally, to be a wise sensible person.¡±

    Yuxi sniffed at these spoken words. In her previous life, Jiang Hongjin¡¯s younger sister, her sister-inw Jiang Qi, was also known as a talented woman in the capital. However, in private, she was bitter, ferocious and evil. It had nothing to do with being a wise sensible person.

    Teacher Song nodded and said, ¡°Third Miss spoke very well. Reading or studying is for a person to be a wise sensible one. After reading a book, one can also see things in the long run.¡°

    Yujing curled her lips, but she didn¡¯t dare to refute what Teacher Song said.

    After ss, old woman Ding said discontentedly, ¡°Ma¡¯am, this Second Miss is too presumptuous.¡± For such a person, they must find a reason before they could expel her.

    Teacher Songughed and said, ¡°Everyone has a temper.¡±

    Old woman Ding felt a little strange, ¡°She performed so badly before, but now she¡¯s doing very well. Ma¡¯am, don¡¯t you smell anything fishy regarding this?¡±

    Teacher Song did not think much of it, and just said, ¡°This older Young Miss is beginning to get it straight.¡±

    Old woman Ding, however, had some doubts, but there was no evidence to support her im. It would be bad for her to say this rashly and offended the host family since her Master was only a teacher. Although she had a great reputation, she couldn¡¯t offend the government for such a trivial matter.

    Yuxi was holding the in her hand, thinking that there were still so many things that she could not finish learning. She felt that the future was dark as she looked at her small body and wondered if she could hold out until the end.

    When Moju saw Yuxi pulling a long face, she asked in a low voice, ¡°Miss, did Teacher Song criticize you?¡± Yujing had performed well, unlike Yuxi.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°No, just felt a little tired.¡±

    Moju right then felt sorry for her Miss, but she didn¡¯t dare to ask her to stop studying. Otherwise, Mama Shen would skin her alive.

    Yuxi went to a junction and went straight to the main courtyard. However, she didn¡¯t stay there long since her time was too tight. Nowadays, she was vexed at not being able to fully use her twenty-four hours.

    Out of the main courtyard, she happened to meet Yuru. Yuru said with concern, ¡°Fourth Sister, you have lost so much weight. You must take care of your health!¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I know, thank you for your concern.¡± Looking at Yuru¡¯splexion, she knew that Yuru was almost recovered.

    After walking away, Moju asked in a low voice, ¡°Miss, what does Eldest Miss meant?¡± Moju was honest, but not stupid. She could feel that the Eldest Miss¡¯ words were not good ones.

    Yuxi lightly said with a smile, ¡°Eldest Sister is just concerned about me.¡° Whether she really cared was up to debate.

    The more Moju thought about it, the more she felt that Eldest Miss words were not right. ¡°Miss, why do I feel that Eldest Miss is cursing you to be sick?¡± She felt like the way the words were spoken did not seem to be like wishing her Miss to be not like her. If you felt ill, you didn¡¯t have to study. Moju used to think that Yuru was gentle and amiable, but now she looked at her and felt that she was especially fake.

    Yuxi only smiled softly. Sometimes she wondered if all the good aura of the residence had gone to Yuchen alone. Otherwise, Yuchen, the chosen girl out of a few girls in the Duke Han of the State¡¯s residence, could not have be the favoured Empress of the Harem, while others couldn¡¯t get it. Even though Yuxi had been working hard all her life, she was not smart enough to go anywhere that far.

    When Yuxi returned straight to her courtyard, she began reciting. This was Yuxi¡¯s learning method that she had summed up herself. She learnt the text by heart, then she did her homework. It would be done faster like this since she didn¡¯t have to read the text while writing.

    The only thing Yuxi felt fortune now was that her memory ability in this life was much better than in her previous life. Otherwise, she would not have been able to hold on long ago. ¡°¡± Reciting and remembering all the written words in her mind over and over again could also deepen her memory.

    After dinner, Yuxi asked Mama Shen who was beside her, helping her with digestion, ¡°Where did Mama heard that as long as you survived the first half of the month, the days after that would be better?¡±

    Mama Shen answered, ¡°That¡¯s what they said outside.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head helplessly. It was only her who thought too much on this matter. The first half of the month was really testing students¡¯ perseverance, but with Teacher Song¡¯s temperament, even after half a month, it was impossible to even rx in the future. Sigh, she didn¡¯t know when did this deep water and scorching fire days came with full of vigor. She didn¡¯t want to back down, but she felt that her body was not going to endure it much more.

    Mama Shen thought that Yuxi couldn¡¯t help thinking about quiting, she hurriedly said, ¡°Miss, no matter how hard it is, you have to hold on!¡± Yuxi¡¯s current performance had made Mama Shen no longer expected Teacher Song to ept her as a student. She only hoped that Yuxi could continue surviving the first few months.

    Yuxi smiled and said that she would never voluntarily quit unless Teacher Song kicked her out. Although this period of time was very hard, she did learn a lot of things, which were not even mentioned in the textbook. Only now, she was worried about one thing, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t give up halfway. It¡¯s just that I feel like my spirit is willing but my flesh is weak (Chinese idiom meant when you would like to do something, but you do not have the time, skills, or energy necessary to do it) recently. I¡¯m worried that my body won¡¯t endure it any longer.¡±

    Mama Shen was shocked, however when she saw Yuxi¡¯s unchanged expression, she felt a little bit ease, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. I¡¯ll send a doctor to take a good look at you. ¡°

    Yuxi intentionally told Mama Shen about this, in order to let the Old Madam knew, so that she would have a doctor came over to help her recuperate.

 Chapter 23 - Fake Storm (1)

    <strong>Chapter 23 : Fake Storm (1)</strong>

    Yuxi went to Magnolia Courtyard and found out that she was thest person to arrive. She didn¡¯t care either. It wasn¡¯t like she was actuallyte. She set up her four treasures of study and the , then took some times to review the book.

    Yujing sneered and said, ¡°Teacher ising soon. It¡¯s far toote for you to learn now.¡±

    Yuxi ignored her and studied carefully.

    When Yujing saw that Yuxi was ignoring her, she became angrier. ¡°You ignoring me when I was talking to you?¡±

    Yuxi looked at Yujing and sneered, ¡°How do you want me to answer you? Do you still want to hear me saying that I am not at all offended by your sarcasm?¡± After a paused, she chuckled, ¡°Second Sister, I wonder, how can you have the nerve to ridicule me? I¡¯m only four years old. You¡¯re eight years old. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be better than me?¡±

    Yujing suddenly changed her face, ¡°When did I ever ridiculed you?¡±

    Yuxi sneered, ¡°Speaking of which, I am a bit puzzled. Third Sister and I have lost a lot of weight during this period. Second Sister, you are not only not getting thinner but also still in good spirits. Can you tell us how you did it?¡± She indirectly implicated that Yujing had cheated.

    On hearing this, Yuchen looked up at Yujing and saw what Yuxi just said. Not only did Yujing not lose any weight, she seemed to have gained a lot of flesh. Yuchen had learned everything that Teacher Song had taught till now, so she had lost a lot of weight during this period of time. Meanwhile, Yujing who may not have any foundation, had better body condition than her, making her feeling doubtful at Yujing.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± cried a flustered and exasperated Yujing.

    Yuxi shrugged and said, ¡°I¡¯m just asking if Second Sister have any good learning methods. I didn¡¯t nder you.¡± Her words were obviously saying that Yujing had no 300 silver taels hidden here (Chinese idiom : to reveal what one intends to hide).

    Yujing hated her till it made her teeth itched (Chinese idiom : To greatly irritate or annoy someone, especially to the point of affecting their nerves), but she was also afraid of saying something wrong much more. She simply stared at Yuxi and kept the ount in her heart, waiting for it to be countedter on.

    When sisters having a dispute, naturally would be known by the servant girl waiting outside the ssroom. She immediately told the matter to old woman Ding. Old woman Ding originally suspected that Yujing was cheating, but there was no evidence to proof it. Now she was more sure of her guess after hearing what Yuxi said, and immediately told Teacher Song about it.

    The reason why Teacher Song did not suspected Yujing at all was not because she was too stupid to notice, but she had never encountered anything like this in her ten years of teaching. Those girls who couldn¡¯t stand her harsh teaching methods, would only quit by using illness or others as reasons. Yet they never thought of cheating, rather the price for doing so was huge for them to bear. Once discovered, they would have a bad reputation and subsequently ruined for a lifetime. No one dared to gamble with their whole life.

    Old woman Ding said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I don¡¯t think Second Miss is doing anything good. I was reminded about this after I heard what Fourth Miss said today.¡±

    Teacher Song was silent for a moment, ¡°Bring over all Second Miss¡¯ homeworks.¡± Learning and analyzing the text by heart were personally examined by her so Yujing couldn¡¯t cheat there. If she wanted to cheat, she could only do it in her schoolwork.

    Old woman Ding quickly took out all Yujing¡¯s schoolwork and piled them up.

    After carefully checking Yujing¡¯s schoolwork, Teacher Song¡¯s face was filled with anger. How could old woman Ding found out, not herself, when the words written looked so simr? Precisely because, she didn¡¯t checked it carefully before that it was unlikely for her to notice the differences. ¡°Good, very good!¡° For Yujing to even dare to use this cheap mean to cheat, how could she not be angry.

    Old woman Ding was also very angry when she learned that Yujing had hired someone else to do her homework. To use this kind of dirty mean to cheat her and her Master was such a disgusting thing, ¡°I doesn¡¯t expected that Second Miss could be this bold. Ma¡¯am, I¡¯ll drive her out now.¡±

    Teacher Song belonged to a more rational typepared to old woman Ding, ¡°No, this matter should not be disclosed.¡± If she pushed Yujing out now, it would not only spoil Yujing¡¯s reputation, but also the reputation of the other Young Misses of the residence. She shouldn¡¯t implicate others for a dirty rat.

    Old woman Ding was really annoyed, ¡°Ma¡¯am, how could you just forget about this?¡±

    Naturally, Teacher Song won¡¯t forget it easily, ¡°I¡¯ll keep the score in my heart.¡±

    When it was time for ss, Teacher Song restrained her mood and continued the ss as usual.

    At noon, old woman Ding looked at Teacher Song and asked, ¡°Ma¡¯am, it is about time for us to tell Old Madam Han about this.¡°

    Teacher Song shook her head and said, ¡°We tell her after a few days.¡±

    Old woman Ding was puzzled, ¡°Why need to wait till a few days?¡± Wasn¡¯t it right to inform Old Madam Han immediately, afterwards, blocked Second Miss froming to Magnolia Courtyard? Old woman Did didn¡¯t understand what Teacher Song was thinking.

    Teacher Song didn¡¯t exined any further. However, old woman Ding knew her well, she quickly asked, ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you afraid this incident will affect the Fourth Miss?¡±

    Teacher Song shook her head and said, ¡°Not at all.¡± She had some scruples. Yuxi discovered the problem, but she, as a teacher, did not find it. This was a serious dereliction of duty.

    It was not long after Yuxi returned to the Rose Courtyard that a doctor came over. It was Doctor Bai. He was not originally the person who treated her smallpox. He was one of her rtives on her mother¡¯s side.

    After examining her pulse, Doctor Bai said, ¡°Miss¡¯ health does not have any huge problem. She is merely exhausted. She needs to have a good rest.¡±

    Yuxi gave a wry smile. When would she has time to have a good rest?

    Doctor Bai was familiar with the affairs of the state residence and knew why Yuxi was being overworked.

    Yuxi just nodded her head.

    Yuxi¡¯s words during the day stuck in Yuchen¡¯s mind. She looked at the Old Madam and told her about it.

    Yuchen¡¯s meaning was to check on it. If Yujing was really cheating, it should be stopped in time. Otherwise, the Duke¡¯s official residence reputation would seriously turn bad. She was also afraid that this matter would also offend Teacher Song. Once Teacher Song resigned from the schoolroom in a fit, even if Yuchen cried her heart out, she would never find someone like her anymore.

    Old Madam Han frowned, ¡°You took Fourth Girl¡¯s nonsense words too seriously.¡± Since when did the little girl whom she brought up by herself being led by the Fourth Girl?

    Yuchen shook her head, ¡°No, Grandmother, Second Sister¡¯s recent performance is really unusual.¡± Everyone had learnt the book of enlightenment and yet, Yujing still behaved badly. With Teacher Song currently taught them became more profound, somehow Yujing performed much better than before, how couldn¡¯t this matter looked strange?

    Old Madam Han was silent for a moment and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone to look it up, so you don¡¯t need to mind this anymore.¡° She still thought this was just the Fourth Girl talking nonsense.

    She then nted a person in Pleasant Courtyard and got the news the next day. ¡°Old Madam, I have asked about her. Second Miss works very hard these days. Everyday, she will do her homework tillte at night and gets up very early in the morning.¡±

    The Old Madam asked, ¡°Did she saw anything unusual?¡±

    Mama Luo shook her head and said, ¡°No, everything is fine in Pleasant Courtyard. There¡¯s nothing unusual.¡±

    Hearing this, the Old Madam was dissatisfied with Yuxi. Did that girl not know the consequences if it really happened the way she said so?

    Mama Luo spoke well for Yuxi, ¡°Old Madam, in fact, you can¡¯t also me the Fourth Miss. I have inquired about it. The Second Miss has been making trouble for the Fourth Misstely. Yesterday, the Fourth Miss got really annoyed that she said the words without thinking, when no actual cheating had really happened.¡± Just a four-year-old child, where could she have this much cleverness.

    When the Old Madam thought about Yuxi¡¯s performance during this period, she said nothing more on that matter, ¡°Just tell Mama Shen to guide the girl well.¡±

    When Yuchen heard that Yujing did not do anything unusual, she frowned, but she did not raise any objection to the Old Madam because of filial piety.

    However, Yuxi was unlike Yuchen. She didn¡¯t believe a thing from the result of this investigation, but she couldn¡¯t openly refute it. She just smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that my Second Sister cheated. I just wanted to know if she had any good learning methods. If I learned it, I would not have to work so hard.¡±

    Mama Shen¡¯s eyebrow jumped. She thought Yuxi would question the decision, but she didn¡¯t think Yuxi would also not also ept this was her doing. Lately, she found out that she couldn¡¯t see through Fourth Miss anymore.

    Yuxi ignored Mama Shen and did her homework with a bitter face. Now there was ayer of cocoon on her hand, which made it stop having blisters any more. It would not hurt so much for her to hold a pen now.

    A few days passed in an instant.

    A maid reported back to the Old Madam that Teacher Song hade. She heard that some unexpected matters had happened. Except for the first day of her arrival, Teacher Song had never been to the main house for the past half a month.

    Mama Luo personally weed Teacher Song into the house.

    When Teacher Song sat down, she immediately told Old Madam Han without beating around the bushes, ¡°Old Madam, I came here this time to tell the Old Madam something.¡±

    When Old Madam Han looked at Teacher Song, she knew it wasn¡¯t a good thing, ¡°Please continue, Teacher Song.¡±

    Teacher Song told her that Yujing¡¯s schoolwork were not done by Yujing herself, ¡°Old Madam, please forgive me, I will not teach such a child.¡±

    Old Madam Han¡¯s face changed, ¡°Teacher Song, you must have been mistaken.¡± If it was like Yuru, she had no objection because she knew that Yuru couldn¡¯t bear such arge amount of schoolwork and used the method of sick leave to naturally quit. However, Yujing¡¯s shameful behavior would damage the reputation of all the Young Misses in the residence.

    Teacher Song said with a stern face, ¡°Old Madam, I would not y with the reputation of a student without sufficient evidence. Old Madam, I don¡¯t want to make a fuss about it before I tell you.¡± As long as Yujing did note to Magnolia Courtyard anymore, how Old Madam Han handled Yujing was beyond her control. Of course, Yujing¡¯s reputation could surely be preserved when this was handed over to Old Madam Han.

    Old Madam Han had experienced strong winds and heavy rain. Although they embarrassed her, they did not cause her to lose her sense of propriety. After sending off Teacher Song, she ordered Feicui, ¡°Go fetch Concubine Rong and Second Girl.¡± Concubine Rong must have known that Yujing had been doing this.

    When Concubine Rong heard that the Old Madam summoned her to the front courtyard, she knew it was not something good, mainly because she suddenly felt guilty. Therefore, she was somewhat worried when the Old Madam inexplicably summoned her.

    She asked her own maid to send a word to the front courtyard. It wasn¡¯t that she was being too careful, but the Old Madam¡¯s staff were to ferocious, which made her having some scruples.

 Chapter 24 - Fake Storm (2)

    <strong>Chapter 24 : Fake Storm (2)</strong>

    Yujing didn¡¯t know that the matter was rted to her, so she tried to sooth her mother by saying, ¡°Mother, we will let Dad know. When Grandmother try to make things difficult for us, Dad will protect us. ¡°

    Concubine Rong smiled ruefully. If it had been in the past, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry at all, but now, she couldn¡¯t predict what would happen. Concubine Rong, unwilling to show her timidity in front of her daughter, said with a calm smile, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡°

    When Concubine Rong entered the main house with Yujing, she saw the angry Old Madam. With a thump in her heart, she quickly knelt down.

    Old Madam Han pointed at Yujing and scolded her angrily, ¡°Troublesome person, if you don¡¯t kneel down, you¡¯re going to make the Han House lost its face.¡± In order to achieve their goals, they were willing to resort to deceit. It was really hard for watery mud to be used to ster the wall (Chinese idiom meant some people are hapless beyonce helping).

    When Concubine Rong heard this, she knew that Yujing had been caught cheating. They were so careful that they didn¡¯t expect it to be discovered.

    Yujing surprisingly didn¡¯t expect that she was the one who was being scolded, ¡°Grandmother, what exactly did Granddaughter do to make you insult me like this?¡±

    When Old Madam Han saw Yujing dared to talk back, she grab a green lotus cup and tried to smash it onto the floor, but somehow it hit Yujing¡¯s forehead and gave her a big bump, ¡°You have the nerve to ask me, don¡¯t you know what you have did?¡± Fortunately, Teacher Song left the matter to her, otherwise she didn¡¯t know how it would end.

    Yujing touched the bump on her forehead and said while crying, ¡°Grandmother, what did Granddaughter do wrong for you to do this to me?¡°

    Old Madam Han sneered, ¡°You really won¡¯t shed tears till you see the coffin (Chinese idiom meant refuse to be convinced until one is faced with grim reality). Are you right? Then tell me, who did your schoolwork?¡±

    ¡°Grandmother, did Han Yuxi run up to you and talk nonsense? Grandmother, she just couldn¡¯t see me well. She was jealous of me, so she ndered me.¡°

    Old Madam Hanughed angrily.

    Mama Luo saw Yujing being disgraceful and said, ¡°It was not Fourth Miss, but Teacher Song who told us that your schoolwork were done by someone else.¡°

    Yujing was a little panicked, ¡°Grandmother, I didn¡¯t ask anyone else to do schoolworks. Grandmother, I didn¡¯t do such a thing. Grandmother, could Teacher Song makes a mistake?¡± Even she, herself, couldn¡¯t tell the difference so, how could Teacher Song notice?

    Old Madam Han sneered, ¡°Mistake? Do you mean that Teacher Song has mistaken you?¡±

    Yujing hurriedly said, ¡°Grandmother, it must be Teacher Song who has listened to Han Yuxi¡¯s provocation. Grandmother, please let me confront Han Yuxi.¡±

    Old Madam Han was extremely disgusted with Concubine Rong, and she also disliked Yujing. If it were not for the fear that it would hurt mother and son affection by getting rid of Concubine Rong, she would have settled this easily.

    Even if she died, Yujing would not admit to do it, ¡°Grandmother, Teacher Song has never like me. She took this opportunity to drive me out.¡±

    Old Madam Han could not bear to hear any more. She had seen a fool, but she had never seen such a fool. She looked at Yujing, and then at Concubine Rong, who was kneeling beside her. She was toozy to argue about this issue any more. She only asked Concubine Rong, ¡°Tell me, who wrote Second Girl¡¯s schoolwork?¡±

    Where would Concubine Rong admitted it, ¡°No one. The Second Girl¡¯s schoolwork had always been done by herself.¡± If this matter could be hidden, let hid it for good.

    Mama Luo stood up and said, ¡°Concubine Rong, Second Miss, Teacher Song did not find Second Miss to settle it herself, but decided to tell the Old Madam with hope that this matter would be solved in private, so that the residence would not lose face.¡±

    Yujing¡¯s face went white.

    Old Madam Han stared at Concubine Rong and said, ¡°Still not telling the truth?¡± She looked it upst time, but somehow she didn¡¯t find any problems.

    Concubine Rong gritted her teeth and said, ¡°It was written by my servant girl, Ah Juan.¡±

    Old Madam Han snorted coldly. She already knew who was helping Yujing with her schoolwork, but she did not want to go to the bottom of it. If she did, it would bring a lot of noise which won¡¯t bring any good to anyone. ¡°Whose idea was it to have someone else did the homework for her?¡±

    Concubine Rong answered, ¡°It was this handmaiden who saw that Second Girl had been working too hard, so this handmaiden let Ah Juan helped with some of the schoolwork.¡±

    Old Madam Han had not yet spoken when a maid announced from outside, ¡°Old Madam, the Duke of the State has arrived.¡±

    The Duke looked at his beloved concubine and daughter kneeling on the ground, crying out of form and turned to ask Old Madam Han, ¡°Mother, what is going on?¡±

    Old Madam Han replied, ¡°Mama Luo, you tell him about it.¡±

    After the Duke listened to Mama Luo¡¯s words, his face turned stiff and he looked at Yujing, ¡°Is this true?¡±

    Yujing wanted to deny but Old Madam was there and it was no used for her to tell more lies.

    Concubine Rong, pear blossom bathed in the rain (Chinese idiom meant a weeping beauty), with tears flowing said, ¡°Old Madam, Lord, Second Girl had worked so hard. This handmaiden couldn¡¯t bear seeing her like that, so handmaiden let the maid helped with the schoolwork. This is all handmaiden¡¯s fault, if the Old Madam and the Lord want to punish, please punish this handmaiden!¡±

    The Duke of the State, seeing his concubine¡¯s sorrowful appearance, softened his heart and said to the Old Madam, ¡°Mother, this is not a big deal, as long as Teacher Song does not pursue it.¡±

    Old Madam Han had no expectations for her eldest son many years ago, but when she heard the Duke said it was not a big deal, she felt her heart was blocked by a stone, ¡°Is it necessary for it to ruin the reputation of the Duke¡¯s official residence before it bes a big deal?¡±

    The Duke looked at his mother and asked, ¡°Then Mother, how do you want to punish them?¡±

    Old Madam Han listened to this somewhat resentful words and said, ¡°Yujing will copy a hundred times and no need toe out again.¡±

    Concubine Rong was very worried and regardless of the fear in her heart, said, ¡°Old Madam, Yujing still has to go to school. Can you let her copy itter?¡± Even if you wanted to punish, it shouldn¡¯t be this way.

    Old Madam Han used to think that Concubine Rong was very smart, but now she looked like a fool. When the mother did not set a good example, she even helped her child to cheat instead. After all, a concubine was still a concubine, the one who was better kept under the table (Chinese idiom meant too inferior to show in public). Old Madam Han had some regrets. In fact, what happened to Yujing in those days could be seen as saying that she was a fool, an expected result of being raised by a waste.

    When Yujing was born, Concubine Rong wanted to give her a good family background, so she wanted to put her under Qiu Shi¡¯s name. Qiu Shi also didn¡¯t refuse at that time, but said that since the child was written under her name, she had to raise her. As a result, Concubine Rong was unwilling. She was afraid that Yujing would support Qiu Shi, and then she was instigated into hatred between mother and daughter.

    Concubine Rong thought Qiu Shi wouldpromise under the pressure of the Duke of the State but Qiu Shi clenched her teeth and still did not allow it, even if it almost made the Duke turned against her. In the end, the matter ended up in a smoke.

    Old Madam Han said, ¡°Teacher Song didn¡¯t kick her out of the school was already for the face of the residence. You are still fantasizing of letting Second Girl back to school?¡±

    Concubine Rong hold on to the Duke¡¯s thigh, crying and pleading, ¡°Lord Duke, Yujing was only temporarily confused, so her future could not just being cut off this way.¡±

    The Duke also didn¡¯t have the heart to, so he said to Old Madam Han, ¡°Mother, let¡¯s talk with Teacher Song to give Yujing another chance.¡±

    Old Madam Han didn¡¯t bother to say anything anymore to his son. She could only proposed one way, ¡°In order not to lose the face of the residence, I will tell the public that she is ill.¡±

    Only then did Yujing realized the seriousness of the matter and cried, ¡°Grandmother, I was wrong. I really know I was wrong. Please give me another chance.¡± She thought it was done perfectly, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be found out.

    Old Madam Han shook her head and said, ¡°You¡¯ve wasted two chances yourself, and nobody¡¯s to me.¡±

    The Duke was silent for a moment, then asked, ¡°Mother, talk to Teacher Song again!¡± He still wanted to fight his daughter¡¯s benefits. After all, she was his favourite daughter.

    Old Madam Han was very sad to see him like this. If her eldest son had not been taken away by her mother-inw and raised by herself, he would never have be what he was today. Even though Dowager Madam Han was dead, Old Madam Han still hated her deeply. ¡°Teacher Song didn¡¯t publicized the incident has already given the residence face, so don¡¯t think about it any more.¡±

    The Duke knew there was no more room for change.

    Old Madam Han looked at the pale Concubine Rong who was kneeling on one side and said, ¡°Tomorrow, Concubine Rong will be send to the temple.¡±

    The Duke immediately said, ¡°Mother, if she has done something wrong, she should be punished, but she doesn¡¯t need to be sent to the family temple, so just let her stay in the Pleasant Courtyard!¡± It meant to be ced under house arrest in Pleasant Courtyard.

    The Old Madam didn¡¯t want to ruin the mother and son affection between them before and she had been very patient. She could tolerate his concubine vited her bottom line three or four times, but she was very angry now. ¡°Someonee, drag Concubine Rong down for me. Take her to the temple now.¡± Looking at the Duke who still wanted to speak, she snorted coldly, ¡°Do you still want to be disobedient and unfilial?¡± She had never did it before, but today was the first time she used filial pity to overwhelm the Duke.

    The Duke¡¯s heart quivered, so he didn¡¯t dare to interfere anymore.

    Concubine Rong passed out when she saw this situation.

    Yujing was so frightened that she burst into tears and shook her mother¡¯s arm, ¡°Mother, mother, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    Old Madam Han looked at Concubine Rong who was feeling dizzy on the ground in disgust. For more than ten years, she still did these two tricks and she still wasn¡¯t bored to use them.

    The Duke ordered, ¡°Get a doctor.¡±

    Old Madam Han didn¡¯t wanted to see Concubine Rong again, nor hearing Yujing¡¯s cry of death, so she ordered Concubine Rong to be taken back to Pleasant Courtyard.

    An hourter, Mama Luo came over with a strange face and said, ¡°Old Madam, Concubine Rong is pregnant and it has been for a month.¡± If she was to be sent to the temple, Concubine Rong would have no chance to turn over again. She had to say that Concubine Rong was lucky to get pregnant at this juncture. The main house now had only two heirs, and now Concubine Rong was found pregnant. The Old Madam would protect the child in any way she can.

    Old Madam Han decided to no longer hated Concubine Rong and would not make fun of her offspring. ¡°Let her stay in Pleasant Courtyard.¡± After a paused, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t spread out this matter for the time being. Let Second Girl serve in Pleasant Courtyard. For other matters, you should deal with it thoroughly.¡±

    Mama Luo was the Old Madam¡¯s confidant. She could guess more or less what the Old Madam was thinking , ¡°What the Old Madam meant was to deal with the people around her?¡±

    The Old Madam Han said, ¡°Sell all the maids around her.¡± For the time being, she couldn¡¯t handle Concubine Rong, but the maid and mama beside her could still be handled by her. Without these minions, Concubine Rong could not turn the waves.

 Chapter 25 - Foil

    Chapter 25 : Foil

    Concubine Rong wept with joy when she knew she was pregnant. She looked forward to a son for so many years, but she didn¡¯t expect the child toe after she had given up any hope.

    She touched her belly and said, ¡°Son, you¡¯re really mother¡¯s little lucky star.¡± If the child had not arrived in time, she would have been sent to the temple.

    Yujing, who didn¡¯t think so much about her future brother, asked, ¡°Mother, what should we do now?¡± The immediate task was to solve their present matter.

    Concubine Rong sighed slightly, ¡°During this time, we will recuperate in Pleasant Courtyard.¡± Having the child was equivalent as having a talisman, but she also knew that if she dared to borrow the child to do anything, the Old Madam would not touch her now, but would certainly seek her revenge after the child was born.

    Yujing was unwilling, ¡°Mother, I am one head short of them in status. If I lose this chance again, I will not be able to stand up in front of them.¡±

    Concubine Rong poked Yujing¡¯s head,<b>hating iron for not bing steel</b>(Chinese idiom : to feel resentful towards somebody for failing to meet expectations and impatient to see improvement)and said, ¡°You regret it now? How did you listen when you were asked to do your homework well earlier? It¡¯s toote for you to feel regret now.¡± If it was not for Yujing constantints from morning till night and even expressed her desire to quit due to illness, how would she note up with such a n?

    While mother and daughter were talking, they saw Mama Luo came over. Mama Luo was also a kind of person who did not liked to talk nonsense, so she directly took away Concubine Rong¡¯s two close maids and her beloved mama.

    Concubine Rong¡¯s face turned ghastly pale but she didn¡¯t dare to confront the Old Madam. Now that the Duke was no longer as protective of her as before, she decided to keep a low profile. Moreover, the most important thing right now was the child in her belly.

    When Yuxi saw that only she and Yuchen were in the ss next day, she muttered in her heart whether Yujing also withdrew from the ss through illness. No, she wouldn¡¯t have. When Yuxi saw her yesterday, she was still full of vigour. Moreover, Yujing was different from Yuru. Yuru couldn¡¯t keep up with the learning process while Yujing had been doing well recently.

    With Yuxi¡¯s mind filled with many questions regarding this, she immediately asked Hongshan after ss ended.

    Hongshan¡¯s eyebrows and eyes were all full of happiness. Now that Second Miss had left, she could no longer bully her Miss, ¡°Miss, yesterday, Concubine Rong fell ill. The Second Miss waited on her all night and also fell ill from fatigue.¡°

    Yuxi doubted the truth of the news very much. Yujing¡¯s temperament was not like a filial daughter who could wait on people without sleeping all night. ¡°How did Concubine Rong felt ill?¡±

    Hongshan shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Yesterday evening, the Old Madam asked Concubine Rong toe over with Second Miss. It was said that Concubine Rong was seen being carried out. A doctor also came not long after.¡± The mouth of the Old Madam¡¯s maid, that old woman, seemed very tight like a m shell. She could not find any useful information, but this piece of news was still came from that old woman of the Old Madam¡¯s courtyard.

    Yuxi thought that this matter wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed, ¡°Did the Old Madam met anyone before calling for Concubine Rong and Second Sister?¡±

    Hongshan thought for a moment and said, ¡°Yes, Teacher Song did went to see the Old Madam.¡±

    Yuxi understood at once, that Teacher Song had perhaps uncovered her Second Sister¡¯s cheating acts. In fact, she was somewhat puzzled. She could see that there was something wrong with it, so, how could a person as fierce as Teacher Song found out about it only now? And what with this being ill excuse? If she guessed correctly, Concubine Rong¡¯s illness was fake, but it was true that it was used to cover up for Yujing.

    Yujing won¡¯t being, so, Yuxi and Yuchen were the only two students left in the ss. By this time Yuxi would not want to hide her weaknesses anymore. Once her weaknesses were exposed, Yuchen wouldpare her to dregs where she will still be considered inferior. Even if she worked hard, she could only draw with Yuchen. She knew, however, that Yuchen had to practice<i>qin</i>and paint in her spare time. In contrast, she had be a foil.

    What Yuxi did not know was that her performance at this time startled Teacher Song. She thought Yuxi couldn¡¯t keep up with the progress and was still wondering how long would shest. She didn¡¯t expect Yuxi to give her a big surprise.

    When it school holiday came, it happened to be raining.

    Yuxi stood at the door, looking at the pearl-like raindrops drifted down from time to time, muttering, ¡°It¡¯s hard to get two days off, and now it¡¯s raining.¡± There were two days off in one month, which was stipted by Teacher Song, for students to rx. Of course, Yuxi could not rx. As soon as you rxed, you would probably not be abled to keep up with the progress.

    Embroidered shoes got wet easily in rainy days.

    Mama Shen said, ¡°Miss, let me carry you over!¡± Misses fromrge families were very delicate. If a four-year-old girl went shopping or something, she needed to be held by someone all the time

    Yuxi was unwilling, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll walk by myself.¡± She was not actually four years old, but already in her twenties. How could she let them carry her? It would also be very awkward situation for her.

    When Mama Shen saw Yuxi¡¯s firm attitude, she took a step back, ¡°Miss, no matter how careful you are, it¡¯s a quarter of an hour¡¯s walk from the Rose Courtyard to the main room, and your shoes will always get wet. If Miss suffers cold, it is the sin of this old servant. Miss, let this old servant carry you over!¡±

    Moju, who noticed that Yuxi was still unwilling, said, ¡°Miss, if your clothes get wet, then the Old Madam will surely me us for being careless.¡±

    Yuxi also did not know where the Old Madam¡¯s interest came from. Yesterday she was ordered toe down to the Old Madam¡¯s room for breakfast today, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have to go out if it rained today. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°Mama is getting older, let Hongshan carry me on her back.¡± Hongshan was the servant girl of the Old Madam. Now, she couldn¡¯t just leave her behind when she visited the Old Madam.

    Yuxiid on the back of Hongshan, and Mama Shen was holding a blue cloth umbre beside her. Walking in the drizzle, she couldn¡¯t help reaching out to touch the rain. It was ice-cold.

    Mama Shen saw the situation and hurriedly said, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t y with the rain, you¡¯ll catch cold.¡± It was easy to catch cold in this weather. Now Miss¡¯ health was no better than before, and she was still taking the tonic prescribed by the doctor every day!

    Yuxi replied with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not so delicate.¡± Since she studied with Teacher Song, the Old Madam¡¯s attitude towards her had been getting better and better. She was not acting like a four years old, so, the Old Madam must have thought about the reason behind such a big change in her attitude. However, given her current situation, she had no choice but to<b>counter soldiers with arms, water with earth weir</b>(Chinese idiom : to adopt measures appropriate to the actual situation).

    When she arrived at the main room, the Old Madam didn¡¯t show too much enthusiasm, which made Yuxi felt very relieved. If the Old Madam suddenly had a deep affection for her other grandchildren, she didn¡¯t know if she could stand it.

    A servant girl named Cuiyu came in and said, ¡°Old Madam, the breakfast had been prepared and it¡¯s ready to be eaten.¡°

    The breakfast was very rich, with glutinous rice congee,<i>xiaolongbao</i>, crystal shrimp dumplings, lily pastries, plum blossom pastries, spinach, crispy ginger, pickled cucumber and other six side dishes, as well as a bird¡¯s nest and Xinjiang mushroom chicken soup.

    <i>Xiaolongbao</i>(lit. little-basket steamed bun)</a>

    Yuxi saw so much delicious food that her stomach began to growl. She also didn¡¯t know if it was because of the shadow left by herst life, but she couldn¡¯t go hungry after she was reborn.

    The cook for the main room was definitely the best cook in the residence. The taste of the things things made were not much better than that from the main kitchen, even Mama Fang¡¯s cooking couldn¡¯tpare.

    When the foods were delicious, you would eat more. Yuxi ate a bowl of glutinous rice porridge, two small steamed buns, six crystal shrimp dumplings, not many side dishes, and finally drank a small bowl of mushroom chicken soup.

    While Yuxi was eating, the Old Madam looked at her more than once, and atst, her frown was so wrinkled that she could kill two flies(TN : I don¡¯t really understand this part. I just know that the Old Madam was frowning heavily). ¡°Fourth Girl, do you see how your Third Sister uses things?¡± If such a hungry ghost action being seen by those who didn¡¯t knew what really happened in the residence, they would thought that the people of the residence had treated Yuxi badly.

    Yuxi was just focusing on eating, where would she have time to pay attention to Yuchen. Now with the reminder from the Old Madam, she unable to ignore them.

    Yuchen ate slowly, chewed her food well before swallowing them and her chopsticks moved elegantly while picking the foods. A true acts of a greatdy.

    Yuxi was somewhat discouraged in her heart. She even became a foil for just having a meal. She didn¡¯t know till when her days as a foil ended?

    Once they finished the dishes, a maid brought in a bowl of goat milk egg custard. Yuxi felt regret. If she knew earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have eaten so much till she felt full. At the first nced, the goat milk egg custard looked delicious. Although she was very full, she still took a bite, there was no way she won¡¯t try it! If she hadn¡¯t been stared at by the Old Madam, she would really like to finish the goat milk egg custard. It was delicious.

    Old Madam Han couldn¡¯t help herself but asked, ¡°Are you so unrestrained like this in your daily meals?¡± She didn¡¯t know how Mama Shen served, nor did she knew how to advice the Fourth Girl.

    Yuxi shook her head and answered, ¡±No, but today¡¯s food is really delicious, so I couldn¡¯t help eating more.¡±

    Old Madam Han¡¯s face eased up and then she said, ¡°In the future, attention should be paid to the fact that even if the food is delicious, it must be ate in an appropriate amount. Overeating is not good for your health.¡± She was very particr about keeping a good health, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have maintained it so well.

    Yuxi honestly agreed.

    After breakfast, Yuxi was going to leave the main courtyard. Yuchen came out and said to her, ¡°Fourth Sister, I¡¯m going to visit my maternal uncle¡¯s house tomorrow. Come with me!¡± Yuchen¡¯s maternal uncle was Marquis of Pingqing. Now, he was the left assistant minister of the Ministry of War, a powerful and important minister.

    Yuxi was unwilling, ¡°Third Sister, I can¡¯t, I want to take these 2 days to review my lessons. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid my hand will be hit again.¡± Fortunately, nowadays, Teacher Song hit just for a show. It was actually not that painful, but she still felt quite embarrassed.

    Yuchen did not insist, just smile and said, ¡°All right.¡±

    The Old Madam heard Yuxi refused Yuchen¡¯s invitation, with her hands holding the Buddha beads, she said to Mama Luo who was beside her, ¡°This girl¡¯s mind is too deep. Let old woman Shen take a good look. If there¡¯s something wrong, immediately tell me.¡±

    So, Mama Luo became busy.

    Yuxi only went to the main courtyard twice this month, and every time she came and went in a hurry. This time, she had time to apany Qiu Shi for a long time.

    Then, Liuyin came in and said, ¡°Madam, Concubine Rong said she has a stomach-ache, so she needs a doctor.¡± Concubine Rong¡¯s pregnancy had not been publicized, but it still could not escape Qiu Shi¡¯s eyes. Just because the Old Madam didn¡¯t let the news be disclosed to the public, she didn¡¯t dare to make a move either.

    Yuxi looked at Qiu Shi¡¯s expression, stood up and said, ¡°Aunt, I still have a lot of schoolwork to do, so, I¡¯ll go back first.¡±

    Within the period of time Yuxi left her home, the day had stopped raining. She said to her maids and old women, ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk in the garden.¡± The garden must had been more beautiful after rain.

 Chapter 26 - Conflict

    Chapter 26 : Conflict

    As Yuxi and her entourage walked into the garden, a gust of autumn wind blew past them with waves of light flower fragrance greeted them along the pavement. Although it was alreadyte autumn, with the moisture from the drizzle, the garden also appears particrly lively.

    Yuxi was admiring the chrysanthemums when she saw Yujinging over with her two maids. She cheerfully greeted her, ¡°Second Sister.¡±

    Yujing saw Yuxi and her eyes were filled with resentment. If it weren¡¯t for Yuxi, how would Teacher Song knew about her fraud? Now, she had not only lost the chance to learn from Teacher Song, but also been locked up for so long. She shouted to the maids around her, ¡°All of you get out from here!¡±

    Mama Shen, Hongshan and others looked at Yujing¡¯s appearance. How could they dare to go away? What if once they were far away, their Miss suffered losses?

    Yujing saw that not only did Yuxi not move, but also the maids and old women around her did not dare to move. Her anger became more and more intense. ¡°Get the hell out of here!¡± If they didn¡¯t leave, they would make this dead girl (Yuxi) looked good.

    Yuxi ignored Yujing and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡± It was hard for her to get out for a walk and had rxation. As a result, despite with the garden being so big, she still could identally meet Yujing. It was really an unlucky year for her.

    Yujing had dislike Yuchen, who always had a faint look of never put people in her eyes, for a long time. With Yuchen¡¯s background which was extremely good, also with the Old Madam protecting her, even if Yujing was so angry, she dared not do anything to Yuchen. However, Yuxi was different. She used to see her hide herself before, but now she dared to ignore her. How could she tolerate this? She rushed forward and grabbed Yuxi¡¯s arm, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go.¡±

    Yuxi also became angry as she watched Yujing grabbing her arm, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    While they were in Magnolia Courtyard, Yujing had to be patient because she was afraid of Teacher Song. Since she was unable to go there nowadays, why should she be like that anymore? She said with a smile, ¡°What do you say I will do, you, the bearer of ill luck?¡± After that, she gave Yuxi a strong push.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t put on guard against Yujing as Yujing suddenly went crazy and pushed her. There was water on top of the blue brick just behind her. She slipped on it and fell to the ground.

    Everyone was stunned.

    Yuxi cried in pain on the ground while Yujing only snorted coldly, ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good one.¡± After saying this, she went back to her courtyard without paying more attention to Yuxi.

    Yunqi and Yunbo were terrified. Yunqi said with great courage, ¡°Miss, let¡¯s go and see how Fourth Miss is doing. ¡± Yujing could not see what she had done right now, but the two maids knew clearly that Yuxi was not the same girl who had been easily bullied by her family before. Moreover, the Old Madam¡¯s attitude towards the Fourth Miss had also changed. This time their Miss would definitely not going to get good results.

    Yujing snorted coldly, ¡°What is there to see? It was just a push, and it won¡¯t kill her.¡± Her attitude was not without reason. At the beginning of the year, she pushed Yuxi down the steps. Yuxi fell to the ground and just wiped her bloody arm. As a result, Yujing was scolded with only two sentences, and nothing else.

    Yunqi looked at Yujing¡¯s attitude, and became more worried. It was merely that Yujing had a very bad temper. If you irritated her too much, she would grab something and tried to kill you. Therefore, Yunqi became more worried. In the end, she didn¡¯t dare to continue persuading Yujing.

    Mama Shen was the first to react by rushing to Yuxi¡¯s side and anxiously asked, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s other body parts were fine, but one of her leg were particrly painful, ¡°Mama Shen, my leg hurt.¡± Her foot were probably sprained.

    Mama Shen wanted to lift and carry Yuxi up, but somehow she identally touched her injured leg. Yuxi immediately painfully cried, ¡°The pain is killing me. It won¡¯t work this way.¡±

    Mama Shen cried out to Hongshan, who was standing foolishly on one side, ¡°Go find Madam and tell her that Miss¡¯ leg is injured.¡± Then she turned to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, please endure, the doctor wille in a minute.¡±

    With this situation, Hongshan couldn¡¯t care less for her image, as she ran to the main courtyard.

    Mama Shen saw Yuxi, who screamed when she touched her, and thought for a moment and ordered nearby maids, ¡°Go and bring over the soft couch.¡± Since she couldn¡¯t hold her, then she could only carry her back.

    Qiu Shi was talking to her stewardess when she heard Hongshan came over. Seeing Hongshan came in with red eyes, she hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Hongshan quickly answered, ¡°Please, Madam, can you get a doctor for our Miss?¡±

    Qiu Shi was shocked, ¡°What¡¯s happened? She was fine just now. Howe such big thing happened to her?¡±

    In a few words, Hongshan exined the conflict happened just now to Qiu Shi.

    Hearing this, Qiu Shi was furious that Yujing had became more and more domineering. However, rather than looking into Yujing¡¯s responsibility regarding the conflict, she immediately sent for a doctor and rushed to Rose Courtyard to see Yuxi.

    When Yuxi saw Qiu Shi, she embraced her and cried, ¡°Aunt, my leg hurt so much. Aunt, is my leg broken? Aunt, am I going to be crippled?¡± She used to hide and cried when she was wronged, but now she was no longer stupid. If she felt wronged, she had to say it out. She would stop crying under the covers.

    When the maids and the old women around her heard such a mournful sound of weeping, their hearts were filled with bitter feelings. While, Moju and Motao just directly cried.

    Qiu Shi hugged her and said, ¡°Nonsense, the doctor will certainly cure you. Bear with me. The doctor wille soon.¡±

    Yuxi cried herself hoarse, when the doctor finally came. The doctor, who was good at treating bone injuries in the capital, examined Yuxi¡¯s leg and said, ¡°The girl has sprained her muscles.¡±

    Qiu Shi asked, ¡°Doctor, I heard that this kind of injury need one hundred days to heal, does this mean the child has to stay in bed for three months?¡±

    The doctor looked at Yuxi¡¯s eyes, which were as red as rabbits, as if they were asking him to appease her, ¡°No, the girl just twisted her muscles. Not actually hurting them or broken any bones. So, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± A shrill cry resounded three<i>li</i>(an ancient Chinese measurement for lenght, approximately 500m)away, making the birds on top of the trees fluttered and flied away disorderly. Hearing this sad cry, the people in Rose Courtyard were all feeling wretched in their hearts.

    Qiu Shi looked at the fainted Yuxi and felt very worried, ¡°Doctor, didn¡¯t you say it would be alright?¡±

    The doctor also didn¡¯t think Yuxi was faking. The young misses fromrge families were all very delicate, so it was normal for them not to be able to bear such pain and it was not even surprising for them to faint. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam. The girl passed out because of pain and will be fine when she wakes up.¡±

    When Yuxi woke up, she saw her left foot was wrapped up like a<i>zongzi</i>(glutinous rice dumpling), so she grabbed Moju who was sitting by the bed and asked, ¡°How is my leg?¡±

    If anyone interested with<i>zongzi</i>:

    Moju hurriedly answered, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. The doctor said as long as you take medication for your injured leg muscles, you will only need to take a good rest for 2 days only.¡±

    Yuxi looked at her own leg and suddenly asked, ¡°Then, what did Grandmother said?¡± If Yujing was not taught a lesson this time, she would never let this matter dropped.

    Moju also hated Yujing, ¡°The Old Madam had locked Second Miss up in the family Buddhist temple and ordered her to copy Buddhist scriptures.¡±

    First, Concubine Rong nearly cause Yuxi lost her life, now Yujing came to provoke her. She really hate them. However, it was impossible for her to deal with them now. Not to mention, she didn¡¯t have the ability to do so, she also didn¡¯t dare to do anything with Mama Shen and Hongshan beside her. Ah~ she was too weak. She wanted revenge but had no ability. She had lived a lifetime in vain.

    Qiu Shi was also quite furious about this incident. She thought that the Old Madam¡¯s punishment was too light. If Yujing bullied Yuchen, she didn¡¯t believed the Old Madam would just punish her by copying Buddhist scriptures only.

    Mama Li felt that this was still good. At least this time, Yujing was locked up in their family Buddhist temple. Last time, if she had to say, the situation with Yujing was<b>without pain or itching</b>(Chinese idiom : not getting to any matter of substance). ¡°Madam, our top priority right now is the piece of meat in Concubine Rong¡¯s stomach.¡± Concubine Rong had been favoured so much these few years. This time, Concubine Lian had managed to snatch some of the favours with so much difficulties. If Concubine Rong gave birth to a son, she would definitely rise up once more and became more arrogant.

    Qiu Shi shook her head and said, ¡°We could not get involve in this matter.¡± Deep down, she also hoped that Concubine Rong would not be able to retain the child, but she could not do it. There were too few children in the official residence, and every one of them was valued by the Old Madam.

    Mama Li sighed in her heart. Her master was too kind and always worried about the Old Madam. She could not do anything.

    In the evening, Qiu Shi went to Rose Courtyard to visit Yuxi. When she arrived there, she saw Yuxi lying on the bed reading a book. She was so absorbed that she didn¡¯t even noticed that Qiu Shi had came into her room.

    Qiu Shi felt somewhat sorry for her as she said, ¡°You should have a good rest since you just injured your leg, but you¡¯re reading books instead.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and replied, ¡°I can¡¯t sleep anyway, so I might as well do some reviews on books I¡¯ve learnt. Otherwise, when Teacher Songes back for spot checks during ss, I will have to suffer the consequences.¡±

    Qiu Shi was somewhat surprised, ¡°Why do you need to go to school when your leg is already like this? Just ask Teacher Song for leave of absence.¡±

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°I just hurt my leg. It does not interfere with me listening to lectures and writing.¡± It won¡¯t get in the way of her listening in ss like this, but she wouldn¡¯t be abled to finish her homework. However, she felt that Teacher Song would not be so harsh to her just because of this.

    Qiu Shi touched Yuxi¡¯s head, with her heart filled with mixed feelings.

    Yuxi looked at Qiu Shi¡¯s face and said, ¡°Aunt, she gave me a cut on my headst year, bruised my arm at the beginning of the year, and now she twisted my leg. I wonder if Second Sister will kill me next time.¡± These matters were nevertheless told by Moju. She didn¡¯t remembered any of these at all. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have spend twenty years of her past life being unguarded against Yujing.

    After hearing Yuxi¡¯s words, Qiu Shi felt terrible in her heart. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. The Old Madam has locked up Second Girl in the Buddhist temple. This time around, she has certainly been taught a lesson.¡±

    Yuxi said all these not to gain sympathy, but for a purpose, ¡°Aunt, I want a strong servant girl, preferably the one being bought from outside.¡± If she had to choose one from among the children of the family servants, because of some misgivings, it was estimated that the maid wouldn¡¯t dare to touch a hair on Yujing. If she bought a maid from outside, hold on to her and trained her herself, the maid would be very obedient to her.

    Qiu Shi hesitated, but under Yuxi¡¯s pleading, she finally agreed, ¡°When you meet the right one, you can redeem her. Aunt will send you the maid life contract in due course.¡±

    Yuxi was busily nodding. Only by holding the other person¡¯s life contract in her hand, tantamount to her controlling that person¡¯s life and fighting power. That person waspletely hers.

 Chapter 27 - A Good Student With Broken Body But Firm Spirit

    <strong>Chapter 27 : A Good Student With Broken Body But Firm Spirit</strong>

    On her way back, Qiu Shi felt strange and asked, ¡°What does Yuxi meant? Why do we need to buy maid from outside?¡±

    Mama Li answered with a smile, ¡°The rtionship between maids in the residence is very intertwined andplicated that it is better to go outside and find a new maid with innocent life experience. That way, you can handle her easily in the future.¡± With prior murder attempt by Concubine Rong and frequent humiliation by Second Miss, Fourth Miss must had really hated both of them. She was no longer the meek child of the past and Mama Li didn¡¯t know what Fourth Miss would do. She sometimes felt unimaginable that Fourth Miss had changed so much after she was cured from her illness.

    Yuxi¡¯s feet were relieved of swelling the next day, proving the doctor¡¯s medicine was indeed really good. However, because the doctor told her to lie in bed for a few days to fully recover, all the maids and old women around her wouldn¡¯t let her get out of bed. Yuxi was thinking of going to school the next day, so she asked Mama Shen to find four strong old women to carry her to Magnolia Courtyard tomorrow.

    Mama Shen tried to persuade Yuxi, ¡°Miss, studying is important, but currently, your leg situation is much more important. It¡¯s not toote for you to go once your leg ispletely heal.¡±

    Yuxi replied, ¡°One day of teaching by Teacher Song is equal to four or five days by other teachers. Do Mama think I can keep up with her when my leg ispletely heal?¡± She wouldn¡¯t be able keep up with her homework for one day, let alone for several days. It was not easy for her to get this chance so, she won¡¯t give up that easily.

    Moju anxiously said, ¡°Miss, now you can¡¯t walk with your legs. You can¡¯t also listen to teaching when you go to ss!¡±

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t helpughing and said, ¡°I hurt my leg, not my head nor my hands, so why can¡¯t I listen to lectures in ss?¡± For her servants, it was best for her to lie on soft couch rather than walking or carrying things.

    Old Madam Han and Qiu Shi did not oppose Yuxi¡¯s decision. For them, it was a good thing that children were willing to make progress where adults usually would try to stop them.

    The next day, Yuxi was carried to Magnolia Courtyard.

    Teacher Song came back to the residence in the morning, so, she did not know about Yuxi¡¯s leg injury. When she heard Yuxi being carried over, she immediately went out. As she just saw Mama Shen holding Yuxi on top of the chair, she moved forward and asked, ¡°Fourth Miss, what happened to your legs?¡±

    Yuxi exined somewhat sheepishly, ¡°Teacher, I identally sprained my foot yesterday. Please forgive me, Teacher. The doctor told me not too move so much, so I can¡¯t salute Teacher in return.¡± Teacher Song could easily asked others the reason behind her injury, but it would note out from her own mouth.

    Teacher Song took an unexpected look at Yuxi. She had been teaching for so many years, and those girls who couldn¡¯t stand her teaching method, would use various reasons to escape, such as illness or injury. It was the first time that a student brought her injury to ss. ¡°In this case, you should take good care of it. Why do you stille to school?¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I could not keep up with my studies. Furthermore, I just hurt my leg, but it would not interfere with me listening to lectures. It just that I won¡¯t be able to finish the homework assigned by Teacher. However, when my leg is finally heals, I will definitely make up for them.¡± It was okay for her to recite lessons, but she couldn¡¯t write too many words.

    Teacher Song¡¯s look was good as she said, ¡°That¡¯s not a problem.¡±

    During ss, Teacher Song did not prevent Yuxi from memorizing the text because of her leg injury. Fortunately, Yuxi did not ckened off despite her injury, otherwise she would have to be beaten to death. Speaking of which, she had already been hit once.

    In the middle of the break, when Moju saw Teacher Song left the ss, she immediately rushed into the ss like an arrow. Looking at Yuxi packing, she hurriedly asked, ¡°Miss, does your leg hurt?¡±

    Yuxi answered with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± It was just like usual time in ss, except that she had to write slowly this time.

    As Yuxi thought of this, she asked Yuchen, ¡°Third Sister, can I borrow your notes?¡± She wrote too slow till she couldn¡¯t keep pace with Teacher Song.

    Yuchen nodded with a smile, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give it to you after ss.¡± Because Yuxi went to school with an injury, she was very satisfied with her. Yuxi¡¯s behaviour proved that the Miss of the residence was not so weak.

    After ss, Teacher Song said to Yuxi, ¡°At noon you can rest in the next room. No need for you to go back and forth.¡±

    Although the room next door was humble and simple, Yuxi knew that there was a kang (a brick bed that could be heated) that she could lie on, as long as there was bedding around. ¡°Thank you, Teacher.¡± Teacher Song still had some human touch in her.

    Not long after lunch, old woman Ding told Teacher Song the news she heard. ¡°The Fourth Miss¡¯ leg was not hurt by herself, but was sprained by Second Miss who had pushed her.¡±

    Teacher Song let out a cold snort, thinking that, no antidote was possible (Chinese idiom : beyond redemption) for this kind of act. She thought of something and asked, ¡°Why has the Fourth Miss¡¯ temperament changed so much?¡± The difference between what she heard and what she saw made her could not help but felt suspicious.

    Old woman Ding hesitated for a moment, then she whispered to Teacher Song, ¡°At the beginning of the year, when Fourth Miss had smallpox, Old Madam Han had called off the doctor who treated her halfway. People in the residence said that Fourth Miss had a hard life but despite that, she would not die easily anyway.¡±

    Teacher Song asked, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Old woman Ding repeated the information she had learned, ¡°The Fourth Miss used to be weak and cowardly. When she was being bullied, she didn¡¯t say a word. However, after being cured from smallpox, her temperament changed greatly. This is also why the information we got was so different from the actual situation.¡±

    Teacher Song¡¯s expression didn¡¯t looked good, ¡°Unexpectedly, there is exist an elder with this much bias.¡± For the sake of a grandson, an elder could even ignore a granddaughter¡¯s life. This kind of elder was really terrifying.

    Old woman Ding was actually worried. The Third Miss grew up with the Old Madam. It wouldn¡¯t be great if she learnt on how to deal with others from Old Madam Han. ¡°Ma¡¯am, the Third Miss is one in a million in term of looks and talent. With that kind of grandmother, I¡¯m afraid that she will also be affected.¡±

    Teacher Song shook her head and said, ¡°The Third Miss is still young. Even if she is influenced by Old Madam Han, it is still limited. As long as I teach her well, there will be no problem. But Fourth Miss¡­ ¡° After a short pause, she asked softly, ¡°Did she knew about the doctor or not?¡± The reason why she asked this question was that some servants would help hide this from their masters.

    Old woman Ding replied, ¡°Of course she knew. I heard from an old woman servant said that the day when the doctor did note was the day when Fourth Miss woke up.¡± Even if Fourth Miss was ill and unconscious at that time, someone would certainly have told her afterwards.

    Teacher Song felt into a deep thought.

    Old woman Ding added, ¡°Ma¡¯am, after the Fourth Miss was well, the Old Madam sent out her mama, who was left by her biological mother to her. Now the mama of the Rose Courtyard and a maid close to her are both the Old Madam¡¯s people.¡±

    Teacher Song¡¯s expression slightly changed. She felt that the Old Madam Han¡¯s behaviour went just too far. ¡°How did Fourth Miss settled down her former mama?¡± Looking at Yuxi¡¯s behaviour, she wouldn¡¯t ignore her former mama¡¯s situation.

    Old woman Ding ruefully said, ¡°The baozi (steamed stuffed bun) made by this mama were delicious, so Fourth Miss opened a snack shop for her. It is said that the business is very good, and now it can earn thirty to forty taels of silver a month! I heard that all the silvers were given to Fourth Miss.¡± In name, it was a snack shop for Fourth Miss¡¯ former mama. However, in reality, it was to earn private money for herself.

    Teacher Song said in a low voice, ¡°After hearing what you said, I actually can¡¯t see through the Fourth Miss at all.¡±

    Old Madam Ding also felt that Yuxi had frightened her a bit, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really not easy for a child to behave so calmly after being informed of such unfair things.¡± Her Master¡¯s family was also precocious, but not as horrible as the Fourth Miss¡¯.

    Teacher Song also thought Yuxi was a little premature, but if she thought about what had happened to her, it was not hard for her to understand. ¡°Judging from the way she handled her former mama¡¯s matter, it shows that she still had a good heart.¡±

    At this time, Yuxi was not aware that Teacher Song and old woman Ding were talking about her. As in this moment, she was just woke up. Her afternoon nap was not long, only for half an hour, then she woke up at this point.

    She usually wrote big characters if she had free time after taking a nap, but she couldn¡¯t do it today, so she changed it to recite her lessons. However, no matter how low her voice was it still could be heard and seen by the maids in the courtyard.

    When old woman Ding heard Yuxi¡¯s recitation, she asked Teacher Song, ¡°Will Ma¡¯am ept Fourth Miss as a student?¡± Although Yuxi¡¯s performance was very good, she still thought Yuxi¡¯s mind had too many ideas.

    Teacher Song didn¡¯t answer her question. Yuxi was not poor in talent and worked very hard, but there was still a big gap between her and Yuchen.

    Yuxi¡¯s injured leg took ten days topletely heal.

    Today after ss, Teacher Song didn¡¯t immediately leave but instead asked Yuchen and Yuxi to stay. Then, she gave both of them timetables.

    Yuxi looked at the timetable, which read : learning musical instruments in the early morning; learning calligraphy and listening to lectures in the morning; In the afternoon, studied chess and painting.

    Teacher Song looked at Yuxi and said, ¡°Fourth Miss, which musical instrument are you going to learn?¡± Third Miss had learned the qin, so she didn¡¯t need to choose, but Yuxi had never touched any musical instrument.

    Yuxi shook her head, ¡°Teacher, I don¡¯t know which instrument to choose.¡± She had never gotten in touched with musical instruments in her previous life, so she would not choose them carelessly. She would rather have Teacher Song helped her chose them.

    Teacher Song thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Then choose the guzheng!¡±

    In this video, the guy was ying guqin while thedy was ying guzheng. Both the musical instruments are from the zither family. Despite that, they are quite different in size, sound and method of ying.

    In size, guqin is much shorter than guzheng and a bit thinner since guqin has only 7 strings, while guzheng has 16 to 21 strings, making its size a bit wider than guqin.

    The sound of guqin is a bit low tonepared to guzheng high tone.

    While guqin is focusing more on your left hand movement, the guzheng focus on your right hand movement.

    Yuxi was not really that interested in musical instruments, but since Teacher Song wanted to teach her, she would certainly not refusing. People like them, even if they were not proficient in music theory, had to know at least something about it.

    Yuchen said, ¡°Teacher, I want to learn to y flute again.¡± It was too monotonous to learn only the qin. She had to learn at least two subjects to get good at it.

    Teacher Song shook her head and said, ¡°Master the art of qin first, then you can learn other musical instruments.¡± Too many skills wouldn¡¯t pressure the body (Chinese idiom : It was good to learn so many skills), but they must also be equally proficient.

    Yuchen nodded.

    Before she left, Teacher Song said, ¡°Starting from today, you will write one hundred characters every day. You don¡¯t have to give it to me after you¡¯ve written it.¡± This meant that writing them was entirely voluntary, but she didn¡¯t worry about them beingzy.

 Chapter 28 - Choices

    <strong>Chapter 28 : Choices</strong>

    After Yuxi returned to her courtyard, she wrote a hundred characters, then sat down in her chair and did not speak for a long time. Nobody knew what she was thinking.

    Only Moju was brave enough to interrupt her, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s time for supper.¡±

    Only then did Yuxi pulled out from her thoughts and asked, ¡°What did you make today?¡±

    Three Silky Silverfish Soup

    Image credit to PCbaby

    Moju brought a sweet white porcin bowl and said, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s three silky silverfish soup.¡± Her Master had been very fond of eating fish since she got well. Nowadays, the kitchen cooked fish three to five times, and there were many ways to do it, such as braising in soy sauce, steaming, boiling in water, fish porridge, fish soup, etc.

    When Yuxi finished eating the fish soup, Moju tentatively asked, ¡°Miss, what were you thinking just now? You looked so engrossed.¡°

    Yuxi nced at Moju and said, ¡°I¡¯m thinking about something.¡± It was better to save somethings of yourself, untold to others, even if this person was your close subordinate.

    Moju was somewhat disappointed after hearing Yuxi¡¯s reply.

    When Yuxi arrived at Magnolia Courtyard the next day, she was surprised to see Teacher Song air punching in the yard. She did not want to disturb her so she asked old woman Ding, who was waiting by the sidelines with a towel, ¡°What is Teacher Song doing?¡±

    Old woman Ding said with a smile, ¡°This is wuqinxi (lit. Five Animals y). Ma¡¯am insists on keeping fit every day. After years of persistence, she seldom falls ill even till this day.¡±

    Unbeknownst to Yuxi, Teacher Song was seriously ill a few years ago. After her illness was cured, she felt that her health was not as good as it was before. So,ter on, she learned this set of wuqinxi and had been sticking to it all these years.

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes brightened up when she heard the words ¡®keeping fit¡¯.

    Seeing the yearning in Yuxi¡¯s eyes, old woman Ding smiled and said, ¡°If you want to learn wuqinxi, you must persist day by day. If you cannot persist, it won¡¯t work very well.¡±

    Yuxi earnestly looked at Teacher Song practicing without saying a word.

    After Teacher Song had done practicing wuqinxi, she went inside her room and cleaned herself up. At that time, Yuchen also arrived. Yuxi looked with a red face at the servant girl behind Yuchen who was holding a qin. She didn¡¯t even think about bringing a guzheng. Well, actually, she didn¡¯t owned one either.

    The musical instrument room was Yuxi¡¯s former resting room. As soon as she entered, she saw two tables with a qin and a guzheng on them.

    Shishu went up to one of the table and took the qin on top of it. Then, she wiped the table and chair. Finally, she ced the qin that they brought on top of the table.

    As if Yuxi hadn¡¯t seen what the maid was doing, she went to the table with the guzheng and plucked a few strings, making a harsh sound.

    Yuchen frowned slightly.

    Du Yao

    Image credit to

    Hunan Museum

    When Teacher Song entered the room, she saw the qin in Yuchen¡¯s hand at a nce. The surface of the qin was painted with ck and red paint, and also with broken lines of plum blossom and snake belly interwoven. While at its back, there were broken lines of ox hairs. She asked, ¡°Is this Du Yao (lit. Solitute and seclusion) ?¡±

    Yuchen nodded and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, this is a unique relic left by my mother.¡±

    Teacher Song nodded her head and said, ¡°Then you should learn the qin well and be worthy of it when you can y exciting musics in the future.¡±

    Yuxi had never heard of Du You. Despite that, she knew that this qin must had been very valuable, otherwise she would not have seen the surprise look on Teacher Song when she took a nce at it. Then, Yuxi looked at the clothes made of brocade on Yuchen. She had never worn clothes made of brocade in her whole life. Thus, she didn¡¯t want to bepared with her, as it would only make her felt depressed.

    Yuchen had been studying qin for more than a year, so, it was not a problem for her to y it fluently. However, after she finished ying a piece of music, Teacher Songmented, ¡°Well, it¡¯s very good, and your technique is quite skilled, but it is stillcking. So, you need to practice more.¡± This was the oue of learning the skills first, then the otherster on.

    After instructing Yuchen, Teacher Song went over to teach Yuxi. Since Yuxi had no foundation in ying guzheng, it was essential for her to be taught from the basics, ¡°When ying, use the four fingers of the right hand to pluck the strings.¡± After giving out a demonstration, Teacher Song continued, ¡°While, your left hand should be on the left side of the guzheng column. Your left hand job is to adjust the tension and controlling the change of the string sound. This is for adjusting the pitch and perfect the melody.¡±

    Then she talked about fingering methods when ying the guzheng, ¡°The right hand has hook, support, split, pick, wipe, pick, pick, beat, shake, pinch, etc., the left hand has press, slide, rub, tremble¡­¡±

    Listening to these, Yuxi felt so dizzy that she didn¡¯t know what she had learned the whole morning in ss.

    Because of their tight schedule, both Yuchen¡¯s and Yuxi¡¯s maids send their morning meal directly to Magnolia Courtyard, where the two had their meal.

    Yuchen looked at the eighteen dishes ced on her desk, then at the six dishes ced on Yuxi¡¯s desk, and said, ¡°Fourth Sister, let¡¯s eat them together!¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and answered, ¡°No need.¡± Yuchen had a rich variety of dishes, but the amounts were rtively small. She was afraid that Yuchen would not have enough to eat if she ate some of her dishes. This would surely make the Old Madam came over to settle ounts with her.

    Yuchen felt a little apologetic at Yuxi, but she also knew that if she said too much, Yuxi would surely be disgusted with her.

    The morning course was not bad for Yuxi as she could understand it. Unfortunately, for the afternoon ss, it was the opposite. She had never came into contact with chess and painting, while Yuchen had been studying them for more than a year. The two people were not on the same starting line, but Teacher Song still spoke quickly, causing Yuxi toin bitterly in her heart.

    After ss, Teacher Song gave Yuxi two basic books, ¡°This is the qipu (a record of a Chinese chess match), and picture album. Take it back and have a good look.¡± Learning chess depended not only on talent, but also acquired practice.

    Yuxi took the two books and said sincerely, ¡°Thank you, Teacher.¡± Added with music score book, she now had three books to study.

    Back in the Rose Courtyard, Yuxi sat in a chair and recalled today¡¯s events. She could not help herself but sigh with emotion. Yuchen studied the Four Arts as if she were ying. However, Yuxi seemed to be climbing a mountain, especially when it came to guzheng, which could be said she was totally ignorant of. Fortunately, she had been working hard all her life and had a lot of ability to endure it. If it was someone else, she would have been tired of learning long time ago.

    When Yuru was in the main courtyard, her face changed as she heard that Teacher Song had started teaching the Four Arts. After she returned to her own courtyard, she ordered Zhuxuan, ¡°Go and inquire if Teacher Song has really started teaching the Four Arts.¡±

    Zhuxuan actually heard the news yesterday evening, but she hid it from Yuru, afraid that Yuru would feel ufortable once she heard it. Now, she couldn¡¯t hide it anymore.

    When Yuru heard the news was true, her fingernails pierced her palms as she clenched her hands. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that Teacher Song will teach Four Arts from the beginning? Why didn¡¯t you also tell me that she will teach them now?¡± She thought Teacher Song only teached Four Arts to her recognized student only. She did not know that she would teach them after a month. If she had known earlier, she would have insisted even if she knew it would be very difficult for her.

    Zhuxuan spoke out her guess, ¡°I think Teacher Song must have taken a fancy of the Third Miss and Fourth Miss.¡± This meant that Teacher Song was going to ept both Yuxi and Yuchen as her students.

    Yuru shook her head and said, ¡°Impossible. Teacher Song is only willing to teach one student at a time. It is impossible for her to make an exception for Yuxi.¡° Yuxi also didn¡¯t have such a big reputation for Teacher Song to make any exception for.

    Zhuxuan gently advised, ¡°Miss, whatever Teacher Song does, it has nothing to do with us.¡± They were no longer qualified and for them to argue over this matter was meaningless acts.

    Hearing this, Yuru immediately felt discouraged.

    When learning something, sometimes it was not enough to rely on hard work alone. For example, Yuxi who had been studying for less than half a month, still yed a disturbing noise. Most importantly, she didn¡¯t even know what she was ying, which made her felt too ashamed.

    Moju saw Yuxi¡¯s depressed look and tried tofort her by saying, ¡°Miss, the music that the Third Miss yed was so beautiful because she had a good qin. If Miss also had a good guzheng, Miss could also y beautiful music too.¡±

    Yuxi said as she went speechless, ¡°This requires natural talent. It has nothing to do with whether the musical instrument is good or not.¡±

    Moju saw that Yuxi had gotten angry, made her did not dare to say more. These two days, her Master¡¯s look had not been looking good, presumably because of Third Miss¡¯ performance which was too good to be beaten.

    The next day, Yuxi went to see Teacher Song after ss. She looked depressed as she said, ¡°Teacher, I don¡¯t want to learn guzheng.¡±

    With Yuchen in the background, Teacher Song knew that Yuxi was under great pressure. However, she was surprised that Yuxi would give up. She always gave her the feeling that she was strong and she would not sound out the difficulties and retreated to avoid defeat (Chinese idiom : withdraw or quit after learning of the difficulties, hardships, etc. Involved) . So, Teacher Song said, ¡°To learn something needs a lot of perseverance and strong willpower. You can¡¯t give up just because you can¡¯t learn it well.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Teacher, although chess and painting are difficult, but I have also starting to get a hold of them after learning these days. But I have learned guzheng for such a long time, and yet, I still don¡¯t know what I have learned. Teachee, I heard that learning music depends on one¡¯s talent. Without talent, even with perseverance and willpower, it is still useless.¡° What she really meant was, she had no talent for music.

    Teacher Song looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°Do you want to give up halfway?¡±

    Yuxi corrected Teacher Song¡¯s words, ¡°Teacher, it is not that I give up halfway, but I really don¡¯t have the talent in this aspect. Even if I stick to it, it will be just a waste of time.¡± Yes, she gave it up so easily. It was because, she had no talent on one hand. While on the other hand, she felt it was useless to learn musical instruments. Since it was useless, it was better to use this time to learn something more useful.

    Teacher Song then said, ¡°You even dare to argue with me. You really have a lot of guts.¡±

    When did Yuxi had a lot of guts? She was being pressured. ¡°Teacher, I can¡¯t keep on learning it. I don¡¯t know why, but when I was practicing music in my yard, all my maids and old women wished they could plug their ears with cottons.¡±

    When Teacher Song heard this, she could not stop herself fromughing.

    Seeing that Teacher Song still didn¡¯t give any positive respond, Yuxi said, ¡°Teacher, Third Sister learned this two years earlier than I did. She¡¯s a quick learner. I am afraid I will not be able to keep up with her progress if this continues. Without learning music theory, I would have more time to spend on other lessons.¡±

    When Teacher Song heard this, she finally nodded and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to learn it, then forget about it.¡± Judging from Yuxi¡¯s performance these days, she could see that Yuxi really didn¡¯t have any talent in this art. She only teached chess and painting twice to her, and Yuxi could easily understand them. However, when it came to guzheng, even if she taught her more than 10 times, it was still useless.

    Yuxi felt ashamed of herself.

    Then, Teacher Song smiled and said, ¡°Although you have no talent in music theory, you have a good grasp of color. As long as you study hard, you can certainly learn painting well.¡± Qualification was very important, so was talent. Yuxi¡¯s qualification was very good, and she also had the talent in painting. Teacher Song didn¡¯t want Yuxi to waste it.

    Yuxi was somewhat ashamed and said, ¡°Thank you, Teacher.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°Teacher, I want to learn wuqinxi from you.¡±

    Teacher Song felt somewhat strange, so she asked, ¡°Why do you want to learn wuqinxi?¡±

    Yuxi answered, ¡°I have been in poor health since I was a child and I often get sick. Mama Ding said that after learning wuqinxi, one would not get sick frequently and no need to take bitter medicine anymore.¡°

    Teacher Song looked at Yuxi, who was ruddy inplexion, and asked suspiciously, ¡°Do you often get sick?¡± Looking at Yuxi¡¯s appearance, she didn¡¯t looked like a sick seedling.

    ¡°I used to get sick a lot, but now I feel much better,¡± Yuxi answered sheepishly.

    Teacher Song kind of understand her situation, but she won¡¯t respond to Yuxi¡¯s request for now. Instead, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this again next year!¡±

    Yuxi did not know why she had to wait until next year. Now it was already the eleventh month of lunar year and New Year would arrive in another month. Well, came to think of it, how hard was it for her to wait for two months more.

 Chapter 29 - Nightmare

    <strong>Chapter 29 : Nightmare</strong>

    Old Madam Han soon learned that Yuxi had given up learning music theory, and immediately ordered someone to call over Yuxi.

    Yuxi went to the main room and did the greeting ritual in an orderly way.

    Old Madam Hanid down the Buddha beads on the yellow pear wood table beside her. Then, she slowly turned her head, looked at Yuxi, and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us that you have just made up your mind not to learn music theory?¡±

    In the face of Old Madam Han, Yuxi didn¡¯t dare to speak nonsense, nor dare to y dumb, ¡°I¡¯ve learned it for several days, but it still doesn¡¯t even enter any aperture of my head (Chinese idiom : Can¡¯t understand at all). Today, I¡¯ve told my teacher about this, and she said that I have no talent in music theory. Since it is a waste of time to continue studying without talent, I will stop learning it.¡±

    Old Madam Han looked at Yuxi, and it seemed like she could see through her eyes, ¡°Is this really the case?¡±

    Yuxi was not overwhelmed by the Old Madam¡¯s imposing manner. She, who have died once, what could she be afraid of? ¡°If Grandmother doesn¡¯t believe it, Grandmother can ask Teacher Song.¡±

    Old Madam Han gave a cold hum, ¡°You have a lot of nerve.¡± Without her consent, she, Yuxi, dared not learn the qin without authorization. Her bravery had gone to heaven. This time she must be severely punished.

    Yuxi gave a wry smile, ¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s not that granddaughter has a lot of nerve, but I really can¡¯t learn this. Every time I took music lessons, it became hard for me.¡± Seeing the Old Madam¡¯s ugly face, she hurriedly said, ¡°However, teacher said that I have talent in painting, so, let me learn to paint well.¡± There were many simrities between painting and embroidery. It was also for this reason that her painting skill was extremely good. However, she did not intend to spend too much energy on this skill. The reason was very simple. No matter how well she learnt it, there was really no real use for her surname when she was in trouble.

    Old Madam Han¡¯s face softened a bit, ¡°Since this idea is your first offence, copy Lessons For Women three times and send them to me a yearter.¡± The time limit she gave was still quite long. It was mainly because Yuxi had a heavy learning task, so, she had to put a long time limit.

    Yuxi had no objection.

    After Yuxi went out of the room, Old Madam Han leaned toward the side at Yuchen and said, ¡°Chen-er, you can¡¯t act like Fourth Girl.¡± Although Yuxi studied very hard, she did not expect much from her. Yuxi, in particr, was often good at advocating, which made her unhappy.

    Naturally, Yuchen would never act like Yuxi, because under the guidance of Teacher Song these days, her skill in qin had made great progress. With a mentor like Teacher Song, she would only determined to work harder and would not give up the chance to learn.

    Compared with Old Madam Han¡¯s dissatisfaction, Qiu Shi was much calmer. Hearing Yuxi¡¯s exnation, she nodded and said, ¡°If you can¡¯t learn, then don¡¯t learn. If you are forced to learn, you will only suffer.¡± In fact, ording to her personal opinion, what were the use of art of qin, chess, calligraphy and painting even if you had mastered them? As long as the girl learned needlework and housekeeping, that was enough.

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°Aunt¡¯s abacus is very good, if Aunt does not mind, I want to learn from Aunt!¡±

    Qiu Shi was not good at scheming against each other, but she had a good way of managingmon affairs. Not to mention that her dowry had increased several times over the years, it was said that under her care, the residence could now make ends meet every year. Before, the residence used to run a deficit every year and suffered huge losses.

    Yuxi used to learn housekeeping with Qiu Shi in her previous life. At that time, she began to think that she was going to marry the second son of the Qiu family, so she only learned some simple things. When she got married to Jiang Hongjin, she was always in a state of worry and fear. Why else would she want to continue learning these things for? But now, it was necessary to learn from an example of a good housewife was. Being a good housewife was much more practical than the art of qin.

    Qiu Shi cheerfully said, ¡°If you want to learn from me, I will naturally teach you, but you are still young. It will not bete to learn it in a few years.¡±

    Liuyin came and said, ¡°Madam, Concubine Lian is not feeling well. She requested a doctor.¡±

    Qiu Shi looked very happy as she said, ¡°Go and ask Dr. Li to see her.¡±

    Yuxi felt Qiu Shi¡¯s attitude was very strange. It didn¡¯t matter whether Concubine Lian was ill or not. So, why was her aunt look so happy instead?

    Soon, Hongshan did an enquiries on the matter and immediately told Yuxi the information that she heard, ¡°Miss, Concubine Lian is pregnant. The doctor said that she had been pregnant for three months.¡±

    Concubine Lian had smartly hidden this matter deep enough till it reached 3 months.

    Seeing Yuxi didn¡¯t said a word, Hongshan continued, ¡°Miss, Concubine Rong hasn¡¯t yet reach there months pregnancy yet.¡± This meant that Concubine Lian¡¯s pregnancy happened much earlier than Concubine Rong.

    Yuxi suddenly understood the reason behind Qiu Shi¡¯s happy look. Perhaps her Eldest Aunt already knew about Concubine Lian¡¯s pregnancy, and helped her hid it from the public. Yuxi let out an insincereugh, thinking of what would Concubine Rong feel once she heard this news.

    When Concubine Rong heard the news of Concubine Lian¡¯s pregnancy, she was so angry that she smashed most of the furnitures inside the room and scolded the old woman who served her, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t any newse out about such a big thing?¡± If Concubine Lian¡¯s child was also a boy, it would certainly affect her child¡¯s status.

    A few confidants around Concubine Rong had been sold by the Old Madam. This new old woman was a bitgged behind when it came to obtaining news. Concubine Rong had both money and means to bring over the old woman servant to side with her if she wanted to. However, this old woman Feng had a very shallow foundation. She had no influence in the residence, and was not very clever. She always couldn¡¯t do things the way Concubine Rong wanted.

    Old women Feng answered, ¡°The news was just leaked today. There was no wind before.¡±

    This matter made Concubine Rong¡¯s teeth itched. She believed that this situation was most likely Qiu Shi¡¯s sinister plot.

    Old woman Fengforted her, ¡°Ma¡¯am, you absolutely should not lose your temper. The most urgent thing now is to raise a good baby. As long as you give birth to a son, you will have to rely on him for the rest of your life.¡±

    When Concubine Rong heard this, the anger in her eyes gradually dissipated. She gently touched her belly and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Nothing is more important than the child in my belly.¡±

    When old woman Feng saw that Concubine Rong listening to her every words, she advised her, ¡°This old servant would like to say something which is not pleasant for Ma¡¯am to hear. Madam is currently trying to catch Ma¡¯am¡¯s mistake. She wants to use it to end your life. So, at this time, we should be very careful.¡± What she meant was for Concubine Rong not to strike a vicious blow on to Concubine Lian. Otherwise, Concubine Rong would be the one who got the worst of it.

    After a long silence, Concubine Rong nodded and said, ¡°My top priority right now is to give birth to a healthy child.¡± They also had to make sure weither Concubine Lian¡¯s child would be a son or a daughter. If she was going to have a daughter, they did not need to do anything.

    When the Old Madam knew about Concubine Lian¡¯s pregnancy, she was so happy. She send a lot of valuable medicinal materials and several valuable jewellries to Concubine Lian.

    Mama Li was on guard against Concubine Lian when she got the news. It was because Concubine Lian was not only highly favored by the Duke Han but also valued by the Old Madam. If she gained enough power, she would pose a greater threat to her Master in the future.

    While, Qiu Shi felt a lingering fear for Concubine Rong after listening to Mama Li¡¯s words. After muttering by herself for a moment, she finally said, ¡°Now that both Concubine Lian and Concubine Rong are pregnant, they will not be able to serve the Lord Duke. I will arrange for 2 more people to serve him.¡± Divided the favours using beauties.

    Mama Li nevertheless said, ¡°Madam, those persons should be chosen carefully.¡± The concubine whom the Old Madam chose was not only beautiful but also resourceful and calcting. They could no longer pick people with only faces and no brains, as they used to pick.

    Qiu Shi gave a brief nods.

    The inner court¡¯s rivalry had nothing to do with Yuxi. She only needed to know the general trend in the residence. She picked up her unfinished handkerchief and continued embroidering it under the light. Since learning with Teacher Song, she had not done any embroidery for a long time.

    Mama Shen said, ¡°Miss is still young. There¡¯s nock of time for you to embroiderter on.¡± In fact, Mama Shen was somewhat unable to make sense of Yuxi. If she learned to y qin well, she could use it to dazzle others in social gatherings. However, she rather practiced embroidery more, like she would be one of the embroiderydies in the future.

    Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°Embroidery skill also needs time to hone. So, I¡¯m going to take two quarters of an hour at noon to practice.¡± Since, nowadays, there was less homework given and they were given more time for self-study.

    Mama Shen saw that anymore persuasion would only be useless, so she decided to change the subject, ¡°Miss, Third Miss has a study room, qin room and painting room. Should we also tidy up the side room to be used like her?¡± She hoped Yuxi would not differ too much from Yuchen.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Not for the time being.¡±

    Mama Shen was puzzled, ¡°Miss, why not use it for the time being?¡±

    Yuxi looked at the direction of the main room and said, ¡°Because I can¡¯t use it for the time being. And remember, don¡¯tpare me with my Third Sister in the future. I don¡¯t like it.¡± From the start, both of them didn¡¯t stand on the same parallel line and to associate both of them too much would only make her ufortable.

    Mama Shen didn¡¯t dared to speak anymore.

    After writing daily hundred characters, Yuxi reviewed what she had learned in the daytime. Finally she took out her qipu and ordered, ¡°Bring me my chess.¡±

    Among qin, chess, calligraphy and painting, the only thing Yuxi was willing to learn hard was chess. This was because when Teacher Song taught chess for the first time, she said that ying weiqi (or is widely known as Go game nowadays) could exercise people¡¯s calction, thinking, memory, attention and endurance. Yuxi knew her weight. Although she had lived for a lifetime once, she was not particrly outstanding in all aspects. She could only study hard to get better.

    Moju came over and said, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s time to go to bed. Tomorrow you have to get up early!¡±

    Yuxi was reluctant to put it down. She just got the taste of it. However, she had to follow her own schedule. If she disturbed the schedule for the next day, she would be in disordered.

    Lying in bed, Yuxi couldn¡¯t help thinking about the unfinished chess game just now. However, since she was extremely tired to begin with, she finally felt asleep in a daze.

    ¡°Hu¡­¡± Yuxi sat up from the bed and looked at the familiar ce, then breathed a sigh of relief. What a deuce! She dreamed that she was ying chess with Jiang Hongjin, and she had no room to fight back when facing him who approached her slowly. As a result, she lost miserably.

    She didn¡¯t know what this dream meant, but she knew that the gap between her and Jiang Hongjin was too big. His methods, intelligence and scheming were all not bad. Her only advantage was that she had the first chance. If she wanted to stop falling into the situation of her previous life, she must start nning now.

    Yuxi muttered to herself, ¡°What¡¯s the first chance that I can use?¡±

    After thinking for a long time, she thought of a person. This person was Jiang Hongjin¡¯s half brother, Jiang Hongfu, the eldest son of Jiang Wenrui with histe first wife. It was just that he was nine years old when he met an ident in the street market and died early.

    Yuxi knows very little about Jiang Hongfu. After all, when she married into the Jiang family, Yu Shi already took charge of the Jiang residence as the new master. As a stepmother, Yu Shi certainly didn¡¯t want the servants to discuss about the first wife and her son. Yuxi only knew about this matter after she heard a drunk old servant of Jiang residence talked about Jiang Hongfu, saying that he was also a very intelligent child.

    The enemy of her enemy was her friend. If Jiang Hongfu had not died early, Jiang Hongjin would not have a smooth road.

    Yuxi calcted that Jiang Hongfu was eight years old this year, which meant that he would have an ident next year. It was also a coincidence that the day Jiang Hongfu died happened to be three days before her birthday, so she remembered it clearly. As long as she saved Jiang Hongfu on that day, everything should be different from her previous life.

    After Yuxi understood this, it felt like a heavy burden had been lifted from her heart and soon made her fell asleep again.

 Chapter 30 - New Years Gift (1)

    <strong>Chapter 30 : New Year¡¯s Gift (1)</strong>

    It snowed that day. White and wless little snowkes fluttered down from the sky like beautiful silver butterflies dancing lightly. Snow, fell more and more. Snowkes flied all over the sky, like smoke, but not to be confused with smoke, like fog, but also not to be confused with fog. The whole world was shrouded with the vast snow.

    In the cold winter months, the inside of house had been heated earlier. Yuxi sat in the warm room and looked inside the qipu. Studying the qipu had now be her best hobby, surpassing her former hobby ¨C embroidery.

    Moju quickly came in. Since she was cold, she didn¡¯t dare to get close to Yuxi. She said at the door, ¡°Miss, Motao just now fell down and now she can¡¯t get up.¡± The ground was frozen that Motao slipped while carrying the food box.

    Yuxi said hurriedly, ¡°Please go and get a doctor.¡± Motao was one of the four maidservants of Yuxi who was the least cold-headed. She did things with a dull head on weekdays and had the weakest sense of existence. But this did not mean that Yuxi did not take care of Motao. On the contrary, she still attached great importance to Motao.

    Moju nodded in response, ¡°Miss, we still need to wait for breakfast.¡± Motao had dropped all Yuxi¡¯s breakfast to the ground, so they had to get another one from the big kitchen. However, the main kitchen had to get an extra portion for that, which meant that breakfast would be done slower than usual.

    Yuxi calcted the time for her to wait for the main kitchen to be done with it. She was sure going to bete. She then said, ¡°Don¡¯t do it any more. Just bring anything that can be eaten from the kitchen.¡± If she had a small kitchen, she wouldn¡¯t be in such trouble. However, this could only be considered. The residence only had a kitchte for the Old Madam and Eldest Aunt, no one else.

    After a quarter of an hour, the breakfast was delivered. Today morning breakfast was very simple, only baozi (steamed stuffed bun), mantou (steamed bread), and a bowl of millet porridge.

    Yuxi was not a picky eater either. When she had done eating her breakfast, she was ready to go to Magnolia Courtyard.

    On her way out, Mama Shen wanted Yuxi to wear another coat, but Yuxi stopped her, ¡°I¡¯m wearing a fur coat and it¡¯s not cold.¡± She was now much stronger than before and did not need to be wrapped like a zongzi (sticky rice dumpling).

    Mama Shen was unable to dissuade Yuxi, so she had to give up.

    At the gate of Magnolia Courtyard, Yuxi saw Yuchen. Because it was extremely cold these two days, Yuchen had note to learn qin early in the morning.

    Yuchen was wearing a silver-white foreign satin sable fur cloak on the outside, and her head was covered by the cap of the cloak. When she entered the ssroom, she took off her cloak, revealing the inside which was a knee length water red jacket with snow weasel furs and engraved with silver line.

    Yuxi nced at Yuchen¡¯s cloak, but her eyes fell on a kind of ice-cold emerald gourd bracelet on her wrist. Yuchen usually wore few jewelleries, but as long as she wore it, it must be a top-quality product, and it was basically not heavy. Yuxi only looked at the jewelry that Yuchen wore every time, which could make her gain a lot of insight.

    Yuxi turned her head and looked at Shishu¡¯s guarded eyes. It felt really bad to be guarded like she was a thief. Before, she just ignored this feeling, but today she felt a bit irritated and said with a deliberate smile, ¡°Third Sister, this bracelet of yours is really beautiful. Can you show it to me?¡±

    ºùÂ« (hulu) / Gourd

    By aroid, CC by 2.0 vis flickr

    and pinkytoky (Good Luck Symbol ¨C Hulu, the Cbash Gourd, February 8, 2018)

    The gourd symbolised ¡®good fortune¡¯ and this gourd bracelet was made from old ice cold emerald. The six gourds on the bracelet were vivid in colour, crystal clear and full of vitality.

    Yuxi looked at it and could not help but gasped in admiration, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±

    Seeing this, Shishu hastily said, ¡°This bracelet was given to my Miss by the Old Madam a few days ago.¡± Everyone in the ce knew what this statement meant.

    When Moju heard this, her eyes burst into mes with anger.

    There were certain things that you couldn¡¯t say just because you knew it. If you still said it, it would turn out to be something embarrassing. This time, Shishu really angered Yuxi. Yuxi looked at Shishu and said with a forced smile, ¡°You don¡¯t know what you said, but you think I¡¯m scheming for Third Sister¡¯s bracelets.¡±

    Shishu didn¡¯t expect Yuxi to speak so bluntly, so her face instantly turned stiff. She believed she was loved by the Old Madam and her Miss, but she was also a servant girl. How could she bepared with Fourth Miss?

    Yuchen did not know why Yuxi suddenlyunched an attack against Shishu and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s not something valuable. If Fourth Sister like it, then I will give it to you.¡±

    Hearing this statement, made Yuxi felt that things of high value were like weeds on the roadside in the eyes of others. It was really ufortable. She smiled and said, ¡°No, there are so many beautiful things in the world that I can¡¯t take them all for myself.¡± Having said this, she handed the bracelet to Yuchen and lowered her head to sort out her books.

    When Yuxi returned to the Rose Courtyard after ss, Mama Shen said with a smile, ¡°Miss, the New Year¡¯s gift from Master has arrived.¡± Today was the eighteen days of the twelfth month of the lunar year, and this year¡¯s gift came at a really good time.

    Yuxi immediately gave a respond, ¡°Oh!¡±. Although Han Jingyan was an official who always worked outside of the capital in her previous life, it did not hinder her admiration for him. Even back then, when she was wronged, she thought that as long as her father was in the residence, no one could bully her. Unexpectedly, Han Jingyan regarded her as nothing after his returned to the capital. Even when she was bullied by Wu Shi, he never cared. That was not all. Knowing that Jiang Family was a pit of fire, she still being pushed into it. Was this her biological father? She didn¡¯t know, but she thought of him as her enemy. Therefore, she had no more affection for Han Jingyan, a cold-blooded and ruthless father.

    Mama Shen looked at Yuxi¡¯s expression, which was neither salty nor nd, and her heart thumped. It was like Yuxi did not care at all about Master negligence. Could this mean that Miss was not close with Master either? This was not good. ¡°Miss, the Master has sent a lot of things this time.¡±

    Yuxi thought for a moment and asked, ¡°If I remember correctly, my father has been in Hebei for five years and will be six years by next year. Will fatheres back next year? ¡°

    Mama Shen smiled and said, ¡°I heard that Master¡¯s achievements are excellent and will probably be promoted next year.¡± If you wanted to be promoted, you would definitely note back.

    Yuxi was silent for a moment and then she asked, ¡°Mama Shen, what kind of person is my stepmother?¡± Seeing that Mama Shen did not speak, she said, ¡°If mama is not clear, just this time, let¡¯s inquire about it from the people who came back from Hebei.¡±

    Mama Shen looked a little ufortable.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t say anything to her face, but she turned to let Hongshan inquire about Wu Shi. Hongshan had a wide range of connections, and Yuxi also gave her some money to take care of it. She soon got the news.

    Hongshan had inquired about Wu Shi¡¯s basic situation and she told Yuxi about itter on.

    After hearing what Hongshan said, Yuxi deliberately pretended to be dissatisfied and asked, ¡°What else?¡± It took several taels of silvers to find out the number of wives and concubines his father had in Hebei and also the number of aunts and stepsiblings that she had. The news were too simple.

    Hongshan said, ¡°It is said that the Third Madam is strict in her household management. The household is well organized inside and outside, which is highly valued by Master.¡± In fact, she had some worries. It could be seen from the news that the future mistress of the Third House was not a good person, which was very disadvantageous to her Miss.

    Yuxi chuckled. It was good for Wu Shi to manage the family strictly, but those informers could not go so far as to give her these useless news. It should be that these people thought she gave less money. She inquired about Wu Shi¡¯s news just for show. She had been living with Wu Shi for several years in her previous life and was already very clear about her temperament.

    Yuxi said to herself, ¡°There are still many years to go. Don¡¯t worry.¡± It was not until she was eleven that Wu Shi followed her father back to the capital. As soon as Wu Shi arrive in the residence, she fought with her Eldest Aunt for the right to manage the house. The two fought for several years. It was not until her niece, Qiu Yanfu designed Yuxi¡¯s Second Brother that shepletely tore her Eldest Aunt¡¯s face.

    Hongshan didn¡¯t hear clearly what Yuxi just said and asked, ¡°Miss, what you¡¯re talking about?¡±

    Yuxi looked up and returned to her usual look, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal to say that my stepmother is a powerful character. However, Grandmother the main person who could decides what happen in the residence.¡± A few years were enough time for her to be ready. In herst life, she was stupid, but in this life, Wu Shi would never step on her again.

    Meanwhile, Qiu Shi was looking at the New Year¡¯s gifts list sent from Hebei. After reading it, her face looked very ugly.

    Mama Li noticed that Qiu Shi was not looking good, she hurriedly asked, ¡°Madam, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Qiu Shi handed the list to Mama Li said, ¡°They sent several carts of things all the way, all of which were filled with worthless things. It¡¯s a good calction to have won the title and not spend much money!¡° They did send things in a few carts, but if they added up the total values, they would only be up to two or three thousand taels.

    After reading the list, Mama Li¡¯s look also turned bad, ¡°This Wu Shi is going too far.¡± The number of New Year¡¯s gifts increased, but unfortunately there were fewer and fewer valuable things.

    Qiu Shi sneered, ¡°She thinks everyone under the sun is a fool, and only she is the smart one!¡± Wu Shi didn¡¯t want to give up money, but still wanted a face. Didn¡¯t she knew that there was nothing cheap in this world?

    Mama Li calmly said, ¡°Madam, during assessment period on the third month next lunar year, Third Master has already been assigned as a tongzhi (an old word for government deputy prefect during Ming and Qing dynasty) for 6 years. If he has to go to an official trip to the reservoir again, we have to make him clear and also to the Old Madam that next year, we can¡¯t afford to use the public fund to pay for the trip expenses.¡± When her Master married in, the Duke¡¯s official residence was in deficit every year. It took a lot of effort from her Master to make end met till today. The reason for her Master to work hard was not for the sake of Third Master (the original chinese text was ¶þÀÏÒ¯=Second Master, but isn¡¯t he called Third Master, the head of the Third House? This is confusing. However, for now I¡¯ll use themon title to refer Han Jiangyan).

    Qiu Shi understood the meaning of Mama Li¡¯s statement, however, she was somewhat hesitant, ¡°Do you mean to let the Old Madam uses her own money?¡± She was not a tight-fisted person. She had never thought of the Old Madam¡¯s money. It was just that she thought Wu Shi being so tight with money that she let the official residence to pay everything to dot, made Qiu Shi unwilling to continue paying for their expenses.

    Mama Li said, ¡°Madam, even if Wu Shi cannot carry it clearly, the Third Master is not a muddle headed person. I believe that Third Master must have let his confidant send money to the Old Madam and let the Old Madam help with the management. We have to borrow this incident to let the Old Madam knows Wu Shi¡¯s character.¡° The Third Master was a son of a noble family. It was impossible for him not to know that they needed money to manage the residence. This money was certainly impossible for the official residence to easily put forth.

    Qiu Shi had a headache, ¡°If Wu Shi returns, this residence will not be quite again.¡± Although she never met this Wu Shi, but by looking at the way she conducted things showed that they would not get along with each other.

    Mama Li actuallyughed. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t 45worry. When Wu Shi returned, the first person she will see is not Madam, but the Third and Fourth Misses.¡± Both of them were currently following Teacher Song¡¯s study. Even if they only learnt something superficial, it was still impossible for Wu Shi to suppress both girls.

    Qiu Shi shook her head and said, ¡°No matter how strong the Third and Fourth Girls are, they always depend on their brothers in the family. They can¡¯t stand up to Wu Shi.¡±

    Mama Li didn¡¯t argue with Qiu Shi either. Only time would prove it. However, she believed that the Third and Fourth Misses were definitely not ones who tolerated the sound of swallowing (Chinese idiom : to swallow insult and humiliation in silent). As long as Wu Shi returned to the capital, her good days woulde to an end.

 Chapter 31 - New Years Gift (2)

    <strong>Chapter 31 : New Year¡¯s Gift (2)</strong>

    This year¡¯s gifts from Hebei, in addition for the Duke of the State, they were also given to the Old Madam and Yuchen. The Old Madam received a longevity crutch, which was created using a very rare and precious wood, only avable in Chengde, Hebei Province. Its wood was white and wless, delicate as jade, and had the reputation of false ivory.

    Hanging Screens, posted by Samuel Jones via alibaba

    Yuchen got a hanging screens of wood carved with flower and bird pictures. The flowers and birds on the hanging screen were like living ones, and the engraving was very delicate.

    Yuchen loved this thing very much. Not only was it unique, but more importantly, it was given by her father. Over the years, she would receive gifts at the festivals and birthdays. Every time she got something, she would hang it up, and this time was no exception.

    Yuxi had Hongshan, the spy who reports on person¡¯s doings, who was very clear about the great events happening in the residence. Soon she knew about Yuchen got a pair of hanging screens.

    Hongshan actually didn¡¯t want to tell Yuxi that the Third Miss got present from Master, while her Miss got none. If her Miss knew, she definitely would not feelfortable. Since Yuxi herself asked her, she could not say no.

    In her previous life, Yuxi had been saddened by this matter for a long time, but now, she didn¡¯t take it seriously, ¡°There is nothing rare in the capital, as long as you have money, you can buy it. It¡¯s good of you to say that in front of me.¡±

    Hongshan carefully looked at Yuxi¡¯s eyes and found that she was not sad. This made her dared to say, ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t think this is the Master¡¯s idea, but the Third Madam¡¯s.¡± She hoped Yuxi would not resent the Third Master. After all, the Third Master was her father, and her Miss would surely depend on her father in the future.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whose idea it was. Apart from this, is there anything else going on inside the residence these two days? ¡°

    Hongshan shook her head and said, ¡°The residence has been quiet these days. Nothing happened.¡±

    Hearing this, Yuxi did not respond and turned to look at her qipu. Now, she read the qipu whenever she had time and yed chess while reading it. She alone yed for two people. This made her forgot to eat and sleep. ording to Moju and others, their Miss had already been possessed by the Devil.

    Mama Shen looked at Hongshaning out from the room and asked in a low voice, ¡°Did Miss say anything?¡±

    Hongshan knew that if she said that Miss didn¡¯t care at all about the hanging screen, Mama would certainly tell the Old Madam about it. She also didn¡¯t know why, she had a feeling that although Miss¡¯ face didn¡¯t show anything, in her heart she felt that Miss actually knew their every actions. Unconsciously, she did not tell Mama Shen the truth. ¡°Miss is very sad. She said that she wanted to be alone for a while and did not want to be disturbed.¡±

    Mama Shen was somewhat doubtful as she asked, ¡°Really?¡±

    Hongshan cursed in her heart, this kind of unpleasant thing made her rushed forward with her n. If the Old Madam chastised Miss, then the responsibility would be put on her. However, she didn¡¯t dared to offend Mama Shen. ¡°Why do I want to lie to Mama?¡± she asked with a smile.

    Mama Shen was skeptical, but when she saw Yuxi¡¯s eyes were red and her face was not good, she believed in Hongshan¡¯s words. (T/N: Lol. Didn¡¯t her eyes were red and her face was not good because of she hadn¡¯t been sleeping and eatingtely?)

    Yuxi looked at Mama Shen¡¯s manner and felt a little awkward. She really didn¡¯t understand what the Old Madam really thinking. Could it be that she was afraid of her retaliation regarding the doctor¡¯s matter? Not to say that she had this ability, even if she had in the future, she still can¡¯t retaliate because of filial piety. ¡°Hongshan, have your older brother send a letter to Mama Fang. Invite her to make a trip to the official residence during New Year celebration when convenient.¡± She wanted to talk to Mama Fang about something. She had been very busy before, but her teacher would have a holiday during these two days, so she could rx for a while.

    Hongshan crisply responded, ¡°Okay.¡±

    The baozi (steamed stuffed bun) made by Mama Fang was very popr, with demand always exceeded supply. Business was good and ie received was naturally high. After deducting various expenses, the baozi shop had a profit of more than thirty taels per month. This number was not bad in Shangyuan Street. Fortunately, the people there knew that the owner of the baozi shop was from Duke of the State official residence. No one dared to make any suggestions, or else there would definitely be trouble.

    Since the baozi shop had made profits, with Yuxi had a lot of money in her hand, naturally it made her be a bit rxed. The servant maids and the old women beside her were the direct beneficiaries of her changed in mood.

    Mama Shen opened her mouth but eventually said nothing. She had served Miss for more than half a year, but her Miss was still very defensive. However, Mama Shen was not foolish. She knew what her Miss was on guard against, but this was all the Old Madam¡¯s orders which she, as a servant couldn¡¯t disobey. Therefore, her Miss¡¯ attitude towards her was neither cold nor light, so she could only endure it.

    In winter, the day got dark quickly.

    Hongshan watched as Mama Shen left the Rose Courtyard. Only then did she entered the room and said to Yuxi who was writing, ¡°Miss, this handmaiden has a few words to say.¡±

    Yuxi put down her brush and said, ¡°If you have anything to say, you can say it.¡±

    Hongshan respectfully said, ¡°This handmaiden knows that Miss has purpose in mind. But there are some things that Miss still need to worry about.¡± Seeing Yuxi looking at her, she did not beat around the bush and directly said, ¡°Just like today, Miss acted too indifferent when Master only gave gift to Third Miss. If this is being known by the Old Madam, she will surely be unhappy.¡± To act indifferent was like having no expectations for your parents. In the eyes of the Old Madam, her Miss was acting dissatisfied with the Third Master. As his child, she should have been a filial daughter. If a girl bore a reputation of unfilial, she should not think twice about her future marriage, or to even depart from the residence.

    Yuxi looked grave and said, ¡°What are you trying to say? There¡¯s no harm in saying so.¡± She was worried that Hongshan was digging a hole for her, so she had to be careful.

    Hongshan said, ¡°Miss, this handmaiden has to say something beyond handmaiden¡¯s limit. Even if Master is being partial, Miss must still be a filial child.¡± Only filial children could make people liked and felt at ease with them.

    Yuxi stared at Hongshan, like she was able to stare out a hole. ¡°I want to know why you said these words to me.¡± If it was really digging a hole for her, then it could only be said that Hongshan was too bold. If she was not careful with such a thing, then she would also trip into the hole she dug.

    Hongshan looked up and said, ¡°I believe in Miss.¡± As for what, she believed her Miss must know.

    Yuxi unexpectedly looked at Hongshan. This was a surrender.

    Hongshan was so nervous that her palms were sweating, but she did not regret what she had just said. Some time ago, it was her turn to take a vacation. She told her father about her Miss recent performance. Her father said that even if in the future, Fourth Miss did not have a great good fortune as the Third Miss, it would certainly not becking. Her father told her to serve her Miss till she be epted by Teacher Song and then serve her wholeheartedly.

    Hongshan considered it for a long time, and finally made her stand clear before Teacher Song epted her Miss. Otherwise, when Miss worshipped Teacher Song, everyone would know that Miss¡¯ future was not bad. At that time, no matter how sincere she was, she couldn¡¯t be reused. Not being reused, and went against the Old Madam¡¯s wishes, that was not a good bargain.

    Yuxi primly said, ¡°Your father is the second housekeeper. You can find a good way out even if you don¡¯t rely on me. Tell me, why did you do this? I want to hear the truth. ¡°

    Now that Hongshan had made up her mind to take this road, she would not have any more leeway for herself. ¡°Miss, I originally wanted to wait on Miss for five or six years, then by that time, I would be seventeen or eighteen, the age of me getting marry. If I marry outside, I would have a good life.¡° When she said to marry outside, she meant to marry into a good people¡¯s home and be a wife, thus getting rid of the fate of her being a maid servant.

    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Yuxi. For Hong Shan to suddenly change her mind meant something must have happened, and it must not have been small.

    Hongshan¡¯s eyes were red as she said, ¡°I have an older cousin who also served the Old Madam before. A few years ago, she was released and married a schr. Last autumn, my cousin¡¯s husband passed the Imperial Examination and earned himself a juren (sessful candidate in the imperial provincial examination) title. Later on, his family immediately started to turn their back on my elder cousin. They believed that her background as a former maid was damaging their family reputation. A few days ago, they wanted to cease the marriage between the two of them. So, my father had gone to their home to officially separate them. But the family was afraid of the status of the Duke of the State residence to proceed, so, the matter hasn¡¯t be settled yet. Only that, my elder cousin is currently living a hard life over this thing.¡± She was very close with her older cousin, so when she saw her changed into a haggard person in just a few months, made her heart and head turned cold in respect of marriage.

    Yuxi calmly asked, ¡°Are you afraid of falling into the same situation as your cousin, so you don¡¯t want to be married out? Or you want to marry a person from inside the residence? ¡°

    Hongshan spoke out her mind directly, ¡°The background of the people in the mansion are the same, so they will certainly not going to dislike my background. They also know the truth about me, so I don¡¯t have to worry about being cheated.¡± Her elder cousin¡¯s husband used to be honest and loyal, otherwise her elder cousin would not have chosen that person. It could only be said that the man disguised himself so well that her whole family could not see the real him. In the official residence, there was no such concern. After all, they were in the same residence, so it was not a problem to inquire about a person¡¯s details.

    Her elder cousin¡¯s incident dealt a great blow to Hongshan, making her unwilling to be married outside anymore.

    Rather than directly gave her respond to Hongshan, Yuxi asked a question instead, ¡°What was the matter with the copybook?¡± For Hongshan to be able to climb to the second-ss maid in the main house showed that she was definitely not a fool. However in the case of the copybook, she was stupid enough to say things without thinking. Yuxi felt strange at that time, but she didn¡¯t ask much.

    Hongshan knelt on the ground and said with a white face, ¡°Mama Shen asked me to tell her Miss¡¯ every move. I didn¡¯t want to do it. It happened that Sister Ziyi came to me and talked about the copybook.¡± She did this in order to alienate Yuxi from her and not let her served her close. Then, she would knew less about Yuxi and had nothing to report to Mama Shen.

    Yuxi suddenly understood. Indeed as she expected that the incident happened with a reason. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I can¡¯t give you good future?¡±

    Hongshan had already thrown caution to the wind and said, ¡°That¡¯s my life too.¡± In fact, it could be seen from the case of Mama Fang, that as long as she devoted herself to her Miss, she would definitely not going to ignore her.

    It was a good bargain for Yuxi to gain Hongshan¡¯s loyalty, so she said: ¡°As long as you can do it, I won¡¯t let you fall into the same situation as your cousin.¡±

    Hongshan put her heart back to her stomach (Chinese phrase : no worry/stop being worried). Her elder cousin¡¯s affair chilled her, which made her afraid to marry outside. If she married into the residence, she had to find a backer. Although her father was a second housekeeper, he was already old. Neither of her brothers was smart enough to take over her father¡¯s duties in the future. If she didn¡¯t have a strong backing, she would have a difficult future. This was also the real reason why shemitted herself to Yuxi. For the future, she decided to gamble. As for winning or losing, it took time to prove.

 Chapter 32 - Adopted Daughter

    <strong>Chapter 32 : Adopted Daughter</strong>

    Having subdued Hongshan, Yuxi was in a good mood.

    She continued saying a few more words, ¡°Your cousin is a bitter person, but the most crucial thing is that she is timid, so she is easily being trampled by other people¡¯s feet.¡± To be the Old Madam¡¯s personal maid servant, one had to have two brushes (Chinese idiom : be skilful at certain extent), therefore it excluded the possibility of having a temper or being weak. The only thing left was her fear of abandonment. When you had misgivings in your heart, you would give in again and again.

    Hongshan was horrified. She didn¡¯t even told her about what kind of person her cousin was. ¡°How did Miss know that my cousin is timid?¡±

    Yuxi chuckled, ¡°Your father is a man with high position in Duke of the State¡¯s official residence. Will he be afraid of a juren? Your cousin must have some misgivings if she submits to humiliation. ¡°

    Hongshan said with a bitter smile, ¡°What Miss meant was, my cousin was afraid that her children would suffer, so she was ready topromise. Now, she has agreed to take concubines for her husband.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°Your cousin¡¯s concession will only make her family bing even worse and her bitter days will not stop despite that.¡±

    Hongshan felt a little sluggish as she looked up at Yuxi and said, ¡°Miss, I haven¡¯t received less of my cousin¡¯s kindness before, so I want to help her.¡±

    Yuxi actually felt that Hongshan had a good temper as she knew how to repay back her favor, ¡°Tell your cousin to say these to her husband, the rushing fear of sorrow, the sorrowful fear of the horizontal, the horizontal fear of not killing. There are many juren in the world, not many more than your brother-inw, and not a few less than him. As long as your cousin dare to throw caution to the wind, then your cousin would not be the one in fear, but your brother-inw.¡±

    Hearing this, Hongshan felt shocked and she immediately kowtow to Yuxi, ¡°Thank you very much for Miss¡¯ advice.¡±

    Yuxiughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be too busy kowtowing to me. If your cousin does not dare to do it, then, what I have said be meaningless. ¡° In fact, as long as Hongshan¡¯s cousin stood up for herself, there would be nothing for her to be afraid of.

    Thinking of herst life, Yuxi suddenly was in a bad mood. Speaking of which, she had also be a doormat because she was too weak. Unlike now, which servants of the Duke of the State¡¯s residence dared to show their face in front of her?

    On the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, Teacher Song dered that she would have holidays, whichsted until after the Lantern Festival. That meant it would be more than twenty days of vacations for her.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t ck off despite the long holiday. She still wrote big characters honestly that night and took out the qipu (Chinese chess manual) to ponder.

    Seeing this, Mama Shen could not help said, ¡°Miss, didn¡¯t Teacher Song said that your painting is good? So, why doesn¡¯t Miss painted more?¡± Diligence made perfect, and if you didn¡¯t practice all the time, you would not learn well.

    Yuxi answered simply and clearly, ¡°Not interested.¡± No matter how well she painted, she could not be a famous artist. In fact, even if Yuchen¡¯s painting was sold for a huge sum of moneyter, it was because of her identity, not because her painting was really worth that much money.

    Yuxi knew how much weight she had. She had good qualifications, but only higher than the average person, though far whenpared with Yuchen. However, one¡¯s energy was limited. If one wanted to learn everything, one could not learn anything well. So now, except for the time she studied in ss, she would spend her spare time on chess and embroidery. Painting was just a passing thing. Learning chess was to better train one¡¯s abilities in all aspects. Embroidery was because she had a deep foundation in this stuff. She could do it well even if she was given a little time, saving time and trouble.

    Mama Shen did not flinch from Yuxi¡¯s remark. Instead, she said, ¡°Miss, you still have to learn painting well. In the future, when you go out to socialize after you married, you will have a skill to attract attention.¡± In fact, she thought that it was best to learn a musical instrument, which was also much pleasant for people to listen to. It was just that, no matter how she persuaded, Yuxi would not willing to learn.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t want to listen to Mama Shen¡¯s nagging any more, as she couldn¡¯t understand why it was right to do ording to their thought. No, it was actually to follow the path set by the Old Madam. One Yuchen was enough, so why dragged her along? ¡°As you can see, I am very busy everyday and have no time to paint.¡±

    Mama Shen nced at Yuxi and saw no displeasure on her face. She continued saying, ¡°As long as Miss doesn¡¯t spend all Miss time on chess, Miss will have time to paint.¡±

    Yuxi pulled a face because of her family. ¡°I know what to learn and what not to learn. I don¡¯t need you to teach me.¡± She gave Mama Shen some face, then she still opened a dyeing workshop (T/N: I believe this sentence supposed to be an idiom, but I can¡¯t find anything about it online or maybe I had searched for it the wrong way. I, personally believe it means the same thing as give someone an inch, they¡¯ll take a mile. Probably. ¨C sweating ¨C ).

    Hearing Yuxi¡¯s harsh words, Mama Shen¡¯s face turned choking red.

    On the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, Mama Fang entered the residence.

    Mama Fang was now wearing a new pine-colored long jacket, abed bun, pinned with a long red-gold hairpin on her head, and gold earrings on her ears. She looked like a wealthy olddy.

    Yuxi saw Mama Fang and said with a smile, ¡°These days, mama has been working hard.¡±

    Mama Fang touched the long hairpin on her bun and said with a smile, ¡°It is also because of me towing some of Miss¡¯ blessing.¡± People in Duke of the State were all liked to look at people served their dishes (Chinese idiom : acting snobbish). If she came dressed in in and shabby clothes, they would certainly looked down upon her. Now, she specially dressed with riches and honor to return to the residence. This also could make everyone to be more convinced that her baozi shop did made money.

    Yuxi waved the crowd back, leaving only Mama Fang inside the room. She then asked, ¡°Mama, have you brought all the things I asked you to bring?¡± She made a list for Mama Fang and asked her to purchase the items listed in the list.

    Kushen/kuh-seng

    Image credit to duoclieu via pharmacognosy (vescent sophora root (Kushen)-Sophora vescens Ait., April 18, 2012)

    Mama Fang pointed to the parcel she had brought and said, ¡°Miss, I have brought everything! Miss, what do you buy these things for?¡° Miss¡¯ list was also bizarre. She demanded things like kushen, centipede, musk, etc. Among them, musk and centipede also needed to be in powder form.

    Yuxi did not hide her words towards the mama who would be involved in the process and said, ¡°I identally saw a prescription for removing scars in an ancient book and wanted to give it a try. If it is well made, I will sell it. At that time, we will have plenty of money and mama will not have to work so hard. ¡°

    Mama Fang felt that Yuxi was joking, ¡°Miss, it costed me more than forty taels of silver to buy these herbs. Can this jade paste be sold back to the Benma (T/N: Probably a name of a medicine shop?) ?¡°

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°How would mama know if we haven¡¯t try? If we really mix the ointment ording to recipe and sell them out, by then, we will make a lot of profit.¡° Selling them into the inner Pce was something unneeded for her to exin. While in the market, a really good scar cream box would sell for several silvers each. By personally creating the ointment, it will certainly fetch a good price.

    The things Mama Fang brought were notplete, It was missing a single ingredient, pearl powder. However, the price of pearl powder was too expensive. If it was not cost-effective to buy it outside, then, Yuxi wanted to get it from inside the residence.

    Mama Fang felt a little distressed and said, ¡°I was afraid of losing money.¡± The main reason was that she didn¡¯t believe that Yuxi could create any scar-removing ointment. She also thought that Yuxi was only wasting money.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°If we can make it, it will be one to ten-thousand (Chinese idiom : highly profitable). If we can¡¯t make it, we only a loss a few tens taels of silvers. I can still afford to lose that much.¡± She wanted to buy a property with the money she earned from selling the ointments. She was not ambitious either. She wanted to buy one or two storefronts and one or two hundred mu (unit of area equal to one fifteenth of a hectare) of fertilends, which could ensure that she would not need to worry about money in the future.

    Mama Fang knew that Yuxi had a big idea and she could not stop her. She said, ¡°Miss, the business of baozi shop now is getting better and better. With that, it will make more and more money. Last month, it made more than forty taels of profit !¡±

    Image credit to sanda via Wikipedia by Ghostexorcist (Lei tai) .

    Yuxi nodded her head and said, ¡°Mama, the recipe for the baozi stuffing must not be known to other people. Otherwise, someone will want to fight on the leitai (Chinese old words : to take up a challenge at someone).¡°

    Mama Fang smiled and said, ¡°Miss is too oversensitive. It¡¯s just a matter of stuffing. Where is it worth for people to cast their eyes on?¡±

    Yuxi looked at Mama Fang with a not to ept as correct (Chinese idiom : to disapprove) face and could not help but gave out a wry smile. It was also fortunate that the Duke of the State¡¯s business reputation also took care of outside matters. Otherwise, if the baozi shop was managed ording to Mama Fang¡¯s idea, it would have been closed down long ago. ¡°Mama Fang, the recipe of the boazi stuffing must not being told to others, unless it is given with a life contract in your hand.¡± Having a life contract meant having the power to fight back and not worried about being betrayed.

    Mama Fang listened to Yuxi¡¯s words and said with some embarrassment, ¡°Miss, I want to take a disciple and teach her how to make baozi.¡±

    Hearing this, Yuxi immediately asked, ¡°Does mama has a candidate?¡± If there was no candidate, Mama Fang mother would not have told her directly.

    Mama Fang nodded and said, ¡°Well, the child¡¯s name is Xiao Wei. She is 12 years old this year and lives in Shangyuan Street, not far from my shop. She is a cute and filial child, very likable and quick at learning. If I were to teach her, I believe it would only take me three months for her to be good in making them. ¡°

    Yuxi asked, ¡°How did Mama Fang knew her?¡±

    A smile appeared on Mama Fang¡¯s face. ¡°Xiao Wei¡¯s mother alwayse to the shop to buy baozi. Gradually, we knew each other after meeting a lot.¡± Actually, Mama Fang and Xiao Wei¡¯s mother talked a lot with each other, creating a good rtionship between the two.

    When Yuxi heard that Xiao Wei¡¯s mother had bought the steamed buns, she did not ask any other questions, but straightforwardly asked the main question, ¡°Did the other party promise to sign the life contract?¡± There were good people in the world, but there were more bad-minded people.

    Mama Fang shook her head and said, ¡°Miss, Xiao Wei has already made a promise. How can I ask her to sign the contract? However, both families have promised that if I ept Xiao Wei, even if she marries in two years, she can still continue working in the baozi shop, as long as she is paid monthly wages. ¡°

    Yuxi looked at Mama Fang¡¯s smiling face and sighed slightly in her heart. Nine times out of ten, the family had watched the baozi shop started making money and came up with the idea of asking for the stuffing recipe. It wasn¡¯t that Yuxi looked down on Mama Fang, but from Moju and Motao who were trained by Mama Fang that she knew about Mama Fang not being a very sharp kind of person. Even if she was being calcted, she would not even know. ¡°You can¡¯t teach her.¡± This will directly said that Mama Fang could not teach, not that she could not teach without signing the contract.

    The smile on Mama Fang¡¯s face froze. ¡°Miss, why can¡¯t I teach her? That child is really good, filial and sensible.¡±

    Yuxi was keenly aware that there was still something else in that statement by Mama Fang, ¡°Mama, do you still having anything else to tell me?¡±

    Mama Fang¡¯s said somewhat unnaturally, ¡°Xiao Wei is a lovely child. I have promised to recognize her as my daughter.¡±

 Chapter 33 - New Year

    <strong>Chapter 33 : New Year</strong>

    When Yuxi heard Mama Fang said that she had recognized Xiao Wei as her daughter, her face changed slightly, and she no longer reminded her obscurely. Instead, she said directly, ¡°Is this family really reliable? Or did theye for mama¡¯s craftsmanship?¡± Making thirty or forty-two silver a month was nothing to the masters of the residence, but it was a very attractive ie for ordinary people.

    Mama Fang hurriedly shook her head, ¡°No, they didn¡¯t say that I should ept the child as a disciple. It was because I am very fond of the child that I came up with the idea.¡±

    Yuxi said bluntly, ¡°Mama, I don¡¯t agree.¡± It was not because she won¡¯t let Mama Fang recognized the child as her adopted daughter, she just didn¡¯t believed Mama Fang¡¯s eyes.

    Mama Fang still wanted to fight for it, as she said, ¡°Miss, Xiao Wei¡¯s family is also very rich. They won¡¯t cast an evil eye (phrase : convert) on my craftsmanship.¡± She could hardly have said that Yuxi was being very oversensitive.

    Mama Fang would think like that, mainly because she felt that this craft was not a great thing and was not worth calcting.

    Yuxi sighed slightly in her heart and said, ¡°Mama, I¡¯ll apany you to adopt one in the Children¡¯s Charity Institution after a while. Mama, a child raised from a young age is more reassuring than an apprentice whoes halfway. ¡° After a pause, she added, ¡°In case the adopted child is heartless, I will nurse mama till the end of the family (Chinese idiom : to look after one¡¯s aged parents and arrange proper burial after they die).¡±

    Mama Fang was filled with aggrieved and said, ¡°Miss, I just looked at Xiao Wei, and saw that she resembles a lot like my daughter who died young. Since Miss said she was unreliable, then just forget it.¡° She had been married before, but unfortunately her marriage life was not good. The second year she got married, her husband passed away, while her daughter passed away when she was four years old.

    Yuxi felt a little guilty. ¡°Mama, I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned these things.¡± She could have said them a bit more tactfully.

    Mama Fang shook her head, ¡°I know Miss is thinking for my own good. It¡¯s just that the shop is very busy now, so I have no time to take care of a child for the time being. Let¡¯s wait for two or three years before we go to Children¡¯s Charity Institution to adopt a child.¡° Although she made a lot of money by opening a shop now, she would still grow old one day. What would she do when she got old? If she adopted a child, she would be able to rely on the child when she got old, and at that time, she would not be lonely.

    ¡°Okay,¡± replied Yuxi.

    Mama Fang almost forgot the main business of her visit, ¡°Miss, I want to rent the shop next door to expand the storefront. How about we ask two more people to help?¡° At the beginning, the baozi (steaned stuffed bun) shop only sold baozi, but now it sold baozi and matou, as well as other wheaten foods. Their taste were very good, and business hours had also changed from early morning only to one whole day. This was also the reason why profits were increasing.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Mama, if your health break down, no amount of money can make up for it.¡± It was not worth it to let Mama Fang ruined her health for that little money.

    After a long period of persuasion, Mama Fang finally gave up the idea of expanding the baozi shop.

    The two talked until noon. Yuxi asked Mama Fang to have lunch before leaving, and sent a lot of things to her. Now, Yuxi had Qiu Shi¡¯s affection. Although she was not rich in terms of money, but her clothes and foods were all very good.

    The old woman bought by Yuxi, old woman An, heard the sound of a carriage and hurried out from inside the shop. When she lifted opened the carriage, she saw the inside was filled with a lot of things, and her face was full of joy.

    All the things were moved into the house. Old woman An saw two pieces of blue clothes inside. One was raven blue and one was in the colour of lc.

    Old woman An felt some fondness for the two pieces of material and whispered, ¡°A piece of such good material must have costed several taels of silver!¡± She hadn¡¯t worn such a good material yet.

    Old woman An used to be a servant of a merchant¡¯s family. The merchantmitted an offence and was send to jail. All the servants in the house were sold one by one. It happened that Yuxi asked Xiangyang¡¯s help to buy a strong old woman, and he bought her. She had gotten along with Mama Fang for more than half a year, and now their rtionship was like that of sisters.

    Mama Fang smiled and said, ¡°The two pieces of clothes were given by Miss. You can made two new clothes too.¡± She already had gotten two sets of new clothes, one of which was fur jacket.

    Old woman An¡¯s heart ached when she listened to this. When did her family ever used this kind of good materials? ¡°If we can find my family, I can enjoy these with them.¡± She had a husband and a child. However, the family of three were sold separately, and she hadn¡¯t seen them for half a year already. Every monthly wage she earned was spent on finding them. Unfortunately, there was no news yet.

    Mama Fang also sympathized with old woman An¡¯s experience. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you will find them one day.¡± The capital was so big that it was not so easy to find a person. If the name was changed, it would be more difficult to find them.

    Old woman An nodded and then she asked, ¡°Sister Fang, did Miss agreed with the apprenticeship?¡± Xiao Wei¡¯s mother was very enthusiastic, but she was not so polite to her. The front set of people and the back set of people, she tried several times to tear them apart but finally failed. When she saw Mama Fang wanted to teach Xiao Wei the craft of making baozi, she was really anxious and hurriedly said that it was a matter of great importance for Miss to agree to it first. Fortunately, Mama Fang had a lot of faith on their Miss and finally epted her suggestion. Old woman An hoped their Miss was smart one and could guess that the Xiao Wei¡¯s family had no good-intentioned.

    Mama Fang shook her head and said ¡°Miss did not agree. She said that this craft can only be passed to my own child, and can not be passed to outsiders.¡± The children adopted in the future would be considered as her own.

    Old woman An asked in surprised, ¡°Your own child? What does that mean?¡±

    Mama Fang paraphrased what Yuxi had said. ¡°I also want to raise a child, that will support me when I get old. But now I¡¯m too busy that I don¡¯t have time to take care of a child. So, I¡¯ll talk about it again with Miss in two years. ¡°

    Old woman An couldn¡¯t help eximed in admiration, ¡°Miss is so kind to her mama.¡± Generally, some of the old women released still like to keep their faces, that they didn¡¯t want to be rewarded with more money. Who would thought so thoroughly for Mama Fang like the Fourth Miss? Even she was touched by this sight. Of course, with such master, one¡¯s heart would also be at ease.

    Mama Fang liked to listen to others praising Yuxi. She smiled and said, ¡°Yes, Miss is really a kind person.¡±

    Old woman An felt in her heart that Fourth Miss was also a formidable person. She had not met her Miss, like how her Miss had also not met with Xiao Wei¡¯s family. However, Miss knew that the family had no good-attention and had no hard time dealing with them. ¡°Mama Fang, didn¡¯t you promise to ept Xiao Wei as your adopted daughter before? How are you going to reply? ¡°

    Mama Fang did not felt at ease with this matter, ¡°I¡¯ll just say that Miss will not allow it.¡± Although she had been released from her contract, she still regarded Yuxi as her master.

    Old woman An hastily nodded, ¡°Sister Fang, you are right. Since Miss does not allowed it, you can¡¯t help it either.¡° With such powerful backer like their Master, there was nothing for them to be afraid of. .

    Mama Fang sorted out what she had brought from the Duke of the State¡¯s official residence, then divided the cake into several portions and sent them to the next neighbour¡¯s house. Although she was not good at scheming, she was kind and got along well with the people around her. As for Xiao Wei¡¯s family, she felt a bit guilty and brought gifts to their door in person.

    When Xiao Wei¡¯s family got the news, they were very angry. However, they did not dare to offend Mama Fang, so this matter was never mentioned again.

    In a blinked of an eye, it was New Year. Children wanted to celebrate the New Year the most, while adults did not like it the most, because there were too many things for them to do. Qiu Shi had been busy from the beginning of the twelfth lunar month until the twenty-ninth day without rest.

    Sedan Chair with 8 carriers

    Image credit to ÂäÙâ via Yzz (¹Ù¸®ÈÎÎñÐÂ½±ÀøÊ±×°¼°×øÆïÕ¹Ê¾, April 17, 2014)

    On New Year¡¯s Eve, Old Madam Han and the Madam of Duke of the State¡¯s official residence wore their court dresses and went to the Pce on sedan chairs with eight carriers to congratte the Emperor. Then they went to ancestral hall to worship the ancestors.

    Yuxi was a Young Miss of the official residence, so aside from attending family trees, she wasn¡¯t required to go in at other times.

    The New Year¡¯s Eve dinner was held in the main hall. This evening, everyone from the Han n came. The Second Master of the residence, Han Jingjun, who had already separated from the main residenceq, also came with his family.

    The Second Master, Han Jingjun, was an illegitimate son, and his biological mother was a beloved concubine of the Old Duke Han, who was also the paternal niece of Dowager Madam Han. Han Jingjun¡¯s biological mother was relying on Dowager Madam Han and Old Duke to harras the Old Madam, and even wanted topete with her for the position of Heir, which made the Old Madam hated her to her bone. Unfortunately, Han Jingjun¡¯s biological mother died too early, so the Old Duke left a message when he died, saying that he would let Han Jingjun move out from the residence after the seventh day of his passing.

    Although the Old Madam did not immediately retaliated against the Han Jingjun¡¯s family, his family still returned to their hometown to keep filial piety. When he came back three yearster, it was not appropriate for the Old Madam to begin her retaliation. So all these years, except when they came back to worship their ancestors on New Year¡¯s Day, the Old Madam refused to let them go through the door of the residence. Naturally, they could not also get any help from the official residence.

    Source Wes Radez via Chinese American Family (How to Give Red Envelopes at Chinese New Year, January 30th, 2019)

    After dinner the family sat together and talked. Also at this time, the elders would give red envelopes to the younger generation.

    Han Jingjun¡¯s wife, Ma Shi, looked at Yuchen and said with a smile, ¡°The older the Third Girl is, the more beautiful she is.¡± After that, she handed Yuchen a thick red envelope.

    Yuchen looked at the Old Madam and saw her nodded before she epted, ¡°Thank you, Second Aunt.¡±

    Ma Shi praised Yuchen again, then handed the red envelope to Yuxi.

    Yuxi took the red envelope, neither grateful nor disgusted. She took it and said, ¡°Thank you, Second Aunt.¡± The one she got was not as thick as Yuchen¡¯s. Even when she was given a red envelope, she was been treated differently, making her unhappy.

    That night, Yuxi got a lot of red envelopes.

    Yuxi was a girl, so she was not needed to stay up on New Year¡¯s Eve. When the banquet was over, she took her maid and old woman back to her courtyard. On this day, the road was full of lights, and the whole Duke Han of the State¡¯s official residence was brightly lit, so there was no need for her to carrynterns back.

    Ruyi

    Image source Amazon

    Back at Rose Courtyard, Yuxi poured out all the inside of the red packets. The one given by the Old Madam was the most generous. Each of the six small bare golden ruyi worth 1 taels. This one made her earned big profit. Combined with the ones given by others, the red envelopes she received this night had more than one hundred taels of silver.

    On the second day of New Year, Yuxi had to visit rtives and friends. However, she had no mother¡¯s family, and her rtives were no longer there, so there were no rtives for her to visit. When she heard that Han Jianye wanted to take her to the Qiu Family¡¯s Residence, she was very surprised. She asked, ¡°Second Brother, you¡¯re going to your maternal grandparents¡¯s home to celebrate the New Year. Then, what am I supposed to do there?¡±

    Han Jianye saidughingly, ¡°Is my grandparents¡¯s home not your grandparents¡¯s home too? Just go, why are there so many words of arguments?¡±

    Yuxi was not willing to go, but she was not good at directly swept her Second Cousin¡¯s kindness, so she asked, ¡°Second Brother, does Aunt knew about this?¡±

    Han Jianye said with a chuckle, ¡°I told my mother and she agreed. Juste, even if youe just as a guest, and stop giving so many words of arguments. ¡°

    Naturally, Yuxi didn¡¯t not believed his words.

    Han Jianye didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry, ¡°Does Second Brother has no trust in your heart? If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go ask my mother right now.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t want to go to Qiu Family Residence because she was the Young Miss from the Third House. Wouldn¡¯t it looked bad if she went there in such big way? ¡°Second Brother, that is your maternal grandparents¡¯s home. It will not be good if I go there.¡±

    Han Jianye dislike the sound of sighing and people grinding the most, ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow.¡± After dropping the words, he left, leaving Yuxi stunned in the same ce. She didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry.

    Hongshan who was nearby tried to persuade, ¡°Miss, Second Master can actually read Miss situation. Isn¡¯t this is a good thing?¡± Second Master would always felt gratitude to Madam Ning¡¯s life-saving grace, so he could always follow and looked after her Miss. This was her Miss¡¯ good luck.

    Yuxi went to the main courtyard in an instant and talked about the matter with Qiu Shi, ¡°Aunt, it is inappropriate for me to follow Second Brother to pay New Year¡¯s visit to his grandparents home tomorrow.¡±

    Qiu Shi stroke the small hair buns on Yuxi¡¯s head and joked, ¡°What¡¯s inappropriate? It¡¯s just a visit to rtives¡¯ houses as you should also stretch your legs sometimes. You can¡¯t stay inside the courtyard all the time.¡° In fact, she felt that Yuxi worked too hard and normally did not have time to loose up, which made her could not just standby and watched. It was good for a child to work hard, but Yuxi did it too much. She worried that Yuxi would be a bookworm in the future.

    When all the words were said, Yuxi could not refuse any more. Only that, she just felt a little puzzled in her heart. In her past life, there was no this kind of thing. So, how came everything had changed now?

 Chapter 34 - Murderous Devil (1)

    <strong>Chapter 34 : Murderous Devil (1)</strong>

    Yuxi¡¯s visit to Qiu Family Residence naturally must be reported to the Old Madam. Otherwise, Yuxi would surely be scolded. Luckily, she didn¡¯t have to do it herself.

    When the Old Madam got the news, she shook her head helplessly. Normally, Jianming should have taken Yuru and Yujing to visit Qiu Family Residence. After all, both of them also called Qiu Shi as ¡®mother¡¯, despite being born from concubines. Only, Qiu Shi had a stubborn temper. She always treated concubines indifferently, and no matter how the Old Madam persuaded, it was useless. The Old Madam knew there were gains and losses in everything. When she chose Qiu Shi for her eldest son, she also looked at her family background and her financial management skills. However, the Qiu family had only three generations since its rose, so the family background was too shallow for her to thoroughly check. Also, Qiu Shi had no suitable role model of a good noble family housewife to follow from, so, she had many deficiencies when she became one.

    As the Old Madam looked at Yuxi¡¯s empty neck, she remembered theirst trip to the Zhou family. She turned around and ordered Feicui to fetch a pure gold pearl and jade ne, then she gave it to Yuxi. She said, ¡°Tomorrow, wear this to visit rtives.¡± It wasn¡¯t because Yuxi looked too shabby, but on the contrary, she wore too much like she had an outburst of wealth. So, the Old Madam gave the ne, with a piece of suede in the middle of it, to make Yuxi became much more elegant when she wore it.

    Yuxi took the ne and hung it around her neck. She curtesy to the Old Madam, ¡°Thank you so much Grandmother for the gift.¡± Not to mention the pattern carved next to it, the jade in the middle was worth several hundred taels of silvers. For a moment, she felt that she should be a filial child in front of the Old Madam, so that she could get more than what she had before. However, this idea just shed by. It was better to learn more things when she had the time, since that would truly belonged to her.

    Old Madam Han was not happy to see greedy expression on Yuxi¡¯s face. At her age, there was no need for her to avoid speaking about it in her residence. She spoke directly, ¡°Next year, when you go to other people¡¯s homes, be alert. Don¡¯t lose the face of the residence.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯splexion turned dark as she bowed her head.

    The next day, not long after breakfast, Han Jianye came to pick up Yuxi. When they arrived at the main door, they found that Master Heir was also there. Yuxi cried hurriedly, ¡°Eldest Brother.¡± Master Heir and Han Jianye were brothers. Unfortunately, one was too calm, while the other was too jumpy. She had a good rtionship with Han Jianye in her previous life, but she stayed away from Han Jianming because of his strict attitude.

    Today, Yuxi wore deep red clothes, with her hairsbed into two tiny buns and a twine of delicate red corals bead wrapped around her head. She also wore a pure gold pearl and jade ne around her neck. Added with her round face, she looked rich and lovely in herplete get-up.

    Master Heir, at once smiled and said, ¡°Get on the carriage, okay. ¡± His mother treated Yuxi like her own biological daughter, otherwise she would not have agreed with Jianye¡¯s idea to take Yuxi to their maternal grandparents¡¯ home. However, he was actually happy to see Yuxi¡¯s changes these days,pared to before where she only obeyed what people asked her to do and didn¡¯t smiled much.

    Han Jianye was afraid that Yuxi would be bored in the carriage by herself, so, he apanied her rode in it. On the way, he told Yuxi about his eldest maternal uncle¡¯s family, ¡°My grandfather and my second uncle both are posted outside of the capital, and now, only my eldest uncle¡¯s family is staying here. Don¡¯t worry, my eldest aunt is a kind person, and my young female cousins are all very good-natured.¡± Old Master Qiu had only two sons and one daughter, both of whom were born from Old Madam Qiu. The feelings between the three brothers and sister of the Qiu family were very deep, so the two families, the Qiu and the Han, were very close.

    Yuxi knew that Xiao Shi, the Eldest Madam of the Qiu family, was a kind person. Otherwise, she would not have allowed her younger son to marry her in her previous life. As you know, marrying her would not bring any benefits to her son, and she had no good part on herself that she could be proud of. She deliberately asked, ¡°Is eldest female cousin about my age?¡±

    Han Jianye shook his head and said, ¡°Eldest cousin is already nine years old, but Fourth and Fifth cousins are about the same age as you, so they should be able to y with you.¡±

    Yuxi felt that Han Jianye was really out of line and said helplessly, ¡°Second Brother, I remember that only eldest cousin is the legitimate daughter.¡± It was not that she despised concubine-born women, but themunication circle between a legitimate and illegitimate was as rivers Jing and Wei separated clearly (Chinese idiom : to be entirely different). The legitimate and the illegitimate were in two different circles. If she befriended a concubine-born woman, she would be ostracized by other legitimate women when she went out to socialize, which then would be a quite embarrassing moment for her. She still remembered that she had made friends with Qiu Yanfu, a merchant woman, in herst life. As the result, she was despised and rejected by others.

    Han Jianye¡¯s mind didn¡¯t turned, so he didn¡¯t understand what Yuxi¡¯s meant. He only said, ¡°Although Fourth and Fifth cousins are born from concubines, it doesn¡¯t matter as long as they can y with you. My second senior brother is also born from concubine, but I still have a good rtionship with him.¡° Han Jianye¡¯s second senior brother, Lin Fengyuan was the illegitimate Heir of Duke of Ding.

    Yuxi was speechless. Lin Fengyuan was a man. Even if he was born with a low status, as long as he had the ability to fight for his future, he would not have anything to worry about, but for a concubine-born woman, it wasn¡¯t the same. However, she would not argue with Han Jianye over this matter, since she knew it would just be a meaningless act.

    The Qiu family and Duke Han of the State¡¯s official residence belonged to two opposite directions. It took more than an hour for them to get there.

    Yuxi had been to the Qiu family several times in her previous life, but this was the first time in her current life. She deliberately pretended to be very interested and said, ¡°Second brother, theyout here is not as exquisite as our house, but it is very elegant.¡±

    Han Jianye said with a smile, ¡°My ancestors were all militarymanders, so they were not as fastidious with residence as ours.¡± Han Jianye¡¯s temperament was more like the Qiu¡¯s family than the Han¡¯s.

    Xiao Shi was quite surprised when she saw Yuxi, but since Yuxi was brought by her two nephews, she must also be entertained properly. Not only did she gave Yuxi a thick red envelope, but also the string of red coral bracelet on her hand as a gift of first meeting.

    Yuxi muttered in her heart that her trip was not in vain since she was given the valuable red coral bracelet. She suddenly discovered that she somehow had really be a moneygrubber before she knew it. In this life, she always estimated values of every gifts she received.

    Xiao Shi wanted to go and greeted the guests. Since Qiu Jingjing, the Eldest Miss of the Qiu family, had went to pay New Year¡¯s visit to another family, she asked Qiu Huanhuan, the Fourth Miss, to talk to the Fifth Miss, Qiu Lele, to apany Yuxi. Both girls were very beautiful and had a very good attitude towards Yuxi.

    Although Yuxi had some misgivings, she decided to treat it like a normalmunication between rtives. Naturally, she had to be courteous and considerate. Otherwise, she would be said that she had not been tutored properly, so in the end, the three got along quite well.

    When she left, the Fourth Miss also invited Yuxi toe to the Qiu Residence on Lantern Festival to y, ¡°The eighteenth day of the first month is my birthday. Cousin Xi cane then?¡±

    Yuxi diplomatically refused, ¡°Sorry, elder cousin, I¡¯ll continue learning from my teacher when the Lantern Festival arrives. By then, I won¡¯t have time toe out again.¡±

    Fourth Miss felt regretful.

    On the way back, Han Jianye rode his horse on the edge of the window and said, ¡°Fourth Cousin was sincerely inviting you to attend her birthday feast. So, you should at least ask a leave from your teacher. ¡±

    Yuxi said helplessly, ¡°Teacher lectures awfully fast. If I dy for a day, I will surely not be able to keep up.¡± She didn¡¯t knew from where did her Second Brother could know his cousin¡¯s good feelings.

    Looking at the situation, Han Jianming couldn¡¯t help but shook his head. A wise man could see at a nce that Yuxi was not willing to make deep acquaintance with the two Young Misses of the Qiu family, and he didn¡¯t know if his younger brother really had eyes. However, this incident had made him felt more satisfied with Yuxi. Although she was young, she acted in a measured way, which was worthy of being taught by Teacher Song.

    When the carriage stopped halfway, Yuxi thought that something wrong had happened. She lifted the curtain and saw Han Jianming talking to two teenagers.

    Chang pao

    Source | aliexpress

    The conversation was head by a tall youngster, whose height was half a head taller than her Second Brother. He wore a brocade chang pao (traditional Chinese male robe) in the colour of a clear sky after the rain, and a bright coloured silk waistband was tied around his waist, with Flowing Clouds Baifu Yupei hanged down from the side. On the outside, he draped his clothes with a ck coloured fur overcoat. His skin was the colour of the wheat. He was also sturdy and when he talked, his voice was particrly loud. However, when you heard him talk, you would know that he had a straightforward temper.

    The other youngster was very delicate and pretty, with a strong schrly air, fair skin, and wore a robe of crimson rounded embroidery design, azure silk trousers, and a pair of basic official boots. Yuxi looked at the youngster, and always had a feeling that she had seen him somewhere before.

    Yuxi pondered about the two youngsters. The tall one should have been the child of a military family, while the delicate and pretty one, should have been the childe of a schrly family. Strange, how could such two peoplee together?

    Yuxi was so absorbed in her thoughts that she was not aware of a person who had alreadye forward and stood in front of her.

    The tall boy cheerfully handed Yuxi a red envelope. Seeing Yuxi did not ept it, he smiled at Han Jianming nearby and said, ¡°My little cousin does not ept my red envelope. What should I do?¡±

    Yuxi was not surprised with the way the youngster addressed her. The Duke Han of the State¡¯s official residence had been established for over two hundreds years. It had rtions with many families in the capital. In fact, many of them were rtives tied from kinship or friendship. Just the sight of the two people in front of her should also be some of her rtives, after a few turns of generations.

    When Han Jianming saw that Yuxi did not take the gift, he looked puzzled and exined, ¡°Yuxi, this is maternal aunt¡¯s son.¡± It meant that he was a rtive, so took your red envelope.

    Yuxi muttered in her heart that she did not know whose maternal aunt this person belonged to, but this asion was definitely not the time to ask questions. So, she took the red envelope with both hands and found it was heavy. Her smile got wider by two points, ¡°Thank you cousin.¡±

    The tall teenager found Yuxi very interesting. He took the red envelope from the pretty teenager¡¯s hand and handed it to Yuxi. He teased her and said, ¡°Cousin,e on, say it again.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s head was full of ck lines as she immediately turned her head away. She didn¡¯t know which family had been so unlucky by having this kind of kid. He even dared to flirt with little girls at such a young age.

    The tall teenager burst outughing and said, ¡°Cousin Jianming, little cousin is so interesting.¡±

    Yuxi really wanted to scold this young man for being crazy, but she was a nobledy who did not swear. She just bitterly put down the carriage curtain.

    The delicate teenager did not agree, as he could not help eximing, ¡°Older cousin, we are in the street.¡± Then, he turned around and apologized to Han Jianming.

    Han Jianmingughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, but my sister is really angry.¡± Yuxi was still young, and he knew that the other party was just having fun, so he didn¡¯t take it seriously.

    Han Jianye, who had a big mouth, said, ¡°Rest assure, my sister won¡¯t be so narrow-minded. Yun Qing, look when you have time. Let¡¯s learn from each other.¡° He had made great progress in martial arts recently. Even Master Yang praised him and he had this urgent need to show his improved skill.

    Yun Qing promised, ¡°You are wee at anytime.¡±

    Seeing that the time was almost up, the delicate and pretty youngster hastily said, ¡°Older cousin, we should go now. If we dy again, grandfather will swear and scold us.¡±

    When Yuxi heard the name Yun Qing, all her limbs became stiff. After a while, she finally recovered from her near horror. She held her chest and said to herself, ¡°I hope I got it wrong, or maybe he actually have a different name.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but shuddered, as she hoped that he was not the one she thought he was.

    NOOB TRANSLATOR¡¯S MUSING

    I don¡¯t know if I got a wrong source or not, but Han Jianye¡¯s second senior brother was written as ÁÖ·çÔ¶ (Lin Fengyuan) on the first paragraph that mentioned him, but was written as ÁÖÔ¶·ç (Lin Yuanfeng) on the following paragraph. So, I decided to use the first name ÁÖ·çÔ¶ (Lin Fengyuan), and I feel it sound much more suitable. ¨C sweat drop ¨C

    I started watching My Poseidon recently, and had a crush on Leon Zhang. For a 31 years old guy, he really looks like he is in his twenties. And Eleanor Lee, I love her act in My Big Boss, though I haven¡¯t finished watching the first season yet. ¨C sweat drop ¨C

 Chapter 35 - Murderous Devil (2)

    <strong>Chapter 35 : Murderous Devil (2)</strong>

    After a moment, till all the sound of horses couldn¡¯t be heard, Yuxi finally dared to lift up the carriage curtain and asked Han Jianming, ¡°Eldest Brother, was that person actually Yun Qing, the grandson of Old General Yun?¡±

    Without waiting for Han Jianming¡¯s answer, Han Jianye started answering in loud voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this guy to be so famous, even Xi-er heard about him.¡±

    Yuxi shivered. Yun Qing, the eldest grandson of Old General Yun. Yun Qing, the famous Murderous Devil of the Zhou Dynasty. How could she not have heard of him?

    Yun Qing had never lost a battle since he led the army. However, he was criticized for never leaving a living mouth in each battle he had, which meant that there were none of the enemy became his captives. After each battle, he would left behind corpses which pile up liked a mountain (Chinese idiom : arge number of something, in this sentenced it means arge number of corpses). In addition, he even dared to ughter a city, which had tens of thousands of people. At hismand, the world became a hell on earth.

    Yuxi remembered clearly that his fiancee was scared to death after the news of the massacre reached the capital. At that time, the news of the incident spread very fiercely in the capital city, even she, who was not well informed in the boudoir, even heard of it.

    Suddenly, Yuxi remembered something and asked, ¡°Second Brother, is the other youngster the eldest son of Jiang Wenrui?¡± If she remembered correctly, Jiang Hongfu¡¯s mother should be ady from the Yun family. From the way the two people addressing each other just now, they should be maternal cousins.

    Han Jianye was rtively a thick lines (Chinese term : careless, haphazard, pdash) of person, but Han Jianming was not. He was particrly surprised when he heard this, ¡°Where did Fourth Sister hear about Cousin Hongfu?¡±

    Yuxi felt a thump in her heart. She didn¡¯t realize that the youngster was really Jiang Hongfu. No wonder she always felt he looked familiar. His features had some simrity with Jiang Hongjin. Yuxi pressed down the stormy waves in her heart and said with a smile, ¡°I heard from the old women in the residence talking about Master Jiang¡¯s eldest son who is very good at studying and has been acknowledged by a famous teacher as his student. I also heard that his mother passed away too early. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true.¡±

    Han Jianming knew that the old women in their residence like to gather to gossip about people of the capital city which he also generally knew. So, he didn¡¯t suspect anything amiss in Yuxi¡¯s statement, ¡°Well, Cousin Hongfu is very intelligent, he studied well since he was a child, and now he has Elder Shan of Baitan Academy as his teacher.¡± Elder Shan of Baitan Academy was a famous schr in the world. With his teaching, Jiang Hongfu¡¯s future would not have any boundary.

    Yuxi had only heard of Jiang Hongfu¡¯s intelligent, but she was not really clear about the details. ¡°It¡¯s really great for him to be taught by such a famous teacher. Oh, that¡¯s right! Eldest Brother, Second Brother, is Cousin Yun Qing impressive too?¡±

    Han Jianye didn¡¯t think much and said, ¡°Yun Qing started training martial arts when he was three years old. No one of his peers in the capital is his opponent, whether in martial arts or riding or even shooting.¡±

    Han Jianming couldn¡¯t help but cut in a sentence, ¡°Cousin Yun Qing is also equally good in studying. Second Brother, if you want topare yourself with others, you can¡¯tpare with him. He¡¯s good in both civil and military.¡± Yun Qing and Han Jianye were the same age. When, Han Jianming thought about the both of them, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. If only his younger brother had half of Yun Qing¡¯s aplishments, he would have been gleeful.

    Yuxi¡¯s mind was a bit puzzled. It was rumored that Yun Qing not only liked to kill people, but also liked to eat human flesh and drunk human blood, which made him an extremely abnormal guy. That was why she was scared when she heard his name. She couldn¡¯t think of the reason why a boy who once had a heartyughter, had a leaped of change in his temperament. There must be some major incidents happening around him. As for what had happened, she was not clear. In herst life, she herself did not understand her own affairs, so, when would she had time to care about other people¡¯s affairs. In addition, although Yun Qing was fierce, at least he lived much better life than her.

    Back at Rose Courtyard, Yuxi unwrapped the red envelopes she received from Yun Qing and Jiang Hongfu. From inside Jiang Hongfu¡¯s red envelope, she got a pair of golden bare ruyi, while Yun Qing gave her a pair of lovely simple little golden pigs.

    Yuxi touched the two little golden pigs and muttered, no wonder the red envelope felt heavy in her hands. They probably worth four or five taels of silver each.

    On this trip, Yuxi made a lot of profits worth a full pot. Having tasted the sweet end, she followed Han Jianming and his brother to the Marquis of Changping¡¯s residences, which also known as the Zhou family residence, on the second day of New Year. This time, Yuru followed along.

    Visiting rtives tradition would not end till the sixth day after Lunar New Year.

    When Yuxi finally back at her courtyard, she calcted that, in addition to the gifts of first meeting, together with the red envelopes she received, they would be worth more than four hundreds taels of silver, which made her earned a lot of money. No wonder children liked to celebrate the New Year. There would be money for them during New Year¡¯s Day.

    Hongshan caught sight of Yuxi looking at those small golds and silvers with a big smile that turned her eyes into narrow slits. Hongshan muttered in her heart that her Miss already had the tendency to be crazy about money.

    Image credit to Top China Travel (Chinese Lantern)

    On the fourteenth days of the first month, Han Jianye suddenly asked Yuxi, ¡°Xi-er, do you want to go to the Lantern Festival with me?¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes twinkled and said, ¡°Oh, yes!¡± She had never seennterns in her previous life. How could she miss the chance to see them in this life?

    Han Jianming shouted, ¡°Nonsense! The night of the Lantern Festival is dangerous. You can not go.¡±

    Yuxi paid no attention to Han Jianming¡¯s worry as she said, ¡°No fear, Eldest Brother. Second Brother will protect me.¡± To see thenterns, there would surely be a lot of family members following. So, there was nothing for her to worry about her safety.

    When Han Jianye heard her words, his mouth slit open with a smile.

    Han Jianming had a headache when he looked at Yuxi¡¯s manner. Before, he thought Yuxi had a very calm temperament. However, when it came to ying, she showed her true colours. He tried to threaten, ¡°There are a lot of kidnappers in the evening of the Lantern Festival. Many children have been abducted by these people, so you cannot go.¡± There were not only kidnappers but also stampedes happened during the Lantern Festival. It could be said that the festival was very dangerous. Unless a balcony was reserved, the girls would not be allowed to go out to see thenterns.

    Han Jianye pped his chest and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elder Brother, I will protect Xi-er.¡±

    Han Jianming would really like to tug at his younger brother¡¯s ear and to see if he had even listened to his own words. Knowing that persuasion was useless, Han Jianming used his trump card, ¡°It will only happen after grandmother and mother agreed to it.¡± Mother may agreed, but Grandmother certainly won¡¯t.

    Yuxi tug at Han Jianye¡¯s hand, blinked her big eyes and said pitifully, ¡°Second Brother, it¡¯s all up to you.¡± It was strange to say that the Old Madam was very strict with the Heir, but somehow she was especially fond of Han Jianye. Even if Han Jianye did not grow up beside her, she still loved Han Jianye very much.

    Han Jianye readily promised, ¡°Unable to seenterns on Lantern Festival? It¡¯s not a big matter. Grandmother will surely agree. Leave this matter to Second Brother.¡±

    Yuxi thought it would take a while to wear out the Old Madam, but to her surprise, the Old Madam easily agreed. Unfortunately, Qiu Shi refused to let her go.

    Qiu Shi drew Yuxi to her and said, ¡°There are too many people in the evening of the fifteenth day. It is too dangerous for you to go.¡± On the fifteenth days, during the Lantern Festival, idents happened every year. She dared not take risks.

    Yuxi really wanted to go. She had not seennterns for more than twenty years in herst life. This time, she had difficultly given a chance. So, she was not willing to give it up easily. ¡°Aunt, I haven¡¯t seennterns for so long, so please let me go!¡±

    Under Yuxi¡¯s repeated pleadings, Qiu Shi finally lost the battle. However, she reminded, ¡°When you go out, you can¡¯t leave your Eldest Brother¡¯s and Second Brothers¡¯ sides, okay?¡±

    Yuxi busily nodded her head.

    The news of Yuxi going to see thenterns on Lanterns Festival was heard by Yuru and Yuchen. Both also wanted to see them but was denied by the Old Madam. The reason for her refusal was very simple. It was unsafe for them.

    Yuchen was somewhat depressed and asked, ¡°Grandmother, since it is not safe, why did you still let Fourth Sister go?¡± It couldn¡¯t be that her Grandmother was not worried about Fourth Sister¡¯s safety.

    It was hard for the Old Madam to just said that only Yuchen was disallowed, when Yuru, who was nearby, didn¡¯t even refute Yuchen¡¯s question. Something could be done, but it couldn¡¯t be said. She vaguely said, ¡°It¡¯s no problem for your Eldest Brother and Second Brother to protect Fourth Girl alone, but it¡¯s certainly not possible to protect the three of you.¡± In fact, with Yuchen¡¯s appearance, she would certainly be the first choice for the kidnappers.

    Yuchen was somewhat disappointed, but she quickly said, ¡°Grandmother, can we see them next year?¡±

    The Old Madam thought for a moment and said, ¡°Yes, we can book a ce in advance next year.¡± There were many restaurants in the vicinity of the Lantern Festival, and one could watch it from the balcony. Although the effect would be less effective, but it was better than nothing.

    Yuru, however, felt very ufortable and went back to her courtyard. She said to Qingxuan, ¡°Now, not only my Mother is leaning towards my Fourth Sister, but also are my Eldest Brother and Second Brother.¡± On the second day of New Year, they actually took Yuxi to their maternal ancestral home. Yuxi was not from the Main House, so it was not necessary for them to bring her along. Thinking till here, Yuru felt very upset.

    Qingxuan sighed in her heart, ¡°Miss, the Fourth Miss can get such love from Madam and the two Young Masters, is also a favour left by her biological mother. Why should you argue with her about this?¡± It was better to serve Madam with all one¡¯s heart, let her remembered Miss¡¯ goodness, and helped her found a good familyter on.

    Yuru nevertheless said, ¡°Qingxuan, don¡¯t you think Fourth Sister has changed into another person after she was ill?¡±

    Qingxuan had a bad feeling in her heart, ¡°What does Miss want to say?¡±

    Yuru remembered that people inside the residence said that Bamboo Pavilion was not a clean ce, and Yuxi was acting so strange after being cured from her illness. ¡°Was it you who said that Fourth Sister was touched by something unclean?¡±

    Qingxuan was scared till cold sweats appeared and whispered, ¡°Miss, you mustn¡¯t say that. If you let Madam and the Heir know it, then, nothing good wille to Miss.¡° When that time came, they would also suffer as her maids.

    But Yuru felt that her guess was right, ¡°Qingxuan, think carefully. Isn¡¯t Yuxi like a changed person after she gets well from illness? She used to be muddleheaded and foolish, but now, she¡¯s good in anything. Besides, she said that she had a talent for embroidery, but no one with a talent could learn needlework in less than a month¡­¡±

    Qingxuan immediately thought of Yuru¡¯s words and said, ¡°Miss, Fourth Miss is only a little smarter than before, and nothing else is unusual with her.¡±

    Yuru looked at the Qingxuan, who suddenly had a pale face, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Qingxuan was about to cry, ¡°Miss, we only guessed that the Fourth Miss was stained with dirty things and we don¡¯t have any proof. This, will only provoke Madam¡¯s wrath. Miss, you are now old enough to be married. What will you do if Madam hates you? ¡°

    Yuru gritted her teeth and said, ¡°But I can¡¯t let this evil witch turns the household into a mess.¡±

    Qingxuan knew her Master¡¯s temper. If she refuted her blindly, it would definitely backfire. ¡°Miss, we need proof.¡± In fact, she really didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with Yuxi. Except that, she had became wiser after getting well. However,pared with the Third Miss, she was still far away. So, where could she be considered as an evil witch?

    Yuru had no reply.

 Chapter 36 - Murderous Devil (3)

    <strong>Chapter 36 : Murderous Devil (3)</strong>

    On the day of the Lantern Festival, Yuxi searched for Han Jianye just after lunch and when she found him, she urged him to leave early.

    Han Jianye couldn¡¯t helpughing at Yuxi¡¯s eagerness, ¡°You¡¯re too anxious. It¡¯s only noon and there are still several hours to go before evening arrives. It¡¯s not even toote for us to go after dinner.¡°

    Yuxi tugged at Han Jianye¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Second Brother, I am too idle at home. I want to go to Shangyuan Street to take a look at Mama Fang first and then, give her something in our passing.¡±

    Han Jianye looked at Yuxi who waited anxiously. Her looked seemed to say that if he didn¡¯t promised, she would wail for him to see. How could he not promise her? ¡°It¡¯s only over an hour from Shangyuan Street to thenterns city wall by the river. It¡¯s still too early for us to go now.¡±

    Yuxi naturally calcted the time, ¡°After I visited Mama Fang, I want to go to the bookstore to buy two books.¡±

    Han Jianye did not get what Yuxi trying to do, so he said, ¡°Just tell me what books you want to buy and I will buy them for you.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Second Brother, I heard that you have to go up the mountain tomorrow. It is estimated that the next time you will be back will be during Dragon Boat Festival. Second Brother, I don¡¯t even have anything to do today. If we go out early, we won¡¯t also be dyed. Second Brother, please agree with my request!¡°

    For a girl to act coquettishly, added up with her tears, were things that Han Jianye could not distract himself from. He would immediately lost the battle of will once he saw them, ¡°Well¡­ Let me tell Eldest Brother first.¡±

    Han Jianming was actually nning to go buy some books at the bookstore too, so, he had no problem with Yuxi¡¯s request, ¡°Okay. Let Jianye send you to Shangyuan Street first. I will wait for you at the bookstore.¡± As it happened, he knew a bookstore that won¡¯t close even during Lantern Festival.

    Mama Fang got a fright when she saw Yuxi and Han Jianye at the shop. Once she calmed down, she gave them gifts and then invited them into the house.

    Yuxi looked at the store and it waspletely different from her first timeing here. A shed was built in front, and there were six small tables and chairs were put on the pavement. These tables and chairs were clean and free of dust.

    When they were inside the house, Yuxi said to Han Jianye with a smile, ¡°Second Brother, I¡¯ll go to the backyard and have a look.¡± Hongshan and Moju, her two maids, followed behind her with two parcels in their arms.

    The small backyard also had a big change, with sheds built on both side. Inside the left shed, there were piles of firewoods, while on the right shed was the base of a stove. A dozen steamers could be put on it.

    Yuxi did not go into the kitchen, but into Mama Fang¡¯s bedroom. Looking at the simple arrangement in the room, her eyes went astringent, ¡°Mama, it must have been hard for you.¡± Dozens of silver a month were not that lucrative.

    Mama Fang smile and said, ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t hard. At least, I have something to do every day. This makes me feel energetic all over again!¡± Here, she had to get up early every day to chop up some stuffing and made some baozi (filled steam bun). Being busy outside and inside was definitely harder than just staying inside. It was just that, she was free to do things here without worrying that her Miss would be implicated if she did something wrong, and the thought that she was making money for her Miss made she felt that doing these things was very meaningful.

    Yuxi pondered that after selling the ointment prescription and buying some properties, she would not allow Mama Fang to do such hard work again.

    Mama Fang called in old woman An and said, ¡°Miss, this is old woman An. She did all the heavy work of chopping firewood and carrying water into the shop. She also sells steamed buns every morning.¡± Mama Fang only responsibilities were making baozi and other things, like selling baozi outside and to greet guests. These things were all arranged by old woman An. Old woman An was big and tall, so it was no problem for her to throw down two men. Of course, this was also the reason why Xiangyang took a fancy of her at first.

    Yuxi rewarded old woman An with a red envelope and raised her monthly sry from six hundred coins to one tael of silver.

    Old woman An knelt on the ground and said gratefully, ¡°Thank you Miss for your grace.¡± With this much money, she could inquire about her family much better

    Yuxi didn¡¯t stay long in the baozi shop and left before two quarters of an hour.

    A servant named Huang, who happened to be on the street, saw a carriage parked in front of the baozi shop. Redcquered carriage could only be used by noble families, so, he busily asked the boss around him, ¡°What¡¯s the influence of this bun shop till some noble people woulde to pay a visit?¡±

    The boss smiled and said, ¡°Thedy boss of the baozi shop has a great background. I heard that she used to work in a Duke¡¯s official residence. Because of that background, no one dares to stir up trouble with her in this street. ¡°

    Chinese New Year Picture

    Image credited to Wsm (Ê²Ã´ÊÇÄê»­£¿Äê»­ÔõÃ´À´µÄ?Äê»­µÄÖÖÀàÓÐÄÄÐ©?, Sept 10th, 2016)

    Just as they were talking, the guy with the surname Huang, who was actually worked as a yamen runner, saw a male teenager dressed in fine brocade clothese out from inside the baozi shop, followed by a small girl with doll-liked appearance like the child painted in a New Year picture.

    Yuxi followed Han Jianye to a bookstore on Shangyuan Street. As soon as they reached the bookstore, she saw Yun Qing and Jiang Hongfuing out from it.

    Yun Qing saw the fair and tender Yuxi at a nce and wished to pinch her cheeks. Not only did he just thought of it, he actually did it.

    Yuxi just caught sight of Yun Qing pinching her face, making her suddenly muddleheaded. For her, this act made by the Murderous Devil of her former life was even more frightening!

    Han Jianye quickly responded. He came over and pped the back of Yun Qing¡¯s hand. Then he took Yuxi to his left, looked at Yun Qing on his right side and said, ¡°You were very clever at home. How can you be silly when you go out?¡± Even he would be considered muddeheaded if he just stayed motionless while looking at her sister being pinched by a male.

    Yuxi then finally reacted. She shivered and hurriedly hugged Han Jianye. How could she not be afraid? It was said that there were tens of thousands of people who had died in Yun Qing¡¯s hands and that pair of blood-stained hands had just pinched her face. At that thought, she could not stop shivering.

    Seeing this scene, Yun Qing touched his face and asked Jiang Hongfu, ¡°Cousin, am I so scary?¡±

    Jiang Hongfu helplessly answered, ¡°Aren¡¯t you scary when you suddenly acting like this?¡±

    Yun Qing felt that Yuxi¡¯s courage was too small. He just pinched her face and already scared her this bad. She was really such a wimpy kid. However, he did frightened her, so, he really needed to apologize. He untied Flowing Clouds Baifu Yupei from his waist and handed it to Han Jianye. He said, ¡°This is my fault. It won¡¯t happen again next time. This is mypensation to my cousin.¡± He just thought that Yuxi was very cute, so, he wanted to pinch her cheeks. Unexpectedly, his act frightened her.

    Han Jianye did not take the yupei and said discontentedly, ¡°Don¡¯t make such jokes next time.¡± Yun Qing¡¯s action was too careless. He should have known that a girl¡¯s face was not something he could easily pinch. Luckily, Yuxi was still a kid, otherwise, her reputation would have been destroyed by his act.

    Jiang Hongfu looked at Han Jianye and immediately exined, ¡°Don¡¯t get him wrong, Cousin Ye. My cousin has always regretted that my aunt didn¡¯t give her a sister! Therefore, seeing Cousin Xi, who is fair and plump, is a little beyond his normal limit. ¡°

    Jiang Hongfu¡¯s words made Yuxi suddenly felt embarrassed. Unexpectedly, the Murderous Devil was fond of fair and plump girls very much, which made her became disillusionment for a moment.

    Han Jianye said, ¡°I hope there will be no next time.¡±

    ¡°Not anymore,¡± said Yun Qing replied wryly.

    After apologizing, the two cousins left. Once they left, Han Jianye patted Yuxi¡¯s head and jokingly scolded her, ¡°Why was you so useless? He just pinched your face and you already scared like this.¡°

    Yuxi muttered, ¡°He was terrible!¡± At least, she didn¡¯t faint from fright, which was already very good, okay?

    The two were talking when Han Jianming came out from inside the store.

    Han Jianming learned of the incident and said with a smile, ¡°Through the generations, the Yun always have sons in their family, never once give birth to a daughter, so all of them have been wishing for a daughter.¡± He was aware of this problem in Yun Qing¡¯s family. However, he knew that Yun Qing was a measured person, so he was not that angry with the incident.

    Yuxi asked curiously, ¡°Wasn¡¯t Jiang Hongfu¡¯s biological mother a daughter of the Yun family?¡± This was inconsistent with what Han Jianming had said!

    Han Jianming smiled and shook his head. ¡°Jiang Hongfu¡¯s biological mother was not General Yun¡¯s biological daughter, but his adopted daughter. However, he treated her like his biological daughter.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t expect it was such a thing.

    Han Jianye however, was not very interested in these kind of things and said, ¡°Fourth Sister, aren¡¯t you going to buy books? There are many kinds of books here, so, you can choose them yourself. ¡°

    Yuxi listened to his words and start searching for the books she wanted to buy. After searching for a long time, she could not find the medical book she wanted. Howe there were no medical books being sold in such arge bookstore?

    Seeing Yuxi¡¯s disappointed face, Han Jianming smiled and asked, ¡°What books do you want?¡± At first nce, he could see that she had not selected any book.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Nothing.¡± There were some things she could tell Second Brother , but not her Eldest Brother. Although Second Brother was usually careless, he was very loyal and would never tell others once he promised not to.

    Han Jianming saw that Yuxi did not say or demand anything, so, he just smiled and said, ¡°Other book stores in the capital are closed at this time. This book store is the only one that does not close all year round. If you don¡¯t find the books you like here, I¡¯ll bring you to Songyun Pavilion the next time you have a holiday. There, you should be able to find the books you want.¡° Songyun Pavilion was thergest book store in the capital. The books it sold were all inclusive and it had everything. Only now, since it was Lantern Festival day, the store had been closed for business.

    Yuxi smiled so big till her teeth were shown, ¡°Okay.¡±

    After the three had dinner, it was already dark. Outside the restaurant, Yuxi sawnterns of various colours hanging on the street. It was such a very beautiful scenery.

    Chinese Riddle Lantern

    Image credited to Chinlingo (Enjoy Lantern Festival with 8ntern riddles, Mar 27th, 2019)

    Han Jianming had attended the festival several times, so, he was quite familiar with it. He took them to the ce wherenterns were sold. The Lantern Festival had a special feature. As long as you guessed correctly the riddle on thentern, you could take it away without paying.

    They found a stall sellingnterns. Chances in answering the riddles also had its limits. Everyone could only guess twice. If one answered wrongly on both chances, then one would have no more chances. Han Jianming answered two riddles and only got one right. As for Han Jianye, when he saw one of them did so well, he became a spectator.

    Yuxi wanted to give it a try. She looked at the tallnterns carefully and swept passed the most beautiful ones, because their riddles were the hardest to be answered. She looked at the othertterns for a little while, then pointed at antern with little rabbits painted on it, and said, ¡°The answer to that riddle is mystery within mystery.¡±

    The owner of the stall looked at Yuxi with great interest, ¡°This little girl is so clever.¡± After that, he took down thentern and handed it to Yuxi.

    This little rabbitsntern was actually not very fine in workmanship, but Yuxi still liked it. After all, she only got it with what she had learned.

 Chapter 37 - : Murderous Devil (4)

    <strong>Chapter 37 : Murderous Devil (4)</strong>

    At the Lantern festival, there were not only beautifulnterns, but also various kinds of snacks. Yuxi looked at a booth with arge number of people and asked, ¡°Eldest Brother, Second Brother, what are they eating?¡±

    Glutinous rice dumpling in sweet rice wine

    Image credited to ÒÀÇÙ via QQ (°Ù¹û¾ÆÄðÔ²×Ó£¬¾ÆÄðÏãÌð£¬Ô²×ÓÐ¡ÇÉ£¬¹âÁÁÏ¸ÄåÅ´Èí£¬°Ù¹ûÏÚÐÄÏãÌð, November 13th, 2018)

    ¡°Glutinous rice dumpling in sweet rice wine?¡± Yuxi hadn¡¯t heard of it, but this didn¡¯t prevent her from trying it. ¡°Big Brother, Second Brother, let¡¯s try it too!¡±

    As a result, this attempt was irremediable. Yuxi wanted to try every snacks her eyes caught sight of which made her tasted many snacks, such as several thread eyebrow ky pastry (ÈýË¿Ã¼Ã«ËÖ s¨¡n s¨© m¨¦im¨¢o s¨±), three fillings lotus ky pastry (ÈýÏÊÁ«»¨ËÖ s¨¡n xi¨¡n li¨¢nhu¨¡ s¨±), crab meat filled steam bun (Ð·»Æ°ü xi¨¨hu¨¢ng b¨¡o), rolling donkey (Â¿´ò¹ö l¨¶ d¨£g¨³n), pea flour cake (Íã¶¹»Æ w¨¡nd¨°u hu¨¢ng), etc.

    Yuxi muttered to herself, ¡°I really lived in vain in myst life.¡± She felt sad whenever she thought of her past. She didn¡¯t have much happy days back then.

    When Han Jianming saw that Yuxi was having such a good time eating snacks, he smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t eat any more. You¡¯ll have indigestion if you eat too much. If you like to eat them, I¡¯ll let people buy it for youter. Now, let¡¯s go see thentern boats.¡° Thentern boats event was the liveliest moment in the festival .

    Yuxi was going to walk there by her own, but Han Jianye grabbed her and held her up in his arms. ¡°There will be many people aroundter on, so I will hold you for your safety,¡± he said. Han Jianye was a martial artist, and his hands were very strong. Besides, she was not heavy. So, holding her was not a big problem for him.

    Hearing this, Yuxi smiled sweetly at him.

    Not to mention Han Jianye, even Han Jianming¡¯s mood grew better after seeing Yuxi¡¯s sweet smile. He then said, ¡°If you like it, I¡¯ll take you out again next year.¡±

    Yuxi was so delighted, ¡°Okay! Thank you, Eldest Brother.¡± In her previous life, she stayed at home every single day and didn¡¯t know anything of the outside world. It would have been better if she still went out and had a look at the world outside.

    Immortal Old Man of Longevity with Immoral (Great Birthday Party at Cooltron Group Shenzhen office, July 18th, 2016)

    Han Jianye had beforehand asked his attendant to hold a favourable position for them to best view of the boats. Once there, Yuxi looked at thentern boats floating on a river by the city wall. They were built in different shapes which included the shaped of Immortal Old Man of Longevity holding an Immortality Peach, water lilies with handwritten jin yu man tang (Chinese phrase : may gold and jade fill your house (hall)) phrase, and animals in each colour and each form (Chinese idiom : variety / diverse / in all kind) were also constructed.

    Yuxi looked at a distantntern boat which was built like fairy pce, and sound of music could also been heard from it. That boat was different from others as there was a real person dancing on it, not just a design. She muttered, ¡°Why is there female dancer dancing on that boat?¡±

    Han Jianming said with a smile, ¡°Well, it happens that this kind of thing is getting popr.¡±

    They were excitedly watching thentern boats when they suddenly heard someone screaming from the opposite river bank, followed by the sound of loud weeping and the continuous cries for help. Those who were watching thentern boats also started to rush in every direction. People could be seen surging around in chaos.

    Then, came the sound of people felt into the river. Ssh! Ssh!

    Since both of the riverbanks were too far apart, everyone on one side couldn¡¯t actually see what happened in the opposite riverbank. However, Yuxi actually caught sight of so many people felt into the water that she could not help but shivered. Even if she was in good health, she would still suffer a serious illness once she felt in the river, especially in this cold winter.

    The people on this side of riverbank also began to panic when they heard the cry for help. Han Jianye hastily said, ¡°Eldest brother, let¡¯s hurry back!¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s a mess now. The road must have somehow being blocked. It is better to find a safe ce rather than leave right away.¡° This way was much safer for them.

    Yuxi felt that her Eldest Brother thought much more thoroughlypared to her Second Brother who was somewhat inferior.

    A group of people had chosen a rouge shop nearby to stay safe. At this time, there were already many people in the rouge shop, which showed that there were many people who shared the same ideas as them.

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t care either way. He found a corner where there was no one standing and said to one of his attendants, ¡°Go and find out what happened just now across the river.¡±

    While Yuxi hastily said to Han Jianye, ¡°Second Brother, please let me down!¡± Just now, when an ident happened on the opposite riverbank, Han Jianye immediately picked her up, which made her felt very irritated.

    The attendant who went to inquire about the news soon returned. They finally knew why there was chaos across the river. It turned out that the Tenth Prince had secretly came out of the pce to seentern boats, and finally met an assassin.

    Yuxi was stunned. Tenth Prince was Yuchen¡¯s future husband and future emperor. It was unexpected that he woulde to see thenterns and meet the assassins on that day.

    Han Jianming¡¯s face was a bit ugly, ¡°Is the Tenth Prince all right?¡±

    The attendant nodded and said, ¡°Tenth Prince is alright. I heard he was just frightened.¡± The Tenth Prince may had escaped the disaster, but themon people around him couldn¡¯t even save their lives.

    Meanwhile, Han Jianye was concerned about other thing, ¡°Has the assassin been caught?¡±

    The attendant shook his head as he answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Han Jianming whispered, ¡°I¡¯m afraid there will be another storm.¡± The Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince were all born by Imperial Consort Song. She were also deeply favoured by the Emperor, so the Song family now hold great power in the court. The assassination attempt on the Tenth Prince was bound to set off another huge storm once this news reached the pce.

    Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Yuxi hastily said, ¡°Fortunately, we are not across the river today, otherwise we will certainly suffer too.¡± She said this intentionally to change the subject, not that she wasn¡¯t aware of this specific incident, merely that she found this situation was odd.

    Han Jianye nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. If someone falls into the water, that person will definitely be in serious illness. ¡°

    Han Jianming was not worried about his own family. His father was currently not in the court, and his second maternal uncle, who had an official position, was also assigned outside of the capital. They would not be dragged into any big conflict happened inside the court.

    Less than half an hourter, the people outside had all started to disperse. Han Jianming took Yuxi out of the rouge shop to find his own carriage.

    ¡°Cousin Jianming, wait a minute.¡± As they walked along the road, they suddenly heard someone calling.

    Yuxi¡¯s ears were very sharp. Just by hearing this voice, she immediately knew it belonged to Yun Qing and she turned muddleheaded. She did not know why she kept on meeting him, even when the capital was this huge, like they were fated to meet.

    As they approached, they discovered that Yun Qing was holding a girl. The girl looked as if she were asleep.

    Han Jianye was somewhat surprised and asked, ¡°Whose girl are you holding in your arm?¡±

    Yun Qing shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I caught sight of one crafty-looking (Chinese idiom : shifty-eye ¨C having the appearance of being dishonest, esp as signified by ack of eye contact) guy carrying this girl in his arms. At that time, it was chaotic and since I couldn¡¯t do anything, I started to follow that man. When questioned, the man was indeed a kidnapper and he tried to take advantage of the chaos to kidnap this little girl. ¡°

    Yuxi felt that her eyes must have been blind. The Murderous Devil from the rumour unexpectedly just saved a life. This situation had actually changed her view of him from his terrifying reputation.

    When Han Jianming saw that they were having a conversation, he noticed that the little girl still had not woken up, so he immediately asked, ¡°Has this little girl being drugged?¡¯

    Yun Qing stopped Han Jianming further questioning to ask for his help, ¡°I don¡¯t know. She was already unconscious when I saw her. Cousin Ming, do you think I can put her in your carriage? ¡° Yun Qing rode a horse when he left his house. It was no problem for him to ride by himself, but it was inconvenient to bring an unconscious girl along.

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Yuxi carefully looked at the little girl in Yun Qing¡¯s arms. The little girl looked about six or seven years old. She was wearing a pink rose-scented golden brocade dress. The jewellery she wore was also exquisite. Yuxi knew at a nce that she was a child from a wealthy family. No wonder Yun Qing could quickly conclude that the man holding the little girl was a human trader.

    Yuxi¡¯s mind started to turn as she said, ¡°Eldest Brother, it is inconvenient for Cousin Yun Qing to bring along a little girl with him. Why don¡¯t we take her back to our residence and ask a doctor to take a look at her?¡°

    Han Jianye didn¡¯t know that Yuxi could be this warm-hearted, though he also thought that her idea was actually good. He immediately asked for Yun Qing¡¯s opinion.

    Yun Qing didn¡¯t have that much thought on the matter. He just assumed that Yuxi just suddenly being overflowed withpassion. He nodded and said, ¡°This is just right. I¡¯m separated from my cousin. I have to find him.¡± Jiang Hongfu had a family to protect him, so Yun Qing was not worried about his safety. What he was afraid of was his cousin being worried about him.

    Having settled the matter, Han Jianming left two attendants to see if anyone woulde back to look for the child. If there was, they should immediately be taken directly to the Duke of the State¡¯s official residence.

    Qiu Shi heard the news that there was an ident happened at thentern festival and many people had died. At that time, she almost passed out of fear, however she managed to sent out a group of people to inquire more about the news.

    Mama Li lifted up the curtain and looked at Qiu Shi, who was being over worrying. She felt that this was not good, so she said, ¡°Madam, I just got the exact news. Both the Heir and Second Young Master are alright. Madam no need to worry too much about it anymore.¡±

    Qiu Shi still couldn¡¯t believe it that she had to ask, ¡°Really?¡±

    Mama Li nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true. I have been told that Master Heir and the others will be home soon.¡±

    When Han Jianming finally arrived at Duke of the State¡¯s official residence, he asked a strong old woman to hold the unconscious little girl. Before, he couldn¡¯t do anything when Yun Qing was holding the little girl. However, now that they were in public ce, for the little girl¡¯s reputation, it wasn¡¯t good for him to let any other male to carry her.

    Han Jianming ordered his attendants and said, ¡°Send for a doctor immediately.¡± The girl hadn¡¯t woken up yet, which was also a troubling matter.

    When Qiu Shi saw Han Jianminging back with a little girl, she was shocked that she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this girl?¡± It was impossible to fall asleep in this situation. The only exnation was, something had happened to the little girl.

    Han Jianming said, ¡°It was a mess just now. A child kidnapper took the opportunity to kidnap this girl. Fortunately, he met Eldest Brother Yun and it was him who had saved her. Mother, don¡¯t worry, I have already sent for a doctor.¡°

    Qiu Shi cried a prayer ¡®Merciful Buddha¡¯, then hurriedly asked the old woman to put the little girl on the bed.

    The doctor soon came. After doing some diagnosis, he asked them the cause. When he heard their answers, he said, ¡°This girl has been drugged.¡± Once he done saying that, he took out a small blue porcin bottle from his medicine cab. He opened the lid and put it under the little girl¡¯s nose.

    Yuxi smelled a pungent smell.

    Although she didn¡¯t know what was inside the little porcin bottle, she knew it had a remarkable effect as she saw the little girl quickly opened her eyes.

    The little girl was shocked to find so many people around her. She thought that she was captured by the kidnapper, so she cried in horror, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Sister, this is Duke Han of the State¡¯s official residence,¡± Yuxi quickly answered.

    When the little girl heard that it was Duke of the State¡¯s official residence, she asked incredulously, ¡°Is this really the Duke Han of the State¡¯s residence?¡± Not that she didn¡¯t believe it, but what she saw before she became unconscious was clearly a scoundrel.

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°Sister, rest assured. The kidnapper has been caught. Sister, where is your home? ¡°

    The little girl looked at Yuxi¡¯s clothes and the furnishings in the room. She breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Did you save me?¡±

    Yuxi did not dare to take credit for it, ¡°No, it was Cousin Yun Qing who had saved sister. We met him on the way and then we brought sister here.¡±

    Qiu Shi felt that Yuxi had talked for a long time without getting to the point, ¡°Little girl, can you tell this aunt who are your parents? I¡¯ll send a letter to them, or they¡¯ll be very worried.¡° She was also a mother. If she knew her child had been lost, she wouldn¡¯t know how worried she would be!

    The little girl hurriedly said, ¡°My name is Duan Xinrong. My grandfather is the Right Imperial Censor of the Capital Censorate.¡±

    The Right Imperial Censor of the Capital Censorate was a second rank senior official. It wasn¡¯t difficult for Qiu Shi to understand the situation. So, she immediately ordered people to send letters to the Duan¡¯s family home.

 Chapter 38 - Duan Xinrong

    <strong>Chapter 38 : Duan Xinrong</strong>

    Yuxi was quite delighted in her heart. She didn¡¯t expect Duan Xinrong to be a girl from a Noble House. Although Duan Xinrong was not rescued by her, but with this rtionship in ce, she would be able to have a good rtionship with her in the future.

    Yuxi thought for a while before she asked, ¡°Sister Xinrong, how did you fall into the hands of the kidnapper?¡± In fact, she had nothing to talk about, and the kidnapping attempt process she had heard it all from Yun Qing, himself.

    Duan Xinrong currently still had a lingering fear of the incident but still managed to exined, ¡°My brother and I were watching thentern boats, when suddenly a few people in ck appeared and started killing many people. Everyone fled for their lives. In the chaos, my brother and I were somewhat separated. I didn¡¯t know from where, a man suddenly appeared. He picked me up and walked away from the scene. I struggled desperately. However, the man covered my mouth with a handkerchief and I fainted. I didn¡¯t know what happened afterwards.¡±

    Well, Duan Xinrong had met a professional kidnapper. Yuxi thought that Duan Xinrong was very lucky. If it weren¡¯t for Yun Qing¡¯s rescue, she was afraid that they would not know where Duan Xinrong would be sold by the kidnapper. Even if she could be saved in the future, her reputation was already ruined for a lifetime.

    The Duan family soon arrived at the Han residence. Madam Duan wept when she saw Duan Xinrong. She almost died of fright when she learned that her daughter was missing.

    Yuxi looked enviously at both the mother and daughter who wept bitterly in each other arms. Therefore, a child with a mother was treated like a treasure, while a child without a mother was treated just like a grass!

    Madam Duan was too excited, that she lost control for a while. However, she was quick to realize that she was in someone else¡¯s house. At that moment, she embarrassingly said, ¡°I¡¯ve just made myself be a joke in front of Madam.¡±

    Qiu Shi kindly ordered people to fetch water for Madam Duan to clean her face. She then said with a smile, ¡°What a joke? We all are mothers. Just now, when I knew that there was a disturbance at thentern festival, I was scared out of my wits. Fortunately, the Bodhisattva has blessed us and that we are all safe.¡° She knew Madam Duan, but they never mingled in the same circle, so they were not familiar with each other.

    After properly making herself presentable, Madam Duan said, ¡°Our family Xinrong, is really thankful to your family.¡± If her daughter had met some unexpected misfortune, she would not know how to continue living.

    Qiu Shi naturally did not dare to take the credit, ¡°It was the eldest grandson of the Yun family who saved her. Some of my children just lend their hands to him.¡±

    Madam Duan was very grateful to all of them, even if some of them just lend their hands in helping her daughter out.

    Duan Xinrong was frightened to death today. What she wanted the most right now was to return home, ¡°Mother, I want to go home.¡± In other people¡¯s homes, her heart would not be able to be free from anxiety.

    Madam Duan looked at the frightened face of her daughter and felt very sorry for her. She hastily replied, ¡°Okay, okay, we¡¯re going home.¡± At that moment, she immediately took her leave from Qiu Shi and went back home.

    It was already veryte at the moment, so Qiu Shi did not retain Madam Duan from leaving. After seeing off Madam Duan and Duan Xinrong, she said to Yuxi, ¡°Thentern festival is too dangerous for you to go again.¡±

    Yuxi felt that if she was given the same chance again, she would still go. However, she knew the current affairs very well. At this time, she didn¡¯t dare to refute, otherwise she would definitely be scolded.

    The next day, Yuxi went to the main house to greet the Old Madam.

    On her way there, she met Yuchen. Yuchen smiled and asked, ¡°Fourth Sister, I heard from the maid that you and our Cousin Brothers had saved the young miss of the Right Imperial Censor family. Is this true?¡± The Right Imperial Censor of Capital Censorate worked as a supervisory officer, supervising officials of the imperial court. Although this position was not the position of a leader, they still had great powers.

    Yuxi shook her head and told Yuchen the whole incident, ¡°We were only helping out. We did not save anyone.¡±

    The Old Madam was very satisfied with Yuxi¡¯s initiative to bring the young miss of Duan family to their residence. Even if they did not directly saved her, but they also helped. Through this rtionship, they could move a lot in the future. Although they were the family of Duke of the State, the title had little influence in the court. So, it was very good for the future of her youngest son to be able to get in touch with powerful officials of the ruling dynasty. ¡°In the future, you should go visit the young miss of the Duan family more often.¡±

    How could Yuxi not know the Old Madam¡¯s calction? Of course, the real reason why she lend her handst night was because she looked at Duan Xinrong¡¯s extraordinary background and wanted more assistance for her future. The Old Madam¡¯s proposal fell right onto herp.

    The Old Madam seldom saw Yuxi being so clever and obedient. As she was feeling quite happy, she rewarded Yuxi with a few clothings, jewelleries, some supplements and a set of four treasures of the study. The things that she took out of her hand were very valuable.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t feel anything as she received the gifts. Compared with the news obtained from Yuchen, all these were not enough for her to consider as valuables. Though, having some was much better than having none.

    Out of the Old Madam¡¯s courtyard, Yuxi went straight to the main courtyard. As soon as she arrived there, she heard that Duan family had sent a gratitude gifts.

    When Yuxi entered the room, Duan family stewardess, with an apologetic face, said to Qiu Shi, ¡°My Madam should havees and thanked Madam personally, but my Young Miss has quite a fright yesterday and started to have a fever in the middle of the night. So, my Madam couldn¡¯t walk away. Please don¡¯t me our Madam, Madam Duke.¡±

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of giving a hand. It¡¯s very kind of Madam Duan to send such many gifts.¡±

    What Yuxi didn¡¯t expect was that Duan family had send gratitude gifts to her separately. When she went back to her courtyard and looked at the gifts piled up on the table, she smiled and ordered nearby maids, ¡°Register all these things.¡± Turning around, she ordered Hongshan to ask her Third Brother for information regarding outside situation. Yesterday there were assassins, so today there must be a lot of talk in the streets and alleys.

    Dali Temple

    Image credites to ¿´Ò»•ø at kknews (¹Å´úµÄ´óÀíËÂºÍÐÌ²¿ÓÐºÎ…^„e£¬ƒÉ´óÐÌªz™C˜‹ÄÇ‚€™àÁ¦¸ü´ó?t, April 2nd, 2017)

    Hongshan soon told Yuxi the news of her inquiry, ¡°Miss, the Tenth Prince were nearly assassinated by assassins. The Emperor was very angry that he ordered the ministers of Dali Temple (Chinese old term for Supreme Court) to thoroughly investigate the case.¡±

    Yuxi then asked, ¡°What else?¡± This matter was bound to implicate many people.

    Hongshan hesitated for a while before saying, ¡°Now, there is rumour outside in the capital saying that the Sixtieth Prince had been assassinated and the one behind the assassination is the Crown Prince. Even General of South Garrison Residence unable to escape from being implicated.¡± General of South Garrison Residence was the residence of the Yan Family, the maternal family of the Empress and also a strong backer of the Crown Prince.

    A corner of Yuxi¡¯s mouth rose in mockery. The Crown Prince was not a fool. How could he vigorously send assassins to kill the Tenth Prince. The Ninth prince and the Tenth prince were both born by Imperial Consort Song, but the one the Emperor really fond of was the Ninth Prince, not the Tenth Prince. If the Crown Prince really wanted to kill someone, he should have killed the Ninth Prince, the Emperor¡¯s heart. How could he have gone to great lengths to kill the Tenth Prince?

    Hongshan asked anxiously, ¡°Miss, do you still want to know more about the outside news?¡± She felt that Yuxi was too keen on things happened outside. She didn¡¯t know for what reason a girl from the boudoir needed to know things outside. She was more worried that Yuxi¡¯s behaviour would upset the Old Madam.

    Yuxi felt that Hongshan was worrying too much and said, ¡°I did nothing else other than just asking about the outside affairs. I¡¯m sure Grandmother wouldn¡¯t mind. Afterwards, you don¡¯t need to inquire every day. Just go inquire once in three or five days.¡°

    Hongshan nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Yuxi waved Hongshan out, while she stayed sitted in a chair, thinking. From what she remembered, the Ninth Prince had an ident in herst life. Because of that, only Tenth Prince was able to be crowned on the throne. As for what ident befell on the Ninth Prince, she didn¡¯t know. She always felt that she had lived in vain in her previous life. She knew nothing and did not understand everything. It was no wonder that she was bullied and killed by the Jiang family.

    At the thought of Jiang family, Yuxi was in a bad mood again. She currently studied so hard so that she could get rid of the fate of marrying Jiang family in the future. However, she could not really get rid of the them because she still did not know why Jiang Hongjin married her. If she knew the reason, she could still be on guard, but she still had no idea. This kind of feeling was very bad. It was like a hanging sword on her head, which could fall any time, but she couldn¡¯t avoid it, so she would be worried all day long.

    Well, Yuxi sighed. What she could do now was to learn more useful things. At that time, she could still live even if she had to live outside.

 Chapter 39 - Guest Student (1)

    <strong>Chapter 39 : Guest Student (1)</strong>

    Early morning of the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, Teacher Song returned to the residence. She should havee back yesterday, but something happened in the Song family that dyed her return.

    Yuxi heard that Teacher Song had returned to Magnolia Courtyard. She did not expect to meet Teacher Song, who happened to be going to the main house, halfway down the road.

    Teacher Song said with an indifferent look, ¡°I have work to do. You go back first. Come back to Magnolia Courtyardter. ¡±

    When Yuxi heard this, there was a thump in her heart. However, she did not want to lose herposure in front of Teacher Song, so she replied respectfully, ¡°Okay.¡± What if she decided not to go back? Could she still brazenly followed Teacher Song to the main house? At that time, the Old Madam will definitely get angry with her again.

    Once Yuxi arrived at Rose Courtyard, she went into the study. She looked at the pile of books on the desk and gave a wry smile. No matter how hard she tried, she could neverpare to Yuchen. This was really hard. However, this result was also as she expected.

    Being in grief couldn¡¯t solve any problems, and Yuxi didn¡¯t like to let this emotion to surround her all the time, so she simply picked up the chess score on her desk and read it.

    Moju whispered to Mama Shen, ¡°Mama, what do you think Miss will do if Teacher Song doesn¡¯t ept her?¡±

    Mama Shen said, ¡°I only hope that Teacher Song will make an exception for our Miss for the sake of her hard work.¡± As for Fourth Miss¡¯ desperate efforts, she was moved by it and she hoped that it would also be able to move Teacher Song too.

    At the end of chenshi (time between 7-9 am) hours, a servant girl from Magnolia Courtyard came to deliver a message, ¡°Fourth Miss, Teacher Song asked you toe over.¡±

    When Teacher Song saw Yuxi, she did not beat around the bush and directly said, ¡°I have decided to ept Yuchen as myst student.¡± In other words, Yuchen was thest student she would teach, so there was nothing more for Yuxi to hope.

    Yuxi tried to speak by opening her mouth but before she could say anything, her tears had already fallen down.

    Seeing Yuxi like this, Teacher Song had a hard time to continue saying her following words. In fact, she could see Yuxi¡¯s painstaking efforts in the past three months. If there were no Yuchen, she would definitely ept Yuxi as a student. Only that, with Yuchen around, she didn¡¯t want to ept any other students. Yuxi had amazing talent. She could learn everything as soon as she was taught. She also worked very hard and had very good character, which could be said to be nearly perfect. Therefore, Teacher Song decided to teach Yuchen everything she could.

    Teacher Song hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Yuxi, if you have any problems in the future, you cane and ask me at Magnolia Courtyard.¡± It meant that she still could give her extra guidance.

    Yuxi wiped her tears, and said, ¡°Teacher, can I ask for one thing from you?¡± Over the past few months, she had also thought of many ways to deal with this situation, but it the end, none could bring the oue that she wanted.

    Teacher Song nodded and said, ¡°Tell me. As long as I can do it, I will promise you.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s request was very simple. She only hoped that when Teacher Song taught Yuchen, she would be allowed to listen in. To put it simply, she would be a guest student. She said sincerely, ¡°Teacher, I really like the Analects of Confucius and Mencius you spoke of. If I cannot finish the four books and five ssics, it will be a lifelong regret for me.¡° Self-study was totally different from being taught by a teacher. Therefore, she didn¡¯t want to study by herself, because she couldn¡¯t learn anything by herself.

    This was the first time for Teacher Song to encountered this kind of situation, that she was momentarily stunned.

    Seeing this, Yuxi knelt down on the ground and cried, ¡°Teacher, please give me a chance! Teacher, you can rest assured, I will just listen in, and I absolutely won¡¯t bother my Third Sister.¡± It didn¡¯t matter even if she had to swallow her pride as long as she could achieve her goal. At least for now, she could still ask for favour. If she couldn¡¯t ask for favour, then she was afraid that she had to go beg, which was the most terrible thing for her to do.

    Teacher Song looked at Yuxi kneeling on the ground with aplicated look in her eyes. However, she still refused Yuxi¡¯s request, ¡°Fourth Miss, my energy is limited and I can¡¯t teach two people.¡± Even if Yuxi was just listening on the sidelines, it still won¡¯t work.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t expect her pleading was unable to make Teacher Song to yield. People said that human heart was squashy. Only Teacher Song¡¯s heart was too hard. ¡°Teacher, please give me a chance!¡±

    Teacher Song shook her head and said, ¡°Get up. What I said will not change.¡±

    Yuxi walked out of Magnolia Courtyard with red eyes.

    Moju said, ¡°Miss, if Teacher Song didn¡¯t want to teach you, just forget her. Miss has already learned so many words that it doesn¡¯t matter if Miss doesn¡¯t learn anymore. If Miss really wants to learn more, Miss can buy books to read!¡±

    Yuxi kept her head down and did not say a thing. When they reached the fork on the road, she suddenly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the main house.¡± She was absolutely unwilling to resign to fate without giving herst effort.

    Yuxi went to look for Yuchen. Now, the only person who can help to intercede was Yuchen. Yuxi, with her eyes red, started to beg Yuchen, ¡°Third Sister, can you to help me talk to teacher?¡±

    Yuchen was not stupid. How could she not know what Yuxi was asking for? ¡°Fourth Sister, it is not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but it is still useless even if I help you!¡± Although Teacher Song promised to ept her, she could not use that advantage to force her to ept Yuxi.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Third Sister, I don¡¯t expect teacher to ept me as her student. I just hope that when she teaches you, she will allow me to listen in. Third sister, you can help me to say something in front of teacher! Third Sister, I really like studying. ¡°

    When Yuchen listened to Yuxi¡¯s words, she was moved. Moreover, her request was not particrly excessive. She thought about it and finally said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go now.¡±

    A ray of hope rose in Yuxi¡¯s heart and she felt really thankful to Yuchen, ¡°Thank you, Third Sister.¡± Of course, if Teacher Song still refused, then, she would have to give up forever.

    Yuchen said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. I can¡¯t guarantee that Teacher Song will agree to this. ¡°

    Yuchen went to the main room first and told the Old Madam about it.

    The Old Madam did not support Yuchen intercede for Yuxi, ¡°Since Teacher Song has already refused, why should you try to ask again on her behalf?¡± Anyway, Yuxi had been studying with Teacher Song for three months, so it was enough for her to at least be a household bookkeeper.

    Yuchen had her own thoughts, ¡°Grandmother, Fourth Sister is so eager to learn, and what she requested was not too much. Grandmother, Fourth Sister and I are sisters of the first kin anyway. I still want to help her if I can.¡° If Yuxi had asked her to let Teacher Song epted her as a student, she would certainly have refused her. But with Yuxi¡¯s simple request, she felt that if she was the one who intercede, Teacher Song should be able to amodate.

    The Old Madam still disagreed.

    Yuchen said, ¡°Grandmother, Fourth Sister is so eager to learn, so let her do as she wishes. Later on, outsiders will surely praise us sisters for our outstanding performance. This is also a good thing for the residence.¡±

    The Old Madam hesitated for a bit.

    ¡°Grandmother,¡± said Yuchen with a smile, ¡°This matter still depends on teacher to decide. I will only be talking about this situation with her, and this will not bring harm to my status as her student. Teacher will also not have another opinion of me over such a trifle thing.¡±

    The Old Madam was moved by Yuchen¡¯sst words, ¡°Since you are determined to go, then go!¡± Since Teacher Song had decided to ept Yuchen as herst disciple, she should not be dissatisfied with Yuchen over such a small matter.

    After Yuchen came out, she asked Yuxi to return to Rose Courtyard and waited for her news.

    Yuxi wanted to know the result as soon as possible, no matter whether she seeded or not, ¡°Third Sister, I will not enter Magnolia Courtyard, I will wait outside. Do you think I can do that?¡±

    Yuchen nodded and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go together!¡±

    When Teacher Song heard Yuchen begging on behalf of Yuxi, she asked, ¡°Yuchen, you are gifted, and you will learn what you¡¯ve been taught. If you let Fourth Miss listens in, it will certainly affect you. I didn¡¯t promise her because I was thinking of you.¡± For the first three months, she was actually holding back the pace of teaching because unfortunately, Yuxi had some difficulty in learning. If she sped up the learning process in the future, Yuxi would surely not be able to keep up with it, and then Yuchen would be dragged behind. Afterprehensive consideration, she decided to refuse Yuxi¡¯s request.

    Yuchen did not know that Teacher Song refused Yuxi because of her. She said, ¡°Teacher, Yuxi is not poor in talent. She is not slow in learning and will certainly not drag me down.¡±

    Teacher Song looked at Yuchen and asked again, ¡°Do you really don¡¯t care that Fourth Miss will dy your study?¡±

    Yuchen shook her head and said, ¡°Teacher, I believe my Fourth Sister will not drag me down.¡±

    Teacher Song was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°If you say so, I won¡¯t be a hard-hearted person. You let Fourth Miss in!¡±

    When Yuxi got the news, she went into Magnolia Courtyard with feeling of restlessness.

    Teacher Song thought that Yuxi¡¯s perseverance was really worthy of praise. She was so persistent that she did not give up easily, ¡°Fourth Miss, I can allow you to listen in, but one thing I have to tell you is that Third Miss is a quick learner, and I will definitely teaches on her basis. Are you sure you can keep up with the progress then?¡± That was to say that Yuxi was a drag, to also let Yuxi knew the difficulties and made her backed down by herself.

    How could Yuxi backed down? However, she also knew herself well. She certainly could not match Yuchen¡¯s genial talent. ¡°Teacher, if I learn everything, I will definitely not be able to keep up. So, Teacher, I won¡¯t learn the four arts. I merely just study together. ¡°

    When Teacher Song heard this words, she had a new level of respect for Yuxi. If Yuxi directly said that she could keep up, she would definitely refuse Yuxi¡¯s request directly, but now, Yuxi only chose to study certain subjects, which would certainly not dy her. ¡°Why only choose to study certain subjects? Don¡¯t you like to y chess?¡±

    Without thinking about it, Yuxi said, ¡°I like ying chess, but I prefer studying. Teacher, I know I can¡¯tpete with my Third Sister even if I try hard. In that case, I might as well choose my favourite one.¡± To be exact, she chose the one which she deemed as useful. Chess could be studied in private and could be askedter on if she didn¡¯t understand it. However, if there was no analysis on knowledge of the books she read, even if she read it many times, she might not understand it.

    Teacher Song looked at Yuxi carefully. After a long time, she finally said, ¡°Even if you just a guest student, you can¡¯t just study. You have to learn chess and painting skills, and you have to practice every day.¡± Words were learned by practice, not in just one day.

    Yuxi¡¯s face was radiant with joy.

    When Teacher Song saw Yuxi¡¯s face, she did not know why, but she felt aplex emotion which was hard for her to distinguish, ¡°Fourth Miss, since this is what you asked for, you must be prepared. I will not slow down the teaching process because of you.¡±

    Yuxi said without hesitation, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, teacher, I won¡¯t hold my Third Sister back.¡±

    Teacher Song grunted, ¡°If you don¡¯t understand anything, you can ask me after ss.¡±

    Yuxi kowtowed three times to Teacher Song and said, ¡°Thank you, teacher.¡± It was expected that she would not be able to learn directly from a teacher, though it was also good to be a guest student now.

    Teacher Song nodded and said, ¡°Come to Magnolia Courtyard two quarter until maoshi (5-7 am) hours tomorrow.¡±

    Yuxi happily went out of Magnolia Courtyard.

 Chapter 40 - Guest Student (2)

    <strong>Chapter 40 : Guest Student (2)</strong>

    After sending off Yuxi, old woman Ding turned around facing Teacher Song and couldn¡¯t help but asked her, ¡°Why did Ma¡¯am promised Fourth Miss?¡± Even if Yuxi just sitting in during ss, Teacher Song won¡¯t be able topletely ignore Yuxi because of her responsible attitude, and it would also took a lot of energy for her to teach another child.

    Teacher Song went to the window, looked at Yuxi¡¯s back through it and slowly said, ¡°Even if I don¡¯t ept her, she will ask Madam Han to invite another teacher for her. Fourth Miss is not a person who can easilypromise. ¡°

    Old woman Ding became more puzzled, ¡°If Fourth Miss wants to invite another teacher, just let her do so.¡± This situation had never happened before.

    Teacher Song shook her head and said, ¡°Mama Ding, there are many talented people, but very few of them are flexible, have the will to choose and have perseverance, and Fourth Miss happens to be such people. This kind of person, as long as she is given the opportunity, she will definitely not be inferior to others. ¡°

    Hearing this, old woman Ding finally understood, ¡°Ma¡¯am means that even if there is no intercession from Third Miss, Ma¡¯am will still allow Fourth Miss to attend.¡±

    Teacher Song shook her head and said, ¡°No.¡± She was a little tempted before, but for Yuchen¡¯s sake, she gave up. However, when she saw Yuxi unexpectedly invited Yuchen to intercede, rather than the Old Madam or Madam Han, she changed her mind. It was obvious from this that Fourth Miss was in fact very clever, and she knew who would do the most good. Such a person, no one knew what type of person she would be in the future.

    Old woman Ding was a little confused.

    Teacher Song did not borate either, only said, ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± The five-year-old girl had no one taught her such a n, and she already agreed, merely to form a good rtionship with the residence.

    The maids in the Rose Courtyard knew that Yuxi had be a guest student and they wondered what it really meant. Atst, Moju plucked up her courage and asked, ¡°Miss, what does guest student mean?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°It means studypanion.¡±

    Moju¡¯s face was not good-looking. The Third Miss and her Miss were the legitimate daughters of the second house. Now her Miss was going to apany the Third Miss in studying, which was too bad, ¡°Miss, I think we¡¯d better hold on.¡± In the future, she had to go out with low status people.

    Yuxi knew what Moju was thinking and she did not say much about it. Learning real skills was the most important thing. Beingughed at would not result in her being less human.

    Compared with Moju¡¯s worries, Mama Shen was very happy when she knew about this. Even though her Miss was not admitted as an official student, it was still nice for her to have this title.

    While, Old Madam Han¡¯s attitude was very direct, that she had send some people to deliver so many good things to Yuxi.

    Qiu Shi hugged Yuxi and said cheerfully, ¡°Since you have been given this opportunity, you should study hard in the future.¡± Even if it was only as studypanion, with this title, Yuxi¡¯s scope of husband selections would be wider in the future.

    Yuxi was somewhat embarrassed and said, ¡°It¡¯s just an studypanion, not an official student, so Aunt doesn¡¯t have to say it like that. Moreover, if it weren¡¯t for the help of the Third Sister, Teacher Song wouldn¡¯t have agreed.¡° She didn¡¯t feel that she lost her share of studying, but she didn¡¯t show it on the surface.

    Qiu Shi smiled and said, ¡°Who in this capital does not know that Teacher Song has a very high standard. If you do not meet her standard, even if Yuchen helps you to intercede, Teacher Song will not have agreed. Yuxi, don¡¯t belittle yourself. Not to mention your study, just looked at your needlework. I can assure you, your needlework is absolutely iparable among your peers.¡° With that, she touched Yuxi¡¯s head and said, ¡°Yuxi, don¡¯tpare yourself with your Third Sister. Yuchen¡¯s talent, let alone the capital, is unmatched by many people in the world. ¡°

    Qiu Shi felt that Yuchen¡¯s talent was very good, but she was afraid that her brother-inw might be bleeding in his heart. Her eldest daughter was so excellent, but none of his sons were this intelligent.

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°I listen to Aunt.¡± If she kept onparing herself with Yuchen, that was purely seeking abuse. In the future, she wouldpare herself with her peers outside.

    Qiu Shi nodded in relief, then with a smile, she talked to Yuxi regarding other matter, ¡°Third Girl started moving things yesterday and it should be able to finish this afternoon. This time, the Old Madam has already said that she will built a small kitchen in Tingyun Pavilion. I think your Rose Courtyard is far away from the big kitchen and it is not convenient to get food during winter. So, I took this opportunity to build a small kitchen in your courtyard.¡± Generally, young misses wouldn¡¯t have their own kitchen, but because the Old Madam especially doted on Yuchen, it became an exception. So, this time, Yuxi could borrow Yuchen¡¯s east wind. Yuxi and Yuchen were not that different in status anyway. So, it would be difficult for the Old Madam to say anything about her getting Yuxi a small kitchen. If she missed this opportunity, the next time for her to be abled to do so would be on the year of monkey and month of horse (Chinese idiom : time that neveres).

    Yuxi eyes brighten as she heard that she could have her own small kitchen. However, her eyes soon darkened as she whispered, ¡°Aunt, will Grandmother agrees?¡± Having a small kitchen naturally was good. Whatever she wanted to eat during weekday could be made, which was very convenient. If she needed the main kitchen to prepare extra meal for her, she had to pay extra.

    Qiu Shi smiled and said, ¡°Yuchen¡¯s small kitchen budget is noting from public ounts, but from private savings. As long as your kitchen budget alsoes from private savings, the Old Madam has no reason to disagree. ¡°

    Yuxi said happily, ¡°Thank you, Aunt.¡± With her own little kitchen, it would also be convenient for her to start learning to cook.

    Qiu Shi touched Yuxi¡¯s head and said softly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be thankful about. It¡¯s just a small thing.¡±

    Yuxi, however, did not feel that she should ept it calmly and said, ¡°Aunt, in the residence, only Aunt will think about everything for me.¡±

    Qiu Shi patted Yuxi on the back and said, ¡°Later on, don¡¯t say thank you again. It will be too much for you!¡± She had already regarded Yuxi like her own daughter, so, it was natural for her to think about everything for her.

    Yuxi embraced Qiu Shi and snuggled in her arms. She then whispered, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Since Yuxi had to pay for the kitchen herself, she felt that although her ie was enough to support the kitchen¡¯s expenses, she was not at ease as she would not had any money in her hand left.

    So, after being shelved for a long time, the production of scar-removing ointment was put on the agenda. She had already got two packets of pearl powder from Qiu Shi, and now she only needed to boil them.

    To boil the scar-removing ointment, although the amount was small, it was impossible to hide it from the public. Yuxi simply told Mama Shen, Moju and several trusted maids about this matter. Of course, she said she was boiling face ointment, not scar-removing ointment.

    Face ointment, by its very name, was the stuff you put on your face.

    Mama Shen hastily said, ¡°Miss, this paste can¡¯t be used casually and you¡¯re also young and delicate, so you don¡¯t need these things.¡° This face ointment would be applied on the face. How could she not know the important of her Miss¡¯ face? How could one casually apply a face ointment that one did not know what to expect? In case of any mistake, one whole life would be ruined.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I read about it in a book and thought it was interesting, so I wanted to give it a try. Mama, rest assure, even if it is boiled, I will not use on myself.¡±

    Mama Shen asked suspiciously, ¡°Where did Miss see the prescription?¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°In a book I bought from the academy.¡± After a pause, she looked at Mama Shen and said, ¡°This is only a small matter. I hope Mama Shen will not tell anyone.¡±

    Mama Shen knew that Yuxi had a good idea. Since Yuxi already said that, it was useless for her to persuade anymore. Although she felt that Yuxi was behaving foolishly, she didn¡¯t think it was a big deal either. It was not unusual for a young miss from arge family to make rouge or spice herself. However, she also asked, ¡°Miss must assure this old servant that even if the ointment is boiled, it cannot be applied to your own face.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Mama, rest assure, I won¡¯t personally use it.¡±

    When Yuxi boiled the ointment, she did not fake it but made it herself. Then the boiled ointment was poured into a vessel and left in a dark room.

 Chapter 41 - Tingyun Pavilion

    <strong>Chapter 41 : Tingyun Pavilion</strong>

    Tingyun (clouds on the sandbank) Pavilion was built near a clear water in the garden. It was said to be an attic, but it was actually a waterside pavilion with half of its surface stretching forward into the water. It was built with the beauty of a quaint scroll of small gardens in the south of the Yangtze River, and its interior was also beautifully decorated.

    As soon as Yuxi entered Tingyun Pavilion, she smiled and said admiringly, ¡°Third Sister, this Tingyun Pavilion you live in, is really beautiful. If I don¡¯t know this ce is yours, I will feel like I was in the fairy pce!¡± Naturally, there was an exaggeration in this statement, but this ce was really much higher grade than Yuxi¡¯s Rose Courtyard.

    Yuchen saw that Yuxi was only saying it as it was, without the look of envy, jealousy or hatred in her eyes. She smiled and said, ¡°Fourth Sister can oftene and y here in the future.¡±

    Yuxi answered with a smile, but she would not really take the offer seriously. Apart from the fact that the maids around Yuchen had been guarding against her like she was a thief, the Old Madam was also not happy when she knew that Yuxi often looked for Yuchen.

    Shishu came in from the outside, bowed, extended a salute and said, ¡°Miss, Eldest Miss is here.¡± Today was the first day for Yuchen to move in. So, it was normal for people toe and visit.

    When Yuru entered Tingyun Pavilion, she felt that her eyes were not enough to see everything inside. She had always known that Tingyun Pavilion was the best courtyard in the residence, but she did not expect it to be so rich and exquisite, ¡°It is a great blessing for Third Sister to live in such a beautiful loft.¡±

    Hearing this, Yuxi felt that it was not right. In order not to embarrass Yuru, she smiled and said, ¡°We are all blessed to say that we all are truly lucky. Otherwise, if we were born in amon people¡¯s home, where would we have such a good life as this, and perhaps, we will still worry about our three meals!¡° This was also her sincere words. Although she lived a humbled life in her previous life, she never had to worry about food and clothing. Even if she was sent to remote hamlet by the Jiang family, she still didn¡¯t have to worry about eating and drinking, but it was also because of this that she knew the ordinary people were actually having a much harder life than her.

    Yuru choked, but soon she smiled again and said, ¡°Fourth Sister means is being a young miss of the state residence is a great blessing for us.¡±

    Then, Yuchen took both of her sisters to look around Tingyun Pavilion.

    To the west of Tingyun Pavilion was Yuchen¡¯s private residence. Theyout of this ce wasn¡¯t only managed to make Yuru felt hot, even Yuxi couldn¡¯t help but sigh. The Old Madam was really too bias.

    Several rooms in the east were unupied, but they were not idle either. They were arranged as study room, qin room, painting room and chess room.

    Yuxi looked at the surface of the yellow rosewood writing desk and at the paintings on the wall which worth several cities (Chinese idiom : invaluable, priceless). As for the exquisite tea set ced on the table, no need for her to mention their worth. She was totally speechless. She was also a young miss of the residence, but the pay gap between them was too wide. Fortunately, she had lived for more than twenty years and managed to rx her mind. Otherwise, she would certainly be jealous.

    The silk handkerchief in Yuru¡¯s hand had been twisted till it changed its form. She felt angry, hatred and resentful.

    20131102_067

    Five Saints via Guoxue on ÖÐ¹úÀú´úÖøÃûµÀ¹Û¡¢µÀ³¤¼ò½é£¨ËÄ£©article.

    Then, they went to the painting room and looked at the picture hanging on the wall. Yuxi couldn¡¯t help but asked, ¡°Third Sister, is this picture of the Five Saints a genuine one?¡±

    Yuchen nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s the real thing.¡±

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°Third Sister, you must be able to get some insight from looking at the masterpiece painting of the Saints every day.¡± The painting of the Five Saints was absolutely priceless in the market. If she got this kind of paintings, she would put them all away and treated them like the apples of her eyes.

    Yuru knew that this was a painting by Saint Wu Daozi and she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. She said, ¡°Grandmother really loves Third Sister dearly. She will often gives everything good to Third Sister. All pictures in my yard can¡¯tpare with a picture in Third Sister¡¯s room.¡°

    A trace of awkwardness appeared on Yuchen¡¯s face. Some of these things were her mother¡¯s dowry, and some were given to her by her grandmother.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t seem to hear the jealousy in Yuru¡¯s words. She smiled and went to an easel. She looked at the unfinished painting and said, ¡°Third Sister, this peony flower painting is really good!¡±

    Yuchen responded to Yuxi¡¯s words, ¡°Fourth Sister is too modest. I can¡¯t paint flowers as well as Fourth Sister.¡± Yuxi¡¯sndscape painting standard had nothing good to be said about. However, the gorgeous flowers that she painted were fabulous, which Yuchen could notpared. ording to Teacher Song, this was Yuxi¡¯s natural talent.

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°Where can I bepared with Third Sister? When I draw pictures, I only draw for my amusement.¡± She even hardly wrote in her spare time.

    Yuru almost vomited blood when she heard this. What this about Yuxi only painted for her own amusement? Was this a sneer at her inability to do anything? She had never missed Yujing as much as did right now. If Yujing was here, she would surely make a scene and asked her not to hold herself back so much.

    After Yuxipleted her walk through around Tingyun Pavilion, she was ready to go back, ¡°Third Sister has just moved in and I¡¯m sure there are many things to do, so I won¡¯t bother Third Sister anymore. I¡¯lle back when I have free time.¡°

    Yuchen would be really busy with the move, so she didn¡¯t ask for Yuxi to stay either.

    In response, Yuru also left with Yuxi. Once outside, Yuru didn¡¯t returned to her yard, but instead suggested to tag along with Yuxi to Rose Courtyard.

    How could Yuxi not know what was in Yuru¡¯s mind, which was nothing more but to see if her courtyard furniture arrangement was no better than her, ¡°Today, I¡¯m actually quite free, so, Eldest Sister, you cane with me!¡±

    Qingxuan was very worried about her Miss. She had already offended Third Miss. Was she going to offend Fourth Miss next? If she continued doing this, she would surely not be able to request a helping hand from them in the future. Qingxuan thought till here, and her heart turned powerless. She didn¡¯t know why, but her Miss temper had became more and more wrong. If she kept on like this, Qingxuan was worried that she would lose control.

    Once they arrived at Rose Courtyard, Yuru looked at it interior decoration and her expression loosen up. All the things in the interior of the courtyard were all fell short of the ones she currently using.

    Yuxi knew Yuru came to find a bnce, so she didn¡¯t spare a look at Yuru¡¯s happy face.

    The Rose Courtyard was pitifully small, not as big as the east of Tingyun Pavilion, and there was nothing much for anyone to see. In a blink of an eye, the walk through of the courtyard was over.

    Before leaving, Yuru remembered one thing and asked, ¡°Fourth Sister, I heard that Third Sister¡¯s Tingyun Pavilion will have a small kitchen. Do you know that?¡±

    Yuxi nodded. Then she smiled and said, ¡°I know it is convenient to have a small kitchen, since it is also convenient to have a cup of hot tea at night, so I am also going to build one in the Rose Courtyard!¡±

    Yuru¡¯splexion turned stiff, ¡°Did Grandmother agreed?¡± If Yuchen had a small kitchen, she could forget it. After all, Yuchen had a powerful backer and quite well-off, but if Yuxi also had a small kitchen, she felt it was unfair. Who in the residence did not know that Yuxi¡¯s mother had lost all her money?

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t mentioned it to Grandmother yet, but Third Sister¡¯s small kitchen money is from her private savings. If I set up one too, Grandmother wouldn¡¯t refuse. Eldest Sister may not know, at the end of the twelfth monthst year, Motao went to the big kitchen to get my breakfast. She fell on the way and had to take care of her injury for more than half a month. With a small kitchen, there will be no more of such incidents. ¡°

    Yuru looked a bit embarrassed, but she quickly hid it and said, ¡°Fourth Sister, our monthly allowance isn¡¯t enough to build a small kitchen.¡± Mother must have promised to give Yuxi some subsidiaries, otherwise where would Yuxi be so forthright. Thinking till here, Yuru had a bad taste in her heart. Her mother had treated Yuxi like her own daughter, however acted indifferenly to her daughters from the same house.

    Yuxi said with surprised, ¡°Naturally, it is not enough if I used my monthly ounts, but the baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop opened by Mama Fang is doing better and better now. She earns at least thirty to forty taels of silver a month, which is enough for me to spend.¡±

    The smile on Yuru¡¯s face could not be maintained, ¡°Mama Fang is really a loyal servant.¡± Why didn¡¯t she have such loyal servants who could make money for her?

    After sending off Yuru, Hongshan angrily said, ¡°Eldest Miss is too much.¡± Whenever the three girls felt frustrated, they woulde to her Miss courtyard to find a sense of superiority, which for her was akin to an act of bullying.

    Yuxi began to feel that Yuru was very good in hiding her true self. She looked at Yuru¡¯s gentleness and amiability, but when she knew her more, she found that all these gentleness and amiably were just a facade. Yuru was actually very small-minded. Previously, Yuxi couldn¡¯t see her true self not because Yuru hid it well, but she was very foolish to even notice.

    Soon, Yuxi received news that the Old Madam had agreed for a small kitchen to be built in Rose Courtyard.

    When Mama Shen heard the news, she was very worried and said, ¡°Miss, to build a small kitchen will cost a lot.¡±

    Yuxi carelessly said, ¡°How much money can I eat by myself?¡± In fact, she had been worrying about money recently. It only took half a month for her to prepare the ointment but she could not sell it yet. Otherwise, she would have taken it out long time ago, and let Mama Fang sold them.

    The next day, Yuxi arrived at Magnolia Courtyard on time, exactly two quarters till maoshi (5-7am) hours, and so did Yuchen who stepped in at that point. There was nothing Yuxi could do right now. She actually had to make herself presentable, but if she went back now, she had to walk a long way back to her courtyard and she had to rush back here.

    Teacher Song looked at them both wearing thick coats and said, ¡°From today on, you will learn wuqinxi from me.¡±

    Yuxi was filled with joy that she crisply responded, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Yuchen, who had been educated as ady, said at the moment that she did not want to learn it. What did this wriggle movements look like! If people outside knew about this, they wouldugh to death at them.

    Teacher Song shook her head and said, ¡°Third Miss, learning wuqinxi is for you to learn to exercise since you are not in good health. It¡¯s useless to learn anything more without making your body healthy first.¡± Seeing Yuchen who still couldn¡¯t make up her mind, she continued, ¡°Yuchen, I¡¯ve already told the Old Madam about this. She already agreed and there will not be many people who will know about it. So, you don¡¯t have to worry about this being spread out.¡±

    Yuchen was still reluctant.

    Under Teacher Song¡¯s strong request, Yuchen reluctantly followed her to learn wuqinxi. Strangely, Yuxi had already learned it like a model student, while Yuchen was still missing the point.

    Learning had always been a pleasure for Yuchen, but now, every minute felt like a torment for her. On the next wuqinxi ss, she told Teacher Song that she would not like to learn it anymore and would rather spend that time practicing two more pieces of music.

    This made Yuxi finally set her mind at ease. As expected, in all walks of life, in every trade, a master appeared (Chinese idiom : every profession produces its own leading authority), Yuchen also could not learn everything well.

    Teacher Song didn¡¯t force it on Yuchen either, as she said, ¡°You can¡¯t just study every day. If you don¡¯t want to learn wuqinxi, you have to exercise in other ways.¡± She could not think of any particrly good method for the time being, other than to let Yuchen went out and walked more on weekdays to exercise her muscles and bones.

    After saying this, Teacher Song looked at Yuxi, whose face was flushed. After letting them both into the room, she said to old woman Ding, ¡°Now I don¡¯t know whether it is good or bad to allow the Fourth Miss to sit in.¡± Yuchen was gifted and had a good character, but her actions and thoughts were framed by a framework from which she refused to move out from. While Yuxi was the opposite of Yuchen. Shepletely did not care about other people¡¯s thoughts. She would do it as long as it was good for her.

    Old woman Ding had some doubts, ¡°Ma¡¯am, what do you mean?¡±

    Instead of exining, Teacher Song softly said, ¡°Maybe I¡¯m thinking too much about it.¡±

    Noob Trantor¡¯s Musing

    Next chapter would be about the author, June, exining regarding the subscription of the original novel.

    Also, on Chapter 43, the author June will introduce her new novel and expressing her gratitude to her fans who have been supporting her and this novel, The Rebirth of Han Yuxi.

    So, Yuxi and co will take a break for two chapters.

 Chapter 42 - Dear, Please Come In And Have A Look

    <strong>Chapter 42 : Dear, Please Come In And Have A Look</strong>

    Today is the first day of the new book ¡°The Record of Di Daughter¡¯s / The Rebirth of Han Yuxi¡± hit the shelves. Seeing so manyments from readers in thementary area, June feels very sad. She can¡¯t help but say a few words here.

    At the beginning, all the books on online literature websites were not charged. All books on the shelves were also operated in this way. There is no deception or concealment.

    It takes a lot of time and energy to write a book. It isn¡¯t too much to say that one has worked so hard. Moreover, the author suffers upational diseases due to sitting at theputer desk for a long time, and even for June, she has no exception. The shoulder is often too painful to lift and the eyesight which was 1.5 at the beginning, had dropped to 0.5. After sitting for a long time, the waist will hurt quite badly.

    This is not toin or to gain sympathy, but June just wants to tell you that it¡¯s not easy for the author to write a book.

    Instead of a monthly subscription method, June decided to use subscription by chapters method. A chapter only costs a few cents to subscribe. Since June is a full-time writer, she relies on this umtion of subscriptions to feed her family.

    If there are still people who cannot understand, June can only say sorry. June is also a person, need daily necessities, need to eat and dress, need to support the elderly, andter on, to support her children. Therefore, June sincerely implores everyone to support the original paid version. Only in this way can the author have enough time and energy to write better articles.

    Since the new book is divided into chapter subscriptions, not by monthly subscription, please do not choose ¡°Open 10 yuan / month¡± after entering the recharge page. That is, do not open Tencent Literature members, but click on the following ¡°Buy 3 cents per thousand words per chapter¡±, so that you can buy a chapter. It costs only a few cents to read a chapter.

    Finally, June would like to thank all of you for your support, and she hopes you can continue to support her. It is because of your support that June can be maintained until now. Thank you, bow.

    Noob Trantor¡¯s Musing

    The original title of this chapter ¡®Ç×£¬Çë½øÀ´¿´¿´ (q¨©n, q¨«ng j¨¬nl¨¢i k¨¤n k¨¤n) if tranted to English would be the same as stated above. The word ¡®Dear (Ç×/q¨©n) which was used here was an inte ng. It is an abbreviated form of the Chinese term of endearment ¡°Ç×°®µÄ (q¨©n ¨¤i de),¡± which literally means ¡°dear¡± or ¡°dearest.¡± The term is most often used as a greeting on the inte in order to create a warm and affectionate tone. You can think of it as a Chinese equivalent of ¡°bae.¡±

 Chapter 43 - End of Testimonial

    <strong>Chapter 43 : End of Testimonial</strong>

    When I typed the words ¡°end of the book¡±, these four words make me feel very reluctant to let it go.

    ¡°The Record of Di Daughter¡¯s Rebirth / The Rebirth of Han Yuxi¡± was published in July 2014 and hadsted for more than three years. Over the past three years, from falling in love to marriage to pregnancy and then childbirth, June is now pregnant with second child. It can be said that this story has apanied me through the most important moments of my life.

    Anyone who has children knows that it¡¯s a particrly difficult process from pregnancy to childbirth to child-rearing, and there are times when they want to give up. Here I would like to thank you very much for your support and tolerance that I¡¯ve insisted on writing this book. Thank you. I¡¯m extremely grateful. Without you, ¡°Di Daughter¡± might has be an eunuch.

    June knows that ¡°Di Daughter¡± has many shorings. In the next book, I hope I can write something that everyone will enjoy and be satisfied with.

    Many dear fans have asked about the new book because my expected due date was April. I consulted with my editor, Xiaoxi, and the new book is scheduled to be published on August 10.

    The title of the new book is tentatively titled ¡°The History of Lin Hongdou¡¯s Struggle¡±. The content in brief: In her previous life, Lin Hongdou was sent by her grandmother to Prince Gong¡¯s pce as a concubine and she could not die well. Once reborn, Lin Hongdou did not want to be pushed around any more and took her own steps to control her own destiny. Finally, after facing so many hardships, she reached the peak of her life.

 Chapter 44 - Concubine Lian Miscarriage

    <strong>Chapter 44 : Concubine Lian Miscarriage</strong>

    The first two lessons in the morning were about poetry. Since Yuxi had decided to learn only chess and painting, she did not listen in to the two sses, but instead spent her time reading in the instrument room next to the ss. When the third lecture was about Mencius, she found out how superficial it was to think that Teacher Song was already lecturing too fast. Now Teacher Song was teaching twice as fast as before.

    Fortunately, in today¡¯s lecture, Yuxi had not only recited the text beforehand, but also did some reviewing, otherwise she would never catch up with the learning speed. She looked at the rxed Yuchen and had to sigh that good talent was truly envied by others.

    When the ss was over, Teacher Song said, ¡°Fourth Miss, stay.¡±

    It was not a good thing to be asked to stay behind by your teacher. Just when Yuxi started to feel uneasy, Teacher Song said, ¡°Fourth Miss, your handwriting is weak. If you want to write good handwriting, you need to pay more attention to it.¡±

    Yuxi naturally hoped to write good handwriting, ¡°Teacher, I practice everyday, but I don¡¯t know how to reach the level that teacher said.¡±

    Teacher Song smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think so much about it. After this, you stick the paper on the wall, and then practice calligraphy with a cantilever. Then, you will stick on doing it day by day. ¡°

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Once Yuxi left, Old woman Ding asked curiously, ¡°Ma¡¯am, why only Fourth Miss was been taught and not Third Miss?¡± In theory, Yuchen was Teacher Songst student, so, it should be Third Miss who was the first one to be taught.

    Teacher Song shook her head and said, ¡°Third Miss handwriting is already very good. There is no need for her to practice this. Fourth Miss is currently not suitable to write in plum blossom regr script. Let her practice the strength of her hand first and then let her copy other copybooks.¡° There was also a remark that she did not say out loud. Even if she asked Yuchen to do so, Yuchen would unlikely not to ept it.

    Old woman Ding had been following by Teacher Song¡¯s side for so many years and this was the first time for her to see such a gifted student, ¡°Ma¡¯am, if you look at Third Miss learning progress, it is already sufficient to teach her for three years.¡±

    Teacher Song shook her head and said, ¡°Old Madam Han has high hopes for the Third Miss. How can she let me alone to teach her?¡±

    Old woman Ding was not foolish either. The Third Miss had already worshipped her Master as her teacher. It was absolutely impossible to invite another teacher. ¡°Do you mean the Old Madam wants to invite a nurturing momo (wet nurse)?¡±

    Teacher Song gave a brief nod, ¡°En. The Old Madam wants Third Miss to marry into high status family, so rule and etiquette is indispensable things. ¡°

    Meanwhile, as Yuxi went out of Magnolia Courtyard, she saw Yuchen sitting in a pavilion. As soon as Yuchen saw her, she walked out of the pavilion.

    Yuxi walked over with a smile and asked, ¡°Third Sister, are you waiting for me?¡±

    Yuchen asked, ¡°Fourth Sister, you have never be in contact with poetry, so, why don¡¯t you learn it?¡± If it was likest time where Yuxi felt that she could not learn it very well after learning for a period of time, then, she would not feel that there was anything. But now Yuxi quit without learning it, which made her unable to understand.

    Yuxiined in her heart, if I learned everything, how can I keep up with the current progress. ¡°I learn slowly. If I learn more, I will certainly not be able to keep up. Moreover, I am not interested in poetry, so I simply don¡¯t want to waste my time.¡° She thought that learning painting was a waste of time, not to mention learning poetry. But this was what Teacher Song asked her to learn, so, she could not refuse.

    Yuchen tries to get into the bottom of this by asking, ¡°You haven¡¯t learned it, so, how can you know you are not interested in it?¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°I have a headache when I read those poems.¡±

    Yuchen was still unwilling to give up, ¡°Fourth Sister, you have not learn it, so how will you know. In fact, poetry is not difficult to learn. I believe that as long as you are willing to work hard, you will certainly be able to learn it well. Once you learn it, you will find it very interesting.¡°

    Chinese Bitter Melon

    Source : J.Stander via Gsd97jks @Wiki (Momordica charantia)

    It was really a painful thing to have someone around you who could turn you into dregs at any time. Yuxi tried hard not to let herself fell into a depressed mood by saying, ¡°Third Sister, everyone says it is good to eat bitter melon in summer, because it has the specific effects of clearing away heat during summer heat, improving eyesight and detoxifying, but I just don¡¯t like eating bitter melon.¡± Green vegetables and turnips had their own tastes. (T/N : I love bitter melon!)

    Hearing this, Yuchen knew that she could not persuade Yuxi anymore, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to learn, then, just forget it.¡± She instead felt pity for Yuxi.

    After both Yuxi and Yuchen parted way, Shishu said, ¡°Miss, you are being too considerate of Fourth Miss, but she is not at all being grateful.¡± Fourth Miss also had a thick skin. When Teacher Song refused her, she at once came to seek help from her Miss. Supposedly, her Miss had done her such a big favour, so she should at least have some respect for her Miss, but in the end, on the contrary, Fourth Miss seemed to have forgotten such a thing. A really ungrateful wretch!

    Shishu only dared toin in her heart and did not dare to speak out. Otherwise, her Miss would scold her again.

    Yuchen shook her head and said, ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Last time when she helped Yuxi, she also had her own selfishness. Watching Yuxi worked so hard, she could keep on whipping herself, so that she would not rx, would not becent and would not be too proud.

    Yuxi¡¯s mind was somewhat puzzled. Why did Yuchen want her to learn poetry so much? Just this question kept on shing by in her mind.

    When she returned to Rose Courtyard, she told Mama Shen to clean up the east room as she was going to use it as her study. She then asked Mama Shen to empty the north wall of that room.

    Hearing this, Mama Shen was delighted and asked, ¡°Miss, this east room is also big. Why don¡¯t you buy another easel, then it will be convenient for you to drawter.¡±

    Yuxi thought for a moment, ¡°In addition for buying another easel, I also need to buy chess table and embroidery frame.¡± After a pause, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll write a list myself, so I will not leave anything behind.¡±

    Embroidery Frane

    Source : ÇÉÅ®çøÑþ ([×ªÔØ]ËÕÐåÕë·¨2, March 14, 2017)

    This list was soon delivered into Qiu Shi¡¯s hand. After reading the list, Qiu Shi said with a smile, ¡°This child, why does she want embroidery frame?¡± With regard to Yuxi¡¯s small arms and legs, it was not necessary for her to use embroidery frame.

    Mama Li took the list and said, ¡°Fourth Miss wants a lot of things!¡± These things roughly cost hundreds of silvers!

    Qiu Shi said carelessly, ¡°As long as the child is well, this money is nothing.¡± Anyway, the cost would be taken from public ount, not her private savings. Of course, she would still pay for it even if she had to use her private savings.

    When it came to private savings, Mama Li would immediately think of the small kitchen matter, ¡°Madam, are you really going to pay for Fourth Miss kitchen? I figured out that it will cost around twenty taels of silvers. It¡¯s a lot of money that you have saved over the years.¡±

    Qiu Shi smiled and said, ¡°The child has money now, so she definitely won¡¯t want me to supplement it. Speaking of which, I had thought that Mama Fang would loose money in running the baozi (filled steamed bun) shop, but I didn¡¯t think she would do well till now.¡°

    Mama Li also said ruefully, ¡°I heard that Mama Fang is more energetic now than when she was in the residence!¡± Being free outside and not being controlled by others made Mama Fang¡¯s life much easier.

    Qiu Shi nodded, ¡°This child is too considerate. I want to help her more if I can.¡± What the child did sometimes warmed her heart.

    Upon seeing this situation, Mama Li said nothing more.

    Sometimes it really took talent to learn something. Yuxi only took three days to learn wuqinxi taught by Teacher Song. She couldn¡¯t help thinking how good it would be to have a martial arts master to teach her. She would not be afraid of being bullied in case of disasterter on. However, the thought was only shed by. As a young miss of the state official residence, learning martial arts was absolutely prohibited.

    Teacher Song smiled and said, ¡°Yuxi, when you have learned itpletely, you can practice it in your own yard. You don¡¯t need toe here this early anymore.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Since Yuxi didn¡¯t have to go to Magnolia Courtyard early anymore, and she didn¡¯t take the first two early sses either, as a result, she would have plenty of free time.

    Mama Shen came into Yuxi¡¯s room with a big smile on her face and said, ¡°Miss, everything is ready, and the new items will be deliveredter.¡± The study had been cleaned up, with only a few stuffscking.

    It didn¡¯t take long for breakfast to be served before the stuffs for east room was delivered.

    Moju often took a stroll with Yuxi outside and her way of seeing things had somewhat be high. She looked at the easel and other things sent to the east room which were made of jichimu (chicken-wing wood), and her heart became bitter, ¡°Miss, isn¡¯t the material used for this stuffs extremely poor?¡± She really felt wronged for Yuxi. All the furniture of Third Miss were made of yellow pear wood, and some were made of rosewood, but her Miss could only use this worthless jichimu.

    Yellow Pear Wood / Huanghuali

    Chicken-wing Wood / Jichimu

    Yuxi restrained the smile on her face and said, ¡°These are all things that my aunt purchased personally for me with her heart. For what reason should I act ungrateful and instead be choosy? If my aunt knew, how unhappy would you think she will be?¡± Not to mention that Eldest Aunt would surely be unhappy when she heard it, even Mama Shen would think Moju¡¯s words were terrible if she knew about it. At that time, Mama Shen would think that Moju was trying to incite disharmony between Yuxi and Yuchen sister rtionship. In the end, Moju would be the one who had to bear all the consequences.

    Moju¡¯s face turned pale and she cried, ¡°Miss, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± She just felt that it was unfair and her Miss had been wronged.

    Yuxi said with a cold face, ¡°Later on, you should think more before you speak, as to avoid trouble issues from the mouth (Chinese idiom : a loose tongue may cause a lot of trouble). I won¡¯t be able to protect you if this happened again.¡±

    Moju was originally not a kind person who was good with words. After this incident, she had became more and more inclined not to speak. Yuxi thought it was right for Moju to say less, so she would unlikely to make more mistakes.

    The study was finished and everything was in order. Yuxi¡¯s next days became busier and busier. Sometimes she was really tired that she would lie on her couch and wondered what she was doing at this time in herst life. Sadly, she couldn¡¯t recall anything.

    Time flies when people were busy, and one month passes before they knew it.

    This day, after ss, when Yuxi went back to Rose Courtyard, Hongshan also returned from outside. Hongshan lowered her voice and said to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, Concubine Lian has a miscarriage. It is been said that she had a male fetus.¡± This was also what Yuxi had requested of Hongshan, to tell her whenever there was any trouble in the residence. Otherwise, she would not dare to tell Yuxi about such dirty things. If Mama Shen knew, she would be stripped of her skin.

    Yuxi felt a cold behind her back as she asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Hongshan whispered, ¡°Concubine Lian had been paying her respects to Madam these days. However today, she somehow slipped and fell not far from the main courtyard, so she lost the child.¡°

    Yuxi looked solemn, ¡°What did the Old Madam say over there?¡± Concubine Rong had a good mean to nt this incident on her aunt¡¯s head.

    Hongshan said, ¡°The Old Madam scolded Madam for herx in housekeeping. While, the Duke was furious and called Madam a poisonous woman. He also said that he would not have only two sons if Madam had not been cruel.¡° Before, the Duke had several concubines, many of whom were pregnant, but in the end they either fell or died.

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t understand what was in her uncle¡¯s mind, and was ashamed on behalf of her aunt for many times. Fortunately, her Eldest Uncle was only given an empty post, otherwise he would have been so easy to get around and didn¡¯t know what trouble he was causing. It was also estimated that the Old Madam knew that her eldest son was useless, so she let him took only the position in name only and fully trained her father.

    Since the Old Madam didn¡¯t punish Qiu Shi, Yuxi also felt more assured. The real power holder in the residence was not her uncle, but the Old Madam. As long as the Old Madam didn¡¯t believe the incident was done by her aunt¡¯s own hand, then there would be no problem.

 Chapter 45 - Another Encounter

    <strong>Chapter 45 : Another Encounter</strong>

    Fourth month of the lunar year brought forth flowers in all their splendour as though they wished to dress the world up into a pink bride. While, the withered trees burst forth their new sprouts and their green vigour.

    Yuxi was carefully doing embroidery work under the window of the study when Moju lifted up the ck-painted bamboo curtain and walked to her side and said, ¡°Miss, Sister Xue Qing asked to see you.¡± Xue Qing was the personal maid of the main house eldest son, Han Jianming.

    Yuxi put down the handkerchief in her hands and went out. Moju looked at the handkerchief in the embroidery basket, where she noticed that the stitches on it was seriously messy. She could not guess what was being embroidered. She felt a little strange. How could the longer Miss learn to embroider, the worse her skill became?

    Xue Qing bowed respectfully to Yuxi and said, ¡°Miss, Master Heir said he would go to Songyun Pavilion to buy some books. He asked, if Miss would like to go with him. If Miss agrees, Master Heir said that you can go with him on the day after tomorrow. ¡°

    Yuxi naturally agreed. The day after tomorrow happened to be a vacation day, so Eldest Brother must have chosen to buy books on that day. As for whether the Old Madam and her Elder Aunt would agree or not, this was not what she should worry herself about. Elder brother would surely settle it himself.

    Moju personally sent Xue Qing out, and when she came back, she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Master Heir would be fond of Miss this much.¡±

    Yuxi was in a good mood as she said, ¡°Thest time Eldest Brother said that he would take me to Songyun Pavilion was three months ago. I really forgot about it. I didn¡¯t expect that Eldest Brother actually remembered it.¡±

    Mama Shen said with a big smile on her face, ¡°This means that Master Heir actually keeps thinking about Miss.¡± Speaking of which, Fourth Miss was quite capable person. Not only did she managed to make Madam to be fond of her, but also both Master Heir and the Second Young Master. Even if Fourth Miss did not have any brothers, with the Heir and the Second Young Master took good care of her, she would not have to worry about having no brothers to back her up in the future.

    Although Han Jianming was not yet old, he already acted steadily and had a higher prestige in the state residencepared to his father, Duke Han. So when he had decided to take Yuxi out to buy books, the Old Madam and Qiu Shi had no objection.

    The night before Yuxi went out, she entered the dark room. She made a total of three boxes of ointment, which were already done two months ago. In order not to arouse Mama Shen¡¯s suspicion, she took out a box and smeared it on her hands in front of Mama Shen. As a result, Mama Shen was scared to death. Atst, Yuxi acted helplessly and destroyed the box of ointment in front of Mama Shen. She then solemnly promised not to make ointment for the time being, which in a way reassured Mama Shen. The remaining two boxes of ointment were locked in the cab, with the key to the cab, she kept close to herself.

    Good Fortune Children / Fuwa

    Source : Latamene @ kisspng

    Before going out, Yuxi dressed herself up like a fuwa (good fortune child) again. After leaving the residence, she said to Master Heir, ¡°Eldest Brother, I think I want to take a look at Mama Fang after buying some books. Can you ask your retainer to send me to Shangyuan Streetter on?¡±

    Han Jianming did not agree, ¡°If you want to meet with Mama Fang, you should just call her into the residence. Shangyuan Street is where fish and dragons mixed in together (Chinese idiom : crooks mixed in with the honest folk). What if someone who doesn¡¯t have eyes collided with you?¡° As Yuxi was the unmarried young woman from his residence, he felt not at ease to send her to that ce.

    Yuxi forced a smile and said, ¡°Eldest Brother, I did think to call Mama Fang into the residence, but she is ill. I am very worried, so I want to check up on her.¡± This was not to trick Han Jianming, but Mama Fang was indeed ill. She was uneasy and she also happened to have something to find Mama Fang, so she wanted to take this opportunity to visit her as they passed by.

    Han Jianming was silent for a moment and said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll have someone escort you there after you finished buying your book. However, this is thest time and there can be no more. ¡°

    Yuxi¡¯s mouth split open, revealing a smile as she said, ¡°Okay, this is thest time.¡±

    At the entrance of Songyun Pavilion, a teenager holding a folding fan in his hand with a noble manner came towards them and said with a smile, ¡°Yo, Master Heir, why did you bring a beautiful little girl here? What¡¯s your name, little girl? ¡°

    With an indifferent look, Han Jianming said, ¡°I¡¯m nning to buy books, so I won¡¯t dy Childe Lu.¡± He had always considered these people who were rubbish covered in gold and jade (Chinese idiom : gilded exterior, shabby and ruined on the inside) beneath him.

    Since Han Jianming didn¡¯t introduce Yuxi to them, she also won¡¯t open her mouth to do it.

    Childe Lu paid no attention to Han Jiangming¡¯s cold attitude toward him. If people asked him why he was treated that way by Han Jianming, he would just say that Han Jianming was a bit like a woodenhead who didn¡¯t know how to have fun, thus spoiling such a good status in vain.

    As both Han Jianming and Yuxi walked into Songyun Pavilion, Han Jianming said after a moment of silence, ¡°That man is the second son of the second master of Marquis Zhongyong¡¯s official residence.¡±

    Yuxi was stunned and suddenly remembered one thing, ¡°Is the second master of Marquis Zhongyong¡¯s official residence called Lu Song?¡± Lu Song was Teacher Song¡¯s former husband.

    Han Jianming was satisfied with Yuxi¡¯s quick responsde, ¡°When you meet people of Marquis Zhongyong¡¯s official residence, you don¡¯t have to pay attention to them.¡± The men of Marquis Zhongyong¡¯s official residence were not good at studying and practicing martial arts, but they were good at eating, drinking and gambling. Now, there was only one empty title left in the Marquis Residence. He didn¡¯t know how long this title wouldst.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°I know.¡±

    Half an hourter, Han Jianming saw Yuxi¡¯s selection of books, and his mouth twitched. She actually picked out several medical books. He thought she wanted to buy books on art.

    When Yuxi saw this, she hurriedly exined, ¡°I almost died of smallpoxst time. I was thinking that if I had knowledge on pharmacology, I wouldn¡¯t be afraid.¡± Afraid of Han Jianming¡¯s disapproval, she immediately continued saying, ¡°Eldest Brother, buying some medical books are only to fulfil my own idea and I really want to learn pharmacology.¡± Even if she wanted to learn medicines, she did not have this condition.

    Han Jianming shook his head helplessly and said, ¡°What do you mean by saying this pile of things? Are you afraid I won¡¯t agree?¡° Seeing Yuxi¡¯s expression of surprise, he continued, ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing for a girl to learn some pharmacology, but these medical books are too obscure and hard for you to understand.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s heart was touched. If you really cared about those who loved you, you would think that everything those persons did was good. She said, ¡°If I can¡¯t understand it, I can just look at the flowers and nts on it. I can also use it as reference to embroider something different from otherster on.¡±

    Han Jianming nodded with a faint smile on his face and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you can think so.¡± He was afraid of Yuxi being one track-minded as it was a bad attitude.

    Yuxi gave a bright smile, ¡°Thank you, Eldest Brother.¡± Eldest Brother always had a serious look. That was why she stayed at a respectful distance from him in her previous life. Now, after personally got in contact with him, she found out that her Eldest Brother was only serious on the outside, but actually cared about them very much in the inside.

    After paying for the books, Yuxi went out with Han Jianming. When she reached the door, she caught sight of two people entering and she looked up at the sky as she went speechless. How could you just get out of the door and met the Murderous Devil? It was a wonderful fate. However, after Yun Qing¡¯s rescuing act, she was not afraid of him anymore.

    When Yun Qing saw that Yuxi was not hiding from him and did not even look frightened, he deliberately teased Yuxi and said, ¡°Cousin Xi, why are you not afraid of me now?¡±

    Yuxi blushed when she remembered thest time they met each other. In fact, the current Yun Qing was no more than just a child, and luckily she had lived for a whole life. For her to be afraid of a child, was really a disgrace. She looked up and said, ¡°You have two eyes, a nose and a mouth, too. Why should I be afraid of you?¡±

    Yun Qing said, ¡°Yes, I do have two eyes for one mouth, so why did you shiver when you saw mest time?¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t want to admit that she was scaredst time, if she admitted, then she would be the one to loose face, ¡°I was not scared of you. I was just not feeling well at that time.¡±

    Hearing this, Han Jianming couldn¡¯t help himself fromughing. He usually saw Yuxi as an old-fashioned and reserved girl. It was rare for him to see such a lively and lovely side of her.

    Jiang Hongfu who was nearby, reminded Yun Qing, ¡°Cousin, we have to go in and buy books.¡±

    Looking at Jiang Hongfu, Yuxi suddenly asked, ¡°Does Cousin Fu oftene to Songyun Pavilion to buy books?¡±

    Jiang Hongfu nodded and said, ¡°Well, I usually buy books in Songyun Pavilion.¡± Thest time it was not opened for business, it happened that he needed to use a book, so he went to the only open bookstore to buy it.

    Yuxi could not help but asked again, ¡°Does Cousin Fu oftene out to y on weekdays?¡±

    Jiang Hongfu felt a little strange, but he shook his head and said, ¡°No, I usually study in Baitan Academy. I don¡¯t usuallye to this street except to buy books. What¡¯s up? What¡¯s the problem?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m just asking.¡± She guessed that Jiang Hongfu met an unforeseen ident in the downtown street. She feared it happened after he came out from buying books. She was willing to save him, but this matter couldn¡¯t be said to others. She could only secretly thinking of a solution on her own.

    After buying some books, Han Jianming had something important to deal with. So, he only asked his entourage to apany Yuxi to Shangyuan Street. ¡°Fourth Sister, don¡¯t stay too long in Shangyuan Street. After seeing the one you want to see, you should immediately go home.¡±

    Yuxi hurriedly nodded.

    At Shangyuan Street, Yuxi got out of the carriage and went into the baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop. There was nobody in the shop, though she didn¡¯t think too much about it. She took some people and went directly to the backyard.

    As soon as Yuxi entered the small courtyard, she heard a sharp voice, which was very unfamiliar to her. This made her involuntarily puckered her brows.

    Hongshan did not dare to let Yuxi in, but she first let the entourage in to see the situation. If someone bumped and hurt her Miss, everyone would get into trouble.

    Ah Gan, one the entourage, went in with two male servants and came out not long after. One of the male servants was holding a fat, beautifully dressed woman in his hand. The powder on the woman¡¯s face was much thicker than the wall. This woman, at first nce, could be seen as not a good thing.

    Yuxi was angry in her heart, but she did not show it on her face.

    Soon, Mama Fang and old woman An also quickly came out. When Mama Fang came out and saw Yuxi, she was shocked, while old woman An was relieved. When their Miss arrived, she was not afraid of them being easily taken advantage.

    Hongshan asked the woman, ¡°Who are you? What are you doing in my Master¡¯s shop?¡° This statement by Hongshan showed that this shop belonged to Yuxi.

    Old woman An pointed to the fat woman and said, ¡°Miss, this is matchmaker Liu from Shangyuan Street. She came here today to act as matchmaker for Mama Fang.¡±

    Looking at Yuxi¡¯s indifferent expression, Matchmaker Liu felt scared in her heart. If she knew that a noble person woulde here today, even if she was beaten to death, she won¡¯t have epted the two taels of silver toe and talk about matchmaking. She knelt on the ground and begged, ¡°Miss, please spare this servant¡¯s life. I was just entrusted toe and be a matchmaker.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face instantly turned cold.

    Old woman An took hold of the conversation by exining to Yuxi, ¡°She is hired to be a matchmaker by yamen runner Huang of Linshui Street. That man is steeped in evil (Chinese idiom : engaged in every kind of evil imaginable) and spending his money carelessly in dining, getting drunk, whoring and gambling.¡±

    Matchmaker Liu wished she could stifle old woman An¡¯s mouth. As old woman An said these things in front of the noble, Matchmaker Liu had to beat her mind to force it to think of a way out. She really didn¡¯t want to die. She knelt on the ground and cried for mercy, ¡°Forgive me, Miss. I only took money to do things for others. I didn¡¯t do anything else.¡±

    Yuxi also felt it was not worth it for her in making it difficult for the matchmaker, as she merely said, ¡°Drag her out.¡±

    Ah Gan immediately ordered two male attendants to support the woman stood up and walked out. When they reached the door of the shop, they immediately threw her out.

 Chapter 46 - : Bullying

    <strong>Chapter 46 : Bullying</strong>

    Yuxi looked at Mama Fang whose eyes were red but with no serious physical problems. She realised that Mama Fang had lied to her about her being ill. Someone hade here and bullied her, and despite that, she did not even tell her. In order not toe to the residence, she even pretended to be ill. Yuxi did not know what to say at this moment.

    When Mama Fang saw Yuxi¡¯s expression which was not good-looking, she wiped her tears and exined, ¡°I was afraid that Miss would be worried, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t tell Miss.¡± The main reason was that she was embarrassed about this matter. So, how could she tell Yuxi about it?

    Yuxi said indifferently, ¡°Come in and talk!¡± Some things were difficult to say in front of other people.

    When the three, Yuxi, Mama Fang and old woman An entered the room, Yuxi asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± If Mama Fang was still in her early twenties, she would surely let her marry again. However, Mama Fang was now in her thirties. Even if she remarried, she would not be able to marry into a good family. Instead of suffering from her new marriage, she might as well adopt a child. At least in the future, she could live safely.

    Mama Fang gave a wry smile as she said, ¡°I was a guest in Xiao Wei¡¯s family house when I knew that person. Miss, I never wish to remarry.¡±

    Old woman An was much more direct in her remarks, ¡°Miss, the bad one is that old woman Yin. She knows perfectly well that yamen runner Huang is not a good person and yet, she still wants to push Mama Fang into the living hell.¡± Old woman Yin was Xiao Wei¡¯s mother.

    Mama Fang was ovee with regret, ¡°This is all my fault. It was me who did not know how to understand people intention clearly.¡±

    The whole story was very simple. The yamen runner, surnamed Huang, looked at the baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop to make money and found out that Mama Fang was actually a single woman. He also found out that the Duke of State¡¯s official residence was only behind-the-scenes backer of the shop. Therefore, he had this thought in his mind to marry Mama Fang as his second wife. However, Mama Fang had never thought of remarry, so his thoughts had been in vain. Unbeknownst to others, he somehow got in contact with old woman Yin. The old woman Yin nursed a hatred against Mama Fang for going back on her words after they both had agreed to let Mama Fang adopted her daughter, and also, Mama Fang had continued rejecting her offer to pass her knowledge to her daughter. So, she had been thinking of a way to scheme against Mama Fang. Fortunately, old woman An¡¯s reminder made Mama Fang wasn¡¯t easy to be fool.

    At that time, Mama Fang was beside herself with anger that she ferociously reprimanded old woman Yin and then broke their rtionship. As a result, a rumour spread out in Shangyuan Street not long after. The rumour was about Mama Fang¡¯s indiscreet act of using her attractiveness to seduce outside menfolk. With this rumour spreading around, added with the appearance of a woman matchmaker, Mama Fang couldn¡¯t open her mouth to exin everything clearly.

    Hearing this, Yuxi said without much nonsense, ¡°Mama, I¡¯ll let people handle this. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± This time, she must kill a chicken to warn the monkey (Chinese idiom : to punish an individual as an example to others) and severely punished yamen runner with surname Huang and old woman Yin¡¯s family. Later on, people here would not dare to scheme against Mama Fang again, let alone yed with the idea of owning the baozi (lshop. If she let it went on like this, the shop would not be abled to be opened again.

    How could Mama Fang not worry? ¡°If the Old Madam knows, she will definitely punish Miss.¡± Now that she had caused trouble by opening the shop, the Old Madam would definitely make her close it.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a small yamen runner. Why should we need to rm Grandmother?¡± Yuxi said soothingly.

    When Mama Fang heard this, she felt relieved. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m going to buy another person.¡± After this incident, old woman An was the only person aside from her worked in the baozi shop. She didn¡¯t feel at ease. She wanted to buy another strong old woman, so she had nothing to fear even if there was something happened in the future.

    Yuxi totally put the matter to her subordinate, ¡°It¡¯s up to Mama.¡± Having said that, she took out the ointment from her sleeve and said, ¡°Mama should find some time to find the general manager of Yao Ji Store in East Street and say that you will like to sell him this scar-removing ointment. If he doesn¡¯t believe it, you can give him the ointment and let him find someone to test it, and then talk to him again after a month. ¡°

    Mama Fang took the box of ointment and opened it. The ointment was a little dark which was not very promising. She said with some worry, ¡°Miss, will Yao Ji Store buy this?¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Mama can rest assured. As long as they can see the effect, they will buy it.¡±

    Mama Fang hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°Miss, how much does this ointment cost?¡± She really thought this things were worthless.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°There is no hurry about the price. Mama can go and find the shopkeeper. Then, give him the ointment first to let him know the efficacy. ¡°

    Mama Fang felt that she was unreliable to do this task, but Yuxi insisted on it. She also felt that she was only good at doing errands with her feet, and her Miss wouldn¡¯t waste money when doing this.

    Yuxi left the baozi shop, got on the carriage and her face immediately turned heavy. Hongshan didn¡¯t dared breathe when she saw the atmosphere. When Yuxi returned to the residence, she did not go directly to Madam, asking for her help. Instead, she ordered Hongshan, ¡°Ask your brother to inquire about who this yamen runner Huang is.¡± It wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t believe in old woman An¡¯s words, but it was proper to verify them first.

    Being wealthy was good way to handle matters fast, so Yuxi soon knew that this Huang not only liked to eat, drink, go whoring and gamble, but also beat his dead wife, who was beaten to death by him. As he lost arge sum of money in gambling and owed a lot to the loan sharks, he tried every means to marry Mama Fang. In his desperation, Mama Fang¡¯s idea came into y.

    Yuxi immediately went to find Qiu Shi and told her everything that happened to Mama Fang, ¡°Aunt, if it weren¡¯t for me, Mama Fang wouldn¡¯t have received this much grievance. Aunt, this matter must not be left alone. ¡°

    Qiu Shi felt that Yuxi was making a big fuss over a minor issue. Just a small yamen runner making trouble and already made Yuxi lost her sense of propriety. For this reason, she gave Yuxi a hard speech.

    Yuxi humbly epted the criticism.

    After Qiu Shi done reprimanding Yuxi, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll let Xiangyang personally handle this. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Knowing that it was a shop of Duke Han of the State, that yamen runner still dared to have an idea. He was really brave enough.

    Yuxi hurriedly said, ¡°Aunt, can you not let Grandmother knows about this? If she knew, she would certainly scold me.¡° If the Old Madam knew what happened in her baozi shop, even she couldn¡¯t say for sure that the shop won¡¯t be closed. She loathed to give up the benefits from it, and Mama Fang had also managed the shop very well. It would be a pity to close the door just like this.

    Qiu Shi smiled and patted Yuxi¡¯s forehead, ¡°You, this girl, if you want your aunt to help you hide the news, just say it straight. Don¡¯t go round the curves and skirting the corners (Chinese idiom : talk in a roundabout way; indirect).¡± Yuxi told her so. She also hoped that the few people who followed her out today could keep their mouths shut and didn¡¯t publicize it.

    A few dayster, the yamen runner with surnamed Huang was exiled because he made a big mistake. The gamblers saw that he had lost his job and immediately took away his house, which still could notpensate for the debt. So, they beat him up and broke his leg. As for old woman Yin, who helped him, fell at the door and was paralyzed.

    After getting the news, Hongshan shivered and said to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, isn¡¯t we being too hard on them?¡± It was truly horrible to spend the rest of one¡¯s life only on bed.

    Yuxi did not think that they did anything excessive, ¡°If the means were too soft, they would think that we are dough dumpling and anyone can scheme against us.¡±

    Hongshan shivered and did not dare to speak anymore.

 Chapter 47 - Huge Sums of Money

    <strong>Chapter 47 : Huge Sums of Money</strong>

    In a twinkling of an eye, it was already the fifth month of the lunar year.

    Looking at the roses crawling all over the branches, Yuxi whispered, ¡°It¡¯s been a year.¡± It had been a year since her rebirth. This year, she had changed a lot. She also believed that the future would change and it would be better.

    Hongshan came in from the outside and said, ¡°Miss, Concubine Rong ate some unclean things and she had pregnancyplication. Luckily, the child was saved.¡±

    Yuxi turned around and said, ¡°If I remember correctly, Concubine Rong should be seven months pregnant, right?¡± Concubine Rong was also quite impressive. During the past six months, she had reassured herself in raising her baby, but secretly she had taken away the unborn child of Concubine Lian, while her own child had not faced serious problem.

    Hongshan nodded, ¡°Speaking of which, this child is also fortunate.¡±

    Yuxi tried to recall this event in her previous life. Regrettably, she couldn¡¯t remember what happened at that time. Though, there was only one thing she could be sure of, Concubine Rong really didn¡¯t have a son. She had only one child, who was Yujing. That was to say, either the child in Concubine Rong¡¯s stomach hadn¡¯t been born safely, or the child died young. ¡°As a matter of fact, Second Sister has been confined for nearly half a year.¡± Originally, the Old Madam ordered for Yujing¡¯s confinement to be for a year and Yuxi thought it was merely a talk. She didn¡¯t expect it to be true. This confinement in the family Buddhist hall had happened for half a year which made her felt that Yujing probably had gone half-crazy being confined.

    Hongshan thought that Second Miss¡¯s confinement had made everyone¡¯s life peaceful and quiet. ¡°If Second Misses out, we will not be able to live this peaceful anymore.¡±

    Yuxi smiled softly, ¡°What is there to be afraid of? Thest time I was defenceless, however, this time, there won¡¯t be a repeat of what happenedst time.¡° Later on, she would not herself suffer any more loses against Yujing.

    In the evening, Hongshan brought a message to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, Mama Fang said she wille visit the next day.¡±

    When Yuxi heard this, a smile appeared on her face. With Mama Fang entering the residence tomorrow showed that the matter was progressing smoothly.

    When Mama Fang saw Yuxi the next day, her face was filled with joy, ¡°Miss, Yao Ji¡¯s shopkeeper is willing to buy our prescription, but he asked us to sell it to them only.¡±

    This request was not excessive, so Yuxi naturally agreed. The two discussed for a long time before Mama Fang left the residence.

    In the afternoon the same day, Yao Ji¡¯s general shopkeeper got the prescription for the ointment. Looking at the prescription, his heart whispered, it didn¡¯t look like a little girl¡¯s handwriting.

    As Mama Fang looked at the shopkeeper, she said, ¡°If shopkeeper is not at ease, then forget it.¡±

    The shopkeeper chuckled, ¡°No, I just think this words seem to have just been written up.¡±

    Mama Fang¡¯s heart jumped, but she did not have stage fright this time, ¡°As long as the prescription is fine, when it was written is not important. The shopkeeper is the one in charge, isn¡¯t so?¡±

    General shopkeeper of the Yao store naturally won¡¯t put on a rival show (Chinese idiom : to get into confrontation) with Mama Fang at this time, as he, himself, didn¡¯t understand pharmacology. He nced at it once more and then handed it over to an elderly man with a long beard whose age estimated to be about fifty years old.

    After reading the prescription, the bearded old man said to the shopkeeper, ¡°Most of the ingredients listed in the prescription are used to make scar-removing ointment.¡± During this period of time, Yao Ji store had already specially assigned a person to analyse the ingredients of this ointment. Of course, only the generalposition could be analysed. It was impossible to analyse how to allocate and how much materials were used for a single ointment.

    General shopkeeper of the Yao store was extremely delighted. Originally, he was only thinking of giving it a try, however he didn¡¯t expect to find a golden egg. He let the bearded old man went out first, then said to Mama Fang, ¡°We can sign the contract now.¡±

    Mama Fang shook her head and said, ¡°My Master said that no contract would be signed.¡± If you didn¡¯t sign a contract, it meant that you were unwilling to let go of your handle on the prescription.

    Yao Ji¡¯s general shopkeeper¡¯s eyebrows quiver with some embarrassment. He had found out all the ins and outs of Mama Fang, and he roughly guessed that the prescription should havee from Fourth Miss of the Duke Han of the State¡¯s official residence. Although he didn¡¯t know where she got the ancient prescription, he would ept it, as long as the prescription was true. As for the genuineness of the prescription, he had no doubt. Although the ointment was not really good-looking, he had been testing it for a month and the effect was really good. Several kinds of scar-removing ointment currently in cirction on the market were not as effective as this one. So, he said, ¡°I can¡¯t pay without a contract!¡± The most important thing was, in case there was any problem, he could go and asked the creator of the ointment.

    Mama Fang outrightly said, ¡°My master said that if you don¡¯t believe me, you can wait until the ointment is made before paying.¡±

    Yao Ji¡¯s general shopkeeper was dumbfounded, as he didn¡¯t expect the other party to be this daring. He thought for a moment and then said, ¡°If it this way, I will pay one-third of the amount first, and then pay the rest after the ointment had beenpletely made.¡± This was already his maximum authority he could use.

    Mama Fang nodded as an agreement, then she added, ¡°My Master also said that she was willing to sell you the prescription only because she saw Yao Ji¡¯s business reputation was the best. As long as you keep your promise, no third person will know about this prescription.¡°

    Yao Ji¡¯s general shopkeeper now understood why Mama Fang didn¡¯t dare to collect the money first. Both her and her Master did not worry about them not paying at all. If the shop didn¡¯t dare to pay, they would sell the prescription to other shop. If things were not exclusive, profits would be greatly reduced. However, if he leaked the story on Fourth Miss being the seller, it would not do any great harm to Fourth Miss, but it would damage their reputation. The shopkeeper immediately said, ¡°Fang niangzi (polite form of address for a woman), rest assured. This matter will never be spread. The rest of the money will be sent to you as soon as the ointment is made. ¡°

    Mama Fang shook her head and said, ¡°When the timees, you can send a message and I¡¯ll get it myself.¡± She didn¡¯t want anyone to know that she had a business rtionship with Yao Ji shop.

    For this prescription, Yuxi¡¯s first offered was fifteen thousand taels, however, the shopkeeper of the Yao shop knew that she didn¡¯t want her residence to know, so, he deliberately lowered the price down to eighth thousand taels. After both side haggled over the price, finally they both came to an agreement of the price twelve thousand taels of silvers. This time, the shopkeeper paid four thousand taels of silver first as per agreement.

    A sample of silver tickets or y¨ªn pi¨¤o of Northern Song Dynasty.

    Image credited to artxun via baike.baidu

    Mama Fang carefully took the silver tickets with both hands and put them in her pocket. When she walked out of the door, her legs were still shaking, as she had never seen so much money in her life!

    After sending off Mama Fang, Yao shopkeeper couldn¡¯t help but whispered to the waiting old man by his side, ¡°Third Uncle, you said that the Fourth Miss of the Duke Han of the State¡¯s official residence was only five years old. Why is she so hard to handle with?¡° Such a precious thing and she dared to take it out so casually. If it was him, she would not have be treated like an apple of his eyes.

    The bearded old man said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether Fourth Miss Han is hard to deal or not. What matters is this prescription. As long as the prescription can really make money for us, nothing else matters.¡° The other party asked them not to reveal the news, indicating that she didn¡¯t want others to know about it, thus it can be seen that she tried to avoid this matter being known by people of Duke Han of the State¡¯s official residence.

    The old man didn¡¯t think much of it. There are many things happened in arge family. A little girl suddenly got such arge sum of money and she knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep a cent if this was being known. That¡¯s why she made this kind of request.

    Yao¡¯s general shopkeeper nodded and said, ¡°What Third Uncle said is right.¡±

    The four thousand silver ticket made Mama Fang nervous for the next few days. After half a month, she got another eight thousand taels of silver, which made her felt so worried that she couldn¡¯t sleep well, afraid that something would go wrong. When Moju came to deliver things, she immediately handed the box containing the money to Moju and said, ¡°This box contains the ie fromst month. Take it back to Miss.¡±

    Moju took it with both hands and said, ¡°Mama, rest assured, I¡¯ll go back and give it to Miss.¡± The box was locked. One key was in Mama Fang¡¯s hand and the other was with Yuxi.

    When Yuxi saw the money box, she still looked like usual and said, ¡°Put it down. I¡¯ll look at it first, and then you put it into ount in the evening.¡± Everything she acquired must be ounted for, and the person in charge of the money box was Moju.

    Moju was loyal and honest, so Yuxi still felt at ease with her. Of course, the money and ounts were separated into two things. Even if Moju really started thinking carefully about everything, Yuxi still would not be worried.

    Although Mama Fang didn¡¯te to the residence, she also entrusted Hongshan¡¯s brother with the message. Of course, they all used the code words that had been said in advance. So, Yuxi knew there was something else inside the money box.

    After Moju went out, Yuxi took out the key and opened the box. She saw a pile of broken silvers pressing on several sheets of silver tickets inside.

    Yuxi was thrilled to see these silver tickets. When she married in her previous life, her dowry was more than twenty thousands, which was the reason why she married Jiang Hongjin. However, Yuxi soon calmed down. These twelve thousand silver tickets and two silver pieces were huge sums, but they could only buy a few decorations in Yuchen¡¯s house, which meant that there was nothing for her to be too excited about.

    With such arge sum of money, Yuxi felt she had to buy some properties quickly. Having a property meant that she had a fixed ie every year. This way, she would not need to worry about moneyter on. Even if she didn¡¯t receive any money from her mama¡¯s baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop, she would still make money through her properties. She also didn¡¯t have much ambition either. As long as she had plenty of money, she believed she would have afortable life in the future. After facing so many things, she knew very well that it was much more convenient to have money and used them to handle things in the residence. With Hongshan¡¯s vast rtionship with others in one hand, added up with her ability to scout out some news, would surely cost her a lot of money.

    Yuxi was not in a hurry either. It would not take only a day or two toplete the purchase of properties. It would have to be done slowly, not hurriedly.

    When Yuxi received arge sum of money, she still acted the same as usual. Even her personal maid, Moju and Hongshan didn¡¯t see any difference in her.

    In a blink of an eye, it was vacation time again. In every month, there would be two days off, and both days were thest two days of each month. This was Teacher Song¡¯s habit, which could not be shaken even with thunder (Chinese idiom : the arrangements are unalterable).

    One day, Yuchen offered an invitation, ¡°Fourth Sister, my uncle will have his birthday in a couple of days. Pleasee with me!¡± She was very much loved by the Old Madam of Marquis Pingqing¡¯s residence. That was why, she had to learn from Teacher Song. Otherwise, Old Madam Jiang would often take her back to the Jiang family.

    Yuxi politely refused, ¡°Third Sister, I have to review my lessons these two days, so I won¡¯t go.¡± Some young misses of Marquis Pingqing¡¯s residence had a high outlook and they liked to turn up their nose at her, just because she was the daughter of the second wife. In her previous life, she was not looked down upon by them, so she was not prepared to start making friends with some people in Marquis Pingqing¡¯s residence.

    Yuxi intended to take advantage of this two-day holiday to study the double-sided embroidery. The talent for learning things was really very important. She felt extremely difficult when learning qin, but with this double-sided embroidery, even if no one taught her, she now already gotten the knack. Once you got the knack, it was much easier to master.

    Yuchen was disappointed, but she did not insist.

    Looking at Yuxi¡¯s back, Shishu said unevenly, ¡°Miss ns everything for Fourth Miss, but she is not sympathetic at all. Miss, you¡¯d better stay away from her in the future!¡± She felt that Yuxi did not know what was good or bad and was not worth the trouble of her Miss.

    Yuchen looked at Shishu and said tly, ¡°You are getting old too. I will ask my grandmother to let you out.¡±

    This words were like a thunderbolt from the clear sky (Chinese metaphor : a sudden ident). It did not only frightened Shishu, but also Shiqin. ¡°Miss,¡± said Shiqin, ¡°Although this is a little overstepping, it is also for Miss¡¯s sake.¡±

    Yuchen said coldly, ¡°For my sake, you can provoke my sister rtionship with my Fourth Sister? Thest time I didn¡¯t pursue it was because she had served me for many years. This time, I am determined not to spare anyone any more.¡±

    Shishu copsed to the ground.

 Chapter 48 - Tragedy (1)

    <strong>Chapter 48 : Tragedy (1)</strong>

    Yuxi went to greet the Old Madam first, then went to the main courtyard to greet Qiu Shi. Upon entering the main courtyard, she smelled an unusual smell.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s face was very ugly, and she did not even rx when she saw Yuxi. She only said, ¡°Yuxi, aunt is currently busy right now. Please go back to your yard first.¡±

    After paying her respects, Yuxi withdrew and went out of the main courtyard. When she arrived at Rose Courtyard, she immediately ordered Hongshan, ¡°Go and find out what happened.¡± She didn¡¯t know what kind of drama Concubine Rong did this time and no one could med her for having this thought. Aside from the state residence, only Concubine Rong could make Qiu Shi this agitated.

    Since her heart could not calm down, Yuxi was unable to do any embroidery works. Furthermore, she was also at lose while mulling over her kifu (record of a game of go or shogi). So, she thought she might as well grind her ink and started to practice writing characters on the wall. She had been doing this for four months, and she still felt the extreme soreness on her shoulder every time she had done writing.

    By the time she wrote the forty-fifth character, Hongshan finally came back.

    Yuxi hastily asked, ¡°What happened?¡± By looking at her Eldest Aunt, she knew it ought to be something major. She knew that she should not do anything, but she merely wanted to know the tendency inside the residence. By knowing the score (Chinese idiom : to be well aware of the situation), she won¡¯t be deaf or even blind.

    Hongshan shook her head and said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t the matter of the residence, but matter from the outside. Donghu barbarians had managed to breach the border town Liandong. While, both Marshal Yan and General Huaidong died in battle. The barbarians broke through Tong (bronze) City, burning, killing and robbing themon people. It is still unknown on how many people have been killed. Miss, since the border has been broken, do you think the capital will be in danger?¡±

    Yuxi asked with a puzzling feeling, ¡°General Huaidong?¡± The name sounded familiar to her, but she couldn¡¯t remember where she heard it.

    Hong Shan was somewhat worried. Why was her Miss¡¯s concern not on the same line with her? ¡°Miss, General Huaidong is the eldest son of Old General Yun, erm¡­ also the father of Young Master Yun Qing.¡± Her Miss knew Yun Qing, so this should be more clear to her.

    Yuxi was shocked. ¡°You mean Yun Qing¡¯s father died in the battle?¡±

    Hongshan nodded and said, ¡°Well, General Huaidong died along with Marshal Yan. Not only that, his wife and children were also killed by the Donghu barbarians.¡° After a pause, her face also showed a heavy colour as she continued saying, ¡°Old General Yun has only two sons and one daughter. His youngest son died ten years ago, while his daughter died in childbirth. Now he has lost hisst remaining son and two grandchildren. I wonder if Old General Yun can stand it?¡± To see one¡¯s child died before oneself, three in session, even iron man couldn¡¯t stand it.

    Old General Yun was also a famous Liaodong general. However, he was seriously injured in a battle and could no longer go to the battlefield, so he stayed in the capital to enjoy his life in retirement. During his time as an active General, he had a brilliant military service. Even if he had not been on the battlefield for more than twenty years, everyone still respected him very much.

    Yuxi¡¯s hand shook. At that one time, she hd wondered why the present Yun Qing who was so bright and would take the initiative to save people would be a killer after a few years. No, if only because of General Huaidong¡¯s death, it would be impossible for Yun Qing¡¯s temperament to drastically change. Whether it was a soldier or a general, going to war was always a dangerous thing. There must be something else happened.

    Remembering what Hongshan said just now, Yuxi shuddered and asked, ¡°Did you just say Marshal Yan was also killed?¡± Marshal Yan was not only the grand marshal who controls two hundreds thousands troops, but also the eldest brother of the Empress. It could be said that the reason why the Empress and the Crown Prince couldpete with Imperial Consort Song was because there was Marshal Yan supporting them. Now that he was dead, the Empress and the Crown Prince were going to be in danger.

    Hongshan had some doubts. What was wrong with her Miss? She had already told her clearly, so, why she still asked such a stupid question. However, she did not dare to question Yuxi and hastily said, ¡°Yes, Marshal Yan also died. I also heard that Yan Wushuang, the eldest son of Yan family, was also missing. It is said that he has disappeared, but everyone clearly understand that he should have already been dead.¡° Seeing Yuxi¡¯s puzzled face, she continued, ¡°Yan Wushuang is actually like the younger version of Marshal Yan. It is said that Yan Wushuang has been gifted since childhood and will be the sessor of Marshal Yan in the future. Therefore, the news of Yan Wushuang disappearance left many people holding their hands endlessly in excitement.¡°

    Although Yuxi did not understand military affairs, she was sure it was not that simple. ¡°What else?¡±

    Yuxi was a little depressed. In her previous life, not only she didn¡¯t know the great events happening inside the Imperial Court, she also didn¡¯t even know what actually happened inside the state residence. Even when she grew up, she didn¡¯t care much about the things happened outside, so she had no impression of such a big thing. Otherwise, she could also know what happened afterwards.

    Hongshan didn¡¯t know why Yuxi wanted to know all this, but she still said, ¡°That¡¯s all I heard. If Miss still wants to know more, I¡¯ll ask my Third Brother to go outside and have a good look.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Ask your Third Brother to pay attention and act ordingly base on the weight of his abilities. Don¡¯t attract people¡¯s eyes and trouble.¡± Such a big thing would definitely set off a big wave. She just wanted to know the whole story of these things and didn¡¯t want to cause anyone trouble.

    Hongshan smiled and said, ¡°My Third brother knows how far he can go and when to stop.¡± She knew that Yuxi just wanted to know the situation outside, not what to do. What her Third Brother asked for was all well-known news, not conspicuous, and he was not doing any dangerous research of the situation. Of course, for Yuxi, who had always stayed in the deep boudoir, it was already very rare to get such news.

    A Memorial to the Throne or z¨°u zh¨¦

    Source | Baidu

    The Imperial Court was sighing with relieved when General Zhang, the deputymander, managed to drive Donghu barbarians out of Tong City. However, this time a memorial to the throne regarding the incident was also handed over to the Emperor.

    This memorial used the Old Third Master of Yan family of colluding with Donghu. Not only did he leaked the city defence map of Tong City, but he also leaked the marching route of Marshal Yan, which led to the copse of Tong City and the tragic death of countless people.

    When Yuxi heard this, she opened her mouth and asked, ¡°Has this man lost his mind?¡± Yan family people and Donghu were ancient enemies. So, the one who leaked the city defence map could not be from the Yan family people. How did the person behind the scenes did such a foolish thing?

    Hongshan said, ¡°My Third Brother said that the mother of Yan¡¯s family Third Master was a Donghu woman and was ipatible as fire and water (Chinese idiom : be totally ipatible) with Marshal Yan. She also threatened to kill Marshal Yan. ¡°

    ¡°There is no evidence, this is only nder,¡± said Yuxi.

    Hongshan shook her head and said, ¡°My brother said that there are all kinds of witness and material evidences.¡± Thest sentence she said was the main point.

    Hearing this words, Yuxi became cold. Since there was aplete evidence on the crime, it showed that the other party had made a meticulous nning. The Yan family might not be able to avoid doomed this time. Well, she sighed again. Why didn¡¯t she know anything in herst life?

    At the same time, Old Master Yun looked at Yun Qing, who was not in his proper appearance, and said, ¡°You will leave tonight and follow Chang Qing to Yu (elm) City.¡±

    Yun Qing was stunned for a moment. Yu City was a border city in the northwest, which was the territory of the Qin family. Everyone knew that the Qin family and their family had not been gotten along well with each other. Wasn¡¯t by letting him go to Yu City would be like amb in a tiger¡¯s den? No, the important question now was why he should go there. He asked, ¡°Grandpa, are you hiding something from me?¡±

    Old master Yun¡¯s heart dripped blood as he said, ¡°Yan family Old Third Master indeed colluded with the Donghu, but he is only a scapegoat, the real culprit is the Song family.¡±

    Yun Qing was stunned. ¡°Why did the Song family do this?¡±

    Old Master Yun¡¯s face filled with grief and he was choking as he said, ¡°For the throne. As long as Marshal Yan is present, the Emperor cannot abolish the Empress or the Crown Prince. Only when the Yan family is gone can they have no future trouble and eradicate the Empress and the Crown Prince, paving way for Imperial Consort Song and the Ninth Prince. ¡°

    Yun Qing¡¯s eyes shed with hatred, ¡°Grandpa, we can¡¯t let the Song family get away with this. We must let them pay blood with blood. Let them pay for my parents¡¯ and brother¡¯s lives.¡±

    Old Master Yun¡¯s spine was going to copse. He couldn¡¯t stand up. He bowed his back and said, ¡°The Emperor favours Imperial Consort Song and and dotes on the Ninth Prince. He has always wanted to let the Ninth Prince reces the Crown Prince. This time, the matter has just gone ording to the Emperor¡¯s wishes.¡± Otherwise, the Song family would not have been acting so arrogant.

    Yun Qing asked incredulously, ¡°Grandpa, how can we let more than one hundred thousands ofmon people, tens of thousands of soldiers, my father and mother died in vain?¡±

    Old Master Yun said, ¡°For a nobleman to take revenge, ten years is not too long (Chinese idiom : revenge is more satisfying when one has had time to prepare vengeance that is well-nned, long-feared, or unexpected). If you fight with the Song family now, there is no benefit except to implicate you too. Qing-er, the Song family nned for years with all their hearts just for this day, and they will definitely exterminate the Yan family. We are close to the Yan family, so they will definitely not let us go. Qing-er, you are our only remaining blood, you can¡¯t meet with ident. ¡°

    How could Yun Qing leave alone? He said, ¡°Grandpa, let¡¯s leave together.¡±

    Old Master Yun¡¯s eyes showed reluctance, but he could not help but send Yun Qing away, because he had no way to protect his only remaining grandson. ¡°Grandpa is already an old man and can not walk anymore. As long as you are well, Grandpa will be at ease.¡±

    If Yun Qing really went to Yu City, he would left his only rtive, the Old Master Yun. He would flee and his Grandpa would be alone. However, after thinking hard, he still could not do it anyway, ¡°Grandpa, if you don¡¯t go, then I won¡¯t go either.¡±

    Old Master Yun said sternly, ¡°You are the only one left in the Yun family. If anything happens to you, our Yun family will be ruined. How can you let Grandpa falls to the ground and meet our ancestors like this, ah ¡­ ¡±

    Yun Qing knelt on the ground and said, ¡°Grandpa, if you don¡¯t go, I won¡¯t go either.¡± After so many years of being together, he knew his Grandpa very well. If he was gone, Grandpa would have no worries, then he would certainly fight all out with the Song family.

    Old Master Yun looked at his hard-raised child and his eyes were dry. He was old and only had a few days to live, but his grandson was still young and had a long time. More importantly, the future of Yun family will depend on him to restore its appearance and name.

    After a long silence, Old Master Yun finally said, ¡°Okay, you go back and tidy up. I¡¯ll go with you in the evening.¡±

    Yun Qing had some foreseen feelings. His grandfather was very amodating this time. In case of fraud, he was unwilling to leave the Old Master Yun¡¯s side. ¡°Just let Guo Xun pack up the things and I will apany you, Grandpa.¡± He was worried that Old Master Yun would act on his own in order to fend him off.

    Old Master Yun also didn¡¯t object. He nodded in agreement, and said, ¡°I have sent someone to Tong City. They will bury your father and your family. When you finally have support in the future, go to Tong City and move their graves to our ancestral graves. ¡°

    Yun Qing held back his tears and nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Ever since Old Master Yun knew about his eldest son¡¯s death, it seemed like he had aged ten more years, but he had tried to stand up strong for the past few days. It was because, he knew that if he did not stay strong, his only grandchild would also be lost. ¡°Qing-er, when you get to Yu City, you have to listen to Chang Qing.¡±

    Yun Qing¡¯s intuition suddenly was giving him a bad feeling, ¡°Grandpa¡­ ¡±

    Old Master Yun waved his hand and said, ¡°Grandpa is already old. I¡¯m also not in good health and have a bad memory. While I still remember, I will tell you these first, so as to save time and before I forget to say them to you.¡±

    On this day, Old Master Yun and Yun Qing talked about a lot of things, all of which were to exin some things to Yun Qing. As they spend time talking, Yun Qing started to panic, made him didn¡¯t dare to leave Old Master Yun even for half a step.

 Chapter 49 - Tragedy (2)

    <strong>Chapter 49 : Tragedy (2)</strong>

    Yun Qing woke up and found himself inside a carriage. He lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked at thepletely strange environment outside. Then he looked at the strange man driving the carriage. He guessed that this person should be Chang Qing, the one his Grandpa told him about. He had heard Grandpa talked about Chang Qing before. Chang Qing had excellent martial arts, but he had scars on his face and always acted indifferent, so he stayed in seclusion. Not to mention, he had never seen anyone in the mansion except for his Grandpa. However, this man was absolutely loyal to the Yun family, since his life was once saved by Grandpa.

    ¡°Where¡¯s my Grandpa?¡± Yun Qing asked in panic.

    Chang Qing said with a straight face, ¡°The Old Man vomited blood when he heard the news of the death of Eldest Uncle. If it weren¡¯t for the tiger wolf medicine, the Old Man would have gone at that time. Even so, he still will notst for a few more days.¡° This meant that he would not live long.

    Yun Qing grinded his teeth and open his eyes wide. ¡°I want to go back. Turn around. I want to go back.¡± His Grandpa was going to die. He had to go for his Grandpast journey.

    Chang Qing pped Yun Qing on the face and Yun Qing fell from the carriage. Chang Qing said coldly, ¡°If you are a man, follow me to Yu City. For a nobleman to take revenge, ten years is not too long (Chinese idiom : revenge is more satisfying when one has had time to prepare vengeance that is well-nned, long-feared, or unexpected). Learn something first, then, you can use your skill to kill the Song family in the capital city. If you want to go back to the capital and die, I will not stop you, but go back by yourself.¡° Even though he said it this way, how could he possibly let Yun Qing went back!

    Yun Qing clenched his teeth till they went numb. Rationally, he should not to go back, but the thought of his Grandpa alone in the capital to face death, his heart felt like being twisted by knife and made him just want to rush back to the capital. Since childhood, Yun Qing had never cried. He always believed that men should not shed tears, but now his tears fell down involuntarily.

    Chang Qing¡¯s face slowly rxed. In any case, Yun Qing was only a 10-year-old child. ¡°Time is pressing, give the Old Man kowtow three times, then we will hit the road.¡±

    Yun Qing looked up and said, ¡°Is Grandpa nning to do something?¡± If it wasn¡¯t for Grandpa¡¯s n, there would be no need to send him away.

    Chang Qing did not answer Yun Qing¡¯s question, but instead said, ¡°Kowtow and then get into the carriage. We go one more segment of the road, then we¡¯re going to change our route.¡±

    Chang Qing did not reply, indicating that Yun Qing guessed was right. He got up, enduring the pain in his whole body and knelt down in the direction of the capital.

    Chang Qing¡¯s face was not obvious, but his heart was feeling so sorrowful. The Old General was kind to him, and he was sad to see the Old General fell into such a situation, but it was the Old General¡¯s choice and he had no right to ponder, ¡°Hurry up and get to Yu City early. Once there, you will be able to be safe at least one day earlier.¡±

    Yun Qing knocked three times in the direction of the capital. Each of them was very hard. After knocking three heads, his forehead was bleeding. Because of the pain, he bit his teeth as he rose to his feet and climb into the carriage, then he said to Chang Qing, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Yuxi got the news muchter than others since she never left the boudoir. It was already the fourth day when she heard that Old General Yun had died in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. She was very surprised and asked, ¡°How?¡±

    Hall of Supreme Harmony

    Source | Peter K Burian via Wikipedia

    Hongshan replied, ¡°Miss, Old General Yun said at the Hall of Supreme Harmony that, in order to seize the military power in Liaodong, the Song family had colluded with Donghu by divulging military intelligence, which had killed tens of thousands of generals and countless people in Tong City. In the presence of all the ministers and generals of the Imperial Court, he also said that Minister Song was a traitor who bring cmity to the country and the people (Chinese idiom : to damage the country and cause suffering to the people), and he asked the Emperor to punish Minister Song severely. ¡°

    ¡°And then?¡± Yuxi asked anxiously.

    Hongshan said, ¡°Old General Yun produced some evidences for his statement, but they were all rejected by Minister Song. He even said that Old General Yun had framed him. When the Old General Yun heard that, he was so angry that he started a moved on Minister Song, but instead, he was pushed to the ground by Minister Song.¡° After a pause, she continued, ¡°Old General Yun fell to the ground and never woke up again. Now, everyone outside said Minister Song had killed Old General Yun. ¡°

    Yuxi asked the key question, ¡°What did the Emperor say?¡±

    Hongshan shook her head and said, ¡°The Emperor punished Minister Song by deducting his sry for one year and also let him shut himself away and ponder over his mistakes (Chinese idiom : ponder one¡¯s errors in seclusion) at home. That¡¯s it.¡°

    Although Old General Yun had nothing to do with Yuxi, her heart still felt cold after hearing the news. Could this be also called punishment? This was no different than tickling over the serious issue. She asked another key question, ¡°Then, where is the eldest grandson of the Yun family, Yun Qing?¡±

    Hongshan said, ¡°It is said that Yun Qing went to Liaodong. Liaodong has General Huaidong¡¯s colleagues and old subordinates. If he went there, there will be no danger to his life.¡° Old General Yun had made such a scene, so how could the Song family let go of the Yun family, but currently, the Yun family only had one master, Yun Qing.

    It was reasonable for people outside to make such spection. After all, Liaodong was the stronghold of the Yun family. It was much safer for Yun Qing to leave the capital for Liaodong.

    Yuxi said to herself, ¡°I see.¡± She once wondered why a bright and cheerful person like Yun Qing would eventually be a murderous devil. So, it turned out to be a huge change had happened in his family.

    Hongshan didn¡¯t hear what Yuxi just said and asked with a smile, ¡°Miss, did you say that the eldest grandson of the Yun family really went to Liaodong?¡±

    Yuxi did not reply, and no one knew this matter better than her. Yun Qing did not go to Liaodong but to the northwest border town. Even if she said it out loud, no one would believe her, since the public tended to believe the rumours from the northwest guards, where it said that Old General Qin and Old General Yun were sworn enemies. Because of this reason, no one thought that Yun Qing would defected to the Old General Qin. It was not until several yearster that Yun Qing emerged from the northwest and finally became a murderous devil whom everyone feared. Only then did people know that the so-called animosity rtionship between the Yun family and the Qin family was only a lie.

    Seeing Yuxi¡¯s reaction, Hongshan went on saying, ¡°Now, some people outside imed that Old General Yun was actually very ill and would not lived for a few more days. He deliberatelyshed at Minister Song in anger at Hall of Supreme Harmony. In fact, it was said that he deliberately framed Minister Song. ¡°

    The corner of Yuxi¡¯s lips lifted up, revealing a sarcastic smile.

    Hongshan asked Yuxi carefully, ¡°Miss, is the rumor really true?¡± She was so confused that she could not tell who was right and who was wrong.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t say anything. It was not really important whether this rumour was true or not. What important was that the Yun family was now ruined and the Yan family was in danger of being ruined. However, with Old General Yun making such a loud noise, now, the Yan family would not be able to be exterminated. The Emperor currently had to worry more about the two hundreds thousands of generals and soldiers in Liaodong, over the wishes of the ministers and themon people below.

    Yuxi reminded Hongshan, ¡°Just tell me these things and don¡¯t mention it to others.¡± It was alright to talk in private, but if Hongshan dared to talk about it in the mansion, then she (Hongshan) would be the next one to be in trouble.

    Hongshan nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss, I won¡¯t say a thing.¡± It was not like she didn¡¯t have a brain. It was good to listen to such things, however, how would she dare to talk about them openly.

    After letting Hongshan out, Yuxi said softly, ¡°It¡¯s not easy.¡± It was normal for Yun Qing to have such a deep hatred and changed his temperament. Just like how she was reborn after being burnt in the sea of mes, she was slowly changing herself now.

    Yuxi was still young, so, she was bad in hiding her emotions. Naturally, this also affected her performance in ss, which fell into Teacher Song¡¯s eyes.

    After ss, Teacher Song made Yuxi stayed behind and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What¡¯s in your mind?¡°

    Yuxi also didn¡¯t hide from Teacher Song and she told her the news she heard. Of course, she did not tell her about Yun Qing¡¯s trip to the northwest. She just said, ¡°The Yun family people are full of loyalty, but they havee to such an end. I feel a little sad.¡±

    Teacher Song was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect that Yuxi was in low spirits over this matter. She also knew about the Yun family. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. Nobody thought that Old Master Yun would suddenly passed away. We could only me this matter on the Donghu barbarians.¡±

    Bell made of copper or bronze or Í­Áå (t¨®ng l¨ªng)

    Source | ÁÎ»ÓÜ¿ (Liao Hui Yun) via Fuyuandian

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes were as big as two bronze bells, ¡°I heard that Old General Yun was strong and healthy. He could eat two bowls of rice at a time. How could he die so inexplicably?¡±

    Teacher Song said, ¡°No matter how foolish the Song family is, they didn¡¯t dare to murder the Old General Yun in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. On the other hand, Old General Yun died in front of Minister Song. So, obviously, everyone would think that he was murdered by the people of Song family. Old General Yun used his own life to scheme against the Song family.¡± Yun¡¯s family people were loyal till their deaths and Old General Yun died with an unknown reason. So, how would they convince the people of the world and the generals of Liaodong? If one was not handled properly, there would be chaos in Liaodong. If Liaodong was chaotic, the world would be chaotic. So this time, Song family could not do nothing, though they still wanted topletely control the Liaodong two hundreds thousands army, which currently was impossible for them to aplish. (T/N : I don¡¯t know if Teacher Song is from the same n as the viin Song family since their family names are written with the same character, ËÎ S¨°ng)

    Yuxi naturally knew that the Song family could not be so foolish, but the death of Old General Yun was rted to them. ¡°If this was done intentionally by Old General Yun, I would feel even worse.¡±

    Teacher Song asked curiously, ¡°Why is that?¡±

    Yuxi lowered her head and said, ¡°Old General Yun was a well-employed general in battlefield. If there was no way out, how could he choose such a cowardly death.¡±

    Hearing this words from Yuxi, Teacher Song looked at her with extremelyplicated eyes.

    Yuxi could sense that Teacher Song was looking at her closely and her heart quivered. How could she just said what she had in her mind? She was very upset, so she toughen her scalp mon Chinese phrase : brace oneself) and asked, ¡°Ma¡¯am, did I say something wrong?¡±

    Teacher Song shook her head and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Old Master Yun¡¯s choice of such a method of death is forck of better choice, which grieved the Imperial Court.¡± Now that the Imperial Court had internal trouble and outside aggression (Chinese idiom : in a mess both domestically and abroad), if not being handled carefully, it was not possible for the whole country to be in rebellion. However, the Emperor¡¯s arrogance and extravagance made him enjoyed it more. He prided himself with Imperial Consort Song and put her younger brothers in important positions. The Emperor really didn¡¯t care about the lives of ordinary people at all.

    Yuxi did not want to continue to talk about this heavy matter, so she changed the subject, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I don¡¯t want to learn painting.¡±

    Teacher Song asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to learn painting?¡±

    ¡°I want to spend more time on embroidery. My wish is to create my own double-sided embroidery.¡± The real reason for her to stop learning painting, was actually because she wanted to save time to read medical books. The great event in the court reminds her of the chaos of refugees in the previous life. This made her felt a sense of crisis. Although this sense of crisis was strange, she decided to follow her own heart.

    Teacher Song said, ¡°It¡¯s good to learn embroidery, but you¡¯re too fascinated with it.¡± Embroidery took a lot of energy, not to mention that it often took several years to make a good pair of embroidery. It even took more time to make a dress, a purse or a handkerchief. After Yuxi got marriage, she would be busy doing wife¡¯s duties, raised her children and got into all kinds of social engagements. Where did she have time for embroidery?

    Yuxi said without hesitation, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I prefer embroidery over painting.¡±

    Teacher Song didn¡¯t agree with Yuxi¡¯s request. If she only had painting skills in the future, it would be too embarrassing for her as her teacher, so she adopted apromise, ¡°Painting skills should be learned, so, I won¡¯t give you any extra homework in the future.¡±

    Yuxi was not satisfied with the oue, but she knew that Teacher Song had made concessions, so she should not acted like winning an inch, wanted a foot (Chinese idiom : not satisfied with small gains). In case Teacher Song did not allow her to listen in, she then couldn¡¯t do anything even if she cried a river.

 Chapter 50 - Purchasing Property (1)

    <strong>Chapter 50 : Purchasing Property (1)</strong>

    It was very hot in the sixth month of lunar year.

    Yuxi came out of the school and returned to the Rose Courtyard. Once there, she took out her handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She muttered, ¡°Why is it so hot?¡± She didn¡¯t think summer was so hot before! It was only on the sixth month, not yet the hottest time of the year.

    Sour Prune Drink or suanmeitang

    Source | Tianjin Tours via Pininterest

    Moju brought a bowl of iced sour prune drink (suanmeitang), ¡°Miss, drink this and you will be cool.¡±

    After drinking the iced sour prune drink, Yuxi felt much better, ¡°Fortunately, I don¡¯t have toe back at noon, otherwise I will die of heat.¡± The weather was so hot that Teacher Song asked Yuchen and Yuxi to stay in Magnolia Courtyard at noon.

    Tuanshan or Chinese circr hand fan with embroidered peacock

    Source | ÁëÄÏÃÀÊõ³ö°æÉç via µ°µ°ÔÞ

    Moju on the other hand, was embroidering peacock on a beautiful white tuanshan (ancient Chinese circr fan) to fan Yuxi, while saying, ¡°It hasn¡¯t rained for half a month now, so the weather is currently hot and stuffy. If it rains, it will be pleasantly cool. ¡°

    Moju spoke quickly and said, ¡°It hasn¡¯t rained since the incident happened in the border town. Now people outside said this is God¡¯s punishment.¡±

    Yuxi thinks this was utterly nonsense. ¡°If God wants to punish, He should just punish the Song family. How can He torments themon people? I don¡¯t know who spread such vicious rumours.¡°

    With the death of General Yun, courtiers began to ask the Emperor to reconsider the Tong City incident. Unfortunately, the Emperor agreed to joint-trial with Three Departments. As soon as the Imperial Decree came down, Old Third Master Yanmitted suicide in the prison, fearing the punishment for his sin. When he died, the matter fell into a deadlock. However, because of Old General Yun¡¯s uproar, Yan¡¯s family was not implicated. As for the Empress and the Crown Prince, they led a stable life for the time being. While, in the capital city, the usual calm has been restored.

    Yuxi did not care about anything before, but she still knew something like the abolition of the Crown Prince. ording to her memory, the Crown Prince was abolished several yearster.

    As Yuxi was busy thinking about things, the maid announced the arrival of Mama Fang.

    Mana Fang came here this time to discuss one thing with Yuxi, ¡°Miss, there is a shop on Shangyuan Street for sale. I have made some private inquiries, and the store selling price is about four thousand taels of silvers.¡° She was the first to know that Yuxi wanted to buy an estate, so she thought it was an opportunity.

    Yuxi frowned and asked, ¡°The annual rent of the steamed bun shop is three hundred taels. While, for that shop, it¡¯s only four thousand taels to purchase. Isn¡¯t it inappropriate?¡± She thought the store was too convenient. She was afraid someone was trying to swindle them.

    Mama Fang hastily said, ¡°Miss, that shop does not have a backyard, so it is sells at four thousands taels. If Miss wants to buy it, we can ask thendlord to lower the price. ¡°

    After hearing this, Yuxi also nodded her head, ¡°I¡¯ll let my aunt know first. Later on, she can ask Steward Xiang to go check it up. If the shop is really good, then we¡¯ll buy it.¡±

    Mama Fang exined her n, ¡°Miss, if we buy this shop, we don¡¯t have to rent it out. We will use it directly to sell groceries, then, we will definitely make money.¡±

    Yuxi asked curiously, ¡°Can selling groceries make money?¡±

    Mung Bean Cake

    Source | ÂþÏãÐ¡ÎÝ via Meishichina

    Mama Fang had experience now, so she said, ¡°Miss doesn¡¯t know. Things like mung bean cakes, candy and so on are very popr in Shangyuan Street. Miss, do you know, that all the items sold in the shops on Shangyuan Street didn¡¯t taste very good, but the business was very good. If we make our own sales, then we will not have to worry about having no market.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and rejected it without any thought, ¡°No, Mama. You¡¯ve been working hard enough on the baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop. If you open another shop, your health will definitely suffer.¡±

    Mama Fang smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m nning to buy two more people and teach them how to do it. That shop is not far from the baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop. Then we can make cakes or something in the baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop for the new shop.¡± Baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop had no business in the afternoon. If they wanted to make cakes and candy, they could make them during that time.

    Yuxi did not know the general affairs before, but now she tried hard to learn. Even though she was still learning now, Mama Fang who had been practicing outside for a year, obviously would be much better on this than her. ¡°If Mama thinks it is okay, then give it a try. However, you can¡¯t tire yourself, otherwise I won¡¯t open either shop.¡±

    Mama Fang smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss, I won¡¯t tire myself out. I also want to watch Miss grows up.¡° The words of her Miss marriage was directly omitted.

    The shop should be bought early. If they werete, it would be bought by others. After seeing off Mama Fang, Yuxi went to the main courtyard to find Qiu Shi. She told her that she wanted to buy a store.

    Qiu Shi got a fright, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it cost a lot of money to buy a store? Where will you get that much money?¡°

    Yuxi had already prepared her speech, ¡°When my mother passed away, she left me some money. This was only known by Mama Fang. In the past, Mama Fang thought that this was my mother¡¯s dowry, so she was nning to tell me in a few years. Now that Mama Fang has ran a baozi (steeamed stuffed bun) shop outside, her thinking is not the same as before. She thinks that the money under the box is dead money, and if she buys a property using it, she can earn interest every year and I will have plenty of money.¡° Although everyone knew that her mother took her dowry to help her maiden family, it was not clear to them whether she really did not leave anything behind. Now that Yuxi, herself, said this, most people would believe her mother really did left her some money.

    Qiu Shi was somewhat surprised. She thought that Ning Shi did not not leave any money for Yuxi. ¡°How much money did your mother leave for you? To buy a store, even in Shangyuan Street, you need at least three to four thousands taels.¡± Although Shangyuan Street was not as good as East and West Streets, its location was still good. People living around there had two living expenses on hand, so, it was also a good ce to open stores. As a result, the stores over there were not cheap either.

    ¡°Ten thousand,¡± answered Yuxi.

    Qiu Shi got a huge fright. Yuxi had that much? She remembered that Ning Shi¡¯s dowry was just over twenty thousand taels, and to her surprised, she had left ten thousand taels for Yuxi. It was said that Ning Shi had used up all her dowry. But with this current situation, it seemed like the rumours were not actually credible. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    Yuxi handed the silver ticket in her sleeve to Qiu Shi and said, ¡°This is the silver ticket.¡± She specifically requested that the other side of the silver ticket must have been issued six years ago. (T/N : Smart girl!)

    Qiu Shi took the silver ticket and looked at it. She handled a lot of silver tickets, so, she knew if it was true or not. ¡°This silver ticket is true.¡± After she had done checking, she asked, ¡°Yuxi, are you really going to buy a store in Shangyuan Street? If you buy it there, the rent will not be very high.¡° The annual rent of shops in Shangyuan Street was three hundreds and twenty taels, which was already considered very high there.

    Yuxi exined to Qiu Shi about Mama Fang¡¯s n, ¡°I think Mama Fang¡¯s n is feasible.¡± What Mama Fang said was right. She felt that opening a grocery store was definitely more profitable than renting it out.

    Qiu Shi listened and weighed it in her heart and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll ask Steward Xiang about it. If it¡¯s true, as Mama Fang said, we can buy it.¡± After a pause, she said, ¡°Yuxi, that possible store can be bought in about three thousand taels. Then, what are you going to do with the remaining six thousand taels?¡± (T/N: Doesn¡¯t Yuxi have ten thousands taels? But, if three thousands will be used to buy the shop, then, shouldn¡¯t Yuxi has seven thousands taels left?)

    Looking at the silver ticket in her hand, Yuxi asked, ¡°Aunt, I also want to buy some properties. What kind of property does aunt thinks I should set up?¡± She looked at the money in her hand, with amount that was not enough to buy a store front on East and West Streets. Furthermore, the stores there required thousands and thousands of taels to start up and functioned. Just like Yuchen¡¯s two storefronts on West Street and East Street, which rentals cost more than forty thousands taels per year.

    Taking into ount Yuxi¡¯s actual situation, Qiu Shi suggested her to buy farnd property. ¡°I mean, it is best to buy farnd property. It will provide a stable crop, regardless of drought or flood.¡±

    Yuxi was also inclined to buynd property. Although the ie fromnd property was not high, it still could be dependable, and the ie would be avable every year. If there was a grocery store by then, there would be a market for things from the hamlet. Thinking till here, Yuxi¡¯s mind shed with an idea as she said, ¡°Aunt, if we want to buy farnd, I think it is best if it also has mountain forests. When the timees, we will nt fruit trees on the mountain, make preserved fruits and sell them to the grocery store. ¡°

    Qiu Shi was not really supportive of Yuxi¡¯s way of thinking, however, the prices of mountain forests were not that expensive. It was not a problem for Yuxi to buy one or two mountain forests. ¡°If you want to take the farnd with mountain forests, the location may be more remote.¡± There was none near the capital city. Even if there were, all of them had been upied by others.

    Farnds were unlike stores. The location didn¡¯t matter, even if the farnd was in a different district. Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s not a problem.¡±

    For Yuxi to purchase such a big thing, she certainly couldn¡¯t hide it from the Old Madam. Qiu Shi simply took Yuxi to see the Old Madam and told her about it.

    When the Old Madam heard that Ning Shi had left behind ten thousand taels of silver, her expression slightly stir. However, no one could see her reaction, ¡°When did you know about the silver?¡±

    Yuxi replied, ¡°I just found out today.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Mama Fang say so before? Why only now?¡° All the Old Madam¡¯s questions were all on point.

    Yuxi repeated what she had said to Qiu Shi.

    The Old Madam also couldn¡¯t find any w in Yuxi¡¯s statement. Since she was not asked to take out any money for Yuxi to purchase the property, she naturally had no objection, ¡°Since Fourth Girl has this achievement, Eldest Daughter-inw will help her see which farnd is good to buy.¡± Yuxi would have to use whatever she had as a dowry in the future. The more things she had, the richer her dowry would be, and the better the state residence name would also be.

    Once everyone left, the Old Madam put down the Buddha beads in her hand and said to Mama Luo, ¡°Ask old woman Shen if there is anything unusual about the Fourth Girl recently?¡±

    Mama Luo felt a twinge in her heart, ¡°Does Old Madam think that Ning Shi didn¡¯t give this money to the Fourth Miss?¡±

    The Old Madam said with great certainty, ¡°Ning Shi dowry was only over twenty thousands taels in total. At that time, the Ning family was in urgent need of money and the price of Ning Shi¡¯s properties and shops were not that high. Even if she did left money for the Fourth Girl, it would been at least three to four thousands taels. So, how could she leave such arge sum of money?¡± She didn¡¯t doubt that the money was Yuxi¡¯s personal earning. It was only because Yuxi had started a baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop by pawning jewelleries she had. The Old Madam suspected that this money was a part of the jewelleries that Yuxi had pawned.

    Mama Luo¡¯s felt that the money was indeed left by Ning Shi, ¡°Old Madam, ten thousand taels of silver is not a small sum. If the money was made by Miss pawning her jewelleries, then her jewelleries must have be used up. It is impossible for Mama Shen not to know about this such big thing.¡± At this time, if Mama Shen had knew, then, she would definitelye and told her in the first ce.

    The Old Madam also had this concern, but she did not say a word of reply. Instead, she ordered, ¡°Go and ask.¡±

    Mama Luo went out and soon came back, ¡°Old Madam, old woman Shen said, all the registered jewelleries which were locked in a box, were still intact.¡±

    The Old Madam turned the beads in her hand again and asked, ¡°Is there anything wrong with Fourth Girl recently?¡±

    Mama Luo shook her head and said, ¡°During this period of time, there was nothing unusual with Fourth Miss, except that she often said that she felt tired.¡± Fatigue due to overwork was not an unusual thing.

    The Old Madam was puzzled. ¡°Maybe it was really Ning Shi who left the money behind.¡± No matter how smart the olddy was, she couldn¡¯t have imagined that the money was actually earned by Yuxi.

    Mama Luo said, ¡°Old Madam, Ning Shi was also a mother. It is impossible not to leave some money for her child. I think Ning Shi really did left the money.¡° Firstly, it was impossible for people to think that Yuxi earned the money. Secondly, Yuxi¡¯s excuse was really reasonable.

    The Old Madam thought that Ning Shi would rather give the money to an old woman than letting her keep it. This meant that Ning Shi believed the old woman more than her, which made her felt very ufortable. Just how much she liked Jiang Shi, Yuchen¡¯s mother, that was how much she hated Ning Shi. However, that person was already dead, and it was not worth it for her to investigate more.

 Chapter 51 - Purchasing Property (2)

    <strong>Chapter 51 : Purchasing Property (2)</strong>

    Although Moju didn¡¯t fare much in cleverness, she won in terms of loyalty. When she felt Mama Shen¡¯s action was extremely unusual, she immediately told Yuxi.

    Yuxi could roughly guess what Mama Shen was up to. So, she told Moju, ¡°Whatever Mama Shen ask you to do in the future, you do it. Then, tell me in private.¡± She used to think that it didn¡¯t matter if she let Mama Shen be around her, but now she hated it. This kind of life, in which she was always under the surveince of others and had no freedom at all, made her very ufortable. So, she had to find a way to get rid of Mama Shen without offending the Old Madam.

    Meanwhile, having honed his skills as a steward for many years, Steward Xiang had been very cautious. Once he got the orders from Qiu Shi, he did not go directly to the shop, but he first went to find out what happened to the owner of the shop. This inquiry, indeed, revealed something.

    Yuxi felt that it was unthinkable when she heard that Steward Xiang had been offered two thousands six hundred taels price for the shop. ¡°This can¡¯t be.¡± They were given the price of four thousands, while Steward Xiang has been offered two thousands and six hundreds taels? She felt that this was somewhat abnormal.

    Steward Xiang said, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t you know, the shop owner had offended the people of yamen, so,mon people don¡¯t dare to buy the shop from him because of that.¡± Powerful people looked down on the shops in that area and people with a little money had their own sources. Once they knew that the shop owners had offended the yamen, it was unlikely for them to buy the shop, to avoid being the recement for the yamen to vent their anger on.

    Yuxi was a bit worried as she said, ¡°Who did thendlord offend? If the crime isn¡¯t small, then, we shouldn¡¯t buy his shop.¡± She didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble.

    Steward Xiang said while smiling, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. The store is ours. The other party is afraid to change his mind. Miss, in fact, if this shop didn¡¯t have this incident, it would have cost three to four thousands taels of silver. The price we offer is not low either.¡± Just because ordinary people didn¡¯t dare to buy this shop, did not mean that the state residence did not dare to buy it.

    Yuxi felt relief, ¡°It has been hard for the steward.¡±

    However, Steward Xiang was very calcting, ¡°Fourth Miss, I heard that you bought this shop to open a grocery store. If Miss doesn¡¯t have the right person yet, I have one here.¡±

    The person rmended by Xiangyang was his brother-inw, surnamed Meng who was fifteen years old this year.

    Yuxi had no problem with his age and the grocery store she would run was notrge either. As long as the other party was smart and could manage the store well, she would ept that person. ¡°Since he is rmended by the Steward Xiang, he must has his own strength. However, my grocery store will not be big, so I¡¯m afraid his talent will be wasted there.¡±

    Steward Xiang said with a smile, ¡°He had been learning in a silk and satin shop at a very young age. Also, since Mama Fang will be by his side, teaching him, this make me dare to open my mouth rmending him.¡±

    Naturally, Yuxi was willing to give Steward Xiang some face.

    When Steward Xiang left, Yuxi asked Hongshan to give him twenty taels of silver, ¡°You¡¯ve been working hard for the past two days. Take this money to buy some wine.¡±

    After receiving the reward, Steward Xiang went out of the state residence. When he got home, he told his wife, Meng Shi, to let her tell her family about it.

    Meng Shi was somewhat unease. The grocery shop would not be big and with her younger brother ability, he would not achieve much from working there!

    Xiangyang said, ¡°Why are you view so shallow, staring only at these three melons and two dates (Northern spokennguage, a metaphor for something insignificant, or a limited amount of money. In this case, it means something insignificant.)? The grocery store may be small, but did you forget that Fourth Miss is currently studying with Teacher Song? Do you think her future will go worse? If Third Brother follow her now, after Fourth Miss fully developed, do you still think she can¡¯t reuse him?¡± Now, he could manage a silk shop. Apart from his own ability, his mother was his Master¡¯s confidant. Otherwise, he would not be able to get that position.

    Meng Shi was still somewhat worried, ¡°Third Younger Brother is already fifteen years old, and in the future, he will reach a marriage age. This job is not enough. Will his marriage has to be dyed?¡± Fourth Miss would finally developed for at least another ten years. If her younger brother had to work in the grocery shop for another ten years, it would be equal to her brother dying his marriage.

    In response, Xiangyang could only tell her the truth, ¡°As long as your Third Brother does a good job, once he got Fourth Miss¡¯s attention, there will be no problem to find him a wife.¡± Seeing Meng Shi¡¯s bewildered face, he continued saying, ¡°Fourth Miss is actually very intelligent, but she has a shallow background, so, it is not convenient for her to act in the residence. If Third Brother does well, Fourth Miss would surely pull him under her wings. Don¡¯t you remember that two personal maids of the Fourth Miss who will reach the age of marriage in two years?¡± If you wanted to win the hearts of the people, by betrothing the maids around you was the best way to do it.

    Meng Shi¡¯s eyes lit up. Unfortunately, she seldom went to the inner courtyard now, so she had no impression of the two maids, Moju and Motao.

    Xiangyang poured cold water on her, ¡°If Third Brother can¡¯t get into her eyes, everything is in vain.¡± This meant to ask Meng Shi to persuade her younger brother properly.

    That evening, Yuxi got the deed of the shop. Holding this deed, she felt delighted. This was her property. She also has her own property which made her felt really good.

    It was also Yuxi¡¯s good luck. A few dayster, after their talk, Qiu Shi found out that the Lu family of Marquis Zhongyong¡¯s residence was going to sell and property, which was also linked with a mountain forest and exactly met Yuxi¡¯s requirements.

    Qiu Shi said to Yuxi, ¡°The hamlet is not far from the capital. It¡¯s about two hours walk. I think you can buy it.¡±

    Yuxi asked doubtfully, ¡°Aunt, why do the Lu family sell such a good property?¡± Land property was something that could be passed on to future generations and was generally not sold.

    Since Qiu Shi was nning to buy thesend property, she surely had made a clear inquiries on it. She said, ¡°The Lu family has set up a business line with the Li family, the imperial merchant, and they are nning to do business with them. It is said that the business operation is veryrge which requires a lot of capital, so Lu family is going to sell some industries to convert to cash. This is also our opportunity. ¡°

    Yuxi was not familiar with the outside market, so, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the background of this Li family? They let the Lu family sell theirnd?¡± If it wasn¡¯t for sure that the Li family would make a lot of money, the Lu family would never sell these inheritable properties.

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°Madam Li is Minister Song¡¯s illegitimate younger sister.¡± So to speak, Li family¡¯s backer was Imperial Consort Song and Song family.

    Yuxi¡¯s heart was somewhat a little cold. The Song family could still sit at ease as they enjoyed riches and honour aftermitting such evil deeds. While, those soldiers and civilians who died unjustly all had died in vain.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t know what Yuxi was thinking, so she told her in detail about the situation of the saidnd production, ¡°There are 460 mu (unit of area equal to one fifteenth of a hectare) paddy fields in that hamlet, of which 230 mu are the best paddy fields, 160 mu are the middle paddy fields, 70 mu are lower paddy fields, and more than 680 mu are the mountain forests.¡±

    Yuxi was immediately pulled back out of her thought and asked, ¡°How much is the asking price?¡±

    Qiu Shi replied, ¡°The asking price is eight thousands taels.¡±

    Yuxi frowned as she asked, ¡°Aunt, isn¡¯t the price too high?¡± More than six hundreds mu of mountain forest was only worth not more than one thousand taels, which was equivalent to 14.05 taels per mu of paddy field. If it was all good paddy fields, it was a good deal, but only about half of them were good paddy fields, so eight thousands taels for her, personally, was too expensive.

    Qiu Shi smiled and said, ¡°They want this price for a reason. They nted a lot of fir in that mountain forest a few years ago, and they will be able to sell them in a few years time. In addition, there are quite a few red jujubes, chestnuts and other fruit trees nted on the mountain, which is not too bad for us.¡°

    Yuxi still felt that the price was too expensive. Who knew how many Chinese fir were there and when they could be sold? Furthermore, how many red jujubes, chestnuts and other fruit trees had been nted? There are too many uncertain factors.

    Qiu Shi was not anxious, rather she supported Yuxi carefully by saying, ¡°Yuxi, this eight thousands taels of silver includes this season¡¯s rice harvest, which should be able to sell at the price of four to five hundreds taels. In addition, the hamlet is close to the capital city and many people want to buy it, so that¡¯s why the price is this high. The other reason is because of its good location. If Lu family is not in urgent need of money, they will not be willing to sell it.¡±

    Yuxi thought it over in her mind and asked, ¡°Does aunt think it¡¯s a good deal to buy this hamlet?¡±

    Qiu Shi nodded and said, ¡°It is a little expensive, but this hamlet is close to the capital city and the river, and with the price of eight thousands taels, it is worth buying. If you don¡¯t buy it this time, it will be very difficult to find something that suits your heart next time. ¡°

    Yuxi thought of her past. If she had such a ce outside the capital, she would not have nowhere to go and eventually be burned to death in the wild. In case she fell into the same situation as in her previous life, she at least had a ce to stay. Thinking of this, she immediately said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll buy it!¡±

    Qiu Shi thought of Yuxi only had merely seven thousand taels of silver in hand. She was ready to help her to make up the difference.

    When Yuxi heard this, she immediately refused, ¡°Aunt, I haven¡¯t touched the whole year profit of the baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop fromst year! With that profit, I can make up to eight thousands taels.¡° In addition, she also received several hundred taels of gifts during the New Year Festival. As for the whole two thousands taels of silver tickets in her hand, Yuxi did not want to use it for the time being, since she saved it was for urgent use.

    Qiu Shi was not reluctant either. She told Yuxi about another matter, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to buy a maid with great strength? I have already found her for you. The girl is only six years old, but she has a lot of strength.¡° It was not so easy to find someone who had the strength, family background, innocence and age. It took her more than half a year to find that type of maid.

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes lit up at once, ¡°Where?¡±

    Qiu Shi said with a smile, ¡°She just entered the residence today. I¡¯ll let her learn the rules first these few days. When she haspletely learnt the rules, she will be sent to your yard.¡±

    Yuxi knew this was a normal process, and she didn¡¯t want to be special either. So, she said, ¡°Aunt, when we have bought the hamlet, I want to find a chance to see it.¡± This was her property alone. She felt not at ease if she didn¡¯t set her eyes on it.

    Qiu Shi smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. You can go when you have a holiday. The ce is not far away either. Go early and you cane back in the evening.¡° It was normal that one wanted to take a look at one¡¯s own industry. It was not something surprising.

    Yuxi was looking forward to that day.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s work efficiency was very high. On that same day, Yuxi got the title deed of thend property with the mountain forest. She held the title deed like the apple of her eyes and put it together with the title deed of the store. From now on, she was the owner of bothnd and real estate.

    After Moju knew about this, she asked doubtfully, ¡°Miss, did you really buy the farnd?¡± In the past, Mama Fang always worried about money. Suddenly, her Miss had bought shops and farnd. She felt that the world had changed so much that she couldn¡¯t keep up with the pace!

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Now that I have shops andnd property, then I can provide you a thick dowryter on.¡±

    Moju stamped her foot and said shyly, ¡°Miss now knows to tease this handmaiden.¡± After that, she ran out with a red face.

    Yuxi¡¯s face was beaming with joy. Moju and Motao did not marry well in herst life. In this life, she would not let them make the same mistake again.

 Chapter 52 - Things In The World Always Changing (1)

    <strong>Chapter 52 : Things In The World Always Changing (1)</strong>

    Now that Yuxi had bought real estates andnd property, it was impossible to hide such a big thing from the people of the residence. Of course, she also did not want to deceive people. It was also a good thing to let them knew that she had money. At least they would not dare to underestimate her anymore. She was fed up with the supercilious look she received from the servants in her past life.

    When Yuru knew this matter, both of her eyes spit out green fires, ¡°Impossible! Where did Yuxi get such arge sum of money? Mother must have bought them for her.¡°

    Qingxuan, however, didn¡¯t feel it was like that at all as she said, ¡°Miss, if it were only three hundreds or five hundreds taels, Eldest Madam might have supplement it. But, if we add up all these properties, it will be a few thousands of taels of silver in total. Eldest Madam may likes Fourth Miss dearly, but after all, she is not her own daughter. How can she give that much money to her just to buy the properties?¡° Eldest Madam was also a mother with her own sons. It was impossible for her to give all her private money to Fourth Miss.

    Yuru gave out a cold snort and said, ¡°Do you mean that this silvers was really left to her by her mother? You may believe it, but I don¡¯t. At that time, Yuxi was so sick that she was nearly died. If there was such arge sum of money, why didn¡¯t Mama Fang take it out at that time?¡°

    Qingxuan felt that her Miss really had prated into a bull¡¯s horn (Chinese idiom : waste time on an insoluble or insignificant problem), ¡°Miss, Fourth Miss got smallpox at that time.¡± No amount of money was going to help a person with smallpox.

    Yuru still didn¡¯t want to believe it. She always felt that there was something wrong. In order to find out the truth, she made up an excuse to go to Rose Courtyard.

    Yuxi answered Yuru¡¯s probing seriously, without perfunctory or giving people room to think back.

    Yuru didn¡¯t find any useful information from Yuxi. She suddenly thought of something and asked Qingxuan, ¡°Did you send someone to ask Mama Fang?¡±

    Qingxuan didn¡¯t know how should she persuade her Miss at this time. ¡°Miss, it takes a lot of money to ask someone to help with this and we don¡¯t have much on hand.¡°

    Yuru was usually very economical. Every month, she would save a portion of her monthly allowance. Now, in order to investigate, she gritted her teeth and prepared toy down her hard-earned savings, ¡°Take out twenty taels of silver. Then find an old woman who is on friendly term with Mama Fang, and ask her to find out what actually happened from Mama Fang¡¯s own words.¡±

    Unfortunately, twenty taels of silver were spent in vain as nothing could be found out.

    When Qingxuan saw that her Master was still full of doubts, she could not help saying, ¡°Miss, Third Miss¡¯s two stores in the northwest alone worth tens of thousands of taels of silver. These industries run by Fourth Miss are not enough to bepared with Third Miss.¡±

    Rather than being a good advice, this statement only added fuel to the fire.

    Yuxi soon knew what Yuru was up to and she intentionally asked Mama Shen, ¡°Mama Shen, what is the meaning of Eldest Sister?¡± Before, Yuru¡¯s probing on her, already irritated her so much. She didn¡¯t expect that Yuru went as far as seeking out Mama Fang.

    Mama Shen replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. Eldest Miss is just jealous of you.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face revealed a sneer, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it is not just jealousy.¡± There must be some plot to get to the bottom of her current situation. Though, she really did not understand it. If Yuru wanted to resent someone, shouldn¡¯t she envy Yuchen? Why fix her jealous eyes on her solely?

    What Yuxi did not know was that Yuru was extremely jealous of Yuchen, but Yuchen had always been perfect. So, Yuru felt inferior when she faced Yuchen. However, Yuxi was different. Before, Yuxi was the worst out of them four girls and Yuru was several times better than her. Now, Yuxi suddenly appeared better and climbed onto her head. So, Yuru was extremely unwilling to ept this kind of oue.

    Mama Shen thought for a moment and said, ¡°Miss, would you like me to talk to Mama Luo about this?¡± Speaking to Mother Luo was like telling the Old Madam.

    Yuxi nodded in response. Not only did she let the Old Madam knew, she also told Qiu Shi about the incident, ¡°Eldest Aunt, what does Eldest Sister mean?¡± She disguised a crying face when n the presence of the Old Madam and Qiu Shi using eye drops.

    Qiu Shi had always been indifferent towards Yuru. ¡°Just let her toss and turn. You don¡¯t have to pay attention to her.¡± First, Yuru pretended to be sick to avoid going to sses. Then, she said Qiu Shi was being biased towards Yuchen and Yuxi by providing both of them with a small kitchen. Now, she was making such a move. Qiu Shi used to think that Yuru was clever and sensible, but now she felt more and more that Yuru was short-sighted, clearly showing that she was a person of humble birth.

    Yuxi was ready to quit while she was ahead (Chinese idiom : stop before going too far), and she immediately changed the subject, ¡°Eldest Aunt, how is the little maid rules learning progress?¡± ording to her opinion, it was better if she herself trained that little maid. Then she would feel much rest assured.

    Qiu Shi smiled and said, ¡°She hasplete her rules learning as others. I will send her to you this afternoon.¡±

    Not long after, Rose Courtyard weed a neer.

    Yuxi looked at the little girl kneeling on the ground who was as thin as a bamboo pole. She was very suspicious, thinking if this person was really the strong person that Qiu Shi had mentioned. ¡°Do you really have a lot of strength?¡±

    The little girl who was somewhat scared said, ¡°Miss, I have been stronger than others since I was young.¡± If Yuxi hadn¡¯t made it clear that she needed a strong little maid, she would not have been able to enter the eyes of the mama of the person in charged of the residence.

    Yuxi felt that seeing is believing, ¡°Then, you can show it to me by moving this table.¡±

    Looking at the little girl walking over and lifted the table, Yuxi was convinced that she was indeed strong. The table weighed more than thirty catty. She herself could not lift it nor move it. ¡°Put it down!¡± Seeing the other party kneeling on the ground again, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name? Where is your home? How did you get to our residence?¡°

    The little girl answered, ¡°My name is Sanya. I live in the mountains. I have two sisters and one brother. The family had to chip in to pay for my brother¡¯s education and to buy a farm, so, mother sold both my sisters and me.¡± As to where her home was, she also did not know.

    ×ÏÝÀ (Zijin) / Corydalis edulis Maxim

    Source | Baike Baidu

    Yuxi had nothing to say. Many families favoured sons over daughters, and there were countless people sold their daughters for their sons. Sometimes, Yuxi was also very d that she was born in the state residence. Even if her father did not care about her mother¡¯s premature death, she never had to worry about food and clothing. Just in the morning, she saw some herbs and said, ¡°From today on, your name will be Zijin (corydalis).¡± The name Sanya was such a poor taste.

    Zijin kowtowed three times to Yuxi and said, ¡°Thank you for giving me the name and I will remember it.¡±

    That night, when Yuxi was writing in the study, she asked Zijin to follow her. Seeing Zijin looking at the big characters written by her with her eyes filled with admiration, she smiled and asked, ¡°Do you want to read?¡±

    Zijin hurriedly shook her head and said, ¡°No.¡± Reading was a very expensive thing. Where did she have the qualification to learn? However, watching Miss wrote characters warmed the heart and delighted the eyes (Chinese idiom : find the scenery pleasing to both the eye and the mind).

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°I will teach you to read, but you have to remember one thing. You are my people and you will only listen to me in the future.¡± She decided to cultivate Zijin as her confidant. The people in the residence were so intertwined that they could do ordinary things, but when it came to secret matters, she was not at ease, so she only dared to let Hongshan be responsible for inquiring news and doing some less important things. Even if Hongshan had decided to be on her side, she only dared to give some secret matters to Moju or Motao. There was nothing could be done about it since Hongshan¡¯s family were in the residence. In case the Old Madam or someone took her family, threatening her, Yuxi didn¡¯t believe that Hongshan would still stay by her side.

    Zijin immediately knelt on the ground and said, ¡°Handmaiden is born as Miss¡¯s people, and when in death will be Miss¡¯s ghost.¡±

    Yuxi bowed her head and wrote down the two characters ÖÒÐÄ (zh¨­ng x¨©n / loyalty) and handed them to Zijin, as she said, ¡°These two characters means loyalty. You should keep these two words in mind first.¡± Since Zijin was going to be her confidant, it was necessary for her to learn Chinese characters. However, Yuxi was not in hurry. Learning a little every day was enough for years toe.

    Zijin respectfully said, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I won¡¯t treat you badly as long as you don¡¯t have second thoughts. I have instructed Moju, and she will teach you well in the future¡± As a master, she could not teach a servant girl to do things, so she gave the job to Moju.

    The weather was getting hotter and hotter, and you would have sweat every step of the way. During the holiday, Yuchen didn¡¯t go to Marquis Pingqing¡¯s residence, but instead invited Yuxi to Tingyun Pavilion.

    Tingyun Pavilion was windy on all sides and it was situated by theke. So, it was cool even without using any ice.

    In the past, after Yuchen had finished ying her qin, she would ask Yuxi toment. Yuxi would felt embarrassed and said, ¡°Third Sister, you know I don¡¯t have innate skill in music theory. You asked me toment, but how am I going to exin on why I gave thatment?¡± If she were told to look at a painting and to tell what in it, she could say one two or three, four and five things. But when it came to qin, she was powerless.

    Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°I just want you listen to it. Treat it as your amusement.¡±

    Qin being yed on a qin table

    Source | Silkqin

    Coming here just to listen to the tunes wasn¡¯t something hard for Yuxi to do. Yuchen folded her legs and sat on the qin table. She adjusted her timbre before she started to y. After ying two songs in session, she asked, ¡°Fourth Sister, what do you think of my qin ying?¡±

    Yuxi was busy eating peaches rather than listening to the songs just now. So she couldn¡¯t say how pleasant the songs really were. She just said ¡°It was pleasant to hear.¡± But she could not say in details why they were pleasant to hear.

    Yuxi thought it was finally over. How could she knows that Yuchen took her to the painting studio next? Looking at the floor of the house covered with paintings, she was somewhat ashamed. She had also studied painting with Teacher Song for so long. Although Teacher Song said she was talented, she had not painted any pictures so far.

    After spending two hours in Tingyun Pavilion, Yuxi returned to Rose Courtyard with Hongshan. Once Hongshan left Tingyun Pavilion, she said to Yuxi, ¡°Handmaiden has always heard that Tingyun Pavilion is warm in winter and cool in summer. I didn¡¯t think that the rumors were true.¡± After saying that, she took a careful look at Yuxi and felt relieved when she saw no reaction. Because of the Old Madam¡¯s special preference for the Third Miss, both the Eldest Miss and Second Miss were feeling dissatisfied. However, her Miss didn¡¯t seem to care.

    Yuxi smiled gently. If she cared about this, she would be simr like Yuru, who always tried to prate into a bull¡¯s horn (Chinese idiom : to waste time on an insoluble or insignificant problem).

    After a short walk, Hongshan suddenly remembered one thing that she forgot to tell Yuxi, ¡°Miss, Concubine Rong is about to give birth. This child doesn¡¯t have an easy journey!¡° During Concubine Rong pregnancy, two incidents happened. One time, she ate dirty thing that could lead to abortion. Fortunately, she only ate a little. Another time, she fell down in the garden. Although there was a pregnancyplication, the child was able to be saved. Hongshan had to admire Concubine Rong. If Second Miss had learned a few tricks fron Concubine Rong, she would not have be grounded until now.

    Yuxi also knew that Concubine Rong¡¯s delivery period was this month.

    Hongshan also said, ¡°Both the midwife and the doctor have confirmed that Concubine Rong¡¯s baby is a son.¡± Without a son, Concubine Rong managed to get in the way of Eldest Madam by some degrees. Once she had one, she would surely climb onto Madam¡¯s head. So, Hongshan felt that the Eldest Madam might not let the child being born safely.

    Yuxi chuckled, ¡°Son or daughter, none is an obstacle to my aunt.¡± Her aunt¡¯s position as the Madam of the state residence had already became solid. No one could shake it, even the Old Madam. However, when Concubine Rong came, heraaunt had somehow given in to her from time to time.

 Chapter 53 - Things In The World Always Changing (2)

    <strong>Chapter 53 : Things In The World Always Changing (2)</strong>

    Hongshan knew that there was a grudge between Yuxi and Concubine Rong. Seeing that Yuxi didn¡¯t take Concubine Rong¡¯s news to heart, she felt a little strange, ¡°Miss, I heard that Concubine Rong had asked the Lord Duke to let Second Miss out.¡±

    Yuxi remained unmoved and only said, ¡°Did Grandmother agree?¡± With the Old Madam¡¯s temperament, it was impossible for her to go back on her own words, since this act would only damage her prestige in the residence.

    Hongshan nodded and said, ¡°The Old Madam didn¡¯t agree. She said it would take another six months for her confinement toplete. But, I¡¯m afraid the Old Madam will be persuaded by the Lord Duke.¡°

    There were things in your mind you should not have said it out loud. If not, that things woulde sooner than you expected.

    In the evening of that same day, Concubine Rong started having pain. When Yuxi heard the news, she looked a little odd, ¡°Is she going to give birth?¡±

    Mama Shen said, ¡°Well, usually the birth of a son will be ahead of schedule, and the birth of a daughter will be dyed for a few days.¡± This confirmed the fact that Concubine Rong was going to give birth to a son.

    Yuxi responded with a simple ¡®Oh¡¯.

    Mama Shen could not understand what Yuxi meant, so, she did not dare to say much more.

    On the other hand, Zijin had learned to write her own name. Yuxi looked at the name written by her, nodded her head and praised her, ¡°That¡¯s very good.¡±

    Zijin was somewhat shy, ¡°No. Miss writes much better.¡± She was too ashamed to face anyone with these written characters that looked like a dog scrawl.

    Yuxiughed and said, ¡°Just learn to write like this and take your time. Don¡¯t mind it much. Now, go and look for Moju!¡± Zijin was a shy girl, but she had a good rtionship with Moju. In such a short time, they got along well like they were actual sisters. It also helped her integrate well into the Rose Courtyard.

    As Yuxi watched Zijin went out cheerfully with lighthearted steps, she couldn¡¯t helpughing. In fact, she knew that studying and reading were very painful for Zijin, which reminded her of second brother, Han Jianye. Thinking till here, an idea emerged in her mind. If she could ask second brother to guide Zijin in martial arts, when she finally learned it, her safety would be more guaranteed.

    Han Jianye, who was far away on the mountain, suddenly sneezed, ¡°I don¡¯t know who is missing me?¡±

    Han Jianye¡¯s senior, Lin Fengyuan said with a smile, ¡°I think, your mother? The Mid-Autumn Festival will begin next month. I think Master will give us a few days off and then we can go back home.¡° He could also go back to visit his mother.

    Han Jianye really wanted to go down the mountain. It was also quite boring to always stuck up in the mountain every day.

    In the evening, after Yuxi finished her homework, she then went to sleep. While she was lying on the bed, she saw Hongshan kept on staring at her, so, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Hongshan said, ¡°Concubine Rong has not yet giving birth.¡±

    Yuxi broke intoughter, ¡°What does it have to do with you if Concubine Rong already gives birth or not? Go to bed. I need to get up early tomorrow!¡° She had to get up early tomorrow morning to review her lessons!

    Although Concubine Rong and her had animosity with each other, she also wanted to take her revenge very much. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t have the ability to use trickery while Concubine Rong gave birth. Even if she had the ability, she still won¡¯t do it. Yes, Concubine Rong deserved to die, but the unborn child had no enmity with her, so, she would notmit such a hideous crimes on the innocent child.

    Hongshan blew out themp and went out softly. She said to Mama Shen who was waiting outside, ¡°The girl has fallen asleep.¡±

    Actually, Yuxi wasn¡¯t asleep yet. She was thinking about things, especially about Yujing. In her previous life, Yujing always went with the flow until she got married. However, now, she was locked up in the family Buddhist hall. It was already unbearable to be locked up in a room for three days, let alone in a Buddhist hall. Because of her, many things had changed. In the end, she fell asleep as she was thinking about it.

    By noon the next day, Yuxi heard after ss, that Concubine Rong still had not given birth. Hongshan said, ¡°Miss, the child has not yet been born. People in the residence said that Concubine Rong will have a difficulty while giving birth.¡±

    Yuxi responded with a simple ¡®Oh¡¯.

    When Concubine Rong still didn¡¯t give birth to a child after waiting for a long time, the midwife came out of the delivery room and asked Qiu Shi, ¡°Madam, should we save the mother or the child?¡±

    Qiu Shi originally wanted her to save the mother, but Mama Li was faster than her in answering. She hastily said, ¡°Madam, it is still up to the Old Madam to make decisions, along with Lord Duke.¡± Duke Han had some matters to be done outside during the day so he wasn¡¯t inside the residence, but the Old Madam was at home.

    Qiu Shi suddenly woke up, then hurriedly ordered Mama Li to personally ask the Old Madam. The Old Madam¡¯s answer was very clear ¨C saved the child.

    While, Yuxi was holding a brush. She dipped it in ink and then started writing on the paper pasted on the wall. Every time she practiced calligraphy, nkets would be spread on the ground. Otherwise, the floor would be filled with a mass of ck ink.

    Hongshan walked in softly. When Yuxi finished writing arge character and lowered her head to dip her brush in ink, she said, ¡°Miss, Concubine Rong has given birth to a son. Lord Duke was very happy that he named the child Chao Ger (lit surpassing brothers). ¡°

    When Yuxi heard the name, her expression was very odd. Chao Ger (lit surpassing brothers)? Who was he going to surpass? Eldest brother or the second brother? She smiled as she did not know what Concubine Rong was thinking. The child was just being born, but yet, he had already offended arge number of people. ¡°How is the child?¡±

    Hongshan shook her head and said, ¡°Miss, Ninth Young Master is not in a good health.¡±

    Yuxi was not surprised to hear that. Although the child was born in full-term, Concubine Rong had two incidents while she was pregnant. Although there was no danger in the end, it was still harmful to the child.

    Chao Ger¡¯s health was not good. He couldn¡¯t even drink milk. Whenever he had one, he would immediately vomit it out. So, to treat Chao Ger, the doctors came and left without stopping. The birth was supposed to turn the courtyard into joyful atmosphere, but ended up being with both men and horses were thrown off their feet (Chinese idiom : in a pitiful state).

    Because of Chao Ger¡¯s poor health, the xishan (give a baby a bath on the third day after birth) ceremony was done small, and also on that day, Yujing was finally released from her confinement.

    Hong Shan said, ¡°Miss, it was Concubine Rong who had asked the Lord Duke. She said that today is a good day for Chao Ger, and also ought to be the good time to let Yujing finally see her younger brother. When the Lord Duke found this to be reasonable, he ordered for Second Miss to be immediately released.¡±

    Yuxiughed and then said, ¡°Uncle Duke had treated Grandmother¡¯s words as winds pass his ears (topletely disregard)!¡±

    Hongshan did not dare toment anything on this matter between masters. She was only responsible to report these matters to Yuxi. She then told Yuxi a topic that would be interesting to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, my brother said that the business of the baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop is bing more and more prosperous, and so does the business of the grocery store.¡± Pastries, candies and other snacks in the grocery stores were delicious and inexpensive. For that reason, they became very popr with people in that area.

    Yuxi let out a cry, oh! The reason why she agreed to open the grocery store was not only because of the glorious prospect described by Mama Fang, but also because she knew how to make several kinds of fresh food in advance. As long as she had people helped her made them, by that time, she could earn a lot of money by selling them. If you had enough money to do things well, no one would worry about having no money in the future.

    Yuxi said, ¡°I would like to look for an opportunity to visit the hamlet.¡± She did not care much about the baozi shop or the grocery store, so, she left them to her servants to manage. This way, she would earn more money rather than losing them.

    Hongshan smiled and said, ¡°Madam did say, when the weather gets cooler, she will let Miss go to the hamlet to have a look.¡± It was a pity that she knew about the grocery store news a bit toote. Otherwise, she could rmend her little brother to help her Miss ran it.

    Yuxi smiled.

    The next day after the day Yujing was released, she came to Rose Courtyard. Moju walked in nervously and announced, ¡°Miss, Second Miss is here.¡±

    Yuxi stood up with a smile and said, ¡°Second Sister is not a tiger. Why are you so afraid?¡± At the beginning, when she was pushed down to the ground by Yujing, she was unprepared. However, if she was thinking of hurting her again, it would not be so easy.

    However, when Yuxi saw Yujing, she got a fright. Yujing¡¯s once ruddy little face had lost two ounces of flesh, making her face much thinner, and she also did not look disdainful as before. She used to be as proud as a peacock, but now she bowed her head and even apologised to her.

    Yuxi secretly admired the Old Madam¡¯s method. However, she didn¡¯t expect that in just less than half a year time, Yujing could turn around this much. She called out to Yujing to sit down. She then answered with a smile, ¡°Second Sister, the original incident is already in the past. I have long forgotten about it.¡±

    Yuxi apanied Yujing for a little while before sending her out.

    When they arrived at the gate of Rose Courtyard, Yujing said sincerely, ¡°Fourth Sister, when you have time,e and y in my courtyard.¡±

    Yuxi did not directly answer the offer, she instead said, ¡°These days, I¡¯m very busy. There is even no time for me to walk around.¡±

    The smile on Yujing¡¯s face froze. That darn girl was showing off that she could learn from Teacher Song. However, Yujing still remembered her current situation so, she did not dare to let her temper prevail. She suppressed her anger and said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll wait until you have time toe.¡±

    At first, when Yuxi looked at the changes of Yujing through her eyes, she thought it was true. It turned out to be just a mask, ¡°Well, I will surely visit Second Sister when I have the time.¡±

    Yunqi had served Yujing for so many years, so, she knew her temper best. When she saw that the veins stood out on Yujing¡¯s hand, she could not help but let out a small cry, ¡°Miss¡­¡±

    Yujing gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯m all right.¡± In order not to be locked up again, she had to endure. She had no one she could rely on, not even her own mother. She could only rely on herself.

    After the group of people left, Hongshan said, ¡°Miss, it seems like Second Miss has changed into a new person?¡± Now, Second Miss had truly shed her mortal body and exchange her bones (Chinese idiom : turn over a new leaf).

    Yuxi said indifferently, ¡°Whether she has changed or not, it will soon be known.¡± Yujing had only learned to pretend now. The old wisdom even said it was easier to change mountains and rivers than to alter one¡¯s character (Chinese idiom : you can¡¯t change who you are). Sooner orter, her act would surely be exposed.

    However, Yujing¡¯s change also alerted Yuxi. First, it was Mama Fang who changed, now, it was Yujing. The people and things around her had changed because of her. As she secretly warned herself to be more cautious, she heard that Chao Ge had a fever.

    Hongshan said, ¡°Miss, Ninth Young Master has a fever after been exposed to blowing wind.¡± He was already weak. Nowadays, even with his nickname, he hanged entirely on medicines. Now that he had a fever, Hongshan guessed that he wouldn¡¯t be able to stand it.

    Even when it was already evening, Chao Ger¡¯s fever still would not subside. After seeing this situation, Doctor Bai immediately said, ¡°Prepare for the worst!¡± Since doctors often saw children died young, as a result, the sad situation didn¡¯t effect them much.

    Concubine Rong passed out when she heard Doctor Bai¡¯s words. When she woke up, she knew that her son whom she had worked so hard to get, had finally gone. She vomited one mouthful of blood and passed out again.

    Yuxi¡¯s look didn¡¯t change even for a bit after she heard the news.

    Hongshan looked at Yuxi and felt that she could not grasp her Miss current emotion even if she dig deep inside her Miss heart, ¡°Miss, Concubine Rong gave birth to a child while in her old age. This is actually very dangerous for her. Now that she is too sad and heartbroken, I¡¯m afraid she will suffer from illness in the future.¡° This was what she heard from those experienced mamas.

    ¡°The debt owed is finally being paid,¡± said Yuxi indifferently. Concubine Rong¡¯s victims were not only her, but also her uncle¡¯s dead concubines and their unborn children.

    Hearing this, Hongshan shuddered and did not dare to speak anymore.

    Chao Ger died young. Children who died young weren¡¯t eligible for formal funerals, and also could not be buried within family ancestral graves. They had to be packed into a thin little coffin and sent outside to be buried instead.

    Concubine Rong cried for half a day when she knew her son¡¯s funeral was so shabby. She even begged Qiu Shi to invite some monks to chant sutras for her son to cross over. Since Qiu Shi wasn¡¯t a person who would throw stones at Concubine Rong who fell down a well (Chinese idiom : hit a person when he¡¯s down), she didn¡¯t stop her. She just went along with Concubine Rong¡¯s flow.

 Chapter 54 - Mid-Autumn Festival

    <strong>Chapter 54 : Mid-Autumn Festival</strong>

    In the early week of the eight month, the Mid-Autumn Festival gifts from Hebei arrived.

    Qiu Shi took the gift list, scanned it, then, handed it to Mama Li and said, ¡°Take them and register.¡± It was not like the Duke Han of the State¡¯s official residence depended on Third Master¡¯s annual gifts to survive anyway, and she wasn¡¯t going to keep sulking over something this trifle.

    Mama Li did notment on the gift list, but talked about another thing, ¡°This time, Third Master sent a lot of good things to Third Miss, but none to Fourth Miss.¡±

    Qiu Shi unexpectedly started to ridicule Third Master¡¯s act again, ¡°It¡¯s not surprising that the same thing happen every time.¡± During New Year or other celebrations, Yuchen would always be given gifts separately, while Yuxi was always been neglected.

    Mama Li said, ¡°How can this be the same? Now, Fourth Miss is also studying with Teacher Song. She¡¯s performing so well now that even if she is not better than Third Miss, she will not be worse in the future. In doing so, Third Master is not afraid of hurting her heart.¡± If Fourth Miss produced favourable results after learning from Teacher Song, she would be able to marry into a good family, which was also beneficial to the family. If father and daughter were at odd, even if Fourth Miss married into a good family, it would not help the family.

    Qiu Shi did not think so, but she smiled and said, ¡°Him, hurting her heart? The gifts are all prepared by Wu Shi. If Yuxi wants to me someone, she will surely me Wu Shi. How can she mes her own father? Just like these gifts, do you think Third Master really doesn¡¯t know?¡° With brother-inw cleverness, how could he not know that Wu Shi¡¯s gifts were getting less and less? Wu Shi just wanted to save more money for her family resources.

    Although Yuchen received many good things, she was not happy at all. She went to find the Old Madam and said, ¡°Grandmother, only I alone received things from Hebei, but not Fourth Sister. Year in year out (Chinese idiom : over many years), there will surely be animosity between Fourth Sister and me.¡° She had gotten along well with Yuxi nowadays, and it had given birth to affection for her. She didn¡¯t want to affect her sisterhood with Yuxi because of these messy things.

    The Old Madam put down her cup and asked, ¡°How do you think it should be solved?¡±

    Yuchen answered, ¡°Either they buy another gifts for Fourth Sister, or don¡¯t give anything at all to both of us. Grandmother, please persuade Mother on this matter!¡± Previously, they only sent her small things, so there was no need for the gifts to be concealed. This time, Wu Shi sent her two chests of things to her alone, so, it won¡¯t be hard for people to criticise her. Yuchen could also feel that there was bad attention behind Wu Shi¡¯s gifts. This showed that there would be trials and hardships appeared in the their familyter on. When her father returned home with his new family, the residence won¡¯t be peaceful anymore.

    The Old Madam nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to your father about this.¡± Yuchen was the younger generation. These things were not good for her to speak about, so, she had to be the one who needed toe forward.

    All the maids and old women in the Rose Courtyard cried out the injustice to Yuxi. Unfortunately, Yuxi, as the party concerned, did not take this matter to heart at all. Instead, she kept on thinking about her baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop and grocery store, ¡°The Mid-Autumn Festival will be over in a few days. The business of the grocery store should be very good, right?¡± The grocery store opened by her was a little more expensive than other store because of its good quality. However, the residents living in Shangyuan Street generally had some money and were willing to give it up. Therefore, the business of the grocery store was not bad. In the first month, she made a profit of six taels of silver, and the prospect was very promising.

    Hongshan said with a smile, ¡°Miss, the moon cakes in our shop are so delicious that they will definitely be sold out.¡± This was also luck, because the woman who made the moon cakes was not found by Mama Fang, but by herself. This woman¡¯s surname was Zhou. Hongshan overheard that Mama Fang wanted to hire a married woman through interview, and she took the initiative to find her. Zhou¡¯s Jiangnan cookings were very authentic, and the moon cakes were also very good. Mama Fang hired her after tasting the foods she had made.

    The day before Mid-Autumn Festival, Han Jianye returned to the residence.

    Yuxi took Zijin to see Han Jianye and told him that she wanted Zijin to learn martial arts from him. Han Jianye shook his head and said, ¡°Xi-er, Master¡¯s martial arts must never be indulged to others.¡±

    Yuxi persuaded, ¡°Second Brother, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m asking you to teach Zijin all the skills you have learned from your Master, I¡¯m asking you to guide her at least with two simple tricks?¡±

    Han Jianye shook his head and said, ¡°I can¡¯t. Even if it is just to guide her, she must consult my Master before she can seed. If I let Master knows that I will teach martial arts to others without his consent, I am afraid I will be expelled by him.¡°

    Yuxi got a fright. If her Second Brother was expelled from his school, his future would be lost. She hurriedly said, ¡°If that is so, then just forget it.¡±

    Han Jianye smiled and said, ¡°When I go back to the mountain, I will ask Master first. If that old man agrees, I will teach this little girl two tricks.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Second Brother, don¡¯t tell anyone about this!¡± Couldn¡¯t let the Old Madam punished Zijin before she could even learn any martial arts.

    Han Jianye smiled and said, ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone. Yuxi, you¡¯ve lost a lot of weight recently!¡± He still found the previous plump, round and mellow Yuxi was much good-looking.

    Yuxi said, ¡°No, I¡¯m the same as before.¡±

    Han Jianye smiled and began pinching Yuxi¡¯s face, ¡°Well, what is still the same as before, there is no meat on this face. I can only feel bones. You have to eat more. It¡¯s better to be fair and plump. ¡°

    Yuxi head was full with ck lines. When did her being fair and plump was good? When she was a fat baby! This Second Brother¡¯s temper was really too jumpy that she did not know when he would mature up.

    During the New Year Eve feast, all the masters of the state residence would eat together. For Mid-Autumn Festival, it was no exception. Everyone would gather in the main house.

    Yuxi looked at Concubine Lian who should not have appeared, and felt a click in her heart. Although Concubine Rong had been favoured before, she never appeared on New Year¡¯s Day feast. This Concubine Lian must have a good way to get the Old Madam to agree to let her appear when the family was having a reunion.

    Looking for an opportunity, Yuxi asked Liuyin in a low voice ¡°Sister Liuyin, why is Concubine Lian here?¡±

    Liuyin smiled and said, ¡°Concubine Lian is pregnant, so the Old Madam specially granted permission for her to attend today¡¯s dinner.¡± Concubine Lian¡¯s pregnancy had been kept in the dark, without showing the mountain and without revealing the water (Chinese idiom : to hide the key facts). She even hid the news from her Madam. After the pregnancy reached the first three months did she expose herself.

    Yuxi eyes moved. For Concubine Lian to even hide her pregnancy from Eldest Aunt, clearly showed that she did not trust her. However, for her to hide it from everyone for the first three months, she must have coaxed all the maids and old women around her. This method nonecking than Concubine Rong. Yuxi didn¡¯t know if the Old Madam had yed any role in this or not.

    Liuyin noticed that Yuxi¡¯s look was not very good, but she was very considerate and did not forget her Lady¡¯s kindness to Fourth Miss. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss, Concubine Lian is measured and not as arrogant as Concubine Rong. Moreover, the Old Madam will not let her break the rules. ¡±

    Yuxi looked at a pregnant Concubine Lian, who was still standing to serve dishes to Qiu Shi¡¯s, and smiled gently, ¡°The rules are irregr, and vary from a person to another person.¡± No matter how good Concubine Lian was, she would not be able to shake the position of the her Eldest Aunt, but there was another favourite concubine like Concubine Rong aside. It was no used for Yuxi to worry about these matter anymore. It wasn¡¯t like she could intervene in this kind of thing.

    Mooncakes / Yue Bing

    Source | China Sichuan Food

    After the lunar greetings, the crowd gathered to eat moon cakes. The Old Madam smiled and said to Yuchen, ¡°Chen-er, today is the night of the mid-autumn festival. You can y a song to help us cheer up.¡±

    Yuchen immediately ordered her maid to fetch her qin and yed a very cheerful tune.

    Listening to the melodious music from the qin while eating delicious cakes and fruits made Yuxi enjoyed herself so much.

    When the song finished, Yujing said with a smile, ¡°Third Sister ys beautifully. Fourth Sister, I heard your painting is very good, I wonder if Fourth Sister can draw tonight beautiful scenery?¡°

    Yuxi knew that Yujing could not hide her true nature, and she was unable to settle down just a few days after she came out. ¡°I learned painting from my teacher, but my painting skill is far worse than that of my Third Sister, so I will not present an ugly picture for everyone to see.¡± She didn¡¯t care if people said Yuchen was better than her, because Yuchen was really much better than her. This was a fact. She didn¡¯t need to avoid or treated it like a taboo. However, everyone had their own skills, and she also had skills that Yuchen could not match, such as embroidery, although this skill was cheaper than painting or ying qin.

    Yuchen smiled gently, ¡°My Fourth Sister is too modest.¡± Teacher Song told her that Yuxi was gifted in painting, but Yuxi preferred embroidery and spent very little time on painting, which made Teacher Song felt regretful. In fact, Yuchen could not understand some things. Was embroidery more important than painting? If it was her, she would certainly have studied painting instead of embroidery.

    After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Han Jianye went back to the mountain.

    An example of an ancient fist handbook (quanpu). This illustration is from Yao¡¯s fist handbook.

    Source | Jp5000

    To Yu Xi¡¯s surprise, Han Jianye¡¯s personal attendant sent her a fist handbook a few dayster. He said, ¡°Fourth Miss, after hearing the Young Master talked about Zijin, Master Yang gave this fist handbook and said that Miss Zijin should practice ording to this handbook.¡±

    After waiting for the attendant to leave, Yuxi opened the fist handbook, which was full of various moves. Well, she actually couldn¡¯t understand this thing, so, she gave the handbook to Zijin and said, ¡°When you are free, you should practice ording to the pictures in this book. You should not stop practicing everyday, okay?¡±

    Zijin replied without thinking much, ¡°Okay.¡± Learning this was much simpler than learning Chinese characters. Although she only needed to recognise three words daily, they would certainly add up over time. However, she immediately forgot what she had learnt after she finished her study, though she could learn thing quite fast. Every time she was scolded by Miss, she really wanted to cry.

    Yuxi said, ¡°If you practice your fists, go to the backyard instead of the front yard. Remember that?¡± Zijin fist practice couldn¡¯t be concealed, and she also didn¡¯t want to conceal it. However, the front yard was full of people where they came and went most of the time. If Zijin identally hit someone, it would be very troublesome. While, the backyard was spacious and no one walked around. So, Zijin could practice there casually.

    Zijin hurriedly nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    At the end of the month, Yuchen told Teacher Song, ¡°Ma¡¯am, Grandmother said that nurturing momo (wet nurse) wille in two days. When shees, I can¡¯t study with teacher for the whole day anymore.¡±

    Every year, on the ninth month, the Imperial Pce would release a group of people. These momo, who had served concubines in the pce, were in high demand. The Old Madam had chosen suitable momo and was waiting to wee her to the house.

    Teacher Song, who was not surprised by the news, said, ¡°From now on, youe to Magnolia Courtyard early every morning, while in the afternoon, you can learn the rules and etiquettes from momo. I¡¯ll give you the new schedule next time.¡± In fact, if she had to say a few words, Yuchen¡¯s rules and etiquettes was already very good. So, there was no need for nurturing momo. However, this kind of matter, she didn¡¯t have the power to intervene.

 Chapter 55 - Hamlet (1)

    <strong>Chapter 55 : Hamlet (1)</strong>

    On their way back, Yuchen noticed that there was something amiss with Yuxi¡¯s expression. She could not help but asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Fourth Sister?¡±

    Yuxi said morosely, ¡°I heard that those nursing momo (wet nurse) are tough. If we don¡¯t learn the rules well, we have to kneel with a basin of water on our heads.¡± This remark was not made up by her, but practically made by the momo who taught her in her previous life.

    Yuchen burst out with a chuckle, ¡°If a person has not learn the rules well, then she should ask that person to learn it twice more. How dare a momo punished that person with corporal punishment?¡±

    Yuxi blinked her eyes and said, ¡°Really not true? But I heard the maids said that if momo¡¯s request is not met, they will either beat us or scold us.¡°

    Yuchen helplessly said, ¡°Who talk this kind of nonsense in front of you? We are not servant girls. How can they dare to beat and scold us?¡± A momo, no matter how formidable, was only invited by them at their expenses. How dared she be so presumptuous?

    Yuxi also felt that she was in a dazed just now. Not to mention, in her past life, the nurturing momo brought by Wu Shi for her, had never appeared. Even if that momo did appeared in her current life, she would no longer be the one who was easily bullied and did not know how to resist. If she wanted her to kneel down with a basin of water, it wasn¡¯t like there would be no door or window paper around. Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Third Sister is right. I believe it¡¯s my fault.¡± (T/N : Wait¡­ I¡¯m confused. If in her past life, the momo who was supposedly brought by Wu Shi didn¡¯t appear, then who brought the momo who punished her to put a basin of water on her head? Qiu Shi?)

    Yuchen asked, ¡°Fourth Sister, are you still going to do your lessons review during this holiday?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I want to visit my hamlet. I have bought it for so long and I haven¡¯t been there yet!¡± Last time her aunt had promised to let her go, so, this time her aunt would definitely not going to refuse her.

    Yuchen opened her mouth to say something, but in the end, no words came out.

    Back in their own courtyard, Yuchen stood at the window with a cup of tea in her hands and looked outside. The lotus flowers in theke swayed under the blowing breeze and looked truly beautiful.

    Shiqi looked at Yuchen¡¯s face which had a slight mncholy. She felt puzzled. Then, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss?¡± Her Miss was fine just now, but now, her mood suddenly turned bad.

    Yuchen sighed softly, ¡°Sometimes, I envy my Fourth Sister.¡± She envied Yuxi very much for being free and unrestrained, while she had to be restricted in everything she did.

    If Yuxi knew Yuchen envied her for having a natural and unrestrained life, no one would know what her feelings would be. Therefore, it was best not to wish for someone else¡¯s things.

    With a smile on her lips, Shiqi said, ¡°What Miss said was contrary to what I heard. I¡¯ve been told that Fourth Miss actually envies you more. I heard Sister Hongshan said that her Miss often said that if only she were half as smart as Miss, she wouldn¡¯t have to study so hard.¡° Few young misses in the Han family could match this talent.

    Yuchen smiled. She believed that Yuxi probably envied her at this point, but not in other aspects.

    Yuxi went back to the Rose Courtyard to tidy herself up and then she went to the main house. Teacher Song would take two days off every month, but there was no such thing as a holiday in nurturing momo¡¯s dictionary. Once she started to learn the rules from the nurturing momo, she would never have a holiday until she learnt the rules well. This could be considered herst vacation.

    After paying her respect to the Old Madam Han, Yuxi exined to her the reason why she wanted to go to her hamlet.

    With Yuxi bing more and more excellent, the Old Madam had to pay attention to her more. Her only annoyance was that Yuxi¡¯s usual indifference led her to worry that Yuxi¡¯s resentment against her would be harmful to her family. So every time she saw Yuxi, her mood would be veryplex, ¡°Hamlet affairs are handled by the servants.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t even think about managing the hamlet herself since she knew she didn¡¯t have the ability, ¡°Grandmother, I just want to see how the hamlet looks like. When I bought it, I heard my aunt tell me about the general situation of the hamlet. However, I didn¡¯t see it with my own eyes, so, I always feel uneasy. The autumn harvest ising soon and I will know exactly how it stands when I look at it. At least, with this, I won¡¯t be fooled by the servants. ¡°

    The Old Madam was silent for a moment and then said, ¡°Since you want to go, then go! But you have toe back before dark. ¡°

    Yuxi happily responded, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be back before dark.¡±

    After Mama Luo sent Yuxi out, she turned her head towards tbe Old Madam and asked, ¡°Old Madam, why did you agree to Fourth Miss¡¯ request?¡± She wasn¡¯t worried about Yuxi¡¯s safety. With family retainers following her, there was no need to worry about her safety at all. Only that, she felt the Old Madam was being too amodating this time.

    The Old Madam answered, ¡°She had said that she wanted to see the hamlet since the day she bought it. She will never stop asking, even if it will take several months, until I give her permission to go there.¡± Yuxi had a stubborn energy in her body. She must do what she wanted to do, and she would not give up even if she had to grind her slowly. The Old Madam thought that rather than letting her mind continuously worried about it, it was better to follow Yuxi¡¯s wishes, instead of letting Yuxi running to her side time and time again, muttering about wanting to visit the hamlet.

    Mama Luo smiled, ¡°It¡¯s the Old Madam who dotes on Fourth Miss, so everything goes her way. However, speaking of which, her fortune is also good.¡±

    The Old Madam very much agreed with Mama Luo¡¯s words, ¡°This girl has a good fortune and manages everything very well.¡± The baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop and grocery shop were small businesses, and she didn¡¯t take notice of them very much. However, she didn¡¯t realize that these two small shops had a monthly profit nearly reaching to one hundred taels of silver. The money was nothing much to the residence, but it was enough for Yuxi. Not to mention, she now had and property.

    Mama Luo smiled and said, ¡°No matter how much good luck Fourth Miss has, she still can¡¯t beat Third Miss.¡± This was the person who was truly blessed. There was no need for her to worry about anything and be tired. Someone had thought everything over for her and she just enjoyed the benefits. As for money, Jiang Shi¡¯s dowry alone earned tens of thousands of taels per year, enough for Third Miss to live without worrying about food and clothing.

    Speaking of Yuchen, a smile appeared on the Old Madam¡¯s face. Yuchen was indeed the Han family¡¯s fortune.

    Knowing that Yuxi was going to visit her hamlet, Qiu Shi didn¡¯t stop her but instead, she even urged her, ¡°The hamlet is full of mosquitoes, so you must take your good sachets with you, or tomorrow, you will definitelye back with your whole body fill with mosquito bites.¡± Now, it was early autumn, so, there were still many mosquitoes in the hamlet.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take two more sachets with me. Then, mosquitoes can¡¯t get close to me!¡± There were herbs in the sachet, so, she won¡¯t have to worry about mosquitoes when she was there.

    In the evening, Hongshan happily said to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, the Old Madam said that Miss¡¯ luck is very good that everything Miss does is going smoothly.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s heart suddenly chimed. After she maintained herposure, she asked, ¡°Why do you say this?¡±

    Hongshan smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s the baozi shop and the grocery store run by Miss that is making money. Miss also happened to buy a good hamlet, so the Old Madam thought that Miss has a good luck. Well, it¡¯s especially fortunate.¡±

    Yuxi now knew that the Old Madam did not suspect anything from her strange behaviours, so, she felt relieved, ¡°Now, go home and ask your brother to send a message to Mama Fang and shopkeeper Meng. Tell them toe with me to the hamlet.¡±

    Hongshan answered crisply and immediately left.

    The next day, Yuxi set out at dawn. Besides bringing Mama Shen, she also brought Hongshan and Zijin, as well as six strong and tall family retainers.

    After walking for about an hour, the sun finally came out and inside the carriage became hotter, creating fine sweat on Yuxi¡¯s forehead. Zijin took out a round fan and tried to fan Yuxi, but Yuxi pushed her away and said, ¡°I¡¯m not hot. Please fan Mama Shen instead.¡±

    Mama Shen had gained a lot of weight during the past two years in Rose Courtyard. Fat people was afraid of heat and because of that, she had been sweating all over her head. She didn¡¯t want Zijin to fan her either. She instead took the fan herself and fanned it vigorously. ¡°If it were cloudy as yesterday, it wouldn¡¯t be so hot.¡± She didn¡¯t know why Miss must visit this mountain vige in such a hot day. What is there to see? That mountain vige had nothing but fields and trees.

    Yuxi saw Mama Shen¡¯s difort and said with a smile, ¡°It will be much cooler when we get to the hamlet. I haven¡¯t been out of the door for so long either, so I want to get some fresh air. ¡°

    Hongshan had been growing up in the inner residence. This was the first time for her to go out. She felt very novel and couldn¡¯t help lifting the curtain to look out at the scenery.

    When Mama Shen saw this, she immediately reprimanded Hongshan, ¡°Why are you such a child? Hurry, put down the curtain. ¡°

    Hongshan shrunk her head and did not dare to utter a word. Yuxi said softly, ¡°It¡¯s rare for us toe out, so please do what she wants!¡± Seeing that Mama Shen still would like to say something, she continued saying, ¡°I am only five years old this year, ao, I am not old enough to avoid saying taboo subject.¡±

    Mama Shen immediately lost her voice. Yuxi¡¯s performances often made her forgot her real age.

    After about half an hour¡¯s walk, they finally reached the hamlet. When the group of people got off the carriage, Hongshan couldn¡¯t help eximing, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±

    Lush mountains and fields spread beyond one¡¯s sight with the fields covered with golden yellow rice nts and clusters of bright small wild flowers spread on the ground, attracting butterflies to dance lightly. The water in the nearby stream was flowing slowly, with fish swimming happily in the water. This was a beautiful rural scenery.

    When Yuxi saw everything in front of her, her mood rxed. It was like a paradise here. Eighty thousands taels of silver would not be lost in buying this piece ofnd and forest.

    The hamlet head, Steward Chen and his whole family were waiting at the intersection as early as possible. When they saw Yuxi and her partying their way, they immediately knelt on the ground to salute, ¡°Fourth Miss has arrived save and sound.¡±

    Steward Chen who was over forty years old, was an old servant of the Duke Han of the State¡¯s official residence. He used to work in hamlets belong to the state residence, so, he was very familiar with farming. Qiu Shi also took fancy of this person straightforwardness and sincere attitudes. As a result, she chose him to manage Yuxi¡¯s hamlet. Although Yuxi was the master, but in the end, she was only five years old. If Qiu Shi chose a dishonest person, she was afraid that the dishonest person would continuously take advantage of his Master.

    Yuxi followed Steward Chen into a big brick tile house. The house was veryrge, with two entrances and a back garden. However, the back garden had now became a vegetable garden.

    ¡°Miss, this house was left by the former steward,¡± said Steward Chen nervously. The former steward naturally referred to the steward from the Marquis Zhongyong¡¯s official residence.

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°Look at this house and you will know that Marquis¡¯ stewards are greedy.¡± How could a general¡¯s steward build such arge house?

    Steward Chen was horrified, but he did not know how to exin it. He was afraid of making too many mistakes, so, he just stood there with a red face.

    Seeing this, Steward Chen¡¯s eldest daughter-inw hastily said, ¡°Miss, this handmaiden family are loyal to Miss and will never do such a thing.¡± Steward Chen¡¯s eldest daughter-inw and Liu Yue¡¯s sister-inw were cousins. It was also because she used her dowry money that the job fell on her father-inw. (T/N : Liu Yue? Mama Liu?)

    This was a sign of loyalty, but Yuxi didn¡¯t buy it and said coldly, ¡°Did I ask you something?¡± With the shadow of her previous life, she hated this kind of person the most. When in power, this type of person went up the pole to curry favour with the Madam and when that Madam fell out of power, this person would step on her really hard.

    Steward Chen¡¯s eldest daughter-inw turned pale and immediately knelt down as she said, ¡°Miss, please forgive me.¡±

    Instead of looking at her again, Yuxi said to Steward Chen, ¡°Take me to the field for me to have a look.¡± She came here mainly to see the rice fields and forests.

    Steward Chen rushed to reply in a respectful voice, ¡°Miss, pleasee with this old servant.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Mama Shen and Hongshan, who were preparing to follow her, and said, ¡°The sun is too big. You both stay here and I will be back soon.¡± She only took Zijin out, in addition with the other six strong family retainers following behind.

 Chapter 56 - Hamlet (2)

    <strong>Chapter 56 : Hamlet (2)</strong>

    Walking towards the fields, Steward Chen pointed to a piece of paddy field and said, ¡°Miss, the best-growing piece is the superior paddy field, and the second is the medium paddy field.¡± As he walked along Yuxi, he told her how to tell the difference between good and bad paddy fields, and also the differences between them.

    Since Yuxi stayed in a hamlet for more than a year in her previous life, she also knew a little about farming, so she could not help asking Steward Chen a few questions on farming.

    The works in the farmstead were the only thing that Steward Chen could handle quite well, so naturally, it was unlikely for him to be baffled when being asked a lot about them. He answered all of Yuxi¡¯s questions in detailed, and saw Yuxi nodded, showing her understanding of his answers.

    Steward Chen felt strange. Miss had been staying in the boudoir most of the time, so, how could she know a lot of things about farming. He mustered his courage asking, ¡°Miss sure knows a lot.¡±

    Yuxi knew what Steward Chen was wondering about and responded with a smile, ¡°I know all these from books. It¡¯s only armchair strategist (Chinese idiom : people who engage in idle talk, but are unable to act on their high minded theories. There is a true story behind the idiom. You can click the idiom to read it in English). It can¡¯tpare with the experiences handed down from ancestors.¡±

    Steward Chen felt relieved as it turned out that Yuxi just read about it from a book. ¡°This book is indeed a good. It even talked about farming.¡±

    Yuxi just smiled, without responding to Steward Chen¡¯s words.

    It took half an hour for them to see all the rice fields, and then they made their way to the foot of the mountain. On the road, Yuxi asked Steward Chen regarding the field rent, ¡°How much is the field rent here? Is it fifty percent of the profits?¡± Evenrge families in the capital rented theirnd by fifty percent of the profits earned by thend yields. Usually, they would collect half of thend ie, but there were also exceptions. Here, for example, if it was collected ording to fifty percent, it was absolutely impossible for a steward to live in such a good house. Yuxi did not want to make special concessions onnd rent, however she also not willing to exploit tenants by increasing their burden either.

    Steward Chen nodded and said, ¡°Previously, the Lu family rented thend for sixty percent of the profits earned by the yield sales. Since yield per mu (a traditional unit of area, equal to 60 square zhang [Æ½·½ÊÐÕÉ], and equivalent to 6.667 ares or 0.165 acre) is high, even when the tenants are charged with high percentage, they still have more than enough profits to be shared with their families.¡°

    Yuxi said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to follow the Lu family. I¡¯m going to follow the norm, which is an equal distribution of profits between renter and tenants.¡±

    Steward Chen was an honest and sincere person, so he was very protective of Yuxi¡¯s interests. ¡°Then, Miss, we will receive less ie.¡± If the rents were collected ording to Yuxi¡¯s method, it was equivalent to a ten percent reduction in ie. In fact, even if they just followed ording to Lu family¡¯s method, the tenants would not also have any objection.

    Looking at the rice fields, Yuxi said, ¡°I don¡¯t need that much money.¡± When she lived in a hamlet in her previous life, she saw the poor life of those tenants, and she was powerless to do anything. Now that the property was hers and she had the right to decide, she tried to make her tenants¡¯ daily life as good as possible. Of course, this had to be within the reasonable range. If she gave too much mercy, then it couldn¡¯t be considered as grace, but instead showed that she was still young and easy to be fooled. Everything had to be in order.

    When Steward Chen saw that Yuxi had already made up her mind, he also had no more objection on the matter.

    The group of people soon arrived under a jujube tree. At that time, when Yuxi bought this piece ofnd, she was told that there was a big jujube tree and a chestnut tree. Looking at the sparse jujube trees here, she asked, ¡°How many jujube trees are there?¡± At that time, when she bought it, she felt that there must be some water supply around the area. Instead, she saw that the hundreds of jujube trees had became jujube forests. Sure enough, the statement she had been told were all an exaggeration.

    Although Steward Chen had not been here for a long time, he was already very familiar with the ce. After listening to Yuxi¡¯s question, he answered, ¡°There are a total of sixty-five jujube trees here.¡±

    Yuxi finally knew that the Lu family had reported an unreliable figure. To cheat the buyers, they even reported the value of thend as five times more than it actual value. They really wanted money that much that didn¡¯t even feel that shameful when they told the lie. ¡°Then, how many the chestnut trees are there?¡±

    Steward Chen said, ¡°There are one hundred forty-six chestnut trees in total. Miss, besides the chestnut trees and jujube trees, there are also quite a few fir trees on the mountain. They all grow well and can be sold for a lot of money after a few years.¡± He thought that it was a good deal for Miss to buy this mountain forest.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t put much hope on this. Even if there were Chinese fir, there wouldn¡¯t be many. She casually asked, ¡°How many are the Chinese fir?¡±

    Steward Chen seriously said, ¡°Well, there is arge area. I roughly estimated that there are tens of thousands of them. These fir trees are all grow well and can be cut down in ten years at most.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t see thising. Only regarding the fir trees that the Lu family didn¡¯t give a false report, so, she didn¡¯t lose too much¡­at least.

    The sun was high in the sky and Yuxi felt so hot that she was wet all over. Zijin cautiously said, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s too hot, let¡¯s go back!¡± She worried that Miss would suffer heatstroke if she didn¡¯t hurriedly go back.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Then, let¡¯s go back!¡± There was a miasma on the mountain and nobody dared to go up anyway.

    The group of people immediately walked back down to the foot of the mountain. When Yuxi looked at many wastnd nearby, she asked Steward Chen again, ¡°Why don¡¯t these wastnd be used?¡± This type ofnd could be used to grow crops such as peanuts.

    Steward Chen replied, ¡°There are many wild dirty swines at the foot of the mountain. I¡¯m afraid they will spoil the nts that I¡¯m nted.¡±

    Yuxi actually knew about wild boars would destroy foodstuffs, ¡°If there is wild boar in our business, find some people to hunt it down. It is better to nt this wastnd than to waste it.¡±

    Steward Chen hastily nodded, ¡°This old servant will arrange it.¡±

    After Yuxi¡¯s mind made a big round turn, she finally could guess where thend stood. When she returned to the big house inside the hamlet, she saw Mama Fang and Steward Meng were waiting for her in the courtyard.

    Yuxi specially called Mama Fang and Steward Meng toe over to negotiate with Steward Chen about nting crops.

    Baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop and grocery store needed a lot of things, and they usually bought them. Since Yuxi bought thend property, she had sent people directly to pick up all the things that the baozi shop needed, such as melon seeds, peanuts, food and various kinds of vegetables that the grocery store needs. However, both Mama Fang and Steward Meng felt that if the farmstead was properly used it would save the operational costs of the shop and store.

    Yuxi changed her clothes and said to them as if they had something to say to her, ¡°Let¡¯s talk after lunch.¡± It was noon now. She needed to eat her lunch at this point.

    Lunch was very rich. There were it braised chicken with mushroom, braised fish in brown sauce, steamed spareribs with glutinous rice, steamed eggs, and several farm dishes, which set a full table.

    In Yuxi¡¯s previous life, she had lived in a hamlet of the Jiang family for more than a year, and she somehow had no misgivings. Despite at that time, she only ate two bowls of rice and a lot of vegetables.

    After lunch, Mama Fang and Steward Meng discussed with Steward Chen on kind of crops to nt.

    Steward Chen acted cautiously. Instead of blindly agreeing to the request of Mama Fang and Steward Meng, he told them the actual situation to show which crops could be nted, such as peanuts and sunflowers, but some crops could not be nted, such as sesame and other types of farm nts.

    Yuxi listened nearby and did not interrupt them. The reason why she readily promised Mama Fang to open a grocery store at the beginning was that she knew about many kinds of fresh food, such as bacon, sausage and pickles, which would circte in the capital several yearster. She had the advantage to sell them at a good price. On this trip to this hamlet, she was originally prepared to let tenants raised some pigs, and then turned them into make bacon and sausages at the end of the year. However, when she heard Hongshan told her that the Old Madam thought she had good luck, she became alert. If she took over the hamlet and then suddenly started to provide food, she might arouse suspicion. As the saying goes, there were evil spirits when things went wrong. Proper luck was enviable, but too much luck would arouse suspicion.

    Yuxi now had a baozi shop and a grocery store, plus the farmstead. She couldn¡¯t spend so much a year because she couldn¡¯t earn more than a thousand taels yearly. There was no need to take risks for just this little much of money. It was not cost-effective. After thinking about it, she gave up making sausage and bacon.

    The three people discussed for more than half an hour before finally reaching an agreement. Yuxi had been listening in and did not interrupt. She, as the host, was actually equivalent to a witness for the agreement.

    After the three people had finally negotiated, Yuxi said, ¡°Although all the three shops are mine, you still have to pay the same price for your goods as you did before even when the goods areing from this hamlet.¡±

    Steward Chen didn¡¯t understand. These three properties were all belonged to Miss. She even requested the money earned by the hamlet to be returned to her. By doing it that way, it would be quite troublesome for him to do so.

    Yuxi had an excellent impression of Steward Chen and found him to be a down-to-earth kind of person. She also did not feel it was too troublesome for her to exin what she really meant, ¡°Although these three industries are all mine, if you don¡¯t separate the ounts, there will a quite big kind of mess and I will not know how much money each of you have earned.¡± If financial affairs of the three properties were not separated, then everything would definitely be in a total mess.

    Steward Chen still didn¡¯t understand.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t understand. You just do as I say.¡± Honest people had their own advantages.

    When Meng Xiaofeng listened to Yuxi¡¯s words, he secretly felt quite apprehensive. He didn¡¯t expect that Miss could think this clearly, ¡°I will listen to Miss, then the store will settle ounts with the hamlet once a month.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°The same goes for the baozi shop. In the future, separate ounts will be set up and I will look at them at the end of the year.¡± She trusted her Mama, but since they were all doing their own things, she had to treat everyone equally favourably (Chinese idiom : not to discriminate between people), regardless of their close rtionship.

    Mama Fang¡¯s face froze in an instant, not because she felt dissatisfied with Yuxi¡¯s request, but because she did not know how to write and how to make ounts. Only that, since they in this asion, she would not dare to lose Yuxi¡¯s face .

    Looking at the sky, Mama Shen came in and urged Yuxi to hurry back. Otherwise, she would be the first one to be punished by the Old Madam.

    Yuxi looked at Mama Fang and others. Then said, ¡°You all go first, I have something to say to Steward Chen.¡±

    After everyone went out, Yuxi turned to Steward Chen, ¡°Steward Chen, my aunt chose you to take care of the hamlet for me. I also trust you. As long as you are doing good, I will not mistreat you. But if you mess up, then don¡¯t me me for being merciless.¡° She had a good impression of Chen Steward, but it was not easy for her to look at his eldest daughter-inw. She thought it was necessary to knock some sense to Steward Chen¡¯s mind regarding his eldest daughter-inw.

    Steward Chen hastily said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss, I will definitely take a good care of the hamlet.¡± He would certainly work hard, otherwise, losing this job would make it difficult for the future marriages of his two younger sons.

    Yuxi felt helpless. Honest people had their own good side, but this reaction was too slow, but some words were not good enough to point the problem out. Enough was enough. Her performance today was already out of line. Now it was time for her to sit back and took it easy.

    When Yuxi left the house and prepared to go back home, she looked at the three people who managed her properties and said, ¡°If you have a discussion with each other in the future, let me know the result of your discussion.¡±

    They nodded their heads.

 Chapter 57 - Saving Life

    <strong>Chapter 57 : Saving Life</strong>

    On the way back, Mama Fang and Yuxi shared a carriage.

    Inside the carriage, Mama Fang grimaced and said, ¡°Miss, I can¡¯t read. So, how can I create an ount book?¡± Before, she only calcted the monthly expenses of the shop and by the end of each month, she would count how much money was left. When she added or subtract those two amounts, she then could figure out how much ie the shop earned every month.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Then, please hire a bookkeeper. However, mama must not let this person stay in the shop every day. As a bookkeeper, this person merelye and write down the ount every few days.¡±

    Mama Fang was somewhat embarrassed as she asked, ¡°How about this person sry?¡±

    Yuxi answered, ¡°It is enough to give a sry of two taels of silver per month.¡± ording to modern term, it was the same as finding a part-time ountant.

    Mama Fang somehow felt that this money had been spent unfairly.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Mama, if there is no rules, there will be no standard. The baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop business is so good now that when the two new people you taught finally managed to master it, I¡¯m going to open another branch shop. When the timees, if the ounts are not clear, it will be easy for bad people to fish in troubled waters (Chinese idiom : to take advantage of a crisis for personal gain).¡° Mama Fang now had two apprentices, both of whom had personal contracts with them, so, Yuxi was not worried.

    Mama Fang felt Yuxi¡¯s words was reasonable, thus, she no longer opposed it.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Mama, the nurturing momo (wet nurse) wille to the residence in a couple of days. By that time, it will be very difficult for me to go out again. If mama has something to do, ask Hongshan¡¯s sister-inw to help deliver the message. If there is something especially important, you cane to the residence by yourself.¡°

    Mama Fang was somewhat relieved and said, ¡°Miss, you should learn from Teacher Song and the nurturing momo.¡± If Yuxi learnt well from them, she would be able to marry into a good family in the future.

    After entering the city, Yuxi and Mama Fang separated. Only then did Hongshan begin to say, ¡°Miss, if we open another baozi shop, can my sister-inw go to the shop to help you?¡± The monthly wage of the baozi shop assistant was eight hundred copper coins, which also included breakfast since the assistant would be quite busy with preparation in the early morning. This kind of treatment was actually really good. Compared to her, a first-ss maid servant, whose monthly allowance only nearing that figure.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°Wait until the shop opens. It¡¯s still too early to talk about this now.¡±

    While they were talking, the carriage came to a sudden stop. In an event of emergency, Yuxi reacted quickly. Both her hands immediately grabbed the edge of the carriage, stopping herself from crashing onto the wall of the carriage. Hongshan did not react as quick as her. She bumped her forehead on the wall and got herself a big bruise.

    Hongshan angrily lifted the curtain of the carriage. Before she could ask the driver what was going on, the driver hurriedly exined, ¡°Miss Hongshan, a girl suddenly rushed to the road. I was afraid of hitting her, so I immediately stopped the carriage.¡± It was a person, not an animal, and luckily, with the driver¡¯s conditioned reflex, he managed to stop.

    When Hongshan heard this, she saw a girl on the ground, two steps away in front of the horse. The girl was not very old, roughly around the age of ten years old. She lied on the ground with a pale face. Furthermore, there were bloods on her clothes and her body. She looked like a ghost.

    Hongshan was so frightened that she sat back into the carriage.

    Seeing Hongshan¡¯s manner piqued Yuxi¡¯s curiosity. She tried to peek outside by lifting the curtain. Before she had any idea what was happening outside, she saw two men running towards her.

    The two men who came running were both tall and big. One of the men who had a mole on his face saw the girl lying on the ground and shouted, ¡°Here she is!¡±

    After saying that, the man took a big stride forwards, and just like an eagle, he easily grabbed the girl lying on the ground like a chick. Then he snorted, ¡°You ran away. Why didn¡¯t you continue running? Can you run anymore? ¡±

    The girl¡¯s eyes were filled with despair.

    Yuxi looked at the despair in the girl¡¯s eyes and remembered how she died in the thatched hut. At that time, she was also so desperate. She felt a quiver in her heart and shouted at the man with the mole, ¡°Put her down!¡±

    Hongshan immediately put down the carriage curtain and said to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, there is no way for you to save her. If you look at these men, you know that they are not a good people!¡± That girl was probably a runaway ve.

    The man with the mole turned his head and saw Yuxi¡¯s carriage with a few retainers, made him realised that they were from a rich family. Since both of them were in the capital city, they somehow managed to attract someone eyesight whom they did not dare to offend, so the speaker said, ¡°Miss, this girl is from our Chunxiang (spring fragrance) Building. She had taken an opportunity to escape, so, we¡¯re here now to bring her back.¡±

    Hongshan¡¯s face changed when she heard the name Chunxiang Building. ¡°Miss, this is beyond our control.¡± Chunxiang Building was a brothel! How could a girl get herself involved with a brothel?

    Contrary to Hongshan, Yuxi was relieved to hear that the other party was from Chunxiang Building. The people of Chunxiang Building were easy to deal with it. As long as you could work out a starting price, even the Queen of Flowers (»¨¿ý huakui ¨C nickname for a famous beauty or courtesan) could be bought, not to mention a teenage girl. ¡°How much is she? I will buy her.¡°

    A different colour shed on the face of the man with the mole, ¡°I can¡¯t decide on this matter. You have to ask our boss if you want to buy her.¡±

    Yuxi ignored the man with the mole and asked the girl who was caught by him instead, ¡°What is your price?¡± For the girl to escape from Chunxiang Building showed that she was courageous and unafraid of death.

    There was a glimmer of hope in the girl¡¯s eyes. With a hopeful voice, she answered, ¡°Twenty taels.¡±

    Yuxi said to the man with the mole, ¡°I¡¯ll pay five times her original price. What do you think?¡±

    The man with the mole hesitated a little when he heard this.

    Hopes for survival sprang up in the little girl¡¯s heart. She said as she stared at the man with the mole, ¡°If you must catch me back, I won¡¯t live.¡± She would rather die than followed what these people wanted her to do.

    The man with the mole knew that the dead girl was stubborn. No matter how many times he hit her, she never wanted to bow her head. This time she escaped because of their negligence. ¡°Smelly wench, count your luck.¡± This dead girl did not eat hard or soft (Chinese idiom : yield neither to persuasion nor to coercion). He couldn¡¯t be sure if they brought her back, she wouldn¡¯tmit suicide. At any rate, she was not national grace, divine fragrance (Chinese idiom : an outstanding beauty) either. It was better for them to sell her. At least they could gain a small profit from it.

    There was a gleam of light in the little girl¡¯s eyes, as she knew the man had decided to sell her. Thinking of this, she eagerly looked at Yuxi. No one wanted to die if one was given a chance to live.

    The man with the mole shouted at Yuxi, ¡°I¡¯m going to have someone fetches her deed. Between us, one hand exchanges the cash, the other the goods (Chinese idiom : to pay for what you want in cash).¡±

    The Chunxiang Building was not far from their current ce, so, the girl¡¯s deed was soon taken. Yuxi asked the girl, ¡°Can you see if that is really yours?¡±

    After reading it, the little girl nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s my deed.¡±

    After Yuxi paid for the deed, she did not return directly to the state residence but went to Shangyuan Street instead. As for the girl¡¯s current ghost appearance, she did not dare to bring her back, otherwise she would definitely get a scolding.

    Yuxi looked at the girl lying in the car who was covered with wounds and asked, ¡°Who are you? How can you be sold to Chunxiang Building?¡±

    The little girl said, ¡°My name is Ling Qi. My father is Counsellor Ling of Hexia Town and he died of illness six months ago.¡±

    Hongshan hastily asked, ¡°Then why are you in the brothel? Where are your rtives? ¡°

    When Ling Qi heard these questions, her eyes burst out with hatred, ¡°I was sold by my stepmother. Originally, I was sleeping peacefully at home and somehow, the next day, I woke up in the brothel.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Ling Qi¡¯s face and asked, ¡°Are you not in a good term with your stepmother?¡± Since Ling Qi¡¯s father was a counsellor, her family circumstances must have been pretty good. Ling Qi wasn¡¯t a national grace, divine fragrance either. The only reason left was Ling Qi had enmity with her stepmother.

    Ling Qi nodded and said, ¡°If she wasn¡¯t around, my mother would not have died.¡±

    Yuxi did not need to ask anymore to know that with this girl¡¯s temper and the enemy who killed her mother, they could not coexist peacefully. Her stepmother sold her to the brothel not for money but for revenge, ¡°Do you have any rtives in your family? If there is, I will send you back when you are cured.¡°

    Ling Qi shook her head and said, ¡°Miss has saved me, so my life belongs to Miss.¡±

    For Ling Qi to repeatedly escaped from Chunxiang building regardless of life and death, even when her body was covered all over with cuts and bruises, she still won¡¯t give up. Her visible temperament was very resolute. This kind of person, if cshe ould sincerely submit to her, she would be a really big help. Yuxi said, ¡°You have to think it over. If you want to be with me, you will be a maid, and you will have to be a servant. If you go back, you will still be a daughter from a good family.¡°

    Ling Qi said sincerely, ¡°Miss, there are no rtives in my family. Furthermore, I don¡¯t know where to go even if I go back.¡± There was a way to live if she really followed Miss. It was better to follow Miss than to follow a man who had no idea what he wanted, even if she had to be a maid. At least, her life and personal safety were guaranteed.

    Seeing that Ling Qi was not acting on impulse, Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°You should first go to Mama Fang¡¯s baozi shop to recuperate, and wait until the rest of the wounds arepletely healed.¡±

    Ling Qi nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Mama Fang had a soft heart. She was very sympathetic when she heard Ling Qi¡¯s experience. She helped Ling Qi got to the backyard, then hurriedly searched for a doctor.

    Mama Shen looked at the sky and said, ¡°Miss, you have to go back. If you don¡¯t go back now, the Old Madam will scold you.¡± The day was almost dark, and the Old Madam already reminded her to bring Yuxi back home before nightfall.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Mama Shen, you should first send someone to the Hexia Town to find out if there is such a person named Ling Qi.¡± An employer had to find out the details of the other party before he/she employed a person. If that person lied and used the identity of a person of unknown origin, there would be no telling what would happen in the future.

    When they went back to the residence, it was already at the beginning of xushi (7pm to 9pm) period. Yuxi was severely reprimanded by Old Madam Han for returningte.

    Yuxi stood obediently, with her head down, while she being reprimanded by the Old Madam.

    Looking at Yuxi this way, the Old Madam could not help but thought of Yuxi¡¯s birth mother, Ning Shi. Every time she scolded Ning Shi, she also had such a look. Thinking till here, the Old Madam¡¯s heart was filled with panic, ¡°You withdraw!¡± People really needed fate between people. Even if Yuxi¡¯s performance was getting better over time, with such a birth mother, how could the Old Madam forget that she had never like Yuxi?

    Yuxi respectfully withdrew.

    All that left in the main room was Mama Luo, the person whom the Old Madam spoke her true words, ¡°I¡¯m afraid, I¡¯m not familiar with this child.¡± Respectful on the surface but in fact was actually very guarded against her. Otherwise, Yuxi wouldn¡¯t be guarded against Hongshan and Mama Shen in everything she dis. Even if Hongshan had already crossed over, she still could not manage to get Yuxi¡¯s trust.

    Mama Luo smiled and said, ¡°What did Old Madam say? Fourth Miss is your legitimate granddaughter. How can she be unfamiliar to you?¡±

    If it weren¡¯t for Yuxi being her granddaughter, the Old Madam wouldn¡¯t have allowed such nonsense. ¡°I¡¯m afraid she has bad blood with her father too,¡± she said. If Yuxi was really not close with her father and resented the family, even if Yuxi was getting more excellent, she would have to cut off her wings.

    Mama Luo carefully said, ¡°Old Madam, if you will excuse this servant, the Fourth Miss is not actually cold-hearted person like that. You can see that she is very close to Eldest Masam and Second Young Master.¡± The Old Madam and Fourth Miss never saw each other more than once a month. As for Third Master, he had ignored Fourth Miss too much over the three years he had been away. So how could they expect her to be closed with both of them in these situations? How could they also expect Fourth Miss to be the bigger person?

    Mama Luo was very loyal to the Old Madam and often analysed her problems from the standpoint of an onlooker. Her suggestions were also heard by the Old Masam. Old Madam Han sighed and said, ¡°Wu Shi, was not a peaceful one.¡± Wu Shi¡¯s manner made Yuxi became more alienated from the Third Master. As it happened, the Third Master also didn¡¯t really care about Yuxi, this daughter of his.

    Mama Luo also felt that Wu Shi¡¯s view was too shallow, and her means were poor. Before she even returned to the state residence, she had already offended a lot people, ¡°When shees back, the Old Madam will teach her well.¡±

    Old Madam Han shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m too old already, so, I don¡¯t have that much energy. As soon as Ming-er takes a wife, I will let this responsibility go, and enjoy two years of happiness.¡± Qiu Shi and her housekeeper was good at managing, but very bad in the aspect of being calcting. That was why she felt not at ease topletely entrust her home to Qiu Shi. Now, her only hope fell on her grandson¡¯s future wife.

    Mama Luo smiled and said, ¡°When Master Heir marries, the Old Madam will then worry about Third Miss¡¯ marriage. Where can Old Madam really find leisure?¡±

    Old Madam Han sighed, ¡°Yes, as the saying aptly puts it, children live for one hundred years and keep making their parents worry for ny-nine years. I somehow thought I could have a leisure time.¡±

 Chapter 58 - Nurturing Momo (1)

    Chapter 58 : Nurturing Momo (1)

    At this moment, Yuxi was reciting in the yard.

    But, Mama Shen came over to her and said, ¡°Miss, the nurturing momo (wet nurse) ising today. Please stop your reciting in haste. Go wash and dress up early!¡± Nurturing momo was known to be very demanding. Thus, Yuxi couldn¡¯t act the same as she used to be.

    Yuxi camly and in an unhurried manner said, ¡°Wait till I finish reciting this paragraph.¡±

    Despite that, Moju still brought over all Yuxi¡¯s jewelleries, while Motao took a few sets of clothes for Yuxi to choose. Everyone was so busy that Yuxi couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°I¡¯m only going to meet nurturing momo, so why are all of you be so nervous?¡±

    Moju told Yuxi all the things she heard about nurturing momo¡¯s severe requirements. For example, if a youngdy¡¯s hair was messed up, jewellery crooked a bit or something, all would be criticised by them.

    Yuxi was speechless for a moment, ¡°Well, if I want to be good in everything, where else should I learn except from them? I¡¯m almost done with reciting. Please don¡¯t make it like I¡¯m going for a battle.¡±

    When Yuxi finally went to the main room, she realised that her thought was actually wrong. From Yuru to Yuchen, each of them had all dressed up, with each faces were painted in fine makeup.

    All three of the momo arrived at the state residence on time.

    Yuxi looked at the three momo who came in and she muttered in her heart that her Grandmother should have invited four nursing momo. So, why there were only three? How would they be divided for the four of them girls?

    Apparently, Yuxi¡¯s worries were unnecessary. The Old Madam had already made arrangements for the three momo. Among the three momo, Momo Chang would teach Yuru and Yujing. Furthermore, Momo Quan and Momo Gui would teach Yuchen and Yuxi.

    Old Madam Han said, ¡°Fourth Girl, I¡¯ve been told that there is no vacant room in your Rose Courtyard. So, I will let your momo stays in Tingyun Pavilion. Then, every afternoon, you have to go there to learn the rules and customs.¡±

    When Yuxi heard the Old Madam¡¯s arrangement, her face turned ugly. In the Great Zhou Dynasty, there were set of rules for nurturing momo used by young nobledies. For example, the gongzhu (daughter of the Emperor) and junzhu (daughter of the Emperor¡¯s brother) used four nurturing momo. Xianjun (daughter of second-rank prince) and junjun (daughter of first-rank prince) used two nurturing momo. While, influential officials family and the youngdy of the state residence could only use one nurturing momo. If Yuchen used two nurturing momo, it would be against the rules. Although this matter would not be pursued, if being known and spoken by an observant person, it would not be something pleasant to be heard in the public. Now that the Old Madam was using her as a cocoon, the Old Madam had no such worry.

    By taking advantage of her would also made people believed that Yuxi took advantage of Yuchen¡¯s benefits. Because of this, Yuxi felt really terrible. At this moment, she felt iparable aggrieved. It was just that she was not strong enough to fight back. Even if she was being aggrieved, she had to endure.

    Qiu Shi also felt that such settlement was inappropriate. Except that, there were only three nurturing momo that were presence, so, she could not openly refute the Old Madam¡¯s suggestion.

    While, Yuru felt very resentful. Why should she share a nurturing momo with Yujing, while both Yuchen and Yuxi had a separate nurturing momo? However, Yuru¡¯s concealing capability was not good either. The unwilling expression in her eyes fell into the eyes of three momo.

    Although Yujing was also felt dissatisfied, she was very quiet at that time. If it had been in the past, she would have been the first to jump out and opposed it. However, after being confined for more than half a year, she felt scared every time she saw the Old Madam. As a result, it was natural that she did not dare to make any fuss at that moment.

    When Old Madam Han had already arranged the matter, she asked Qiu Shi to handle the amodation for the three momo and then said to Yuxi, ¡°You stay.¡±

    Yuxi stood erect with a straight face.

    Old Madam Han asked very calmly, ¡°Are you unhappy that I let you and Yuchen learn the rules from the nurturing momo together?¡±

    Rather than looking directly at Old Madam Han, Yuxi looked at the ground, ¡°I am very happy to learn from momo, but why she has to stay in Tingyun Pavilion?¡±

    Old Madam Han looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°Why are you asking that?¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face showed a self-deprecating expression as she answered, ¡°I know that is is naturally for the convenience of the two momo to better teach Third Sister, and I am just acting as her foil.¡± Her admiration for the Old Madam had worn off because of her previous life. Otherwise, she would have been too sad that she would shed tears at time like this.

    Old Madam was not that surprised with Yuxi¡¯s answer. If Yuxi couldn¡¯t even see such a small thing, she would not have let Teacher Song made an exception for her, ¡°Are you feeling very dissatisfied?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and replied, ¡°I am not dissatisfied. I was just feeling a little ufortable that the people in the residence would say that I take advantage of Third Sister¡¯s benefits.¡± She decided to just tell her Grandmother the truth, but not all the truth could been told to her.

    Old Madam Han suddenly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go to Tingyun Pavilion, I will find a momo for you next year.¡±

    Yuxi was silent for a moment and then said, ¡°No need, Grandmother. Momo Quan is fine.¡± She could not see the depth of the two momo since she did not have any judgment on them yet, but the nurturing momo who was invited for Yuchen would surely be an absolutely best. If the momo was invited for her alone, it would certainly not be on the same level as Momo Quan. She would just let people gossiped about her benefitting from her association with Yuchen, as long as she could still learn something.

    The Old Madam looked at Yuxi with her eyes full of judgment.

    Yuxi felt resentful and ufortable again, but if she missed a good chance to learn from the two momo just for this reason, it would not have been worthwhile. So, she bowed her head and said, ¡°Grandmother, rest assured that I will learn the rules well with momo.¡±

    The Old Madam began to move the Buddhist beads in her hand again, and said, ¡°In the future, you should hold your head high and keep your chin up. Don¡¯t always look like a small-minded girl.¡± (T/N : Your prejudice on her mother and how you obviously shows your dislike to her made her like that. Imagine if you treats her like she is Yuchen. Would she still be like a small-minded girl?)

    Yuxi replied, ¡°Yes.¡± However, she still didn¡¯t look up.

    When Mama Luo entered the room after Yuxi left, she saw the Old Madam was squinting at the beads. The Buddha beads were turning very fast, which showed that the Old Madam¡¯s heart was not calm. Mama Luo did not dare to disturb, but stood quietly, waiting.

    After a while, the Old Madam opened her eyes wide. By then did Mama Luo dare to ask, ¡°Old Madam, what¡¯s the matter? Did Fourth Miss unwilling to learn the rules from the two momo?¡°

    Old Madam Han shook her head and said, ¡°Quite the opposite.¡±

    Mama Luo smiled and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing that she agreed?¡±

    Old Madam Han could only say in a low voice, ¡°This girl¡¯s mind is so deep that I can¡¯t see through it.¡± Yuxi¡¯s spoken words were a mixture of truth and falsehood, making her unable to tell whether one sentence was true or the other was false. Things and people beyond her control was something she never been fond of.

    The first thing Yuxi did when she returned to Rose Courtyard was saying, ¡°Add one more gift.¡± She had only prepared for one, but now that she had two nurturing momo, it was natural for her to add one more. Since she had decided to follow momo¡¯s rules, she should at least be well-mannered towards them.

    When the gifts were already chosen, Yuxi took Hongshan to Tingyun Pavilion to see the two nurturing momo.

    There, Momo Gui epted the gift, smiled kindly and said, ¡°Fourth Miss is courteous.¡± Just now, she could see Yuxi¡¯s expression of resistance in her eyes, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be just for a blink of an eye. Now, Fourth Miss had came to see them, bearing gifts.

    Meanwhile, Momo Quan said with an indifferent look, ¡°Fourth Miss is being considerate.¡± For Fourth Miss to adjust herself in such a short period of time, showed that she was not a simple person.

    In the mean time, Yuru went back to her yard full of anger. When there was only Qingxuan in the room, sheined to her, ¡°All were the youngdies of the state residence. So, why is the Old Madam kept on favouring one and discriminate against the others?¡±

    Qingxuan said, ¡°Miss, if I have to say, Miss is in much better situation than the Fourth Miss. She is the one who has the most grievance.¡±

    Yuru always had some respect for this personal maid of her that she did not even take any offense against this remark, ¡°Why did you say that?¡±

    Yuru was not a foolish person, but at that time her reason was masked by anger. The saying of the person on the spot was baffled, the onlooker saw clear (Chinese idiom : the spectator sees most clearly) was clearly represented by Qingxuan, who saw everything very clearly, ¡°Momo Gui and Momo Quan said to be teaching Third Miss and Fourth Miss. I could tell that the Old Madam¡¯s intention to teach Third Miss is true, while Fourth Miss is no more than a convenient. The same happened with Teacher Song¡¯s studies sessions. She was only a convenient.¡± This meant that Yuxi waspletely taking advantage of Yuchen¡¯s benefits.

    Yuru thought about it for a while. She felt that Qingxuan¡¯s words were quite reasonable, and her face rxed. ¡°You¡¯re right. But Yuxi¡¯s temperaments are quite different now. I don¡¯t know what she will do after this.¡± If it was the former Yuxi, as long as she said two sentences, she would certainly not be able to go Tingyun Pavilion to learn the rules. But now she did not dare to. In case this matter reached the Old Madam¡¯s ears, it would be like if she could eat it all, she¡¯ll have to take it home (Chinese idiom : get more than one bargained for). Thinking of this, Yuru said hatefully, ¡°The news has been thoroughly presented to Yujing, but I did not expect that she could be so calm at this time.¡± Yujing had came out for half a month now. However, she didn¡¯t even try to aim at Yuxi, like usual, which made her felt very disappointed.

    Qingxuan tried her best to persuade Yuru, ¡°Miss, the most urgent thing for Miss right now is to please Madam. Fourth Miss is busy studying now, and Miss can make good use of this opportunity.¡± She didn¡¯t want her Miss topete with Yuxi. The reason was very simple. Fourth Miss was the legitimate daughter and the disciple of Teacher Song. She was also loved by Madam and Master Heir. Her future prospects would certainly be better than her own Miss. Her Miss would surely depend on her maiden family for her future marriage. So, it was better to have one more help than one more enemy.

    Yuru listened to Qingxuan¡¯s advice and said after half a ring, ¡°I am unwilling.¡± Clearly, she was the Eldest Miss in the residence and everything was pressured onto her. As a result, her pettiness had be a little transparent. Now she had to curry favour with Third Sister and Fourth Sister? How willing was she?

    Qingxuan helplessly said, ¡°Miss, you have to think about the future.¡± Third Miss and Fourth Miss had good future prospects. If her Miss kept on being stubborn,ter on, her Miss might not be able to ask for their help.

    Yuru still won¡¯t listen. (T/N : Idiot girl.)

    Qinn still tried her hardest to persuade, ¡°Miss, Third Miss and Fourth Miss have nothing to do with us. Thus, we should just live our own lives.¡± Miss had already drilled the tip of the horns (means an insignificant or insoluble problem) and now couldn¡¯t pull it out. If she kept on going, she might make her Madam disgusted with her. Without a good future, how could these servants who serve Miss had a good end.

    Qingxuan had spoken for a long time, but Yuru remained indifferent. She sighed secretly. She had said all she had to say. She also had persuaded her. The rest could only be resigned to fate.

    The nurturing momo that Yuxi followed in herst life was invited by Wu Shi. Fearing that Yuxi would suppress her own daughter, Yurong, she had asked the nurturing momo whom she invited to cruelly abuse Yuxi and not to teach her much about the real thing. So, Yuxi really cherished this opportunity that arrived in her current situation. Once she had learned the rules, no one would be able to attack her in the future.

    After an afternoon nap, Yuxi took a maid to Tingyun Pavilion.

    When both of them arrived there, they didn¡¯t catch sight of both of the momo and Yuchen. Yuxi tried to wait for a while till she couldn¡¯t help but ask the maid who served the tea, ¡°Where is Third Sister?¡± Yuchen was very punctual. For her not to arrived here at this point made it rather an odd situation.

    The maid just shook her head, showing that she herself didn¡¯t know.

    Somehow, Yuxi¡¯s heart had some doubts. What had Yuchen and the two momo got up their sleeves?

 Chapter 59 - Nurturing Momo (2)

    <strong>Chapter 59 : Nurturing Momo (2)</strong>

    Yuxi waited for about a quarter of an hour, when Yuchen finally came out. She could see that Yuchen was wearing twelveyers of unlined clothes, with her hair rolled up in a high bun and the bun was inserted with jade and pearl hair ornaments.

    Yuxi was stunned when she saw suchvish costume. For them to wear something like that just to learn rules, they would surely be dead tired by the end of the day.

    When Momo (wet nurse) Gui saw Yuxi, her eyes showed dissatisfaction and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you change your clothes, Fourth Miss?¡±

    Yuxi was not stupid. How could she not understand the meaning of Momo Gui¡¯s words which was asking why she was not dressed up just like Yuchen? She answered, ¡°I don¡¯t have such clothes.¡±

    Listening to Yuxi¡¯s words, Yuchen softly ordered, ¡°Shiqin, take out the set of pale green clothes for Fourth Sister to wear.¡±

    When Yuxi heard this, she eximed, ¡°Sister, I can¡¯t wear your clothes.¡± Yuchen was half a head taller than her, which would only make the outfit looked ill-matched on her body.

    Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°The clothes were madest year, and I haven¡¯t worn them yet. So, they should fit Fourth Sister perfectly.¡±

    Yuxi gratefully said, ¡°Thank you, Third Sister.¡± Actually, she was ridiculing the matter in her heart. It was such a waste that the clothes whichwwas already been made, but still had not being worn yet.

    Yuxi followed the maid to Yuchen¡¯s bedroom, where she had to change her clothes first. Not only she needed to change her outer garment, but she had to change her whole attire from inside out.

    The servant girl soon brought in the clothes, which were also twelveyers of unlined clothes, made of satin and embroidered with exquisite patterns.

    When the clothes were worn on Yuxi¡¯s body, it was slightly oversized.

    Once Yuxi had changed her clothes, her hair needed to be done again, so, she immediately sat in front of the room dressing table. She looked at the ivory dressing table, with the top of it was filled with a dozen of boxwoodbs, and a silver small case with enamel coloured pearl powder inside. She tried her best to maintain her calm. If she constantlyparing herself with Yuchen, it would only make her felt infuriated with herself.

    Shiqin then brought in two small boxes of head ornaments and when she opened them, the ornaments nearly dazzled Yuxi¡¯s eyes. Looking at the delicate and precious head ornaments inside, Yuxi finally lost her nerve. All of them were almost simr to the ones left by her mother. The troubling thing was, all of these didn¡¯t mean much to Yuchen. Otherwise, how could Yuchen let her maid casually took them out?

    Shiqin looked at Yuxi¡¯s emotionless expression, and muttered in her heart. She always heard Shishuining that Fourth Miss had shallow eyes. However, when she herself had finally taken a good look at Fourth Miss, she found out that it wasn¡¯t the case!

    It took half an hour for Yuxi¡¯s hair to be properly done.

    An example of high bun or gaoji.

    Image was posted by ºº·þÉç via Sohu (ºº·þ·¢ÐÍ¨C¸ß÷Ù, February 28, 2018)

    Yuxi looked at the girl in the mirror that had her hairbed into high bun and decorated with tons of jewelleries. She could not help but muttered, was this really her? She looked like a little olddy. (T/N : Try to imagine a five-years-old girl has a hairdo like this.)

    The hair bun was too high, the head ornaments were too much, and the clothes were tooplicated. As a result, Yuxi couldn¡¯t walk steadily that she had to be supported by a maid nearby. She really wanted to cry. Where could this be considered learning the rules? This only made her suffered in misery! Just like how the momo had abused her in her previous life!

    Momo Gui still felt dissatisfied with the newly groomed Yuxi. However, she didn¡¯t want to dy any longer, or the whole afternoon would be gone. She said, ¡°Fourth Miss, let me see how you walk.¡±

    At this time, Yuxi was only focusing on making herself to walk steadily, without her falling down. Where would she had time to pay attention to her manners and demeanour?

    Momo Gui couldn¡¯t help shook her head. Yuxi¡¯s walk was too bad. Then, she said to Yuchen who was standing by the sideline, ¡°Third Miss, try to walk a distance to show the correct way to Fourth Miss.¡±

    Yuchen slightly raised her skirt and walked slowly, almost at a leisurely pace, moving elegantly. When Yuxi saw this, she felt very depressed while thinking that this was the actual gap between both of them!

    After spending one whole afternoon studying on how to properly walk, Yuxi didn¡¯t know how many times she had fell down, and she didn¡¯t remember how many times she did it wrong.

    Despite Yuxi didn¡¯t learn well, Momo Gui didn¡¯t swear or even hit her. Instead, she just let her did it again and again until she did it well. However, by looking at Yuxi¡¯s performance, Momo Gui felt that Yuxi was a rotten wood (fig. a hopeless case).

    For the whole afternoon, Yuxi had felt more tired than when she was writing five hundreds characters. When the etiquette training finally over, she was nning to change her clothes, but was stopped by Momo Gui.

    Momo Gui said, ¡°You should go back to your courtyard in this dress.¡±

    Yuxi opened her mouth, wanting to say that wearing this heavy clothes would only make her dead hot outside! However, when she thought that this kind of behaviour was inappropriate, she immediately closed her mouth. Afterwards, she carefully exined, ¡°Momo, it currently hot outside. If I go back in this dress, my makeup would also be ruined.¡±

    Momo Gui frowned, but in the end, she finally agreed to Yuxi¡¯s request. She then said, ¡°Once Fourth Miss returned to your own courtyard, Miss must practice properly and never ck off.¡±

    Although Yuxi felt ufortable all over, she still replied respectfully, ¡°Momo, rest assured. I will practice properly when I go back.¡±

    Momo Gui nodded. When Yuxi finally left, she turned her head towards Momo Quan, and said, ¡°Third Miss has learned the rules very well, with just a little guidance . But Fourth Miss is a bit small-minded. She had to be corrected from the beginning.¡° It wasn¡¯t like she was unable to correct Yuxi. It was just that she was just unwilling to waste her time on her.

    Momo Quan knew what Momo Gui meant. She was appointed as the one who would teach Fourth Miss from the basic. She did not object, but stated, ¡°If I start teaching Fourth Miss in the afternoon, I will have to prepare the medicated meal in advance.¡±

    Momo Gui responded, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. When the timees, just tell the maids to watch the fire.¡°

    Back in Rose Courtyard, Yuxi almost copsed because of exhaustion as she sat feebly on a chair. For her to get through her day like this every day, she didn¡¯t know if her body could hold up. This was really too much for her.

    When Yuxi practiced writing characters that night, her whole body felt very painful. Everytime she raised her hand, she would winced in pain. Today was only the first day of her learning rules. She estimated that if every day was going to be just like today, she would surely go insane.

    When Yuxi got up the next day, her whole body ached. She said to herself, ¡°This is really troublesome.¡± She had suffered once in herst life and now, it looked like that she was going to suffer again. She really couldn¡¯t do anything to change it.

    After done with breakfast, Yuxi went to Magnolia Courtyard. Looking at Yuchen, who was still in good condition, she could only admire her. Well, she shouldn¡¯tpare herself with Yuchen, or the jealousy would stuck in her heart till she died.

    In the afternoon, Yuxi noticed that Momo Quan would teach her rules. Though, she felt really bad to be rejected by one momo after another, she quickly suppressed the feeling in her heart. As long as she could learn something, nothing else mattered.

    Like Yuxi, all the other people eye¡¯s of fell on Momo Quan, though Momo Quan only fixed her eyes on Yuxi.

    Mama Quan spoke much more friendlier than Mama Gui. When Yuxi followed her teaching, and did something wrong, Momo Quan would point it out. She also advised Yuxi on how to avoid making the same mistake again. This afternoon, Yuxi learnt a lot more rules and much easier than yesterday.

    Momo Quan felt that Yuxi was not really a deadwood. Yuxi onlycked a teacher to teach her since it was obvious that she did not understand many things. However, Momo Quan could see that Yuxi studied very carefully and had a strong understanding ability. ¡°Tomorrow, we will learn the etiquette of courtesy on bended knees.¡±

    Yuxi felt that Momo Quan was more amodating, so, she could not help but asked, ¡°Momo, can I not wear this dress again tomorrow?¡± The dress was really ufortable for her to wear.

    Momo Quan shook her head and said, ¡°You have to wear it.¡±

    Yuxi thought that if she had to wear the dress all the time during etiquette sses, her neck definitely would not be able to be straighten up in the future.

    Momo Quan exined, ¡°Fourth Miss, only by wearing formal clothes while learning the rules, can make you achieve twice the result with just half of your effort. It¡¯s also for your own good that we ask you to do it. You¡¯ll know when you get the resultster on.¡±

    When Momo Gui didn¡¯t talk, only by smiling, she already made herself looked much friendlier, while Momo Quan looked serious all the time. However, after Yuxi personally got in contact with both of them, she felt that the two momo were totally the opposite. It was much easier to get along with Momo Quan than Momo Gui. ¡°Momo, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to wear the dress, but the head ornaments are too heavy. They make my neck hurt, even now.¡±

    After listening to this statement from Yuxi, Momo Quan asked her to sit on a chair, and then, she massaged hee shoulders for a quarter of an hour.

    At first, Yuxi felt very painful, with sweat beads appeared on her forehead. However, her whole body slowly feltfortable and the pain on her shoulders finally eased up. She was so ecstatic that she asked, ¡°Momo, do you also know how to heal?¡± Through Momo Quan¡¯s act, she knew that Momo Quan clearly knew medical skill!

    Instead of answering Yuxi¡¯s question, Momo Quan only remarked, ¡°I will massage your shoulders for half an hour after every etiquette ss.¡±

    Yuxi happily gave Momo Quan a thank-you gift. Before she could expressed her thanks, Momo Quanmented, ¡°This is not how you give your thanks.¡± It was not Yuxi¡¯s fault, but a nurturing momo requirements were usually very high.

    Yuxi¡¯s face immediately turned red.

    In the evening, Momo Gui found Momo Quan and asked her, ¡°How did Fourth Miss performs today?¡± The two had a good rtionship when they were in the pce, and this time, Momo Gui had invited Momo Quan to the state residence.

    Momo Quan said, ¡°Fourth Miss may not be as talented as Third Miss, but her perseverance and disposition are notparable to those of ordinary people.¡± She not even once saw Yuxi cried, showed her tiredness,ining or being all impatient during their ss this afternoon. Instead, Yuxi had been listening to her teaching earnestly. Momo Quan believed the child could be taught.

    Momo Gui smiled and said, ¡°You can continue to teach her if you feel good about her.¡± Fourth Miss might have some advantages, but if she waspared with Third Miss, she was still far behind.

    After three days of hard work, Hongshan finally found out all the ins and outs of Momo Gui and Momo Quan. She reported, ¡°Miss, we have found out the background of the two momo clearly. Momo Gui was a First ss Female Official of Seventh Rank. She was originally worked as a messenger in Cining Pce. Later, when Grand Empress Dowager passed away, she entered Ceremonial Service Bureau to teach people etiquette. While, Momo Quan was a Second ss Female Official of Seventh Rank. She used to work in the Food Service Bureau. I heard that Momo Quan is also good at making medicated diet. The Old Madam had obviously took a lot of effort to bring over those two momo.¡°

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that Momo Quan was good in making medicated diet. This also meant that Momo Quan understood pharmacology. She knew that studying medicine in her current capacity was a delusion, but not studying it didn¡¯t mean she could not study pharmacology. Studying pharmacology was good for oneself. If Momo Quan herself , was willing to teach her pharmacology, the Old Madam definitely would not object.

    It was the first time for Hongshan to see Yuxi¡¯s eyes looking so eager, ¡°Miss, is there something wrong?¡± Her Miss¡¯ eyes were really frightening.

    Yuxi¡¯s mind returned back to reality and then she said with a smile, ¡°I just didn¡¯t realize that the two momo were former female officials. No wonder I felt that they were different than a usual momo. By the way, what about Momo Chang?¡±

    Honghan stated, ¡°Momo Chang was released from the pce several years ago. Over the years, she has been teaching rules to youngdies fromrge families and has a good reputation.¡±

    When Yuxi heard this, her mind felt faintly ufortable. Even when the Old Madam didn¡¯t really like Yuru and Yujing, she still brought in a good nurturing momo for them. Then, why did the Old Madam turn a blind eye on her in herst life and let Wu Shi continuously humiliated her? (T/N: Because you have changed, Yuxi. If you have been acting like you did in yourst life, then she would mistreat you like she always did.)

    Hongshan felt that Yuxi had been acting very weird today. Yuxi would be happy one time, then turned sad in other times. However, she did not know what had happened that made her Miss acting like that, ¡°Miss, are you not feeling well?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and shook her head, ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that my hands are a little sour, and I have to write a hundred characters in the evening. My hands ached when I thought about it.¡±

    Hongshan could not help but gave her some advises, ¡°Miss, it is good that you write one hundred characters everyday. However, it doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t do it just for today. ¡°

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Teacher said that if you want to practice good handwriting, you can¡¯t fish for three days and sun-dry thes for two days (Chinese proverbs : not to persevere in doing sth / to do sth by fits and starts). You have to stick to it day by day, or else you will never be able to write in good handwriting.¡±

    Hongshan exined that she just felt that Yuxi was working too hard.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Working hard is out of the question. It is just my hands are a little bit sour.¡± When you did something, you must do it well and never gave up halfway.

 Chapter 60 - Jiang Hongfu (1)

    <strong>Chapter 60 : Jiang Hongfu (1)</strong>

    A page from a version of Shennong¡¯s Compendium of Materia Medica

    Posted by Pancrat via Wiki

    After Yuxi had done her daily routine of writing one hundred characters with a cantilever, she took a look at the qipu (chess score) briefly and then took out the book Shennong¡¯s Compendium of Materia Medica to read. The medical book was so difficult for her to understand that every time she read it, she would always end up asleep. If it hadn¡¯t been for her perseverance, she would have given up long ago.

    Yuxi muttered to herself, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to get Momo (wet nurse) Quan to teach me pharmacology.¡± Now, she finally understood why the Old Madam invited two momo for Yuchen. Momo Gui would be responsible for teaching etiquette rules, while Momo Quan would nurse Yuchen¡¯s body at the same time. Nursing one¡¯s body health, these four words looked simple, but the overall knowledge of it was veryrge in scale!

    Yuxi tried to reread the medical book, and somehow, she dozed off again.

    When Moju noticed this situation, she said with some distress, ¡°Miss, go to bed if you¡¯re tired! Though, it is not a good time for you to fall asleep.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and ordered, ¡°Go and take an ice for me.¡± Applying ice cubes on her face would immediately make her sleepiness disappeared.

    Moju felt that Yuxi was studying hard a bit too much, ¡°Miss, with your current situation, your body will not be able to endure. Miss, it doesn¡¯t matter even if you don¡¯t study at all, since, you have never interested in being a talented woman anyway.¡± Yuxi even told her that before.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°I just want to learn more useful things. Besides, even my talented Third Sister studies hard day after day. If I start beingzy again, she will surely left me behind by a hundred miles away. ¡±

    In fact, Yuxi¡¯s daily time was also very tight. She had to attend sses and learn etiquettes every day. In her spare time, she would study qipu, read obscure medical books, practiced calligraphy and did embroidery. She had no time to rest at all, even after the end of the day. Sometimes, she also felt very tired and wanted to have a good rest. However, when she thought of how high Yuchen¡¯s talent was and despite that, Yuchen still studied hard, she had noint. If she was beingzy again, especially with her poor qualifications, she would seriously fall behind. Every time she thought of this, she did not dare to ck off.

    Yuxi¡¯s persistence was also fruitful.

    When Teacher Song took a look at Yuxi¡¯s writings, she was very pleased that she praised, ¡°There is a lot of progress in your writing.¡± If shepared Yuxi with Yuchen, there was still a big gap between them. However, it was still very good for Yuxi to make this much progress in such a short period of time.

    Yuxi was silent for half a moment before she said, ¡°Teacher, I would like to study Yan Zhenqing¡¯s Controversy over Seating Protocol next year.¡± Yuchen was better than her which was a fact that she did not deny, nor could she deny. Since it obvious that she could notpete with Yuchen, it was better that she won¡¯t learn the same thing as her. That way, she would not be suppressed by Yuchen¡¯s undeniable talent forever.

    Teacher Song frowned and asked, ¡°Why do you want to learn cursive script very well? And that kind of writing is also not easy for you to learn.¡± Only a few women could write good cursive script.

    Yuxi took out the book she mentioned previously, ¡°I think cursive script is very beautiful. When I have learnt it, it will certainly be very beautiful when I use it in embroidery.¡±

    Teacher Song was silent for a moment and then she asked, ¡°Is this really the reason?¡±

    An example of zanhua xiaokai.

    Source | VeryBuy

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Well, I already had this idea when my second brother gave me this copybook.¡± Her zanhua xiaokai (a standard font to learn when you just start writing Chinese calligraphy) writing was not bad, but even after years of practice, she would only be a foil for Yuchen. So, it was better for her to learn cursive script.

    Teacher Song was silent for a moment. Then, she said, ¡°Since you want to learn cursive script, you don¡¯t have to wait for next year to learn it. From today onwards, you will copy another one hundred characters ording to the copybook every day!¡± This was also a way to ask Yuxi not to give up on learning to improve her writing in zanhua xiaokai.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± This style of writing was not learned in a day or two, but fortunately, she was still young and had enough time to learn it.

    After a few days, Yuru finally knew about Momo Gui¡¯s and Momo Quan¡¯s backgrounds. She learnt that they were both female officials of high rank and had served noble people in the pce. She was so angry that she smashed a teacup with her tears fell uncontrobly, ¡°Grandmother is too bias.¡± She also would love to learn from these women of high rank who just came out of the pce.

    Seeing this, Qingxuan didn¡¯t know how to soothe her Miss.

    After losing her temper, Yuru ordered Qingxuan, ¡°You should disclose this news to Yujing¡¯s mother and see her reaction.¡± Yujing was so quiet, so calm that Yuru was not at ease.

    Even though Qingxuan felt that by diverting the problem to the dangerous woman in the east was not a good solution, she still said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    However, to Yuru¡¯s disappointment, there was only silenceing from Yujing¡¯s side after the news were disclosed to them, as if she didn¡¯t know such a thing at all.

    Yuru said doubtfully, ¡°Does Second Sister really has a change in her temperament?¡±

    Naturally, Yujing did not have a change her temperament, just like the wise saying, it was easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person¡¯s nature (Chinese idiom : you can¡¯t change who you are) . It was just that when Yujing got the news, she only told her mother, Concubine Rong, about it.

    Concubine Rong¡¯s currently living her days in suffering. All her trusted subordinates had removed by the Old Madam. In addition, ever since the death of her son, she had been living in distress, making her body had not yet recovered even up till now. These days, she had honestly been recuperated in Pleasure Courtyard. Even though people had been told that she was recuperating, she was actually in the same situation as being house arrest.

    Concubine Rong stated, ¡°The Old Madam has high hopes for Third Miss. Since Third Miss was a child, she has been given the best food, best clothing and best in everything. It is also expected that she will also be taught by the best momo from the pce.¡±

    Yujing was very reluctant, ¡°Why is Grandmother being so bias?¡± Her Grandmother¡¯s current actions had went too far.

    Concubine Rong decided not to hide what she knew from Yujing as she said, ¡°The Old Madam is nning to marry the Third Miss into the royal family. The state residence is currently in a weak position, and now it needs to rely on its inws to assist it. Its foundation is too weak. The Old Madam is going to use Third Miss to gain the power.¡°

    Yujing stared at her mother with big eyes, ¡°Mother means that Grandmother wants to marry Yuchen to a prince?¡± It couldn¡¯t be to the Emperor, since he was already an old man.

    Concubine Rong nodded her head and reminded her daughter, ¡°So, Yujing, don¡¯t everpete with Third Miss.¡± Presumably, there was even nothing that Yujing couldpete with. Third Miss had a good family background, strong backers, outstanding appearance and high talent. Competing with Third Miss was like seeking disaster.

    Yujing was silent for a moment and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can say about Yuchen, but what about Yuxi? I¡¯m better than her anyway. Why does Grandmother favour her so much?¡±

    Concubine Rong sighed and answered, ¡°Because, she is currently studying with Teacher Song.¡± Getting this title was equivalent to cross into ayer of gold.

    Yujing was extremely resentful, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for that darn girl, I would have also learn from Teacher Song.¡± This way, she could make her Grandmother looked at her with new eyes, but now it was useless for her to say anything on this matter.

    Concubine Rong advised Yujing, ¡°Now, you don¡¯t go and provoke Fourth Miss. She is no longer the foolish and awkward girl who you can bully at will. It is you who will suffer if you provoke her.¡±

    Yujing¡¯s heart moved. She remembered a rumour among idental talks she had heard and asked, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t you also think Yuxi had changed into a new person?¡±

    Concubine Rong was very keen and immediately said, ¡°Second Girl, you must remember that before you do something to Fourth Miss, you must guarantee that you don¡¯t leave any traces on her. Otherwise, you¡¯ll just bring trouble to yourself.¡±

    Yujing could feel an inexplicable feeling in her heart. Now, she unexpectedly had to dread that Yuxi, whom she had turned up her nose and didn¡¯t even put in front of her eyes all these years.

    At the same time, Yuxi was already tired from reading and went out of the study, ready to walk outside for a change of mind. Once she was outside, she saw Moju bowed her head, while carefully embroidering a handkerchief.

    Yuxi asked with a smile, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you finished embroidering this handkerchief when it has been nearly two months already? You have never embroidered this slow before. ¡°

    Motao just came in at that moment and heard what Yuxi was saying. She answered on behalf of Moju, ¡°Miss, Sister Moju is embroidering these handkerchiefs as birthday gifts for Miss.¡±

    Hearing this, Yuxi took the handkerchiefs from Moju¡¯s hand and saw a rose on one of it. Yuxi had changed a lot now. She used to like lotus flowers, but now she liked roses. Although roses could be seen everywhere, but they had been growing calmly, quietly blooming their own beauty. Just like the roses, she was also ordinary, but she believed that over time, she could also blossom her own glory.

    Hongshan¡¯s mouth was the most nimble there, ¡°Miss, Sister Moju had embroidered different roses on each handkerchief. The first handkerchief, she embroidered the bud of the rose, the second one, the newly blooming rose, while on the third one, she embroidered the rose in its fully bloom.¡±

    Yuxi looked at the handkerchiefs in her hand and handed it back to Moju with a smile, ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Moju had put so much thought for her small birthday.

    Moju smiled and responded, ¡°Handmaiden only have this skill.¡±

    When Yuxi entered her room, she always felt as if she had forgotten something, but she couldn¡¯t remember what. Until when she went to sleep that night where she suddenly bounced off the bed. Yes, how could she forget that three days before her birthday was the day when Jiang Hongfu would have an ident?

    Yuxi wiped out a cold sweat. Fortunately, it was still ten days before her birthday and she still had time. However, there was another problem. She couldn¡¯t go out of the residence at all. So, how could she save Jiang Hongfu?

    Yuxi thought for a long time but she still couldn¡¯te up with a reason why the ident happened. Finally, she fell asleep feeling exhausted. However, she had been thinking about this matter in her mind even when she was awake, making her failed to concentrate during the lecture. As a result, she couldn¡¯t answer Teacher Song¡¯s question.

    Teacher Song came to Yuxi¡¯s side with her ruler and said, ¡°Reach out your hand.¡±

    Once her hand had been hit, Yuxi could feel it turning red and swollen. Sheined bitterly in her heart that this punishment was too painful. It seemed that when Teacher Song used to hit her a few times before, they were just an acts.

    Although Yuxi was punished for being absent-minded during ss, she still obediently went to admit her mistake to Teacher Song after ss had ended, ¡°Teacher, I¡¯ve been busy thinking about something, so I had been in a trance during ss.¡±

    Teacher Song asked, ¡°What were you thinking about?¡±

    Yuxi shyly said, ¡°I had a dreamst night. I dreamed that my gift that I had sent to my father had been stolen.¡± Her statement showed that she was actually a filial daughter.

    Teacher Song didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry, ¡°It¡¯s just a dream. Why do you take it too seriously?¡± Only at this time did she feel that Yuxi was only a child, not a small adult.

    Yuxi looked up and said anxiously, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if it was just a dream. But what if such a thing really happens?¡± Her real problem now was that she didn¡¯t know how to save Jiang Hongfu!

    Teacher Song smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not going to be easy. If you don¡¯t trust the people in the residence, you can find an escort agency. Just ask for some armed escorts to escort it for you.¡± (T/N : The link I have provided for escort agency was an example how an escorts agency would like during Ming and Qing Dynasties.)

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°Escort Agency? Armed escorts? Do they specifically help escort things? ¡°

    Teacher Song was not surprised that Yuxi had never heard of an armed escort, not to mention that Yuxi was only five years old. Even those came-of-age youngdies did not know what an armed escort was. So, she told Yuxi about the nature of the escort agency industry, ¡°Escort agencies are specialized in protecting property or personal safety for a fee. Armed escorts are people who work in escort agencies. These people are all skilled in martial arts.¡±

    Yuxi was delighted, but she realised that her other problem still had not be solved. She still could not go out. Then, how could she invite an armed escort to secretly protect Jiang Hongjin on that day?

 Chapter 61 - Jiang Hongfu (2)

    <strong>Chapter 61 : Jiang Hongfu (2)</strong>

    Teacher Song looked at Yuxi¡¯s back and pondered deeply. She could tell that what Yuxi just told her was an excuse. Something must have happened.

    Teacher Song thought for a moment and said to one of her maid, ¡°Please pay attention to Fourth Miss these two days and look out for when she will go out. If she goes out, let me know.¡° Sounded like Yuxi had to report in advance to the Old Madam before she could go out. She would not go out rashly.

    Unfortunately, Yuxi did not go out as Teacher Song thought. Instead, Yuxi wrote a letter and asked Hongshan to give it to her sister-inw the next day, then to pass it to Mama Fang.

    Mama Fang couldn¡¯t read, but Ling Qi could. When Ling Qi opened the letter, she found that besides the main letter, there were also a sealed letter and a one thousand taels of silver ticket.

    After reading the letter, Ling Qi exined to Mama Fang, ¡°Mama, Miss said in the letter that you should go to the best escorts agency in the capital and ask them to do something.¡±

    Mama Fang asked, ¡°What should I do?¡±

    Ling Qi shook her head and said, ¡°Miss didn¡¯t say. Only that, when Mama go to the escort agency, Mama should give this other letter to their manager, so they could follow the instructions on the letter. We only pay the fee. ¡°

    Mama Fang¡¯s face suddenly turned stern. ¡°Now that you also know, you should never tell this matter to anyone.¡± Something must have made their Miss being so cautious. Mama Fang was afraid to leak the news. It would be troublesome if the people in the state residence knew about this.

    Ling Qi nodded and promised, ¡°Mama, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t say a word.¡±

    After two days, Mama Fang went to Xinglong Escort Agency. Xinglong Escort Agency was thergest escort agency in the capital. Its reputation was the best. Generally, there would be no problems in entrusting them, and the customers¡¯ informations would never be disclosed to anyone.

    When Mama Fang came to the escort agency, she followed the gatekeeper inside and stated, ¡°I¡¯m looking for your manager.¡± With the case of the ointment sellerst time, she now had experienced in handling such matter.

    The manager of the escorts agency immediately came out and led Mama Fang into his office. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Daniang (a respectful form of address for an elderly woman) is going to ask us to do?¡± the manager asked with a smile.

    Mama Fang handed the letter in her hand and said, ¡°All the things that I¡¯m going to entrust you with is written in it. Open it yourself.¡±

    The manager of the escort agency was so cautious that the whole people in the room were very tense! However, when he finished reading the contents of the letter, he didn¡¯t know if he shouldugh or cry. He thought it was a big deal, but he didn¡¯t expect to be entrusted to protect a child and only need to secretly protect him for one day. However, the escort agency opened their door to do business. No matter what business, they could not shut it out as long as it was not illegal. ¡°We will take this job.¡±

    Mama Fang reminded, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t reveal my information.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know anything about your identity, daniang,¡±ughed the manager. This meant that he didn¡¯t have even Mama Fang¡¯s basic information, so, how could he possibly reveal her information?

    Mama Fang¡¯s looked calm and asked, ¡°How much the price for this job?¡±

    The manager thought for a moment and said, ¡°It depends on what level you need. We have three levels here. The highest level has the price of one thousand taels, followed by five hundreds and the lowest two hundreds.¡°

    Mama Fang was shocked. What on earth would cost so much tomission the escorts agency to do?

    The manager looked at Mama Fang and said with a smile, ¡°In view of the matter entrusted by you, I suggest you choose the five hundred taels.¡±

    Mama Fang hesitated and said, ¡°Will there be no problem if I choose this price?¡±

    The manager smiled, ¡°There will be no problem.¡± To protect a child in his teens would not be difficult as it would not involve life or death of the armed escort that would be signed to the task. So, there would definitely be no problem.

    Mama Fang handed over the one thousand taels of silver tickets to the manager.

    The manager found a bnce of five hundred taels of silver for Mama Fang, and after doing this, he took a fire burner in front of Mama Fang and burned the letter. When the newly burnt item turned to ashes, he asked Mama Fang, ¡°Daniang, how can we inform you when this matter ispleted?¡± Because the matter entrusted by Mama Fang did not involve any secrets and had no huge aftermath, the escort agency would not check Mama Fang¡¯s background. This was also why the manager asked this question.

    Mama Fang shook her head and said, ¡°I will know the result.¡± Miss told her in the letter that it would only be necessary for the Xinglong Escort Agency¡¯s personnel to take over the job, and she never mentioned the rest.

    The manager smiled and sent off Mama Fang. This job was all about getting the money!

    When Mama Fang on her way home, in order not to be followed by the armed escorts, she went to many ces, changed several trains and decided that she was safe before she rented a carriage and returned to the baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop.

    Back at the baozi shop, the calm Mama Fang began to feel distressed over the five hundred taels of silver that she had spent. Five hundred taels of silver was equivalent of half a year the ie of the baozi shop.

    Yuxi knew that Mama Fang had done the job well and whispered to herself, ¡°Whether he can escape this disaster depends on his luck.¡± On the premise of protecting herself, this was the best way she could think of. She only hoped that Jiang Hongfu was lucky enough to avoid this disaster. If he couldn¡¯t avoid it, it could only be said to be God¡¯s will.

    Jiang Hongfu, the party concerned, did not know that Yuxi had taken so much trouble to save his life.

    A few dayster, it was time for the Baitan Academy to have its academic holiday. Jiang Hongfu took his attendant to Songyun Pavilion on the second day of this holiday. This was his habit. On every academic holiday, unless something happened at home, he would always go to Songyun Pavilion on the next day.

    Jiang Hongfu didn¡¯t have to buy books when he went to Songyun Pavilion. He liked the atmosphere inside the store and also liked to read there. In Songyun Pavilion, he always felt that time passed very fast.

    Jiang Hongfu stayed in Songyun Pavilion from morning till evening, where lunch was also served in the store. His personal attendant looked at the dark sky and kept on urging him to return home. Jiang Hongfu reluctantly closed the book and then left the store.

    Jiang Hongfu came by carriage. Usually at this time, the carriage from home would be waiting at the entrance of the bookstore. But today, Jiang Hongfu had been waiting at the entrance of the bookstore for a long time, but he hadn¡¯t catch a single sight of his family carriage yet. He started to get impatient with waiting, so he ordered his attendant, ¡°Go out and rent a carriage to go back.¡±

    Because it was already nightfall and the bookstore was in a rtively remote ce, it took about a quarter of an hour for them to rent a carriage. The two men went to a corner and suddenly a carriage rushed towards them. Since the distance was too close, they didn¡¯t have time to take cover.

    Jiang Hongfu was so scared that he forgot to hide. When he saw that the carriage was about to hit him, he closed his eyes in reflex. Just then, he felt someone grabbing his cor.

    When Jiang Hongfu opened his eyes, he saw a man in gray attire who had grabbed him by his cor. The man did not speak, but pointed to the side.

    Jiang Hongfu looked in the direction he pointed out and saw his personal attendant was lying in a pool of blood. He didn¡¯t have to go and see to know that his attendant had been dead.

    The gray clothed man said with a straight face, ¡°He is dead.¡±

    Jiang Hongfu knew that if the gray-d man had not appeared in time, he would have died under the carriage just like his attendant. He looked at the gray-d man with great gratitude. He held his fist in both hands and said, ¡°Thank you for saving my life.¡±

    The gray-d man did not ept Jiang Hongfu¡¯s courtesy, but instead caught him and left the scene quickly. Jiang Hongfu cried, ¡°Do you¡­¡± Before he even finished speaking, his mouth was covered.

    The gray-d man walked very fast. Despite him also carrying a person in his arm, his speed was still notparable to that of ordinary people. After walking for a few minutes, the man shoved Jiang Hongfu into a carriage by the side of the road, and then he, himself got in.

    Jiang Hongfu was a little frightened. This man wanted to kidnap him for himself. ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    The gray-d man simply said, ¡°Take you home.¡±

    Jiang Hongfu obviously did not believe what the gray-d man said. Although the man saved him just now, he still suspected that he had other ulterior motive. Kidnapping and ckmailing were secondary things he was worried about. What he afraid the most was that this person would take his life.

    The gray man said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m just being entrusted to protect you. Send you home, and then my job will be done. ¡°

    Jiang Hongfu¡¯s face turned white in an instant. Was it because the Song family afraid that he would take revenge in the future, so they have to destroy the weeds and dig out the roots (Chinese idiom : destroying everything rted to the enemy, leaving no chance of its revival)? Jiang Hongfu shook his head immediately. It was impossible. His surname was not even Song or Yun. People in the Song family should not be this frantic. He resisted the surging waves in his heart and asked, ¡°Are you saying that, what happened just now was not an ident but man-made? How did you know? ¡°

    The man in gray replied, ¡°Naturally, we¡¯ve been told by the person who entrusted us to protect your safety.¡±

    Jiang Hongfu was a little excited, ¡°Who is it? Who asked you to protect me? ¡°

    The gray-d man did not answer this questions because he, himself did not know who entrusted them this matter. If the escort agency went to check the client, it would be a big taboo. He just said, ¡°The person who entrusted me with your safety said that your stepmother will not stop until she has done you harm. You can only save yourself by going back to your mother¡¯s hometown.¡±

    When Yuxi married into Jiang family, she had spent six years with Yu Shi. Naturally, Yu Shi looked like a woman who was charitable on the surface but was actually vicious deep down. Jiang Hongfu¡¯s excellence had blocked Jiang Hongjin¡¯s path. How could Yu Shi¡¯s stand it? If this time she did not seed, she certainly would not give up.

    Jiang Hongfu instinctively did not believe that. His mother and his father had a good rtionship after they were married, and his mother had died of miscarriage. His father married Yu Shi after two years of filial piety for histe mother. After Yu Shi¡¯s marriage to the Jiang¡¯s family, he had been living good all these years, and she had been treating him very warmly. On the contrary, he was wary of his maiden family and could not get close to them. Jiang Hongfu felt that the person behind his rescue had no good intentions and asked, ¡°How did this person know that my stepmother was trying to kill me?¡±

    How would the gray-d man know? He took out half a silver ticket from his sleeve and handed it to Jiang Hongfu. Then he said, ¡°This is what this person had asked me to give it to you. If he wants to find you, he will use the other half of the silver ticket as a token.¡°

    Yuxi did this as a precaution. If she could not escape from her fate, Jiang Hongjin would still go to the state residence to ask for marriage. She hoped to get Jiang Hongfu¡¯s help to avoid this disaster in the future.

    The man in gray looked at half of the silver tickets in Jiang Hongfu¡¯s hand and felt that the other party really didn¡¯t know how to cherish money. Ten taels of silver might not mean much, but it was enough for him to have a good meal.

    Jiang Hongfu¡¯s heart wasden with misgivings, but he still received the half silver ticket. No matter what the purpose of the person behind the scenes was, it was still true that this person just saved his life.

 Chapter 62 - Jiang Hongfu (3)

    <strong>Chapter 62 : Jiang Hongfu (3)</strong>

    Jiang Hongfu asked a lot of questions while they were on the road, but the gray-d man would either remain silent or answered with ¡®did not know¡¯.

    The coachman suddenly said from outside, ¡°Mister, the Jiang¡¯s residence is up ahead.¡±

    The gray-d man immediately carried Jiang Hongfu out of the carriage like he was a chicken, then threw a piece of silver to the driver and said, ¡°Go!¡± The carriage was obviously rented by him.

    Once they got off the carriage, they could see the Jiang Residence gate. At this moment, Jiang Residence people were busying in and out. By the look of it, they knew something had happened to the family. The gray-d man asked, ¡°Is this your home?¡±

    Jiang Hongfu nodded and answered, ¡°It¡¯s my home.¡± Since both of them had arrived at the door of his house, he finally believed the man¡¯s words.

    The gray-d man stated, ¡°I¡¯ve finished my job, so take care of yourself!¡± This five hundred taels of silver gave him a really good earning. There was no risk at all. It was just like he was ying house. It would be nice if the escort agency could often receive such business.

    There was something else that Jiang Hongfu wanted to say, but when he looked up, the man in gray had gone. At this time, Jiang Hongfu was also discovered by some people of the Jiang Residence. ¡°Eldest Young Master¡­¡± After that, the man who had called him, came rushing towards him like an arrow.

    A dozen people of the Jiang Residence ran over and saw Jiang Hongfu in good condition. They were all pleasantly surprised when they heard their colleague called out ¡°Eldest Young Master¡­¡± Just now, they heard the news that Eldest Young Master had gone missing, and his personal attendant had been killed by a carriage. Now that the mansion were in the condition where both men and horses are thrown off their feet (Chinese idiom : thrown into confusion), they didn¡¯t expect that Eldest Young Master would suddenly appear out of thin air.

    Jiang Hongfu asked coldly, ¡°Has Dad return home yet?¡±

    The concierge shook his head and said, ¡°Master has not returned yet, but when Madam got the news saying that something has happened to Young Master, she immediately sent someone to invite Master back home.¡±

    Jiang Hongfu slightly said, ¡°I see.¡± After that, he returned to his yard and did not go to the backyard to inform Yu Shi of his safe return.

    When Yu Shi heard Jiang Hongfu¡¯s return, her face changed. However, her heart was pretty good in adapting, so she quickly contained her panic. She asked while looking anxious, ¡°How is Eldest Young Master?¡±

    The porter who came to tell the news shook his head and said, ¡°Except for some messy hair and clothes, Eldest Young Master looks fine.¡±

    The moment Jiang Hongfu finally entered his yard, Yu Shi took a maid and an old woman to Jiang Hongfu¡¯s yard. Looking at Jiang Hongfu still in one piece, Yu Shi¡¯s eyes turned red as she said, ¡°You scared me to death just now, son.¡±

    Since Jiang Hongfu¡¯s grandfather and cousin had warned him before about his stepmother, even if Yu Shi again being good to him, he would always act indifferent. Now, he was very suspicious of Yu Shi, making him won¡¯t be easily taken by her good face. However, since he had no evidence for now, he will not question anything. He only said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It just that Ah San has gone.¡± Ah San was Jiang Hongfu¡¯s dead personal attendant.

    Yu Shi saw the coldness in Jiang Hongfu¡¯s eyes and her pupils recoiled, but her face was still looking anxious. She stated, ¡°I¡¯ve called a doctor. Let him have a good look at you.¡±

    Jiang Hongfu replied, ¡°No, I only dirtied my clothes and everything else is fine.¡± After a pause, he said, ¡°Mother, I need to take a shower and change my clothes first.¡±

    Yu Shi did not know whether she was being too sensitive, but she could feel Jiang Hongfu had spoken coldly to her, ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡±

    Jiang Hongfu shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m all right. Mother should go back first.¡± He still had something to do. How could he let Yu Shi stayed here and stood in the way?

    Jiang Hongfu started to drive people out, and it wasn¡¯t appropriate for Yu Shi to stay there any longer.

    Just as Yu Shi left, one of Jiang Hongfu¡¯s follower, Jiang Xiaofang returned to residence. Jiang Wenrui attached a great importance on Jiang Hongfu as he was his eldest son. Therefore, the people served beside Jiang Hongfu were all carefully selected by him. Jiang Xiaofang, who was one of the few selected, had became Jiang Hongfu¡¯s right-hand man.

    Jiang Hongfu instructed Jiang Xiaofang, ¡°Find out where the carriage that hit me just now came from. Also, try to find out why the carriage from the residence didn¡¯te pick me up? ¡°

    Not before long, Jiang Wenrui arrived home. Seeing that Jiang Hongfu was fine, he waspletely relieved. ¡°Fu-er, what is going on?¡±

    Jiang Hongfu shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± He couldn¡¯t say that he was harmed by his own family without any evidence to back up. His father was right to value him, but he was also very fond of his other children. Even if he told his father about this things, in the end, it would only turn big problems into small ones (bes a big scandal and overlook small problems).

    Jiang Wenrui had some doubts, but if he asked Jiang Hongfu, he would only answer that he did not know. So, he could not ask his son anymore questions. But it was a very strange thing. How could there be a carriage in the street that nearly hit his son so coincidentally?

    Jiang Wenrui went to change his clothes. After freshen himself up, he went to the yamen to ask the Governor to investigate the incident.

    Once there, the Governer exined to him, ¡°Lord Jiang, this is really an ident. The horse suddenly went crazy and got out of control. The groom was thrown off the carriage because of it.¡±

    Jiang Wenrui asked with a cold face, ¡°Then, where is the groom?¡±

    The Governor shook his head and said, ¡°The groom¡¯s injury was too serious that he had already passed away. Lord Jiang, did your son say where he went after the ident? ¡±

    Jiang Wenrui cracked a joke and said some words to deal with the Governor, but his face was very ugly once he was done. His son didn¡¯t tell him about it just now. Why did his son hide it from him? There must be something wrong going on.

    Jiang Xiaofang soon told Jiang Hongfu what he heard. Jiang Hongfu¡¯s looked more and more ugly as he asked, ¡°Did you say it was an ident?¡±

    Jiang Xiaofang repeated what the Governor had said, ¡°It was really an ident. The carriage driver was seriously injured and passed away.¡±

    Jiang Hongfu said with a straight face, ¡°Why didn¡¯t the carriage from the mansione to pick me up then? That can¡¯t also be an ident? ¡°

    Jiang Xiaofang also felt that today¡¯s incident was too coincidental. ¡°The carriage did left the residence, but the driver had a severe stomach-ache on the way, so the carriage was dyed.¡±

    Jiang Hongfu had taken the gray-d man¡¯s words with a grain of salt at the beginning, but he would have believed them now. One coincidence made sense, but two coincidences? How could there be so many coincidences in this world? It was clear that someone wanted to kill him. Unfortunately, Yu Shi¡¯s method was too clever to leave any trace, and also thanks to someone rescue effort. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be here anymore.

    Jiang Xiaofang and Jiang Hongfu grew up together. They said they were master and servant, but their rtionship was no different from those blood brothers. When he looked at Jiang Hongfu¡¯s face, he realised something odd. He thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Young Master, how did you get back to the residence?¡± He heard that Eldest Young Master appeared at the gate out of thin air. No matter how you looked at it, it was still felt odd!

    Jiang Hongfu didn¡¯t hide from Jiang Xiaofang whom he trusted so much, and told him what the gray-d man said.

    Jiang Xiaofang¡¯s face turned green, ¡°I did feel something was wrong. I didn¡¯t expect it was an borate n to kill the Eldest Young Master. It is detestable that we can¡¯t find the exact evidence.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for Eldest Young Master¡¯s luck of meeting a man with noble character, he would have really lost his life just like the way the poisonous woman wanted.

    Jiang Hongfu was surprised. Even he was being suspicious at the gray-d man at first. He didn¡¯t expect that Ah Fang would believe it all at once. ¡°You don¡¯t doubt that man has other ulterior motive?¡±

    Jiang Xiaofang replied, ¡°Although I don¡¯t know how this person knew about Yu Shi¡¯s poisonous n, he had saved Young Master. This is a great kindness. Young Master, you are the first son of your family and will inherit the family business in the future. With you still alive, can Second Young Master still step backdfor you in the future?¡° As long as his Eldest Young Master was well, not only his family¡¯s money, but also his contacts and other resources must be closely tied to him first.

    Jiang Xiaofang actually didn¡¯t say anything regarding this matter to his Young Master. His parents evenmented that Yu Shi was acting too enthusiastic about Eldest Young Master that her own children had to give way for him. It had never happened where a mother would love other people children dearly over their own blood children. When something was out of the norm, there usually a person with evil and fraudulent n behind the scene. His parents often whispered this matter to him. They afraid that he would be deceived by Yu Shi and exploited by her people.

    The reason why Jiang Hongfu was not close to Yu was also influenced by Old General Yun, his maternal grandfather. Old General Yun said that there were few good stepmothers in the world, especially those with their own biological children. He was warned to stay away from Yu Shi and not to be coaxed by her. Even if Yu Shi treated him warmly and expressed great concern for him, he would always treated her with indifferent attitude. However, she always acted very considerate of her manners when she was in the open.

    Being hardhearted had alway being Jiang Hongfu¡¯s forte. Despite Yu Shi treated him kindly over years, he was still unmoved. However, he didn¡¯t think what his grandfather had said was actually right. There had never been a good stepmother. All of them had bad intentions.

    Jiang Hongfu said with aplicated look, ¡°The man said that only when I went back to my mother hometown will Yu Shi not be able to harm me. He is right. Yu family power nowadays is in full swing. Not to mention that we haven¡¯t found any evidence. Even if we do find one, we won¡¯t still be able to shake her position.¡± Yu Shi had no roots in his mother hometown, so, it was absolutely impossible for her to get rid of him without anyone noticing. Moreover, if she dared to attack him in his mother¡¯s hometown, once evidence was found, even if Yu Shi had children, Jiang family would have to divorce her.

    Yuxi had once been married to Jiang family for six years. Even if she was a little transparent, she still knew some things. For example, the Jiang attached great importance to their children. If anyone dares to murder them, especially those with good qualifications and promising prospects, they would be severely punished as long as they were found out. This is also why Yuxi could say with confidence that Jiang Hongfu could only be safe when he returned to his mother¡¯s hometown.

    Jiang Xiaofang felt that returning to one¡¯s hometown was not a good idea. His Young Master¡¯s teachers and ssmates were all in the capital. If they had to go to Jiangnan, his Young Master had to start everything all over. Moreover, Eldest Young Master moved to Jiangnan would only benefit the poisonous woman, Yu Shi. ¡°Young Master, this matter still needs to be discussed with Master. He has always loved you. If he knew that Yu Shi tried to hurt you, he would certainly not spare her lightly. ¡°

    Jiang Hongfu thought for a long time and said, ¡°Let me think it over again.¡± One only needed one thousand days to be a thief, but where one had time to wait a thousand days to prevent the thieves (Chinese saying : It is difficult to achieve long-term prevention, there is always time for negligence¡­ If I was not wrong)!

    After thinking about it all night, Jiang Hongfu found Jiang Wenrui in the early morning of the next day and told him, ¡°Dad, I dreamed of my mother yesterday. My mother said that no one have been pulling the grass out of her grave. Dad, I want to go back to my mother¡¯s hometown to visit her grave.¡° He didn¡¯t told him that he would not return home for the time being once he was in his mother¡¯s hometown. If he told his father that, he would definitely not let him go.

    Jiang Wenrui was waiting for his son to exin to him what had happened yesterday, but he didn¡¯t expect such a conversation could ur. He stared at Jiang Hongfu and asked, ¡°What are you running away from? What can¡¯t you tell your dad?¡± Did he take him as a fool? Yesterday his son had an ident and now, today, he said he wanted to go to his mother¡¯s hometown. There was clearly something that his son had been hiding from him.

    Jiang Hongfu bowed his head and said nothing. He didn¡¯t know where to start, and he was afraid that his father would be disappointed with him once he told him about it.

 Chapter 63 - Jiang Hongfu (4)

    <strong>Chapter 63 : Jiang Hongfu (4)</strong>

    Jiang Hongfu¡¯s silence infuriated Jiang Wenrui, ¡°What is it that makes you avoid even telling me?¡±

    Jiang Hongfu immediately knelt on the ground and said, ¡°Dad, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know how to say it. It is such a strange matter that I¡¯m afraid, even you won¡¯t believe it.¡±

    Jiang Wenrui¡¯s face softened a lot as he said, ¡°I¡¯d like to hear what strange thing that makes you so sure that I won¡¯t believe it even before you can say it.¡± At this moment, he couldn¡¯t guess that Yu Shi had something to do with this incident. He only suspected that outside people had a hand on the matter.

    Jiang Hongfu decided to pull himself together as he told his father everything that had happened yesterday, except for the half silver ticket he received. Once he finished, he asked with an entangled expression, ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t know if what the man said is true or not?¡±

    Jiang Wenrui¡¯s expression was livid. He was starting to truly believe that it was an ident, but now he was told that it wasn¡¯t an ident. ¡°What¡¯s the identity of the gray-d man?¡± Seeing Jiang Hongfu shaking his head, he then asked, ¡°What does he look like?¡±

    Jiang Hongfu thought for a moment, then he described the man¡¯s physical characteristics.

    Jiang Wenrui had dealt with many things. After hearing themission, he could roughly guess that the man was an armed escort from an escort agency. He then found out that the man worked in Xinglong Escort Agency. It was not difficult for him to find out and it only took him a day to investigate. Of course, it was also the intention of Xinglong Escort Agency not to cover their trace. If they didn¡¯t want the Jiang to find out, the gray-d man wouldn¡¯t have let Jiang Hongfu to see his appearance.

    Jiang Wenrui immediately went to Xinglong Escort Agency.

    The manager of Xinglong Escort Agency listened to Jiang Wenrui¡¯s intention and readily admitted that the gray-d man was indeed the armed escort that they had sent. As for which escort, it was not convenient for him to reveal.

    Jiang Wenrui showed little interest in the armed escorts person, ¡°I just want to know who appointed you?¡± He suspected that the person behind the scenes had written and performed the story to his son. That person must have aimed to sow discord between father and son, mother and son rtionships.

    The manager of the escort agency rejected Jiang Wenrui¡¯s request and stated, ¡°Lord Jiang, there is a rule in our business that unless the court wants to investigate crimesmitted by criminals, the client¡¯s information cannot be disclosed.¡±

    Jiang Wenrui said, ¡°As long as you tell me who is behind the scenes, no matter what your requirements are, as long as I can do it, I will promise.¡± He really wanted to catch this person, otherwise the trouble would never end.

    The steward smiled and said, ¡°Lord Jiang, please forgive me, we can¡¯t break our own rice bowls (means of livelihood)!¡± If the client¡¯s information was disclosed easily, who dared to trust them anymore? Without reputation, the escort agency would only be closed down.

    Xinglong Escort Agency could be thergest in the capital not only because their armed escorts were good in martial arts, but it also had strong backers behind the scenes.

    Jiang Wenhui saw that the other party¡¯s attitude was resolute. Knowing that it would be useless for him to pester the manager anymore, he could only return to his residence in a depressed mood. Not long after he returned home, the main steward he sent to inquire on the incident also returned.

    The steward reported, ¡°Master, the groom named Zhou came from a poor family and his family livelihood solely depended on his one carriage. This man had an addiction, where he loved wines as his life (Chinese idiom : fond of the bottle/drinking).¡°

    Jiang Wenrui asked with a cold face, ¡°Did the man drink that day?¡± That was too coincidental if the man really did drink.

    The butler nodded, but then he added, ¡°Master, before the ident, the groom drank some wine and boasted to others that he would make a lot of money soon and would live a good life in the future. However, when he woke up from drinking, he refused to admit it, saying it was just an empty talks after drinking.¡±

    Jiang Wenrui¡¯s looks turned ugly. It could be seen from this that it was not an ident, just as he thought. He then asked, ¡°What else? Why didn¡¯t the residence carriage pick up Fu-er in time?¡± If the carriage had picked up his son on time, this incident would not have happened.

    Deep-fried dough cake or y¨®u b¨«ng

    Source | Baike Baidu

    The steward answered, ¡°I also asked the groom. He said that he ate from the big kitchen that day. Before he headed out to pick up Eldest Young Master, he was just done eating a deep-fried dough cake given by old Head Cao.¡°

    Jiang Wenhui asked, ¡°Old Head Cao? Who is he involved with?¡±

    The steward exined in details, ¡°Old Head Cao is the residence servant¡¯s child. However, Old Cao¡¯s wife, Liu Shi is the niece of Madam¡¯s personal maid, Mama Liu.¡±

    Jiang Wenrui, with a gloomy face, ordered, ¡°Don¡¯t check any more.¡±

    Jiang Hongfu expressed his disappointment when he heard his father said it was all an ident. He knew it would end up with such result. He also didn¡¯t investigate till the end because he knew it was impossible. He just said, ¡°Dad, I want to go back to my mother¡¯s hometown for a while.¡± He also thought a lot these two days, and finally decided that if his father opened his eyes for him, he would stay in the capital. If his father had settled the matter and still said that all of this was an ident, he would go back to his mother¡¯s hometown.

    Jiang Hongfu would make such a decision because he still had a glimmer of hope in his heart. Unfortunately, this hope was broken by his father himself.

    Jiang Wenrui saw his son¡¯s calm eyes as if he had known everything, and his throat rolled. His son seemed to grow into a person he didn¡¯t know in an instant. He said with difficult, ¡°How can Jiangnan be as good as the capital. Your teachers and ssmates are also here. What about your lessons when you go to Jiangnan?¡±

    Jiang Hongfu restrained his emotion as he said, ¡°There are also many famous teachers in Jiangnan.¡±

    No matter what Jiang Hongfu said, Jiang Wenrui refused.

    Jiang Hongfu had no choice but to unleash hisst deadly tactic, ¡°Dad, Jiangnan is not as good as the capital. Everyone knows that. But I dare not stay here any longer, otherwise I can¡¯t be at ease. I will always worry about my ident. Dad, let me go back to Jiangnan!¡° This time he narrowly escaped, but what about next time? What would happen to his father next time if he really let Yu Shi seeded? Would it still be like this? Whether he would be called timid or weak, he did not dare to gamble with his own life.

    Jiang Wenrui pped his hand on the table, ¡°I said it was an ident. Someone must have been ying tricks behind the scenes.¡±

    Jiang Hongfu did not argue with Jiang Wenrui, but said, ¡°Dad, all I know is that I would have already be dead without that person.¡± Although he did not know how that person knew Yu Shi wanted to harm him on that day, no matter what purpose that person had, he still owed that person for his life.

    A simple sentence left Jiang Wenrui speechless. He knew that his son was ming him for not being able to give him justice. But what could he do? Was it because of that deep-fried dough cake he should suspect Yu Shi for this crime? Not to mention that there was no solid evidence, even if there was one, this dirty linen could only be hidden in this holding. How could he let it out?

    After quite a while, Jiang Wenrui finally said, ¡°I won¡¯t let this happen again.¡± This was actually the same as admitting that Yu Shi was suspected.

    Jiang Hongfu shook his head and said, ¡°Dad, one needs one thousand days to be a thief, but there is no defence against thieves for one thousand days (T/N : I actually don¡¯t know how this idiom should be told literally. If anyone knows, please please let me know. I could not find anything in English for this peoverb).¡± If Yu Shi could harm him once, she could harm him twice. His maternal grandfather and cousin had gone, so, he had no help in the capital. Originally, he had some expectations for his father, but now he knew that his father was unreliable. As the person behind the scene had said, if he wanted to live, he must go back to Jiangnan, otherwise he would surely be killed by Yu Shi. Then, he would just die in vain. His father won¡¯t give up Yu Shi¡¯s family for him. Though, he couldn¡¯t say for sure that for the sake of his future, his father would also help Yu Shi to cover it up and not let the people in his mother¡¯s hometown knew about it.

    Jiang Wenrui knew his eldest son very well. Although he was usually easy to speak to, but once something touched his bottom line, whatever one said, it wouldn¡¯t matter. Knowing that there was no room for change, he finally sighed and said, ¡°You may as well go back to your mother¡¯s hometown. You just go there as a filial duty for your father, who hasn¡¯t returned for many years.¡±

    Jiang Hongfu nodded his head and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Jiang Wenrui thought for a moment and said, ¡°Let Hongjin go back with you this time.¡±

    Jiang Hongfu was stunned, but still he nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to Dad¡¯s arrangement.¡± As long as Yu Shi did not follow along, he would not be afraid.

    On hearing the news, Yu Shi was simply unwilling. Moreover, her argument was very sufficient, ¡°Jin-er is still small, what if something happens to him while they are on the road?¡±

    Jiang Wenrui said in a cold voice, ¡°I¡¯ve decided. You don¡¯t have to say anything anymore.¡± After that, he leaved with a flick of his sleeve (go off in a huff).

    There was a chill in Yu Shi¡¯s heart. From their marriage till now, the Lord had always treated her with gentleness. Today was the first time she saw him lose his temper. She feared that the thing she had done had been discovered by the Lord, so, she asked the old woman beside her, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you hadn¡¯t leave a trace?¡±

    Old woman Mi said with certainty, ¡°Madam, this handmaiden has done a very clean job. There are no traces left behind!¡± Her only regret was, Eldest Young Master had managed to escape from this cmity!

    Speaking of Jiang Hongfu¡¯s incident, Yu Shi was full of questions. ¡°How¡¯s the matter that I have asked you to inquire?¡± She needed to know how Jiang Hongfu had evaded the incident.

    Old woman Mi shook her head and said, ¡°I can¡¯t find anything!¡± Except for Jiang Wenrui and his son, only Jiang Xiaofang knew about this matter. Even if she had exceptional ability, she still could not find out more on it.

    Yu Shi thought of Jiang Hongfu¡¯s sudden request to return to Jiangnan, as both her eyebrows started to wrinkle together, ¡°What do you think the reason Lord suddenly let them go back together?¡±

    Old woman Mi also couldn¡¯t guess, ¡°This handmaiden couldn¡¯t think of anything.¡±

    Jiang Hongfu was a quick-witted person. First, he went to Baitan Academy to take leave from his teacher, by saying that he would go back to his mother¡¯s hometown. He didn¡¯t exin anything to his teacher even on the matter of when he woulde back. He only said that it would take a long time for him to return this time.

    After taking his leave, Jiang Hongfu said goodbye to some of his ssmates, then went back to Jiang residence and started to tidy things up. This time, when he went to Jiangnan, he was sure that he won¡¯t go back to the capital until he had done his regional examination. So there were a lot of many things that he needed to bring along.

    At this moment, Jiang Hongfu felt somewhat d that his mother¡¯s dowry was not in his family¡¯s hand, but in the hands of his grandmother. Old Madam Jiang loved her legitimate eldest grandson very much and would only supplement him a lot from her own savings. There was no way she would deduct it from his mother¡¯s dowry.

    Yu Shi did not want her son to follow Jiang Hongfu to Jiangnan, but Jiang Wenrui¡¯s attitude was firm. In her helplessness, she could finallye up with a way. Before departure, Jiang Hongjin fell ill. It was a real illness, not a fake one.

    Jiang Hongfu was unwilling to dy his journey for Jiang Hongjin at all. On the second day, he set out to Jiangnan as per schedule .

    Jiang Wenrui wanted Jiang Hongjin to follow Jiang Hongfu back to Jiangnan in order not to let both brothers had a fallen out. However, his n had been destroyed by Yu Shi. When he started to put the two events together, his heart suddenly turned cold.

 Chapter 64 - Rumour

    <strong>Chapter 64 : Rumour</strong>

    After studying with Momo (wet nurse) Quan for more than a month, many of Yuxi¡¯s habits were slowly changing. Even some of her bad habits were slowly being corrected.

    When end of the month arrived, Yuxi would have a day off from morning ss and she only needed to go to Tingyun Pavilion to learn etiquette in the afternoon as usual. On her way to Tingyun Pavilion that day, she somehow stumbled upon strolling Yujing.

    Yujing was the one who took initiative to greet Yuxi first as she smiled and then said, ¡°I heard that the two momo were female officials of high rank. It is a great blessing that Fourth Sister can learn the etiquette with Third Sister, while been taught by momo who had served the noble. Second Sister envies it very much!¡± It was nice when one had been told to have a great blessing, unfortunately, when Yuchen was add in thepliment, it was obvious she was mocking Yuxi for gaining benefits from being under Yuchen¡¯s light.

    Yuxi responded with a smile on her face, ¡°Yes, I am said to be blessed! However, when one have so much blessings in life, one have to really cherish them.¡± With this, her eyes could not help falling on the maid standing beside Yujing. This maid was quite unfamiliar. She didn¡¯t know if Yunqi and Yung who served Yujing before, had been sold or sent to her family hamlets.

    Yujing squeezed her handkerchief tightly. This was no longer mocking her for not being blessed nor not knowing how to cherish her blessings. Normally, she would restrain herself, but once she got so angry, she couldn¡¯t control herself. ¡°You are nothing more than Yuchen¡¯s bum beetle (somebody who like to tag along). I want to see how long you can stay this arrogant.¡±

    Yuxi slightly smiled, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same as saying that Second Sister is much worse than a bum beetle?¡±

    Hongshan reminded Yuxi in a low voice, ¡°Miss, we have to go. If we arete, Momo Quan will punish you.¡± Then she looked at Yujing warily, afraid that she would rush up and crazily hurt her Miss, just likest time.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Second Sister, you should continue your slow stroll. I will leave first.¡±

    Yujing looked at Yuxi¡¯s back as her eyes shed with hatred. If it wasn¡¯t for Han Yuxi, her Grandmother wouldn¡¯t have put her under house arrest, and her father wouldn¡¯t have ignored her. These were all Han Yuxi¡¯s faults, so, she must return this debt back with interest.

    Yuxi turned around and she just happened to see Yujing¡¯s eyes full of hatred. She did not know why, but a saying emerged in her mind, ¡®when cutting down weeds, cut them to the roots. Otherwise, they will return with the spring breeze (Chinese proverb : one should finish a task entirely, or the effort might be wasted).¡®

    The maid who caught Yuxi¡¯s eyes just now, was called Sixin, and she had not been by Yujing¡¯s side that long. She looked at Yuxi¡¯s back and deliberately said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve heard that Fourth Miss is a coward and always feels inferior. I dare not say a word when I see people bragging about it. But when I finally see Fourth Miss, she is not like the rumours at all. It feels so strange.¡±

    Yujing was already furious. When she heard her maid praising Yuxi, her face was full of rage. She kicked Sixin to the ground and scolded, ¡°You sure have intention to curry favour with that darn girl. Even if I kill you, I won¡¯t let you have the chance to sell yourself for glory.¡° Her temperament was known not to be good as she treated her maids with beating and cursing for each of their wrongdoings. Moreover, she always got herself into trouble and her maids would surely got implicated along. Just like the previous affairs where the Old Madam disposed her personal maids, Yung and Yunqi.

    Sixin knelt on the ground, wiped away her tears and said, ¡°Miss, this handmaiden is wrong. Handmaiden suddenly remembered one thing. Before, handmaiden had heard several mama chatting, as they gossiped about Fourth Miss who had changed to someone else since she gotten well. Seeing Fourth Miss today, handmaiden felt that she was different from the hearsay. This handmaiden was so surprised that handmaiden couldn¡¯t help saying more. ¡°

    Yujing immediately caught the main part in Sixin¡¯s words. She tried to remember Yuxi¡¯s past behaviour andpared it with Yuxi¡¯s current behaviour. Didn¡¯t it seem like Yuxi had changed into someoother person?

    Sixin lowered her head, hiding the haze in her eyes from Yujing.

    Two dayster, there was a rumour in the residence, saying that Fourth Miss had been possessed by dirty thing after she was healed from smallpox. The current Fourth Miss was simply a monster, with the real one to be said, had already passed away. As for the evidence, Yuxi¡¯s great changes before and after were used as the best evidence.

    The Rose Courtyard was now very well informed of the rumour, and it soon discovered by Yuxi herself. She chuckled, ¡°Possessed by dirty thing? What dirty thing?¡° Although her experience was a little strange, but somehow, being told that she was possessed by dirty thing seemed soughable to her.

    Hongshan was so anxious that she nearly fainted, ¡°Miss, how can you stillugh? This matter must quickly be told to Madam!¡°

    Yuxi smiled and asked, ¡°Do you believe I¡¯m possessed by dirty thing?¡±

    Hongshan quickly answered, ¡°This handmaiden naturally does not believe it.¡± Her Master was perfectly normal. How could she be a monster?

    A smile appeared on Yuxi¡¯s face, ¡°Then, that¡¯s enough. Isn¡¯t others busy saying that about me? Then, we will not interfere with this and just let nature take its course.¡° She was not afraid of such rumour. She was not at the age of marriage now. Even if there were other rumoursing out now, they would be forgotten in some corners in three to five years from now and would not have influence on her at all. But those people who spread the rumour must have gotten something from this.

    Yuxi was not worry because she believed that the rumour would not spread out of the government. Her Eldest Aunt was really indeed managed the household properties, not just acting as a decoration.

    The rumour did notst long in the state residence, with Qiu Shi knowing about it at the earliest possible time. She immediately caught two old women who ferociously spread the rumour, and then they were severely canned, directly in front of the other maids. She then ordered a thorough investigation on the matter. As long as they were caught, they would be severely punished.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s temper was normally impatient, but after so many years of marriage to the state residence, the heaviest punishment she ever gave was only 20 boards for two old women who took advantaged of their seniority. But this time, she directly resorted to wrath measures which shocked the people working below.

    In order to subdue them, Qiu Shi had to trace the source to see who spread such rumour. That person must have been malicious enough to even dare spreading it and certainly needed to be punished.

    Qiu Shi acted quickly and soon found out that the news came from Yuru¡¯s courtyard. She thought that Yuru was not courageous enough to do it, and the most important thing was, there was no contradiction between Yuru and Yuxi. She let her people continue to check, soon found the real culprit, Yujing.

    With that evidence, Qiu Shi immediately told the matter to the Old Madam, ¡°Mother-inw, Second Girl is the one who spread such rumour. She clearly wants to destroy Xi girl! They only had a little spat. However, I don¡¯t know why but I can feel that there was a deep hatred between them. Otherwise, how could she spread such vicious rumour?¡± This time, she had to be ruthless. It was also because, if this incident was not handled well, it would cause immeasurable consequencester on.

    The Old Madam really didn¡¯t know about this matter, mainly because Mama Luo did not dare to tell her, for fear that the Old Madam would get anxiously angry.

    Seeing that the Old Madam did not speak, Qiu Shi thought the Old Madam did not believe her and said, ¡°If Mother-inw does not believe it, I can present the evidence.¡±

    The Old Madam and Qiu Shi had been mother-inw and daughter-inw for more than ten years. How could the Old Madam not know Qiu Shi¡¯s character? If it wasn¡¯t for a conclusive evidence, Qiu Shi wouldn¡¯t havee to her. The Old Madam¡¯s face was livid. It was normal for sisters to have conflicts and quarrels. She wouldn¡¯t interfere with it as long as it was not too much. However, it was a pity that one of the sisters had the tendency to spread such rumour. ¡°Go and call Second Girl.¡±

    Yujing was not stupid. Why would she admit it? She immediately cried foul, ¡°I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t spread such rumours. Someone must have framed me.¡±

    Qiu Shi pointed at the three people kneeling on the ground. Two were old woman from Yujing¡¯s courtyard. The other one was Sixin, Yujing¡¯s personal maid. Yujing exined that she didn¡¯t incite them, but no one believed her words.

    Yujing simply refused to recognize what she had not done. ¡°I didn¡¯t, she ndered me. Grandma, do you really believe that I spread this rumour? ¡°

    Mama Li said, ¡°Second Miss, these people are servants of your yard. How will they dare to nder you?¡± ndering your master, would make you either be killed, or be sold together with your whole family.

    Yujing suddenly felt her good fortune hade as her mind worked so well (Chinese idiom : when fortune is on one¡¯s side, one has a mental acuteness all its own) as she cried out, ¡°It must have been that ghost thing who has smeared my name. She retaliated on me by using such vile mean. Grandmother, don¡¯t let that ghost thing fools you. She¡¯s trying to get back at me by spreading such rumour.¡± Her words perfectly exined the meaning of the old saying that there was no 300 taels of silver buried here (Chinese idiom : a clumsy denial resulting in self-exposure).

    The Old Madam couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, that she shouted angrily, ¡°Somebody, take Second Girl back to her courtyard.¡± Even if Yuxi wanted to retaliate, she won¡¯t be so stupid to use such a method of self-injury.

    Yujing was put under house arrest again by the Old Madam.

    Yuxi was relieved when she heard the news. At the same time, she heard another news that Concubine Lian had another miscarriage.

    On the same day, Concubine Rong was sent to the family temple.

    The Old Madam¡¯s behaviour made it easy to think that Concubine Rong was behind the incident. Yuxi was somewhat surprised. Why did the Old Madam act so vigorously this time around?

    Hongshan secretly said to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, the person behind Concubine Lian lost her baby this time is probably Mama Li, the mama beside the Madam.¡± She did not dare to speak ill of Qiu Shi in front of Yuxi, so she took a turn and said that Mama Li was the murderer.

    Yuxi reminded, ¡°This matter has nothing to do with us anyway. Don¡¯t discuss it any more.¡± She had been wondering why the Old Madam was so anxious to send Concubine Rong away. So, this was the reason.

    ¡°Without Concubine Rong and Second Miss, the residence would be much quieter,¡± said Hongshan. This time around, it had been estimated that Second Miss would be under house arrest for another year and a half.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Who knows?¡± After Concubine Rong leaved, there was still Concubine Lian. This woman wasn¡¯t someone easy to be deal with. Especially when it came to her recent miscarriage. If it was really done by Eldest Aunt¡¯s hand, how would she herself not know about it. In the future, someone would surely start making trouble.

    Hongshan looked at Yuxi and said what had been hidden from the public, ¡°Concubine Lian had two miscarriages in session, which has greatly weakened her vitality. The doctor said that it will be difficult for her to get pregnant again.¡±

    Yuxi thought that this was a good thing.

    The day after the incident, Momo Chang asked Yuru, ¡°Second Miss is been punished. Did Miss intercede for her?¡± Yuru had a bad rtionship with Yujing which she had seen for a long time. However, she had been waiting for the right opportunity to ask Yuru personally.

    Yuru¡¯s face turned stiff. Yujing was now been severely punished. She was already kind enough not to drop stones on Yujing who had fallen into a well (Chinese idiom : hit a person when he¡¯s down). Now, her Momo also want her help to intercede. How could it be possible.

    Momo Chang was a very conscientious person and said, ¡°Eldest Miss, you and Second Miss are both youngdies from the residence. One honour, all will be honoured. One lose, all will loose.¡±

    Yuru¡¯s face became more stiff.

    Momo Chang said, ¡°If Second Miss has a bad reputation, you will be the one most affected.¡± Now that Yujing¡¯s reputation had gone bad, other youngdies in the residence would also be implicated. However, Third Miss and Fourth Miss were still young, and they were also currently learning from Teacher Song, so they would be less affected by this.

    Yuru¡¯s hands shook, but she still stayed silent.

    Momo Chang frowned. As an elder sister, Yuru should take care of her younger siblings and set a good example, but she was so small-minded. ¡°But, Eldest Miss does not have to worry about it. This matter will certainly not leak out to the outside world.¡± Even if there was a meat rotting inside a pot, no outsider would be able to know.

    Yuru¡¯s expression at once rxed.

    Momo Chang paused and asked curiously, ¡°Eldest Miss, I see you rarely walk with Third Miss and Fourth Miss. I wonder why?¡±

    Yuru answered somewhat unnaturally, ¡°Third Sister and Fourth Sister are busy, and I don¡¯t feel good at disturbing them.¡± In fact, if Yuru suddenly saw Yuchen and Yuxi, she would immediately felt so nervous.

    Momo Chang remarked, ¡°Third Miss is outstanding in appearance and naturally intelligent. Now that she¡¯s been taught by a famous teacher, with guidance lead by Momo Gui and Momo Quan, her future will be limitless. Although Fourth Miss is not as good as Third Miss, however, her future will certainly end up good.¡°

    As the remarks fell on Yuru¡¯s ears, it was clearly stating that she could not hold a candle to Yuchen and Yuxi. She heard that she currently couldn¡¯t even match Yuxi the clearest, ¡°Is it possible that there¡¯s something in Momo¡¯s mind?¡±

    Momo Chang sighed in her heart and muttered to herself that if Eldest Miss could not understand even this, then, Eldest Miss¡¯ intelligence must have been too bad.

    Momo Chang stopped beating around the bush as she said, ¡°Third Miss and Fourth Miss have a bright futures. Eldest Miss need to be more close to them since Miss will depend on this rtionshipster on. Even if Miss really doesn¡¯t want to be close with them, then, Miss shouldn¡¯t offend them. After a woman gets married, her family¡¯s brothers and sisters would be her greatest helping hands. If there is no help from her family¡¯s brothers and sisters, if her husband¡¯s family turns against her, there will be no bones for her maiden family to collect. In less severe case, she would be sent to her husband family temple where she will spend the rest of her whole lonely life apanying Buddha. ¡°

    Yuru¡¯s expression kept on changing, ¡°Momo, do you really need to scare me with these words just to make me to get along well with my Third and Fourth sisters?¡±

    Momo Chang was patient, ¡°I am not scaring Miss, but there are too many such cases.¡± Then, she told Yuru a few real cases. These women who did not have the support of their maiden families ended up in a miserable fate.

    Yuru was trembling all over.

    Momo Chang advised, ¡°If Miss insist on alienating Third Miss and Fourth Miss, it will be Miss who will suffer. I¡¯ve said all I can, I¡¯ll let Eldest Miss judge it yourself!¡°

    The conversation with Momo Chang worked as a warning to Yuru. That night, she had a nightmare. She dreamed of her husband¡¯s family was treating her not goodr, so, she went back to her maiden family for help. The result was, Qiu Shi ignored her, Han Jianming and Han Jianye also ignored her. When she then ask for help from Yuchen and Yuxi, they also ignored her. Finally, she was forced to death by her husband¡¯s family.

    Ancient oilmp made of Princess Tree wood.

    Source | ãòÖÝÔ­ÉúÌ¬ÓÍÖ½É¡³§ (Quzhou Original Eco-oil Paper Umbre Factory)

    Qingxuan heard someone calling for her in her haze. She felt a tingle as she hurriedly got up from bed and lit the oilmp made of Princess Tree wood.

    This time, Qingxuan saw Yuru¡¯s head was full of sweat, with her whole people was terribly shaking that frightened Qingxuan, ¡°Miss, Miss, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    Yuru tugged at Qingxuan¡¯s hand tightly and said, ¡°I had a nightmare.¡± This nightmare was so terrible since she was forced to die like that. Thinking of this, she again started to get a cold sweat.

    Holding Yuru in her arms, Qingxuan gently soothed, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Miss, it¡¯s just a dream.¡± She also don¡¯t know what kind of dream it was which had scared her Miss like this.

    Yuru naturally could not tell Qingxuan about her dream, but she began to think seriously about what Momo Chang had told her.

 Chapter 65 - The Gift Is Trifling But The Feeling Is Profound

    <strong>Chapter 65 : The Gift Is Trifling But The Feeling Is Profound</strong>

    Time flies. In a twinkling of an eye, it was finally end of the year. Annual gifts from Hebei had also arrived.

    Qiu Shi looked at the list of gifts and said with a smile, ¡°The Third Master is getting bigger and bigger, but the gifts are getting fewer and fewer.¡± The more money the officials made, the more stingy they became.

    Mama Li said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at it, Madam. Let this old servant put them in the warehouse!¡± Looking at them would only make her Madam be angry over something trifles. What the eye didn¡¯t see, the heart didn¡¯t grieve over (Chinese idiom : out of sight, out of mind).

    After receiving the gifts list, Mama Li said, ¡°Madam, I heard that this time, Third Master sent tworge boxes of gifts to Fourth Miss.¡±

    Qiu Shi responded, ¡°Old Madam must have said something to him!¡± The only person who had position to advise others in this household was the Old Madam, which made it easy for her to guess.

    The one who received the gift, Yuxi, looked really calm. Others couldn¡¯t see any joy or even sadness in her expression. She looked unenthusiastic as she ordered someone to open the boxes, ¡°Look at what they have sent.¡±

    Zanhuang golden silk jujube

    Source | ÔÞ»ÊÔæÔª¹ûÒµ via Taobao

    Dried apricot plum

    Source | Î÷°²ÊÐÎ´ÑëÇøº£ÓÀ°î°Ù»õµê via 1688

    Dried duck pear / Chinese white pear

    Source | Taobao

    Inside the two big boxes, one was filled with Zanhuang golden silk jujube, dried apricot plum, and dried duck pear (Chinese white pear). While inside the other box, there were several paintings made of white reeds. The pictures were very distinctive. There were the pictures of a red-crown crane, old man fishing, and a tercel (male eagle) spreading its wings.

    Red-crown crane

    Source | ¶«·½°× via Sina

    Old man fishing

    Source | ¶«·½°× via Sina

    The only image of a tercel in reeds painting that I could find created by Zhou Hang.

    Source | Xinhua News

    Yuxi ordered the people to put everything away, ¡°Put all the foods in the kitchen. The red-crown crane will be hanging in my study. In addition, ¡®Old Man Fishing¡¯ is given to Eldest Brother. The ¡®Tercel Spreads Its Wings¡¯ shall be kept first. I will give it to Second Brother when I meet him.¡±

    When receiving gift, there was nothing wrong with giving away extra one, as long as the gift received was not a single item. However, the problem now was, it was Yuxi¡¯s first time receiving gifts from her father, but she was not excited at all. Instead, she could calmly distribute them. This attitude caused people of the residence had no choice but to ponder deeply over.

    In the afternoon, as usual, Yuxi went to Tingyun Pavilion to learn etiquette. Seeing Yuchen smiling face, she asked, ¡°Did Third Sister get anything good?¡±

    Yuchen smilingly said, ¡°It¡¯s not really that good thing. It¡¯s just a set of bone china tea set. What did Fourth Sister get? ¡±

    Yuxi evaded the serious matters, and took up trifles (Chinese idiom : avoid what¡¯s important and dwell on the trivial) as she said, ¡°Father sent me several paintings, all of which are very distinctive. I picked out the one with the crane to be hanged up in my study.¡±

    Yuchen¡¯s mood was somewhatplicated. It seemed that her father had never sent her a painting. In her heart, the paintings her father had sent to Yuxi must be paintings painted by famous artists. ¡°Really? Can I go to your yardter and see the paintings that father gave you?¡±

    Yuxi hesitated a little, but then, she finally lowered her head, slowly, ¡°Naturally, you can.¡±

    When Momo Quan saw Yuxi, she did not immediately started the ss, but instead, she asked, ¡°The annual gifts from Third Master arrived today. Third Miss was very happy with her gift. Didn¡¯t Fourth Miss also get a gift?¡±

    Yuxi nodded and answered, ¡°Yes, two big boxes of them.¡±

    Momo Quan asked Yuxi to sit down. She also sat cross-legged in front of Yuxi and asked, ¡°Then, why didn¡¯t I see any joy in your face?¡±

    Yuxi no longer bowed her head, because she had been instructed by Momo Quan not to act petty, so she had to sit with face up while facing Momo Quan¡¯s inquiry. She may not bow her head, but she did not speak either. She just sat there while remaining silent.

    Momo Quan asked, ¡°Do you have resentment in your heart? You resent Third Master for not paying attention to you over the years, and, even if he did sent something to you this time, you will still resent him.¡±

    How could Yuxi bear this kind of reputation, ¡°I have no resentment. He is my father, the biological father who gave birth to me and raised me. I am also very happy to receive the present today, but I am not as happy as my Third Sister.¡° After a pause, she exined, ¡°Third Sister got aplete set of bone china tea set. My two big boxes are not worth as much as a cup from the gift that Third Sister received.¡±

    Momo Quan was taken aback for a moment, but with a straight face, she quickly reprimanded Yuxi, ¡°Don¡¯t say that your father sent you two big boxes of things, even if it was only a feather which is also still out of concern for you and it¡¯s a piece of your father¡¯spassionate heart.¡±

    Yuxi wanted tough when she heard the words ¡®a piece of her father¡¯spassionate heart¡¯. Han Jingyan ignored her for 16 years in her previous life. For all that 16 years, he had treated her as she was nothing. When he heard that she didn¡¯t want to marry Jiang Hongjin, he threw a white silk cloth to her. It was really a great irony that apassionate father was even used to describe Han Jingyan. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯tugh, as she started to cry, with tears trickling down her cheeks.

    Momo Quan had spent more than three months in the state residence, so she was quite clear of Yuxi¡¯s situation. It would not be something surprising if Yuxi did confessed that she did feel resentment towards her father. This time, seeing Yuxi cried in front of her, she did not sooth her, but she instead just sat there watching her cried. When Yuxi¡¯s crying started to end, she handed Yuxi a handkerchief, and her words were very gentle, ¡°Please wipe away your tears.¡±

    After Yuxi regained her calm, she shyly said, ¡°Momo, please don¡¯t take offence.¡±

    Momo Guan did not me her, but gave her some advices, ¡°Fourth Miss, filial piety is the foundation of human beings. If filial piety is lost, no matter how talented you are nor how good are your appearance, you will never be tolerated by others in this world!¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°Moreover, a woman will have a very difficult time without the support of her father and brother before and after marriage.¡±

    Yuxi gave a wry smile, ¡°I do know everything Momo said, it¡¯s just ¡­¡± After a pause, she said, ¡°I also don¡¯t want to conceal this from Momo. I actually haven¡¯t seen my father since I was born. People around me and my own father don¡¯t like me and my mother. They said I was superfluous. Therefore, I think the gift I received this time should have been prepared by my stepmother, and somehow, my father did not know about it. ¡°

    ¡°Fourth Miss, that¡¯s your mother,¡± Momo Quan said with disapproval. ¡°Fourth Miss, I know the Third Madam is a secondary wife and despite that, she is still your elder. When you face her, you must be courteous enough to make no mistake.¡±

    Yuxi understood what Momo Quan meant. ¡°Momo, I will correct it.¡± She still had a lot to learn.

    Momo Quan directly omitted Third Madam from the household hierarchy. She had stayed in the residence for so long. She knew that there were Old Madam Han and Madam of the household, Qiu Shi. Even when Wu Shi came to the residence, Yuxi would not be easily bullied. As long as Yuxi thoroughlymanded her etiquettes, she had nothing else to worry about. Momo Quan said, ¡°Fourth Miss, everyone in this world has parents. You must remember that Third Master is not only your closest rtives, but also your greatest dependence. You must be respectful and filial to him.¡± Being respectfully dutiful and thoroughly courteous, although they felt like they shared the same meaning, their actual meanings were actually very different.

    When Yuxi heard this, she painfully said, ¡°Momo, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± She knew that if she wanted to live well in the state residence, she must suppress her resentment in her heart and tried to please the Old Madam and her father. But, she could not do it. She could not pretend to like it even though she hated it. She could not even show her actual emotion.

    Momo Quan looked at Yuxi, and her mind couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She was being too demanding. After all, this child was only five years old, and had been treated unfairly. It would have been very hard for Yuxi to do this now. ¡°I will teach you how to do it.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face showed a relieved look, ¡°Thank you, Momo.¡±

    Momo Quan shook her head and said, ¡°You¡¯re wee. Nurturing momo not only teaches rules and etiquette, but also teaches youngdies on how to deal with the world, how to manage the family and how to control it.¡± She couldn¡¯t guarantee whether Yuxi would be able to be wholeheartedly filial, but what she wanted to ensure was that Yuxi conducted herself respectfully in public and must not cause other people to easily pick out her mistakes.

    Yuxi was stupefied. So, an actual original nurturing momo would teach so much thing. No wonder when Yuchen went out to socialise in herst life, she had been praised highly. Later on, when she became the Empress, she was praised for having her mother, the first Third Madam¡¯s demeanour. Though, it was actually the nurturing momo who had put so much in nurturing Yuchen. While, the old woman who had taught her in herst life did not deserve to be called a nurturing momo at all.

    Looking at Yuxi¡¯s stupefied face, Momo Quan asked, ¡°Why? Do you think it is too much?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and replied, ¡°No, I¡¯m just very happy. I¡¯m very happy that I¡¯m going to learn so many things from Momo.¡± These were all practical things that would benefit her all her life.

    Momo Quan said slightly, ¡°I will teach you, but how much you can learn, and to what extent, depends on your own.¡± There was a good saying, the master led you to the door, the rest was up to you (Chinese saying : you can lead a horse to water but you can¡¯t make him drink).

    Yuxi hastily nodded and promised, ¡°I will certainly study hard.¡±

    At the end of the day, Yuxi¡¯s ss was finally over. Just outside of the room, she saw Yuchen¡¯s personal maid, Shiqin waiting in the courtyard. Shiqin was left behind by Yuchen to invite Yuxi for dinner, ¡°After dinner, my Miss would like to go to Rose Courtyard together with Fourth Miss to look at paintings.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face shed oddly. Looking at paintings? What was so good about paintings made of reeds? At this time, it never crossed her mind that Yuchen would think that Han Jingyan had sent her famous paintings. ¡°Okay.¡± Now that she was invited to stay, she could also take the opportunity to try the medicated meals made by Momo Quan.

    Therge table was filled with dishes and they were served inside blue and white porcin tes. While, the chopsticks that were ced on the dishes were now glowing with warm lustre. On closer inspection, they were all made of ivory.

    Yuxi thought that this was too luxurious and confirmed her thought that Yuchen was indeed the granddaughter the Old Madam loved the most. Even the tes and chopsticks were so exquisite. However, wouldn¡¯t it be too wasteful to fill the wholerge table with dishes for both of them? There was an unspoken criticism in her heart, but she wouldn¡¯t be glib enough to speak it out loud.

    Yuchen examined her clothes and then went to the dining hall. When she saw Yuxi, she smiled and asked, ¡°Have you been waiting long, Fourth Sister?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head, ¡°No, I¡¯ve just arrived.¡±

    At this time, four maids came in, with the first carrying a ss of water, the second an empty basin, the third a copper basin of water, and the fourth a handkerchief.

    Yuxi saw Yuchen gargle first, then spit into the second basin. After that, she washed her hands in the copper basin. Finally, she took the handkerchief to dry her hands.

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes shed. She had never been attended by a maid, as she wasn¡¯t in a position as high as Yuchen. She did not say anything. She just received the tea handed over by another maid. Her action was the same as Yuchen.

    After the two sat down, Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of dishes Fourth Sister likes. Next time, I¡¯ll ask cook to prepare them. This time I¡¯ll have to ask Fourth Sister to make do with these.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s Chinese dinner was usually consisted of four dishes and one soup. Even with this specification, she still thought it was a waste. She did not know how much would it cost to have this much dishes on the table, ¡°Third Sister, I¡¯m not picky about food. I eat everything.¡± People who had experienced hunger would never be picky with foods.

    The dishes on this table were not only full of colour, but full of fragrance and the taste was also very good. They were much better than the meals made by Old Madam¡¯s cooks.

    Yuxi ate till seventy percent full and was not going to eat any more. However, she didn¡¯t expect the maid to bring another bowl of medicated food. Under this circumstance, one must eat it, even if one did not want to eat anymore.

    After the first bite, Yuxi nearly lick her bowl. It was really delicious. It was the first time she ate such delicious food. After living for more than 20 years in her previous life, she had never tasted such delicious food. She had really wasted her time back then.

    After dinner, the maid brought tea for rinsing and cleaning their mouth again. Yuxi asked, ¡°Third Sister, this medicated meal is really delicious. Who made it?¡± In fact, she could clearly guessed that it was made by Momo Quan.

    Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°This was made by Momo Quan. She will make a bowl every day.¡± Even she who was used to eat good things, was shocked when she first ate the medicated meal made by Momo Quan.

    NOOB TRANSLATOR¡¯S MUSING

    I just knew that any wife a man in ancient China married to after his main wife had passed away would be called his secondary wife. No matter if she was the third, fourth or even the eight woman he married to. Her title would forever be ¡®a secondary wife¡¯. Her children would have the same benefits as the main wife¡¯s children. However, the main wife¡¯s children would always have the priority in everything over secondary wife¡¯s children.

    Oh, and the title of this chapter was based on a famous Chinese saying. It is equivalent to a saying, ¡®it¡¯ s the thought that counts¡¯. Though, in this chapter, it¡¯s kind of a sarcastic remark towards ¡®Han Jingyan¡¯ s gifts¡¯ to Yuxi.

 Chapter 66 - Different In Treatment

    <strong>Chapter 66 : Different In Treatment</strong>

    After dinner, Yuchen went to Rose Courtyard with Yuxi.

    Yuxi noticed that behind Yuchen there was a group of people that consisted of six maids, two old women and the two momo, Momo Quan and Momo Gui. The corner of her mouth suddenly twitch. Did you need to put up such a big appearance? We were only at home!

    Yuchen saw Yuxi had an unnatural expression while ncing behind her, so she softly told her, ¡°Momo Gui demands me to bring these people every time I leave my courtyard.¡±

    Yuxi whispered back, ¡°I didn¡¯t see you bringing these many maids to Magnolia Courtyard.¡±

    Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°Teacher Song doesn¡¯t like seeing so many people, so I only bring two maids.¡± No matter what Momo Gui asked her to do, she would not dare to let Yuchen disrespect her teacher.

    Yuxi looked at the sky, going speechless.

    Yuchen and Yuxi talked about a lot of things along the way, which were mostly about chess and painting.

    Momo Gui watched Yuchen chattering all the time that she had to cough for several times. Unfortunately, Yuchen did not understand what she meant. Yuxi understood but she did not say anything.

    When the maids and old women of Rose Courtyard saw such a big group of people, they went dumbfounded for a second. It was Moju and Motao who reacted quickly. They hurriedly moved forward towards Yuchen and greeted, ¡°Third Miss is well.¡±

    The greetings were unevenly match which made Momo Quan frowned at them. The rules in Rose Courtyard was really bad.

    Yuchen looked at the setup of Rose Courtyard for a split second with an unnatural face. When she saw theyout of the study, her expression turnedpletely bad.

    Yuxi pointed to the picture hanging behind her desk and said, ¡°Third Sister, this is the Crane that father gave me.¡±

    Yuchen was dumbfounded when she looked at the painting. After a while, she asked, ¡°What kind of picture is this?¡± She thought it was a crane painted by a famous artist, but she didn¡¯t expect that it was a crane woven out of something she didn¡¯t recognised. Although it was rtively novel, such things are really not suitable for study as it looked neither fish nor fowl (Chinese idiom : nondescript).

    Baiyangdian Lake

    Source | VGN Photo via CGTN

    Yuxi smiled and answered, ¡°This is called reed weaving painting. It is made of reeds from Baiyangdian Lake. It is said that this reed weaving painting is one of the features of Hebei. ¡°

    Even if Yuchen didn¡¯t go out much, she still knew that the reeds from Baiyangdian were not valuable things, and the paintings made from them were also not valuable. Although they were rare, but wasn¡¯t it a bit too much to send them to Yuxi from far away in Hebei?

    Momo Quan¡¯s face was also not looking good. Just now, when she listened to Yuxi¡¯sins, she thought that Yuxi was having a small temper. However, she didn¡¯t expect that what Yuxi said was true. As the first daughter of a second wife, how could such a big gap not making people wanting for more?

    Thinking quickly, Momo Gui said with a smile, ¡°I heard that Third Master had given a lot of gifts to Miss. What else are there besides this reed painting?¡±

    Yuxi felt a little embarrassed, but when she noticed that Yuchen was also looking at her, she said, ¡°There are some jujubes, dried apricots plums, and dried pears. I¡¯m going to send some for Third Sister and two momo to taste when I get back.¡±

    Aside from Yuchen and Momo Quan, even Momo Gui¡¯s face also started to look bad. She was not thinking of Yuxi¡¯s unfairness, but felt that th person who prepared the gifts were up to no good. Both Yuchen and Yuxi were the first daughters of the second house, but the treatments for both was as far apart as heaven and earth (Chinese idiom : an immeasurably vast difference). That person was trying to create bad blood between these two sisters!

    Yuchen¡¯s face was red as she was already getting angry.

    When Yuxi sent Yuchen out of the Rose Garden, she shyly asked, ¡°Third Sister, can I ask you for one thing?¡±

    Yuchen¡¯s heart unable to ept the scenes she just saw. However, seeing Yuxi saying this to her, she hurriedly answered, ¡°As long as I can do it, I will promise you.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°My sister¡¯s cook makes delicious pastries. Do you think you can let my cook learn some from her?¡±

    Yuchen shook her head, ¡°Whatever sister wants to eat, just directly send a person to tell me. I¡¯ll let my cook make it for you.¡±

    Yuxi tried to climb up the pole (Chinese metaphor : caters to the owner¡¯s will, with a view to gaining fame and status) as she said, ¡°Third Sister, the food prepared by your cook is really delicious. Can I have dinner at Tingyun Pavilion every day from now on?¡± She did not need to ask about the delicious food she had just eaten. She knew it was Momo Quan¡¯s medicinal meal. The Old Madam had racked her brain (Chinese idiom : to take great pains to think sth through) to have Momo Quan made the medicated cuisine that for sure would make one¡¯s body health fabulous.

    Now, Yuxi had identified that all the things Yuchen used were absolutely the best. Since she had already been described as being in the light of Yuchen, so why not she got a real dip in the light for once.

    Yuchen agreed without thinking much. For her, Yuxi¡¯s dinner at Tingyun Pavilion was just involved in adding an extra pair of bowls and chopsticks.

    Momo Gui gave Yuxi a second look.

    Back in Tingyun Pavilion, Yuchen face was down. What was Wu Shi trying to do? If two people¡¯s gifts were not the same it didn¡¯t matter, but the difference was so big that it was impossible that no one wouldn¡¯t be ufortable inside. If Wu Shi was going to give something like that, might as well not give them both at all.

    Momo Gui sang a rare praise of Yuxi to Momo Quan, ¡°Fourth Miss is indeed pretty good.¡± The gap between Tingyun Pavilion and Rose Courtyard was like ginseng abalone and green vegetable radish. However, she did not see any dissatisfaction and jealousy in Yuxi¡¯s eyes, which was quite rare.

    Momo Quan nodded her head.

    Although Momo Gui felt that Yuxi had many advantages, Yuxi also had many disadvantages. For example, she had always had the inkling feeling of been taking advantage of when Yuxi decided to have her dinner at Tingyun Pavilion. Thinking till here, Momo Gui could not help but asked, ¡°Do you think she knows the benefits of medicated dies since she was so eager in making such a request?¡±

    Momo Quan¡¯s heart moved, but there was no sign of it on her face. She just smiled and said, ¡°Fourth Miss is only a five-year-old child and nobody has really taught her. She can not know what effect medicated diet has. However, she thinks the medicated diet is delicious. What a greedy mouth!¡°

    Momo Gui also felt that she was probably thinking too much. Without Momo Quan, she would have thought that a five-year-old child was being too deceptive. Momo Gui nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to make medicated foods either. You¡¯ll have to work harder in the future.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of adding more materials and it won¡¯t cost much,¡± said Momo Quan.

    Momo Gui remembered one thing and asked, ¡°When we returned from Rose Courtyard just now, Fourth Miss¡¯ eyes were red. Did you punish her?¡±

    Momo Quan didn¡¯t specify what had happened inside her ss, but replied, ¡°We were talking about some heavy stuffs, but they were good for her. After crying, she continued her study and didn¡¯t lose her temper anymore.¡±

    Momo Gui had Yuchen, a find jade in front of her, that was why she turned up her nose at (hold in contempt) Yuxi before, but she won¡¯t be stupid enough to say that Yuxi was not good in front of Momo Quan, to save Momo Quan¡¯s heart from being ufortable around her. ¡°The medicinal materials have been found. Is it possible to prepare a medicated bath?¡±

    Momo Quan smiled and said, ¡°It will be New Year in a few days. The Third Miss is going to visit her rtives on that day, so let just wait for the Lantern Festival, okay?.¡±

    After that day, Yuxi felt that Momo Quan¡¯s attitude toward her had rxed a lot, which made her overwhelmed by an unexpected favour (Chinese idiom : feel extremely ttered).

    On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, Teacher Song began her holiday, and so did the two momo. However, the two momo only took their holidays until the third day of first lunar month, and on the fourth days, they began to teach Yuchen and Yuxi etiquette again.

    On the twenty-eight day, the two shops, together with the hamlet, sent over their ount book and money. This year, thebined ie of the shop and the hamlet was more than two thousands taels, which was a bumper year for Yuxi.

    With money in hand, Yuxi was feeling generous, ¡°The Chinese New Year ising soon. We also need to add more things here this month much more than the previous months.¡± The Rose Courtyard had more than twenty members, and the total monthly sry of all members was only twenty taels, which was not much. However, the maids and old women in the Rose Courtyard cheered when they got the news.

    On the twenty-ninth before New Year, didn¡¯t know what kind of wind had came up at the Duke of the State that he had sent someone to pick up Concubine Rong. The Old Madam was well informed of this and stopped it in time.

    Hongshan whispered to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, it seemed that Concubine Rong sent a letter to the Duke of the State. I don¡¯t know what was said in the letter that could move the Duke that he would go and pick her up regardless of the New Year.¡± She now also agreed with Yuxi¡¯s words. This Concubine Rong was too evil. Even with her age, she could still make the Duke disobeyed the Old Madam for her.

    Yuxi sighed, ¡°Eldest Uncle is a romantic-type of person (one who easily falls in love).¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s words were actually mocking, her Uncle, Duke Han of the State. If he was really a romantic-type of person, how could he let something happened to Yuru¡¯s mother or how could he let Concubine Lian had miscarriages twice in a row! If he really cherished Concubine Rong so much, how could hepromise that day and let the Old Madam send her to the temple?

    Hongshan felt that this was really not a good thing, ¡°Miss, do you think the Old Madam will agree to take Concubine Rong back?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I am not a worm in my Grandmother¡¯s belly (Chinese idiom : knowing exactly what one think). How will I know?¡± In fact, she thought that the Old Madam would not spare Concubine Rong any more. As could be seen from what had happened to Concubine Lian, the Old Madam had no more patience for Concubine Rong.

    When Mama Shen came back from the outside, she happened to hear this conversation when she came in. She informed them, ¡°The Old Madam has agreed to ept Concubine Rong back, but she has to wait for the first month to pass. The Old Madam said that epting a patient during New Year¡¯s reception is bad luck.¡±

    Yuxi replied contrary to her personal conviction, ¡°Grandma has a heart of Bodhisattva passion).¡± Whatpassion? Her Grandmother was deliberately stalling for time, as her Grandmother couldn¡¯t tolerate Concubine Rong any longer.

    Yuxi also said so something like that because she had been taught by Momo Quan. Momo Quan told Yuxi that any thoughts she had about the Old Madam and her father must be suppressed deep in the bottom of her heart. Yuxi must also showed respect and filial piety on the surface, otherwise, she would be the one who suffered.

    As Yuxi had expected, the news of Concubine Rong¡¯s death came before the first month had ended. Hongshan said, ¡°Miss, Concubine Rong had passed away two days ago, and Second Miss hasn¡¯t know about the news yet.¡± Yujing was still under house arrest ordered by the Old Madam, so the news would surely begged behind.

    Yuxi murmured to herself, ¡°I don¡¯t know what will happen when my Uncle knows about this news?¡±

    When the Duke heard the news of Concubine Rong¡¯s death, he had a big fight with the Old Madam. The Old Madam was so angry that she had to purse her lips in the end as she fallen ill.

    Yuxi felt funny. Even she knew that the Old Madam was using the stalling tactic, and somehow her Eldest Uncle, who was the Duke of the State, didn¡¯t even know. Was he really stupid or was he really being careless?

    This matter actually had nothing to do with Yuxi. As long as Concubine Rong died, her revenge had already be avenged. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the main room.¡± The Old Madam was ill, and her granddaughters must attend to her when she was in this condition. Even if the Old Madam didn¡¯t need this, Yuxi had to put forth her attitude.

    When Yuxi and her maid got to the main room, they could see that everything was in perfect order. The maids and the old women in the courtyard did not even show any sign of panic. By then, Yuxi knew that the Old Madam¡¯s illness wasn¡¯t really a big one.

    Sure enough, when Yuxi entered the room, she saw the Old Madam was leaning against a pillow. Although she looked very weak, Yuxi knew she didn¡¯t have to worry about her Grandmother¡¯s life.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the doctor came. Once he had done checking the Old Madam¡¯s pulse, he said, ¡°The Old Madam is angry. She should rest quietly in the future. She should not loose her temper nor should she kick up a row.¡±

    So, Concubine Rong¡¯s story just ended like this.

 Chapter 67 - Mama Fang Remarried (1)

    <strong>Chapter 67 : Mama Fang Remarried (1)</strong>

    When the first month of new lunar year arrived, Yuxi took advantage of the time the state residence receiving people in by bringing Lin Qi into the residence.

    Last time, when Ling Qi was saved, her face was full of blood, so Yuxi was not brave enough to look at her. Now that she had entered the residence, Yuxi could see that Ling Qi was neatly dressed and her real appearance was finally revealed. She noticed that Ling Qi was actually a beautiful and lovely girl.

    Yuxi was awared that Ling Qi knew how to read. For fear that Ling Qi would be ambitious and proud in the future, she told her, ¡°Maids are bought from the lowest to the highest. Because you have learned the rules from Mama Fang, thus this time, you will start by being a third-ss maid. ¡°

    Ling Qi responded, ¡°Miss, regarding these matters, I have already go over with Mama Fang.¡± At first she thought she would roughly be a lowly messenger servant. However, she was very happy when she was appointed as a third-ss maid.

    Yuxi then told her, ¡°There are many rules in the residence. You should learn them slowly. The people in this courtyard have their own thoughts. Therefore, you should use your conscience more. Don¡¯t be easily fooled by others in just a few words.¡° As for those who had cheated on her, she would not call out their names to her. She would just let her figure it out for herself.

    Ling Qi nodded and said, ¡°Miss, I will be careful.¡± In addition to her Miss, she couldn¡¯t bare her heart to others until she had fully understood them herself.

    Zisu / Peri

    Source | Dalgial via Wikipedia

    Yuxi also said, ¡°You can¡¯t use your name in the state residence anymore. You should change your name to Zisu (peri) in the future.¡± (T/N : She sure love nts name, and it seemed like she would use Zi at the beginning of her servants name)

    Although Ling Qi was somewhat depressed that her name would not be used anymore in the future, Zisu did not sound bad either. At that moment, she nodded her head and said, ¡°Okay, then I will be called Zisu in the future.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and reminded, ¡°In the residence, you can¡¯t talk directly to me, your Master. You have to go through a higher level servant. You must correct this.¡± The rules might not be that matter now, but when Wu Shi finally came and Ling Qi still acted like this, she would be the one who suffered.

    Zisu¡¯s eyes were somewhat dim, but she had chosen the road herself, so she would not regret it. ¡°Miss, this handmaiden will pay attention to itter on.¡±

    Yuxi then said, ¡°You should not be sad either. I¡¯ll marry you out to be the headdy of a household in seven or eight years. I won¡¯t let you be a maid for the rest of your life.¡± She knew Ling Qi had promised to be her maid only to repay her kindness. Otherwise, with such fierce temper, how would she be willing to give way to others?

    Zisu shook her head and said, ¡°I won¡¯t marry out. This handmaiden will serve Miss for all her life.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t take this to heart either. It was the right way for a woman to marry when she reached the age of marriage. She then instructed, ¡°First learn the rules from Mama Shen. If you don¡¯t understand anything, you can ask Moju or Motao.¡± Zijin was an honest person. She was afraid that Zijin would be coaxed by Mama Shen before giving in to change side. While Zisu was a person with ideas and would not be easily tricked in just a few words.

    After they done talking about the matter, Zisu told Yuxi about another matter, ¡°Miss, a few days ago, Uncle Lian asked an official matchmaker to go to the shop to propose marriage, but the marriage proposal was rejected by Mama Fang.¡±

    Hearing about another marriage proposal to Mama Fang, Yuxi¡¯s face darkened immediately. However, she quickly reacted and asked, ¡°Uncle Lian? Do you know this person?¡°

    Zisu nodded and said, ¡°Yes. On the tenth lunar monthst year, I went shopping with Mama Fang and met two scoundrels on the street. It was Uncle Lian who helped us subdue the two scoundrels. I¡¯ve known him since then. ¡°

    Yuxi became more and more vignt. Who knows if this was another ruse of self-injury (inflicting an injury on oneself to win the confidence of the enemy) or not as she asked, ¡°What does this man do? Who else is in his family?¡°

    Zisu told Yuxi what she knew, ¡°Uncle Lian eats from government coffers (serve as a government employee) by holding a post in Wardens¡¯ Offices of the Five Wards. His wife passed away four years ago and they have two sons with the oldest being six years old and the youngest four years old. Even the uncle¡¯s family owns properties and he himself has a sry. His life is not bad.¡°

    When Yuxi heard that the other party¡¯s conditions were good, her facial expression eased a lot, but she was still notpletely relieved, ¡°With his conditions, he has no worry in finding a new wife, and it¡¯s no a problem for him to marry an older girl with less circumstances than him. So, why did he have taken a fancy on Mama Fang?¡±

    Zisu smiled, ¡°I heard the matchmaker said that Uncle Lian was actually not ready to remarry. He said that he was afraid of hurting his two sons by marrying again. Even he felt that Mama Fang was a good person, so he changed his mind.¡°

    Yuxi felt doubtful. Zisu was aware that hearing from other people¡¯s mouth was only a one-sided information. So, like Yuxi, she also needed to know more about his situation. If this man named Lian really had a good character and was not plotting anything, Yuxi thought that it was also good for Mama Fang to marry him. After all, having a husband and children would already create aplete family, much better than Mama Fang adopting a child. She decided to check the details of this man first. (T/N : No wonder Yuxi was mad at you, Zisu!)

    Mama Fang¡¯s matter could be put aside, but the matter of studying pharmacology could not be dyed any longer. Today, Yuxi finally summoned up her courage and said, ¡°Momo, I want to learn pharmacology from you.¡± These words had been hidden in her heart for several months. If she kept them inside her again, they would only make her continuously feeling distress.

    Momo Quan was surprised for a moment, but she quickly responded and asked, ¡°Why do you want to learn pharmacology?¡±

    Yuxi answered, ¡°Actually, I have long been interested in pharmacology and I also bought a medical book to read. It¡¯s just that nobody guides me and I read it slowly without understanding what I just read.¡°

    Huangqin / scuteria baicalensis / Baikal skullcap / Chinese skullcap

    Source | Doronenko via Wikipedia

    Momo Quan showed her doubts and asked, ¡°You said you were reading a medical book by yourself?¡± After getting the affirmative answer from Yuxi, she asked, ¡°Since you said you have read it, you should know about huangqin (scuteria baicalensis)?¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Huangqin (scuteria baicalensis), also known as fuchang (rotten intestines) and huangwen, has bitter and non-toxic root, and is mainly used for treating jaundice due to heat, diarrhoea due to intestine, lower abdomen colic pain and benefiting for small intestine.¡± (T/N : Sorry. I don¡¯t know how to trante huangwen to English.)

    Ruixiang / Daphne

    Source | Miya via Wikipedia

    Momo Quan could not hide the surprise on her face, but she continued to ask, ¡°Ruixiang (daphne)?¡±

    Yuxi thought for a moment and said, ¡°Ruixiang (daphne), produced in the southern prefectures and counties. It has whirling branches and trunks, soft thick leaves and evergreen all year round¡­¡±

    As soon as Momo Quan heard this, she knew that Yuxi was indeed interested in learning pharmacology, and she had made great efforts to learn it. You know, learning medical skill was a very boring thing, and reading medical books was even more so. ¡°How long have you been reading that medical book?¡±

    Yuxi answered with some embarrassment, ¡°Half a year. After reading it for that long, the medical book bes more obscure and difficult to understand, in addition, no one even teaches me. Therefore, I have been reading it slowly since it has became so difficult for me to understand.¡± She learned everything only by mechanical memorising, which was much harder than memorising through reviewing.

    Momo Quan was full of questions, ¡°Why are you so interested in pharmacology?¡±

    Naturally, Yuxi won¡¯t say that she could used it in the future, but she still exined, ¡°When I had smallpoxst year and there was no one to cure it, I thought that if I had my own medical skills, I wouldn¡¯t lie in bed waiting to die. So, I want to learn some pharmacology after I get well, so that I can use it in case something happens again.¡° Sometimes it was necessary to tell the truth, saying lies wouldn¡¯t win people¡¯s trust, especially in the presence of such person as Momo Quan. Otherwise, you would never have a chance.

    Momo Quan¡¯s expression kept on changing. What did she mean by saying that no one could cure smallpox? It was like saying that the people of the Duke Han¡¯s state residence had totally abandoned her. Although Yuxi did not enjoy good life conditions like Yuchen, but she was still being treated very good in the residence. She could not believe what Yuxi had said. She asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a doctor to treat your smallpox?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°No, something wrong happened in the middle. The doctor was dyed for two days. Therefore, I feel that rather than relying on others, it¡¯s better to rely on myself.¡°

    Momo Quan was a person who knew at once that the matter was not that simple, ¡°I can¡¯t promise you this since it¡¯s not within the scope of my teaching.¡±

    Yuxi was disappointed, but she would not give up. She still had plenty of time anyhow and she would slowly grind. Other people could even grind iron bars into a needles. So, she could certainly win over Momo Quan the same way.

    When Yuxi walked away, Momo Quan called over a maid, and quietly checked Yuxi¡¯s story with her. Yuxi¡¯s smallpox was known to most of the servants in the state residence, and the maid did not conceal it from Momo Quan. She told her exactly what had happened.

    Before, Momo Quan first thought that Yuxi was a little cold-hearted, but now she was speechless. Old Madam Han was so bias that she could even ignore Fourth Miss¡¯ life. It was a miracle that Fourth Miss could make such progress without having a distorted mind. It was also because of this matter that made her view of Yuxi got even better.

    Momo Quan had seen a lot of wise and beautiful women in the pce, but only a few of them were good and open-minded. These people would notin about anything, nor would they feel sorry for themselves. No matter what situation they were in, they would try their best to live. If she said that before she taught Yuxi only because it was her duty, then at this moment, she decided to teach Yuxi wholeheartedly. (T/N : Yup, Yuxi is like that. If it someone else¡­ her grandmother, her father, her second sister, her stepmother all would have been assassinated.)

    A few dayster, Hongshan told Yuxi all the news her brother had heard, ¡°Miss, the man named Lian Shan whom you asked me to inquire is the patrol guard of Dongcheng (East Side). My brother said that this man is a man of great courage. His wife died of illness four years ago, leaving behind two sons.¡°

    Yuxi asked, ¡°What¡¯s his family situation? Is there any property? What¡¯s the temperament of the two children?¡° All of these needed to be considered.

    Hongshan wondered why Yuxi wanted to inquire so much about this man. It was just like she was checking household registration. Hongshan did not dare to ask, but stated, ¡°This Patrol Guard Lian has a house and a small shop. He has a sry every month. It¡¯s just that he has a loose hand and often helps his friends. These days, he is a little tight. His two sons are very naughty.¡° It was normal for a boy of this age to be naughty.

    Yuxi had a good impression of Patrol Guard Lian after listening to these words. At least there was no obvious big problem, ¡°Is this news true?¡±

    Hongshan hastily said, ¡°My Third brother had found out the information from a lot people. So, there should be no problem.¡± Although in her mind she was feeling a bit strange, but she knew discretion, so she didn¡¯t ask a word.

    Although Yuxi believed that the information collected by Hongshan¡¯s brother would not be wrong, but in order to be on the safe side, she still asked Steward Xiang to inquire about this Lian Shan¡¯s situation. If the news obtained by Xiangyang was the same as what reported by Hongshan¡¯s brother, then, she thought that this marriage could happen.

    Xiangyang¡¯s hands and feet worked very fast. The next day, he sent all the information on Lian Shan to Yuxi.

    Yuxi carefully looked at the data, and the situation was roughly the same as reported by Hongshan¡¯s brother, except Xiangyang¡¯s information was much more detailed.

    After reading the information, Yuxi handed it to Zisu and instructed her, ¡°You should go to the baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop tomorrow and read the things stated in this to Mama Li.¡± She thought that it was useless if she was the only one who believed this person was pretty good. So, the key was to get Mama Fang¡¯s approval. (T/N : Wait¡­ Who is Mama Li? New worker? One of the two apprentices?)

    After reading what was written, Zisu smiled and asked, ¡°Miss, do you agree?¡± If Mama Fang could marry Uncle Lian, it would be a very happy event.

    Yuxi asked with a smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t you telling me about this in the first ce in hope that I can persuade Mama Fang to marry this patrol guard?¡± The real reason Zisu suddenly mention such a thing to her was, she hoped that Yuxi coulde forward and persuaded Mama Fang.

    Zisu was somewhat embarrassed, ¡°Miss, I really think that Uncle Lian is very nice, and there is nothing wrong for Mama Fang to marry him.¡±

    Yuxi said coldly, ¡°Although your stand is good this time, but before you promise others next time, think through your brain to determine if those things can be done or not?¡±

    Zisu asked with amazement, ¡°Miss, how did you know that I have made a promise with someone?¡±

    Yuxi did not answer Zisu¡¯s question, but she instead said, ¡°Think about where you did wrong. What¡¯s your duty? This time I think you are the first offender, so, you will be fined with three months sry. If there will be another time, I will not dare to keep you around me anymore.¡± She was determined not to keep a maid who would decide everything on her own.

    Zisu was a little confused.

    Yuxi did not exin what she really meant, but instead, she went directly to her study.

 Chapter 68 - Mama Fang Remarried (2)

    <strong>Chapter 68 : Mama Fang Remarried (2)</strong>

    Mama Fang considered the marriage proposal for a month and finally agreed to remarry. Lian Shan was overjoyed and set the date for third lunar month. Because it was her second marriage, Mama Fang didn¡¯t want to make a big deal of it and only invited people closed to her to have a meal.

    Yuxi nned to give Mama Fang the baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop as a dowry, but Mama Fang did not to ept it. Yuxi thought for a moment and also felt that this was not a good idea. On one hand, it would not please the Old Madam, and on the other hand, it would also upset Mama Fang.

    Yuxi considered it over and over again, and finally decided to let Mama Fang continued to work in the baozi shop. Besides getting a monthly sry, she would also get a bonus at the end of the year.

    Mama Fang refused at first, but in the end, she reluctantly agreed to Yuxi¡¯s request.

    When Hongshan learned that Mama Fang was going to remarry, she became a bit silly, ¡°Miss, do you mean Mama Fang is going to remarry?¡± She thought of her Miss¡¯ behaviour in the recent period of time, and that feeling was really too subtle.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s true. Even the date of marriage is already fixed. It¡¯s only two days away.¡±

    Hongshan was surprised and then asked anxiously, ¡°Miss, Mama Fang is over thirty. Is it okay for her to remarry? The man will not have any other plot, will he? ¡°

    There was no joy nor dissatisfaction on Yuxi¡¯s face, as she calmly said, ¡°Mama Fang is going to marry a patrol guard. When he came to propose, I asked you to let your brother to find out all the ins and outs of him. ording to the information found, this person has a good character and a small family. Mama Fang will not lose any money if she marries him. ¡°

    Hongshan became tongue-tied.

    Yuxi was amused by the way Hongshan reacted to the news. How did Mama Fang remarried news made her gave out such big reaction? Yuxi didn¡¯t want to say anything more about this. She just said, ¡°When Mama Fang gets married, you will disclose this news.¡±

    Hongshan didn¡¯t know why Yuxi wanted to do this, but she was used to what Yuxi usually instructed her to do, so she carried it out with no objection.

    The day before Mama Fang¡¯s big day, Zisu said, ¡°Miss, can you let me go! I will tell you the wedding process.¡° Yuxi was definitely not allowed to go since the Old Madam would surely not permit it.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°You can¡¯t go. You can¡¯te back once you go.¡± If Zisu went to Mama Fang¡¯s wedding, the Old Madam would definitely throw Zisu out. It was not easy for her to find a trusted servant girl whom she also intended to cultivate into her confidant. She was not willing to fall short because of this matter.

    Zisu had some regrets.

    Yuxi had no regrets. It didn¡¯t matter whether she attended the wedding or not, as long as Mama Fang had a good life in the future.

    On this day, Lian Shan rode on a big horse and brought a group of lively and enthusiastic people to the baozi shop to escort Mama Fang to his house for the wedding. Only then did the people in Shangyuan Street realize that it was the manager of the baozi shop who was going to get marry.

    Mama Fang listened to the loud sound of suona, gongs and drums outside, while feeling ashamed and angered. Mingming said earlier that Lian Shan would carry the sedan chair to pick her up on this day. Now that he hade up with such a big appearance, it was estimated that all people in Shangyuan Street now knew that she would remarry today.

    This is a suona. She was ying one of my favourite song Senbonzakura.

    Old woman An anxiously said, ¡°Manager, what now?¡± As Mama Fang had not prepared to do anything big, she did not have an extra dowry. Now Lian Shan had invited these many people to meet her. If she came through the door empty-handed, she would surely be looked down upon.

    Mama Fang immediately said, ¡°Put all my four seasons clothes into a chest, and put all the textiles that Miss gave me into another chest.¡± She had more than twenty sets of four-season clothes and several leather clothes. She had also made some good clothes for Lian Shan and his two children, as well as some good things such as good textiles and the like that Yuxi had given her. When all the pieces add up, they amounted to six big chests.

    Six chests were equivalent to six dowries, which were not too many, but not too few either.

    After a flurry of activities, Xi Niang (woman employed to wait on the bride on her wedding day) helped Mama Fang into the sedan chair, with old woman An following along. When they arrived at Lian family home, Lian Shan uncovered her head. The other women in the room looked at Mama Fang¡¯s jewelleries and their eyes turned green.

    Mama Fang was wearing a red gold ruby hairpin on her head. The ruby was the size of a small fingernail. Coupled with the gold earrings embedded with eastern beads and the gold bracelet that she had deliberately exposed, all the jewelleries added up to several hundred taels of silvers!

    Mama Fang didn¡¯t want to reveal her wealth, but Lian Shan had upset her n. She was a secondary wife, old, without a good appearance and she couldn¡¯t give birth anymore. The only thing that could deter people¡¯s mouth was a rich dowry. As she expected, her actions seeded in intimidating several women in the room. The marriage went smoothly, with no one said anything sour nor let alone picked a problem, as the wedding ceremony passed in safe and sound atmosphere.

    At noon, Lian Shan had invited a cook from a restaurant to make the wedding banquet. After the guests left, the cook also went back.

    After lunch, Mama Fang changed her clothes and began to tidy up with old woman An. As for Lian Shan, he was already drunk and slept on the bed!

    The two children also wanted toe forward to help. Mama Fang was very happy when she saw this and said with a smile, ¡°Dng* (eldest youth), you look after Eng* (second youth), you don¡¯t need to help here.¡± (T/N : Usually used as male siblings rank in a family.)

    Dng took Eng¡¯s hand and cleverly said, ¡°Okay.¡± It was to Lian Shan¡¯s credit that the two children were so receptive to Mama Fang as she showed her goodwill. Lian Shan had told his two sons that when he married Mama Fang, there would be somebody to take care of them, made them new clothes, and cooked them a lot of delicious food. Children were very simple. If their most trusted father said so, they naturally would not doubt it. Even if the neighbours told them that their stepmother would make their father became a stepfather and made him disdain them.

    Lian Shan didn¡¯t get up until it was dusk. As soon as he got out of the room, he saw that the yard had been cleaned up. Mama Fang looked at him and said with a smile, ¡°Are you finally up? You should wash up first and dinner will be ready soon.¡°

    After washing his face, Lian Shan went back to the main hall and saw a table full of food, with his two clean sons sitting by the table. He could not help sighing in his heart that when there was a woman in their home, their family became decent. Their life before was like a clear pot on a cold stove (Chinese idiom : Didn¡¯t eat or drink. It is often used to describe the scene of poverty and desertedness) while his two sons were as dirty as monkeys covered in muds.

    Two dayster, the story of Mama Fang remarried was widely circted in the residence. When Qiu Shi knew about this, her first reaction was disbelieved, ¡°This cannot be? If I remember correctly, Mama Fang should be in her early thirties. She remarried? Marry an old man?¡° With her current conditions, Mama Fang did not need to make up her mind to marry an old man.

    Mama Li had inquired the ins and outs of the event before she told Qiu Shi, ¡°The man is said to be only thirty, which is said that he is two years younger than Mama Fang!¡± Not only did Mama Fang not marry an old man, but she married a man much younger than herself.

    Qiu Shi asked with surprised, ¡°Is it for money? Speaking of which, Mama Fang should have saved a lot of money, but it¡¯s not reliable to marry such a person with that kind of motive!¡°

    Mama Li smiled and said, ¡°Madam, that man is the patrol guard of Dongcheng (East side). His family has a house and a shop, and his hometown has fertilend.¡± This meant that the other party¡¯s family was not poor and he did not seek wealth.

    Qiu Shi did not understand ¡°Then why did this man marries Mama Fang?¡± Didn¡¯t all men like young and beautiful ones? Even if they had no money or power, it was hard to understand if they would marry an attractive middle-aged woman over a girl who had money and was still in her twenties.

    Mama Li smiled and said, ¡°I heard that this man has two sons. He actually didn¡¯t want to marry again before, saying that he was afraid that the new wife he married would be bad for his two sons. I guess the reason why this man is willing to marry Mama Fang is that she will not give birth to another child since she is already old and will be able to be good to his two children wholeheartedly in the future.¡° The so-called when there was as stepmother, the father would be a stepfather, these words were not absolutely true. For example, the stepmother had no children of her own. No matter how bad a stepmother would be, the father would never be a stepfather.(T/N : Erm. This is a saying where a widower with children marries his new wife, she might treats his children nicely at the beginning but slowly influenced her husband to treat his own children badly. Get it? I¡¯m actually confused myself. But that is the gist of those sentences.)

    Qiu Shi nodded her head. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then, the man is not bad either.¡± For the sake of his two sons, he was not going to marry once more. It was certainly not bad to have such a kind father. (T/N : Yeah! Not like Yuxi¡¯s father. Bad father!)

    Mama Li also felt good, ¡°I heard that the two children, age six and four, are very clever and sensible. Mama Fang picked up two sons for nothing.¡± She, who had a son of her own, was not envious, but those lonely old women in the residence were especially greedy.

    Qiu Shi asked a key question, ¡°Does Yuxi know about this?¡±

    Mama Li smiled and said, ¡°Fourth Miss knows. She also had asked Yang-er to check the background of this patrol guard. I heard Yang-er said that the first time the patrol guard hade to ask Mama Fang¡¯s hand in marriage, he was refused by Mama Fang. Once Yang-er had checked all the details of this patrol guard, not long after, Mama Fang epted the marriage.¡°

    Qiu Shi was a little puzzled and asked, ¡°Yuxi didn¡¯t stop this?¡± Mama Fang would not be able to put her heart entirely into the baozi shop once she was married, and so did their n to open another baozi shop. This would be a pity since the baozi shop had earned a profit of six to seven hundred taels annually.

    Mama Li thought for a moment and said, ¡°Maybe in Miss¡¯ eyes, Mama Fang¡¯s happiness is more important than the baozi shop!¡± If Yuxi did not want Mama Fang to remarry, Mama Fang would definitely not remarry.

    The Old Madam¡¯s face was very ugly when she heard the news, but Mama Fang was no longer a servant of the state residence but a free man, and she could not stop her from doing it. However, she prohibited Mama Fang to enter the gate of the residence again. Everybody knew that the Old Madam words were meant for Yuxi to listen to. (T/N : What is her problem? First, she was the one who kicked Mama Fang out of the residence, and now she was not happy that Mama Fang remarried? You should go see a psychiatrist, olddy!)

    Yuxi heard that the Old Madam had prohibited Mama Fang from entering the residence, but Yuxi did not show any expression on this matter. She already guessed that this would happen. Fortunately, she had kept it from the Old Madam before Mama Fang got married, otherwise she couldn¡¯t say for sure that the Old Madam would stir up trouble. (T/N : Your Grandmother has gone mad, Yuxi!)

    When Mama Shen came back from the main room, her body was drooping. When the people of the Rose Courtyard saw her, they all avoided her, so as not to be scolded by her in return.

    Yuxi called Mama Shen to her study and asked, ¡°What did Grandmother say to you?¡±

    Mama Shen evaded the serious matters, and took up trifles (Chinese idiom : avoid what¡¯s important and dwell on the trivial) as she softly said, ¡°The Old Madam was asking about Miss¡¯ recent schoolworks. This was also for fear that Miss has cken off.¡°

    Yuxi smiled lightly and said, ¡°Mama Shen, I am not a fool, so you should not use such a bad excuse to prevaricate me. I know exactly what Grandma told you to do.¡±

    Mama Shen¡¯s expression kept on changing, ¡°What does Miss actually want to say?¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face remained unchanged, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do anything. I just hope that in the future, mama will not have to report everything happen in Rose Courtyard to my Grandmother.¡±

    ¡°I will not betray the Old Madam,¡± said Mama Shen.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°You can rest assured. I¡¯m not asking you go against my Grandmother¡¯s wishes, but I just hope you don¡¯t have to tell my Grandmother everything.¡± After a pause, she continuesd, ¡°I am a youngdy of the state residence, so I will not do anything dishonourable and harmful to the state residence.¡± Unless her means were superb or her life was good, then there was no need for her to depend on the support of her maiden family, but that could only happen after her marriage. She asked herself whether she had a bad life or did she have any means. After thinking for a while, she decided that she couldn¡¯t afford to lose the backing from the residence.

    Mama Shen¡¯s heart was moved, but she didn¡¯t have the courage to make the decision immediately, ¡°Miss, let me to think this over first.¡±

    Yuxi said: ¡°As long as you can promise, if you have any demands, I will not refuse.¡± This was indirectly a guarantee for Mama Shen.

 Chapter 69 - Pharmacology

    <strong>Chapter 69 : Pharmacology</strong>

    What Yuxi didn¡¯t expect was that Momo (wet nurse) Quan also interested in Mama Fang¡¯s remarried matter.

    Momo Quan did not beat around the bush and asked Yuxi directly, ¡°How did you get Mama Fang agreed to remarry?¡± The reason why she would ask this was very simple. Women in their 30s could not bear children and they usually had no outstanding appearance. When someone came to ask for a marriage, they would surely think that the other party was malicious. Except for this case, where the real reason behind Mama Fang agreement to remarry must have been because of Yuxi.

    Yuxi also didn¡¯t expect that Momo Quan really like to gossip, so she asked, ¡°Why are Momo asking me about this?¡± This had nothing to do with Momo Quan.

    ¡°If you tell me,¡± said Momo Quan, ¡°I will teach you pharmacology.¡± It was an undisguised temptation.

    Yuxi did not know why Momo Quan must know about this, but she really wanted to learn pharmacology, ¡°I just told Mama Fang all the details I could find on Patrol Guard Lian, and then, I told her that if she could marry into Lian family, she could be buried in their ancestral grave and enjoy the family¡¯s incense for a hundred years.¡± To put it simply, Mama Fang didn¡¯t have to worry about being a lonely ghost after she married into the Lian family.

    Momo Quan nodded. Indeed, only for this reason would a 30-year-old woman be tempted. ¡°What else?¡± Though, this alone was not enough.

    Yuxi felt that Momo Quan could see through people¡¯s hearts, ¡°Also, I told Mama Fang that if the information I checked was wrong, even if the patrol guard was not a good person or the two children would be unfilial in the future, I would still look after her when she¡¯s old and give her a proper burial when she dies.¡± This assurance had dispelled Mama Fang¡¯sst concern and made her decided to remarry. For Mama Fang, if the marriage gave her a poor result, then, it was no different than her returning to the past. If she did not trust even the patrol guards, would she still trust the children that he brought up?

    Momo Quan¡¯s expression slightly stirred as she said, ¡°Now that Mama Fang had remarried, aren¡¯t you worry that your baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop won¡¯t be able to make any money?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I opened that baozi shop that day with hope that Mama Fang would have something to do and would not entertain foolish ideas when she was sent out of the residence. She had been taking care of me all my life. If it wasn¡¯t for her, I would have died when I had that smallpox. So this time, in return, I hope she can have a good life. Even if her reputation will not be good, but at least she will live well.¡° If reputation waspared with happiness, naturally, one could say happiness was more important than reputation.

    Momo Quan was deeply moved, but there was nock of criticism in her eyes, ¡°You have a hard life before. It seems like you have used your jewelleries as the capital for the baozi shop. So how did you have suchrge sum of money to buy another estates not long after that?¡°

    Yuxi¡¯s heart tightened and she pretended to be sincere, ¡°This was the cash dowry left by my mother to me.¡±

    A rare smile appeared on Momo Quan¡¯s face. That smile brought goosebumps all over Yuxi¡¯s body. ¡°When something happened to the Ning¡¯s family, your mother sold all her dowry to save them. So, how could she leave you with such arge sum of money?¡± This was basically a contradictory statement to Yuxi¡¯s previous answer, so this meant that Momo Quan firmly believed that Yuxi had been lying.

    Yuxi clenched her fist and pretended to be calm, ¡°The money was left by my mother. If Momo Quan doesn¡¯t believe it, then I can¡¯t help it.¡°

    Momo Quan said something that made Yuxi trembled with fear, ¡°Fourth Miss truly has so many secrets.¡± She could now be sure that Ning Shi did not leave any money behind. However, from where did Yuxi get such arge sum of money was still a mystery. The most surprising thing was that no one in the residence doubted that there was something amiss with the origin of the money, which showed how well Yuxi disguised herself.

    Yuxi was not feeling afraid at this time either, as she said, ¡°Momo Quan really likes to crack a joke.¡±

    Momo Quan said another surprising remark to Yuxi, ¡°Fourth Miss, if you want me to teach you pharmacology, it¡¯s not impossible. But you must promise me one thing.¡±

    Yuxi asked cautiously, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°You will know in the future,¡± answered Momo Quan.

    This kind of digging made Yuxi felt very ufortable, but she really wanted to learn pharmacology. Even if she knew it was a pit, she would still jump in. ¡°Momo, what you will ask me to do must be within my ability and not against my will, otherwise I can¡¯t promise.¡± She would rather not study pharmacology than sell herself.

    Momo Quan couldn¡¯t helpughing, ¡°Sometimes I really doubt whether you are really a five-year-old child.¡± No adult had been this sophisticated.

    Yuxi¡¯s heart suddenly burst, but soon she said, ¡°If I was like any other five-year-old child, Momo would not have noticed me.¡± Just like in her previous lives, Momo Quan probably didn¡¯t even know who she was.

    Momo Quan agreed very much on this. If Yuxi was not this sophisticated, Yuxi would certainly not be in front of her right now. Momo Quan then said, ¡°Since I have promised to teach you, I will do my best in teaching you. How much I can teach depends on how much you can understand.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°I will work hard.¡±

    After ss, Yuxi went back to her room. It was certainly impossible to hide such a big thing as studying pharmacology from everyone. So, instead of the Old Madam knew about this from others, it would be better if she said it herself.

    When the Old Madam heard that Yuxi was going to study pharmacology with Momo Quan, she went momentarily nk. Then, she asked, ¡°Why do you want to study pharmacology?¡±

    Naturally, Yuxi could not repeat what she told Momo Quan to the Old Madam, ¡°I think pharmacology will be useful in the future.¡±

    The Old Madam¡¯s eyesight was like a sharp arrow, staring at Yuxi as if she wanted to see her through. ¡°Is that really the reason?¡±

    Yuxi nodded, ¡°Yes. After studying pharmacology, I can know fairly well when I feel ufortable, whether I have a headache or a fever. That way, I don¡¯t need to worry.¡°

    The Old Madam twisted the Buddha beads in her hand and said, ¡°If you are not well, you can just call a doctor.¡± Seeing that Yuxi still wanted to talk, she waved her hand away, ¡°Well, I¡¯m tired. You should withdraw!¡±

    Yuxi had known from earlier that the Old Madam wouldn¡¯t be so easy to agree, and when she saw that the Old Madam was driving her out, she politely withdrew.

    Old woman Luo asked strangely, ¡°Why Fourth Miss want to learn pharmacology when she¡¯s already in perfect condition? ¡± If she just learning some daily pharmacological knowledge, it won¡¯t be a problem, but looking at Fourth Miss¡¯ stance on the matter, it seemed like it was a big deal for her to learn pharmacology.

    The Old Madam stopped twisting the Buddha beads and wrapped them around her wrist several times. ¡°She keeps in her mind the incident that happenedst year.¡± Although Yuxi did not verbally say so, she knew that Yuxi wanted to learn pharmacology because the incident made her felt bitter with them.

    Old woman Luo eximed, ¡°That cannot be!¡±

    The Old Madam said with a straight face, ¡°Why not? It doesn¡¯t show on her face, but she remembers everything clearly, deep in her heart.¡°

    Old woman Luo did not reply. It was only natural for Fourth Miss to bear in her mindst year¡¯s incident. While she was too sick to move and had to stay in bed, the Old Madam called the doctor away. How could she not bear it in her mind. ¡°Old Madam, will Fourth Miss give up if you don¡¯t let her learn it?¡±

    The Old Madam shook her head and said, ¡°No, I guess she¡¯ll find someone to intercede now.¡± Yuxi¡¯s temperament was not one who would give up easily. She just didn¡¯t know if this time Yuxi would go to Qiu Shi or Yuchen, or perhaps to both of them.

    To the Old Madam¡¯s surprise, Yuxi did not ask Qiu Shi or Yuchen, but Han Jianming.

    Han Jianming was not surprised that Yuxi wanted to learn pharmacology. At that time, in the book store, she had bought a lot of medical books. ¡°Grandma didn¡¯t agree with you wanting to learn pharmacology? Why?¡° It was beneficial and harmless for girls to learn some pharmacology, but pharmacology was a boring subject and hard to find people that willing to teach. It was rare that Yuxi was willing to learn by herself and for someone to be willing to teach her. In theory, Grandma should have not refuse.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, so Eldest Brother, please help me talk to Grandmother.¡±

    Han Jianming found Yuxi to be very interesting and asked with a smile, ¡°Why do you think Grandma will agree if I intercede for you?¡±

    Yuxi still shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s much better than resigning myself to my fate.¡±

    Han Jianming nodded slightly, ¡°That¡¯s a good point. But are you sure you want to study pharmacology? I heard that studying pharmacology is kinda boring. Can you stick to it?¡°

    Yuxi told Han Jianming, ¡°I have already memorized half of Shennong¡¯s Compendium of Materia Medica.¡± Since no one ever supported her, she decided not to give up halfway.

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi like he just saw a monster. ¡°If I remember correctly, you are given strenuous homework and then you have to learn etiquettess. How can you still have time to memorize medical books?¡± Although he did not care about the internal affairs, he knew the general affairs of the state residence.

    Yuxi replied, ¡°Time can always be squeezed out if you really want to.¡±

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi and, without knowing why, he suddenly sighed and said, ¡°Yuxi, if only you were my brother.¡± If Yuxi was his younger brother, he would certainly be cultivated well and be his effective arm in the future.

    Yuxi wittily smiled, ¡°Eldest Brother, aunt always said that I was her close little cotton-padded jacket!¡± She also wanted to be born as a son so that she didn¡¯t have to be controlled by others. Unfortunately, this was only an ¡®if¡¯. She was already born as a daughter, an unchangeable fact.

    Han Jianming suddenly wanted to sigh when he saw Yuxi smiling like this. ¡°About Grandma, you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ll convince her. Since you have decided to study, then study hard.¡°

    Yuxi solemnly promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Eldest Brother, I will learn properly and strive to learn all Momo Quan¡¯s skills and knowledges.¡±

    It was not clear how Han Jianming persuaded the Old Madam, but for Yuxi, she did not care, as long as the Old Madam did not object her from learning pharmacology. Strangely enough, the Old Madam had been kind to her since then. She couldn¡¯t help feeling, that Eldest Brother would be among the top two influencial person in the residence when he was in action!

    Since the afternoon of the next day, Yuxi could see that instead of teaching her etiquette, Momo Quan started to teach her pharmacology. She wondered, ¡°Momo, don¡¯t we have to learn etiquette?¡±

    Momo Quan looked at Yuxi and said, ¡°The best way to learn etiquette is by turning your every word and deed (Chinese idiom : what one says and does), every act and every move (every action) into etiquette. Can you do it?¡± Yuxi didn¡¯t have to marry into the royal family, so for her, rules and etiquette no need to be so fine. She was also not bad at learning now. It was just enough to correct some shorings in her daily life.

    While Yuchen was destined to marry into the royal family. Since a family couldn¡¯t have two daughters married into the royal family, so Yuxi would either be married into an honourable family or an official family. What she had learnt now should be enough.

    Yuxi remembered Yuchen. Yuchen¡¯s words, deeds and actions were all etiquette and had be temtes to other youngdies. She shuddered at the thought of learning etiquette just like Yuchen. She quickly shook her head and said, ¡°No thank you. I think I¡¯m fine with how much I have learnt till now.¡±

    The corner of Momo Quan lift slightly, giving her a smiling expression.

 Chapter 70 - Self-Confidence

    <strong>Chapter 70 : Self-Confidence</strong>

    Momo Quan ced more than 20 kinds of medicinal materials in the room. Before exining the characteristics of these medicinal materials to Yuxi, she exined, ¡°You must be familiar with all kinds of medicinal materials before learning about medicinal diet, and then you must be familiar with the medicinal properties of all kinds of medicinal materials. This is a mistake that can¡¯t be made. Do you understand?¡±

    Yuxi nodded, ¡°I know that if there is a mistake in brewing medicine, it will not be tonic but poison instead.¡±

    Momo Quan was satisfied with Yuxi¡¯s words, ¡°You are right, so be careful. Many herbs look simr, but their properties arepletely the opposite. If there is a mistake, it may well take a human life. ¡°

    Yuxi listened to this more seriously and took notes. With the experience of learning from Teacher Song, Yuxi was ustomed in writing notes very quickly.

    After ss, Momo Quan read Yuxi¡¯s notes and advised, ¡°You don¡¯t have to remember them in such detail. Just write down the most important parts.¡± After that, she taught Yuxi on how to take notes well but quick.

    Yuxi was very much inspired.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone what I teach you,¡± reminded Momo Quan.

    Yuxi nodded and agreed without even thinking much, ¡°Momo, rest assured. I won¡¯t tell anyone else.¡± Momo Quan¡¯s medicinal diet was good because of her continuous practiced over so many years. She just started learning pharmacology from Momo Quan. How would she dare telling others casually? What if something went wrong? She couldn¡¯t afford this huge responsibility.

    Momo Quan nodded slightly, ¡°Remember what you just said.¡±

    It didn¡¯t take long for Yuxi to understand what Momo Quan meant. Pharmacology was not as simple as she thought, as it not only revolved mainly in preparing medicinal diet. It involved a lot of things. Simply put, if she really wanted to learn pharmacology well, she must have medical skill. Of course, to properly practice medical required a lot of experiences and practices. Even though she learnt it not to cure other people diseases or saved lives, it was still required that she had medical skill. Momo Quan had no problem with people knowing that she was teaching Yuxi pharmacology, but it would be a big problem if people in the residence knew that she taught Yuxi medical expertise.

    Being tense and busy with life always made one fell that time passes quickly. In an instant, it was already the end of the year.

    In the cold winter months, snowkes looking like goose feather continuously falling down, weaving a curtain of snow. They were like catkins of willow trees, silver-like white and smooth like jade. One after another, they clustered, fluttering about as they slowly floating down while shining the world with their cold silver lights.

    Yuxi came outside and looked at the falling snowkes. She muttered that the snowy road would not be good for travel so, it would be impossible for things from her hamlet to be send out.

    Hongshan did not know what Yuxi was thinking as she smiled and said, ¡°A timely snow promises a good harvest. Two more snowfalls, then there will be a good harvest next year.¡±

    It then snowed heavily for another two days, leaving a vast expanse of whiteness outside. The day when the snow finally stopped coincided with the day Teacher Song began her holiday.

    Yuxi was preparing to go to the main courtyard after her breakfast when she saw Yuchen¡¯s maid, Shiqin,ing over.

    Shiqin greeted Yuxi and said, ¡°Fourth Miss, our Miss is in the back garden in Tingyun Pavilion. She invited Fourth Miss toe over.¡± Momo Quan could not move to the Rose Courtyard because she had to prepare medicinal meals for Yuchen so she had to stay in Tingyun Pavilion. Plus, Rose Courtyard was rtively small and had no empty room. So, every afternoon, Yuxi had to go there for etiquette sses. If there was no ss in the morning, she would stay in Tingyun Pavilion much longer. So this year, Yuxi¡¯s evening meals were basically in Tingyun Pavilion. After Yuxi and Yuchen spent a long time together, the rtionships between them naturally be much better.

    Yuxi wondered, ¡°What is Third Sister doing in the garden on such a cold day?¡± The back garden in Yuchen¡¯s courtyard was bleak and had nothing to look at.

    Shiqin didn¡¯t share anything with Yuxi as she only said, ¡°Miss will know when Miss arrives there.¡±

    Yuxi went to the back garden of Tingyun Pavilion with her maid, and before she arrived, she could smell a strong fragrance. After turning into a corner, she could see several plum blossoms proudly blooming.

    In this world of snow and ice, the blooming red plum blossoms were particrly delicate and charming.

    As Yuxi andhher maid approached the scene, they saw Yuchen collecting snows from the plum blossoms. Yuxi asked surprisingly, ¡°What are you doing, Third Sister?¡±

    Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m collecting snowkes on the plum blossoms. I¡¯m going to use them to boil teater on.¡± Using snows, especially the newly melted snows from plum blossoms, to boil tea was the most refined activity of the intellectuals.

    Yuxi¡¯s mouth twitched when she heard about boiling tea in newly melted snows. Eh, there was such way mentioned in the book, but she was a person with amon mind. She would rather spending her spare time reading more medical books. ¡°Third Sister, in fact, I think it would be much nicer if we can draw this beautiful scene.¡±

    Yuchen was in a good mood. When she heard Yuxi¡¯s words, she did feel it was very reasonable. The scenery here was beautiful. It would be nice if it was painted, but now, she was busy collecting newly melted snow from plum blossoms. ¡°I should finish collecting the snows first.¡±

    Yuxi said nothing more. She had no right to peck on what Yuchen was doing. In the eyes of others, what Yuchen did was what ady should be doing. While, for her to learn pharmacology was considered as silly instead. Others believed that people of high status like them, could invite a professional toe, even if they only wanted to take a good care their health. There was no need for any of them to waste time learning it.

    Seeing Yuxi standing motionless in the snow, Hongshan reminded her in a low voice, ¡°Miss, the Third Miss is collecting snows on plum blossom. You should also lend a hand.¡±

    Yuxi returned to her senses and joined the group in collecting newly melted snows.

    The group of people spent half an hour busily collecting newly melted snows from several plum trees. Once they done, Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°Fourth Sister,e to Tingyun Pavilion with me and try what the tea boiled with this snow will taste like.¡±

    Yuxi also learned the tea ceremony. She did not learn it voluntarily though, since Momo Quan required her to learn it. She said that it was essential for nobledy to learn on how to brew fragrant tea. Yuxi studied it for three months, and when she became proficient in brewing tea, she immediately dropped it.

    A video on traditional Chinese tea ceremony.

    At Tingyun Pavilion, Yuxi followed Yuchen into the tea room. This tea room was specially cleaned up by Yuchen in order to learn the tea ceremony, and it was also here where Yuxi learned brewing tea.

    The small stove was already on fire. Yuchen poured the collected snow water into the small copper pot, put it on the small stove, and then sat back at the tea table with Yuxi.

    Yuxi looked at a set of purple y tea set ced on the tea table and asked, ¡°Third Sister, who sent this tea set?¡± A few days ago, there was still a set of blue and white porcin tea set on the table.

    Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°This is from my uncle. My uncle said that tea made in purple y pot tastes more mellow.¡±

    Although Yuxi could brew tea, she was not keen on it and knew little about it. Presently, she responded with a smile, ¡°Marquis Pingqing intentionally gave them to Third Sister.¡±

    Yuchen took a handful of tea from a box of tea cans. Seeing Yuxi¡¯s puzzled expression, she exined, ¡°This is Yunwu (clouds and mists) tea.¡±

    When Yuxi was learning about tea, she read a brief introduction of Yunwu tea and said, ¡°It is said that Yunwu tea has a beautiful metaphor of ¡®fragrance is finer than orchid¡¯. Today we have to see if the rumor is true.¡°

    Yuchen nodded, ¡°Well, Yunwu tea is famous for its mellow taste, beautiful color, fragrance and clear soup.¡± Though she hadn¡¯t drink this type of tea before.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t drink tea very much. She didn¡¯t like to drink tea no matter what other people say about the benefits of drinking tea. It was not that she had any quirks, but Momo Quan advised her that women shouldn¡¯t drink tea too early. Yuxi admired Momo Quan very much. Whatever she said, Yuxi would always abide like they were imperial edicts.

    When water finally boiled, Yuchen went over and looked at it carefully. Tea-making water was also exquisite. It should not be boiled too much or too less, otherwise the taste of the tea would be less concentrated.

    Yuxi looked at Yuchen¡¯s graceful and skillful movements. She felt that it was also a kind of enjoyment to watch Yuchen brewing tea rather than drinking one.

    After Yuchen done making tea, she brought a cup to Yuxi.

    Yuxi took the teacup and noticed that the colour of the tea inside was like jasper. She took a sip andmented, ¡°It tastes like Longjing (Dragon Well) tea and is more mellow. Third Sister, where did you get this tea from?¡± Must be from Marquis Pingqing again.

    Yuchen said happily, ¡°Well, this is my uncle¡¯s new tea. My uncle didn¡¯t get much. He only got a small jar and for a special purpose, he could only give me a few . ¡°

    Yuxi knew that Marquis Pingqing was good to Yuchen, but she sometimes had a very subtle feeling, that he was being extremely too good to Yuchen. Nevertheless, this has nothing to do with her. She also do not want to say so much more. If she did, others would think that she was being envious of Yuchen for having such a good uncle!

    After tasting the tea, Yuchen went to the studio to paint and took Yuxi along with her.

    Until noon meal time, Yuchen¡¯s painting had not yetplete. ¡°Fourth Sister, you can have lunch with me!¡±

    Yuxi replied, ¡°Okay.¡± After more than a year, she felt that her original decision was really brilliant, because her body was getting much better now. Of course, this was rted to her insistence on exercising every day, but the medicated diet she eats every day also contributed a lot.

    To Yuxi¡¯s surprise, Yuchen asked her to go to Tingyun Pavilion again the next morning. Yuxi felt so helpless. She couldn¡¯t understand why Yuchen always liked to pull her when she tasted tea, painted and yed the qin. She couldn¡¯t spend her time like that one after another. Once in a while, she does not have that much time. She also had her own matter to attend!

    Yuxi told to Shiqin, ¡°Please tell Third Sister that I have something to do today. Let¡¯s make it another day.¡±

    Shiqin didn¡¯t expect Yuxi to refuse. She tried to persuade her again, but when she saw Hongshan shaking her head, Shiqin resolutely stopped saying more and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back and tell my Miss.¡±

    Hongshan sent Shiqin out. When they reached the gate of the courtyard, she whispered, ¡°My Miss stands on her words. Once she has decided not to go, it will be useless for you to say more.¡±

    Shiqin secretly muttered, this attitude was very simr to Third Miss.

    Yuchen was disappointed to hear that Yuxi was not going toe. She wanted Yuxi to listen to her qin today. It was quite boring when there was no audience around her. Yuxi would give some advice if she was there. However, she also knew that it was impossible to force Yuxi. ¡°Since the Fourth Sister is busy, just forget about it.¡±

    For Yuxi, New Year meant red envelopes, and nothing else.

    After the Lantern Festival, Teacher Song came back to the residence. After the chess lesson the next day, Teacher Song met Yuxi alone and told her, ¡°I have finished teaching you the . I will now consider this ss to be done.¡±

    Yuxi had no regrets and said, ¡°Teacher, I really don¡¯t want to learn painting.¡± Now her mind was fully on pharmacology, so she didn¡¯t want to waste time on painting.

    This time, Teacher Song readily agreed, ¡°Okay.¡± Yuxi had a natural talent in painting, but she didn¡¯t want to spend time to practice at all. How could her skill be better if she was only willing to attend painting ss and did her assigned homework? So, for the past two years, Yuxi¡¯s painting skill had not improved even a little.

    After two years, Teacher Song finally knew that it was impossible for her to persuade Yuxi to study painting seriously. She simply went with her flow. In any case, Yuxi was not really her official student.

    After a few days, Yuxi heard that Teacher Song started teaching Yuchen history books. She asked Momo Quan, ¡°Momo, what¡¯s the use of learning history books?¡±

    After teaching Yuxi for more than a year, Momo Quan still didn¡¯t know what Yuxi thought and said, ¡°Learning history books can cultivate one¡¯s morality, unite one¡¯s family and rule the country and level the world.¡±

    Yuxi was stunned. Learning history books can cultivate one¡¯s morality, unite one¡¯s family and rule the country, and make the world peaceful. How high-end it was!

    Momo Quan looked at Yuxi with a straight face and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell that no matter what happens, even when Mount Tai topples, we won¡¯t change our color?¡±

    Yuxi was jerk from her mind wandering and felt that she just blown up her cover. It would take her 20 years to reach the state where she would remain calm even when Mount Tai copsed. However, she did not dare to say these words out loud, or Momo Quan would have to punish her again. She quickly changed the subject and asked, ¡°Momo, why didn¡¯t Teacher Song let me study history with Yuchen?¡±

    Momo Quan did not hide the truth from Yuxi as she frankly answered, ¡°She doesn¡¯t want you to be a threat to Third Miss.¡±

    Yuxi suddenly felt silly. She finally responded after a while, ¡°Momo, could there be a mistake? Teacher Song is worried about me being a threat to my Third Sister? How can I pose a threat to Third Sister? ¡° There was nothing of hers could bepared with Yuchen, okay? She did not understand why Teacher Song was so worried.

    Momo Quan shook her head helplessly, ¡°You are too modest. Although Third Miss has her own natural advantages, she is far inferior to you in some aspects.¡° Yuxi did things with a sense of purpose. For people like Teacher Song, she didn¡¯t like people with too much purpose like Yuxi.

    ¡°How can that be?¡± said Yuxi incredulously. Yuchen in some ways far inferior to her and this was not even a fantasy! (T/N : Ehem¡­ You are in a fantasy world, Yuxi.)

    Yuxi¡¯s exaggerated expression seeded in pleasing Momo Quan. She smiled and said, ¡°Be confident with yourself. Nine times out of ten people of the same age as you in this capital can¡¯t evenpare to you.¡±

    Yuxi blinked, as if to say that she really had such excellent sides?

    Momo Quan said helplessly, ¡°Why do you have no confidence in yourself? Your chess skills and calligraphy are better than Third Miss. Not to mention your embroidery. Even Third Miss can¡¯t hold a candle. ¡°

    Yuxi looked puzzled at Momo Quan and honestly said ¡°I think Third Sister is like a fairy in the sky, beyond my reach.¡± In her mind, Yuchen was an unattainable existence!

    Momo Quan didn¡¯t know if she shouldugh or cry, ¡°Although peony is the king of flowers, graceful and luxurious. But can you say that lotus and orchid are not as good as peony?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°No.¡± Different flowers, different species. How could they bepared?

    Momo Quan nodded and exined, ¡°Peony, it symbolizes wealth and auspiciousness; lotus symbolizes purity and tranquility, orchid symbolizes high quality. Fourth Miss, people are the same as flowers, so you don¡¯t have to feel so inferior to Third Miss at all.¡±

    Yuxi knew Momo Quan said these words to tell her that she was no worse than Yuchen. This was something she never thought of. She couldn¡¯t help herself from thinking about it deeply.

    Momo Quan did not disturb her.

    However, after a short while, Yuxi nodded and eximed, ¡°Momo, I won¡¯t put myself down any more.¡±

    Momo Quan felt that the children could still be taught.

    Having said so much, Yuxi still hadn¡¯t forgotten her original intention, ¡°Momo, what¡¯s the use of learning history books?¡± It was still too far away from her to cultivate herself, run the country and make the world a peaceful ce, or to be practical as a whole.

    Momo Quan chuckled. Her favourite child, Yuxi, no matter how many turned she took, she would never forget her original intention. ¡°Reading history can increase your knowledge, broaden your thinking and you can see things more thoroughly. If you learn it well, it is much more useful than studying pharmacology and embroidery. ¡°

    When Yuxi heard this, she only had one idea in her mind. Something this useful should be learned!

 Chapter 71 - Reunion (1)

    <strong>Chapter 71 : Reunion (1)</strong>

    Four yearster.

    That night was Zisu¡¯s turn to watch over Yuxi. In her sleepy haze, she suddenly heard a cry of pain. Her reaction was quick as she immediately got up and rushed into the house.

    When Zisu arrived in Yuxi¡¯s bedroom, she saw Yuxi curled up into a ball while rolling on the bed, showing a painful expression on her face. Zisu cried out in fright, ¡°Miss, Miss, what¡¯s wrong with you¡­¡±

    A scream woke Yuxi up from her nightmare. She grabbed the quilt and leaned against the head of the bed, gasping.

    Along with the scream, the lights in all the rooms inside the Rose Courtyard started to lit one by one.

    Mama Shen came in and put the on the table. She saw beads of sweat on Yuxi¡¯s forehead and her clothes were all wet. She ordered, ¡°Go and get some hot water. Then, get some fresh clothes and bedding.¡±

    Yuxi had now regained her calm and stated, ¡°Don¡¯t draw the water. Sent the hot water to the clean room. I want to take a bath.¡± She was sweating from head to toe, so, rather than just wiping them, it was much better for her to take a bath.

    After bathing, Yuxi went back to her room. She noticed that the bedding and mosquitos all had been reced. She was lying in bed as she instructed Mama Shen and others, ¡°You should all withdraw and go to sleep. I¡¯m fine. ¡°

    Mama Shen was a little uneasy. She softly said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll stay with Miss!¡± The current Mama Shen was still rtively dedicated to her duty.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Just let Zisu stay.¡±

    Maidong went out and whispered to Kufu, ¡°I don¡¯t know what nightmares Miss had? It looked like it was something really frightening.¡± It seemed as if her Miss had being tortured, and she was heart rmed, trembling in fear (Chinese idiom : scared witless).

    Moju, Motao and Hongshan were both older and had gotten marriedst year. Moju married Meng Xiaofeng, while Motao married the youngest son of the residence second steward. Now the four maids beside Yuxi were Zisu, Zijin, Kufu and Maidong. Kufu and Maidong were both children of the state residence servants. (T/N : Wait¡­ How about Hongshan? Who did she married to?)

    Zijin grew stronger and stronger with age. Later, Han Jianye¡¯s Master felt that she was born with divine power. It was a pity to put her there. So, he rmended Zijin to learn martial arts from a woman with surnamed Zhao. Zijin had been studying with her for two years now. (T/N : This Zhao is not rted to the Zhao who prepares snacks for Yuxi¡¯s grocery store. Just incase someone asking if they¡¯re the same person.)

    Kufu also felt terrible when her Miss had nightmares, but she could not mention this outside, ¡°It¡¯s all right if we¡¯re the only ones who know about this. We can¡¯t let the news be heard by the people outside. Master and his wife will be back tomorrow, so we should be more cautious in the future.¡± The Third Madam wasing, so, Miss¡¯ life would certainly not be as easy as it was now. As Miss¡¯ personal maidsl, they should be more careful not to add more trouble for her.

    Yuxiid on the bed and said, ¡°Zisu, blow out the light. I¡¯m fine.¡° She hadn¡¯t have any nightmares in the past few years. She thought it was finally over. But she didn¡¯t expect that because of Han Jingyan and Wu Shi wereing back, she spent too much thinking about it during the day till it led her to dream of the herst life death.

    The light went out and the room suddenly darkened. Yuxiid awake in bed, looking out of the window with her eyes wide open, listening to the rustle of leaves outside.

    After a while, Yuxi closed her eyes and wanted to sleep, but once she closed her eyes, she seemed to be in mes again. She reopened her eyes, looked at the ink-coloured draperies, and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s no use to be afraid. What shoulde is still going toe. In fact, there is nothing for me be afraid of. Can my life be any worse than before?¡°

    Zisu heard Yuxi talking to herself, but she couldn¡¯t hear what Yuxi was talking about, nor she dared to disturb her. She just waited carefully for Yuxi¡¯s call. After a moment, there was no movement nor sounding from Yuxi¡¯s side. Zisu lightly got out of bed and walked carefully to Yuxi¡¯s bedside. She saw that Yuxi had fallen asleep.

    Zisu breathed a sigh of relief. She was really scared to death just now. She didn¡¯t know what nightmare her Miss had, but her Miss looked so terrible.

    Yuxi got up two quarters before maoshi (5-7am) hours every day, and had developed this habit for several years. She woke up every day at this time without being awoke by her servants.

    Yuxi finished a set of in the yard and began to wash after her sweats had dried. At this time, Kufu brought over a basin of warm water and Maidong with a basin of cold water. Momo (wet nurse) Quan told Yuxi that when she washed her face every morning, she should use warm water first, then cold water, which was good for her skin. Although Yuxi had not yet felt that doing so was good for her skin, she had already formed this habit. (T/N : Is it truly good for skin?)

    After cleaning herself up, Yuxi went to the backyard. People grew flowers in their backyard, but she grew all kinds of herbs. She nted these herbs more to understand their habits, and not as medicine.

    Yuxi stayed in the backyard for two quarters of an hour. Then, Kufu came over and said, ¡°Miss, breakfast is ready.¡±

    Breakfast includes millet gruel, soup dumplings, thin t cakes, steamed eggs, and four small dishes. Now that Yuxi had a small kitchen, she ordered her own breakfast. After she done with her breakfast, she drank a cup of soybean milk with honey.

    Millet Gruel

    Source | ÀÖÀÖÂèÂè via

    Soup Dumplings

    Source | Gisling via Wikipedia

    Thin t Cakes

    Source |

    Chinese Steamed Eggs

    Source | Ã×ÀÏÍ· via

    This was also requested by Momo Quan. She told Yuxi to drink soya-bean milk or sheep milk after every meal. Momo Quan didn¡¯t say exactly what its effect, only insisted Yuxi to drink soya-bean milk or sheep milk every day.

    After breakfast, Maidong asked Yuxi, ¡°Miss, are you going to wear the set of light red clothes sent by the embroidering room yesterday?¡±

    Yuxi responded with ¡®en¡¯. Yuchen wore quietly elegant clothes, while Yuxi liked to wear bright clothes, so that she would not bepletely suppressed by Yuchen.

    As Yuxi sat by the dresser, Kufu stood behind andbed her hair.

    Yuxi looked at herself in the mirror for a moment. The girl in the mirror had an oval round face, and her skin was as bright as snow. Although she didn¡¯t have national grace, divine fragrance (Chinese idiom : an outstanding beauty) like Yuchen, her appearance was absolutely not bad. Now, she did not understand why she felt so inferior in her previous life.

    Yuxi saw Zisu took the butterfly flower pearl hairpin out, but Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Take out that set of emerald jewelleries.¡± Over the past few years, she had be more and more popr with Qiu Shi. In addition to the jewelleries that Qiu Shi regrly purchased every day, she also gave her several custom sets of jewelleries every year. In addition, Yuxi would also received some as rewards from the Old Madam. After several years of umtion, Yuxi now had a lot of jewelleries and more choices to wear.

    Zisu frowned, ¡°Miss, today is the day when the Third Master and Third Madam return to the residence. Is it not good to wear this set of jewellery?¡± This set of jewellery was given by the Eldest Madam at the time of Miss¡¯ birth, which was the most valuable one among Miss¡¯ jewelleries.

    Yuxi gave out a slight smile, ¡°I have a sense of propriety, so, I want to wear the one that I have already chosen.¡±

    After Yuxi had dressed neatly, she took Kufu and Maidong to the main room. Usually, when she went out for sosial engagements, she would bring Kufu and Maidong. While at her own courtyard, she would be with Zisu.

    On the way to the main room, Yuxi happened to meet Yuchen. She called out with a smile, ¡°Third Sister.¡± No matter how beautiful Yuchen was, you would be ustomed to it after seeing too much of her.

    Yuchen greeted Yuxi back with an ¡®en¡¯ and looked at her. She asked with concern, ¡°Why did you have swollen eyes? You didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday?¡±

    Yuxi only smiled and said, ¡°Third Sister, father ising home today. I thought about it too much yesterday till I couldn¡¯t sleep. It took me some skills to finally made myself asleep.¡± After five years of teaching by Momo Quan, Yuxi hadpletely changed. Nowadays, it was difficult for others to know her true feelings. To put it simply, she was now very good at disguising herself. She was no longer the person who used to show all the joys and sorrows on her face.

    The only thing that made Yuxi somewhat regretful was that Momo Quan was unwilling to stay in the residence and insisted on returning to her hometown. Therefore, in ninth monthst lunar year, Madam found a momo who was good at making medicated diet to rece her, and then Momo Quan left. Only Momo Gui still stayed with Yuchen.

    Yuchen saw that Yuxi did looked quiet haggard, and with feeling of relief that could be seen in her eyes, she said, ¡°When fatheres back this time, he won¡¯t go any more.¡± Father went to work in Hebei when she was a little more than one year old, and he hadn¡¯te back for many years. The image of her father was mostly been told by her Grandmother.

    Yuxi smiled wryly as she said, ¡°It is a great pleasure for father toe back, but he is not the only one whoe back this time.¡± The implication was self-evident.

    Yuchen understood what Yuxi meant. She smiled as she said, ¡°As long as we keep to the etiquette, we will do it well. About others, we don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Wu Shi was only a second wife which wasn¡¯t worth for them to worry about.

    Yuxi nodded and replied, ¡°Well, I will listen to Third Sister.¡±

    As they walked along, Yuchen stated, ¡°Grandmother always said that the residence was too cold and cheerless. Now that father, our younger brother and sister are back, the residence will certainly be lively.¡± Teacher Song taught Yuchen until the end ofst year. She did note to the residence again this year. Although Teacher Song had left, Yuchen still had a lot to learn, which resulted in her having little time to apany the Old Madam. Now that Yurong and Jiancheng had returned, Grandmother would not be afraid of boredom anymore.

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°Third Sister is right. Now that Jiancheng and his family are back, the residence will certainly be very lively.¡± Jiancheng was born by Wu Shi, but he was not the eldest son of the second room. The eldest son was born by Concubine Xin.

    Concubine Xin was a personal maid of the Old Madam. It was also because of her own ability that Jianjun could grow up safely under Wu Shi¡¯s hands.

    Once Yuxi entered the main room, she saw the Old Madam sitting on the couch in her new dress. When she looked at her Grandmother clearly, she felt satisfied that the Old Madam had used the headband that she made.

    Yuchen courtesy and walked to the front of the Old Madam. She asked anxiously, ¡°Grandmother, you also didn¡¯t sleep wellst night? Your spirit is not very good. ¡°

    The Old Madam smiled, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with Grandmother. It¡¯s just that your father will be home soon.¡± She hadn¡¯t seen her son in 11 years, till she almost fell sick. Her son would being back today, and yesterday she thought about whether her child had change, had he lose his weight or something¡­ after thinking all night, she became more excited, so she didn¡¯t sleep all night.

    Just then, Qiu Shi came with her eldest daughter-inw, Ye Shi, Yuru and Yujing. Ye Shi was the eldest legitimate daughter of the Governor of Left-wing Army. She entered the gate at the beginning of thest lunar year and was now helping Qiu Shi¡¯s managing the household.

    Yuru gave her courtesy to the Old Madam, then she greeted Yuchen and Yuxi with a smile. Since Momo Chang had a long talk with her, Yuru¡¯s attitude towards Yuchen and Yuxi had been very intimate. Although Yuxi felt that Yuru was scheming, she didn¡¯t mind acting along, though without a smile on her face. Anyway, Yuru was several years older than her, as she was going to get married in two years.

    Yujing was locked up for another year by the Old Madam because of Concubine Lian¡¯s another miscarriage. After she came out, she had been taken care by a strict nurturing momo. Current Yujing was very formal and over-regted. Looking at Yujing now, one would think it was easy to forget her former arrogant and domineering previous convictions, but Yuxi still didn¡¯t put down her guard as she believed that it was easier to change mountains and rivers than to alter one¡¯s character (Chinese idiom : you can¡¯t change who you are). She still needed to be more guarded against Yuji.

    At this time, the Old Madam did not have the mood to talk with others. She frequently asked people to go outside to see if Third Master had arrived. Her neck kept on rising higher like a giraffe.

    Noob Trantor¡¯s Musing

    So, what we get from this chapter is Yuru and Yujing is 14, Yuchen is 12, while Yuxi is 10 and Yurong is 8¡­I guess.

    And Momo Quan was not staying in the residence anymore. T_T

    Also, the author stop posting the chapter number. Weird¡­

    Oh, this morning, I¡¯ve just finished reading the raw of the novel . It a very sweet story on how a so-called viin was turned as the ML with the help of his ¡®transmigrated¡¯ wife and his children. I¡¯m so so so so so in with the ML and the MC.

 Chapter 72 - Reunion (2)

    <strong>Chapter 72 : Reunion (2)</strong>

    Just as the Old Madam was waiting anxiously, a little maid rushed in and reported, ¡°Old Madam, Third Master has arrived. He has reached the main entrance.¡±

    After a while, those who were waiting finally heard an old woman cry out, ¡°Old Madam, Third Master is back.¡± As soon as this was said, there was a loud noise outside.

    There were tears in Old Madam¡¯s eyes. Yuchen, who was beside the Old Madam, supporting her, was very excited while looking at the door. If it wasn¡¯t for the Old Madam, Yuchen would have already went out.

    A group of people came in from outside.

    Yuxi looked at the man who was walking in front of her. In her mind, appeared an image of the man throwing a white silk to her and said that if she did not marry, she would die. If Jiang Hongjin was responsible for her tragedy in herst life, her biological father, Han Jingyan, was the biggest aplice.

    Han Jingyan went straight to the Old Madam and knelt on the ground. He then tearfully said, ¡°Mother, this unfilial son is back.¡±

    The son who the Old Madam longed for all the days and nights had finally returned. She couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears and patted Han Jingyan on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re back.¡±

    The Old Madam cried for a long time. After she was hard persuaded by Qiu Shi, her tears finally stop. She took Yuchen¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Yan-er, this is Yuchen. She was only one year old when you left. Now she is a big girl.¡±

    Yuchen looked at Han jingyan and cried, ¡°Father¡­¡± After the greeting, her tears also fell down, not because she was too emotional, but she was just too excited.

    Han Jingyan was a man. Even if he loved his daughter so much, he would not show it in public. Looking at his daughter, who was so outstanding, he nodded and said, ¡°Good, good, good.¡± He said good three times in a row, which shows how much he was satisfied with Yuchen.

    Behind Han Jingyan, Wu Shi¡¯s face changed a little. Shouldn¡¯t it first started with her greeting, and then he introduced her to her two stepdaughters. Now, the order waspletely reversed.

    Han Jingyan turned to introduce Wu Shi and his other children to the Old Madam.

    Although Wu Shi had been married to the Han family for ten years, this was her first time to enter the door of the Han family residence. Therefore, this greeting, the cup of tea from daughter-inw tea was just to make up for the years she wasn¡¯t here.

    Yuxi could clearly see the unusual way the Old Madam saw Wu Shi. Although the Old Madam quick to covered up her expression, Yuxi knew that some matters were unknown to her.

    The Old Madam gave a pair of double happiness ruyi long jade hairpins as a jianmianli (present given to sb. on first meeting). She took Wu Shi¡¯s hand and lovingly said, ¡°It must have been hard for you all these years.¡±

    Wu Shi smiled and said, ¡°This is what a daughter-inw should do.¡±

    After Wu Shi had given her tea, next came five younger generations gave their greetings to the Old Madam. They were Wu Shi¡¯s children that consisted of two sons and a daughter, while the other two were concubines.

    Qiu Yanfu had always been very confident of her appearance. However, when she entered the hall, her eyes would not move when she saw Yuchen. That woman¡¯s appearance and general temperament could no longer be described in words. Seeing her, Qiu Yanfu couldn¡¯t help feeling inferior.

    Wu Shi tugged at Qiu Yanfu, who was still in a daze, and introduced, ¡°Mother, this is my niece, Fu-er.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu recovered herself and gave the Old Madam a grand greeting, ¡°Old Madam is well.¡±

    The Old Madam didn¡¯t even care if Wu Shi brought a child from her previous marriage. She just smiled and asked the maid to give Qiu Yanfu a gold hairpin as a gift. After that, she lovingly said, ¡°Don¡¯tbbe a stranger here. Just think of this ce as your home.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu replied with a smile, ¡°Thank you very much, Old Madam.¡±

    After all the greetings came to end, Qiu Shi smiled and said, ¡°Mother, look, Third Younger Brother and Sister havee from a long distance. They are also tired from the journey. So, let them have a rest first.¡±

    The Old Madam felt sorry for her son¡¯s trouble as she hastily said, ¡°Okay, go take a rest first and we¡¯ll have a family reunion dinner in the evening. By the way, have all the empty houses been cleaned? Don¡¯t make any careless mistakes.¡°

    Qiu Shi¡¯s face turned stiff, ¡°They all have been cleaned.¡±

    Han Jingyan and Wu Shi went to Biteng (blue vine) Courtyard, a three-room courtyard. Yuxi and Yuchen followed along. They couldn¡¯t do anything about it. As junior members of the family, they had no right to speak.

    Biteng Courtyard was spotless and very clean. Han Jingyan had not been in the residence for more than ten years, and yet, the servants had never ckened off. They had came to clean up the courtyard every day.

    Han Jingyan came in and looked at everything inside. He felt a little strange. Eleven years. He had been away from home for eleven years.

    Yuchen let out a gentle cry, ¡°Father.¡± Looking at her father like this made Yuchen nose soured. After all these years, she had been hoping that her father woulde back.

    Han Jingyan nodded slightly and said, ¡°Go greet your mother.¡±

    Yuxi was now determined that everything would be based on Yuchen. She would do whatever Yuchen did, so that she would not make any mistake.

    Yuchen gave Wu Shi a younger generation greeting to the elder, and Yuxi followed suit. Only that, no one noticed the haze in Yuxi¡¯s eyes when she lowered her head.

    When Yuxi first met Wu Shi in herst life, she didn¡¯t greet with younger generation greeting to elders, but a direct three times kowtow. She didn¡¯t understand it before, but now she did. She had fallen into a disadvantage since she kowtowed to Wu Shi.

    Wu Shi felt distressed in her heart. Although she was their stepmother, she was also their mother. When they saw her, shouldn¡¯t they kowtow and served her tea? How could she give them gifts in return? Since she saw there was no objection from Han Jingyan, she then had to give them jianmianli with a smile. Yuchen was given a piece of yupei (jade pendant) carved with blooming flowers pattern, while Yuxi was given a pair of golden butterflies hair clips.

    When Han Jingyan saw this, he did not feel anything wrong. He just said to Yuchen, ¡°Yurong has just arrived in the capital city and doesn¡¯t understand the rules of the residence. As the eldest sister, you should give more guidance to her.¡±

    Yuchen nodded softly and said, ¡°Father, I will take good care of my Fifth Sister.¡± Although her heart was a little bitter, but she was her little sister that she should take care of.

    Yuxi was more tactful as she didn¡¯t say anything. She knew she didn¡¯t have the right to speak here.

    Qiu Yanfu who was sitting beside them, this time had time to look at Yuxi. Just now, all her attention was on Yuchen. Only now did she realize that Fourth Miss should not be underestimated either. She saw Fourth Miss dressed in a rosy satin and bright pink brocade dress, embroidered with thick numerous patterns, with real pearls and emerald being sewn on the cors of her dress. For an outerwear, she wore cyan (cut silk) style jacket on top. While underneath, there was a pink brocade ribbon sewn with lotus silk, wrapped around a long satin skirt. She looked very rich. She was also very good-looking, with her round oval face, charming wonderful big eyes and pink lips. She looked delicate and beautiful.

    First, Han Jiangyan introduced his other children to Yuchen and Yuxi. From Jiancheng to Yurong, today was the first time these brothers and sisters met. The scene was harmonious.

    At this time, Wu Shi drew out Qiu Yanfu, who had been neglected by all. She then smiled and said to Yuchen and Yuxi, ¡°Come on, Yanfu (ÑãÜ½ ¨C wild goose, hibiscus). Meet your two cousins.¡±

    When Yuxi heard Wu Shi¡¯s words, she deliberately opened her eyes big and asked, ¡°Yanfu (ÑÞ¸£ ¨C man¡¯s good fortune in love affairs)? Is it yanfu from yanfubuqian (have a lot of good fortune in love)? Isn¡¯t this name too strange?¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s voice was not low, so everyone in the room could hear it.

    Qiu Yanfu¡¯s face changed slightly, but she quickly smiled and said, ¡°Cousin, the yan (Ñã) is from dayan (´óÑã- wild goose). While the fu is from furonghua (Ü½ÈØ»¨- hibiscus flower).¡±

    Yuxi had always known that Qiu Yanfu was an intelligent person. It was also with this intelligent that made her mixed with people in the residence like a fish back in the water (Chinese idiom : one in his proper surroundings), otherwise she could not have sessfully nned on her Second Brother.

    Without waiting for Yuxi to speak, Han jingyan said with a cold face, ¡°Nurturing momo (wet nurse) had taught you for so many years and she only taught you such filthy things?¡±

    Yuxi knew very well that Han Jingyan hated people crying in front of him, especially at this time. So after listening to his scolding, her tears immediately poured out.

    As Yuxi expected, when Han Jingyan saw her acting like this, he said with a cold face, ¡°Get out.¡±

    As soon as Yuchen wanted to speak to clear things up, she saw Yuxi hid her face and ran out with tears. Yuchen turned to look at his father¡¯s grim look, full of disbelief. Although Yuxi¡¯s remark just now was a bit inappropriate, father¡¯s reaction was too much. It was just a joke. There was something indescribable appeared in Yuchen¡¯s heart. Yuxi was father¡¯s biological daughter and somehow, he treated her much worse than a cousin who just emerged out of nowhere, ¡°Father, I¡¯ll go and check up on Fourth Sister.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu also said with a worried face, ¡°I¡¯ll go and see Fourth Cousins too.¡±

    Wu shi was somewhat embarrassed. Although the person was driven out by her husband, it was inevitable that she would be the one who would be criticize for making Yuxi ran out like this. ¡°Fourth Girl really has a bad temper.¡±

    When Yuchen heard this, she became more disgusted with Wu Shi.

    Han jingyan pulled his face away and said, ¡°No one is allowed to go.¡± His temperament was big that he was not used to it.

    In response, Yurong hurriedly shifted the topic, ¡°Dad, will we live here in the future? Theyout here is much more beautiful than that in Hebei.¡±

    ¡°When a young miss of the residence is eight years old, she will have her own separate courtyard. Later, you will move to your own courtyard.¡±

    Yurong smiled and said, ¡°I just hope the courtyard will not be too far from my parents¡¯ courtyard.¡±

    Wu Shi smiled and took Yurong¡¯s hand. She then said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re a big girl. You can¡¯t be so delicate. You should learn a lot from your Third Sister in the future.¡± She looked sheepishly at Yuchen¡¯s overall impressive style.

    Yuxi ran out just became a small episode and did not affect the mood of the people in the room. However, watching Wu Shi talked to her father, with Yurong and Jiancheng inserted a few words from time to time, made Yuchen felt like an outsider, out of ce here. Her heart felt empty and sour as she was unable to speak.

    Yuxi had been crying all the way back to Rose Courtyard. The servants in the residence were startled when they saw this scene. This matter soon fell into the ears of the Old Madam and Qiu Shi.

    The Old Madam asked with a coldplexion, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± A few years ago, Yuxi was a bit obstinate, but these two years, she had improved a lot. Also, over the past two years, Yuxi had often made kneepads and scarfs for her, showing their close rtionship. So, the Old Madam was now quite satisfied with Yuxi.

    Mama Luo shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. The people we sent to inquire about this matter haven¡¯t returned yet.¡±

    While, Qiu Shi rushed to the Rose Courtyard once she got the news. When she saw Yuxi with her red and swollen eyes, Qiu Shi asked in distressed, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Kufu immediately told Qiu Shi about the incident.

    Yuxi tearfully said, ¡°Aunt, I heard her name at that time and it was only when my mind was hot that I said something like that. After that, I knew I was wrong. I wanted to apologize to her, but father just scolded me. ¡°

    Qiu Shi also felt that Yuxi¡¯s remarks were somewhat inappropriate, but in the end, she was partial towards Yuxi as sheforted her by saying, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Your father¡¯s scolding maybe a bit heavy, but it¡¯s also for your good.¡±

    Mama Li nced at Yuxi. Fourth Miss had acted safely before. Why did she make such a mistake at this time? Despite having some doubts, Fourth Miss had always been close to her Master and she herself was toozy to investigate.

    Yuxi did notin about any grievances, but only cried. At this time, whatever she said anything, they were considered wrong, so, it was better if she said nothing at all.

 Chapter 73 - Reunion (3)

    <strong>Chapter 73 : Reunion (3)</strong>

    When Yuchen came over, Yuxi still had tears in her eyes. Yuchen also felt very sorry for her, ¡°Fourth Sister, don¡¯t cry. Father didn¡¯t really mean that.¡±

    Yuxi cried and said, ¡°Third Sister, I know I was wrong just now. I shouldn¡¯t have said that. But father drove me out of the house in front of so many people. How could I ever see anyone after that? Am I worse than a stranger in father¡¯s heart?¡±

    In Yuchen¡¯s heart, she also felt very dissatisfied with this matter, but she did not show it. She only kept on appeasing Yuxi as she said, ¡°Okay, don¡¯t cry. We still need to attend the dinner party in the evening. You will not look good with your red and swollen eyes.¡°

    Yuxi obediently wiped her tears and expressed her feelings, ¡°Third Sister, I feel wronged.¡± She just let Yuchen imagined it herself the reason why Yuxi was feeling that way. Han Jingyan was Yuxi¡¯s biological father. As a daughter, she must not speak ill of him. However, that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t do it indirectly, added up with just a bit of eye ointment in her eyes, in the face of Yuchen.

    Yuchen shook her head as she reminded, ¡°Qiu Yanfu isn¡¯t a shallow-minded girl. You should be careful of herter on.¡± Qiu Yanfu could even make her father leaned towards her more than his own daughters. Because of Yuxi¡¯s drama, many women in the residence felt resentful towards Qiu Yanfu. The oue which Yuxi had been wishing for.

    Yuxi agreed with this very much and nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t think that she is someone simple, either. Third Sister, Qiu Yanfu is fifteen years old this year. Shouldn¡¯t she be at home, awaiting to be married? Why did she stille to our home? Can it be because she can¡¯t marry in Hebei that shees to the capital to find someone else?¡±

    Yuchen frowned as she scolded, ¡°How many times have I told you? Pay attention to what you say in the future. If you had listen to me, father would not have scold you this time.¡° It was only the first day, and Yuxi had already been scolded by their father.

    In the end, it was Yuxi who got the worst of it.

    In fact, Yuxi was making such a fuss because the backyard was ran by Old Madam Han and Qiu Shi. Han Jingyan would probably loathe her again, but they would seldom met. As long as the Old Madam and her Eldest Aunt were here, she was not afraid.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°I will pay attention to itter on.¡±

    Yuchen hated iron for not bing steel (Chinese idiom : to feel resentful towards sb for failing to meet expectations and impatient to see improvement), ¡°Don¡¯t just talk about it, remember it in your mind. I¡¯ll go home first. I¡¯ll talk to you againter in the evening.¡±

    Zisu took warm eggs and applied them to Yuxi¡¯s eyes. Then, she asked, ¡°Miss, is there anything wrong with this Qiu Yanfu?¡± Her Miss was not the kind of person who spoke without restraint. There must be a reason for today show.

    Yuxi shook her head and answered, ¡°I just didn¡¯t listen to Third Sister. Qiu Yanfu is not a simple person. You and others shall pay more attention to her in the future.¡± No one knew Qiu Yanfu better than her.

    Zisu¡¯s vignce against Qiu Yanfu rose to the highest level in an instant, ¡°Miss, I will keep an eye on her.¡±

    Yuxi nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t make it look too deliberate.¡± She was the host and Qiu Yanfu was a guest. In herst life, Qiu Yanfu turned from a guest into a host (Chinese idiom : turn the tables on an earlyer or established person). However, in this life, she, Han Yuxi, would make it impossible for her to do it.

    After lunch, Qiu Shi went to Biteng Courtyard.

    While Wu Shi was talking to Yurong and Qiu Yanfu. Knowing that Qiu Shi wasing, she hurriedly went out to meet her, ¡°If sister-inw has something to say, just send a maid over. Why the need toe in person?¡±

    Qiu Shi smiled, ¡°It¡¯s only a few steps away. This time, I came here for Miss Qiu. I didn¡¯t know that sister-inw would bring another girl, so I wasn¡¯t prepared. I¡¯ve already asked Qing-er to tidy up the guest room.¡° Qing-er was Ye Shi¡¯s given name.

    The corner of Wu Shi¡¯s mouth split open. What did Qiu Shi mean by tidying up the guest room? Wasn¡¯t this the rhythm of intending to chase people out? Wu Shi forced a smile, ¡°Fu-er is clever and sensible. I want her to stay here longer. It doesn¡¯t matter if the courtyard isn¡¯t ready yet. Let her live with Yurong first.¡±

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t show any embarrassment on her face, as she just smiled, ¡°I only thought that Miss Qiu hade to the capital for only two days and she was old enough to stay alone in guest room. However, sister-inw¡¯s arrangements is also appropriate. For cousins to live together, they will surely be much more closer.¡°

    Wu Shi¡¯s face was a little stiff. This meant that the other courtyard would not be cleaned up for her niece as Qiu Shi had agreed to her suggestion in letting Qiu Yanfu stayed with Yurong.

    Qiu Shi seemed not to notice Wu Shi¡¯s face as she continued saying with a smile, ¡°If sister-inw find there is anythingcking here, send someone to tell me. If I¡¯m not here, you can also tell Qing-er. It will be the same as telling me.¡° There were many empty courtyards in the state residence, but she was unwilling to give one, even for Wu Shi¡¯s niece expenses. Moreover, this Qiu Yanfu was a female with different surname. Furthermore, she didn¡¯t say anything about tidying up a courtyard for her.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s biggest shoring was that she did things as she pleased and did not care much about her reputation outside. This was also a headache for the Old Madam.

    Qiu Yanfu anxiously said, ¡°Aunt, I don¡¯t think the Madam of this state residence likes me very much.¡± Her aunt invited her to temporarily stay in Yurong¡¯s courtyard, so Madam of the state residence no longer mentioned about preparing another courtyard for her. This was clearly giving her a cold-shoulder.

    Wu Shiforted her by saying, ¡°After getting along with you for a long time, they will surely like you.¡± She was confident with this niece of hers. Qiu Yanfu had a good look, good manners and a sweet mouth which made her very popr. The only regret was that she came from a lower birth.

    Unfortunately, despite Wu Shi¡¯s confidence on her, Qiu Yanfu herself didn¡¯t have that much confidence. When Fourth Miss stirred up trouble for her, she could already noticed that Third Miss and Madam of the state residence giving her a cold shoulder. She felt that this Fourth Miss would be a big problem for her.

    Qiu Yanfu instructed her maid, Yanbo, beside her, ¡°You should get along well with the servants of the residence and know more about the affairs happening inside, especially when they are regarding the Fourth Miss.¡±

    For the dinner party, Yuxi took Mama Shen, Kufu and Maidong to the main courtyard. Although they were a family, men and women ate separately as this was one of the residence big rules.

    Wu Shi, Yurong and Qiu Yanfu were thest ones to arrive.

    The Old Madam¡¯s expression was not looking good. Though she knew that Wu Shi and her niece were from small household family, so, they did not know what a big household rules were.

    Yuxi first courtesy to Wu Shi, then she went to apologize to Qiu Yanfu, ¡°Sister Fu, everything that happened yesterday afternoon was my fault. Please forgive me.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu smiled, ¡°Fourth Cousin doesn¡¯t need to mind it. It was just a small matter. It was also my fault. Otherwise, my fourth cousin would not have felt wronged.¡°

    With a wide smile, Yuxi remarked, ¡°Sister Fu understands people¡¯s views (Chinese idiom : fair and considerate) and doesn¡¯t look at all like a girl from a merchant family.¡±

    The two words ¡®merchant family¡¯ managed to change Qiu Yanfu¡¯s expression. She wasn¡¯tcking in terms of appearance, character and talent. The only thing shecked was a good family background. So, even if she had her aunt as her strong backer, those who came to offer marriage were not only the sons of businessmen and the concubine-born of official families, but also illegitimate sons who had no future prospects. Qiu Yanfu was not convinced with all the candidates. This time, she came with her aunt to gain a bright future.

    Yuxi seemed not to see Qiu Yanfu¡¯s ugly face and went on to say, ¡°I¡¯m a little puzzled, Sister Fu, how could you be willing to part with your parents when you came all the way to the capital? When my father was still in Hebei, my Third Sister and I thought about my father all the time.¡° Qiu Yanfu was not an orphan. Her parents were both still alive, and she had a few younger brothers and sisters.

    The smile on Qiu Yanfu¡¯s face could no longer be maintained.

    Yuxi looked at Qiu Yanfu¡¯s face, then turned to look at Yuchen¡¯s not good looking face, as she asked innocently, ¡°Third Sister, did I say something wrong again?¡±

    Yuchen¡¯s expression indicated that she was powerless to say anything.

    Qiu Shi smiled and said to Wu Shi ¡°Yuxi is a straightforward child. She doesn¡¯t think through when she talks. She always says what she wants. Please don¡¯t worry about this Third Sister-inw and Miss Fu.¡± Her words clearly stated that Yuxi was under her protection.

    When Wu Shi heard those words, the pit of her stomach nearly bled. The damned girl trampled her niece in the mud and Qiu Shi to go as far to ask her not to take offence. But in front of the Old Madam, she didn¡¯t dare to say anything. Regarding this mother-inw, Wu Shi still has some scruples in her heart. At this moment, she could only force augh, ¡°How? This child, Fu-er, is clever and sensible. At that time, I was also loathe to part with her, so I brought her along to the capital.¡± Indirectly giving justification to Qiu Yanfu¡¯s presence in the residence.

    In fact, Old Madam Han already knew that Qiu Yanfu would be following Wu Shi to the capital, and she could guess that Qiu Yanfu wanted to climb high branches through connection with the state residence. However, since this matter had been allowed by her son, she would certainly not going to loose his face. ¡°All right, sit down!¡±

    During meals, Wu Shi and Qiu Yanfu looked at other people on the table. Their elegant movements made both of them felt like they were country bumpkin.

    It happened that at this time, Yuxi deliberately took one look at Qiu Yanfu, revealing a faint smile. This smile in Qiu Yanfu¡¯s eyes seemed like an undisguised mockery.

    Originally, Qiu Yanfu thought that Yuxi was going to say something sarcastic to her, but she saw that Yuxi naturally turned around and continued eating, without paying more attention to her. This feeling of being ignored made Qiu Yanfu felt more ufortable.

    At the end of the meal, they cleaned their hands, rinsed their mouth, then maids surging in with cups of new tea.

    Yuxi looked at the surprise and joy in Qiu Yanfu¡¯s eyes, with her eyes full of mockery. Although the state residence had no power currently, it was still a top-ranking family, and nevercking in terms ostentation and extravagance. In Qiu Yanfu¡¯s eyes, those were naturally the best.

    After sitting down, the Old Madam asked Wu Shi, ¡°Has everyone properly settled in?¡±

    Wu Shi smiled and said, ¡°Everyone has been properly settled in and all of Yurong¡¯s things have been moved to Shuixiang Courtyard.¡± As for Shuixiang Courtyard, she was quite satisfied with everything except its name.

    Old Madam Han nodded her head and asked Wu Shi about daily trivial affairs. When she saw that there was no problem, she waved her hand, telling Wu Shi to step down.

    When Yuxi returned to Rose Courtyard, she immediately asked Mama Shen, ¡°Do you see anything wrong with her?¡± This time, she took Mama Shen to show her Wu Shi¡¯s appearance. She wanted to know why the Old Madam was very surprised when she first saw Wu Shi.

    Mama Shen replied, ¡°Miss, I heard from Mama Ya that Wu Shi¡¯s appearance looks simr to Jiang Shi, the first Third Madam by 50 to 60%.¡± She herself, had never actually met Jiang Shi, but this did not prevent her from learning the news from other servants in the residence.

    Yuxi thought of the Old Madam¡¯s strange behaviour at that time. She feared that those who had met Jiang Shi probably knew about it too. ¡°Now that I know this thing, don¡¯t tell anyone else.¡±

    After Mama Shen went out, the corner of Yuxi¡¯s mouth showed a bit of disdain. Han Jingyan married a person who looked simr to Jiang Shi to show that he still had deep affection for her? That must be a really big joke.

 Chapter 74 - Reunion (4)

    <strong>Chapter 74 : Reunion (4)</strong>

    Holding back all her bad emotions, Yuxi opened the Records of the Grand Historian which had a total of 130 articles, including 12 biographies, 10 tables, 8 books, 30 aristocratic families and 70 biographies, with more than 500,000 words. At the beginning, she felt it was very uninteresting, but over the past few years, she had looked at it over and over again. If she really didn¡¯t understand something, she would ask Momo Quan, or she would look for the informations herself. Slowly, she got interested in reading it. Now, she had formed the habit of reading history books every night and then pondering their significance.

    Nowadays, practicing calligraphy, ying chess and embroidering had became Yuxi¡¯s pastimes. Her energy was fully spent on pharmacology and reading history books. This was also the reason why she was still so busy, even after Momo Quan and Teacher Song had long left the residence.

    Zisu cried out from outside, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s time for shower and change your clothes.¡±

    Yuxi closed the book and put it at the bottom of the cab. In addition to Momo Quan, Zisu and Zijin, two of her trusted confidants in the state residence, no one else knew that she was reading history books. This was also thanks to Kufu and Maidong being illiterate andbbeing clueless to where she hid it.

    Lying in bed, Yuxi did not sleep, but instead thinking. This was also what Momo Quan had taught her. She taught Yuxi to reflect on what she had done all day before going to bed, whether she had done something wrong that needed correction next time. Over the years, she had also formed this habit.

    As Yuxiid on the bed, thinking over the matters happening today, she felt that Han Jingyan¡¯s behaviour was really strange. If it was said that he detested her all her life because she was timid and ipetent, so, what about now? Why the current Han Jingyan still had this kind of detest towards her?? Though she could not hold a candle to Yuchen, nevertheless her performances over the years were absolutely praiseworthy. ording to Momo Quan¡¯s statement, most of the youngdies in the capital were no match for her. Despite all this, why did Han Jingyan still hate her?

    Yuxi was sure there must be some reason that she didn¡¯t know. Nine times out of ten, it was rted to herte mother. She must find a chance to personally ask Mama Fang.

    The next day, in the early morning, Yuxi went to the main courtyard, and then went to Biteng Courtyard with Yuchen to pay her respect. She did not tell Yuchen that Wu Shi¡¯s and Jiang Shi¡¯s looks were a bit simr. In any case, even if she kept quite about it, it won¡¯t be long before Yuchen would know about it herself.

    When Yuchen and Yuxi arrived at the Biteng Courtyard, even before both of them moved forward into the yard, they heard a burst of cheerfulughters.

    Yuxi¡¯s expression was somewhat lonely as she stated, ¡°I really envy my Fifth Sister and Cousin Qiu for being so love by father.¡± Although it was very subtle, but she believed that Yuchen could understand her meaning. Somebody else was treated as family, while both of them were treated as outsiders. Now, Yuxi did not miss any chance to use eye drop. (T/N : I don¡¯t know how you have time to apply eye drop, Yuxi.)

    There was a lump in Yuchen¡¯s heart. She took Yuxi¡¯s hand as she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in!¡± It was false to say that one did not envy, but how could one envy? The missing 12 years had long been taken advantage of.

    When the two of them entered, Yurong was saying funny things beside Han Jingyan, while Qiu Yanfu was beside Wu Shi, with a decent smile on her face.

    Yuxi had a faint smile on her face, while Yuchen was frowning. There was nothing wrong in seeing her father with Yurong, his biological daughter, in the same room. However, this Qiu Yanfu was a female with different surname. She was also a 15-year-old young girl. Although both Wu Shi and Yurong were present, this scene was still not following themon etiquette. Yuchen felt more and more disdainful towards Wu Shi, who came from a small household family which hadn¡¯t been taught etiquette nor how to distance oneself.

    After the two gave their courtesy, Yuchen presented two paintings to Han Jingyan and Wu Shi. Han Jingyan¡¯s was andscape painting, while Wu Shi¡¯s was a spring outing. Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°The painting is not good, so please don¡¯t dislike and throw it away, father, mother.¡±

    Feng Zikai¡¯s Spring Outing

    Source | via Sina

    Han Jingyan looked at the two paintings and was very happy, ¡°Good. The painting is actually very good. You have even drawn out the spirit of the mountain and water.¡±

    Yurong smiled and looked at Yuxi, ¡°What presents did Fourth Sister prepare for mom and dad?¡±

    Yuxi presented the gifts she had prepared. She gave Han jingyan a belt and Wu Shi a headband.

    Auspicious Cloud Patterns

    Source |

    The belt was made of precious blue sapphire, embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns with gold and silver threads. There were also decorative motifs embroidered around the sides of the belt. There was luxury in the low-key belt, which was exactly Han Jingyan¡¯s style.

    When Han Jingyan saw the belt, he looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°Did you embroider this belt?¡± The filial piety given to one¡¯s father usuallyes from one¡¯s own hands. But, the belt was so well embroidered that he suspected that it had been embroidered by someone else.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I personally embroidered the belt and the headband.¡±

    Although Wu Shi could not embroider, she still had the ability to appreciate it. She immediately said, ¡°Such exquisite designs cannot be embroidered without eight or a decade of embroidery skills.¡± This words indirectly using Yuxi of lying.

    Yuchen felt ever more that Wu Shi¡¯s pettiness was not allowed to get into public views. How could Wu Shi concluded that Yuxi was lying without any verification? ¡°Father, I can testify to this. This belt was embroidered by Yuxi for half a year, stitch by stitch, without a single helping hand.¡°

    Yuxi said with great grievance, ¡°I originally wanted to embroider a pair of fans for father, but I just learned it and I can only embroidered it slowly, so I decided to embroider a belt instead.¡± It meant that she could also do double-sided embroidery, not to mention this kind of vivid embroidery.

    Yuxi deliberately brought up this matter to raise her social status. She knew very well that the most important things in Han Jingyan¡¯s mind were political career and influence. The more outstanding she was, the more valuable she would be. Han Jingyan won¡¯t make it difficult for her just for this reason, since she could be ¡®sold¡¯ for a higher price.

    Han Jingyan¡¯s expression changed, ¡°You said you could do double-sided embroidery? Who taught you?¡° Couldn¡¯t me Han Jingyan for being doubtful. In this world, there were only a few could do double-sided embroidery, and as far as he knew, the residence had not specifically asked a special embroiderdy to teach Yuchen and Yuxi.

    Yuxi sheepishly said, ¡°Third Sister sent me a pair of double-sided embroideries before. I took them apart and studied them myself.¡±

    Although Yuchen was surprised, she knew Yuxi was very gifted in embroidery, so she did not doubt Yuxi¡¯s words, ¡°Fourth Sister, you didn¡¯t even tell me such a big thing.¡±

    Yuxi replied, ¡°I want to give you a surprise.¡±

    When Han Jingyan heard this, he no longer doubted it. The reason was very simple. You couldn¡¯t fool people with this kind of thing as you have toe up with something that couldn¡¯t be counter attack by others.

    The performance of Yuxi and Yuchen deeply hurt Wu Shi¡¯s nerves. Yuchen was 12 years old this year, while Yuxi was 11 years old and Yurong 9 years old. The age difference between the three sisters was not that huge. However, Yuchen¡¯s was very proficiency in the four arts and brewing tea with every kind of aroma. While Yuxi could do double-sided embroidery. However, Yurong, the youngest sister, could do nothing. With her two elder sisters already ahead, Yurong would certainly be overwhelmed in the future. At this moment, Wu Shi had made up her mind to cultivate Yurong.

    Han Jingyan had a lot of things to do outside, so, he went to the front yard after a small conversation with his family. After Han Jingyan left, Wu Shi smiled and said, ¡°Yuchen, Yuxi, Yurong and Yanfu have just arrived at the residence. They are not familiar with everything in the residence. These two days, you should take them to familiarize themselves with the environment.¡±

    Yuchen was very disgusted with Wu Shi¡¯smand. She asked them to do things directly without asking their opinions, when they weren¡¯t even maids in the residence. However, Yuchen was educated to follow etiquette, so she couldn¡¯t refuse it directly. As a result, she immediately replied tactfully, ¡°Mother, Fourth Sister and me are currently very busy. If Cousin Yanfu and Fifth Sister are not in a hurry, we will take you to know the government when we are free. What do you think?¡±

    Qiu Yanfu smiled and responded, ¡°Third Cousin is very kind. Since Third Cousin and Fourth Cousin have something to do, how can Cousin Yurong and I disturb it? ¡°

    Yuxi was less polite, ¡°If Qiu Yanfu wishes to get familiar with the state residence, then might as well let the old woman servant of the residence takes her around for two rounds.¡± Wu Shi really took herself as a pen cai (actually a type of traditional food that only serve during Chinese Lunar New Year which also mean special), thinking that her words were like the Emperor¡¯s golden mouth and pearly words (Chinese idiom : utterances that carry great weight) where they would obey everything she said. After staying in Hebei for such a long time, Wu Shi still hadn¡¯t been awared of her current status. This was the state residence, not Hebei province. It was not her who was in charge of the state residence, but her Grandmother and Aunt.

    Wu Shi¡¯s face was rather green. This two stepdaughters of her had repeatedly failed to give her some face, but she did not dare to attack Yuchen. She knew how much the Old Madam and her husband treasured Yuchen. She simply said, ¡°I¡¯m tired. You two should go back!¡±

    After hearing this, Yuchen and Yuxi did not hesitate at all. They gave their courtesy, then immediately left. Their behaviours made Wu Shi horribly angry.

    Qiu Yanfu had a bad feeling in her heart. The Third Miss and Fourth Miss clearly did not put her aunt in their eyes. She did not think that Yuchen was a brainless person. On the contrary, she always knew that Yuchen was smart. Then, Yuchen was doing this to show only one thing. She wass not afraid of her aunt, as she had nothing to fear since she had a strong backing.

    After leaving Biteng Courtyard, Yuxi asked Yuchen, ¡°Third Sister, just now, mother said I was lying without doing any confirmation. What did she mean?¡± For her biological father, Han Jingyan, she would use eyedrop and go round the curves and skirting the corners (Chinese idiom : beat around the bush). If it was Wu Shi¡¯s words, she didn¡¯t feel any pressure at all.

    Yuchen didn¡¯t like Wu Shi either. She didn¡¯t take Wu Shi seriously, and likewise, she didn¡¯t take her and Yuxi seriously. Wu Shi thought she could act like a tiger as she treated the state residence like her own home. Just because she was their stepmother, she could abuse the children left behind by her predecessor at will. ¡°Needless to pay attention. As long as we abide by the rules, she can¡¯t do anything to us.¡± There were many examples of stepmother¡¯s cruelties, so it was impossible for Yuchen to be partial towards Wu Shi.

    Yuxi sighed, ¡°Third Sister, it¡¯s not that I speak ill of others behind my back. You see this Qiu Yanfu. Who does she think she is? Even pretending to be an older sister in front of us. She wishes to be my older sister? What a joke.¡±

    Yuchen scornfully said, ¡°For a daughter of a merchant, it isn¡¯t worth for you to drop your status just to dispute with her.¡± For Qiu Yanfu to follow Wu Shi to the capital was nothing more than her desire to climb high through the family of the state residence. She thought everyone else was a fool, and she was the only one who was smart.

    Yuxi nodded and agreed, ¡°Yes, Third Sister is right.¡±

    Yuchen was much better informed than Yuxi thought. That afternoon, she knew that Wu Shi looked like her mother. She looked at Shi Qin and asked, ¡°Is this true?¡±

    Shi Qin nodded her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true. There are many old women servants in the residence who have met Madam, so they surely will not be mistaken.¡± Some people tried to tter Yuchen, so when an old woman servant saw Wu Shi, she immediately told the Shi Qin about it.

    Yuchen was not happy knowing Wu Shi looked like her mother. On the contrary, she felt disgusted. How dare a woman such as Wu Shi bepared with her mother? That was a big joke.

    Momo Gui noticed that Yuchen was in bad mood all evening. She told her, ¡°Miss, this is a decision made by the Master. Even you can¡¯t change it.¡± When the Third Master married Wu Shi, Yuchen was still a baby. What could she do at that time? Therefore, there was absolutely no need for for her to be this self-suffering.

    Yuchen felt very sad, ¡°I don¡¯t know why father did this?¡± To say her father miss her mother, he married Ning Shi less than a year after her mother passed away. To say her father didn¡¯t miss her mother, why marry Wu Shi who looked simr with her mother? She was very tangled.

    Momo Gui reminded, ¡°It¡¯s not Miss¡¯ business to think about why the Third Master did it. Miss, you should not know about this. ¡°

    That night, after Han jingyan came back, Wu Shi told her grievance by going round the curves and skirting the corners (Chinese idiom : beat around the bush). She knew that she could not speak of Yuchen, the apple of her husband¡¯s eyes, so she said that Yuxi did not take her seriously and gave her any face.

    Han Jingyan went to greet the Old Madam in the morning and he had been scolded by the her severely. Now, he naturally couldn¡¯t give Wu Shi any face anymore. He said, ¡°Yuxi has a lot to learn every day. It¡¯s normal that she doesn¡¯t have free time. If Yurong wants to be familiar with the residence, just ask a maid or an old woman servant to take her around.¡± Seeing Wu Shi still wanted to talk, he impatiently said, ¡°Enough, go to rest!¡± If he hadn¡¯t juste back from his concubine¡¯s ce to save Wu Shi from lose face, he would not have listened to Wu Shi¡¯s nagging here.

    Wu Shi was unwilling to back down, but looking at Han Jingyan¡¯s moody appearance, she also didn¡¯t dare to say more.

 Chapter 75 - Cold-shoulder (1)

    <strong>Chapter 75 : Cold-shoulder (1)</strong>

    Yuxi went to her garden again to wait on her herbs.

    The herbs nted in the medicine garden were not good looking, as they were too thin and unsightly. The once proper backyard had turned by Yuxi to something beyond recognition. To those who didn¡¯t know, they would have thought that beasts had visited the ce.

    Kufu came over and announced, ¡°Miss, Fifth Miss and Miss Fu are here to see you.¡±

    Yuchen had went to pay respect only on the day Wu Shi¡¯s returned to the residence, and she hadn¡¯t been there for thest two days. Yuxi could only followed suit. Of course, this did not mean that Yuxi did not know the situation in Biteng Courtyard. She knew that these two days, Wu Shi had been putting her things together and tidying up her courtyard. Simrly, Yurong and Qiu Yanfu were busy cleaning up their yard these two days. Now, it was estimated that their courtyard had been totally cleaned up. Therefore, they couldn¡¯t wait toe out and wandered while painting their existence in the residence.

    When Yuxi went out, she saw Qiu Yanfu dressed in a moon-white dress. Qiu Yanfu¡¯s appearance was at its peak, and when coupled with a pretty dress, she looked really lovely.

    It was not unusual to wear moon-white clothes. Yuxi had several clothes with the same colour, but hers were embroidered with various beautiful patterns. While, Qiu Yanfu¡¯s dress was inly white without any embroidered patterns.

    Yuxi looked at Qiu Yanfu in such dress and asked, ¡°Cousin Fu, did youe here specially to say goodbye to me?¡±

    Qiu Yanfu was stunned. She did not understand why Yuxi was saying this, but she guessed that Yuxi had no good things to say. She smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯m here to visit my Fourth Cousin.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°I thought someone in your family has gotten old. That¡¯s why youe and say goodbye to me.¡± Had gotten old here meant passed away.

    Yurong was unhappy that her mouth curled down. She then said, ¡°Fourth Sister, what are you doing cursing my aunt and uncle? They have never offended you. ¡°

    Yuxi gazed at Qiu Yanfu in her white attire and said, ¡°I mean Cousin Yanfu who has gotten old, not your aunt and uncle. But it is also rare to see Cousin Yanfu to dress in all white when everyone in your family is doing fine. You don¡¯t find this as unlucky?¡±

    Qiu Yanfu used to like wearing in clothes when she was in Hebei. Wearing such clothes made her looked very elegant and beautiful. Today, she was going to pay Fourth Miss a visit. She was afraid that she would be intimidated by Yuxi that she decided to wear this dress. She could not help but remembered Yuchen¡¯s surprise look when she saw her and the hidden smile in the eyes of the maids in Tingyun Pavilion. Now she felt so ashamed that she wished she could drawn herself by jumping in the river.

    Yurong stamped her foot and said, ¡°Fourth Sister, we havee to visit you with our good intentions, and you treat us like this?¡±

    Qiu Yanfu apologised, ¡°Fourth Cousin, I¡¯m really sorry. I didn¡¯t know there was such a taboo in the residence. I will pay more attention next time.¡°

    Yuxi appeared to be hiding her sneer as she said, ¡°It is not only taboo in our house, but it is also taboo in other people¡¯s homes. If you go to someone else¡¯s house looking like this and if the host family has impetuous temper, the family can directly beat you up.¡°

    Yurong obviously unconvinced with this words, ¡°Fourth Sister, you are just saying frightening words to scare people (Chinese idiom : sensationalist).¡±

    Qiu Yanfu said, ¡°Fourth Cousin, we have just arrived in the capital and there are still a lot of things that we don¡¯t understand. Later on, we will ask Fourth Cousin to tell us more about the taboos in the capital.¡±

    Yuxi sneered in her heart. ¡®Wanted to treat me as a pedal, dream on.¡¯ However, there was a smile on her face as she said, ¡°All the mama in the residence know all these things.¡± After saying that, she weed the two people in.

    The setup of Rose Courtyard had not changed at all. During this period, Qiu Shi wanted to rece all the furniture in Yuxi¡¯s courtyard, but Yuxi refused, saying that she was already used to it and prefer not to change it again. In fact, she felt that living in luxury or simple wasn¡¯t something really important. The most important thing for her was how to take advantage in each different situation.

    ntain or cooking banana. ntain is a family of banana, but a bit different than banana. Banana will turn yellow when it ripe, but ntain will still have green colour even when it ripes. For more difference between ntain and banana, please click .

    Source | Dickelbers via Wiki

    Qiu Yanfu and Yurong saw nothing inside the courtyard except for roses and ntains on one side. Entering the living room, there were no other decorations could be seen except desk and chair. Topare here with Tingyun Pavilion, was likeparing mud and heaven.

    Qiu Yanfu¡¯s eyes shed with doubt. If she was not mistaken, Yuxi ought to be quite favoured, but why the setup in was this room was so simple.

    When they got into the bedroom, they saw the room to be rather unduly simple. There were wash painting mosquitos hanging on the bed frame and big red bedding. Everything in the room were not very valuable. The only bright colour things in there were probably a few jewelleries ced on the dressing table.

    Yurong felt that this ce was really shabby. Not to mention Tingyun Pavilion, even with her Shuixiang Courtyard, it was still iparable.

    Qiu Yanfu purposely asked with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a study, Fourth Cousin?¡±

    Yuxi responded also with a smile, ¡°The study is on the other side. If you want to see it, follow me!¡± Her study had changed a lot now, unlike its state in the beginning.

    Lucky Bamboo Bonsai

    Source | »¨»¨ÊÀ½ç (, June 19, 2016)

    As they walked in, the first thing they saw was therge yellow rosewood desk by the window. There were many books on the desk, a few square ink-stones, and various kinds of brush pots. The numerous writing brushes inserted inside the brush pots were like a mountain forest. There was also a ¡®lucky bamboo¡¯ bonsai on the desk.

    In the middle of the western wall, hung a long piece of paper written with big characters, which read ¡®heaven rewards the diligence¡¯. On the right side of the wall was a whole wall of books, neatly arranged. As one stood in the room, one could smell the thick odours of books and ink. As for the wall used for Yuxi¡¯s daily calligraphy practice, it had been covered up, so the two could not see it.

    Qiu Yanfu looked at the four characters and asked curiously, ¡°Who wrote these four characters?¡± The reason she didn¡¯t believe it was written by famous expert was, these four characters were somewhat written immaturely at first sight. Although she was born in a merchant family, she had already seen many good things of famous persons.

    Yuxi smiled and replied, ¡°I wrote it myself. Not for people to appreciate, but to remind myself that I should never ck off when ites to learn knowledge.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu felt astonished in her heart that she asked incredulously, ¡°This is written by Fourth Cousin?¡± She also dabbled in painting and calligraphy a little, but these four words were written strongly and forcefully, not at all like women¡¯s handwriting.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°I wrote it, but teacher said that all the words I wrote were just in shape and not with their spirits. So, I can¡¯t go far in calligraphy.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu could not help but asked, ¡°The teacher whom cousin talks about, is she Teacher Song?¡± She had heard her aunt talked highly of Teacher Song, made her heart was filled with admiration. She wished she could learn from her.

    Yuxi smiled and shook her head, ¡°No, I have resigned from her ssroom. I only learned superficial knowledge from Teacher Song, but Third Sister is thest disciple of Teacher Song, and she is Teacher Song¡¯s true legacy.¡±

    Yurong did not know whether Yuxi¡¯s words were unintentional or intentional, as shemented, ¡°Third Sister¡¯s handwriting is much more beautiful than Fourth Sister¡¯s.¡± When she saw Third Sister¡¯s meihua xiaokai (plum blossom small regr script), she felt very envious. As for Fourth Sister¡¯s scrawly handwriting on the wall, she would rather not give anyment.

    Yuxi was not angry either. She just smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing writing everyday. By the way, what did Fifth Sister do every day in Hebei?¡°

    Remembering what her mother said, Yurong revealed a sour expression on her face, ¡°In Hebei, embroidering and writing weremon things that I did everyday. Fourth Sister, I hate embroidery the most. You embroider so well that you can even do double-sided embroidery. Can you teach me?¡°

    Yuxi smiled but declined, ¡°I want to teach Fifth Sister, but I have too much to do, so I don¡¯t have the time. If Five Sister really wants to learn needlework, ask Mother to get you a good embroidererdy.¡± All jokes aside, she was already busy with her own things, so she had no spare time to teach Yurong.

    Yurong was unhappy at the moment that she said, ¡°Can Fourth Sister be as busy as Third Sister? She has just promised to teach me qin, chess, calligraphy and painting. Why can¡¯t Fourth Sister do the same?¡° Her tone was really blunt, but it also showed that Yurong had no subtlety. This was also a naivety of a child doted on by one¡¯s parents.

    Yuxi was not angry, but responded with a slight smile, ¡°I can¡¯tpare with Third Sister. Third Sister can immediately be proficient on new things as soon as she learns about them. It takes me several times more to be as proficient when learning the same things. This is also why I wrote those four big characters on the wall. ¡°

    Yurong said unhappily, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to teach me, then just say you don¡¯t want to. Why find so many excuses? Well, I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t teach me anyway.¡± Then she left angrily. (T/N : Can somebody please p this rude girl?)

    Originally, Qiu Yanfu wanted to talk more with Yuxi. Although Yuxi was very blunt when she talked sometimes, she was as frank as the Madam of the residence had said. Yuxi spoke harshly but without any bad intention. This kind of person was much easier to be deal with. Unlike Third Miss who always looked like she was set on high (Chinese idiom : not in touch with reality), which made her felt inferior instead. This feeling was really terrible.

    Kufu was rather worried as she stated, ¡°Miss, if Fifth Missins to the Third Master, then you will suffer.¡±

    Yuxi shrugged her shoulders and said indifferently, ¡°It is unlikely for me to teach her, so if she wants toin, good for her.¡± Anyway, Han Jingyan had never asked her to teach Yurong, so she didn¡¯t want to trouble herself from volunteering.

    Yurong was not stupid, but she hadn¡¯t suffered either. In Yuxi¡¯s previous life, Yuxi had be Yurong¡¯s scapegoat, moreover, Wu Shi¡¯s operated properly. Everyone said that Yurong was really lovely. In this life, Yurong would only be her and Yuchen¡¯s foil. The taste of being a foil was not something pleasant. If you were not careful, you would feel inferior and drown in self-pity.

    As Kufu expected, Yurong reallyined to Han Jingyan.

    Han Jingyan was not even angry, ¡°Your Fourth Sister did all the embroidery work by herself. Moreover, she has little experience and is really not suitable for teaching you. If you really want to learn, just invite an embroiderydy. ¡°

    Yurong pouted andined, ¡°Third Sister has promised to teach me qin, chess, calligraphy and painting. So, why can¡¯t Fourth Sister also teach me?¡±

    Han Jingyan¡¯s face was not very good-looking. He asked, ¡°Did you ask Yuchen to teach you how to y qin, chess, calligraphy and painting?¡± Yuchen had a lot to learn. Every day, she had to learn from early morning tillte at night. It was impossible for her to take the initiative to teach Yurong. The only possibility was that Yurong had demanded her to do it.

    Han Jingyan did say that day for Yuchen to look after Yurong more. But he was merely asking her to look after Yurong in terms of rules and etiquettes, and also how to be merciful young miss. Not to teach her the four arts. For these kind of things, he would personally invite someone to teach.

    When Yurong noticed that Han Jingyan had a bad looking expression, she hastily said, ¡°I just saw my Third Sister¡¯s proficiency in the four arts. I told her that I envy her so much. When she heard this, she said she could teach me personally.¡°

    Wu Shi tried to mediate, ¡°My lord, Yurong also wants to have more contact with Third Miss. This way, it will be easy to enhance the sisterhood connection between them.¡±

    Han Jingyan thought for a moment andpromised, ¡°You can go to Tingyun Pavilion, but in the premise that you must never affect your Third Sister in any way, okay?¡±

 Chapter 76 - Cold-shoulder (2)

    <strong>Chapter 76 : Cold-shoulder (2)</strong>

    Early morning the next day, Yurong went to Tingyun Pavilion in high spirits.

    When Yuxi heard the news, she smiled very unkindly. To learn qin, chess, calligraphy and painting from Yuchen was like seeking for disaster. Yuxi had lived an extra lifetime and she had saw a lot of things, so she was not affected by Yuchen. As for Yurong, she had only two words. Ha-ha.

    Yuchen had too much things to learn. She would wake up at maoshi (5-7a.m) every day and only had time to rest for half an hour at noon. Although she did promised to teach Yurong, it was impossible to teach her from morning till night. She could only set aside half an hour a day for her. She started by teaching her qin.

    Ding dong¡­ ¨C A burst of disorderly music sounded from Tingyun Pavilion.

    Yurong said that she used to y the magical notes of the qin. Now, all maids and old woman servants in the courtyard wished they could close their ears. Yurong made up the statement herself. Since she didn¡¯t practice much at all, she stopped ying after a while. She could indeed yed the magical notes on the qin. Though, the maids and old women servants of Tingyun Pavilion were already ustomed to hear beautiful qin music yed by Yuchen every day, thus, when they heard the qin yed by Yurong, they all felt particrly bitter.

    Yuchen patiently pointed the mistakes, ¡°You pluck it wrongly, and that¡¯s a wrong fingering. It should be like this¡­¡± She gave Yurong a demonstration.

    Yurong yed it again ording to Yuchen¡¯s teachings, but still to no avail. She couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated. Then, she said, ¡°Just forget about it, Third Sister. Even when I was in Hebei, my teacher said I didn¡¯t have talent in qin art. Third Sister, how about you teach me chess and painting skills!¡± She had learned a bit chess and painting, so she was not worried that she would be bad in learning them.

    Yuchen did not insist on the matter, since, even Yuxi did not learn any musical instruments, but she still did well in chess and painting. However, Yuchen was a serious and responsible kind of person. She asked, ¡°Did you finish copying 100 characters ording to the copybook yesterday?¡± Her zanhua xiaokai (blossom hairpin regr script) was truly a legacy from Teacher Song.

    Yurong shook her head and said, ¡°I was distressed with my handwriting that I stop writing.¡±

    Yuchen slightly frowned, ¡°Writing one hundred characters a day is something you must be adhered to. If you didn¡¯t finish writing them yesterday, then you have to make it up today. Fifth Sister, calligraphy is developed by practice. We must persevere and not cken off. Otherwise, we won¡¯t learn it well. Remember?¡°

    Yurong hesitated for a moment but then said, ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡±

    When it was her turn to learn chess, Yurong thought that since she already had a solid foundation in painting and qin skills, it would also be easy for her to learn chess. However, when she caught sight of the chess, her whole body looked unwell, ¡°Third Sister, I can¡¯t.¡±

    Yuchen frowned and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already learn chess? So, why can¡¯t you y?¡° She could say it easily since chess was uplicated to read and understand, so of course, to those who already have the foundation, it should be effortless.

    Yurong replied, ¡°I did not learn this kind of chess, but another kind.¡± She studied wuziqi (gomoku/gobang/5 in a row), while Yuchen was going to teach her weiqi (go). Weiqi and wuziqi were not on the same level.

    Wuziqi winning condition. Wuziqi is like othello plus bingo. As long as you can put a straight five pieces horizontally, vertically or across, you win the game.

    Source | Shao, Kun & Zhao, Dongbin & Tang, Zhentao & Zhu, Yuanheng. (2016). 292-297. 10.1109/YAC.2016.7804906.

    While weiqi winning condition is based on territories or/anapture points each yer earns. The one with the highest total points win.

    Source | Scsc via wiki

    Yuchen was speechless, ¡°Wuziqi? When you say you are good at chess, you actually mean wuziqi?¡± In her eyes, only weiqi and xiangqi (Chinese chess) could be considered as chess skills. Wuziqi, which she disdained to learn, was a child¡¯s game.

    Yurong looked at Yuchen¡¯s manner. She didn¡¯t know why but there was a sudden feeling of ashamed emerged in her mind. ¡°Third Sister, it¡¯s not toote for me to learn weiqi, is it?¡±

    It was not toote, but Yuchen didn¡¯t have the time to start teaching her from the scratch, ¡°If you really want to learn weiqi, you can start by reading book on weiqi for beginners.¡±

    Yurong nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Since the art of qin and chess couldn¡¯t be taught right now, there was only the art of painting left. Yuchen would not teach it to Yurong this time. She just said, ¡°Fifth Sister, please draw a picture for me to see first. You can draw anything you like.¡±

    Yurong painted a cluster of chrysanthemums, which she was best known for.

    When Yuchen looked at the picture, she slightly sighed. At this level, it couldn¡¯t even hold a candle to drawings painted by Yuxi, who had not drawn much, ¡°Your chrysanthemum painting is too rigid and don¡¯t even have any soul.¡±

    Yurong¡¯s face turned stiff.

    At that moment, Momo (wet nurse) Gui walked in to remind Yuchen, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s time to practice your qin.¡± Each of her Miss¡¯ time was very precious.

    ¡°Wait here for me,¡± Yuchen said to Yurong. She went to the study, found a book on weiqi for beginners and gave it to Yurong.

    Yurong was unhappy as she held the book in her hand. Whoever had been criticized would surely be depressed, but she still needed to express her gratitude to Yuchen.

    For the next few days, Yurong went to Tingyun Pavilion every morning and made Yuchen taught her weiqi and painting skills. Yurong was not stupid, but she was not particrly clever either. Yuchen taught her very fast, so she had to be extra strenuous in her study.

    Yurong was different from Yuxi. She was pampered, so she couldn¡¯t even face a bit of hardship. She began toin bitterly after two days of learning, which made Yuchen treated her with cold-shoulder even more.

    Kufu reported to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, Third Miss treats Fifth Miss very kindly. She personally teaches her chess and painting. Now all the people in the residence say that Third Miss is really a good sister.¡° In contrast, Yuxi, Yurong¡¯s other elder sister, was considered ipetent.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing,¡± said Yuxi indifferently. Yuchen had always behaved perfectly. While her, instead of learning from Yuchen, she lived her life in her own way.

    Zisu instead questioned, ¡°Will it not affect Third Miss if Fifth Miss goes to learn from her every day? ¡± A talented person also needed to take time to learn anything! Just like her, Momo Quan once said that she had a talent for ounting, but it was only after several years of study that she could do so well now.

    Yuxi chuckled, ¡°This is not your concern.¡± After that, she went to her study, took out a thick medical book and went to the backyard to read it.

    Maidong came in with a bad expression and said, ¡°Miss, your cousin, Miss Fu is here again.¡±

    Yuxi said casually, ¡°Tell her I¡¯m drawing in my study, so I don¡¯t have time to see her. We will meet another time. If she doesn¡¯t leave, please serve her tea in the living room.¡± On the first day they met, she was being too nervous, so she went a little bit too far, which was also an after-effect of her previous life. Later, when she considered it carefully, she felt that she had been thinking too much. As long as she be on guard against Qiu Yanfu scheming of her second brother, Qiu Yanfu would only be a visitor in the residence so she couldn¡¯t jump up. It was a total waste of time to pay so much attention on her.

    When Qiu Yanfu heard Yuxi was drawing in her study, she did not know why she suddenly felt powerless. Not to mention Yuchen¡¯s proficiency in the four arts, poetry and in brewing tea, even Fourth Miss who looked dumb outwardly was also gifted. She used to think that she was excellent in all aspects. Now,pared with Yuchen and Yuxi, she was just a g.

    Yurong had studied with Yuchen for less than half a month, and both her chess and painting skills had made a lot of progress. However, correspondingly, Yuchen¡¯s learning progress slowed down a lot, which made Momo Gui very dissatisfied. However, Yuchen did this for fraternal love between sisters, so, she could not directly tell Yuchen to give up teaching her sister.

    Yuchen saw Yurong¡¯s words on the picture and asked, ¡°Fifth Sister, did you write 100 characters every day?¡± Judging from the written words on the picture, she could not see any progress at all. She clearly remembered that Yuxi had only practiced for half a month, but her writings had advanced by leaps and bounds. Yuchen didn¡¯t ask Yurong to be as good as Yuxi, but she should not stay stagnant at the level she was now!

    Yurong guiltily said, ¡°Yes!¡± She was afraid that she would be looked down upon by Yuchen for failing toplete her task every day, so she falsely imed to have finished it the next day. A lie needed countless lies to make it right.

    Yuchen frowned, but she didn¡¯t think too much about it. But Momo Gui, who stood beside her like a fine woman, looked at Yurong and knew that Yurong was not telling the truth.

    After sending off Yurong, Momo Gui told Yuchen, ¡°Miss, Fifth Miss certainly didn¡¯t write 100 characters every day.¡± ording to her estimation, even half of them had not yet been written by Yurong.

    Yuchen obviously didn¡¯t believe it, ¡°That can¡¯t be. Fifth Sister said she finished writing them.¡± The main person, Teacher Song asked her and Yuxi to write 100 characters a day afterwards, but she never checked it, but they still did a good job. She believed that Yurong should be the same as them. In addition, she felt that Yurong was learning for herself, thus she didn¡¯t think Yurong would cheat her.

    Momo Gui smiled and said, ¡°What she said may not be true. If Miss does not believe it, Miss should ask someone to go and tell Fifth Miss to bring you the written characters early tomorrow morning.¡±

    Yuchen thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    The lie broke at the slightest touch. When Yurong faced Yuchen, her face turned red and said, ¡°Third Sister, I¡¯m sorry, I lied.¡±

    Yuchen¡¯s face was very ugly, ¡°Why did you say you did wrote it when you actually hadn¡¯t finished it?¡± Lying at a young age was a sign of bad character.

    Yurong felt very aggrieved as she said, ¡°Third Sister, I¡¯ve written too much characters that my hand have been terribly painful. And if I have written much more, it will leave scar on my hand.¡°

    As Yuchen heard these spoken words, her expression immediately became indifferent. Yurong didn¡¯t even write 100 words a day, and yet she dared to say her hand hurt because of it. She didn¡¯t dare to face even a little bit of hardship that she filled her mouth with lies instead.

    Yurong still had the ability of doing as she saw fit when she hastily said, ¡°Third Sister, I know I was wrong and I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you. Third Sister, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do it again.¡°

    Yuchen said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this right now. I won¡¯t teach you for the time being, so go back first!¡° She had no affection for Yurong, and she taught Yurong whole heartedly was nothing more than listening to Han Jingyan¡¯s request and also to fulfill her eldest sister¡¯s duty. Now, she would no longer wanting to bear this responsibility.

    Yurong¡¯s face changed when she saw Yuchen giving her a cold-shoulder, ¡°Third Sister, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me this once!¡±

    Yuchen¡¯s expression was indifferent when she said, ¡°I am not in the mood today, so you go back first!¡±

    Momo Gui looked at Yuchen in a bad mood and said, ¡°Miss, you shouldn¡¯t have promised Fifth Miss at the beginning. You see, Fourth Miss is still the one who is smart to back away.¡± In her view, Yuchen¡¯s efforts had became arduous and thankless task (Chinese idiom : strenuous and unrewarding).

    Yuchen said with a wry smile, ¡°Father told me to be more merciful towards my Fifth Sister, and yet I¡¯m not good in being merciful.¡± She just wanted to brush her presence in front of Han Jingyan.

    How could Momo Gui not know Yuchen¡¯s thought. She immediately shake her head, ¡°Miss, Master just asked you to be merciful towards Fifth Miss, not to not let you teach her personally. Fourth Miss was right in saying that it was Wu Shi¡¯s duty to bring up Fifth Miss, not yours nor Fourth Miss.¡±

    At first, Momo Gui didn¡¯t value Yuxi very much, but after a long time, she found Yuxi was very thorough in seeing things and was very good at seeking benefits while avoiding harms. Of course, it was also this advantages that had won the favor of Momo Quan who had taught Yuxi with all her heart. In fact, Momo Gui also had some regrets. If Momo Quan could stay beside Yuchen, she would have an extra arm.

    In fact, Yuchen¡¯s heart was veryplicated. On one hand, she wanted to get the attention of her father. On the other hand, she envied Yuxi very much. Yuxi didn¡¯t have to worry so much about what she wanted to do and what she didn¡¯t want to.

    Momo Gui had been with Yuchen for five years now, so she understood her better. She instantly advised, ¡°Miss, if it¡¯s hard for you say it, then, let just ask the Old Madam to act on your behalf.¡±

    Yuchen shook her head and said, ¡°No, I¡¯ll tell them myself.¡±

 Chapter 77 - Cold-shoulder (3)

    <strong>Chapter 77 : Cold-shoulder (3)</strong>

    Yuchen acted quickly by telling the Old Madam about it sooner. Then, she went to Biteng Courtyard and told Wu Shi about it, ¡°Mother, I can¡¯t teach Yurong any more.¡±

    Wu Shi was so angry that Yurong herself didn¡¯t even dare to tell her about this matter, ¡°Your Fifth Sister was still young to understand. You don¡¯t have to worry about her. I promise she won¡¯t dare to act like that again.¡° She let Yurong learned from Yuchen because Yuchen¡¯s rules and etiquette were especially good. There was a saying, ¡®don¡¯t need to worry about not knowing goods, but aboutparing them (Chinese proverbs : The true value of a person or good can only be determined throughparison)¡¯. Yuxi¡¯s rules and etiquette were also good, but ifpared with Yuchen¡¯s, the difference was more than one margin. If one wanted to learn, naturally, one should learn from the best. Facts had proven that she was right. Yurong had made great progress in less than half a month, and the effect was much better than being taught by an invited teacher.

    Yuchen shook her head and said, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m of humble talent and shallow learning, that¡¯s why I can¡¯t teach my Fifth Sister any longer.¡± She had her own rules of conduct, that was, the opportunity came only once, and you would never be given a second chance.

    Wu Shi looked at Yuchen and refused to give her any face. Her heart felt as if it was being crushed by a stone. She stopped her difort and still wanted to help her daughter to get another chance. ¡°Yuchen, Yurong is your own sister. Don¡¯t you want her to be good too?¡±

    Yuchen didn¡¯t like being pushed around. On that day, she was willing to teach Yurong not for Wu Shi¡¯s sake, but for her father¡¯s sake. ¡°Mother, I have to learn a lot every day, so I don¡¯t have time and energy to teach Fifth Sister. Moreover, I have already told Grandmother about this matter. She also felt that it was inappropriate for me to teach Fifth Sister. She has already said that she will invite a teacher and the nurturing momo (wet nurse) to teach Yurong as soon as possible.¡° She now agreed with Yuxi¡¯s remark that there were specialists in every technical fields. It would be more effective to ask someone who was proficient in that field to teach Yurong.

    Even when the Old Madam¡¯s name had been brought up, Wu Shi still didn¡¯t want to give up. With a forced smile, she said, ¡°You¡¯ve been working hard these days.¡± She thought Yuchen was easily open to persuasion, but she did not expect that was her own delusion. Neither of her two stepdaughters took her seriously.

    Yuchen shook her head before saying, ¡°If it¡¯s okay with Mother, I will go back first.¡± Her impression of Wu Shi was already bad because of the gifts before, so she was not going to get close with her. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t be afraid if Wu Shi dared to provoke her.

    Wu Shi¡¯s face was very ugly, but she also didn¡¯t want to lose her temper at Yuchen. Wu Shi belonged to a typical case of bullying the weak but feared the strong. Yuchen had a strong backer that she did not dare to offend, ¡°Mama Chen will go send Third Girl off.¡±

    When Yurong entered the room, she could see that her mother¡¯s face was livid. She cried out with some fear, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s the matter? Did Third Sister disagree? ¡°

    Wu Shi tried her best to calm her anger and she politely said, ¡°Your Third Sister is busy. After a while, mother will invite a teacher toe over for you.¡±

    Yurong¡¯s face was pleasantly surprised, ¡°Could you invite Teacher Song, please?¡± (T/N : I don¡¯t know why, but if she learns from Teacher Song, I believe she will end up like Yujing. They kind of have the same attitudes. Maybe because both are extremely pampered by their mothers.)

    Mama Chen could not help sighing beside her. She used to think that her Miss was innocent and lovely, but now,pared to Third Miss and Fourth Miss, her Miss was kind of pathetic.

    The anger in Wu Shi¡¯s heart could no longer be contained. She angrily scolded, ¡°Why are you so disappointing? You couldn¡¯t even finish writing 100 characters a day. Then you also asked me to intercede with Yuchen. Now, it¡¯s good that I¡¯ve just lost all my face. ¡°

    Yurong had been Wu Shi¡¯s precious darling since she was young. Today was the first time that she had been scolded, thus she immediately cried disorderly.

    When Han Jingyan came back that night, he saw Wu Shi¡¯s eyes were red, obviously she had been crying, and he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± His first two wives died young, made him bearing the title of a jinx to his wives. Fortunately, Wu Shi was able to live in peace with him for so many years and gave birth to three more of his children. In his heart, Wu Shi¡¯s status was quite high.

    Wu Shi told Han Jingyan about what happened that afternoon and said, ¡°Yurong, this child is too ignorant. Yuchen is also good for her. How can she don¡¯t want to write because she is afraid of having scars?¡±

    The Old Madam told Han Jiangyan regarding this matter two days ago and condemned him for being an ipetent father. Yuchen was already so busy every day that he didn¡¯t know how to cherish and instead increased her burdens, which made Han Jingyan felt guilty.

    Han Jingyan said, ¡°Yuchen has a lot to learn and her daily schedule is very tight. Because of these, I still don¡¯t want Yurong to learn from her. Since Yurong needs to learn piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, just hire a teacher. You can always get a good one if you spend more time on it. ¡°

    Wu Shi¡¯s heart was stifled. After all, her husband still leaned towards Yuchen, but this was something she could not say out loud. She deliberately said bitterly, ¡°My husband, a good gentleman can¡¯t be invited any time soon. Isn¡¯t this just wasting time?¡± When she was in Hebei, she thought that Yurong was very good in all aspects, but when they returned to the state residence, there were Yuchen and Yuxi in front, and Yurong had became a g. She did not want her daughter to be a foil to others, so she urgently started to change the status quo.

    Han Jingyan thought for a moment and said, ¡°Yuxi also learned from Teacher Song. All her aspects are not bad, especially her embroidery which is very good. Let Yurong learns from Yuxi first!¡± Yuxi could do double-sided embroidery. At least, Yurong embroidery skill would not be bad!

    When Wu Shi heard this, her mind was extremely unwilling. Yuxi was just a guest student, how could she bepared with Yuchen, thest disciple? Even though she was unwilling, she was currently did not have any better way.

    Ming Dynasty Xuande Emperor ying touhu (pitch pot game), 15th century.

    Source | Sina via Wiki

    Early morning next day, Yuxi got up to do . Momo Quan once said that wuqinxi movements were unbing, and she had asked Yuxi to exercise by ying pitch pot game or walked longer every day, just like Yuchen. Yuxi was almost obedient to Momo Quan, and she would always listen to everything Momo Quan said, but in this case, she simply did not agree. When Momo Quan saw Yuxi being persisted, she could only back down.

    Afterpleting a set of wuqinxi, Yuxi¡¯s whole body was warm all over. Since the weather was cool, she didn¡¯t sweat. On her way to enter the room, suddenly a bird flew overhead.

    Zisu turned pale with fright, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t move. Something dirty has fallen on you.¡±

    Yuxi turned her head and saw that bird droppingshad fallen on her clothes. ¡°Bird dropping has properly dropped from the sky. I¡¯m afraid, something bad is going to happen today.¡±

    Kufu spit twice and said unhappily, ¡°Miss, you only happy events in the residence. Where will you met any bad thing?¡± Her Miss usually didn¡¯t pay attention to anything.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°I just said without thinking.¡±

    As soon as the conversation was over, an old woman servant came over and said, ¡°Fourth Miss, Madam requesting you toe over.¡±

    After the old woman servant left, Zisu reminded, ¡°The weasel goes to pay his respects to the hen.¡ªwith bad intentions (Chinese idiom : beware of suspicious folk bearing gifts, they are sure to be ill-intentioned). Please be careful this time, Miss.¡± The maid beside Yuxi was the most sensitive one.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she can¡¯t eat me alive (phrase :pletely destroyed or defeated by someone).¡±

    When Yuxi arrived at Biteng Courtyard and heard Wu Shi¡¯s request, she was rather surprised, ¡°Mother is asking me to teach Fifth Sister?¡± She felt that things in the world were really changeable. Especially in her previous life where Wu Shi would look down on her very much, and now, she let Yurong learn from her.

    Wu Shi politely said, ¡°I¡¯m currently trying to invite a teacher, but it takes time to invite a good one. Therefore, I want your Fifth Sister to follow your teaching for a period of time. ¡°

    Yuxiughed in her heart, but did not show it in her face, ¡°I don¡¯t know if Mother knows or not. I only attended a few sses and didn¡¯t even learn much except superficial knowledges from Teacher Song. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t teach Fifth Sister well.¡±

    Wu Shi¡¯s face was looking bad. First Yuchen, now Yuxi also acted like this. One by one didn¡¯t put her in their eyes. Yuchen¡¯s background was too hard, added up with the support from Old Madam, she couldn¡¯t do anything about it, but even Yuxi, she herself still could not hold on. Her tone of voice couldn¡¯t help getting a little tougher, ¡°I¡¯ve already nned to find a teacher for Yurong first, but I can¡¯t find a good teacher for a while. I just want you toy the foundation for Yurong before her teacheres.¡± Seeing Yuxi wanted to refute, she immediately said, ¡°This is also your father¡¯s wish.¡±

    Yuxi sneered in her heart. She knew that the soft persimmons people chose to squeeze (Chinese idiom : it¡¯s the weak who always been picked on), ¡°If my mother doesn¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll let Fifth Sistere to my Rose Courtyard every morning. Then Fifth Sister and I will learn and improve together.¡±

    Wu Shi¡¯s expression slightly rxed.

    Yuxi said face to face with the unwilling Yurong, ¡°Fifth Sister, the best thing I learned from Teacher Song is chess, and I have been studying with her for five years. Although I can¡¯tpare with Third Sister, I am still much better than the average person. If Fifth Sister doesn¡¯t mind, I can teach Fifth Sister chess and embroidery.¡°

    Yuxi¡¯s words were too modest. Although Yuchen was intelligent, she had too much to learn, while Yuxi had specialized in chess all these years. However, she didn¡¯t want to let people know that she was good at chess, so she deliberately won less and lost more with Yuchen. Yuchen didn¡¯t know about them at first, and waster reminded by Teacher Song. However, when Yuchen knew about it, she didn¡¯t expose it. This led everyone to think that even if Yuxi worked hard, she still could not bepared with Yuchen.

    Yurong was unwilling to learn from Yuxi. The reason was very simple. Yuxi was too weak which made her looked down at Yuxi. But with the previous incident, she did not dare to challenge her father¡¯s patience.

    This matter was settled. The next day, Yurong arrived at the Rose Courtyard half past chenshi (7-9 a.m), which was quite different from her previous attitude of going to Tingyun Pavilion where she arrived before chenshi.

    Yuxi did not take this too seriously. When she saw Yurong, she smiled and said, ¡°Fifth Sister, let me teach you chess first!¡±

    Yurong listened to Yuxi¡¯s preaching on her chess skills, and her eyes shed with contempt. However, at this time she also learned to be good and did not dare to confront Yuxi. She nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Yuxi took out the notes she had taken in ss before and read them loud.

    Yurong listened for less than half an hour and she was furious. Was this how she going to teach her chess? This was no different than a monk chanting sutras. Yurong was not a patient person, so she immediately said, ¡°Fourth Sister, you can just give me your notes. I¡¯ll look at them myself.¡± If she had to continue listening to Yuxi read them there, she would go crazy.

    Yuxi pointed out, ¡°In fact, the notes made by the Third Sister are much better than mine. If Fifth Sister really wants to learn chess, why don¡¯t you borrow the notes from Third Sister?¡±

    Yurong naturally knew that Yuchen was better than Yuxi, but she was also a proud person. She had been rejected as such, so how could she find Yuchen without feeling ashamed! She didn¡¯t want to borrow Yuchen¡¯s notes, so she took Yuxi¡¯s notes and read them.

    If one could learn it well by just relying on a notebook, there would be many self-taught people everywhere. Yurong did not understand it after reading it for a long time, ¡°Fourth Sister, if you¡¯re not scare, why don¡¯t we y a game of chess!¡± She remembered Yuchen said that if someone apanied her when learning chess, she would learn quickly.

    Yuxi was not impatient at all as she responded with a smile, ¡°Okay then!¡±

    Zisu listened to this talk with a strange look. Others might not know but she could understand it clearly. It took only half a month for Fifth Miss to learn to y weiqi, but she dared to say that she wanted to y with her Master in a disapproving tone? Was she being over confident or just too foolish? (T/N : My answer¡­ both. She was being over confident AND foolishly think she was much better than Yuxi in weiqi. Beat her, Yuxi!)

 Chapter 78 - Storm (1)

    <strong>Chapter 78 : Storm (1)</strong>

    When they yed chess, Yuxi always deliberately lost to Yuchen, because she did not want to grab the limelight from Yuchen, and also, she did not want to be noticed by too many people. However, if she let Yurong won, a student who only learned it for half a month won against a student who had learned chess for five years, then she would be a joke in the residence. Therefore, to keep this appearance, she made Yurong lost quite badly.

    Even though Yurong lost in this match, she didn¡¯t take any offence, as she only learned chess for half a month, while Yuxi had studied it for five years. Even if she lost miserably, this could still be considered normal, ¡°Fourth Sister, please exin it to me!¡±

    Yuxi was totally at a loss, ¡°What¡¯s there to exin?¡±

    When Yuxi heard Yurong asking her to exin every chess moved she made, she frankly said, ¡°If you y more, you will know how to do it. Where will there be any trick to y it?¡±

    Yurong was somewhat frustrated and simply said, ¡°Then Fourth Sister, I will not learn chess for the time being, so you can teach me embroidery instead!¡± In her eyes, Yuxi could only be considered good in embroidery.

    Yuxi disyed her good-natured look, ¡°As long as you do not find it to be too boring, it¡¯s certainly won¡¯t be a problem for me.¡± She did not mind teaching Yurong embroidery. Learning embroidery was actually no different than practicing calligraphy. It required not only a guidance from a famous teacher but also patience and perseverance. Otherwise, no matter how good one¡¯s talent was, without them, it would never be considered good.

    Yurong began to learn the needlework. Then, she listened to Yuxi talking about how to distribute the threads or something alike. However, after listening for 3 minutes, she interrupted Yuxi¡¯s words, ¡°Fourth Sister, I already know about these things. You should teach me how to do double-sided embroidery instead.¡±

    Yuxi felt funny that Yurong¡¯s view was really that high. She couldn¡¯t even embroider a flower yet, but already wanted to do a . Yuxi wondered, why did she, in her previous life, feel Yurong was pure and lovable, and also quite a charming person? ¡°Okay. But when I do double-sided embroidery, I will be doing it very slowly, so I hope you won¡¯t be too bored.¡±

    Yurong naturally, didn¡¯t object.

    Yuxi had already embroidered one side of her embroidery screen, but after sometimes, her embroidery had not yet reached even one third of the screen. What she had said to Yurong was not an excuse. She really had a lot of things to do every day. She could only spare half an hour to embroider, so, for her to actually finish a piece of embroidery would be like seeing a snail moved.

    Zisu and Kufu acted very fast as they brought out the embroidery frame and needlework tools. Yuxi sat in front of the embroidery frame and began to embroider.

    Yurong looked at Yuxi embroidering for a quarter of an hour and thenined, ¡°Fourth Sister, you have to exin it to me! If you¡¯re too engross in embroidering, how can I learn?¡±

    Yuxi looked up at Yurong and responded, ¡°It¡¯s the same like doing usual embroidery work!¡±

    When Yurong heard Yuxi¡¯s response, she felt really dissatisfied, ¡°How can it be the same? If it is the same, then the double-sided embroidery cannot bepared to the vegetable radish in the street market, right?¡±

    Yuxi helplessly asked, ¡°How do you want me to teach you then?¡±

    Yurong really felt that Yuxi was hopelessly foolish, ¡°You tell me how you embroider a double-sided embroidery.¡±

    Yuxi still told her the words that hold the same meaning of her previous words, ¡°I just embroidered like you just saw it!¡± Seeing Yurong¡¯s irritated look, she was so fired up that she said, ¡°Fifth Sister, this kind of embroidery requires understanding and talent. I have talent in embroidery, so I can figure out the key behind double-sided embroidery. If there is no talent, even if the craft is good, the embroiderydy will surely won¡¯t teach double-sided embroidery.¡±

    When Yurong listened to these, her face turned ck as ink, and from Yuxi¡¯s words, they clearly imed that she had neither understanding nor talent. All this time, she had looked down at Yuxi, but now, she had been sneered by her. This was something that she couldn¡¯t swallowed in any kind of circumstances. She then smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have an understanding and talent? Who in this residence don¡¯t know that Fourth Sister had been studying with Teacher Song for five years and even though you have worked hard and practiced hard, you will never beparable to Third Sister. You also used Third Sister¡¯s goodness to learn from Teacher Song.¡±

    Yuxi pulled a long face and stood up. Then, she coldly asked Yurong, ¡°Since you don¡¯t respect me, why did youe over and beg me to teach you?¡±

    No one had ever talked to Yurong harshly since she was a kid. As she looked at Yuxi¡¯s expression right now, she hatefully spoke back, ¡°Beg you? You think too highly of yourself. If my mother had not force me, you thought I would be willing toe here? I¡¯m also worried that I have be stupid just from learning with you.¡±

    The faces of the maids and old woman servants in the Rose Courtyard immediately changed. Even the face of the maid beside Yurong, Lu Shan, was not looking good. When they were still in Hebei, Master and Madam had extremely spoiled her Miss. Even both Young Masters also conceded a lot to her. Because of these, all the people in the manor became very obedient to her Miss. But right now, they were not in Hebei! She didn¡¯t know how to wind up this mess brought up by her Miss.

    Yuxi was full of anger that she trembled. She then pointed at Yurong, ¡°Get out. Immediately get out.¡±

    Yurong also became angry herself. Yuxi even dared to chase her out. Since this was first time for her, she answered back, ¡°You think I want toe to your shabby ce.¡±

    Yuxi screamed, ¡°Get lost!¡±

    When Yurong heard Yuxi actually told her to get lost, she was so angry that her mouth started to b, ¡°Who are you to even dare to ask me to get lost? Well, since it was a shameless woman who gave birth¡­¡±

    Even before Yurong couldplete her sentence, she could feel her face was burning painfully. When she started to react, she was pped again by Yuxi. She wished she could rush forward to get to a public venue so everyone could see this. Unfortunately, she was stopped by Zisu and others. She said ferociously, ¡°You dare to hit me?¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t have any memory of herte mother. But, no matter how unfamiliar she was with her, she was determined that no one could insult her mother. ¡°Still not going to get out? If you don¡¯t get out of this courtyard today, you want to be pped by me some more?¡± If it wasn¡¯t for Yurong¡¯s maid stood in front of her, Yuxi would have gotten closer to Yurong, and continued to give her the taste of her palm.

    When Yurong looked at Yuxi¡¯s eyes, she felt so scared. She then cried and ran out of Rose Courtyard.

    The maids and old women servants of Rose Courtyard looked at Yuxi, who was standing still in the middle of the yard. No one dared to breathe in this heavy atmosphere, for fear that they would only bring disaster upon themselves.

    Yurong ran to find Wu Shi. While she cried, she told Wu Shi with added oil and vinegar (Chinese idiom : adding details to a story) about what Yuxi had done. However, she hid the misconduct that she had just made. She had not yet stopped crying heavily as sheined, ¡°Mother, Fourth Sister even dare chased me out? Mother, you must decide this matter for me.¡± From when she was a child till now, let alone a p in the face, no one had even dared to touch a strand of her hair. This time, she must let Yuxi paid the price for being the first person who did it.

    When Mama Chen went to Rose Courtyard, Yuxi was still standing motionless in the yard.

    Yuxi heard Mama Chen asking her to go to Biteng Courtyard. She faintly answered, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She had long guessed that Yurong would go back andined. With Wu Shi¡¯s temperament, how could she tolerated seeing Yurong being humiliated. This time, when Yuxi went to Biteng Courtyard, she would surely run into a lot of trouble.

    Zisu hurriedly moved forward, ¡°Miss, I will go with you.¡± If those people of Biteng Courtyard dared to touch her Miss, she certainly would not keep her hand by her side.

    Yuxi¡¯s expression remained unchanged as she replied, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go, but Kufu will go with me.¡± After that, she took Kufu, and left with Mama Chen.

    Mai Dong was very worried. Because of that troublemaker acted just now, Third Madam had sent someone to called her Miss away. At first nce, she knew that it would not end in a good way, ¡°Sister Zisu, what should we do now?¡±

    Zisu did not believe that her Miss was a reckless person. Though, her Miss was acting somewhat strange today. After thinking about it, she instructed, ¡°You go find Eldest Madam and I am going to find Third Miss.¡± In this residence, Wu Shi did not have the final say.

    As soon as Yuxi stepped into Biteng Courtyard, she could hear the sound of someone crying. She didn¡¯t need to think as she knew that it was the sound of Yurong crying. Thinking about what had happened just now, Yuxi felt a little funny. She just let the maids of Shuixiang Courtyard deliberately said in front of Yurong that she was a foolish and awkward person. They also said that apart from embroidering, she didn¡¯t have any other good points. She did not expect Yurong would believe itpletely and even dared to step on her.

    When she already stepped into the Biteng Courtyard, she saw Wu Shi holding a sad, crying Yurong, while Qiu Yanfu, who was beside her, tried tofort her. Since Yuxi had repeatedly attacked Qiu Yanfu before, it had caused several female Masters of the state residence to dislike her. Because of that, nowadays, Qiu Yanfu was not as popr as she was before. At least, Qiu Shi and Yuchen still hated her very much. As for the attitude of the Old Madam, Yuxi could not yet figured out.

    When Wu Shi saw Yu Xi, there were fires in her eyes. She asked, ¡°If your sister doesn¡¯t want learn for a while, you can teach patiently. If you don¡¯t want to teach, you can just directly tell me, then I won¡¯t force you to teach. But why do you want to insult her too? And even dare to beat her?¡±

    Yuxi replied in a cold voice, ¡°Did you ask your good daughter the reason why I beat her?¡±

    The root of Wu Shi¡¯s teeth itched with hate, ¡°Even if your sister said something wrong, could you just directly beat her?¡± She was forced to suppress her anger. If ording to her original temper, Yuxi would have been beaten till she couldn¡¯t get up.

    Yuxi said with a cold face, ¡°My only regret is not being able to hit her two big ears too.¡±

    Most Misses from General Wu¡¯s family have violent tempers. When Wu Shi saw Yuxi did not apologise but acting sarcastic instead, the more angrier she got. She pointed to Yuxi with her eyes were full of anger, ¡°You try to say that again?¡±

    Qiu Yanfu could see that something was not right, but she was busy consoling Wu Shi. She then said to Yuxi, ¡°Fourth Cousin, Fifth Sister has a poor foundation and a slow learner, but you should not say that she is stupid. Fourth Cousin, I know that you must have been anxious, so you said the wrong thing. If you apologise to Fifth Sister instead, this matter will surely be over.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face gave out a sneer, ¡°Do you have any say in this? You don¡¯t look at yourself, so don¡¯t you know what kind of person you are? However, you want to borrow the name of the state residence to climb higher branch like we are your ything. Also, don¡¯t you daree to me acting friendly like you are my actual female cousin.¡± She had deep resentment and hatred towards Qiu Yanfu, so she didn¡¯t miss any chance to strike at her.

    Wu Shi could no longer suppress the anger in her heart. She grabbed a teacup at hand and threw it toward Yuxi. It happened that the teacup smashed onto Yuxi¡¯s face. Then, the teacup fell to the ground and smashed to pieces, while the tea that ran down Yuxi¡¯s face resembled a stream of water, which dampen a huge part of her clothes.

    Wu Shi¡¯s side stewardess was so shocked. She did not expect Wu Shi would be so angry that she lost her sense of proportion. It would be terrible if this was made known to the Old Madam.

    What Wu Shi¡¯s just did was not actually an ident. One was that she already had a hot temper. She had developed this temper at home and after she got married, she asionally exercised some restraint. However, once she got angry, she would loose her mind and resumed her original mould. Second, she herself had not yet changed her attitude ording to her real status in the residence since she was used to be a master in Hebei. It was alsomon thing for her to punish and beat her servants. The third reason was because, Han Jingyan had never put Yuxi in his eyes. Out of these three points, thest point was the key. If Yuxi was reced with Yuchen, Wu Shi would not dare to act like this. To put it bluntly, this act was nothing more than an act of soft persimmons that people chose to squeeze (Chinese idiom : it¡¯s the weak people who always get picked on).

 Chapter 79 - Storm (2)

    <strong>Chapter 79 : Storm (2)</strong>

    Qiu Yanfu looked at Yuxi, as if she was hoping to see some clue from her face. After this period of understanding, she was very sure that Fourth Miss was not as innocent as she appeared. Today¡¯s matter, she always thought it was designed by Yuxi.

    With this misgiving, Qiu Yanfu opened her mouth and said, ¡°Aunt, you can see that Fourth Cousin¡¯s clothes are wet. Let Fourth Cousin changes her clothes first! We¡¯ll talk about Sister Rong¡¯s matterter on.¡±

    After throwing the teacup, Wu Shi realised that she had gone too far. Here was not Hebei, and Yuxi was not her maid nor her old woman servant.

    Yuxi had beaten Yurong, but if Wu Shi beat Yuxi back, it would be apletely different feeling. It was said that being a stepmother was difficult. If she was hitting her own daughter, most people would not say much, but if it was Yuxi, her stepdaughter, it would not be good and she would have to bear the reputation of a vicious stepmother. Wu Shi regained back her sanity at this time and she decided to follow Qiu Yanfu¡¯s suggestion, ¡°You go help Yuxi changes her clothes.¡±

    When Qiu Yanfu first went to help Yuxi, she didn¡¯t expect Yuxi to shake her off. Since she did not pay attention to it, she toppled backwards and fell to the ground. This made her to be in an extremely awkward position.

    Wu Shi¡¯s pent-up anger suddenly surged up again, ¡°Somebody, hold her down for me. If I don¡¯t teach you a lesson today,ter on I won¡¯t be able to flip over the sky.¡°

    Several old women servants of Biteng Courtyard were brought by Wu Shi from Hebei. So, they immediately came forward to hold down Yuxi at Wu Shi¡¯smand. The two old women servants began to think that Yuxi would struggle, but they didn¡¯t expect that Yuxi would not even resist, so they just pushed her to the ground.

    Wu Shi said with a cold face, ¡°You disrespect your elders, abuse your own younger sister and beat your cousin. I can see that you have learned your rules from inside the dog¡¯s stomach. If I don¡¯t teach you today¡­ ¡°

    Before she had done talking, she heard the maid outside said, ¡°Madam, Third Miss hase. She¡¯s asking for an audience from outside the door.¡±

    When Yuchen entered the room, she saw Yuxi being held down, unable to move. Her face was red and swollen. With a cold face, Yuchen asked, ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t know what Fourth Sister did wrong, but I can¡¯t believe that you would put such heavy hand on her?¡± Corporal punishment was not popr inrge families. If one did not obey, one would be punished by being scolded lightly. For heavy punishment, one would just be locked up in the Buddhist hall to copy Buddhist sutras.

    When Wu Shi saw Yuchen¡¯s appearance, she got even angrier. This one also, did not even take her seriously at all.

    At this time, Yurong finally stopped crying and looked up at Yuchen with a pair of red and swollen eyes. ¡°Third Sister, Fourth Sister said I was stupid that I could learn nothing. She even beat me.¡± Having said that, she let Yuchen look at five fingers print on her face, ¡°Mother was very angry when she found out, so she asked Fourth Sister toe so they could talk. As a result, Fourth Sister not only contradicted my mother, but also pushed my cousin to the ground. My mother was so angry that she ordered Fourth Sister to kneel on the ground.¡°

    Yuchen frowned. With her understanding of Yuxi, if it was not a big deal, Yuxi would not have been so angry, ¡°Yuxi, what¡¯s going on? Why did you hit Fifth Sister? ¡°

    A sarcastic smile appeared on Yuxi¡¯s face, ¡°Fifth Sister? Why did you only say I beat you, but not the reason why I beat you?¡°

    Yurong¡¯s face turned white with fear. Qiu Yanfu tried to smooth things over, ¡°Third Cousin, this is all a misunderstanding.¡±

    Yuchen had always looked down on Qiu Yanfu, and now even more. She totally ignored Qiu Yanfu and said to Yuxi instead, ¡°Yuxi, get up and follow me to see Grandmother. If you have any grievance, just say it to Grandmother.¡±

    Wu Shi¡¯s eyelids jumped. Her faces showed that she was frightened. She asked, ¡°Yurong, what is going on? Can you tell me clearly?¡°

    Yuchen simply ignored Wu Shi¡¯s behaviour and gave her a salute, as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring my Fourth Sister to Grandmother first. Later, I will also like to request Mother to bring Fifth Sister to Grandmother¡¯s room so she can exin the matter clearly.¡°

    Wu Shi¡¯s temper was a bit rash, but she was not a fool. If they went to see the Old Madam for this matter, it would be a big deal and she certainly wouldn¡¯t get something good from it.

    Qiu Yanfu stepped forward and said, ¡°Third Cousin, this incident has done great damage to the reputation of the Second House, and the most affected by this will be uncle.¡± Qiu Yanfu was really ferocious. She knew that Yuchen was very concerned about Han jingyan and his reputation, so she knew that it was the most effective way to stop Yuchen.

    The saying was right, ¡®when striking a snake, hit it in the first seven inches (Chinese proverbs : strike your enemy in vital ces)¡¯. Yuchen may not care about Wu Shi, but she could not help caring about her own father. In her mind, the most important things were the Old Madam and Han jingyan. If Wu Shi¡¯s reputation was damaged, it was not good for her father either. She hesitated for a moment and then said, ¡°Mother has let Fourth Sister suffer so much injustice. Shouldn¡¯t she be given a chance to give out her statement?¡±

    When Wu Shi saw that Yuchen¡¯s attitude had soften, her mind rxed. It would be nice to settle it privately without disturbing the Old Madam. ¡°Yurong, what¡¯s actually going on today?¡±

    How would Yurong dare to say that she had insulted Ning Shi?

    Qiu Yanfu knew that actual matter was not so simple, ¡°Aunt, let Fourth Cousin changes her clothes first, and we¡¯ll talk about the restter.¡±

    Wu Shi looked at Yurong. How could she not know that there was a secret hidden by Yurong? This would surely make her forehead be in pain. If the secret couldn¡¯t be suppressed, she was going to be in big trouble.

    Qiu Yanfu stepped forward, ready to help Yuxi up. She was only acting, though since she actually did not dare to help her. If Yuxi pushed her again, she would fall to the ground again. To her surprise, as she just touched Yuxi¡¯s arm, Yuxi immediately stood up.

    Wu Shi said, ¡°I know today¡¯s incident has wronged you. This is also my fault. I failed to discipline your Fifth Sister. Yurong, go and apologise to your Fourth Sister.¡°

    Yurong was reluctant, but she still went up to Yuxi to apologise, ¡°Fourth Sister, I¡¯m sorry. I was in the wrong just now. I shouldn¡¯t have lost my temper. I won¡¯tin if I¡¯m being punished.¡±

    Yuxi bowed her head and said nothing, but she was sneering endlessly in her heart.

    Yuchen asked herself if she knew anything about Yuxi. From Yuxi¡¯s appearance, she knew that Yuxi was obviously angry over the injustice. She thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Mother, I will take my Fourth Sister to change clothes first. It¡¯s still not toote to wait for father toe back to deal with this matter.¡°

    Wu Shi¡¯s heart waspletely rxed when she heard this. With Yuchen¡¯s help to cover up, even if the Old Madam knew about this, she would just me her for a few times. After all was said and done, she actually misunderstood on who was Yuxi¡¯s real backer. She ordered, ¡°Go to Rose Courtyard and pick up the clothes of Fourth Miss. Then change them for her.¡± If she let Yuxi went out of Biteng Courtyard looking like this, she didn¡¯t know how many people in the residence would take the chance to gossip on this.

    The room was so quiet that even the sound of the wind blowing through the trees outside could be heard.

    Yuxi grasped Yuchen¡¯s arm, and said hoarsely, ¡°Third Sister, I want to go back.¡±

    Yuchen was somewhat entangled. She did not want to cause trouble for Han Jingyan, nor did she want Yuxi to be wronged, which led her to be in a dilemma right now.

    At this moment, a maid came in quickly and said, ¡°Madam, Eldest Madam ising over.¡±

    When Qiu Shi heard Mai Dong¡¯s words, she knew that Yuxi was bound to suffer, so she hurried over. It was just that her yard was furthest away from Biteng Courtyard, which was why she arrived sote.

    Wu Shi¡¯s face froze when she heard Qiu Shi wasing. She was going to really regret it that she didn¡¯t pay attention to the discretion at that time. Now that she had let Yuxi having this face and this wet clothes, she could not let Qiu Shi saw Yuxi and she must not make the whole residence knew also. This would be extremely bad for her. She would like to ask Yuxi toe into the room to avoid Qiu Shi. Unfortunately, Qiu Shi had already lifted up the curtain and came in. (T/N : (¡°¨‰¡õ¨‰)/ My hero!)

    Yuxi was the disciple of Momo (wet nurse) Quan. Apart from the fact that the medicinal materials were too expensive, she also didn¡¯t have bubble up medicated bath. Other than those, Yuxi would not miss any other of Yuchen¡¯s enjoyments. Over the past few years, she had also developed a delicate watery skin. Not to mention being hit by a cup, even if you normally pressed it, there would be marks left. At this time, her face had became so swollen that the sticky tea leaves did not fall off. This made her face looked amusing and ridiculous.

    When Qiu Shi saw Yuxi looking like this, her whole body froze.

    When Yuxi saw Qiushi, she rushed over to hug Qiu Shi while crying loudly, ¡°Aunt, aunt¡­¡± Her cries were full of anger and injustice, which made the people in the room couldn¡¯t help shivering.

    While, Yuchen face went red.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s face turned purple with anger when she heard Yuxi crying. ¡°Wu Shi, I don¡¯t know what Yuxi has done that can create wrath of Heaven and the resentment of men (Chinese idiom : great dissatisfaction), but for you to act this malicious?¡± She already knew what happened in Rose Courtyard just now. She thought Wu Shi would shield her daughter¡¯s fault and would just scold Yuxi, after all, the one who did wrong was actually Yurong, but she didn¡¯t think Wu Shi would unexpectedly treat Yuxi maliciously.

    The word ¡®malicious¡¯ had made Wu Shi whole person felt miserable. Only that today¡¯s incident had resulted in her being unreasonable, so she could only strengthen her scalp (summon up one courage), ¡°Eldest sister-inw, today¡¯s incident was because of my impatience, and I was merely lost control of my hand, not at all intentional.¡°

    With a sneer, Qiu Shi patted Yuxi¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry,e with me to see the Old Madam. She will be fair to you.¡±

    Yuchen opened her mouth but said nothing.

    Yurong was not stupid either. Knowing that she won¡¯t get good results if she went to the Old Madam, she said, ¡°Fourth Sister, it¡¯s all my fault. I should be the one to receive the punishment¡­¡± Before she couldplete her talk, Qiu Shi and Yuxi were no longer in the room. No matter how strong the maids and old women servants in Wu Shi¡¯s courtyard were, they did not dare to stop the Madam who was in charge of managing the entire household.

    In response, Wu Shi¡¯s look turned bad, and she hurriedly caught up with them.

    Out of Biteng Courtyard, Yuxi wiped her tears and said, ¡°Aunt, I better go back to Rose Courtyard and wash up before I go see Grandmother. I¡¯m afraid I will scare her by going to see her looking like this.¡±

    With a cold face, Qiu Shi said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. It¡¯s not like the Old Madam has never seen any storms.¡± Her words meant that this small matter would not scare the Old Madam.

    Soon, a group of people arrived at the main room.

    The Old Madam looked at Yuxi and her face darkened, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Yuxi, in a hoarse voice, recounted what actually had happened without adding fuel or vinegar (Chinese idiom : embellish a story) or concealing what she had said.

    Before Yuxi could even finish, Qiu Shi could not restrain her anger. What did she mean by Rose Courtyard was a shabby ce? ¡°Do you give cold-shoulder to Rose Courtyard because it¡¯s a shabby ce? Do you mean to let you live in Shuixiang Courtyard has actually wronged you? To let you live in the residence is also to wronged you? I didn¡¯t expect that by letting you live in the state residence would actually be an injustice to you.¡° The pattern of Shuixiang Courtyard was simr to Rose Courtyard, except that the decorations in Shuixiang Courtyard was one level higher than Yuxi¡¯s courtyard.

    No matter how silly Yurong was, she knew that she couldn¡¯t contradict er elderQiu Shi.

 Chapter 80 - Storm (4)

    <strong>Chapter 80 : Storm (4)</strong>

    Originally, Old Madam had no expression on her face. The main reason was, she believed that it was really not a big deal for sisters to bicker. But now, hearing Yurong said Rose Courtyard was tattered, it had touched one of the Old Madam¡¯s taboo.

    Old Madam looked at Yurong¡¯s direction with a nce that was as sharp as a knife, ¡°Is it true what Yuxi just said?¡± She actually did not doubt Yuxi¡¯s words. The reason was very simple. Although Yuxi was somewhat stubborn, there was absolutely no problem with her character.

    Yurong answered bitterly, ¡°Grandmother, I admit that I shouldn¡¯t have lost my temper, but when she said I didn¡¯t have the intelligence and talent, it was like she was mocking me for being stupid. I was so mad, that I suddenly had a loose tongue.¡±

    Qiu Shi snorted coldly, as she felt that Yurong¡¯s answer was trulyughable. This unsightly manner girl dared topare herself and Yuxi as on the same par? She wasn¡¯t trying to brag or anything, but there were not many excellent children like Yuxi among her peers in this capital city. Well, of course, Yuchen was a special case.

    Yuchen felt guilty for her hesitation just now, so when she listened to what Yurong said, she countered back, ¡°Fifth Sister, you have only learned needlework for a few days, and you dare to ask Yuxi, your Fourth Sister, to teach you double-sided embroidery. Do you know, although Fourth Sister has the talent and understanding in embroidery, it took her seven years to study it. Fifth Sister, you just bite off more than you can chew (Chinese idiom : aim to high).¡° (T/N : Okay, +1 for you, Yuchen.)

    Such call had made Yurong lost her face cleanly.

    Old Madam pointed her finger at Wu Shi. For Yurong¡¯s case, Wu Shi would have to take full responsibility. However, this was not the time to me Wu Shi for her improper upbringing. ¡°How did Fourth Girl get her face injuries and the tea leaves on her body?¡±

    Wu Shi¡¯s heart jumped, but this was something that she could not avoid answering. She had to toughen her scalp (Chinese idiom : to summon up one¡¯s courage) as she replied, ¡°I was very angry when I saw the wound on Yurong¡¯s face. Without asking carefully, I asked Fourth Girl to apologise to Yurong, but she contradicted me on the spot. At that time, I was just feeling so angry that I lost my sense of propriety.¡°

    Qiu Shi was so angry that sheughed when she heard this remark, ¡°You lost your sense of propriety because of anger? I¡¯m afraid, even a three-year-old child won¡¯t believe this. But it¡¯s also true that Yuxi was not born by you anyway. It doesn¡¯t matter to you if she can¡¯t marry because of disfigurement.¡±

    Wu Shi was already starting to get very annoyed, ¡°Eldest sister-inw, I just lost control of my hand at the moment, and I did not do it on purpose.¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s voice suddenly grew louder as she stood up and said, ¡°On purpose? If you did it on purpose, wouldn¡¯t Yuxi have no life left? You have just came back a few days ago and have nearly disfigured Fourth Girl. After a while, wouldn¡¯t it cost her life? I¡¯ve always heard other families talked about how cruel their stepmothers were and how they abused the children left behind by her predecessor. Somehow, I¡¯ve had the privilege of seeing it with my own eyes today.¡° Over the past few years, Yuxi had been filial to her and she hadpletely treated Yuxi as her own daughter. Now Yuxi had been bullied by Wu Shi. How could she not be angry or felt the hate in her heart?

    There were still a bunch of maids in the room, but Qiu Shi ignored Wu Shi¡¯s feeling and kept scolding her, till she could trample Wu Shi¡¯s face till deep down underground.

    Old Madam said, ¡°Eldest daughter-inw, you should say less.¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s son, Han Jianming, had grown up, and now he had been appointed a position in the Imperial Court. So now, she had enough confidence to not even flinch when she heard Old Madam¡¯s words. However, she did not oppose Old Madam either. She only said, ¡°Mother, you personally know how important appearance for a girl is. This child is fine for now. With just one line ¡®lost her sense of propriety¡¯, she nearly destroyed this child. Mother, if Yuxi can¡¯t be given justice today, then, this child will have no way out in the future.¡°

    Old Madam tightly held the beads in her hand. While in Hebei, Han Jingyan had straightforwardly married Wu Shi. By the time she knew about it, the two were already married. In recent years, nothing Wu Shi had done managed to catch her eye, but Wu Shi had given birth to two sons and one daughter. Even for the sake of her two direct grandchildren, she couldn¡¯t cast off Wu Shi.

    Seeing that the situation was in a deadlock, Yuchen wanted to break this condition as she opened her mouth, ¡°After all had been said, Fourth Sister hasn¡¯t told us yet why you started hitting Fifth Sister?¡± Mai Dong and Zisu didn¡¯t borate on this matter, causing everyone to think that they had a quarrel before they started to use their hands. But Yuchen knew Yuxi was not an impulsive person. There must be something going on here. (T/N : Another +1 for you, Yuchen. Come on, Yuchen! There¡¯s 98 points more to go!)

    Yuxi pursed her mouth. Her face showed her grief and resentment, nevertheless, not even a tooth appeared from her.

    Qiu Shi knew at a nce that there was something else in it, ¡°Call in Zisu.¡±

    Zisu at this moment, wished that she could strangle Wu Shi. When had she ever hide her wish from everyone? ¡°To answer to Old Madam and Eldest Madam, it was Fifth Miss who first insulted former Third Madam, so that was the moment when my Master started to beat Fifth Miss.¡±

    The Old Madam asked word for word, ¡°What did she insult her with?¡±

    Zisu did not dare to say, but under Qiu Shi¡¯s pressures, she said them in a mosquito-like voice, ¡°Fifth Miss called former Third Madam as a shameless person¡­¡± Till here, she stopped talking. For the following words, it was enough for everyone to imagine them themselves.

    This only made people concerned became angry. These kinds of words, only countryside shrew would use to insult someone. However, Yurong, the legitimate daughter of the government, could even dare to say such words. Hearing this, the Old Madam¡¯s head buzzed with anger.

    Wu Shi¡¯s face was as white as a piece of paper. She really didn¡¯t know Yurong would even dare to insult Yuxi using such words. Even if she knew it, it was already toote to cover it. Based on this situation, there was no way for Yuxi to be punished.

    Qiu Shi coldly snorted, ¡±I have always said that Yuxi was usually a good-natured child. So, how could she without any rhyme or reason would give Fifth Girl a p in the face? If I have to say, to give her only one p is still not enough.¡±

    Old Madam¡¯s head became more and more painful. This matter was already a mess and Qiu Shi only added fuel to the fire. She tightly grasped the beads in her hand and said, ¡°The maids and the old women beside Fifth Girl did something wrong by not knowing how to persuade their master. All of them will be sold and Fifth Girl will copy ¡®¡¯ a hundred times. She is not allowed to leave the courtyard without my consent.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°Eldest daughter-inw, instruct some people to clean up Cuiyun (cu¨¬ ´ä = green / kingfisher, y¨²n ÔÆ = cloud) Courtyard and let Fifth Girl moves in there.¡± If she let Wu Shi¡¯s teaching continued, that child would end up hopeless.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have it cleaned up right away,¡± Qiu Shi answered. Cuiyun Courtyard was not muchrger than Rose Courtyard. Most importantly, it was a little far from Biteng Courtyard. Old Madam¡¯s intention was so obvious, which was to temporarily separate the mother and daughter. For Qiu Shi, this was moreforting than any kind of punishment.

    When Yurong heard that Old Madam was going to sell the people around her, she became muddle headed. As she looked at the expressionless Old Madam Han, she did not have the courage to open her mouth to plead.

    Seeing that the Old Madam had stopped talking, Qiu Shi asked, ¡°Mother, how about younger sister-inw?¡± This question had the meaning that Yurong should not be punished alone and Wu Shi should not be spared.

    The Old Madam tly said, ¡°Starting from tomorrow, Wu Shi wille to the main house every day at three quarters during maoshi (5-7 a.m).¡± She didn¡¯t exin what Wu Shi was going to do in the main house, but the others clearly understood, that Old Madam wanted to teach Wu Shi customs and rules.

    From the beginning, Yuxi had not expected that Old Madam would also punish Wu Shi. She only wanted to discredit Wu Shi, since no matter what, Wu Shi still bore the family two sons. Although today¡¯s incident was a bit too much, Yuxi was very sure that there would not be any heavy punishment. However, she still didn¡¯t expect that the Old Madam had unexpectedly surprised her this much.

    Learning rules and customs were not an easy job. That was why many mothers-inw used this tactic when dealing with their daughters-inw. For Wu Shi, who had never experienced any suffering, toe serve the Old Madam every day before dawn, calmed Qiu Shi much more than punishing Wu Shi with just copying . Qiu Shi only wish was that such a day wouldst longer.

    Qiu Shi apanied Yuxi back to Rose Courtyard. When the doctor who checked up on Yuxi, ensured her that Yuxi would not have scars nor disfigurement, she felt really relieved and went back to her own courtyard.

    Zisu waited for Qiu Shi to leave before opening her mouth, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s too risky to punish Wu Shi and Fifth Miss while making little ount of Miss¡¯ appearance.¡± If that cup of tea had been boiling water, wouldn¡¯t her Miss truly damaged her face?

    Yuxi smiled faintly, ¡°I know it was a cup of herbal tea.¡± If it was a in boiled water, she would certainly have avoided it.

    Zisu still did not quite agree with Yuxi¡¯s action this time, ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t do such a thing again next time. Today, we were almost scared to death.¡° (T/N : Oh, did Yuxi n this with Zisu? ¦²(-?_-??) )

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°You can spread today¡¯s news as much as possible. However, be careful not to let anyone find out that we¡¯re the ones who spread it.¡°

    Zisu answered without thinking, ¡°Okay. By the way, Miss, the Old Madam said she would sell the maids and old women around Fifth Miss. Wouldn¡¯t the people we nted in the Shuixiang Courtyard will also be in danger?¡° About Yurong thinking that Yuxi was stupid, on one side, Yurong had learned it herself from the rumours she heard in the residence, while, on the other side, it had been told by the two maids that Yuxi had ced in Shuixiang Courtyard. This made Yurong thought Yuxi being stupid was a sure thing, and as a result, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to her.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Grandmother is only selling the people Yurong brought from Hebei. This incident had made a lot of sense to us. When Yurong¡¯s confidants have been sold out, the people we put in may be able to make up for it.¡° The closer one get to the target, the more information one would know, so, with her people still staying by Yurong¡¯s side, it would be much easier for her to know about Yurong.

    After several years of putting out a lot of

    her efforts, Yuxi now had her own sources and contacts in the residence. This was also her preparation for Wu Shi¡¯s return.

    Yuxi saw Zisu still wanted to talk, so she waved her hand and instructed, ¡°You go out first. I want to be alone.¡± It was very clear that she could win this time was mainly because she knew Wu Shi¡¯s and Yurong¡¯s temperament, so, she immediately took the lead. It was also because, Wu Shi was not yet very clear about what happened in the residence soon after she just came back here. If Yuxi had wait for a while, when Wu Shi was already familiar with the things in the residence, it would have been difficult for her to do this. However, with this experience and lesson, it was enough to let Wu Shi and Yurong knew that they couldn¡¯t do as they please by bullying and humiliating her again. In another two or three years, she would also be engaged. With the engagement, all the more reason for her to not worry about Wu Shi ying dirty tricks on her.

    Yuxi did not worry for a bit about Wu Shi trying to put some obstacles in her marriage. Wu Shi had no say in it. What she should think about now was how to settle her marriage before she reached marriageable age. Only by making a pact could she truly get rid of the Jiang family and bepletely at ease. It could be said that the only shadow left in her mind right now was the Jiang family. When her marriage was still uncertain, she still couldn¡¯t put herself at ease.

 Chapter 81 - Storm (4)

    <strong>Chapter 81 : Storm (4)</strong>

    Yuchen felt very upset because she did not stand up to for Yuxi¡¯s justice to back then. So, when her mood wasn¡¯t good, she would also loose her appetite.

    When Momo (wet nurse) Gui saw Yuchen¡¯s moody face, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss?¡± From what she knew, today incident had nothing to do with Third Miss.

    Yuchen gave out a wry smile as she retold Momo Gui regarding the incident all at once, ¡°I feel very sorry for Fourth Sister.¡± Her Fourth Sister had suffered so much injustice, but she somehow wanted to gloss over Fourth Sister¡¯s problem for the sake of second house reputation instead.

    Momo Gui thought for a moment and then said, ¡°Miss, if I have not guessed it wrong, about today¡¯s incident, it should have been calcted by Fourth Miss.¡± She really thought that Yuxi was a type of a girl who loved to kick up a row. If Yuxi wanted to calcte against Wu Shi, then, that was her matter, but she should not drag Third Miss along!

    Yuchen had never thought to this direction. She asked, ¡°What does Momo mean by saying something like that? Why would Yuxi want to calcte against mother and Yurong?¡°

    Momo Gui answered Yuchen with one word, ¡°Hate.¡± Yuxi hated Wu Shi. Since Yurong was rted to Wu Shi, Yuxi hated her too. This time, both mother and daughter had been calcted together.

    Yuchen did not agree with Momo Gui¡¯s answer, ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you tell me, what good does Yuxi get by doing this to them?¡± Wu Shi¡¯s reputation had been tarnished and so did Yurong¡¯s reputation, which didn¡¯t bring even a wee bit of benefit to Yuxi.

    Momo Gui remarked, ¡°Miss, have you noticed that Fourth Miss has been targeting Qiu Yanfu from the very beginning? Fourth Miss and Qiu Yanfu have no grievance nor enmity with each other, so, why would she aim at Qiu Yanfu? Nothing more than to use her to strike back at Third Madam.¡±

    Yuchen disagreed with Momo Gui¡¯s words, ¡°Impossible. I know Yuxi well. She won¡¯t be holding a grudge against Wu Shi just because of those gifts. Momo, don¡¯t forget, Yuxi was unwilling to teach Yurong at first. It was her mother who forced Yuxi to promise. Moreover, it is still true that Fifth Sister has gone too far in this matter.¡° She didn¡¯t believe what happened today was calcted by Yuxi. She truly believed that what it was only a coincidence.

    Momo Gui never believe it was a coincidence, since there were too many continuous coincidences to be regard as merely coincidences.

    Yuchen sighed slightly and said, ¡°Momo, you have too much prejudice against Yuxi.¡± She had never denied that Yuxi was a shrewd person, but Momo Gui regarded Yuxi as a kind of person who had deep shrewdness and always try to make her became wary of Yuxi. She really believed that Momo Gui was merely thinking too much.

    What else could Momo Gui say? What she could say was that Momo Quan had taught Yuxi so well that she couldn¡¯t even catch Yuxi¡¯s fox tail (something that gives away a person¡¯s real character or evil intentions). However, thinking of Momo Quan¡¯s abilities, Momo Gui felt relieved. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Momo Quan didn¡¯t want to get involved in any quarrel, and decided to be a wise man looks after his own hide (Chinese idiom : to put one¡¯s safety over matters of principles), she would not have retracted herself like a turtle drawing in its head and legs (hole oneself up) in the Food Service Bureau. If Momo Quan wasn¡¯t in this situation, it would unlikely for her to be released from the Imperial Pce this early. It was also the luck of Fourth Miss. How many people had tried to curry favour with Momo Quan before, but none had entered her eyes. However, Momo Quan somehow was quite devoted to Yuxi and she had taught Yuxi her special ability.

    Wu Shi returned to Biteng Courtyard with a frosty face. Today incident had made her aughing stock inside the residence. Living to such an age, she had never been so humiliated as she was today.

    Qiu Yanfu had another notion on what happened today, ¡°Aunt, Sister Yurong, if my guess is right, we actually have been calcted by Han Yuxi.¡± She stopped calling Yuxi as her cousin, and called her by her full name instead. She knew, from today onwards, her aunt, Wu Shi, would thoroughly detest Yuxi.

    Although Wu Shi had a rash temper, but she was not a brainless person, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense without any evidence.¡± This matter had made herpletely understood that here was not Hebei. The real master of the state residence was actually the Old Madam, then followed by Qiu Shi. While, she, could not even be said to be ranked third.

    Qiu Yanfu¡¯s face turned white as she said, ¡°Aunt, I¡¯m not talking nonsense. Aunt, think about it, if Han Yuxi had rified things when she came here, would Aunt still be angry till Aunt would throw the teacup at her? But after Han Yuxi stepped through the door, did she not say those words to deliberately provoke Aunt? Aunt, if Han Yuxi is really rash and rude, how can she be loved by Old Madam and Eldest Madam, and then, even learned from Teacher Song? Also, Han Yuxi has studied with a nurturing momo for five years. Can she not know the crime of contradicting her elders?¡° What she wanted to point out was, Yuxi was a very calctive person and not as harmless as she appeared on the surface.

    Qiu Yanfu was a little bit scared now. If it hadn¡¯t been for the incident today, she would have thought that Fourth Miss was harmless. That person was too good at pretending and managed to hide her real self really deep.

    When Wu Shi thought of it carefully, it was really like what Qiu Yanfu had said. That dammed girl, from the moment she entered the door, every words she said had been provoking her. However, another problem had arisen. How could that girl knew how to provoke her by saying those things, which could make her lose her mind and used her own discrimination to even hit her?

    Before Wu Shi could understand it clearly, Yurong ran in and cried on her thigh, ¡°Mother, those people are going to take my mama and Lu Yi away. Mother, I don¡¯t want them to go.¡° At this moment, Yurong was really scared. Her wet nurse was the closest person to her. While Lu Yi and other maids had been following her for so many years, and they were closed like they were sisters.

    Wu Shi seriously scolded her, ¡°This is not Hebei. So, you should stop acting reckless like you always did before. Otherwise, we will to suffer big losses in the future.¡° If her daughter hadn¡¯t deliberately deceived her and had told her everything at that time, would they end up like this? The fact remained that, she had been spoiled Yurong too much, till she had no sense of propriety.

    Yurong was really scared, ¡°Mother, I know, I will definitely changeter. But can you not let my mama go?¡° That was her wet nurse. For her, she would rather be scolded by her own parent than losing her.

    Wu Shi actually had some feeling of dislike towards Mama Qu. Since her daughter had been taken care by Mama Qu, she had became more intimate with her than with her real mother. However, she couldn¡¯t find a suitable opportunity before, but now, she was given a chance to send off Mama Qu, which was all she could wish for, ¡°Even your dad can¡¯t disobey your Grandmother. Do you think it will be useful for your mother to intercede instead?¡± She felt a headache when she suddenly remembered Old Madam instructing her to go to the main room at maoshi (5-7 a.m) tomorrow. How old was she that she even needed to learn the rules from the Old Madam? This only make it hard for her to think about the days toe.

    Yurong went back to her yard with a face full of grieve. Since that moment, she hated Yuxi the most, and no other. If it weren¡¯t for Yuxi, she wouldn¡¯t have been separated with her wet nurse and Lu Yi.

    Wu Shi looked at Qiu Yanfu, who had not yet left, and said, ¡°You should go back to your yard, too!¡± Although she loved Qiu Yanfu dearly, there were many things she didn¡¯t want Qiu Yanfu to know.

    Wu Shi then turned her head to the side, and asked Mama Chen, ¡°Do you think that girl really calcted this incident?¡±

    Mama Chen shook her head and said, ¡°Madam, I think this should be a coincidence. If it was really calcted by Fourth Miss, then she must have a thorough understanding of Madam¡¯s and Fifth Miss¡¯ temperaments.¡° Her Madam and Miss had only been back to the residence for half a month, and they had not been in touch with Fourth Miss regrly, so how could Yuxi understand their temperament that clearly?

    Wu Shi agreed with Mama Chen. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible, either.¡± Her reason was the same as what Mama Chen had said.

    Yuxi, who was considered by several people to be scheming deeply, was now in her study, quietly reading a history book.

    Kufu circled outside the door for several times. Finally, she could not help but ask Zisu anxiously, ¡°Sister Zisu, will Miss do foolish things when she is alone in that room?¡±

    Zisu shook her head and said, ¡°No. Miss is not a foolish person.¡° This incident had been Miss¡¯ calction, so how could this resulted in making her did foolish things instead?

    While the two were talking, Yuchen came in slowly from outside the yard. When Yuxi heard Yuchen hade, she quickly reced the history book in her hand with a medical book.

    Shang Han Za Bing Lun / Treatise on Cold-induced and Misceneous Diseases

    Image Credit |

    When Yuchen entered the study, she was startled to see Yuxi putting down her medical book. She thought that Yuxi would be buried with sorrow inside the room, but she didn¡¯t expect Yuxi to actually read a book. It seemed like she was still reading medical books, and from what she could see, this time it was ¡®Zhang Zhongjing¡¯s Treatise on Cold-induced and Misceneous Diseases¡¯.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Please sit down, Third Sister. Kufu, please serve some tea.¡°

    Yuchen looked at the medical book on the table and asked, ¡°Why are Fourth Sister still reading medical book?¡± She knew Yuxi studied medicinal diet, but it was not necessary for her to study the cold-induced and misceneous diseases. This was what a medical student usually did.

    Yuxi exined, ¡°It is necessary to avoid many things when making medicated diet, and it is always good to read more books.¡± There was no need for more exnations, since it would be useless for her to say so. She knew that Yuchen had always criticized her for studying pharmacology. Yuchen believed that since she was a young miss of the residence, there was no need for her to learn it.

    Yuchen really couldn¡¯t understand Yuxi. She didn¡¯t want to learn qin and painting skills, but wanted to learn pharmacology instead. Yuchen had tried many times to persuade her but it was still useless. What was the use of learning this stuff? If she wanted to recuperate her body, she only had to pay people to do it, since people like them could afford it. However, no matter how she tried to persuade her, Yuxi had already determined to do it and could not be persuaded, ¡°Fourth Sister, please don¡¯t take to heart with what happened just now.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and replied, ¡°I was a little angry at that time, but Grandmother had already punished Fifth Sister. So, my anger had already disappeared. It¡¯s settled already. So, let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. My hamlet has just brought over some fresh vegetables. Will Third Sister stay for dinner?¡° Her hamlet sent things to the baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop and the grocery store every day. She simply asked her hamlet to send her a fresh vegetable every day too, to save the kitchen from making another purchases on vegetables. As a result, they would also spend less of her money.

    Yuchen smiled and shook her head, ¡°Please don¡¯t bother yourself. Since you want to read, then, I won¡¯t disturb you anymore.¡±

    Yuxi also did not urge her to stay, and personally sent Yuchen out of Rose Courtyard. Looking at a group of people behind Yuchen, Yuxi¡¯s mood became veryplicated. Over the past few years, she really regarded Yuchen as her sister. Only that, today¡¯s incident had brought her back to her senses. It was her naivety that made her forgot that Yuchen waspletely different from her. Yuchen ced too much importance on her family, n and reputation, and puts them above everything else, including herself. There was a good saying ¡®persons who walked different paths could not make ns together¡¯. She didn¡¯t walk on the same line as Yuchen, so, their hearts were destined to never intersect.

    Yuchen did not sense any changes on Yuxi. After several years been taught by Momo Quan, it would be very difficult for ordinary people to really perceive what was on Yuxi¡¯s mind.

    Zisu hesitantly asked Yuxi, ¡°Miss, do you want me to check it?¡± She didn¡¯t say what to check, but she believed Yuxi knew what she meant.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°No need to check. Next time, when I see Mama Fang, I will ask her myself.¡± No matter what had happened in the beginning, her mother had paid it back with her life, so, in this life, she, on behalf of her mother, owed no one.

 Chapter 82 - Storm (5)

    Chapter 82 : Storm (5)

    Since Yuchen had seen Yuxi¡¯s condition, so now, she nned to see Yurong. They were all sisters, so, it would not be nice of her to y favourites.

    When Yurong saw Yuchen, she took Yuchen¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Third Elder Sister, please help me beg Grandmother not to sell my wet nurse. Third Elder Sister, please help me beg Grandmother!¡°

    Yuchen certainly won¡¯t intercede for her, but she made a suggestion, ¡°Fifth Younger Sister, this is Grandmother¡¯s instruction, and I don¡¯t have any means. However, if Fifth Younger Sister intercedes on your own, as long as you do it sincerely, Grandmother will certainly be lenient.¡° In any case, Yurong¡¯s wet nurse was the one who had raised Yurong up, and if Yurong ready to risk everything to plead on her behalf, Grandmother would certainly let her wet nurse stayed for her dignity.

    However, Yurong did not dare to beg by herself.

    When Yuchen walked out of Shuixiang Courtyard, she had some regrets. Yuxi, the one who had been truly wronged, was quietly reading medical book in her study, while, Yurong only knew to beg her to save her wet nurse, but didn¡¯t dare to do it by herself when she was asked to do it instead. They were both sisters, but why was the gap between them so wide?

    Thinking of Yurong¡¯s temper, Yuchen anxiously said to Momowet nurse1Gui, ¡°If Fifth Younger Sister continues to act like this, she won¡¯t even realise that she has offended people when she goes out to socialize in the future.¡± Her bad impression of Yurong had already turned to worse as Yurong couldn¡¯t even bear a bit of hardship, full of lies, and wouldn¡¯t assume responsibility of her own wrongdoings. Thank God, she didn¡¯t found out about her bad attitudes now rather than in the future. Though, she didn¡¯t put any hope on Yurong¡¯s good future with her current bad manners.

    Momowet nurse1Gui smiled and responded, ¡°Miss worries too much. Didn¡¯t Old Madam say she would invite a nurturing momowet nurse1to teach Fifth Miss the rules? Don¡¯t you trust Old Madam, Miss?¡° She also despised Wu Shi. Not only her means were inferior, even her own children had been badly taught. Luckily, she gave birth to two sons, otherwise, where would she have any position in the residence?

    Yuchen remembered his half-brothers and gave out a wry smile, ¡°Just forget it. It¡¯s useless for us to even be worried.¡± Not only Wu Shi¡¯s two sons didn¡¯t like to study, even two of the second house shuzison of a concubine2were not good in learning. If one wasn¡¯t good literally, then one would not also be good in martial art skills.

    That evening, when Han Jingyan returned to the residence, he first went to the main room, which was his usual practice. Every time he came back, he would first meet the Old Madam and talked with her. Only on this day, she detained him from leaving and spoke to him for a long time. When Han Jingyan finally came out, he had a solemn look on his face.

    Wu Shi heard that Han Jingyan had returned and felt uneasy. Seeing his ugly face, she knew it was not good.

    Han Jingyan asked her coldly, ¡°Did you hit Yuxi¡¯s face till it swollen today? Don¡¯t you know, for a girl, her appearance is the most important thing?¡± Even though, he wasn¡¯t fond of this daughter of his, she had been painstakingly brought up by the residence. She would surely be of great use in the future, so how could he allow Wu Shi to spoil it?

    Wu Shi resisted the feeling of fear in her heart and still wanted to argue stubbornly, ¡°Lord, Fourth Girl had beaten Yurong¡¯s face badly, and still dared to defy me when I was just saying a few words to her. Thus, at that time, I became so angry that I lost my sense of propriety.¡± She had always known that being a stepmother was a difficult thing to do, but because she had been staying a long time in Hebei, she didn¡¯t directly contacted Yuchen and Yuxi, so, as a result, she felt nothing for them. Now, she truly agreed that being a stepmother was really difficult. If she had identally hit her own children, she certainly would not have caused such big disturbance.

    When these excuses were brought up, the blue veins on Han Jingyan¡¯s forehead immediately stood up, ¡°How did you educate Yurong? How can her manner be no different than the shrew on the street?¡±

    It was the first time Wu Shi saw Han jingyan showing such a huge rage. Her heart felt very scared, ¡°I didn¡¯t know what Yurong had said at that time. If I knew, I would definitely have restrained her.¡±

    Han Jingyan stared at Wu Shi and then asked her a question that made her trembled with fear, ¡°Then tell me, how did Yurong know how to say those kinds of words to Yuxi?¡± There was a good saying ¡®if the upper beam was not straight, the lower ones would go antChinese well-known phrase : when those above behave unworthily, those below will do the same3¡¯. His heart could not help felt some regret. When Yurong was five years old, his mother said that she would like to take her back to the capital to be educated, but Wu Shi refused. If he had sent Yurong back to the capital to be taught by his mother at that time, she would surely have been as good as Yuchen and Yuxi. Then, she would not have been acting like a girl from a poor, small household right now.

    Wu Shi was too frightened to speak. She also didn¡¯t realise, when she was just talking to Mama Chen about the old story of the state residence that day, they would be heard by Yurong, and somehow she remembered Fourth Girl¡¯s story the most.

    Han Jingyan was extremely disappointed with Wu Shi. He had known about Wu Shi¡¯t faults before, but overall, they won¡¯t supposed to be a big problem. Today, he finally realised that he was actually mistaken. Since the mother of his children was not smart, his children and heirs would surely get involved in the future.

    Thinking of his eldest son whose intelligence and wisdom was no less than Yuchen, made him felt that it was such a pity that he had died young. None of his four living sons was as outstanding as him. He could not exin what he currently felt in his heart, but, it was already toote for him to regret it now, ¡°During this period of time, you have to properly follow Mother in learning the rules. About Yurong, she will be confined in her courtyard to carefully examine her wrongdoings. Until both of you understand the rules, none are allowed to step out of the residence.¡° When he was in Hebei, everyone had been busily taken care of his face that even if Wu Shi acted improper, they would not fuss so much about it. However, the capital was different. The residence may seemed to be a big brand, but it actually had no real power. In addition to the recent turmoil in the court, he didn¡¯t wish to be drawn into the royal dispute. Therefore, he was determined not to let Wu Shi and Yurong went out during this period of time.

    When Wu Shi saw Han Jingyan lifted his legs and went away, her tears immediately came out. Her stepdaughters were tough and difficult, while her mother-inw was strict and rigid. Now, even her husband hated her. How did she fall into such a situation?

    Yuxi was about to have dinner when she heard the maid outside said, ¡°Miss, Master requests you to make a trip to his study.¡±

    Book of Han carved in Ming dynasty in Tian Yi Chamber Library collection.

    Image Source | Gisling via Wiki (Book of Han)

    Yuxi stood up to put away the history book in her hand and locked them in the cupboard. She had finished reading the historical records and now, she just started to read ¡®the Book of Han¡¯.

    As Yuxi stood outside the study, she was suddenly in a trance. She hade to this ce once in her previous life. That time, she came to ask Han Jingyan to refuse Jiang family¡¯s marriage proposal. As a result, he poured dogs blood onChinese idiom : to curse or berate?her and threw her a white silk. His affection for her upbringing had been paid off in her previous life, so she never treated him as a her father after her rebirth. Except that, since she was still unable to leave the Han household for now, she had to lower her headyield?to a lot of things.

    At this time, Yuxi couldn¡¯t avoid being thankful to Momowet nurse1Quan. Under her careful guidance for more than five years, Yuxi had made a qualitative leap in controlling her emotions when dealing with others. Up till now, the person she appreciated the most was Momowet nurse1Quan. This was the first time that an elder had taught her wholeheartedly, and from her, she had learned a lot of very useful things.

    Seeing that Yuxi did not move, the page at the door reminded her, ¡°Fourth Miss, Master is waiting for you in the study.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and went inside. Although she had been here in her previous life, as she was all set on asking Han Jingyan to reject the marriage at that time, she was in no mood to see what the study actually looked like. When she finally entered and saw Han Jingyan bowed his head, writing, she had the leisure to carefully looked up at ityout.

    After carefully looking at the inside of the study, it reminded Yuxi of Yuchen¡¯s Tingyun Pavilion. All the furnishings here were exquisite and valuable. Even the most obscure porcin vase in the corner was an antique.

    The pen/writing brush holder that Han Jingyan¡¯s had probably looked like this. Except his are made of Ru Kiln, one of China 5 Great Kilns.

    Image Source |

    Han Jingyan finally stopped moving his writing brush and put it on a mountain rockery shaped brush holder. After everything was put away, he looked up at Yuxi.

    Yuxi gave Han Jingyan a polite salute and called out, ¡°Father.¡±

    Han Jingyan stated, ¡°I already know about what happened today.¡± Till here, he deliberately pause, trying to see Yuxi¡¯s reaction.

    Over the years, with the support of Duke Han¡¯s state residence and Marquis of Pingqing¡¯s residence, Han Jingyan had been able to climb from a small official of 7?? grade to the present 4?? grade, but despite that, his personal ability should never be underestimated.

    Yuxi was not slow. How could she not know that Han Jingyan was currently observing her, but if she avoided it from the beginning, she would appear to be weak.

    Han Jingyan noticed that Yuxi¡¯s eyes were red which made her appearance looking very pitiful. He slowly said to her, ¡°Father knows that you have been wronged today.¡±

    Yuxi opened her mouth but said nothing, as her tears fell from her cheeks to the ground. Being able to cry at any time and crying pitiably was also a skill that she had worked so hard to get to this point.

    When Han Jingyan looked at Yuxi acting like this, he felt somewhat unnatural instead. ¡°Yuxi, don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t happen again,¡± he said with a stiff face. It was very difficult for him to speak soft words (expressing apology, sympathy, etc.) to her, so he picked up the easiest one to say.

    Yuxi took out a handkerchief embroidered with roses, wiped her tears gently, then looked up at Han Jingyan and said with a touched face, ¡°Thank you, Father.¡±

    Han Jingyan was very satisfied with Yuxi¡¯s behaviour and asked, ¡°I heard you like to y chess?¡± As far as he knew, Yuxi¡¯s biggest hobby was ying chess, but her talent was limited and her chess skills were still average.

    Yuxi nodded softly and replied, ¡°Yes, I like ying chess, but my skill isn¡¯t good.¡± She also did not know what level his chess skills had reached. For the girls in the boudoir, ying chess was only a pastime. Only a few made themselves into real masters.

    Han Jingyan nodded and said, ¡°ying chess is just your pastime, since it isn¡¯t a time consuming and need so much of your energy.¡±

    Yuxi nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Han Jingyan asked Yuxi many questions, just to show that his was being concern of her.

    These questions he asked were very blunt, but Yuxi still managed to answer them in the most concise words. Up to now, she was eager to leave the study early. She did not dare to stay any longer. It was okay to pretend for a while, but she was worried that something would go amiss if theymunicated for a long time.

    After Han Jingyan asked several questions, he did not know what else to say. Besides, Yuxi did not show much enthusiasm when answering him. He suddenly felt rather bored as he said, ¡°You should return first.¡± Till the end of their meeting, they still couldn¡¯t get along well.

    Yuxi was so disappointed. She thought Han Jingyan would send something good as apensation for her. She didn¡¯t expect he would only gave her those few words, which were nothing practical and a waste of her mood.

    Not long after Yuxi returned to Rose Courtyard, someone came to send her something. It was aplete set of rosewood chess.

    The weiqi pieces from the new weiqi set might look like this, as these ones are really made of agate.

    Image Source |

    Yuxi uncovered the exquisitely carved hollow chess pots and looked at the chess pieces in the two chess pots. Her eyes lit up as she touched them in her hands. These chess pieces unexpectedly were all made of agate stones.

    Even Zisu was surprised, ¡°Miss, this piece of chess is really beautiful.¡± It was several grades higher than the set of chess used by Yuxi herself.

    Adhering to the principle of not wasting good things, Yuxi instructed, ¡°Put away the original set of chess, then put this in the study.¡± She finally got something worth a fortune.

 Chapter 83 - Storm (6)

    <strong>Chapter 83 : Storm (6)</strong>

    The bright moon hid itself among the cottony and light as silk clouds as it looked at the peaceful world, while casting the world with its pure light. This gesture was like a graceful beautiful girl looking smilingly at the earth.

    Unfortunately, Wu Shi was not in the mood to appreciate this beautiful night. She had been waiting for a long time in Biteng Courtyard until the two inner gates were almost locked. Somehow, her husband had not yet returned. She immediately called the old woman servant beside her and instructed, ¡°Go and see where Lord is resting.¡±

    When Wu Shi heard that Han Jingyan had gone to Concubine Xin¡¯s ce, she almost bit her silver teeth. Over the years, she had been trying to get rid of Concubine Xin and her son, but Concubine Xin always slipped away from her hand, making her ns failed several times and was nearly discovered by her husband. Originally, especially in recent years, Lord had acted cold towards Concubine Xin, so Wu Shi didn¡¯t expect that today, Lord had went to that evil woman¡¯s room.

    Wu Shi didn¡¯t sleep well that night. If it was like before, she could sleepte and wouldzily woke up during daytime. However, yesterday, Old Madam told her toe to the main room at maoshi5-7am1. It somehow slipped out from Wu Shi¡¯s memory that she had overslept, but the maid and old woman servant beside her didn¡¯t dare to forget what the Old Madam had said.

    As soon as the time arrived, Mama Chen went into Wu Shi¡¯s room and woke her up. Despite it happened this way, it was alreadyte for Wu Shi to go to the main room. By this time, the Old Madam had done cleaning and dressed herself up.

    Old Madam¡¯splexion didn¡¯t show any sign of worry, and usually, she would just let thid matter go. Yesterday, she told Wu Shi toe to the main room on time at maoshi5-7am1, and somehow she still could even be thiste. This was clearly showing that Wu Shi did not to take her words to heart.

    In fact, Old Madam Han was not an evil mother-inw. She didn¡¯t like to control her daughter-inws. Over the years with Qiu Shi, they had gotten along like actual mother and daughter. Of course, it was also because Qiu Shi was really filial, thinking of her in everything and caring about her more than her own son. Besides, Qiu Shi was not a person who loved power, so the rtionship between mother-inw and daughter-inw was very good. For Wu Shi, she did not want to set any rules for her. She didn¡¯t set any rules for Qiu Shi back then, and it was not good to be selective. Only that, what Wu Shi had done, worried her so much, so she made this request. In fact, she wanted Wu Shi to learn more from her than for her to set rules for Wu Shi and control her by her side.

    Unfortunately, Wu Shi was not at all aware of Old Madam¡¯s painstaking efforts. For her, disaster had just begun.

    Yuxi always got up on time at two quarters before maoshi5-7am1. What she did every day was ording to her own schedule. Even if she did the same thing as other days, there was no rules to stop her.

    Yuxi finished her breakfast and was going to the backyard to see her herbs. However, Kufu walked up to her and whispered, ¡°Miss, today Third Madam went to serve the Old Madam and she had been poured with dog bloodsfrom Chinese idiom poured dogs blood on which mean to curse or berate2by the Old Madam.¡±

    Yuxi was surprised. Although Old Madam didn¡¯t like her, but she had to admit that Old Madam was not a person who liked to control her daughter-inw. ¡°What happened?¡±

    Because of yesterday matter, Kufu really hated Wu Shi. This caused her to gloat when she exined to Yuxi, ¡°When Third Madam went to the main room today, the Old Madam had already washed herself up. And when Third Madam was waiting for the Old Madam to have a meal, the Old Madam was so angry that she threw away Wu Shi¡¯s chopsticks for picking up the dishes she didn¡¯t like.¡°

    Wu Shi had never served anyone, nor knew the trick to do well here. If she was change to other smart daughter-inw, knowing that her mother-inw would set some rules for her, she would first ask the people around her mother-inw about her preferences, such as what kind of food she liked and what kind of tea she drunk. As a result, Wu Shi did nothing nor did she know anything, which naturally made a mess of things.

    Yuxi chuckled. Although Old Madam was usually acting like a Bodhisattva, she was actually not a kind person. In her past life, Old Madam was also felt dissatisfied with Wu Shi but turned a blind eye for her son. Now that Wu Shi¡¯s manners had been exposed, perhaps the Old Madam had to firmly sort her out.

    What Yuxi had expected was proved right. The next following days were worst than death for Wu Shi. She had to go to the main room at two quarters before maoshi5-7am1every day, and she couldn¡¯t go back until the sun was three poles high

    Chinese idiom :te in the morning3. At the meantime, Old Madam Han kept picking faults with her in various waysChinese idiom : nit pick

    ?.

    When did Wu Shi ever suffer this kind of sufferings from childhood? She really couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. That night, sheined tearfully to Han Jingyan. Instead, herint provoked Han Jingyan¡¯s anger. After giving her a good scolding, he mmed the door and went out. Then, he didn¡¯t enter her door for half a month, and continued to stay day and night at both of his concubines¡¯ rooms, making Wu Shi felt extremely bitter till it hard for her to say it out.

    Wu Shi¡¯s life was hard, while Qiu Shi¡¯s life was free and unconstrained. The daughter-inw who married into the residence door was helping her managing the residencemon affairs, so, she was not as busy as she was before.

    Ye Shi gave Qiu Shi a gentle rub on her shoulder. This was not an act of Qiu Shi torturing her daughter-inw, but Ye Shi showing her filial piety, specially serving Qiu Shi. In fact, Ye Shi felt very grateful to Qiu Shi. This mother-inw was very good except for her straightforward nature. Other mother-inws dragged the housekeeping responsibility to their death and refused to let it go. However, her mother-inw began to let her help with housework from the second month after her marriage. Qiu Shi was waiting for Ye Shi to be familiar with the housework before she couldpletely let it go.

    Qiu Shi suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°I remember that the first day of next month will be Marquis Taining wife¡¯s birthday, right?¡± The wife of Marquis Taining was Ye Shi¡¯s aunt. Ye Shi¡¯s marriage to the residence was also because of her aunt who acted as the go-between.

    Ye Shi replied, ¡°Mother is right. Aunt¡¯s birthday is on the first day of next month.¡±

    Qiu Shi nodded and said, ¡°Buy Yuru and others some new clothes. Then, take them along with you.¡± Yuru and Yujing were fast approaching theiring of age day. Marriage was also on her agenda. It was also because she didn¡¯t care much about their marriage, or else she would have been looking for their matches long time ago. Of course, it was not toote for her to be a matchmaker at this age.

    Ye Shi gently nodded and answered, ¡°Okay.¡± Family members in such residence usually made new clothes and jewelleries every time they went out for a visit. Not topete with others, but not to lose the face of the residence.

    The news of their visit to the residence of Marquis Taining was not at all a secret. Soon everyone inside the residence knew it. Naturally, Qiu Yanfu also knew about it.

    Qiu Yanfu implicitly raised the matter to Wu Shi, but Wu Shi refused without even thinking much about it. She was already tired from dealing with the Old Madam now, and she even neglected her own daughter, so, where would she have the time to manage her niece? Her life nowadays,pared to her life in Hebei, was really like heaven and earth.

    Yurong had moved to Cuiyun Hospital. The Old Madam also invited the nurturing momowet nurse?toe over in the shortest possible time. As for a teacher, she was not going to invite one. In the case of Yurong¡¯s current manner, it was best for Yurong to focus on learning the rules well. To invite a teacher for Yurong would just be a waste of money.

    Qiu Yanfu felt somewhat anxious. She came to the capital to find a good family to marry into, but now that Wu Shi was squeezed to death by the Old Madam every day, and she was forced to withdraw into Shuixiang Courtyard, how could she find a good family?

    Her servant girl, Yan Yu said, ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t you just forget it this time? Let¡¯s look for another opportunity next time!¡±

    Qiu Yanfu shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know when my aunt will be able to go out.¡± Cousin Rong only nine years old, and there was no hurry to talk about marriage in the next few years. However, if she could not finalise her marriage this year, she would be 16 next year, and the older she got, the harder it would be for her to get married.

    Yan Yu pulled a long face as she eximed, ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±

    Qiu Yanfu really wanted to go, finally she thought of Yujing. Because she knew that Qiu Shi didn¡¯t like Yujing before, so she didn¡¯t try to make friends with Yujing. But now, since she had no other way, she could only take this road. Among the four young misses of the residence, Eldest Miss seemed gentle and generous, but in fact she was greedy and cunning. She had gained a lot of good things, but she had never really done anything for her. The Third Miss was in the same camp as the Fourth Miss. Now, she would have to go down Yujing¡¯s road.

    Yan Yu thought that this way was not appropriate, ¡°Miss, rather than to ask Second Miss, why don¡¯t you take the way to Mama Luo. As long as Mama Luo helps you to say a good word in front of Old Madam Han, it will certainly be several times better than Miss Yujing. ¡±

    Qiu Yanfu felt that the way Yan Yu had suggested was also good. After thinking about it, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk on both sides.¡± Even if the Old Madam promised to let her go to the party, it would be embarrassing to find no one to introduce her and no one for her to talk to. If Yujing could help, it would save her a lot of strength.

    Mama Luo¡¯s epted the benefits gave by Qiu Yanfu¡¯s offer, so she told the Old Madam about it, ¡°Old Madam, I look at this Qiu girl and she was not small-minded.¡±

    Old Mrs Han didn¡¯t care, ¡°If she wants to go, let her go! Let her hit the wallbe refused?.¡± The girls who could attend Marquis Taining residence banquet were wealthy and respectable people. These girls didn¡¯t hang around with anybody. If one wanted to befriend them, first one had to have family background, second was the character and intellect. Evenmon women would despise Qiu Yanfu¡¯s status.

    Mama Luo had another worry, ¡°Old Madam, I¡¯m worried that this Qiu family girl¡¯s mind is too big and will bring down the reputation of our residence.¡± She also said this was because she knew that business families had no scruples. If by any chance, this Qiu family girl took a fancy over a childe, she would use her tears, and even willing just to be a concubine for the childe. Qiu Yanfu was now living in the state residence. If she became a concubine, she would have a bad influence on several young misses of the residence.

    Old Madam Han nodded and said, ¡°Your worry is not unreasonable. Please assign her a maid tomorrow and don¡¯t let her bring her own maid.¡± If there was someone to watch over Qiu Yanfu, there would be no problem.

    Yuxi knew within a sichen1 hour?that the Old Madam had given her consent to let Qiu Yanfu went to Marquis Taining residence together with them. Yuxi suddenly smiled. For Qiu Yanfu to go along with them to Marquis Taining residence, was merely courtying a disgrace to herself.

    Suddenly, Yuxi had an inspiration. In her previous life, Qiu Yanfu often went out to socialise, but in the end, she still schemed against her second brother. Could she let her did it again? The more Qiu Yanfu went out to socialise, the more she knew that she couldn¡¯t be a proper wife to a noble family with just her status, so she implemented her scheme towards second brother instead. Qiu Yanfu was generous in her previous life, with hersweet mouth, plus, Wu Shi had a face at that time, so her poprity in the residence was actually very good, otherwise she would not have been able to scheme against her second brother that easily.

    Thinking till here, Yuxi remembered Han Jianye, and felt somewhat helpless. Her second brother was good in everything, but he was too righteous. In hisst life, he felt that he had damaged Qiu Yanfu¡¯s reputation, so he insisted on marrying her despite the oppositions from his mother and eldest brother. This time, Yuxi didn¡¯t have to guard against Qiu Yanfu¡¯s mischief only, but also had to brainwash her Second Brother. She could not let him do such stupid things again.

    Zisu smiled as she said, ¡°Miss, Eldest Madam had sent something over.¡± Qiu Shi had been more fond of adding jewelleries to Yuxi¡¯s possession in the past two years. It was no wonder that the maids in the Rose Courtyard weren¡¯t that surprised with the jewelleries that came to the yard today.

    Inside the box, there were a set of jewelleries, hairpins, earrings and bracelets, all of which were carved with rose patterns.

    Yuxi looked at the jewelleries and said with a smile, ¡°Eldest Aunt has taken too much trouble.¡± These jewelleries, just match her current clothes!

 Chapter 84: Taining Houfu 2

    When girls get together, most of them are eating, drinking, and ying, sometimes going to the theater or ying some games. Eight? One? Chinesework? W ¡Ý W ¡Ù W ¡Ö. ¡Ý8=1¡ÜZ=W¡Ö. However, COM is somewhat different today, and the Shouxian owner smiled and said to Yu Yuchen: "I have always heard that Chen Girl is very proficient in calligraphy and painting. I wonder if I can have a good time listening to one or two today?"

    From the first sight of the Shoujun County, Yuchen determined one thing, that is, the Shouxian County host was very hostile to her. Yuchen said with a smile: "The county owner has a reputation, and he is not proficient in talking, but it is nothing to do at home on weekdays."

    The Qingxia County chief heard and said with a smile: "Cousin, your piano is also very good. Why don''t you y a song with Chen and Chen, and let us have enough?"

    Heshou County owner smiled and said: "Yu Chen girl and Yu Xi girl together with Mr. Song, the four girls can not shirk." And the Shou County Lord has doubts about Yuxi, so tempted one or two.

    Yuxi smiled very well and said: "The county magistrate, I have limited qualifications, and I don''t have Mr. Song as a teacher." Seeing the leader of Shouxian County is amazed, Yuxi smiled and said: "Mr. Song brings love, I am with Song. Mr. learned art and calligraphy. As for music and poetry, because there is no talent, he did not follow the course."

    Heshou County did not say anything after listening to this. Since Yuxi can speak in front of so many people, she will definitely not lie to lie to her.

    Yuchen ys "The Plum Blossoms Three", which is praised by people who have noble sentiments by singing the plum blossoms of the plum blossoms and the wind and the wind. Yuchen is essentially a high-quality person, and this song has been popped up by her.

    The main y of Heshou County is a "Chun Xiaoying". The first half of the song is a kind of temperament that Chunxiao people are tired andzybing hair; after turning to the lower half, the rhythm is bright and bright, the mood isfortable, and the flowers are bright. A spring scene! At the end of the sound, it gives people a kind of spring color, although the beauty is not forever, thinking about how short life is, and then stunned.

    After the main y of Shouxian County, the scene suddenly became quiet.

    After a few seconds, Yuchen returned to God and walked to the front of the Shouxian County. He said: "The piano music of the county is like the sound of the sound of heaven, and Yuchen is not as good as himself." Although he lost, Yuchen did not feel that there was anything good. shameful. There are days outside the sky, there are people outside, and there are people who y better than her.

    The owner of Heshou County smiled and said: "I am two years older than Yuchen''s sister. It is also that I have taken advantage of it." She knows that Yuchen is the most proud, but the average person can''t enter the eyes of Yuchen. Only in this way can the distance between the two be brought closer.

    The Qingxia County owner felt that the opportunity was rare today. He said: "Cousin, the weather is so good today, let''s make two poems?" Qingxia County is not very popr in the show, it is not her bad contact, but rather She is going to make poetry when she can''t move, and people can''t afford it.

    The owner of Heshou County knows that this cousin¡¯s favorite poetry has gone into a state of ignorance. If she had been tempted to refuse, she would not have swept Qingxia¡¯s interest. She happened to see a few blooming peony not far away, saying: With Peony as the title, how does the cousin think?"

    The Qingxia County owner felt very good: "The peony is the king of flowers, and the peony is the title, naturally it is excellent."

    The presence of Qingxia County and Heshou County is the best, and both of them have said this. Others will naturally not refute. Refuting, it means not giving the Qingxia County Lord and the main body of Heshou County.

    Zhou Shiya is not good at poetry, and she has to rack her brains at the moment, only to be able to write a coping. I thought about it for a long time, and I didn¡¯t have a clue. When I looked up, I saw Yuxi eating the cakes leisurely. Zhou Shiya whispered and asked: "You don''t write poetry?"

    Yuxi is ready to be handed in for a nk scroll: "Can''t write it."

    Zhou Shiya didn''t want to write, but she didn''t have the courage. She said with a sigh of relief: "If you don''t write it, you will be jokes. If you go back, you won''t be punished?" The confession is not a proof that the girl of the National Government is very bad!

    Yuxi said: "There is no way to joke. I just said that I don''t have good poetry. Even Mr. Song''s ss didn''t go up. It doesn''t matter if it is called a white scroll." At the beginning, she also persuaded her to learn poetry and instruments. It is said that there are two ways to go out and not to make peopleugh. But her life and death is to learn if there is no way to learn. Without this talent, it is useless to force it.

    Zhou Shiya thought for a moment and said: "The face of the government office has been lost. You must not be reprimanded by your grandmother when you go back?"

    Yuxi said indiscretly: "The reprimanding will reprimand, I really can''t make poetry, I can''t falsify it! Besides, the government office has my three sisters, enough to support the facade." She is not as perfect as Yuchen. People, no, no, no shame. She does not believe that the girls present are the masters of poetry painting.

    After two quarters of an hour, more than twenty girls handed over the poems they wrote. Finally, thementary, Yuchen wrote the best, won the Kui, the worst nature is the jade of the white volume.

    Qingxia County is somewhat surprised. Even if she does not make poems, many people will rack their brains to write a task for the sake of the scene, and she will see it for the first time. Qingxia County said to the beggars around him: "Go and ask Yuxi girl toe over." Yuxi is now whispering with Zhou Shiya in a corner of the garden.

    Yuchen is not surprised by Yuxi''s white paper. Yuxi is the temper. If he doesn''t, he will say that he will not falsify or falsify.

    Qingxia County took out a white scroll with Yuxi and asked: "Yu Xi girl, is this your hand?"

    Yuxi, under the eyes of everyone, admitted that it was his own. Since dare to hand in the white scroll, Yuxi has already prepared for beingughed at.

    Yuchen did not want to fall into the reputation of the National Government Office. He smiled and said: "My sister was not good at listening to poetry since childhood, but her paintings are very good, especially the peony and chrysanthemums are very beautiful." To say this, I also found a face for Yuxi.

    Qingxia frowned.

    The owner of Heshou County said with a smile: "Since Chen¡¯s sister said that Yuxi¡¯s peony is very well painted, if Yuxi¡¯s girl doesn¡¯t mind, she will use painting to represent poetry. How?¡±

    Writing poetry and white paper can also be said that he has no talent in terms of aspect. Now Yuchen has said that her peony painting is good. If it is postponed, it will not only lose the face of the government, but also lose the face of Yuchen. Of course, being detained is a trivial matter, and I am afraid that I will bear the name of a straw bag in the future, so that her future rtives will have to drop several grades. Yuxi nodded and said, "Yes. But I paint very slowly and it takes a long time."

    Heshou County chief smiled very openly: "No matter, we are waiting." This ispletely different from the people in the rumor, and I don''t know what secrets this person has.

    The woman in the Taining Houfu immediately took the brush and the paint of various colors. Yuxi did not have any feelings, and spread the rice paper on the table and began to draw.

    Painting peony, the most important thing is in coloring, if there is no good color, the first effort is also in vain. However, Yuxi is very sensitive to color, and he has never made a mistake in this piece.

    Yuxi''s paintings are really slow. People who are slow to start looking around are impatient. They gather together to talk and chat. The head of Heshou County and the owner of Qingxia County are chatting with Yuchen, and even Zhou Shiya is on a desert.

    Aunt walked to Chen Xue and said: "Girl, the food is already on the table, please ask the girls to eat."

    Yuchen heard that he had to eat, and then looked at Yuxi, who was looking down and painting. He said, "Let''s go eat it first! When the meal is finished, Yuxi''s paintings should be finished." Let everyone wait for Yuxi. One, everyone will be dissatisfied.

    After lunch, most of the girls went home with the elders, and a small part went to the garden with the owner of Qingxia County and the owner of Heshou County.

    When everyone went to the garden, Yuxi just painted the peony flower.

    Yuxi painting a painting requires several times of time. Today, in order to save time, she only painted a peony flower surrounded by green leaves, a brilliant peony. The upper right corner of the painting also quotes a poem by the Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yuxi: "The medicinal herbs in front of the court are unqualified, and the pool is full of enthusiasm. Only the peony is the national color, and the flower festival is in Tokyo."

    Yuxi¡¯s peony brushwork is exquisite and bright, and there is no way topare it with famous artists, but it also has its own characteristics.

    The Qingxia County owner said with a smile: "This peony is well painted, but it is only one flower." Although Yuxi is good at painting flowers and nts, she rarely animate pens, and the paintings are characterized by features but limited in level. The Qingxia County Lord has seen a lot of good things. Yuxi¡¯s paintings can¡¯t enter her eyes. It¡¯s a good one. It¡¯s already a very high evaluation.

    The head of Heshou County was surprised to see Yuxi, and this painting could not be mediocre, and he was worried. What made Han Yuxi like a person. The owner of Heshou County said with a smile: "Yu Xi girl did not say that she was painting very slowly. If she painted more, wouldn''t she have to paint at night?"

    Qingxia County owner smiled and said: "I am too happy, I forgot to give it."

    Yuchen said: "The county owner, in fact, my four sisters are best at painting, but embroidery. We have a few sisters, and the best work for the four sisters." If it is not Yuxi, it is not yet embroidered. Aplete double-sided embroidery, Yuchen will certainly promote the Yuxi will embroider double-sided embroidery.

    The main eyes of Heshou County shed a sh, looking at the purse of Yuxi''s waist, and said with a smile: "Yu Xi girl, your purse is particrly delicate, is this purse embroidered by yourself?"

    Yuxi took the purse from his waist and said, "Well, it is my own embroidery. I like the rose very much, so I embroidered the rose on the purse."

    The head of Heshou County looked at the clothes worn by Yuxi, embroidered with roses, and the decoration was also a rose pattern. This is where the ordinary likes, this is obsessed. Like Qingxia County¡¯s obsessive poetry, they are all gone. Qingxia County took the purse and took a serious look. He nodded: "The embroidered work of Yuxi''s sister is better than the best embroidered mother of our pce."

    The smile on Yuxi¡¯s face remained unchanged, saying: ¡°It¡¯s time to embroider when there¡¯s nothing to do on weekdays. It¡¯s time to y.¡± She doesn¡¯t want topare herself with embroidered mother.

    Ps: The monthly ticket is forty plus.

 Chapter 85 - Marquis Tainingéˆ¥æªš Residence (2)

    Chapter 85 : Marquis Taining¡¯s Residence (2)

    When girls got together, they mostly ate, drank and be merry1Chinese idiom : idle away one¡¯s time in pleasure. Sometimes they went to watch a y or yed some games together. However, today was somewhat different, and Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangsmiled towards Yuchen and said, ¡°I have heard that Miss Chen is proficient in all of qin, chess, calligraphy and painting. I wonder if I can have the privilege to listen to one or two songs today?¡±

    From the first time Yuchen saw Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, she could confirm one thing, that Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangwas acting very hostile to her. She replied with a smile, ¡°Xianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangis over praising me. Being proficient is out of the question, it just that I have nothing to do to pass the time at home.¡±

    Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangheard this with a smile and stepped into the conversation, ¡°Elder cousin?biaojie : daughter of one¡¯s father¡¯s sister, or of one¡¯s mother¡¯s brother or sister, who is older than oneself, your qin skill is also excellent. Why don¡¯t you and Miss Chen y a piece of music separately and let us have a good time?¡±

    ¡°Miss Yuchen and Miss Yuxi have learned from Teacher Song together. Fourth Miss also should not refuse, right?¡± Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangsaid with a smile. She had some doubts about Yuxi, so she tried to probe her with one thing or another.

    Yuxi responded with a decent smile, ¡°Xianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, I have limited qualifications and I don¡¯t have the right to acknowledge Teacher Song as my teacher.¡± When she saw Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s face looking surprised, she smiled and continued saying, ¡°Though I did obtain a bit of Teacher Song¡¯s affection. So, I had learned painting and calligraphy from Teacher Song. As for music theory and poetry, I didn¡¯t learn them because I didn¡¯t have the talent.¡°

    Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangsaid nothing after hearing this. Since Yuxi could say it in front of so many people, she definitely wasn¡¯t lying to her.

    Yuchen yed ¡®Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms¡¯. This song praised plum blossoms for defying cold and frost. It was considered a tenacious character for fighting against the wind, so it was also used to praise people with noble sentiments. Yuchen in essence was noble in her nature and moral character, so, once she yed this piece of music, it left asting appeal to those who listened to her song.

    Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms

    While, Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangyed a song called ¡®Song of Early Spring¡¯. The first half of this song showed a kind of mood where on a spring morning, people were tired and kind ofzy inbing their hair. After entering the second half, the rhythm turned lively and bright. The mood was happy, with flowers blooming like a piece of brocade?Chinese saying : a flourishing scene of prosperity, showing that spring was very much in the air! At the end of the song, it gave people another kind of spring scenery. Although it was beautiful, it would neverst forever. After thinking about how short life was, people would obviously feel sorrowful. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Song of Early Spring

    After Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangdone yed her song, the scene at the banquet immediately became quiet.

    After a few seconds, Yuchen returned back to herself. She then went to Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangandmented, ¡°Xianzhu¡¯s qin sounds are like the sounds of nature. Yuchen feel ashamed of her inferiority.¡± Although she lost, she didn¡¯t feel any shame. She knew that there were many people outside who could y much better than her.

    Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangreplied with a smile, ¡°I am two years older than Younger Sister Yuchen, and I have taken advantage of it.¡± She knew that Yuchen was the most arrogant, as ordinary people could not easily enter her eyes. Only in this way, she could shorten the distance between the two of them.

    Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangfelt that today¡¯s opportunity was rare as she said, ¡°Elder cousin?biaojie : daughter of one¡¯s father¡¯s sister, or of one¡¯s mother¡¯s brother or sister, who is older than oneself, today¡¯s weather is so good, why don¡¯t we write some poems?¡± She was actually not very popr among thedies. It was not because she was hard to get in touch with, but she always wanted to write poems every time, which made people around her felt that her obsession was a bit too much.

    Peony Tree

    This is for my own reference since I have never seen a peony tree. I thought it would be a big tree.

    Image Source | Cricket Hill Garden

    Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangknew that her younger cousin?biaomei = daughter of one¡¯s father¡¯s sister, or of one¡¯s mother¡¯s brother or sister, who is younger than oneselfloved for poetry was in a state of insanity. If this was before, she would have refused it tactfully. But now, she won¡¯t spoil Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy clouds¡¯s fun. She happened to see several peony trees blooming nearby and said, ¡°What does younger cousin?biaomei = daughter of one¡¯s father¡¯s sister, or of one¡¯s mother¡¯s brother or sister, who is younger than oneselfthink about peony?¡±

    Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangfelt pretty good, ¡°Peony is the king of flowers. Using peony as the topic is naturally extremely good.¡±

    In the presence of Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangand Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangwho had the highest status in the banquet, since both of them had decided it this way, other people naturally unable to refute their words. To refute their words was the same as showing that they didn¡¯t give any face to Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangand Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang.

    Zhou Shiya was not good at poetry. She was racking her brains just to write a single poem. She thought for a long time, but she still couldn¡¯te out with anything. When she looked up, she saw Yuxi was very leisurely eating some snacks. Zhou Shiya lowered her voice as she asked, ¡°Are you going to write a poem?¡±

    Yuxi was preparing to hand in a nk white paperter. ¡°I can¡¯t write it.¡±

    Zhou shiya also didn¡¯t want to write, but she didn¡¯t have the courage to do so. She eagerly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t write one, you will beughed at by otherster on, and when you return home, you will surely be punished.¡± By just handing over a nk sheet, wouldn¡¯t it prove that a young miss of the Duke of the State¡¯s residence was really a disappointment!

    ¡°If they want tough at me, I can¡¯t do anything about it . I already said just now that I am not good in poetry. I didn¡¯t even attend Teacher Song¡¯s poetry ss. So, it doesn¡¯t matter even if I¡¯ve been called out for sending in nk paper,¡± replied Yuxi. At the beginning, Momo?wet nurseQuan also advised her to learn poetry and musical instruments, by saying that these two skills would help in keeping her appearance and would stop people from making a joke off her when she married out in the future. But what could she do when she simply couldn¡¯t learn them? Without any talent, it was useless for her to force herself. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Zhou Shiya thought for a moment and then asked, ¡°If you lose the face of the residence, won¡¯t you be reprimanded by your aunt and grandmother when you go back?¡±

    Yuxi answered indifferently, ¡°If they want to reprimand me, then I will just let them reprimand me. I really can¡¯t write any poem, and I can¡¯t resort to deceit! Besides, the residence has my Third Sister, who is enough to keep up appearances.¡° She was not a perfect person like Yuchen, and it was unlikely for her to be like Yuchen. She also believed that there was nothing shameful about that. She also did not believe that all the girls present here were masters of poetry and painting.

    Two quarters of an hourter, more than 20 girls handed in their poems. In the end, Yuchen was chosen as the one who wrote the best and won the first prize. The worst was naturally fell on Yuxi, who handed in a nk paper.

    Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangwas somewhat surprised. Even if one could not write poetry, one would rack one¡¯s brain to write a poem just toplete the task in this kind of asion. It was the first time for her to see a person handed in a nk paper. ¡°Please invite Miss Yuxi toe over,¡± said Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangto a maid nearby. Yuxi was busy whispering to Zhou Shiya at a corner of the garden.

    Yuchen was not surprised that Yuxi would hand in a nk sheet of paper. Yuxi had that kind of temperament where she would not say it straight, would not go round the curves and skirting the corners1?Chinese idiom : to beat about the bushnor would she resort to deceit.

    Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangtook out a nk paper which only written with the words ¡®Yuxi¡¯ on it and asked, ¡°Miss Yuxi, did you hand this?¡±

    Under everyone peculiar eyes, Yuxi frankly admitted that it was hers. Now that she dared to hand in a nk paper, she was ready to beughed at.

    Yuchen did not want to lose the reputation of the residence over this matter, so she smiled and said, ¡°This younger sister of mine has never been good in music theory and poetry since she was young, but she paints very well, especially peony and chrysanthemum.¡± She brought up this matter to give face to Yuxi.

    Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangfrowned.

    Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwanginterjected with a smile, ¡°Since Sister Chen said that Miss Yuxi¡¯s peony paintings are excellent, if Miss Yuxi doesn¡¯t mind, how about painting one instead of poetry?¡±

    Being asked topose a poem, but instead handed over a nk paper could also be said that she had no talent. Now Yuchen had said that her peony painting was good. If she pushed this off, she would not only lose the face of the residence, but also Yuchen¡¯s face. Of course, being scolded was a trivial matter, but she was afraid that if she carried the reputation of a straw bag11fig. good-for-nothingin the future, then her future marriage would have to fall several grades. So, she nodded and said, ¡°Okay. But I draw very slow and it will take a long time.¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwanughed heartily, ¡°No harm, we will wait.¡± This person was clearly different from the hearsay, and she didn¡¯t know what kind of secret this person had.

    Maids and old women servants of Marquis Taining¡¯s residence immediately brought over brushes and various colours of paints. Yuxi also didn¡¯t act melodramatic. She just spread open the rice paper and began to draw on the table.

    The most important thing in painting peony was colouring. If there was no good colour, no matter how good her skill was, it would end up useless. However, Yuxi was very sensitive to colour and had never made any mistakes in this area.

    Yuxi drew the painting really slow. People around her had be impatient and started to look around. They got together in twos and threes to talk and gossip. Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangand Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangwere happily chatting with Yuchen. Even Zhou Shiya was wool-gathering.

    A maid walked up to Chen Xue and said, ¡°Miss, the dishes are already served on the table. It¡¯s time to invite all the girls to have their meals.¡±

    When Yuchen heard that they were going to have meals, she looked over at Yuxi who was bowing her head while painting and said, ¡°Let¡¯s have a meal first! When our meals are over, Yuxi¡¯s painting should be finished.¡° If she let everyone waited for Yuxi, they would surely be dissatisfied.

    After lunch, most of the girls went home with their elders, and a small part went back to the garden with Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangand Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang.

    When they arrived at the garden, Yuxi just finished painting the peony.

    It took several times longer than other people for Yuxi to paint a painting. Today, in order to save time, she only drew a peony bloomed brilliantly surrounded by green leaves. On the upper right corner of the painting, there was a poem by Liu Yuxi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty : ¡®Wild herbaceous peonies grow with exuberant colours, pond lotuses are pure and free of passions, only tree peonies epitomize the essence of beauty, whose blooming presence decorates Peking City.¡¯ (Trantion of the poem was taken from China Shande.)

    Yuxi¡¯s peony was exquisite in brushwork and bright in colour. Though it couldn¡¯t bepared with famous artists, it also had its own characteristics.

    Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangsmiled and said, ¡°This peony is a good painting, but unfortunately there is only one.¡± Although Yuxi was good at painting flowers and nts, she was extremelycking in drawing things that moved. Her painting was unique but not of high standard. However, Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwanghad seen a lot of good things, so, Yuxi¡¯s painting still didn¡¯t manage to enter her eyes. She could get a pretty good one, which already had received a very high evaluation.

    Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwanggave Yuxi an unexpected look. With this kind of painting, it was impossible for a person to be this mediocre. She wondered what made she felt that Han Yuxi looked like a different person. She said with a smile, ¡°Miss Yuxi just said that she painted slowly. If she was given more time, wouldn¡¯t she be painting till evening?¡±

    Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwanughed, ¡°I was too happy that it slipped through my mind.¡±

    Yuchen took advantage of that moment to raise the feeling of interest towards Yuxi by saying, ¡°Junzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwang, in fact, my Fourth Sister are not that good in painting, but embroidery. Among us sisters, our Fourth Sister¡¯s embroidery is simply the best.¡° If it were not for the fact that Yuxi had not yetpleted her set of double-sided embroidery, Yuchen would have long ago publicized Yuxi¡¯s ability to create double-sided embroidery.

    Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwanglooked at the pouch at Yuxi¡¯s waist and asked smilingly, ¡°Miss Yuxi, your pouch is looking especially exquisite. Did you embroider it yourself?¡±

    Yuxi took off the pouch from her waist and said, ¡°Well, I embroidered it myself. I like roses very much, so I embroidered roses on the pouch.¡±

    Heshou2he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu3Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwanglooked at Yuxi¡¯s clothes which were also embroidered with roses, and her jewelleries were also made with pattern of roses. How could this be considered asmon love? This was an obsession. Just like Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwanginfatuation with poetry, who had totally became obsessed with it. Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu?Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangtook the purse, looked at it carefully and nodded, ¡°Sister Yuxi¡¯s embroidery work is better than the best embroidery woman in our official residence.¡±

    The smile on Yuxi¡¯s face remained the same as she responded, ¡°I only embroider when I have nothing to do on weekdays. It¡¯s just to pass the time.¡± She was unwilling to be mentioned in the same breath with embroiderydy.

 Chapter 86 - Precaution (1

    <strong>Chapter 86 : Precaution (1)</strong>

    Chen Xue walked over with a smile and said, ¡°Junzhu1Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwang, Xianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, Miss Yuxi hasn¡¯t had her lunch yet. So, I will take her for lunch first. So can this conversation be put off untilter?¡° It was not good to let someone who came to her home went back with an empty stomach.

    Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangstood up and said, ¡°There are things I have to do back home. When we get together again, we will have a really good talk!¡±

    When Yuxi heard that they were going to have a good talk next time, she felt her heart thumped wildly. However, she didn¡¯t want to see her again. She didn¡¯t know why, but she always had this feeling that Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangwas a dangerous person.

    Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu1Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangwas also preparing to return to her residence. Before she left, she passionately invited Yuchen to visit her wangfu?residence of a wang. As for Yuxi, she was selectively ignored by Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu1Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwang. For being a person who send in a nk paper, it was good that Qingxia?qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu1Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangdidn¡¯t scold her or she would have to listen to it like she was an elm wood.

    Yuxi waited for everyone to leave before asking, ¡°Xue Jiejie?elder sister, where are my aunt and dajie?eldest sister?¡±

    Chen Xue answered with a smile, ¡°They¡¯re talking with my mother! After you have finished your meal, I will personally take you to your sisters.¡° She originally wanted to bring Yuchen to the main courtyard, but Yuchen refused.

    The lunch prepared by Marquis Taining residence for Yuxi alone was very rich. There were seven dishes and a soup, with the meat and vegetables dishes arranged in pair. All the dishes smells, looks and taste were very great. For Yuxi, this lunch was extremely good.

    When she ate, she paid attention to chew carefully and swallow slowly. It was okay to be a little less formal at home, but when at someone else¡¯s house, not an iota should she becking in rules. Her meal took two quarters of an hour to be finished, which could be considered quite fast.

    After Yuxi had her lunch, Yuchen walked into the room and said, ¡±Si Meimei?si=fourth, meimei=younger sister, we should hurry up and leave. Eldest Aunt should be waiting for us and she must have been worried.¡±

    Yuxi nodded her head, ¡°Then, let¡¯s go!¡±

    When Yuxi first came here, she was very nervous and was afraid of making mistakes. However, now, she was in high spirits that she could finally enjoy the flowers in the garden as she walked past them. Duke of the State residence had only a few varieties of flowers in its garden because Qiu Shi felt that raising those flowers and nts were expensive. There were many kinds of flowers in the garden of Marquis Taining residence, which made people became dazzled. Unfortunately, there was not much time to sightseeing, otherwise Yuxi would like to enjoy them more. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    As soon as their group came out of the garden, they saw a young man with his young pageing towards them.

    ¡°This is my erdi?er=second, di=younger brother, Chen Ran,¡± Chen Xue introduced with a smile. ¡°Erdi?er=second, di=younger brother, these are the Third Miss and Fourth Miss of Duke Han of the State residence.¡°

    Beforeing, everyone had done their homework. Chen Ran, the second young master of Marquis Taining residence, was the second legitimate son of the Chen family main house. He studied really well and won the first prize in the children¡¯s testst year.

    After listening to Chen Xue¡¯s introduction, Yuxi could not help looking at Chen Ran secretly. She could see that he was wearing a blue robe with no obvious decorative pattern embroidered on it, except for a simple cloud pattern embroidered with silver thread at the lower hem of his robe. A jade ring hung around his waist. His whole person looked really neat and clean, as he stood upright with his fairplexion and his pretty facial features. But he was veryposed, not as childlike as he should be at his age. This was understandable. As far as Yuxi knew, Chen Ran was kidnapped when he was still six years old. Perhaps this experience had made him appeared moreposed than his peers.

    Chen Ran did not expect that there were still guests at home at this time. In the past, during this time, all the guests had already returned to their home, but even if they came across each other, they would only greet and nothing more. Chen Ran and Yuchen greeted each other, then he turned around and walked away with his young page, without staying there for another second.

    Yuxi was surprised. When Chen Ran saw Yuchen just now, he didn¡¯t even say that she was exceptionally beautiful, nor did he was surprised. His eyes only stayed on Yuchen only for a second. When people became aware of Yuchen¡¯s look, many women would be stunned, not to mention a young man at this age. Unexpectedly, for Chen Ran had this kind of strong calmness, he had made people didn¡¯t want to looked down on him.

    On the way back, Qiu Shi hugged Yuxi and asked with a smile, ¡°How was the banquet today?¡± Today, Yuchen had taken all the limelight, so Yuxi could only say that it was not bad. After all, when they were writing poetry, she had handed in a nk paper.

    Yuxi frowned and told her aunt about Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s attitude towards her at the banquet, ¡°Aunt, I always felt that Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangwas being hostile towards me? San Jie1?san=Third, jie=a short form of jiejie also means elder sisterlooks and talents are all outstanding, so it¡¯s normal for a person to envy her, but Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangwas very close to San Jie1?san=Third, jie=a short form of jiejie also means elder sisterinstead, but acted very defensive towards me. I have never seen her before, and I don¡¯t know where her hostilityes from.¡°

    When Qiu Shi heard this, she seriously said, ¡°Please tell me the whole story in detail.¡± Although Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangwas only 14 years old, but she was smooth and slick11Chinese idiom : able to please everybody. If Yuxi had offended her, it would be a tricky matter.

    Yuxi exined the whole thing to her in detail. ¡°Aunt, I had been very respectful towards Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangand never failed to treat her with a thorough courtesy. I really don¡¯t understand why she would be so hostile to me?¡±

    Qiu Shi hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°Could it just be your illusion?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and answered, ¡°Impossible. Although she had covered it up well but I am sure that Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwanghad being hostile to me. There¡¯s no mistake.¡±

    Qiu Shi pondered for a moment, but could not think of the reason why. She could only advise, ¡°You should try to avoid her until you know what¡¯s actually going on.¡±

    Yuxi looked worried, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to avoid it.¡± Since Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangalready had this kind of enmity towards her, there was nothing she could do to avoid it.

    Qiu Shi looked at Yuxi¡¯s expression and said with a smile, ¡°Although the Qiao Family can still be considered as significant, they actually have no real power. And if you don¡¯t break any rules, what can she actually do to you?¡° Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s taiye12paternal great grandfatherused to be a 2nd rank official, but his descendants failed to live up to expectations. If it weren¡¯t for Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s father married to Shang Gongzhu13Princess, perhaps the Qiao family would not have been in the capital anymore.

    Yuxi thought the same thing too, so she smiled and said, ¡°Then, my assumption was wrong.¡± The Duke of the State residence was not actually a decoration, as her father was now a court official, so he was the one who had a real power. Even if Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangwanted to take action because of her extreme hostility towards her, she would still face a few difficulties. She certainly wouldn¡¯t dare to actually do anything to her. However, Yuxi¡¯s heart sank again when she recalled Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s manner during the banquet. Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangwas a wise person. Even if she wanted to act on her hostility towards her, she would definitely not do it so obviously. As the saying went, ¡®it was easy to dodge an open spear thrust, but difficult to guard against an arrow in the dark 1?Chinese saying : it is hard to guard against secret conspiracies¡¯, which made Yuxi felt really worried. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Two days before the Dragon Boat Festival, Han Jianye came back. As usual, he bought a lot of things for Yuxi.

    Yuxi felt very considerate. Thanks to her strenuous efforts over the years, her rtionship with Han Jianye was no different from that of blood siblings, ¡°Erge1?er=second, ge=brother, this time, you have a few days off, right!¡± Originally Han Jianming wanted to find a job for Han Jianye at the beginning of next year, but his master said that he was not good at learning so he needed to be polished a few more times.

    Han Jianye smiled and said, ¡°Master gave me three days off. Xi-er1?a term of endearment, how have you been these months? Are you happy now that Third Uncle is back? ¡°

    Yuxi felt bitter in an instant. However, she couldn¡¯t speak ill of Han jingyan, but this didn¡¯t mean that she couldn¡¯t speak ill of Wu Shi and Qiu Yanfu, ¡°I¡¯m d that father has came back, but my stepmother, uh, is hard to be exined in a few words1?Chinese idiom :plicated and not easy to express sinctly.¡±

    Han Jianye asked suspiciously, ¡°Did she bully you?¡±

    Zisu was much bolder as she interjected, ¡°It¡¯s more than bullying. Second Master did not know that my Miss was nearly disfigured by Third Madam.¡°

    When Han Jianye heard this, he pped the table and it shook several times. He asked in a loud voice, ¡°How did thate about? Exin to me clearly!¡° This woman was too vicious for even wanting of disfiguring Yuxi¡¯s face.

    Zisu added oil and vinegar1?fig. adding details while telling a story to make it more interesting to her exnation on Wu Shi¡¯s evil deeds.

    Han Jianye said furiously, ¡°Even after she did this evil scheme, Grandmother only punished her by setting some rules for her? Isn¡¯t this punishment too light?¡±

    Yuxi actually knew in her heart that the reason why Old Madam didn¡¯t punish Wu Shi severely was because she had already seen that Yuxi¡¯s behaviour that day was intentional. She sighed deliberately and said, ¡°She is an elder, while I¡¯m from the younger generation. This time, she had gone too far, or else Grandmother would not have punished her.¡±

    With words from Yuxi and Peri, Wu Shi had be a malicious woman in Han Jianye¡¯s mind.

    Yuxi looked at Han Jianye¡¯s facial expression and said, ¡°Erge1?er=second, ge=brother, this time Mother had brought her niece to the capital. I have seen this Miss Qiu and I notice that she has a very deep thoughts. Erge1?er=second, ge=brotherdoesn¡¯t know that she had asked me about Erge1?er=second, ge=brotherpreferences the other day. She, a marriageable girl, actually asked me about Erge1?er=second, ge=brotherpreferences. What does Erge1?er=second, ge=brotherthink she wants to do? Erge1?er=second, ge=brother, if you see her, you have to be on guard. That Miss Qiu¡¯s look is really delicate and charming. Don¡¯t be fooled by her outer appearance.¡°

    Han Jianye was amused and curious. So he asked, ¡°So in your mind, your Erge1?er=second, ge=brotheris so useless that can be fooled by anyone as they please?¡±

    Maybe because he had been following Master Yang in the mountains to learn martial arts, he had developed this straightforwardness and candid temperament. Yuxi really couldn¡¯t set her mind at rest when it was about Han Jianye. Just think, if he was changed to the young master of another family and was schemed to not ept the other person as a concubine, how could he not marry the other person as his main wife regardless of the opposition from his mother and elder brother? This was not loyalty, but stupidity.

    Yuxi tactfully said, ¡°Erge1?er=second, ge=brother, all say that even heroes have a weakness for the charms of a beautiful woman. This Qiu Yanfu looks elegant and pleasant. Who knows if Erge1?er=second, ge=brotherwould forget everything when he saw the beauty. Erge1?er=second, ge=brother, you currently haven¡¯t been spoken1?being match for marriage yet. She specifically asked about Erge1?er=second, ge=brotherlikes and dislikes, so she has already taken aim at you. Before, you weren¡¯t here, but now that you¡¯ve returned, she must have done a thousand ways, a hundred ns2?Chinese idiom : every possible means to meet Erge1?er=second, ge=brothermore often. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to meet her when you go out of Rose Courtyardter on.¡°

    Han Jianye suddenly touched Yuxi¡¯s nose, ¡°At this young age, you always talk about marriage. Do you really want to get marry?¡±

    If Yuxi was another girl, she would have blushed. Unfortunately, she had thick skin and was not shy at all. ¡°Erge1?er=second, ge=brother, don¡¯t take my words for granted. If she entangles you and damages your reputation, you will not be able to talk about your own good marriage anymore.¡°

    Han Jianye became unable to smile, ¡°If I see this Miss Qiu, I will definitely stay away from her. I won¡¯t say a word to her, okay?¡±

    Yuxi seriously said, ¡°Erge1?er=second, ge=brother, it is essential to mean what one said.¡±

    Han Jianye thought Yuxi was very interesting, ¡°Erge1?er=second, ge=brotherwill keep his word. If he deceives you, he is a puppy.¡±

    Yuxi wanted to roll her eyes when she heard his words. The 16-year-old young man of other families would already busy raising their family status, unlike her Erge1?er=second, ge=brother, who was still acting like a child.

    The brother and sister had a good conversation before Han Jianye looked up at the sky and stated, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, I¡¯m going back first.¡±

    Yuxi took out the sachet she made for Han Jianye and said, ¡°Erge1?er=second, ge=brother, this is your aromatic sachet. You should hang it on your body.¡± During the Dragon Boat Festival, the sachet containing medicinal material should be hung on one¡¯s body to exorcise evil spirits.

    Han Jianye looked at the lucky words embroidered on his sachet and said with a smile: ¡°Xi-er1?a term of endearment embroidery skills is getting better.¡± He felt a little proud. Xi-er1?a term of endearment was good at embroidery, good at cooking, good temper and outstanding in appearance. He did not know who had the fortune to marry Yuxi.

    What I think Qiu Yanfu looks like.

    Image Source | Love.Doghouse via Wallcoo

    On his way back to his yard, Han Jianye and his page met Qiu Yanfu, who was walking with her maid.

    When Qiu Yanfu followed Qiu Shi to Marquis Taining residence for a visit, all the girl at the banquet didn¡¯t pay heed at her at all after they knew her status. They treated her like she was air, which made her feeling very frustrated, so she was in a bad mood these past two days.

    When she caught sight of Han Jianye, Qiu Yanfu was rather surprised, but more of a pleasant surprise. She already knew that the Second Master of the residence was studying arts outside, but she did not expect to meet him today. She moved forward delicately and full of grace as she greeted him, ¡°Biaoge21elder male cousin.¡±

    Qiu Yan fu was just taking a walk in the residence today, that was why she did not dressed herself up. She was only wearing a pair of creamy moonlight coloured brocade dress, with her bun was decorated with blue coloured crabapple flower beads head-ornaments, and long purple jade ne hung down on both sides of her shoulders, making her look beautiful and lovely.

    When Han Jianye saw Qiuyan Fu, he couldn¡¯t help thinking of what Yuxi said just now. His facial expression was very subtle. When Yuxi had reminded him just now, he had treated them as jokes, but when he finally met Qiu Yanfu on the road, he could not help to think more of Yuxi¡¯s words. Was there such a coincidence in the world? No, it must be as Yuxi had said. This woman had been probing for his whereabouts.

    As Han Jianye thought of this, his face darkened as he said, ¡°With peopleing and going here, Miss Qiu still wants to jump around causing trouble.¡± Then, he took his page and left.

    Qiu Yanfu was shocked at first. In response to her greeting, Han Jianye chose to ridicule her instead. Her face instantly blushed like red clouds at sunrise, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±

    This scene was seen by the servants in the residence.

    Yuxi also learned about this matter in the shortest possible time. She felt that God was helping her. She just cooked up story about her Erge would came across Qiu Yanfu on his way back, when Erge really met her. Wasn¡¯t this showed that God was really helping her?

    When Zisu saw Yuxi¡¯s expression, she asked, ¡°Miss, do you mean it was not a coincidence that Qiu Yanfu ran into Second Master on the road?¡±

    Instead of answering Zisu¡¯s question, Yuxi just said, ¡°It¡¯s not important whether it¡¯s coincidence or not. What more important is that Qiu Yanfu really has this kind of idea.¡± ording to her thought, this matter was only a coincidence. Even though Qiu Yanfu was excellent in scheming, it was still impossible for her to detect Erge whereabouts. Though, as it happened, she actually managed to meet Erge on his way back to his yard.

    Zisu then said, ¡°Miss should tell Eldest Madam about this. We can¡¯t let that woman to scheme against Second Master.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need to say anything. Today¡¯s event is already enough for my aunt to be on guard.¡± The reason why Yuxi could tell Han Jianye that Qiu Yanfu had tried to seek her was that he relied on his gut till the end. In addition, he was very fond of her. Whatever she said to him, he would only smiled even though he knew that her words were very shoddy, and he had no intention to pursue it truth. However, Qiu Shi was different. About Yuxi not having a good rtionship with Qiu Yanfu, Qiu Shi had already aware of it. If Yuxi said these words to Qiu Shi, she would only think that Yuxi was just being narrow-minded.

 Chapter 87 - Precaution (2)

    <strong>Chapter 87 : Precaution (2)</strong>

    Zisu could be considered Yuxi¡¯s primary trusted subordinate, but sometimes she herself didn¡¯t really know what was in Yuxi¡¯s mind, ¡°Miss, why did you tell Second Master today about Qiu Yanfu had been asking for his information from you?¡± As far as she knew, there was no such thing at all. She did not know why her Miss made it up.

    Yuxi sneered, ¡°Your mind thinks too simple. She didn¡¯t dare to ask me about Erge1Er=second, ge=older brother, but do you think she won¡¯t ask other people in the residence?¡°

    Zisu opened her mouth, ¡°Miss, it can¡¯t be, right? Even if she has any idea on Second Master, he could only ept her as his concubine at most, and he could not marry her.¡° However, Second Master was also the Young Master of the Duke of the State residence. At most, Qiu Yanfu could only be his concubine. But the problem was, she was also Wu Shi¡¯s niece. If she became his concubine, where would Second Master put his face.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t give any response. In herst life, Qiu Yanfu scheme was sessful. Of course, the sessful oue was mainly due to her Erge1Er=second, ge=older brother¡¯s belief that Qiu Yanfu was an innocent and pure girl. Now, after Yuxi¡¯s reminder, her Erge1Er=second, ge=older brother thought Qiu Yanfu was a woman with deep calction and wanted to climb higher branches. Even if Erge1Er=second, ge=older brother fell to Qiu Yanfu¡¯s scheme, he would never marry her, and he could only take her as a concubine, at most.

    Just like Yuxi had thought, Qiu Shi¡¯s face was not looking good after she knew about this matter, but she was a kind person. She couldn¡¯t just change her treatment towards Qiu Yanfu only because a mere idental encounter.

    Mama Li also felt that Qiu Yanfu¡¯s mind was not pure, but with this single idental encounter in the garden had been spread out so far, showed that those female servants were unkind and didn¡¯t have any tolerance. Mama Li urged, ¡°Madam, the urgent task right now is to make sure that Second Master¡¯s marriage is settled.¡± Once it was settled, unless Qiu Yanfu didn¡¯t care about her face, she would not mind being a concubine, otherwise, she would surely stop having any idea on Second Master.

    Qiu Shi, however, did not agree. A marriage was a lifetime event. How could they finalise it just because of Qiu Yanfu? ¡°Let just put the matchmaking in advance.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu did not look for trouble, but the scene was seen by many servants in the residence. The footmen of the residence had mouths that were sharp like knives. If their masters didn¡¯t put any restrictions on them, the more fearless they would be. On that very day, a rumour spread out, which said that Qiu Yanfu was thinking of marrying into the state residence like crazy, to even go as far as intentionally stopped Second Master on the road regardless of her integrity. As a result, Second Master dumped his own face and made a mockery of her, which made Qiu Yanfu also lost her face. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    These days, Wu Shi had honestly been fixed by Old Madam. Except for the time she spent serving the Old Madam, she would hole up in her own courtyard. However, this did not mean that she knew nothing about the incident that happened in the state residence, but she received the news rtivelyte. She only found out about it the next afternoon. Wu Shi suppressed her anger and instructed, ¡°Go and call Miss Biao2family rtionship via females.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu wasn¡¯t aware of the rumours regarding her outside. When she saw Wu Shi¡¯s face was not looking good, she thought her Yimu3Older maternal aunt was angry with the Old Madam again.

    Wu Shi let the maid beside her told Qiu Yanfu about the matter and then she asked, ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±

    Qiu Yanfu¡¯s face turned white, ¡°Yimu3Older maternal aunt, please believe me. I just happened to meet him on my walk. I really don¡¯t know that Ye Biaoge?older male cousin would pass there.¡±

    Wu Shi did not question Qiu Yanfu. She believed Qiu Yanfu would not be that stupid enough to do such a thing. ¡°Yesterday, you were calcted.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu immediately remembered a person, ¡°Yimu3Older maternal aunt, could this be done by Fourth Miss? That day, she was humiliated because of me. She will surely hold a grudge. She must has taken this opportunity to take her revenge on me.¡° In the residence, she only offended Fourth Miss once. Though, it was still a bit puzzling if this incident was done just because of that.

    Wu Shi didn¡¯t believe in the rain or hearing the wind?Chinese idiom : to believe rumours. She felt that this matter was done by Qiu Shi. Qiu Shi did it to save her own face and to let Wu Shi knew who was the real Mistress of the Duke of the State residence.

    Although Qiu Yanfu didn¡¯t know what Wu Shi was thinking, but it seemed like Wu Shi was not going to clear her name out from this rumour, which made her mind became agitated.

    Wu Shi¡¯s mood was also very bad. She used to be the master when she was in Hebei, unlike here in the capital. Although she said she was the Third Madam of the state residence, she had no foundation in the residence and did nothing. She was always led by the nose. Now, she really missed her days in Hebei very much. ¡°Don¡¯t go out these days. Just stay in your yard first.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu was unwilling, ¡°Yimu3Older maternal aunt, if I do not go out, won¡¯t the people in this residence think I¡¯m really guilty? This will only humiliate me even more.¡± If the Dragon Boat Festival did note, her reputation would not have beenpletely lost.

    Wu Shi considered for a moment and said, ¡°You are right.¡± Qiu Shi wanted to suppress her this way. Her n was way too beautiful.

    Out of Biteng Courtyard, Qiu Yanfu took a deep breath. When her maid, Yan Xia saw that Qiu Yanfu was not returning to Shuixiang Courtyard, she immediately asked, ¡°Miss, where are we going?¡±

    Qiu Yanfu answered with a straight face, ¡°Rose Courtyard.¡± She told Wu Shi that this time she was calcted by Han Yuxi. In fact, it was only her spection. After all, she had no evidence against her.

    Yan Xia¡¯s face changed, ¡°Miss, isn¡¯t this not good?¡± Fourth Miss had always been unkind to her Master. This time, rumour like this had appeared. Wasn¡¯t this like delivering themselves to the Fourth Miss¡¯ door for her to beat their faces?

    Qiu Yanfu said, ¡°I have my own sense of propriety.¡± She was just going to see if Han Yuxi was really the one behind this incident.

    Yuxi was reading a medical book when she heard Zisu announced that Qiu Yanfu hade over. She was rather surprised, but this wasn¡¯t something unexpected. Although Yuxi¡¯s n was sessful these times around, she did not dare to underestimate Qiu Yanfu. Qiu Yanfu¡¯s mind was not shallow, but was also very tenacious, so Yuxi didn¡¯t believe such a few small things could actually manage to bring her down.

    Zisu asked, ¡°Miss, you don¡¯t want to see her?¡± The rumour spread so fast in the residence was because they also helped spread them.

    Yuxi said, ¡°If I don¡¯t see her, she will think I¡¯m guilty. Let her wait in the living room. I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡± If you want to see me, there¡¯s no need for me to rush to see you.

    Yuxi said she woulde in a moment, but it felt like two quarters of an hour. Qiu Yanfu¡¯s patience was started to run out when Yuxi suddenly entered the door of the room at a leisure pace.

    Qiu Yanfu did not hide this time as she stared straight at Yuxi.

    Yuxi frowned and say unpleasantly, ¡°Fu Biaojie?Older female cousin, is there anything wrong with me?¡± Qiu Yanfu thought that this could make her flustered, which showed that she also underestimated her.

    Qiu Yanfu seemed to have no idea how rude she was acting. She just smiled and replied, ¡°No, I just think Si Biaomei?Si=four, Biaomei=younger female cousin¡¯s clothes today are really good-looking.¡±

    Since Yuxi was in her own yard, so she wore a clove-coloured dress and did not wear any jewellery. This getup made her looked very refreshing.

    Yuxi smiled and responded, ¡°Biaojie?Older female cousin really has a good eyesight. Though this dress does not seem to be eye-catching, it is made with genuine satin, which can not be easily obtained with just by buying it with money.¡± She believed that the reason Yujing had given Qiu Yanfu some faces before was for the sake of her money.

    This words made Qiu Yanfu¡¯s face changed. Han Yuxi¡¯s words just reminded her that she was a daughter of a merchant. Even though she was rich, she still couldn¡¯t wear satin. In her heart, she hated Han Yuxi till it made her teeth itched?To greatly irritate or annoy someone, especially to the point of affecting their nerves. Han Yuxi never forgot to hit her all the time, but she still didn¡¯t have the courage to turn hostile at her.

    Yuxi was toozy to deal with Qiu Yanfu, so she directly asked, ¡°What can I do for Fu Biaojie?Older female cousin? If there is nothing, I will go back to read. ¡°

    The smile on Qiu Yanfu¡¯s face was almost unbearable. Before, when she went out to socialize, no matter how the officialdies thought in their hearts, they were still polite to her and did not act like Han Yuxi, who didn¡¯t give her any face at all. She forced a smile and said, ¡°Si Biaomei?Si=four, Biaomei=younger female cousin works really hard, which makes biaojie?Older female cousin truly admires.¡±

    Yuxi looked a little more rxed as she said, ¡°The one who has work the hardest is San Jie?San=Third, Jie=Elder sister. Fu Biaojie?Older female cousin may not know it, but my San Jie?San=Third, Jie=Elder sister has to get up at early in the morning and studies untilte at night. In order not to fall behind too much, I have to study harder. Outsiders look at us like we¡¯re all well off, in fact, who knows the hardship we have to face inside! Speaking of which, I envy Fu Biaojie?Older female cousin, whose life is really carefree. When you have nothing to do, you can stroll around the garden and scurry from door to door. My Erge1Er=second, ge=older brother seldomes back, but Qiu Biaojie?Older female cousin could still run into him by chance. Qiu Biaojie?Older female cousin luck is really not so good.¡° Thesest few words, was the same as saying Qiu Yanfu had deliberately waiting on the road.

    Even without this kind of face-pping, Qiu Yanfu still wanted to spray a mouthful of blood to Yuxi¡¯s face. Except that, Yuxi didn¡¯t really point it out clearly, so it wasn¡¯t good for her to suddenly lost her temper. ¡°Since Si Biaomei?Si=four, Biaomei=younger female cousin is busy, then I won¡¯t disturb you anymore.¡± In her mind, she didn¡¯t think much of Yuxi either, but with Yuxi¡¯s natural endowment, it would be enough for her to buy a lot of things from a few road markets. It was also fate that had made Yuxi to be reborn as a young miss of the state residence. These circumstances made a bit of jealousy shed in Qiu Yanfu¡¯s heart. If she was also a young miss of the state residence, why would she have to work so hard like Han Yuxi?

    Although Yuxi¡¯s mouth didn¡¯t spare even a bit of Qiu Yanfu¡¯s feelings, she had done enough proper etiquette that required from her and she even personally delivered Qiu Yanfu to the door.

    Steamed Pork Wrapped In Lotus Leaves

    Image Source | Baike Baidu

    Nothing made Yuxi happier than making Qiu Yanfu be humiliated one after another. She happily said, ¡°Zisu, ask Guo daniang1?a respectful form of address for an elderly woman to cook steamed pork wrapped in lotus leaves for lunch.¡± Steamed pork wrapped in lotus leaves was Yuxi¡¯s favourite dish.

    Zisu smiled and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    On the way back, Qiu Yanfu was still maintaining a decent smile on her face. When they arrived at her room where there were only her and her personal maid, Qiu Yanfu finally took off her disguise.

    Yan Xia said in a low voice, ¡°Miss, I used to think that Fourth Miss was a very straightforward person, but now this servant thinks that the Fourth Miss is just ying dumb.¡± This mouth of her was just like a knife, which poked wherever it ached the most.

    Qiu Yanfu did really think that Yuxi was a straightforward and easy-going Master at the beginning. They hadpeted with each other several times, but the result was always her who suffered loses. Even her Yimu3Older maternal aunt suffered a big loss because of the tea spilled on Yuxi. How could Qiu Yanfu be so stupid to think that Yuxi was gentle and harmless. ¡°Unexpectedly, Yimu3Older maternal aunt¡¯s two stepdaughters are so troublesome to be deal with.¡± Before she came to the capital, she had made a detailed understanding of Yuxi¡¯s and Yuchen¡¯s circumstances. She thought Yuchen was the kind of person who only knew piano, chess, calligraphy and painting but notmon things, while Yuxi was the kind of person whocked love. She wanted to be on friendly terms with the two by catering to their tastes, and then squeezed herself into the circle of noble women in the capital with their help. As a result, when she arrived here, she discovered that she had took them for granted. The two people may looked young in age, but they were also human beings. Although Yuchen had done nothing to her, she was sure that Han Yuchen was more difficult to deal with than Han Yuxi. She was not even sure that she could deal with Han Yuxi herself. When the timees, where she had to deal Han Yuxi together with Han Yuchen, she would surely lose badly.

    Yan Xia asked cautiously, ¡°Miss, what should we do?¡±

    Qiu Yanfu rubbed her temple and said, ¡°Let¡¯s take a one step at a time.¡± Neither Han Yuchen nor Han Yuxi could be calcted or dealt by her. Since her original n was unsessful, she had to temporarily avoid from being targeted by the spearheads and find another way around.

 Chapter 88 - Probing (1)

    <strong>Chapter 88 : Probing (1)</strong>

    After the Dragon Boat Festival, Yuxi received an invitation card from Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang which was something too hot for her to handle on her own.

    So, when Yuxi soon knew that Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had also invited Yuchen, she immediately went to Tingyun Pavilion to find Yuchen and morosely said to her, ¡°San3Three/third Jie?elder sister, do you think there is something harmful behind this invitation from Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang? ¡±

    Yuchen was not a stupid person. How could she not know that Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was acting very peculiar that day? However, it was useless for her to be worried, so she replied, ¡°There¡¯s no harm in it. For now, just keep the appointment.¡±

    Yuxi felt very bitter as she said, ¡°San3Three/third Jie?elder sister, it was the first time that I met Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang in Marquis Taining residence. Why do you think she had been hostile to me? I already asked Eldest Aunt. Our residence has never been in conflict with Qingyang Gongzhu?Princess/Princess of the First Rank or the Qiao family.¡± Not to mention that there was no conflict between them, even somethingmon like oral quarrel had never happened, which made Yuxi felt that Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s hostility was really unfathomable mystery?Chinese idiom : baffling.

    Yuchen indifferently said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This time, Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang has invited many other people, not just the two of us. There is nothing she can do to us while we¡¯re in public.¡°

    One should never looked at Yuchen like she would usually be like heavenly fairy maiden, her sources for information were much faster and moreprehensive than Yuxi¡¯s. Whenever there was trouble in the capital, Yuchen would be among the first to know about it. It was just that, Yuchen had never changed her voice and expression because of emotion?Chinese idiom : maintain one¡¯sposure, so outsiders never realised it. Even Yuxi was just guessing it.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Who else did she have invited?¡± It seemed like Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang would be inviting girls from prominent families to attend the banquet in the name of chrysanthemum appreciation.

    Yuchen answered, ¡°Yu family, Jiang family, Duan family, Li family and Zhou family. More than a dozen of them have been invited.¡± The girls whom Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had invited was either a noble girl or from a family of high officials. Her vision was truly unusual.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She also knew that she was being too nervous with Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang smooth and slick in making social contacts trick. Even if Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang wanted to deal with her, she certainly won¡¯t take action at the banquet that been held at her own home. It was just that this feeling of being treated hostile for no reason at all, made Yuxi felt that she had a very bad luck.

    Yuchen looked at Yuxi¡¯s tangled expression and felt it looked a little funny, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Although Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang is a xianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, we don¡¯t need to be so afraid of her.¡± As long as both of them stood upright and steady, there was nothing Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang could do to them.

    Yuxi would really like to tell her that, if I have your kind of background, I also won¡¯t be this afraid. Her current problem was that her father did not love her, so did her grandmother, nor did she have the support from her Eldest Uncle¡¯s family. It was really a sad reminder of her bad life.

    No matter how entangled Yuxi was, she didn¡¯t intend to turn down the invitation. She knew that it wasn¡¯t good for her to always avoid problems. Even if she managed to evade them this time, she would still need to face them in the future.

    Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang only requested Yuxi¡¯s and Yuchen¡¯s appearances in the banquet, but did not invite Yuru and Yujing. It was not that she looked down upon them, but the invitations she sent were all for legitimate daughters. Of course, no one would stop an illegitimate daughter toe along if she wanted to follow.

    Yujing wanted to go, so she also urged Yuru to go with hl.

    Yuru unexpectedly rejected Yujing¡¯s idea as she said, ¡°Er?two/second Meimei?younger sister, Xianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang did not invited us. If we still go without any invitation, won¡¯t it be something embarrassing for us when we finally arrive there?¡± Back in the days, she hated Yuxi and Yuchen, as well as her status as an illegitimate daughter. But after years of being taught by Momo1?wet nurse Chang, Yuru had finally epted her situation. No matter how much she hated it, she could never change her status. Instead ofining and being jealous day by day, she should try her best to please her Mother, so that she could help her find a good family for her in the future. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yujing hated iron for not bing steel11Chinese idiom : to feel resentful towards somebody for failing to meet expectations and impatient to see improvement when Yuru rejected her suggestion without even taking time to consider it. However, she knew she couldn¡¯t influence Yuru¡¯s way of thinking nor could she make a decision for her. However, she was still unwilling to give up, but she could only sulk in her room, as she didn¡¯t have the courage to find Qiu Shi herself. The rtionship between her birth mother and her dimu12term of address used for their father¡¯s official wife by the children of a concubine was like fire and water. Fortunately, her dimu12term of address used for their father¡¯s official wife by the children of a concubine didn¡¯t throw stones at her who had fallen down a well13Chinese idiom : hit a person when he¡¯s down or secretly harm her. If not, who was going to pave the way for her marriage? She was already 14 years old now, and she woulde of age next year. She still had to n for her future herself.

    After turning the matter over and over in her mind, Yujing finally decided to turn to Yuchen for help. Since she had a bad rtionship with Yuxi and after she ruled her out, it left her Yuchen as herst choice.

    Yuchen¡¯s reputation as a friendly sister did note out of thin air. She would not refuse any request for help as long as it was within her means. She knew Yujing purpose, so she hesitated for a moment, but then, she finally agreed. Yuchen was not Yuxi. She couldn¡¯t directly say that Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang only invited legitimate daughters. However, she instructed her maid to privately tell this matter to Yujing¡¯s personal maid, hoping that Yujing would sound out the difficulties and retreat to avoid defeat1?Chinese idiom : to back out of an awkward situation. To Yuchen¡¯s disappointment, Yujing was still preparing to go even after knowing Xianzhu¡¯s intention.

    Momo1?wet nurse Gui felt that she had taught Yuchen too well. ¡°Miss, you canpletely push Second Miss¡¯ request to Eldest Madam or the Old Madam. You should not have agreed to it.¡±

    Yuchen tried to exin with a wry smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Er?two/second Jie?elder sister still insists on going even after she knows all the details.¡± If it was her, she definitely would not go.

    Momo1?wet nurse Gui shook her head and said, ¡°Miss, Second Miss has big intention. In the future, Miss should be more on guard against her more.¡± Out of the four young misses of the state residence, the eldest was the most honest, while the second one was the most ambitious, but unfortunately shecked the means. The fourth one seemed straightforward, but she was the most calcting one. As for Fifth Miss, she had bepletely foolish under Wu Shi¡¯s teaching. Fortunately, she was still at a young age. Maybe her bad habits could be broken off and perhaps she could be changed back to a clean te.

    Yuchen nodded slowly, ¡°Momo1?wet nurse, I know what to do.¡±

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t have a daughter of her own, thus, for the past two years, she had spent all her motherly affection on Yuxi. Knowing that Yuxi was going to attend Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s banquet, she immediately ordered the sewing room to make two sets of new clothes. These money for the clothes were from her private ount, so others were unable toin about it.

    On the day of the banquet, Yuxi got up early to wash and dress herself up. She could be casual at home on weekdays, but she couldn¡¯t make any mistakes when she was outside, because she in a way, represented the face of the residence. If something went wrong, outsiders would onlyugh at the poor upbringing the residence had given her.

    When Qiu Shi saw Yuxi, she smiled and said, ¡°You will have to dress like this more inside the residence in the future. It looks good on you.¡± Yuxi was usually not badly dressed, but she did not apply any makeup when she was in the residence, and she was not as morous as she was now.

    Yuxi smiled and responded, ¡°It is aunt who has a good sight for making me such a beautiful dress.¡± Qiu Shi used bright and good materials for her dresses. ording to Qiu Shi way of thinking, if young girls didn¡¯t wear bright colours now, when else would they wear them?

    Yujing in the end unable to go to the Gongzhu?Princess/Princess of the First Rank residence to admire the chrysanthemum as she had wished. It wasn¡¯t because someone had cause trouble to her, but she had to take some medicine as she had caught a cold.

    Before going to the banquet, the two of them were brought in front of Qiu Shi. This time, all the people who had been invited by Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang were around the same age, so naturally, Qiu Shi would not follow along. Yuxi had already attended several banquets. If she just went to someone else¡¯s house, she would not have been this nervous. But now, she would be going to Gongzhu?Princess/Princess of the First Rank residence, which made her heart felt extremely anxious.

    When Yuchen saw Yuxi looking worried like this, she smiled and said, ¡°Si Meimei?younger sister, if you are feeling really worried, you can just follow meter.¡±

    Yuxi immediately agreed.

    It took more than half an hour to get from the state residence to the Gongzhu?Princess/Princess of the First Rank residence. Yuxi felt really bored and took a qipu1?chess book from the table next to her for reading.

    Yuchen frowned and advised, ¡°Yuxi, reading on the carriage will hurt your eyes.¡± On the surface, Yuxi was no worse than Yuchen. In terms of details, that difference was only a tiny bit.

    Yuxi listened to Yuchen and casually put the qipu1?chess book back to its ce. Before, she always envied Yuchen and thought Yuchen was good in everything, but now she didn¡¯t believe so. Nurturing Momo1?wet nurse had taught Yuchen so well that her every word and every deed1?Chinese idiom : what one says and does waspletely conforming to the requirements of a girl from a good family. However, with Yuchen groomed to be like she was a block of moulding board made others felt that she was unreal.

    When they arrived at the Gongzhu?Princess/Princess of the First Rank residence, Yuchen and Yuxi got on a small painted chariot together. Originally, they should greet Qingyang Gongzhu?Princess/Princess of the First Rank first, but since the Gongzhu?Princess/Princess of the First Rank had went to the pce, this procedure was not required.

    The two went directly to the garden. Just as they entered the garden, Yuxi saw a girling up to them.

    The girl who hade over had herbed into a zhuima1?lit. Fall/hanging off a horse bun, which was inserted with a peony hairpin iid with precious stones, and two Eastern Pearls hung under her ears with gold threads. The material of her dress was silk satin called Green Jade1?aquamarine colour of Tianshui, and the skirt was full of embroidered petals. The girl was very sweet and easy to be liked.

    Zhuima (lit. Fall/hanging off a horse) bun

    Image Credit : Î¢¹ÛÊ±ÉÐÈ¦ (¹Å´úÅ®×ÓµÄ·¢ÐÍ¶Ô±È£¬×î³óµÄÊÇÇå³¯µÄ£¬ÇØººÊ±ÆÚ×îÃÀ, October 17, 2018) via QQ

    An example of Eastern Pearls Earrings

    Image Credit : Akoya via ÒÔÑÅÒÔÄÏ at Zhihu

    When the little girl saw Yuchen, she was stunned for a moment, but she quickly responded with a smile while saying in a loud voice, ¡°Is this Yuchen Jiejie1?elder sister?¡± She immediately regarded Yuxi as she was transparent.

    Yuchen nodded and asked, ¡°You are?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Jiang Qi. Yuchen Jiejie1?elder sister, you are so beautiful,¡± the little girl answered crisply.

    Yuchen was also dressed up today. She wore a crimson duijin2?Chinese-style jacket with buttons down/tied on the front covered with cross cor soft silk shirt. While on the inside, she wore a greenish-blue ruqun embroidered with branches and peonies. Her hair was styled into a small flowing cloud bun, which was inserted with slightly nted single piece of green coloured jade phoenix head hairpin . Her ears and wrists were also using the same colour and quality of earrings and bracelets. Coupled with her extraordinary appearance and outstanding temperament, her beauty was peerless.

    The orange short size jacket is called duijin, while the clothes inside are called ruqun(ru=the blouse and qun=the wrapped around skirt). Yuchen was also wearing an outer wear that covered the duijin and ruqun, like a long coat but in ancient China it was called shan (É½) or shirt in English. Please correct me if I¡¯m wrong.

    Yuxi looked at Jiang Qi, and the bad memories of her past spring up in her mind. Fortunately Zisu reacted very fast. When she saw Yuxi be stunned, she immediately pinched her secretly so that Yuxi¡¯s expression could immediately return to normal.

    Yuchen had long been used topliments from others so she just nodded slightly at Jiang Qi and asked, ¡°Did Miss Jiange alone?¡±

    Jiang Qi shook her head and answered, ¡°I came with my sister.¡± She informed Yuchen that her elder sister, Jiang Yun, was the eldest daughter of the Jiang family.

    At this time, Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang came over with her maid. She took a glimpse at Yuxi who was standing calmly beside Yuchen, then her eyesight moved quickly to other side, as she smilingly said, ¡°Qi Meimei?younger sister, weren¡¯t you the one who kept on saying that you want to see Yuchen Meimei?younger sister, so today you can feast your eyes on her.¡±

    Yuchen frowned slightly when she heard this.

    Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang seemed to not realise that the words she just said was wrong. She just continued talking, ¡°Yuchen Meimei?younger sister, Qingxia21qing = green grass, xia = rosy clouds Meimei?younger sister is waiting for you in the yard. That biaomei22younger female cousin of mine has been talking about you since she saw youst time. Knowing that you¡¯reing today, she hade here early in the morning.¡±

    So, Yuchen took Yuxi along with her to meet the Qingxia21qing = green grass, xia = rosy clouds Junzhu23Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwang.

    After Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang said a few words to Jiang Qi, she walked away. Then, she secretly called the old woman servant who brought in Yuxi and asked, ¡°Did something unusual with Fourth Miss Han after she saw Miss Jiang just now?¡± It was not a coincidence that Yuxi met Jiang Qi as soon as she arrived at the Gongzhu?Princess/Princess of the First Rank residence. This meeting had been personally arranged by Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang.

    The maid who also helped brought Yuxi in shook her head and said, ¡°There was nothing unusual. However, Miss Jiang only talked to Third Miss Han and ignored Fourth Miss Han. When this maidservant looked at Fourth Miss Han¡¯s manner, it seemed like she didn¡¯t take the matter into her heart.¡± There was no way for one¡¯s heart not to feel ufortable when being ignored like that.

    Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang asked incredulously, ¡°Was there really nothing unusual at all?¡± If Han Yuxi was the same like her, the expression on her face would have drastically changed or it would have shown a feeling of disgust when she saw Jiang Qi. Somehow, there was no responseing from her. What kind of situation was this?

    The maid firmly answered, ¡°There was nothing unusual. When Fourth Miss Han saw the miss from Jiang family, she looked really calm and nothing unusual happened.¡° Yuxi was also quite lucky. When she had became stunned, she had turned her back on the maid who was leading the way.

    Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang talked to herself, ¡°Can it be that I have really been thinking too much?¡±

    During this period of time, Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang also sent someone to inquire a lot more information about Yuxi. It could be said that the current Han Yuxi and her old impression of her were twopletely different people. However, regarding Han Yuxi¡¯s strangeness, Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang seemed to be unable toe with exnation to it. Although Han Yuxi had changed a lot, there was nothing unusual could be found on her.

 Chapter 89 - Probing (2)

    <strong>Chapter 89 : Probing (2)</strong>

    When Yuchen and Yuxi were looking for Qingxia1qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu2Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwang, she was talking to a youngdy. Her expression was very happy.

    Yuxi looked at the other youngdy and saw that she was dressed in light pink dress with her smoky skirt embroidered with scattered daffodils. Her pleated cloud sleeves were outlined with several auspicious clouds using silver silk thread. While her ink-ck hair was coiled up into a feixian3flying Immortalbuns, where a few stalks of small pearl flowers hair-ornaments were randomly ced between the buns, and a white jade lotus hairpin iid with precious stones was ced nted on the side. Her beautiful eyes which were busy ncing around were flowing with rich colour, while a light smile was overflowing between her red lips, which made people unable to move their eyes from her.

    Feixian (flying Immortal) Buns

    Image Credit : Cosy Queen via My Hanfu Favorites at Tumblr

    Yuxi let out a long sigh of relief. This youngdy, regardless of her appearance and demeanour, was not even a thread less inferior than Yuchen. This was the first time for her to see another youngdy who was unable to be told which one was up and which one was down?Chinese idiom : to be at the same levelwhenpared with Yuchen.

    Yuchen and Yuxi were preparing to give their courtesy when Qingxia1qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu2Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangsuddenly grabbed onto Yuchen and said with a smile, ¡°Yuchen Jiejie?older sisterdoes not need to be so polite.¡± With that, she pointed to the youngdy who had just spoken to her and introduced, ¡°Yuchen Jiejie?older sister, this is Xiyu Jiejie?older sister.¡±

    When Yuchen was in front of her, Yuxi had always been a neglected subject. After facing the same situation all over the years, she had already gotten used to it. Thus, she made it looked like as if she had done giving her courtesy, then she stood quietly beside Yuchen.

    Yu Xiyu looked at Yuxi with a smile and asked, ¡°Is this Yuxi Meimei?younger sister? I heard from Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang that Duke Han of the State residence has produced a lot of beauties. When I personally saw them today, I finally believed that Xianzhu¡¯s words weren¡¯t just her assumptions.¡°

    Today, Yuxi was wearing a very light yellow dress, with 80 percent of her skirt was in the colour of moonlight. It was also decorated with embroidered patterns of butterflies and flowers. Her dress made her looked really fresh, elegant and youthful.

    Yuxi shyly responded, ¡°I don¡¯t deserve Yu Jiejie?older sister¡¯s praise.¡± On such asions, she never showed her true self. The reason was very simple. This was not a circle that she would like to mix with. If she rushed to express herself, it would only make people despise her more. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Jiang Qi smiled and said, ¡°Biaojie?older female cousin, I heard Yuchen Jiejie?older sister¡¯s chess skills are extraordinarily good. Today, you have finally met your opponent, Biaojie?older female cousin.¡± Yu Xiyu was a woman who were extremely good in both talents and skills. This good reputation even managed to spread far and wide, and she had be the dream sweetheart of men in the capital. When Yu Xiyu had made a name for herself, Yuchen was still a child.

    Qingxia1qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu2Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangthought the idea was very good, ¡°Yu Jiejie?older sisterand Yuchen Jiejie?older sister, how about you two y a set?¡± She really wanted to know who was the better yer in the end.

    Yu Xiyu smiled and replied, ¡°I am three years older, but non wiser than Yuchen Meimei?younger sister. If I insist onpeting, it will be very much unfair to Yuchen Meimei?younger sister.¡±

    Yuchen was an ambitious and proud person. Would she flinch just because she heard these words at this moment? At present, she gave out a smile while saying, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, whether it¡¯s qin or chess. The most important thing is not how long you have studied, but your own natural talent.¡± This was clearly saying that, even if you learn more than me for a few years, I am still no lesspetent than you.

    Yu Xiyu was also an arrogant person. When she heard these words, she just smiled and replied, ¡°That¡¯s true, but I am several years older than Yuchen Meimei?younger sister. Since it is this way, I will let Yuchen Meimei?younger sister has the first three moves.¡±

    How could Yuchen agree? She continued to smile and responded, ¡°No need. Everyone should start at the same starting point. It is only fair to have apetition this way.¡±

    Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang looked at Jiang Qi and Yuxi sitting on one side and smilingly interjected, ¡°I remember thatst time Miss Yuxi said she had studied chess with Teacher Song for several years. Are you interested to y in another set?¡±

    Jiang Qi¡¯s eyes brightened up as she slipped in a few words with a smile, ¡°Yuxi Jiejie?older sister, I have learned chess for several years too. Why don¡¯t we also y a set.¡± Her words may sound like she was just asking for guidance, but in reality, she was actually delivering a written challenge.

    Yuxi naturally won¡¯t refuse. Refusing was the same as showing her weakness. She may show her weakness to others, but she was unwilling to show it to Jiang Qi. At present, Yuxi smilingly responded, ¡°Since Jiang Meimei?younger sister has this interest, I will certainly apany her.¡± She also wanted to see the current level Jiang Qi¡¯s chess skills had reached.

    The Gongzhu1?Princess/Princess of the First Rank residence had everything needed for thesepetitions. So, Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang instructed the maids to get the required items, and soon they had set up two tables of chess boards.

    Also at the same time, another group of maids brought in a set of coloured zed cups. These ss cups were filled with red juice, and everyone had a cup in front of them.

    Yuxi picked up her ss of ice-cold, cool juice, which also had a hint of a delicious smell and sweet taste of watermelon. After she had done drinking it, she was really surprised. ¡°Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, what is this? It¡¯s really delicious.¡±

    Watermelons Juice With Ice Cubes

    Image Credit | Li Hongrui (Culture Insider: What did ancient Chinese people eat in summer? July 25th, 2017) via Charming Nanyang.

    Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had just been observing Yuxi closely. When she saw that Han Yuxi¡¯s expression was obviously showing that this was her first time seeing this thing, she answered with a smile, ¡°This is juice extracted from watermelons and mixed with some ice cubes. Today is the most suitable time to drink it.¡°

    Yuchen and Yu Xiyu were not particrly surprised with them though. The two had already seen many good things and didn¡¯t care much about the watermelon juice. To them both, it was merely something more innovative only at this moment.

    After drinking the watermelon juice, they began to y chess. Yuxi chose the ck piece and said, ¡°I am one year older than Jiang Meimei?younger sister. So, Jiang Meimei?younger sister, you should go first.¡±

    When Yuxi married into the Jiang family in her previous life, she had tried to curry favour with the Jiang family members, so she had spent time learning a lot of things about them. Jiang Qi began to learn chess at the age of three, and she was really gifted in it. Of course, she was also not bad in other aspects. As a result, she had gained a reputation as a talented woman in the capital. This also caused Jiang Qi to be very proud of herself, which made herpletely did not attach any importance to Yuxi as he sister-inw.

    At the very beginning of them ying chess, Jiang Qi already made a killing move. She wanted to disturb Yuxi¡¯s mind, thus disturbing Yuxi¡¯syout and achieving the goal of winning the chess game early. The idea was good, but Yuxi had always been a steady chess yer so she would not change heryout just because of Jiang Qi¡¯s killing move.

    Jiang Qi¡¯s chess skill was very good, but her state of mind was very poor. Seeing that she had not achieved the expected results, she was somewhat confused. This chaos gave Yuxi a chance for her to take advantage of, and it didn¡¯t take long before she gained the upper hand.

    Jiang Qi put down her chess piece and said, ¡°I lost this set, but we won¡¯t know who will lose and who will win in the next set.¡± This meant that they would have to y another chess game after this match.

    The smile on Yuxi¡¯s face remained unchanged as she stated, ¡°Take a rest first!¡± Once she done saying that, she immediately went to Yuchen¡¯s side.

    Yuchen¡¯s chess skill was out of the ordinary, but Yu Xiyu¡¯s chess skill was also really high which made the two equally matched. Yuxi was not that surprised with this situation either. This only confirmed that Yu Xiyu¡¯s great reputation wasn¡¯t something that just suddenly got blown out of proportion.

    At that moment, a maid brought in some cakes.

    Yuxi looked at the crispy tart skin on the outeryer of the dish, while the inneryer was filled with a sweet yellow solidify egg pastry, as her pupils suddenly shrank. However, she responded quickly. Almost instantaneously, she smiled and asked, ¡°What is this? Just by looking at it, it csn already arouse one¡¯s great appetite.¡°

    Chinese Style Egg Tarts

    Image Credit | rissa Wei (A visual history: the evolution of the egg tart, July 18th, 2018)

    Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was not there at that time, as she had gone out to entertain guests. The maid who served the dessert who replied instead, ¡°This is an egg tart, which is the new food developed by our Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. The biscuits are still being made in the kitchen and will only be avable untilter on.¡°

    Jiang Qi couldn¡¯t help gasped in admiration, ¡°Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a JunwangJiejie?older sister is really good. She can evene up with so many different kinds of foods.¡± There had already been juices and egg tarts been served, and next would be biscuits. She didn¡¯t know what other good things woulde out of the kitchenter on.

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t wait to eat as she took one and nibbled at it lightly. It was soft, crispy and also rich with milk and egg fragrance. It was sweet but not greasy. After eating one, she happily eximed, ¡°This really delicious.¡±

    After eating and drinking, Jiang Qi¡¯s fighting spirit became stronger. While Yuxi repressed the strange feeling that suddenly appeared in her heart. This time, she stopped being clumsy and showed her true ability to fight Jiang Qi.

    Since Yuxi had decided to win, it would be much better if she could win beautifully, so she yed really hard and in the end, Jiang Qi lost quite badly.

    After three games, three wins and loses, it had already passed half a sichen11hour. This showed how short they had yed chess against each other. Of course, this had something to do with Jiang Qi¡¯s attitude in making quick decisions in chess.

    Yuxi never cared about Jiang Qi¡¯s changeable colourful face, as she said, ¡°You have let me win12said politely after winning a game.¡± Then she ran to watch Yuchen¡¯s game against Yu Xiyu.

    In chess, Yuxi¡¯s skill was much higher than Yuchen. Therefore, she soon saw that Yuchen was outwardly strong but inwardly weak13Chinese idiom : strong in appearance but actually weak. Sure enough, before a quarter of an hour, Yuchen was finally defeated.

    At this time, the maid of Gongzhu1?Princess/Princess of the First Rank residence brought out a te of fruits. Each of these fruits had their own characteristics. For example, in the middle of the te beside Yuxi, there were slices of oranges, bananas were put under the oranges, cherries between the oranges and kiwi fruit was put in the periphery. If modern people saw these, they would surely recognise it. To them, this dish was called fruit tter.

    Yuxi smiled and remarked, ¡°Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang has a really exquisite heart. She can even think of all these patterns. I really can¡¯t help but admire them.¡±

    Up until now, Yuxi still didn¡¯t clearly know why Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was being hostile towards her. Personally, she felt that this animosity was really stupid. If she guessed correctly, Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangwas likely to be in the same situation as her. Yuxi felt really grateful to Momo1?wet nurseQuan now. In order to make her reach the point where she would still remained calm even when Mount Tai copsed in front of her, Momo1?wet nurseQuan had spent a lot of effort to train her all those years. Otherwise, she would have been exposed much earlier.

    For Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangto steal other people¡¯s creativity, Yuxi didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. Just because she did not dare to use it, didn¡¯t mean others would not use it.

    When Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang saw Yuxi praising her sincerely, the corners of her mouth revealed a smiling expression, ¡°It just that I¡¯ve nothing to do on weekdays. So I spend my time figuring these dishes out.¡± She suspected that Yuxi was also reborn like her. However, Yuxi¡¯s performance today made her hesitant with her im. For Yuxi to not even know thesemon things, how could she be the same like her! However, just to be saved, she decided to carefully observe her once more.

    Jiang Qi whispered a few words in Yu Xiyu¡¯s ear, then looked up at Yuxi and said, ¡°Yuxi Jiejie?older sister, my cousin said she wants to y chess with you. What does Yuxi Jiejie?older sisterthinks?¡± Jiang Qi¡¯s mother, Yu Shi, was Yu Xiyu¡¯s aunt. Of course, Yu Shi was born from a concubine, not from the main wife. Otherwise, she would not have married as a second wife to a widow.

    Yuxi decided to refuse, ¡°My chess skill is mediocre and I don¡¯t dare to follow behind my sister.¡± This was the same as disguising herself by admitting defeat early.

    Yu Xiyu said, ¡°If you can win against my biaomei1?younger female cousin three sets in a row, you are already qualified to y against me.¡± She knew quite well of Jiang Qi¡¯s chess skills. For Han Yuxi to win against Jiang Qi three times in a row was enough to show that the Fourth Miss of the Han family was actually very good in chess.

    Yuxi felt ufortable when she heard her words. What was this about her been qualified to y with this Yu Xiyu? She just didn¡¯t want topete with others at all. This was no different than driving a duck onto a perch1?Chinese idiom : to push somebody to do something entirely beyond their capability.

    Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°Yuxi, your chess skill is kind of good, though I believe, you have no chance to win against Yu Jiejie?older sister.¡± Yuxi was not good in showing how talented her was. With this push, she believed that Yuxi would not be able to hide how talented she was anymore after this.

    When Yuxi heard Yuchen¡¯s words, she knew there was no way out. Urgh, she didn¡¯t know whether to thank Yuchen for her kindness or med her for being too troublesome.

 Chapter 90 - Probing (3)

    <strong>Chapter 90 : Probing (3)</strong>

    Before ying chess, Yu Xiyu smiled and said, ¡°Fourth Miss, you move first.¡± Han Yuxi¡¯s chess skill was higher than Yuchen¡¯s, as a result, she would have not propose these few words.

    Yuxi did not know the depth of Yu Xiyu¡¯s chess skills. What she saw just now did not represent Yu Xiyu¡¯s actual level. Yuxi nodded without thinking and said, ¡°Okay, but before ying chess, I have to inform Yu Jiejie1elder sisterone thing. I¡¯m fairly slow when ying chess.¡± Topete with a master like Yu Xiyu, it was going to take time if she wanted to win.

    ¡°How slow will you be ying?¡± asked Qingxia2qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu3Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangcuriously. ¡°It will not be as slow as when you were drawing, right?¡°

    Yuxi didn¡¯t expect that her slow painting made Qingxia2qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu3Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwang, remembered it in her heart, ¡°This time it may not be that long, but currently I still don¡¯t know.¡±

    Qingxia2qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu3Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangsaid with great interest, ¡°Then, I will like to see how slow you are at ying chess.¡± She liked poetry and was not that proficient in chess. However, ces like wangfu?pce of a wang (king/prince)also dabbled in qin, chess, calligraphy and painting.

    Jiang Qi was bewildered as she stated, ¡°You did not y very quick just now.¡±

    Yuxi just smiled, but she didn¡¯t reply. Naturally, it would be quite different when ying chess with a master like Yu Xiyu.

    After looking at the match for less than half an hour, Qingxia2qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu3Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangwent and looked for Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangtoin, ¡°Biaojie?Elder female cousin, Han Yuxi ys as slow as a snail. For her to take one move, was the same length of time as others making three or four moves. Don¡¯t you know, I almost fell asleep.¡° This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    ¡°Everyone ys chess in one¡¯s own way,¡± she responded with a smile. ¡°If you are impatient, find someone else to talk to.¡°

    Homemade Kebab

    Image Credit : ÁÖ±ù¶ù via Meishi

    Qingxia2qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu3Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangshook her head. All the girls who came to the banquet wanted toe up to her when she showed up, which made her felt very impatient. She asked, ¡°Biaojie?Elder female cousin,st time you said you wanted to make a kebab. We have been waiting for it for half a day.¡°

    Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangjokingly said, ¡°On such a hot day, you¡¯re asking me to send the barbecue kebab to the table. Who dares to eat it?¡± Delivering something that no one dared to eat meant that the owner didn¡¯t fully consider it.

    Qingxia2qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu3Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangfelt quite regretful.

    Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangthen said, ¡°Wait for another two or three months, when the weather turns colder, then you can do whatever you want. Even if you eat a whole roasted sheep, I won¡¯t stop you.¡°

    After talking for a while, Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangwent to entertain the guests again. Since Qingxia2qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu3Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangdidn¡¯t want to see those ttering faces, she went back to the pavilion, while feeling bored.

    The game took nearly a shichen?one of the 12 two-hour periods of the day = 2 hoursto finish. The result of the game was a draw. Yuxi was very satisfied with the result.

    Qingxia Junzhu could not help but exim, ¡°At longst, the game finally over. If it¡¯s not over, we won¡¯t be able to catch up with lunch.¡± Thest time when Yuxi drew a picture, it took her ages just to draw a peony. Now, she also took a long time to y chess. This Han Yuxi did everything so slowly. Fortunately, she was not her sister, otherwise she would have gotten sick for just being too anxious.

    Yuxi¡¯s face instantly turned red like an apple.

    Yu Xiyu smiled and responded, ¡°ying chess is a time-consuming matter. Miss Yuxi has excellent chess skills. If it wasn¡¯t for the time to be so limited, I would have liked to y another set with you.¡°

    Yuxi¡¯s cold sweat had alle out and she was almost exhausted to y for the next set. Though, ying for one more set would not kill her, ¡°Yu Jiejie1elder sisteris over praising me. I was just lucky.¡±

    Yuchen did not quite agree with Yuxi. Yuxi was four years younger than Xiyu and had a lot more room for improvement. With suchparison, it could be said that Yu Xiyu¡¯s skill was far inferior than Yuxi.

    Jiang Qi said, ¡°Yuxi Jiejie1elder sister, you are really good. Isn¡¯t this the first time someone has a draw with my Biaojie?Elder female cousin?¡± After saying that, she inadvertently nced at Yuchen. She knew that Han Yuchen was Teacher Song¡¯sst disciple, and yet she didn¡¯t expect that Fourth Miss Han, who was without fame nor reputation would be so impressive.

    Yuxi¡¯s eyebrows jumped. Jiang Qi was trying to stir up trouble in her rtionship with Yuchen. Although she didn¡¯t know what her purpose was, she couldn¡¯t let Jiang Qi seed. ¡°Jiang Meimei?younger sisteris jesting. As the saying goes, there is a space outside the sky, there are people who are better than other people1?Chinese saying : in the wider world there are people more talented than oneself. In front of those truly chess masters, I am still not good enough with just this level.¡° Her words were sincere, and not at all belittled anyone. The women in their boudoir yed chess just for fun, and they didn¡¯t really spend a lot of energy to study it, so their level was limited. Let alone meeting a chess master, even meeting those yers who dedicated their life studying chess would be iparable.

    When Yu Xiyu heard this, she viewed Yuxi in a new, more favourable light11Chinese idiom : regard somebody with special respect. Not only she was modest, furthermore, she also had this steadiness. Yu Xiyu smiled and asked, ¡°I heard that Miss Yuxi is also proficient in painting skill?¡±

    Yuxi quickly shook her head and replied, ¡°I dare not say I am proficient. I have only studied it for two years, which is far worse than my San12three/thirdJie13Elder Sister. Thest time I painted was at Marquis Taining residence which had personally been seen by Junzhu3Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwang and Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang.¡°

    Qingxia2qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu3Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwanghad never seen Yuchen¡¯s paintings, but she knew the artistic standard of Yuxi¡¯s skill. ¡°Miss Yuxi¡¯s painting is not bad.¡± This was a pretty good appraisaling from her.

    When Jiang Qi looked at Yuxi¡¯s smiling expression, she could not help but ask, ¡°Apart from painting and chess, what else does Yuxi Jiejie1elder sistergood at?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I only have superficial knowledge of chess and painting, so I¡¯m still not good at it. As for the rest, I didn¡¯t learn. ¡°

    Qingxia2qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu3Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangwas somewhat curious, ¡°Then, what do you usually do on ordinary days?¡±

    Yuxi did not want to think too much about it, so she just answered, ¡°I usually y chess and do some embroidery. Sometimes, San12three/thirdJie13Elder Sisterand I will have a chat together. Actually, the only thing I¡¯m good enough is chess, while I¡¯m not very good in others. Unlike my San12three/thirdJie13Elder Sisterwho is very good everything she learns. ¡° She did not forget to publicise Yuchen all the time.

    Qingxia2qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu3Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangfelt such a life was very boring. She had amon topic only with Yuchen who usually yed qin andposing poems. In these regards, she was somewhat lukewarm to Yuxi.

    A maid walked in and announced that the feast had been served.

    On this day, Yuxi was very honored to have a meal at the same table as Qingxia2qing = green grass, xia = rosy cloudsJunzhu3Princess of the Third Rank / usually given to daughter of a Qingwangand Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. Looking at the graceful movements of a few people, Yuxi was d that she had learned rules and etiquette well, otherwise she would have lost her face.

    After lunch, those who joined the banquet were ready to return home.

    When Yuchen and Yuxi arrived at the entrance gate of Gongzhu1?Princess/Princess of the First Rankresidence, they got off the small painted chariot to change into their own carriage. At this time, a young man walked in through the entrance gate.

    Yuxi¡¯s heart trembled when she saw that person, but she quickly adjusted her reaction as she knew that this person would not have appeared here for no reason. Too many coincidences were not coincidences. Thinking of what had happened just now, she guessed that this must have been arranged by Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangagain. The purpose was to test her. She had performed very well so far, so this time, she didn¡¯t want to reveal any w. She deliberately turned her head and asked Yuchen, ¡°San12three/thirdJie13Elder Sister, do you think that young man is very good looking?¡±

    Yuchen looked at the direction in which Yuxi¡¯s finger was pointing and saw a young man. The young man was wearing a honey colored brocade robe. The robe was made from Shu brocade, the finest tribute produced by the Weaving Bureau. Although the young man¡¯s appearance wasn¡¯t bright, nevertheless he still had bright eyes and graceful eyebrows1?Chinese idiom : have handsome and refined featuresand also clearly elegant.

    Jiang Hongjin felt that someone was looking at him. When he looked back, and saw her, his brain immediately went nk and he suddenly had no ability to think.

    Yuxi looked at Jiang Hongjin who was in a daze and squeezed her hands hard till she could feel her fingernails shredded into her meat. With the pain, she tried to stimte herself to keep calm. She also did not dare to behave too much. In addition, there was also a maid arranged by Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangto be by her side. She secretly took a deep breath and then perked up her smiling expression as she asked, ¡°San12three/thirdJie13Elder Sister, didn¡¯t the young man just be muddled headed when he saw you?¡±

    Yuchen frowned,pletely ignoring the young man who was watching her and stepped on the stool to get into the carriage. Soon afterwards, Yuxi also climbed into the carriage.

    It was not until after they had left that Jiang Hongjin returned to his senses. He immediately instructed the page beside him, ¡°Go and find out which family young miss is that girl?¡±

    When the page saw Yuchen just now, he also felt that she was like a fairy descended into the world. It was only natural that her master took a liking to that girl, ¡°Yes, this little one will go asking.¡±

    As soon as Yuxi got into the carriage, she leaned against the wall of the carriage and closed her eyes.

    Yuchen noticed that Yuxi was somewhat pale looking, and her expression seemed very unsightly. She anxiously asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you not feeling well?¡°

    Yuxi answered weakly, ¡°It took too much of my thinking when I yed chess with the Yu family young miss just now. I will be fine after some rest.¡± Since there were only her and Yuchen in the carriage with their two respective confidants, she didn¡¯t worry about the news being leaked. Moreover, she couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. The impact was too great. She could only endure till she got into the carriage. She had reached her limits.

    Speaking of ying chess, Yuchen actuallyughed, ¡°I didn¡¯t know my Si1?four/fourthMeimei?younger sister was so good at ying chess. When you y chess with me next time, can you leave me some leeway?¡°

    Yuxi grimaced as she responded, ¡°San12three/thirdJie13Elder Sister, I better not. It¡¯s too exhausting to y chess like this. I nearly copsed after ying chess just now. If I wasn¡¯t afraid of losing etiquette, I would lie down on the spot.¡°

    Seeing that Yuxi was really ufortable, Yuchen hastily said, ¡°Then don¡¯t talk too much. You should take a nap first to maintain yourposure. When you go back, ask the kitchen to make some delicious supplements for you.¡°

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± After that, she closed her eyes. She didn¡¯t sleep either, just thinking about what had happened today. Regarding Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangprobing her, as she pondered from the beginning till the end, she was pretty sure that she had not exposed any big w. Fortunately, Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangonly let the maid and the old woman servant observed her from nearby. If she always had Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangby her side, she would not be able to avoid it anymore.

    After Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangsent off all the guests, she asked for the maid who had sent Yuxi off. She asked, ¡°Was there any difference on Han Yuxi, the Fourth Miss of the Han family, when she saw the Second Young Master of the Jiang family?¡± The chance meeting at the gate was arranged by her to test Yuxi.

    The maid shook her head and answered, ¡°There was nothing unusual happened. The Fourth Miss alsomented on Second Young Master of the Jiang family with great interest. Though Second Young Master of the Jiang family was staring nkly at Third Han Miss.¡°

    Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s attention suddenly shifted. With the corners of her mouth revealing a smiling expression, she asked, ¡°Are you sure you weren¡¯t mistaken?¡±

    The maid firmly said, ¡°Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, this handmaiden is unlikely to be mistaken. After the two Misses of the Han family left, the servant of the Second Young Master of the Jiang family had immediately asked for information from the people of our house.¡°

    Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangseemed to be lost in her thoughts. After sometime, she gave out a smallugh thenmented, ¡°Interesting.¡± It was interesting that Jiang Hongjin had taken a fancy to Yuchen after staring at her in awe, but in the end, he married Fourth Han Miss.

    As they returned to the Duke of the State residence, Yuchen looked at Yuxi, who was still looking tired, and said, ¡°Si1?four/fourthMeimei?younger sister, you go back to sleep first. I will exin to Eldest Aunt and Grandmother.¡±

    Yuxi did not try to be brave either, as she immediately returned to Rose Courtyard.

    After waiting for Yuxi to leave, Shiqin whispered, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s just a game of chess. How can Fourth Miss looked like she had fought a hard battle?¡± Her master also yed a game of chess. Although she was also a little tired, but she wasn¡¯t as exaggerated as Fourth Miss.

    Yuchen also felt a little strange, but she didn¡¯t think much of it, ¡°My uncle had sent some supplements to me the other day. Picked some and send them to my Si1?four/fourthMeimei?younger sister.¡± The other day, Marquis Pingqing had send Yuchen bird¡¯s nest, velvet antler, mountain ginseng, donkey-hide gtin, caterpir fungus and other supplements.

    Shiqin didn¡¯t dare to have any objection. Although Yuchen was usually amodating, but once shemanded you, it showed that there was no room for discussion.

    Yuchen thought for a moment and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll pick out the things and you can deliver them for me.¡± She had never been a stingy master. She had received a lot of good things over the years and she never forgot to give a portion to Yuxi.

 Chapter 91 - Probing (4)

    <strong>Chapter 91 : Probing (4)</strong>

    As soon as she returned to Rose Courtyard, Yuxi immediately waved back all the maids around her and stayed alone in her study. Just now, she was forced to suppress herself, but since there was no one in the room right now, there was no need for her to pretend anymore.

    A graphite. It¡¯s usually used in pencil lead. All this time, I thought pencil lead was made of charcoal. I feel like an idiot.

    Image Source | GOKLuLe ±R˜· (Ê¯Ä«) via Wiki

    Yuxi took a deep breath, then poured a bit of water into the inkstone. Afterwards, she picked up a graphite and ground it slowly inside the inkstone. After she had done grinding, she dipped the brush into the ink and quietly wrote down an enormous character.

    Unfortunately, this time, Yuxi was doomed to fail. She could not calm herself down. As long as she thought of the way Jiang Hongjin looked at Yuchen, she really couldn¡¯t calm down.

    Longan Red Jujube and Wolfberry Tea

    For the recipe of the tea, please head up to Thermos Singapore.

    Image Source | Thermos Singapore

    Kufu announced from outside, ¡°Miss, the tea is ready.¡± Yuxi didn¡¯t drink green tea, so she was usually given longan red jujube and wolfberry tea.

    Yuxi took a deep breath and then lightly said, ¡°Come in!¡±

    Although Kufu had personally served Yuxi for two years, she had been working in Rose Courtyard for five years. Although her Master looked calm, she could see that Yuxi was actually really angry. She carefully asked, ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± Did she suffered grievances while in Gongzhu1Princess / Princess of the First Rank residence?

    Yuxi didn¡¯t want to talk so she said, ¡°You should withdraw. I want to be alone.¡±

    Kufu couldn¡¯t set her mind at rest but she didn¡¯t dare to disobey Yuxi, so she could only withdraw. When she reached the door and looked back, she saw Yuxi¡¯s expression looking so gloomy. Her mind must have been in a poor state, thought Kufu. With just three steps, then two steps, Kufu finally went out. However, she also didn¡¯t dare to go far away, so she just waited at the door. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    ¡®Bang¡­¡­¡¯ After this burst of noise, the room quieted down again.

    Kufu¡¯s heart was about to jump out but she still had the courage to ask, ¡°What¡¯s happened, Miss?¡± It never left her mind that Yuxi also had quite prestigious title, otherwise she would have just rushed in.

    Just now, Yuxi was unable to restrain the built up anger in her heart that she had smashed the cup onto the ground. This act of her had also restored her sanity. ¡°Come in.¡±

    Kufu watched as the tea flowed down on the wall, which was stained with some of the wolfberries. While on the ground, there was a pile of broken teacup. She was somewhat at her wits end. She had served Miss for several years, but this was the first time she had seen Miss smashed things. She also didn¡¯t know how much grievances her Miss had suffered in the Gongzhu1Princess / Princess of the First Rank residence, which managed to make her became this angry.

    Yuxi¡¯s face had a chilly expression as she instructed, ¡°Get all those clean up. If someone askter, you will say that I was not being careful and identally broke the cup.¡°

    Kufu did not dare to say much. She could only bow her head as her respond, then swept the debris clean and prepared to take it out for disposal.

    Yuxi then warned, ¡°Don¡¯t say a word to anyone about today.¡± She didn¡¯t want her abnormality to be known.

    Kufu hastily nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss, I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Originally, she wanted to wait for next time to inquire about what kind of injustice that her Master received while in Gongzhu1Princess / Princess of the First Rank residence, but after hearing Yuxi¡¯s words, she gave up this idea.

    Yuxi waved Kufu to retreat and then said to herself, ¡°If Momo2wet nurse was here, she would definitely say that I had been acting impatient again.¡± At this time, she missed Momo2wet nurse Quan so much. If Momo2wet nurse Quan was around, she wouldn¡¯t be so helpless. It was a pity that Momo2wet nurse Quan insisted on returning to her hometown to provide for the aged. Whatever she said to make her stay couldn¡¯t even move Momo2wet nurse Quan.

    When Zisu returned from outside, she heard Yuxi identally broke a cup. Her heart suddenly jumped. Her Miss¡¯ conduct had continuously been steady and she had never been an impatient kind of person. In addition, her Master cherished things she had on hand very much. More importantly, the room was covered with thick carpets. How could the cup be broken easily? Zisu found Kufu and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong Miss today?¡±

    Kufu who was frigid after being snapped by Yuxi, identally fell on the quilt. ¡°Zisu Jiejie3elder sister, Miss had been really careless. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Miss yourself.¡±

    Zisu was not quite convinced.

    Yuxi came out of the study, saw Kufu and asked, ¡°Has the water been heated up?¡± She just came back and she did say that she wanted to take a bath.

    Kufu hastily nodded, ¡°The water has been heated up. I¡¯ll have someone to bring the water to the clean room.¡± Seeing Miss¡¯ calm expression, she really felt that the scene just now was only her illusion.

    After Yuxi had her bath and changed her clothes, she climbed into bed and tried to sleep.

    Yuxi was lying in bed thinking about things, especially about things that happened in her previous life. After Jiang Hongjin attained the title of zhuangyuan?Number One Schr (title conferred on the one who came first in the highest imperial examination) in his previous life, he came to her home and asked her to marry him. At that time, someone told her that Hongjin married her in order to have a rtionship with the 10?? prince. No matter what, she was also the younger sister of 10?? Prince¡¯s wife. Marrying her was the same as bing a brother-inw to the 10?? Prince, whom he could relyter on.

    In fact, it happened just like that. After Jiang Hongjin married her, he went and sought refuge with the 10?? Prince. In the end, he became the most favourable assistant of the 10?? prince.

    Thinking of Jiang Hongjin¡¯s infatuated look at Yuchen just now, she had a vague guess in her heart that he might had married her not because of the 10?? Prince but because of Yuchen. If her guess was right, he destroyed her whole life because of his infatuation, and finally left her dead. Thinking till here, both of Yuxi¡¯s hands tightly squeezed the brocade quilt. As a result, the brocade quilt had changed its shape.

    At this time, Yuxi heard someoneing. The Rose Courtyard was too small that if the voice in the yard was talked a little louder, she could hear it clearly even from her bedroom.

    Shiqin came over to send some supplements, when she heard that Yuxi had already asleep and she had to talk in a small voice. She also didn¡¯t stay for too long as she put down the things she brought and only said a few words, then she went back. After she went there for a moment, she told Yuchen about Yuxi had went to sleep, ¡°Fourth Miss may have been really tired. She went back to Rose Courtyard, washed herself and went to sleep.¡±

    Yuchen smiled, ¡°Do you still think she is pretending?¡± If Yuxi was pretending, how could she have not seen it?

    Shiqin shook her head and said, ¡°No, I¡¯m just feeling it was a little strange. Fourth Miss also yed with Miss on ordinary days, but nothing like this ever happened to her. Why did she be so tired this time around?¡°

    The smile on Yuchen¡¯s face faded, ¡°How can this be the same? Yuxi usually ys chess with me just for fun. Today, she had given her best.¡°

    Shiqin still didn¡¯t quite understand.

    When Kufu heard Yuxi calling for her, she told a young maid to go and fetched some water. She went up to Yuxi and tidied up her clothes, ¡°Miss, when Miss was asleep just now, the Old Madam sent someone to inform that you should go to the main room when you wake up.¡± The Old Madam and Qiu Shi were worried when they heard that Yuxi had fallen ill, so they specially sent someone to inquire.

    Yuxi gave out an ¡®en¡¯ and asked, ¡°Have you made the dinner yet?¡±

    Kufu shook her head and exined, ¡°No, the Old Madam asked Miss to go to the main room for dinner.¡± Seeing that there was no fluctuation on Yuxi¡¯s face, she continued, ¡°Just now, the Third Miss sent supplements such as donkey-hide gtin and mountain ginseng.¡±

    Yuxi softly instructed, ¡°Register them for storage.¡± Although medicine supplement was not as good as a food supplement, asionally taking some of those supplements would also brought a great benefit to the body. Taking advantage of Yuchen¡¯s benefits, Yuxi had also eaten a lot of good things over the years.

    Maidong took out a set of red clothes, while Zisu took the jewelry box.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°The color is too deep. Bring me the gold weave?gold is pressed into foil, then cut into thread-like pieces to be twisted into threads and then woven on looms brocade dress with royal blue embroidered peony. I¡¯ll wear that one. Also, put back all the jewellery, except for the two pearl flowers hairpin. I don¡¯t need to be too dressed up when at home.¡°

    Zisu eximed, ¡°Miss, that dress is new. You should wear it when you go out for a visit next time!¡± Qiu Shi had made two sets of new clothes for Yuxi before. Yuxi had wore one today for the banquet and the other was this royal blue embroidered peony dress.

    Yuxi carelessly said, ¡°The clothes are made for me to wear. Next time, when I want to go out, new clothes will be made again. Furthermore, there are still a lot of nice fabric materials in the storehouse.¡° Herplexion didn¡¯t look so good, so if she wore a dark color, she would look even worse. She didn¡¯t want to let the Old Madam and Wu Shi saw her without spirit. Of course, these words were only told to the maids around her. As for her real thoughts, only her alone knew.

    After Yuxi went out, Maidong made her bed. However, when she looked at the crumpled and out of shape brocade quilt, she was very surprised. How much effort would it take for this brocade quilt to crumple like this! Miss, what the hell is going on? Her Miss sure had a big temper.

    In the main room, the Old Madam looked at Yuxi and nodded, ¡°Yourplexion is looking good. Your San Jie ?San=three/third, Jie=elder sister, short form for jiejie told me about what happened today. You had done a good job.¡° For Yuxi to be able to gain a draw with Yu Xiyu, who was the most talented and skillful in the capital, was enough to show that Yuxi¡¯s chess skills were extraordinary.

    Yuxi never showed off in an ostentatious manner in front of the Old Madam. To be exact, she had always been very modest and never gloat because of her good performance.

    Old Madam was very satisfied with the fact that Yuxi was not acting arrogant and impetuous.

    Cuiyu came in and announced, ¡°Old Madam, Third Miss and Fourth Miss, dinner is ready and it is ready to eat.¡±

    Yuxi went to the dining hall with the Old Madam and saw Wu Shi putting up bowls and chopsticks. Her eyes blinked. She didn¡¯t think that one day, she would be able to let Wu Shi served her. Although it was because of the Old Madam¡¯s benefits, but it still able to make her heart let off its steam. Of course, it was one thing to be happy in her heart, but she couldn¡¯t show it on her face. On the contrary, she still needed to take the initiative to help.

    Old Madam was not going to let Wu Shi served the two junior members of the family. She waved at Wu Shi and said, ¡°You withdraw first!¡±

    Wu Shi¡¯s face was covered with dark clouds as she calmly walked out of the dining hall. It was supposed to be junior members of the family job to serve their elders, but when it came to her, each one of them had to drop it off.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t eat much lunch at Gongzhu1Princess / Princess of the First Rank residence and she had also used too much of her brain. She had already be quite hungry. Despite that, she did not dare to eat more when she was at the main room. She only ate till she was seventy percent full.

    After the group had finished eating and they came out, Yuxi saw Wu Shi standing outside, waiting. She gave out a respectful greeting, ¡°Mother.¡± Yuxi¡¯s and Yuchen¡¯s etiquettes were absolutely couldn¡¯t be nitpick.

    Hate filled Wu Shi¡¯s heart again, but she also didn¡¯t dare to show it in front of the Old Madam. In the past, when Wu Shi heard others said that being a stepmother was difficult, she just scoffed it off. Now that she really had be one, she finally knew that it was indeed a tough job.

    When Yuxi watched Wu Shi behave like a kitten in front of the Old Madam, her heart was filled with admiration. Even Old Madam¡¯s method had not been able to make Wu Shi learned her lesson.

    The Old Madam naturally saw the unwillingness in Wu Shi¡¯s eye. She won¡¯t say anything on her face, but her heart was increasingly disappointed.

    Yuxi and Yuchen apanied the Old Madam for a walk in the yard to help digestion. Yuchen talked to the Old Madam in a low voice and from time to time, she would ask for Yuxi¡¯s opinion. Wasn¡¯t this like setting a stage for Yuxi?

    Less than half an hourter, the Old Madam finally released them, ¡°You two can return to your yard!¡± Yuchen had been busy every day, and Yuxi was also not idle, so she didn¡¯t want to waste more of their time.

    Mama Luo sent the two out of the courtyard. When she returned, she told the Old Madam, ¡°Fourth Miss didn¡¯t directly go back to Rose Courtyard. She went in the direction of the main courtyard.¡±

    Old Madam used to think that Yuxi was a cold-hearted person, so she was quite wary of Yuxi. But over the past few years, watching Yuxi showed filial piety towards Qiu Shi like she was her own mother, she finally released the vignce she had in her heart.

 Chapter 92 - For What Reason Did She Live For

    <strong>Chapter 92 : For What Reason Did She Live For</strong>

    It was gettingte and Wu Shi was still in the main room. So Mama Luo reminded the Old Madam, ¡°Old Madam, it¡¯s gettingte. It¡¯s about time for you to let Third Madam go back.¡±

    Old Madam impatiently said, ¡°Then, let her go back!¡± When Wu Shi served her today, she had made her became furious again.

    Mama Luo tactfully persuaded, ¡°Old Madam, Third Madam does not understand your painstaking efforts right now, but she will understand one day.¡± She knew that the Old Madam did all this not to harass Wu Shi, but to hone her.

    With a headache, Old Madam said, ¡°I don¡¯t expect her to understand my painstaking efforts, but I just hope she doesn¡¯t use her status as an elder to hold down the two girls while believing herself to be infallible1Chinese idiom : consider oneself (always) in the right. Fortunately, Yuchen is still fine as she still can take the overall situation into consideration. She also won¡¯t fuss over some small matters. But Fourth Girl¡¯s temper, where will she let herself suffers some losses. If Wu Shi provokes her again, who knows what else will happen?¡° Just like what happenedst time when Wu Shi hit her, and Yuxi had made a scene from it. This had made the whole residence knew that Wu Shi had abused her, causing her reputation to be heavily discredited. It happened that Yuxi was still a victim in this case. Not only the Old Madam couldn¡¯t punish her, she had to appease her too.

    Mama Luo incredulously said, ¡°Third Madam is not so dim, is she?¡± Third Madam couldn¡¯t even deal with Fourth Miss. If she provoked Third Miss too, one wouldn¡¯t know how the Third Madam had died.

    Old Madam sighed, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that there is no regret medicine in this world. If I had known that Wu Shi will be like this, back in those days, I would have asked Yan-er2used as endearment to just send the children back to the capital in any way.¡° When she wrote to Han Jingyan to send the children back to the capital, Wu Shi was unwilling, so she hardly insist at that time. As a result, none of the three children were actually turned out good now. Yurong was a girl, and she would be married to someone else¡¯s family in the future, so for her, it almost didn¡¯t matter in all aspects, but for the two legitimate grandsons¡­she only had a headache when she thought of their current performances. This was the result of mistakes in Wu Shi¡¯s way of upbringing them.

    As Mama Luo heard these words, she knew that Old Madam was dissatisfied with Wu Shi¡¯s two sons. However, what had done, had already been done. It was no use to regret it now. At present, she could only persuade, ¡°Old Madam, children have a destiny that is not necessarily shared by their parents3Chinese proverbs : children need to live their own lives. Besides, Eldest Branch of this family has a bright future, so it doesn¡¯t matter if the Third Branch is a little bit different.¡°

    Old Madam Han gave out a wry smile. When did the Eldest Branch have a bright future? Jianming was still pretty good. Jianye was also still good as long as he didn¡¯t be a hindrance on somebody. Still, those two were her only hope for the bright future of the family.

    Without mentioning Old Madam Han¡¯s worries, Yuxi went to the main courtyard and told Qiu Shi¡¯s about what had happened in today¡¯s banquet. After she was done telling her this, she said, ¡°Aunt, when I looked at Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s attitude today, she had treated us no different than other people. I think I might have been oversensitivest time.¡± The truth could not be told to anyone, even to Qiu Shi.

    Qiu Shi pondered for a moment and then said, ¡°It is better to be careful when you go outter on. By the way, you should have less contact with that Jiang girl in the future. It¡¯s not good to be thatpetitive at a young age.¡° Since she couldn¡¯t always be by Yuxi¡¯s side, she would lend her hand in reminding her instead. She wasn¡¯t afraid to say those words even when she started to blush.

    Naturally, it would be unlikely for Yuxi to create a deep friendship with Jiang Qi. ¡°Duan Jiejie?elder sister and Shiya Biaojie?Elder female cousin were also there today, but I had been too busy to properly chat with them.¡± She had been with Junzhu most of the time today, so Duan Xinrong and Zhou Shiya didn¡¯t feel good enough toe forward and caught up with her.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t mind about the matter that much as she said, ¡°There are plenty of opportunities for you to speak with themter on.¡±

    Yuxi apanied Qiu Shi as they chatted for a long time. Atst, when Qiu Shi noticed that the day had gotten dark, she let Yuxi returned to her own yard.

    That night, Yuxi kept on tossing and turning in her bed, unable to fall asleep. She simply asked for Zisu toe over and had a talk with her.

    Zisu felt that Yuxi was acting quite strange earlier today, but she didn¡¯t know when would it be appropriate to properly asked her. Now that Yuxi had personally looked for her to talk, she took this chance to ask, ¡°Miss, did something happen today?¡±

    Yuxi replied, ¡°Nothing happened.¡± After a short pause, she asked, ¡°Zisu, why do you think people live?¡±

    All of sudden, Zisu¡¯s throat got choked as this question was too deep for her to answer. After thinking for a moment, she bluntly replied, ¡°Miss, why do people need so many reasons just to live? If you are alive, then you are alive. Do you think it is okay to think about dying instead?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and exined, ¡°It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t think it makes any sense just to live like this.¡± In herst life, she lived for her life, even though she lived with no dignity and suffered humiliation, she never wanted to die. But in this life, she didn¡¯t want to live in such a muddleheaded way anymore. In this life, she would live for herself and lived wonderfully, so she would not have any regrets. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Upon seeing this, Zisu became more anxious, as she asked, ¡°Miss, is there something wrong with you? If there¡¯s anything in your heart, don¡¯t hold it back. Just by holding it in one¡¯s heart, it will only bring harm to oneself.¡° This Miss in her household had something that she held back deep in her heart and she didn¡¯t want to tell anyone about them. This was really not good. Having too many things restrained in one¡¯s heart, would likely to bring problems to oneself.

    Yuxi smiled and responded, ¡°What can you do for me? Don¡¯t think about it. I slept too much during the day,so you go get my medical book. Just by looking at it, l will surely fall asleep!¡° If she tried to force herself to sleep like this, she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep until dawn. Reading medical book was the best way to hypnotize people. When she read medical books, she could fall asleep in a few minutes. It was no exception today. Yuxi, who had put down her worries, fell asleep soon after looking at the medical books.

    Since Yuxi slept tootest night, she overslept the next day. Zisu and Kufu both wished Yuxi would sleep more and were unwilling to wake her up. As a result, when Yuxi finally woke up, the sun was already three poles high?Chinese idiom : it was alreadyte in the morning.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t say anything about this matter either. After she had washed and groomed herself up, she went to her study, then handed a written letter to Kufu as she instructed, ¡°Ask your father to give this letter to Mama Fang.¡± Kufu¡¯s father was a groom in the state residence, while her mother was the inner courtyard stewardess who was in charge of the maids. Kufu¡¯s mother¡¯s job was provided by Yuxi, in order for her to conveniently find out the news of the residence. The couple also helped Yuxi ran some errands.

    Kufu received the letter and was about to go out when Yuxi felt that this was inappropriate again. She stopped Kufu and said, ¡°Give me back the letter and you can go out first.¡±

    Kufu could not understand Yuxi¡¯s action, but she still handed back the letter back ording to Yuxi¡¯s words. ¡°Miss, I will be right outside the door. Please let me know if you need anything.¡±

    Yuxi looked at the letter in her hand and thought a lot about it. Finally, she decided not to deliver the letter. Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang might be staring intensely at her now. If she sent people asking for information about Jiang Hongjin now, all her previous efforts would be in vain.

    Yuxi said to herself, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for so many years. It¡¯s not going to be that bad if I just wait for a bit more time.¡± Anyway, there was still time for her to find out the truth. If she went checking about it now, in case it was exposed, it would not be pretty once Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had her eyes set on her.

    Yurong was ced under house arrest by the Old Madam for a month and she had finally been released. By this time, the nurturing momo?wet nurse had already been invited.

    Only a day had passed when Yurong cried out bitterly, ¡°Mom, my whole body hurts.¡± Although it hurt, she didn¡¯t dare to say that she would not study nor change her education. She knew that she would receive severe punishment if she dared say so.

    Medicated Wine

    It is a transparent medicated liquid obtained by using wine as a solvent to soak out the effectiveponents of herbs or animals, and they usually use to reinforce body fluid and nourish the blood. Most of these medicated liquors are taken orally, while some are used externally. For more info on medicated wine, you can go visit TCM Wiki.

    Image Credit : TCM Wiki

    Wu Shi looked at Yu Rong¡¯s swollen knee. With her eyes brimming with tears, she took the medicated wine from the old woman servant¡¯s hand and rubbed it gently on the swollen part.

    Yurong gasped in pain, but she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll learn the rules properly from Momo?wet nurse. Once I learn the rules, Grandmother won¡¯t hate me anymore. At that time, she will also not make it difficult for Mom anymore.¡± This huge change in Yurong was hugely Qiu Yanfu¡¯s contribution.

    Wu Shi¡¯s tears swished down, ¡°My Rong-er2used as endearment has grown up and now knows to help Mom gets over difficulties.¡± She would rather have her daughter as carefree and happy as she was in Hebei, than having her child became like this. It was just that, she couldn¡¯t even protect her baby now.

    Old Madam Han soon noticed Wu Shi¡¯s huge changes. She was so surprised that she immediately instructed Mama Luo, ¡°Go and find out what¡¯s going on.¡± She was happy to see Wu Shi got better, but her attitude had just drastically changed in one night. There must be something fishy going on.

    The real person who hold the power in Duke Han of the State residence was Old Madam Han. There was nothing in the inner courtyard that she couldn¡¯t find out about.

    Mama Luo came back soon and told the story roughly, ¡°Old Madam, this old servant has looked at this Miss Qiu quite well. She knew how to persuade Fifth Miss and can also help relieve Third Madam.¡± It was a pity that she didn¡¯t know where did this Miss Qiu got in the way of Fourth Miss¡¯ eyes, as she had been continuously ridiculed by Fourth Miss.

    Old Madam sneered, ¡°Do you think this Qiu Yanfu was really doing this for Yurong and Wu Shi? She did it for herself.¡± If Wu Shi and Yurong have been suppressed, Qiu Yanfu would not be able to appear in public. So when Wu Shi was suppressed by her and Yurong was ced under house arrest, the most anxious one was Qiu Yanfu.

    Mama Luo then stated, ¡°In any case, it is also a good thing that the Fifth Miss and the Third Madam can listen to her persuasion. What do you think, Old Madam?¡±

    The Old Madam nodded slowly, ¡°As long as she doesn¡¯t think of any wicked idea. If she wants to climb into a good marriage with the help of the residence, I will definitely help her. Humph, if she starts to think of any wicked idea¡­¡° She was referring to Qiu Yanfu having an idea on Han Jianye.

    Mama Luo smiled and said, ¡°It was just a chance encounter, how can we take it seriously!¡± She spared no effort in saying good words about Qiu Yanfu as she would receive benefits by doing so.

    Old Madam did not point it out bluntly as she said, ¡°I hope so! Speaking of which, Ye-er2used as endearment is also 16 years old this year. As for Qiu Shi, she has not yet decided anything for him after all these years.¡°

    Mama Luo responded, ¡°Eldest Madam also wants to find a suitable one for Second Young Master. This old servant heard that she had already chosen a candidate. It is estimated that the marriage will settle soon.¡°

    Old Madam did not reply. Han Jianming¡¯s wife, Ye Shi, was chosen by her, so she had no intention of interfering in Han Jianye¡¯s marriage. However, she knew that Qiu Shi had always been filial and would definitely inform her if she had really decided on the candidate.

    Han Jianye¡¯s marriage was not only worrying the Old Madam, but also Qiu Shi herself! She couldn¡¯t help muttering to Yuxi about how hard it was to find a suitable daughter-inw.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°What sort of person does Aunt want to find for Second Brother?¡±

    Qiu Shi answered, ¡°She has to have a good look, good temper and good family background. Furthermore, your Second Brother likes gentle and soft like water kind of girl. If she meets these requirements, then she is the one.¡°

    Yuxi almost knelt down after hearing what her Aunt had said. Weren¡¯t these requirements too demanding? Although Second Brother was the young master of the Duke of the State residence, he was also the second son who wouldn¡¯t inherit the title, plus he didn¡¯t have any merit to his name yet. In addition, he had an immoral father. In fact, he did not have a lot of choices.

    Yuxi considered about it for a moment and then she gave her suggestion, ¡°Eldest Aunt, let¡¯s put off Second Brother¡¯s marriage first till he gains merit to his name. By then, he will have more choices in candidates for his marriage.¡± Although she wanted Han Jianye to settle his marriage earlier, marriage was a life-long event. If he found an undesirable one, he would be miserable all his life.

    Qiu Shi then said, ¡°Let¡¯s take a good look at it first. Marriage is a life-long event which ought to be chosen carefully and cannot be rushed. It¡¯s easy for the marriage to go wrong if we do it in a rush. Bad marriage will only lead to a bad life.¡° She had rashly married Duke of the State back in the day and had experienced unfortunate consequences all her marriage years. That was why she had being extra cautious when it came to her son¡¯s marriage.

    Yuxi was somewhat amused. It was Eldest Aunt who had been worried and irritated all the time, and yet, it was also her who said not to worry too much. She really pitied her Aunt¡¯s loving mother heart, ¡°Well Aunt, take your time and may you find Ersao1?second brother¡¯s wife who satisfies you and also has kindly feelings for Erge11er=second, ge=elder brother, short form of gege.¡±

 Chapter 93 - Birthday (1)

    <strong>Chapter 93 : Birthday (1)</strong>

    After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Jiang Qi sent invitations to Yuchen and Yuxi, inviting them to her birthday banquet.

    After hearing the news, Yuxi looked aghast and then immediately instructed Zisu, ¡°Come with me to Tingyun Pavilion.¡± Since she was invited together with Yuchen, it was natural to ask Yuchen¡¯s opinion first. If Yuchen was willing to go, she would follow, and if Yuchen did not want to go, it would not be fun for her to go there alone.

    Yuxi wanted to go to Jiang family with Yuchen because she wanted to see if Jiang Hongjin was thinking about Yuchen in the same way that she had guessed previously.

    Without even considering the formal invitation from the Jiang family, Yuchen directly said, ¡°We only met with Miss Jiang only once in the Gongzhu1Princess / Princess of the First Rank residence. Our friendship with her is not that deep yet. Let¡¯s just prepare a gift and send it over.¡± There was no need for them to personally go there.

    Yuxi could roughly guess such a result as Yuchen was kind of person who would not ept an invitation without enough weight. Thus, she responded with a smile on her face, ¡°If San Jie2San=Three/third, jie=elder sister, short form of jiejie doesn¡¯t go, then I won¡¯t go either.¡±

    As Yuchen took notice of Yuxi¡¯s current manner, she pondered for a moment and then gave out advice, ¡°That Miss Jiang has a sweet mouth but bitter heart3Chinese idiom : insincere ttery, so you should never try to get close with her.¡± All the words Jiang Qi had said at that time were none other to provoke her close rtionship with Yuxi. Fortunately, her affection towards Yuxi was already deep, and Yuxi was also a broad-minded kind of person. No one could provoke her with just a few words.

    Yuxi opened her mouth and asked, ¡°How did San Jie2San=Three/third, jie=elder sister, short form of jiejie know that Miss Jiang is a sweet mouth but bitter heart3Chinese idiom : insincere ttery kind of person?¡± Yuchen was really awesome. She could even manage to see through Jiang Qi¡¯s actual nature in just one nce.

    Yuchen did not exin it to her but reminded her instead, ¡°You should just remember that you can¡¯t be close with this person.¡±

    Yuxi was wise enough not to continue talking about this topic.

    After Momo?wet nurse Gui sent Yuxi off, she immediately said, ¡°Miss, the young miss of the Jiang family obviously has bad intentions. It¡¯s impossible for Fourth Miss not to see it.¡±

    Yuchen stood up, looked at Momo?wet nurse Gui and asked, ¡°What does Momo?wet nurse want to say?¡±

    Momo?wet nurse Gui didn¡¯t fear Yuchen as she said, ¡°Miss, Fourth Miss is not as kind and harmless as you think she is. Miss, don¡¯t ever be fooled by her appearances.¡°

    Yuchen asked with an indifferent look, ¡°Momo?wet nurse thinks, I am the type of person who can be fooled by others at will?¡±

    Momo?wet nurse Gui suddenly got tongue-tied. ¡°I am saying this for Miss own good.¡±

    When Yuchen heard this statement, she rxed a bit and said, ¡°I know what you are worried about, Momo?wet nurse, but you have been worrying too much. Yuxi may be a schemer, but her heart is right. Even if she is scheming, she has never done anything that will bring harm to others on her own initiative. Over the years, there has been nothing like that. On the contrary, if there are difficulties around her, she will have no problem to stretch her hand.¡° In order to gain a good reputation, Yuxi had helped a lot of maids in the residence.

    In fact, that year when Yuchen became a formal student of Teacher Song, she already knew that Yuxi¡¯s mind was not shallow, but she did not reject Yuxi for it. The reason was very simple. If Yuxi was too virtuous and harmless in this residence, how could she live so well? As long as her heart was right, won¡¯t intentionally harm people, it had nothing to do with her being calcting.

    Momo?wet nurse Gui did not agree with Yuchen, but she herself knew what Yuchen¡¯s bottom line was. Although Yuchen was usually amodating, once she crossed her bottom line, no matter who she was, Yuchen wouldn¡¯t give her any face.

    Meanwhile, Heshou Xianzhu?he = harmonious, shou = long life, Xianzhu = Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had attended the Jiang family banquet. While there, she didn¡¯t see a glimpse of Yuchen nor Yuxi at the banquet, so she asked with a smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t Jiang Meimei?younger sister send invitations to the two Han young misses?¡±

    Jiang Qi¡¯s eyes revealed her disappointment, ¡°They, Han Jiejie?elder sister will note.¡± From the response of the Han family, it was obvious that they did not intend to make a deep acquaintance with her.

    With a smile, Heshou Xianzhu?he = harmonious, shou = long life, Xianzhu = Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang tried to change the subject, ¡°Your Erge?er=two/second, ge=elder brother, short form for gege passed the Qualification Test early this year. Is he currently preparing for the Provincial Examination?¡±

    Jiang Qi shook her head and said, ¡°My father said that Erge?er=two/second, ge=elder brother, short form for gege is too young to take part and he needs to be polished more. I think he will be joining the next Provincial Examination.¡±

    Heshou Xianzhu?he = harmonious, shou = long life, Xianzhu = Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang next asked with a smile on her face, ¡°Then, what about your Dage?Da=eldest/big, ge=elder brother, short form for gege?¡± She had some people inquired the news on the Jiang family afterst banquet. It was at that time that she had learned about Jiang Hongfu, the eldest son of the Jiang family, was not dead. He even properly studied back in his hometown! She clearly remembered that Jiang Hongfu supposed to have an ident when he was nine years old.

    This matter was especially clear to Heshou Xianzhu?he = harmonious, shou = long life, Xianzhu = Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, since Jiang Hongjin was too famous even in herst life, where he became the youngest zhu¨¤ngyu¨¢n1?Number One Schr (title conferred on the one who came first in the highest imperial examination) of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and somehow, not many people knew about his current situation. Unexpectedly, he was still alive even now, which made her feel that this matter was quite strange.

    Heshou Xianzhu?he = harmonious, shou = long life, Xianzhu = Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had done an in-depth investigation and found out that Jiang Hongfu did have an ident several years ago, but he was lucky enough to escape at that time. She did not believe that Jiang Hongfu had such a coincidence. Instinctively, she suspected that it was Yuxi¡¯s handwriting, but since things had gone on for too long, no useful information could be found. This was Yuxi¡¯s luck. Jiang Wenrui also helped clean up the mess of the incident at that time. As for the appearance of the gray clothed man who had was the savior, except for Jiang Hongfu and a few people, others weren¡¯t aware of such person ever exist.

    Jiang Qi¡¯s hand which was holding fruit juice suddenly paused. She then gave out a smile and said, ¡°My Dage?Da=eldest/big, ge=elder brother, short form for gege will have his final examination this year.¡± If she had to say who she hated most, Jiang Hongfu was definitely among them. Five years ago, her father and mother loved each other so much, but ever since her Dage?Da=eldest/big, ge=elder brother, short form for gege went back to his hometown after he had an ident that year, her father had been cold towards her mother and even treated her and her Erge?er=two/second, ge=elder brother, short form for gege indifferently.

    Jiang Qi utterly detested him in her heart. It was clearly an ident, but her Dage?Da=eldest/big, ge=elder brother, short form for gege insisted that it was her mother who wanted to hurt him. This led to the deterioration of the good rtionship between her father and mother. While he just patted his ass and went back to his hometown. Over the years, he had a good time of his life in his hometown, while they were in deep water and scorching fire11Chinese idiom : extreme misery every day in the residence. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Heshou Xianzhu?he = harmonious, shou = long life, Xianzhu = Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang looked at Jiang Qi¡¯s expression and felt that this was kind of interesting. ¡°I heard that your Dage?Da=eldest/big, ge=elder brother, short form for gege has been taught by Elder Shan of Baitan Academy since he was a child. So, why hasn¡¯t he returned to the capital and rather stays in Jiangnan for the past five years?¡±

    Yu Xiyu looked at her biaomei12younger female cousin, who was almost unable to hold up. She smiled and dealt with the question instead, ¡°Qi Meimei?younger sister¡¯s grandparents are all in Jiangnan. Her Dage?Da=eldest/big, ge=elder brother, short form for gege stayed in Jiangnan to apany his grandparents and to be filial to his gufu13paternal aunt¡¯s husband.¡±

    Heshou Xianzhu?he = harmonious, shou = long life, Xianzhu = Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang gave out a gentle smile at the answer and did not insist on this topic anymore.

    At that time, Jiang Hongjin was in the front yard, busily asking the gatekeeper, ¡°Have all the guests for today¡¯s banquet arrived?¡± He had a sense of propriety by not specifically asking after the Han family young miss, so that others wouldn¡¯t clearly see that that was his main purpose.

    The gatekeeper thought for a moment and then replied, ¡°The Han family, the Chiang family and the Sun family have not yet arrived, but they have delivered some presents for Miss.¡±

    Jiang Hongjin was disappointed. He really wanted to meet that girl! It seemed that today was impossible for him.

    The days slowly passed by, and in a twinkling of an eye, it was already the end of the ninth lunar month. Yuxi¡¯s birthday was on the twenty-ninth day of the ninth lunar month, so Qiu Shi was nning to hold a birthday banquet for her.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Just let it be. It is okay to only invite some friends to attend my birthday, and it is quite tiring if we invite so many people.¡±

    Qiu Shi thought for a moment and retorted, ¡°It¡¯s alright this time, but next year, you can¡¯t avoid it anymore.¡± After a pause, she continued, ¡°You should follow me in managing the household starting from the end of this year.¡±

    Yuxi opened up her mouth, ¡°Aunt, isn¡¯t this a bit too early? I am rather busy right now. Can¡¯t I wait for another two years?¡°

    Qiu Shi did not give Yuxi the chance to avoid it, ¡°Just learn housekeeping from me every morning, and you can have your own time in the afternoon.¡± Seeing that Yuxi still had something to say, she immediately said, ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who have to learn, but Yuchen will also learn it together with you.¡±

    Yuxi hurriedly asked, ¡°What about Dajie1?Da=eldest/big, jie=elder sister, short form for jiejie and Erjie1?er=second, jie=elder sister, short form for jiejie?¡±

    Qiu Shi answered, ¡°All of them together.¡±

    Yuxi now knew the reason why she had to learn housekeeping this early as she smilingly said, ¡°Chasing after a sheep, over chasing after four sheep. Is Eldest Aunt doing this to save trouble from teaching them next time?¡± She didn¡¯t learn how to be a housekeeper in herst life, so this time she will earnestly learn it.

    Qiu Shi poked Yuxi on the forehead and scolded in jest, ¡°It¡¯s foolish topare yourself to a sheep.¡±

    When Ye Shi entered the room, she saw Qiu Shi was embracing Yuxi as they chatted andughed together. Her behaviour was still polite as she called out, ¡°Mother.¡±

    Qiu Shi smiled and nodded. She then told Ye Shi what she had just said to Yuxi, ¡°A few girls in the family are getting older, and it¡¯s about time they learn how to manage household affairs. For this matter, I wish for you to arrange it.¡°

    Ye Shi immediately agreed to it.

    Yuxi without haste expressed her thanks, ¡°I will have to trouble dasao1?eldest sister-inw in the future.¡±

    Ye Shi had always wanted to have a good rtionship with Yuxi, but Yuxi had always acting polite to her instead. ¡°Si1?si=four/fourth Meimei?younger sister¡¯s birthday ising up in a few days. How does Si1?si=four/fourth Meimei?younger sister n to celebrate it?¡±

    Yuxi told her what she thought.

    Ye Shi was somewhat taken by surprise. In previous years, Yuchen and Yuxi did not have a big birthday celebration because they had attended school. Teacher Song would not let them have a holiday just because it was their birthdays. But this year, they didn¡¯t need to learn from Teacher Song anymore, thus, when Yuchen¡¯s birthday arrived, she invited young misses from her family and friends for her birthday celebration. Ye Shi thought Yuxi would be like Yuchen and wanted to invite many people to attend her birthday.

    Yuxi could see what Ye Shi was thinking, so she said with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t have many friends.¡± As for rtives, she was not familiar with the rtives of the Han family. As for her maternal grandparents¡¯ home, all of them had passed away.

    It was said that people of Marquis Pingqing residence were also her rtives, but she was unwilling to be involved with them. She would take advantage of some advantages. For example, she had no burden in taking advantage of Yuchen¡¯s advantageous, since Yuchen had a good moral character and she would not care much about it. However, there were some advantages that could not be taken. For example, if she took advantage of those from Marquis Pingqing residence,ter on, they would ask her to pay them back tenfold.

    Seeing that Yuxi was still acting indifferent to her, Ye Shi could not help but to say it to her wet nurse, old woman Hua, ¡°What do you think Fourth Miss actually mean?¡± She had repeatedly shown her kindness to Fourth Miss but she still refused to ept them. It was not entirely necessary to say that Fourth Miss had any malice towards her. As far as she knew, Fourth Miss had never speak ill of her in front of her mother-inw, but instead kept on saying good words on her behalf. However, Fourth Miss had always been cold and indifferent towards her, like she didn¡¯t prefer her appearance. This made Ye Shi couldn¡¯t figure out Yuxi¡¯s pulse.

    Old woman Hua also failed to understand Fourth Miss¡¯ intention. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what Fourth Miss thinks, as long as she doesn¡¯t have any ill intentions towards Master.¡±

    Ye Shi also couldn¡¯t think of any reason, so she could onlyy it out and simply put it down.

    Old Madam had no objection to Yuxi¡¯s suggestion to only invite young misses from the Zhou family and Duan Xinrong, however, Yuchen disagreed instead.

    Yuchen argued, ¡°Si1?si=four/fourth Meimei?younger sister, even though this is only your eleventh birthday, to celebrate it this way is too simple and crude. If you¡¯re afraid to entertain a big crowd, there are still me, Dajie1?Da=eldest/big, jie=elder sister, short form for jiejie and Erjie1?er=second, jie=elder sister, short form for jiejie around.¡° Having so many sisters, were the benefits for this moment.

    Yuxi said, ¡°It¡¯s not toote to hold another big one next year! San Jie2San=Three/third, jie=elder sister, short form of jiejie, this time around, you have to listen to my suggestion.¡° She just wanted to celebrate it in a more quiet way and didn¡¯t want to stir up any trouble.

    Yuchen looked at Yuxi¡¯s manner with some amusement and said, ¡°This once only, and it will not be repeated in the future.¡± In fact, many people that had been invited to attend someone¡¯s birthday, didn¡¯t actuallye for the sake of celebrating the birthday, but actually for moremunication between them and broaden their interpersonal rtionships.

    Yuxi¡¯s friends were also only a few, with her only being close to Duan Xinrong and Zhou Shiya. In her point of view, friends should not be many. However, the state residence was somehow rted to the Zhou family. If she invited Zhou Shiya only, she would not only offend others, but also make it difficult for Zhou Shiya. ¡°Apart from biaojiemei1?female cousins via female line of the Zhou family, you only invite Xinrong Jiejie?elder sister.¡±

    Yuchen looked at Yuxi and saw that she did not respond to her words, so sheid out her heart¡¯s intention, ¡°This time, it¡¯s up to you to make the decision, but next time, this should not have happened again.¡± She had always wanted Yuxi to be close to her rtives, but Yuxi was very resistant and didn¡¯t like to go to the Chiang family residence. She had never been willing to follow her there over the years.

 Chapter 94 - Birthday (2)

    <strong>Chapter 94 : Birthday (2)</strong>

    Yuxi thought that all the young misses of Zhou¡¯s family woulde, thus she didn¡¯t expect that Zhou Shiya woulde alone instead.

    As soon as Zhou Shiya saw Yuxi, she immediately tugged at her and asked in a low voice, ¡°Why are you getting taller again? What do you eat every day to get this tall?¡° Back in those days, both of them were about the same height and size. However, now, Yuxi was half a head taller and much slimmer than her.

    Yuxi answered, ¡°I am not like you. I eat everything.¡± She knew that Zhou Shiya was quite picky about food and did not eat a lot of things.

    With a painful face, Zhou Shiya responded, ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know me. I will surely put on flesh if I eat everything like you.¡± For someone like her, who could even be fat just by drinking a lot of water, would easily get fat if she couldn¡¯t control her eating. This was already not good for her, as she let out bitter tears!

    Yuxiughed, ¡°Then you should pay more attention to your foods.¡±

    Zhou Shiya pinched Yuxi¡¯s face and eximed, ¡°This skin. It¡¯s really tender!¡± Yuxi¡¯s skin was so tender and fair just like a white tofu. This made her wanted to pinch it the second time, just to see if she could squeeze some water out from it. It felt so good that she wished she could pinch her more.

    Yuxi pushed Zhou Shiya¡¯s hand away andughed, ¡°Mine actually iparable to my San Jie1San=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form of jiejie.¡±

    Standing on one side, Yuchen felt quite helpless. No matter when and where, Yuxi would always like to say that she was not as good as her. It almost became her mantra.

    Mutton fat jade/Suede jade

    A type of jade which colours are usually white to yellowish. It is actually known as nephrite, one out two jade family. It ismonly used by people nowadays and more durable than jadeite jade.

    Image Credit | Treasure Adoption Agency

    Zhou Shiya turned to look at Yuchen, and her mouth twitched. Yuchen¡¯s skin was so fair and a bit reddish. It also looked quite smooth and tender. Her whole person was also shining like a mutton fat jade. Zhou Shiya genuinely admired her but at the same time, she felt envious, and resentful. She hurriedly asked, ¡°Quickly tell me, how did you two keep your skin like this? I wish I have such good skin!¡°

    Since Yuxi had a good rtionship with Yuchen, she knew about her more than other people. As long as Yuchen¡¯s skin was pinched by someone, even if it wasn¡¯t pinched that hard, it would still leave red marks. This showed how good her skin was. Even the rumoured flesh of ice and skin as jade2Chinese idiom : smooth and fair skin couldn¡¯t bepared to Yuchen¡¯s, but she couldn¡¯t say these words to the outside world, because Yuchen was not naturally born with skin this good, as she got it by soaking herself continuously in a medicated bath.

    Yuchen exined to them what she ate usually but omitted the part where she ate medicated food and took a medicated bath. Despite that, Zhou Shiya still listened to her words earnestly, since it was already in a woman¡¯s nature to love beauty.

    A maid came over and announced, ¡°Miss, Miss Duan is here.¡±

    As soon as Zhou Shiya saw Duan Xinrong, she smiled and eximed, ¡°You finallye. Let¡¯s wait here for a while!¡±

    Yuchen knew that the three girls had a good rtionship. She estimated that there would be a lot of whispers happened between them, so she found an excuse to go back to Tingyun Pavilion. When she arrived at the door, she heard a happyughing from inside the room, and a faint sense of loss suddenly rose in her heart. She also wanted to make several intimate friends like Yuxi, but she couldn¡¯t. As for the reason why, she had long knew. Sometimes, being too good in everything could also be a heavy burden to her. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Zhou Shiya said in a low voice, ¡°Yuxi, please don¡¯t be angry. I didn¡¯t let my two shu mei3shu=children of concubines, mei=younger sister, short form for meimei for a reason.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and asked, ¡°Then, how about Shishan Biaojie?elder female cousin and others? Why didn¡¯t theye?¡°

    Zhou Shiya smiled and replied, ¡°I told them that you were not feeling well, but I think I knew you didn¡¯t want to just invite anyone for your birthday, so I was looking for an excuse. It¡¯s better for them not toe. With they¡¯re around, we can¡¯t even talk about something private.¡±

    Yuxi also didn¡¯t care about them and it was better that they did note. She also didn¡¯t want to entertain them!

    Duan Xinrong said, ¡°Yuxi, you had twice made a hit during previous banquets. Even my mother asked me, was your chess skill really that good?¡±

    Yuxi replied with a smile, ¡°It isn¡¯t like that at all. It¡¯s just got blown off proportion.¡±

    This made Zhou Shiya urged them, ¡°How about you two y a set and I¡¯ll see how high Yuxi¡¯s chess skills are.¡±

    Duan Xinrong immediately asked Yuxi to hurriedly take out the chessboard and said, ¡°Don¡¯t leave me any leeway and please show me your actual level. I have to see how far apart I am from you.¡± She used to y chess with Yuxi, but it was all just for fun.

    Yuxi really didn¡¯t leave any leeway for her. As a result, Duan Xinrong lost the match in less than a quarter of an hour. Duan Xinrong picked up the rest of the pieces on the chessboard and put them back in the chess box. She then smiled and said, ¡°You, this girl, are actually a good chess yer, and somehow you have been able to hide it deep enough.¡±

    Zhou Shiya warned, ¡°Yuxi, there will be 60th birthday celebration for Old Madam of Marquis Pingqing residence. When that timees, you shouldn¡¯t seek limelight like you did at Marquis Taining residence and Gongzhu?Princess/Princess of the First Rank residence.¡° At that time, Yuxi could identally offend arge number of people.

    Yuxi helplessly said, ¡°When did I do that and you¡¯re just exaggerating it. Moreover, it¡¯s not like you aren¡¯t aware of my painting skills. Those people outside are the ones who deliberately exaggerating it which make me feel really unhappy.¡° She won¡¯t float up in the air just because someone spoke highly of her skills.

    Zhou Shiya also knew that Yuxi was not the type of person who liked seeking the limelight, but she still wanted to advise her, ¡°When you have a visit to Marquis Pingqing residence, you should keep a low profile. There are several girls in the Chiang family whom you should not trifle with.¡± Several girls in the Marquis Pingqing had their own characteristics, regardless of whether they were di?born from by the formal wife or shu?born from concubine born. It could only be said that Old Madam Chiang was too good in training her own girls.

    Yuxi said with a chuckle, ¡°On that asion, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t pull me topete with them in chess.¡± There were four young misses in Marquis Pingqing residence. The eldest di?born from by the formal wife daughter, Chiang Yi, was good at piano and painting. The second di?born from by the formal wife daughter, Chiang Xin, one should not look down at her just because of her young age. However, the twin shu?born from concubine daughters, Chiang Zhen and Chiang Ping were inferior in talents but superior in appearance. Besides, they looked exactly the same and attracted everyone¡¯s attention as soon as they came out. Of course, this was not to say that Chiang Yi and Chiang Xin were not good-looking, but when it came to appearance, they were rather inferior to the twins.

    Zhou Shiya jokingly said, ¡°Look at you. From the start, you haven¡¯t taken my words seriously at all. This will make me worry about you endlessly.¡±

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°There is nothing to worry about, and it also troublesome worrying about things that have not yet happened. Moreover, I also don¡¯t pay that much attention to those false reputations. What so good about mastering piano, chess, calligraphy and painting? It¡¯s not like we need them once we get married in the future. They can only be pastimes that we use just to pass the time.¡°

    Zhou Shiya had been talking to Yuxi for a long time, while Duan Xinrong had been silent for the whole time. This made Yuxi felt it a bit abnormal that she had to ask, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? You haven¡¯t talked for a long time now.¡±

    Duan Xinrong answered in a low voice, ¡°The Chiang family has invited an official matchmaker to propose a marriage to our family.¡±

    Zhou Shiya asked, ¡°Who did they propose marriage to?¡±

    Yuxi felt that Zhou Shiya often pretended to be na?ve. Just by looking at Duan Xinrong¡¯s flushed face, she should have known that the person who had been proposed was Duan Xinrong.

    Zhou Shiya quickly responded and asked, ¡°Is it for Chiang Jing, the second young master of the Chiang family? I¡¯ve seen him. He looks good. He seems to have a good talent, and he¡¯s already a xiuchai?one who passed the imperial examination at the county level. ¡°

    Yuxi frowned. She didn¡¯t know the Chiang family very well, but the two families were inws, so she would go to their wedding banquet if there was such a big event like marriage. So she clearly remembered that in herst life, Chiang Jing had married Lin Furong who was Madam Chiang¡¯s niece. Yuxi wasn¡¯t clear as to why there was suddenly a change this time around.

    Zhou Shiya noticed Yuxi¡¯s expression and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up? Is there any problem with the second young master of the Chiang family?¡°

    Yuxi didn¡¯t say a word. She was busy weighing the matter in her heart, thinking why did it suddenly get so messed up.

    Duan Xinrong was worried that she took Yuxi¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Yuxi, if you know anything, you can¡¯t hide it from me!¡± She had never seen Chiang Jing, but her mother said that Chiang Jing was good in appearance, talent and character. Her mother always had good eyes, thus she was convinced. Even though her mother¡¯s eyes were good, but there were times when it fell short of the standard.

    Zhou Shiya began to think that Yuxi was deliberately intimidating Duan Xinrong. It could be seen that Yuxi still did not speak and Zhou Shiya¡¯s heart was also riled up, ¡°Yuxi, is there really something wrong? If you know anything, you must tell Xinrong! This marriage event, with just one careless move, it will affect her for a lifetime!¡±

    Yuxi weighed it in her mind for a long time before she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why the Chiang family would propose marriage to Duan family, but as far as I know, Madam Jiang¡¯s favourite daughter-inw is Lin Furong, her niece.¡±

    Duan Xinrong¡¯s facial expression showed that she was anxious and doubtful of Yuxi¡¯s words.

    Zhou Shiya was really surprised. ¡°It can¡¯t be, right? If Madam Chiang likes her niece, how could the Chiang family propose a marriage to Duan family?¡° Having said that, she found herself to be quite stupid. The one who was in charge of Chiang family right now wasn¡¯t Madam Chiang, but Old Madam Chiang. ¡°Yuxi, do you mean that the marriage proposal was actually Old Madam Chiang¡¯s idea?¡±

    Yuxiter shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but as far as I know, Madam Chiang likes Lin Furong very much, and often takes her to stay in the Marquis residence for a short while.¡± Like in the state residence, the person who actually wielded the power in the backyard was Old Madam Han. The difference between state residence and Marquis residence was that Qiu Shi had no intention nor ambition to fully take over the management, and she was really filial to Old Madam Han. That was why Qiu Shi got along so well with her mother-inw. However, Lin Shi, Madam Jiang, was different. She had always wanted to be the person in charge of the household, rather than just making sure the household was well taken care of. Therefore, these two, daughters-inw and mother-inw, had valiantly fought in a battle of wits over the years. Because of filial piety pressure and since Old Madam Chiang was also a person with skills, Lin Shi had been in disadvantageous over the years.

    Zhou Shiya quickly responded, ¡°Doesn¡¯t this mean that Chiang Jing and Lin Furong are cousins that are quite close like green plums and hobby-horse?Chinese idiom : childhood sweethearts?¡± She found green plums and hobby-horse?Chinese idiom : childhood sweethearts and something alike were the most annoying thing ever.

    Yuxi added, ¡°I don¡¯t know what Chiang Jing¡¯s attitude towards Lin Furong is, but I know that Chiang Yi and Chiang Xin like Lin Furong very much.¡± She herself knew that it was normal for her to know about the inner court, but it wouldn¡¯t be normal if she also knew about what happened in the front courtyard .

    Duan Xinrong looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°Yuxi, are you telling the truth?¡±

    Yuxi jokingly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, ask your mother to send someone to inquire about it.¡± Because of the continuous fight between Old Madam Chiang and Madam Chiang, Lin Shi, the gate of the Marquis Pingqing residence had been tightly closed, so it would be very difficult to obtain any information about the Marquis¡¯ residence. However, the difficulty was only rtive. Duan family was not a small family. As long as they really made up their mind, let alone Marquis Pingqing residence, they could also inquire about the royal pce.

    ¡°If this is the case, this marriage cannot be concluded,¡± Zhou Shiya hastily said. If what Yuxi said was true, Madam Chiang had decided behind closed doors that Lin Furong would be her daughter-inw! For the Duan family to agree to this marriage was the same as offending Madam Chiang and to reject it would only offend her mother-inw. The Duan family could not expect to have a good life after this.

    Duan Xinrong was not stupid either. How could she not understand the truth in this matter? ¡°Fortunately, I know about it today, otherwise, I won¡¯t know what will happen in the future!¡± She and Yuxi had known each other for five years now. She knew that Yuxi was not a person who liked to talk nonsense. What Yuxi said must have been true. Fortunately they had not yet engaged. Now, she still had time to back out from the proposal.

 Chapter 95 - Birthday (3)

    <strong>Chapter 95 : Birthday (3)</strong>

    Zisu raised her voice from outside and said, ¡°Miss, Eldest Madam has sent someone to invite you over.¡±

    For Yuxi¡¯s birthday today, Old Madam had already sent her words that the whole family would have dinner together in the main house that evening. While for lunch, it would be held in Qiu Shi¡¯s yard.

    The treatment Yuxi received right now had somehow increased. In herst life, everyone had selectively forgotten about her birthday except for her Eldest Aunt who would give her a birthday present. Where would it be like it right now, with the whole family treated it like it was a big deal.

    Ever since there was something hidden in her heart, Duan Xinrong had be wan and unenergetic as she did when she first came.

    Zhou Shiya felt that it wasn¡¯t good for Duan Xinrong to act this way, ¡°Xinrong, you havee to participate in Yuxi¡¯s birthday in a good mood. If you go back while feeling wan, everyone in your family can guess what Yuxi have said to you when you ask for your family to refuse the Chiang family¡¯s marriage proposal. At that time, you will make it hard for Yuxi.¡°

    Duan Xinrong felt a twinge of emotion and stood up to apologize to Yuxi, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s my fault.¡± Yuxi only said those words to her because of their friendship. So, for the same reason, she shouldn¡¯t bring any troubles to Yuxi.

    When the three of them arrived at the main courtyard, Duan Xinrong already had a proper smile on her face, so no one had noticed that there was something different with her.

    Qiu Shi looked at Duan Xinrong and said with a smile, ¡°This child, has changed a lottely. She has be more and more beautiful each day.¡±

    Duan Xinrong was actually a very good-looking girl, with her big eyes, pink face, red lips, and a small exquisite figure. When she smiled, she would show two dimples which made her looked really sweet.

    When Duan Xinrong heard such praise, she shyly replied, ¡°Aunt is overpraising me.¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s heart moved. How could she forget this extremely good candidate? Except for Duan Xinrong being three years younger than Ye-er1used for endearment, everything else were ording to her requirements for a daughter-inw. Qiu Shi wasn¡¯t the type of person who could hide her worries. So, with this idea in her mind, she treated Duan Xinrong three points warmly.

    Yuxi looked at Qiu Shi confusingly, but she didn¡¯t think too much of it.

    Lunch was very rich with therge table full of dishes. The dishes had everything from the sky, on the ground and in the water. Yuxi asked, ¡°Eldest Aunt, how can we finish eating this much?¡± There would also be a big dinner this evening. So, it would be a waste to eat so much during lunch.

    Qiu Shi grumpily said, ¡°They are not for you.¡± This meant that such a sumptuous meal was actually prepared for the guests.

    Zhou Shiya cheerfully said, ¡°If I have to say, sweet and sour fish and lion¡¯s head are all my favorites. Aunt has made them specially for me!¡± As she looked at Yuxi with a proud face.

    Sweet and Sour Fish

    Image Credit | ÑÝˆÒ@Ñî°Ö°Ö via Meishi China

    Lion¡¯s Head / Stewed Meatball

    Image Credit | ÂüÊ³ÂýÓïAmanda Tastes via YouTube

    Yuxi jokingly said, ¡°Since it¡¯s specially made for you, then, you can eat a lot more today.¡±

    After lunch, Duan Xinrong and Zhou Shiya was preparing to go home. Since Yuxi didn¡¯t know how to persuade them to stay, the only thing she could do was send them directly to the second door.

    The Second Door was the door that lead to the main living for the Masters of the courtyard.

    Image Credit | Siheyuan ¡ª Chinese Courtyards, China Highlights

    When Duan Xinrong arrived at her home, she immediately told her mother everything that Yuxi had told her.

    After hearing Duan Xinrong¡¯s words, Madam Duan, Li Shi, was shocked. ¡°Miss Yuxi really said that?¡± She was very delighted to have such a good daughter like Duan Xinrong. That was why she had been extra careful when it came to her marriage. When the Chiang¡¯s family came to propose marriage, they didn¡¯t immediately agree. Instead, they sent someone to inquire more about Chiang Jing. They heard that he was very good in all aspects. In addition, Madam Chiang had a good reputation in the upper circles, so she agreed. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Duan Xinrong said, ¡°Mom, Yuxi doesn¡¯t need to lie to me, and this kind of thing can surely be heard as long as you seriously inquire about it. Mom, let¡¯s put off Chiang family marriage proposal!¡°

    Madam Duan thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to inquire about it first.¡± She still had to discuss this matter with her husband, but if what Yuxi said was true, the marriage would definitely need to be put off. Otherwise, when her daughter married into the Chiang¡¯s family, her daughter would be caught in the middle when Old Madam Chiang fought with Madam Chiang.

    That evening, when Lord Duan came back from the yamen, he listened to what Madam Duan said, pondered about it for a moment and then decided, ¡°Refuse the proposal!¡±

    Madam Duan did not expect her husband to be so straightforward. ¡°Let¡¯s find out about it first! What if this was just a misunderstanding? Chiang Jing, that child, is really good. It would be a pity if thises out as only a misunderstanding.¡° She had carefully inquired about Chiang Jing¡¯s information before. From the info she had inquired, Chiang Jing was very good in all aspects, which made her very satisfied with him. If she was told to give him up just because of Yuxi¡¯s few words, she was reluctant to do so.

    Lord Duan shook his head and said, ¡°There won¡¯t be winding from an empty cave2Chinese idiom : baseless im. Besides, Rong-er1used for endearment is still young. Let¡¯s choose her marriage slowly and don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± Seeing Madam Duan¡¯s face still hesitating, he hurriedly said, ¡°Since we only have this daughter, we cannot take any risk even if there is only a sign.¡±

    Madam Duan nodded, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s just forget about it.¡±

    Lord Duan said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not boasting when I have to say myself that our family Rong-er1used for endearment is good at everything unlike others, so I¡¯m not that worried about finding a good husband for her in the future. However, it¡¯s better to find a family with simple but morally good family background. For a family like Marquis Pingqing, it is a little tooplicated.¡± Marquis Pingqing was the only man from his generation in his household. He didn¡¯t even have a shu3born from concubine brother. The Old Marquis had a lot of concubines, but he only have a son and a daughter. This showed that Old Madam Chiang had all the power and means.

    Madam Duan lightly chastised him as she said, ¡°If we find a simple family background for her, then they surely don¡¯t have much resources.¡± The Duan family had a shallow background, so Madam Duan wanted to find a rich family for her child. This way, she had inws that could aid her if anything happened. Of course, the premise had to meet her standards. If not up to the standard, then it was impossible to match them up.

    When Lord Duan heard his wife¡¯s words, he couldn¡¯t help thinking about what happened in the court which made his mood a little heavy. Song Guifei?highest-ranking imperial concubine, second only to the Empress and the Empress had been fighting with each other both openly and secretly. While the Crown Prince and the Ninth Prince were also at loggerheads. He didn¡¯t know how long the current calm situation wouldst. Once this calm situation broke, there would definitely be another storm. No one could guarantee that his family would not get involved in the whirlpool.

    Madam Duan knew nothing about the matter of the court, but because of her own her understanding of how the world worked, she wanted to find a family with rich inside story, so that in case by any chance her family got into trouble, they would have a helping hand.

    Yuxi wasn¡¯t aware that the conversation she had with Duan Xinrong had made the Duan couple in a gloomy mood. At this time, she was putting away all the gifts she had received until her went limp with exhaustion. Old Madam didn¡¯t send her jewelry this time around, but she had instead send a set of four treasures of study from the former dynasty; Qiu Shi sent her a set of jade jewelry; Even Ye Shi lost a lot of money this time, when she gave Yuxi a set of red gold jewelry which she had ordered from Ruyi Pavilion.

    Han Jingyan was thest one to give his gift. The gift was carried into the room by two people, and all froze at the sight.

    The Twelve Panels Screen is the one behind the day bed at the front. Unlike the picture above, Yuxi¡¯s Twelve Panels Screen was fully carved.

    Image Credit | ºìÄ¾¼Ò¾ß³§ via Sohu

    Han Jingyan¡¯s gift to Yuxi was yellow rosewood twelve panels screen. The flowers, trees and figures carved on the screen were all high embossed, by using openwork carving, through the hole carving (tong carving), three-dimensional carving and other carving techniques. They were carved with great care, till they were exquisitely carved.

    Openwork Carving

    Image Source | ÎÞÐÎ¹¤×÷ÊÒ via OM

    Through the Hole Carving (Tong Carving)

    It¡¯s looked like a 3D carving but it¡¯s more of 2yers carving from one wood.

    Image Credit | µØ¹«Ö÷ (ÆáÄ¾¾«»ª£¬¹ã¶«³±ÖÝÄ¾µñÒÕÊõ£¬½ðÆáÄ¾µñ, Jul 12th, 2019) via 360kuai

    Chinese 3D Carving

    Image Source | best-collector-us via eBay

    Yuxi¡¯s mood was very subtle when she saw this gift.

    When Old Madam saw the screen, she then looked at Yuxi¡¯s reaction and her face sank. Her youngest son usually looked smart, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be so confused when it came to such matter.

    Yuchen looked at Yuxi and thought she was happy and had gone silly. She could not help but give Yuxi a gentle push. By then, Yuxi finally recovered and happily said, ¡°Thank you, father. I like it very much.¡± This screen could not be bought with just two to three thousand taels?a unit of weight used in east Asia approximately equal to 1.3 ounces of silver. This time, Han Jingyan was willing to spend money on her. Presumably, because of her recent growing reputation.

    Whan Han Jingyan saw an expression of joy on Yuxi¡¯s face, he nodded slightly. ¡°I¡¯m happy that you like it.¡±

    Wu Shi looked at the screen, and her face turned bad. Just by looking at first sight, she knew it wasn¡¯t something cheap, and somehow Lord was willing to give it up. It was really depressing when she thought till there. Third Branch financial power had always been in the hands of Lord, so she didn¡¯t know how much resources did Third Branch have.

    Yujing¡¯s eyes shed with aplicated look. She used tough at Yuxi for having a father who didn¡¯t love her. Now things had changed. Now, she had be the one who was unloved by her own father.

    While Yuru looked at it with a calm expression. There was no more jealousy nor unwillingness her eyes. Over the past few years, she had long given up her obsession. Now, she only hoped that Mother would find her a good marriage, and nothing else.

    Although Yuxi didn¡¯t have a big celebration for her birthday this time, what she had received was abundant. Zisu, who was in charge of the private room in Rose Courtyard, saw these things, and said with a smile, ¡°This time, Miss¡¯ private room is full to the brim again.¡±

    When Kufu saw the twelve panels screen that had been delivered, she asked with a bit of embarrassment, ¡°Where are we going to put this thing?¡± Rose Courtyard wasn¡¯t spacious enough to hold such arge screen.

    Yuxi said, ¡°It can¡¯t fit in this room. Put it in the warehouse!¡± If this screen was broken, it would upy one third of her private room. Of course, not to mention that there was no ce to put it, even if there was, she was unwilling to put it there, as she looked at it annoyingly.

    After the screen was moved away, Yuxi looked at Zisu and instructed, ¡°Go check it out. I want to know what¡¯s going on with this thing?¡± She didn¡¯t believe that Han Jingyan would go to great lengths just to give her such a good thing. There must be something fishy about this gift.

    When Zisu saw Yuxi was preparing to enter the study again, she said, ¡°Miss, today is your birthday. Have a rest for one night!¡± Even after Teacher Song had left the residence, her Miss still did not rx even for a day.

    Yuxi smiled and responded, ¡°I can¡¯t sleep now if I don¡¯t read books.¡± Since she had a lot of money, and was unwilling to give it up reading her book in the evening, she would light up four candles in her study.

    Yuxi, who was confined in her study, did not read the medical books, but she instead pulled out The Book of Han from the cupboard. She started reading history books because Momo?wet nurse Quan said it would be useful to read them more, but now, reading it had be a daily necessity for her.

    After reading it for half of a shichen, Yuxi thought about it carefully and then wrote down her thoughts. This was what Momo?wet nurse Quan had told her to do. After continuously doing it over the years, it had be her habit.

    Meanwhile, in Tingyun Pavilion, Shiqin wasmenting to Yuchen, ¡°The present that Master gave to Fourth Miss this time had really took a lot of thought from Master. When this maidservant looked at Fourth Miss tonight, she looked so happy, as she had been smiling all the time.¡°

    Yuchen smiled in response, ¡°I hope this gift can let my Si Meimei?si=four/fourth, meimei=younger sister knows that dad loves her too.¡± She knew that Wu Shi wanted Yuxi to be estranged with their father. Now that father had changed his attitude, she believed that Yuxi would soon eliminate the estrangement between Yuxi and him.

    A shichen?one of the 12 two-hour periods of the day=2 hourster, Yuxi went out of the study, took a bath and climbed into bed. While she was on the bed, she kept on tossing and turning since she still could not fall asleep. ¡°Zisu, go to the study and bring over my medical book.¡±

    When Zisu went out, Kufu was waiting outside the door.

    Kufu followed Zisu into the study and asked in a low voice, ¡°Zisu Jiejie?Elder Sister, why do I feel like Miss seems unhappy?¡± Her Miss didn¡¯t seem to care much about the precious gift from Master, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have put the screen in the warehouse. For any room to be too small to amodate the screen was just an excuse as she saw her Miss¡¯ face brightenpletely after the screen was taken to the warehouse.

    Zisu sighed slightly and said, ¡°It is good if only you notice about this.¡± Kufu and Maidong were Miss¡¯ personal maids, so they could be trusted.

    Kufu anxiously asked, ¡°Is Miss still unable to let go of the past?¡±

    Zisu said with a wry smile, ¡°Don¡¯t you know what life Miss had before? If it were you, would you put it down that easily?¡° Miss had such a difficult life before that she nearly died. Where was Master then? It would not be so easy to repair the broken rtionship between father and daughter now.

    Kufu also don¡¯t know what to say. She had never experienced such a thing. Although there were many brothers and sisters in her family, her parents were always kind to them siblings, and they did not even attach importance to difference treatment between boys and girls.

    Zisu knew what Kufu was worried about. Kufu worried that Miss¡¯ real thought would be exposed and it would bring harm to their Miss. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Miss. She has discretion. Over the years, she has done everything well.¡° At least, no one else could see the difference in Miss except to those close who were close to her.

    A few dayster, Yuxi knew why Han Jingyan gave her such a valuable gift. The twelve panels screen was originally a gift for Old Madam Jiang¡¯s 60th birthday prepared by Han jingyan, however, there was a mistake in the carvings.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°What mistake?¡±

    Kufu said, ¡°There is a poem in the ninth panel of the screen. There is a wrong word in the poem.¡± In fact, it wasn¡¯t the woodcarver who made the mistake. It was the person who wrote the poem at fault for writing a homophonic character instead.

    Yuxi softly said, ¡°So, it was really like that.¡± A gift for Old Madam Han, should not be any w, or she would beughed at. It was funny that she was given thing that others didn¡¯t want and she somehow had to feel grateful for it.

    Kufu was extremely surprised with her Miss¡¯ reaction that she had to ask, ¡°Did Miss already know that there was something wrong with the screen?¡± Her Miss was indeed so clever.

    Yuxi chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to pinch and count1?Chinese idiom : tell fortunes, so how can I know that there is something wrong with the screen?¡± All she knew was that the screen was so valuable that it was well-made, but she didn¡¯t have that much weight in Han Jingyan¡¯s mind to even receive it.

    Yuxi¡¯s actions fell into the eyes of the Old Madam. The Old Madam turned the beads around and said, ¡°I¡¯m really confused.¡± It was normal for a father to send valuable things to his daughter, but it was not normal when her younger son sent such valuable thing to Yuxi. She suspected that there was something wrong with the present, not to mention Yuxi, who was always thinking hard.

    Mama Luo also shook her head too, ¡°It is toote to be happy to receive such a valuable gift, but I didn¡¯t think Fourth Miss to¡­¡± Fourth Miss¡¯ suspicion was really too heavy.

    Old Madam softly said, ¡°She resents and hates us. She¡¯s ming Yan-er1used for endearment for his neglect and indifference, hating me for throwing her in the green bamboo cottage in spite of her life and death.¡° Although that girl disguised herself very well, she couldn¡¯t betray people with her eyes. When the girl faced her and Yan-er1used for endearment, she had a smile on her face, but there was not even a fluctuation in her eyes.

    Mama Luo could not deny what Old Madam had said, but she still wanted to say, ¡°Old Madam, Fourth Miss¡¯ filial piety towards Eldest Madam is not fake. Last year, when Eldest Madam was ill, Fourth Miss did not even close her eyes and waited on her. This old servant was moved. Besides, Fourth Miss¡¯ loves towards Shizi11heir of a noble house and Second Master are also true. ¡°

    The Old Madam didn¡¯t speak, but the beads in her hand were turning fast, which showed her inner uneasiness.

    Mama Luo¡¯s thought for a moment and then said, ¡°Old Madam, even if Fourth Miss marries outtero , does she still dare to be unfilial and ready to be called an unfilial daughter just for the sake of harming Third Master¡¯s reputation? As for the state residence, there are still Eldest Madam, Shizi11heir of a noble house and Second Master. Fourth Miss will take care of them and will not do anything detrimental to the state government. ¡°

    Mama Luo had been entrusted by Qiu Shi¡¯s to help saying good words about Yuxi. Qiu Shi knew that Old Madam did not like Yuxi, so Mama Luo would asionally put in a good word for Yuxi so that Old Madam would not make things difficult for Yuxi. It was also Qiu Shi¡¯s behaviour that saved Yuxi from a lot of trouble.

    Old Madam tightly grasped the beads in her hand. ¡°If not for that reason, how can I tolerate her till this day?¡±

 Chapter 96 - Chiang Family (1)

    <strong>Chapter 96 : Chiang Family (1)</strong>

    On the twelfth day of eleventh lunar month, Old Madam Chiang turned sixty years old. The Chiang family invited all rtives and friends to her birthday banquet. Naturally, the Han family was also invited.

    This time, for Old Madam Chiang¡¯s birthday banquet, Qiu Shi nearly set off with the whole family. Except for Old Madam, everyone else would be going to the banquet. The family five young misses, from Yuru to Yurong, were all dressed up, and of course, Qiu Yanfu was indispensable.

    Qiu Yanfu also took great pains especially for this banquet. Everything from clothes to jewelry had been carefully chosen by her.

    This time, for the banquet, two people would travel in a carriage each. As a result, Yuxi and Yuchen shared a carriage. As soon as Yuxi got into it, she saw a small box carved with primitive patterns. After she sat down, she asked with a smile on her face, ¡°Is this the gift Jiejie1elder sister has prepared for Waizumu2grandmother on mother¡¯s maiden family?¡± Yuchen had been preparing the gift for Old Madam Chiang¡¯s birthday this year sincest year.

    Yuchen nodded and answered, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Yuxi knew what gift Yuchen was going to give, and stated, ¡°San Jie3san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie has wasted her mind on this gift. When Waizumu2grandmother on mother¡¯s maiden family knows about this, she will surely love it, without a doubt.¡±

    Yuchen smiled as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll be borrowing your blessings words then.¡± She didn¡¯t ask Yuxi what gift she was going to give, and she didn¡¯t have to ask. Yuxi¡¯s gift certainly won¡¯t be brilliant, but it won¡¯t be easily picked out by others either.

    Yuxi firmly said, ¡°No matter what San Jie3san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie give as present, Waizumu2grandmother on mother¡¯s maiden family will like it.¡± Old Madam Chiang regarded Yuchen as the apple of her eye and really doted on her. Even if Yuchen just sent her a copy of Buddhist scriptures, she would still like it very much.

    Yuchen smiled and talked about another thing, ¡°The other day, Da Jiumu?da=big/eldest, jiumu=elder sister or elder sister-inw of one¡¯s mother had asked a matchmaker to propose to Duan¡¯s family for Er Biaoge?er=two/second, biaoge=elder male cousin. Have you heard about this?¡±

    Yuxi was very surprised, ¡°When did this happen? I haven¡¯t heard Xinrong talk about it. San Jie3san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, has the marriage been decided? ¡°

    When Yuchen saw Yuxi¡¯s expression didn¡¯t seem like fake, she felt relieved and shook her head as she said, ¡°Originally, the two families hade to an agreement. I don¡¯t know why Duan family suddenly went back on their word. All I know is that they refused the marriage on the grounds that Er Biaoge?er=two/second, biaoge=elder male cousin and Duan family young miss Eight Characters were ipatible. I don¡¯t know where it suddenly went wrong.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°Er Biaoge?er=two/second, biaoge=elder male cousin is excellent in both talent and character. I¡¯m not that worry as he will be able to find a much better girl than Xinrong Jiejie1elder sister. However, Xinrong didn¡¯t even mention such a big matter to me.¡° After she done saying this, she had a depressed expression on her face.

    Yuchen gave out a smile, ¡°This marriage had not been decided yet before. How can Miss Duan mention it to you?¡± Under normal circumstances, rtives and friends would only be informed once there was an official engagement. This was also to avoid any worries that if the pairing didn¡¯t work, it would not only affect their reputation, but it would also be detrimental to their future matchmaking.

    Yuxi thought about it and nodded, ¡°San Jie3san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie is right.¡±

    As they approached Marquis Pingqing residence, Yuchen suddenly gave some advice to Yuxi, ¡°Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang will also be attending today¡¯s banquet. Try to avoid her and don¡¯t talk too much with her.¡±

    Yuxi knew Yuchen. She would never say something like that, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there anything wrong with Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang?¡±

    Yuchen did not know how to exin it. She hesitated for a moment, then came close to Yuxi¡¯s ear and spoke in a low voice that could only be heard by Yuxi, ¡°Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s behaviour is too strange. For her to be this strange, there must be an evil spirit inside her. So, you should avoid her, just to be careful.¡± In the past six months or so, Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had been very popr. First, she made some unprecedented food and opened a pastry shop; then, she made a lot of ice and sold it in the market; after that, she introduced something like cotton wool for women¡¯s special purpose; not long after, a clothing store was opened. The clothes designed there were very fashionable and beautiful, which made them became very popr among the high-rankingdies in the capital, and the ready-made clothes store was always full of customers; two days ago, Yuchen heard that Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had developed a rare perfume and rouge¡­when everything was added up together, it was no doubt that Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had been acting extremely abnormal.

    The reason why Yuchen didn¡¯t say out loud that Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had been possessed by an evil spirit was that she was Gongzhu?Princess own daughter. Moreover, she was loved by the high-ranking concubines in the Pce. If Yuchen let this be known, she would certainly offend a lot of people.

    Yuxi opened her mouth wide, and then hurriedly put her hands over her mouth to avoid making any sound. After sometime, she whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, San Jie3san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, I will try to avoid her. If I can¡¯t avoid her, then I won¡¯t get too close to her.¡° She was really lucky. She had been quite cautious in everything she did all these years, otherwise, she would have been discovered by others long time ago.

    Speaking of which, Yuxi was indeed very lucky. She has changed a lot since she got well, and no one had doubted her. Firstly, it was because everyone knew that people who experience life and death often had changes in temperaments. The only difference was whether the changes were quite big or just small. Yuxi belonged to the middle range. Secondly, Yuxi was still young at that time. At that age, a child¡¯s temperament was still uncertain.

    When Yuxi suddenly became much more clever and sensible after her illness, some people were happy about it while some became distressed. In the past three years, she had not done anything out of line since her reborn. Although, there was a bit of abnormalities in arranging for Mama Fang to do business, she only started these things. She did not do any specific operation, nor did she take care of the business. What she done was within the scope of public eptance, and it was different from Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s actions. One, Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had not experienced life and death. Secondly, her actions were too high-profile and out of line which made her easily doubted by the public.

    When they finally arrived at Marquis Pingqing residence, an old woman who was waiting for them, came up to them and took them to a room.

    Five Fortunes Surround Longevity

    The shape of the five bats on the pattern (yes, they are bats) presents the 5 good fortunes in Chinese. Why bat you ask? Bat in Chinese is called fu (òð) , the same phonic sound as fu (¸£) for good fortune in Chinese. The five good fortunes are longevity (ÊÙ), wealth (¸»), health andposure (¿µÄþ), virtue (ÐÞºÃµÂ), and the desire to die a natural death in old age (¿¼ ÖÕÃü).

    Image Credit | Chinasage

    Old Madam Chiang was wearing a dark red coat which was embroidered with ¡®Five Fortunes Surround Longevity¡¯ in silver thread, and her hair had beenbed into two buns, which was inserted with hairpins with emerald gems. With a big smile on her face, she sat on a red sandalwood round-backed chair, the seat of honour. There were several well-dresseddies sitting on her left and right sides. Ady with pearl and jade hair ornaments was apanying her in chatting andughing. Furthermore, there were also several young misses sitting around on xiudun?embroidered Chinese drum-shaped stool as they having fun among themselves.

    Round-back Chair

    Image Credit | Buy A Dining Furniture

    Xiudun (embroidered Chinese drum-shaped stool)

    Image Credit | Ðäµ×ºá²¨

    As soon as Yuchen and the others entered the room, all eyes fell on them.

    Old Madam Chiang looked at Yuchen with a look of joy on her face, ¡°Chen girl,e here. Come to Waizumu2grandmother on mother¡¯s maiden family side.¡±

    Instead of going there directly, Yuchen took Yuxi and the others to kneel on the mats brought by the maids and kowtowed three times to Old Madam Chiang, as she raised her voice and said, ¡°I wish for Waizumu2grandmother on mother¡¯s maiden family, happiness be as great as the east sea and live as long as the Southern seas1mon phrase for birthday wishes, though they usually use towards the elders¡¯.¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi really didn¡¯t want to kneel down and kowtow, but there was no way out. Thew said that Old Madam Chiang was also her Waizumu2grandmother on mother¡¯s maiden family. Since she was already here, she could not avoid it.

    Old Madam Chiang smiled till all her teeth could be seen and her eyes disappeared. ¡°Good, good, good.¡±

    After the greeting ceremony, Yuchen presented the gift she had prepared. Before Old Madam could say anything, Chiang Xin cocked her head and asked with an innocent face, ¡°Yuchen Biaojie11elder female cousin, what gift did you prepare for Waizumu? Will it open everyone¡¯s eyes12broaden one¡¯s horizon?¡°

    When Chiang Yi, Jiang family eldest young miss, heard this, her face showed a little helplessness. Her baomei13younger sister from the same parents never brought any trouble to Zumu1?father¡¯s mother and Father¡¯s favourite child, Yuchen. She also never had to deal with Yuchen in ordinary days. However, Chiang Yi did not expect that she would be disrespectful during Zumu1?father¡¯s mother¡¯s birthday banquet.

    Yuxi smiled and answered on behalf of Yuchen with a loud voice, ¡°In order to prepare a nice present for Waizumu2grandmother on mother¡¯s maiden family, San Jie3san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie had started making preparations sincest year. First, she sent someone to Yunnan to buy raw materials. Then, she sent it to Jiangnan to be carved by skilled craftsmen. It took two years for this gift to bepleted.¡°

    Yuxi¡¯s words made everyone very curious. Old Madam Chiang knew that she couldn¡¯t avoid this situation, so she asked the maid to open the box.

    ck Jade Goddess of Mercy

    Image Credit | Kaminski Auctions

    As soon as the box was opened, all eyes almost went blind. Inside the box was a ck jade Goddess of Mercy, which was heavy and its colour was really slick. Its texture was fine, smooth in lines and very lifelike.

    ¡°Third Miss Han is really filial,¡± praised the Madam of Marquis Taining residence. ck jade value was not cheap. For a statue of ck jade Goddess of Mercy, it should be worth several cities1?priceless and it could be used as a family heirloom.

    Yuxi had a totally different idea. Yuchen had given Old Madam Chiang such a nice gift this time. Next time, when her Grandmother at home celebrated her 60th birthday, she didn¡¯t know what gift would Yuchen present. It was not easy to find something better than this ck jade Goddess of Mercy.

    Old Madam Chiang took Yuchen to her side and affectionately said, ¡°My Wai Sunnu1?wai=outside, sun=grandchild, nu=female. Overall it means female grandchild from one¡¯s daughter has always been very filial.¡±

    Sun Shi, the wife of Duke of Ding, smiled and said, ¡°Third Miss Han is really outstanding. I don¡¯t know who will be blessed enough to marry her in the future.¡± Her family di1?born from formal wife grandson was about the same age as Third Miss Han. If he married her, he would have enough food and clothing for the rest of his life.

    Yuchen quickly lowered her head, while looking very shy.

    Old Madam Chiang was a kind of person when doing something would move a thousand jin with four ounces1?fig aplished great things with few results, ¡°The child is still young, and I n to let her stay like this for another two years. It¡¯s not toote to put off her marriage now for another few years.¡±

    When adults were talking, children usually won¡¯t interfere, so Yuchen stayed by Qiu Shi¡¯s side, with her eyes didn¡¯t even look around her. She didn¡¯t dare to make any abnormal move in front of these many people. If she did, at that time, it was a guarantee that she would lose her face.

    While everyone was talking with each other, a maid outside announced, ¡°Old Madam, Madam, Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang has arrived.¡±

    Yuxi was very keen to realize that when the maid¡¯s words fell into everyone¡¯s ears, somedies¡¯ faces slightly changed. If she didn¡¯t observe them carefully, she wouldn¡¯t be able to see them at all.

    Pce Dress

    Usually worn by those who had been conferred with Princess like Junzhu, Xianzhu etc.

    Image Credit |Baike Baidu

    When Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang appeared, Yuxi¡¯s expression was somewhat subtle. Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang wore a purple pce dress and a pink shawl, which showed her exquisite figure. A green jade hairpin was inserted into her bun, with its little tassel drifted gently in the wind, making her extremely charming.

    Yuxi took a look at Qiu Shi and saw her aunt to be frowning, so she lowered her head again. She was different from Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. Even if Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had been publicised as a taboo, she had a special identity and for that reason, no one dare to peck at her. However, she was not the same. As long as she did something a little different, she might die without a burial ce1?Chinese idiom :e to a bad end, and even to the point of scattering her bone ashes2?Chinese idiom : to be considered as deeply sinful.

    Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang gave a younger generation¡¯s courtesy towards Old Madam Jiang, and said a few congrattory wishes. She was the Emperor¡¯s rtive. For her to gifted this kind of courtesy towards Old Madam Chiang was already could be considered as giving the Old Madam some faces.

    Old Madam Chiang responded with some polite words, then turned to Chiang Yi and instructed, ¡°Bring Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang to her seat outside.¡± After she done saying that, she said to Yuchen next, ¡°Chen girl, you should bring your sisters to sit outside too!¡± These words from Old Madam Chiang showed that she treated Yuchen like her own child.

    All the people present were human beings. Hearing these conversations, they could not help to specte. However, this had nothing to do with Yuxi.

    After Yuxi went out of the room, she felt that her breathing had be much smoother. Although she was not nervous, there were so many people in the room that she was getting depressed.

    The weather was not good today. Although there were no dark clouds, the sky was grey. Naturally, it was impossible to go to the garden in this weather. Chiang Yi led Heshou?he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang to a quiet and elegant courtyard. The main hall of the courtyard were full of chairs and desks, which were filled with fruitage and pastries. The arrangement was really appropriate.

 Chapter 97 - Chiang Family (2)

    <strong>Chapter 97 : Chiang Family (2)</strong>

    As the host, Chiang Yi couldn¡¯t stay there all the time, so she gave Yuchen the job of entertaining and be the host to Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. No matter what, Yuchen was also half the master of Marquis Pingqing residence.

    Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang said a few words to Yuchen, and then she said to Yuxi, ¡°Miss Yuxi has excellent chess skills. Today it seems like I have nothing to do. How about a game between you and me?¡±

    Yuxi looked embarrassed. Thus, Yuchen answered with a smile on her behalf instead, ¡°Xianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, Yuxi Meimei3younger sister is good at chess, but she has one problem, that is, she ys chess too slow. If Xianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang ys chess with her today, perhaps it will not be able to finish by lunchtime.¡°

    Heshou1he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu2Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang looked at Yuxi¡¯s appearance and said with a smile, ¡°Then, just forget about it.¡± Not long ago, she had instructed some people to carefully check for any information on Yuxi. Although she felt that there was something wrong with Yuxi, she could not find any clues. After careful analysis of what Han Yuxi had done in these recent years, there was nothing particrly out of line. There were only two possibilities for this result, either she was wrong or Han Yuxi was very good in pretending.

    More and more guests arrived for the banquet and even Yu Xiyu came. Obviously, Yu Xiyu¡¯s attraction force was much bigger than Heshou Xianzhu, as some people started to gather just to talk to her.

    Yuxi was originally with Yuru. When she saw that Zhou Shiya also arrived at the banquet, she immediately went to Zhou Shiya¡¯s side.

    Zhou Shiya whispered to Yuxi, ¡°The Duan family has refused Chiang family¡¯s marriage proposal, so it will be unlikely for Xinrong Jiejie?elder sister toe.¡± If Madam Duan had refused the marriage proposal at the beginning, it would have been fine. The key point was that both families were splitting because of the Eight Characters. Madam Duan suddenly refused the marriage with the reason that their Eight Characters being ipatible, which made the Chiang family quite angry. Therefore, this time, Old Madam Chiang did not send an invitation to the Duan family for her 60th birthday.

    This matter was already spected by Yuxi. ¡°Let¡¯s don¡¯t talk anymore about Xinrong Jiejie?elder sister matter. I heard that Er Biao?Er=two/second, biao=family rtionship via females Shen?form of address for a woman about one¡¯s mother¡¯s age; aunt; auntie is forcing you to learn needlework every day.¡° As she asked this, her face was full of schadenfreude, making Zhou Shiya who saw it wanted to very much choked her. Of course, if it wasn¡¯t for her image in public, she would certainly have done so.

    Zhou Shiya responded with a bitter face, ¡°Not only I should learn needlework, but I also have to learn how to cook. I¡¯m really living a miserable life now. It won¡¯t be easy for me toe out again for the rest of this year!¡° She was very particr about food and clothing, but it was difficult for her to prepare them by herself.

    Yuxi helplessly retorted, ¡°You ah, grows up in happiness, but fail to appreciate what happiness really means?Chinese well-known phrase not appreciate the happy life one enjoys.¡± Children without mothers, even if they had not met evil stepmother and had no worries about food and clothing, would still walk on tortuous path in the future. In a situation like Yuchen¡¯s, there were only a few who could be doted by their Zumu?father¡¯s mother and Waizumu?mother¡¯s mother. As for her, there was no need to be mentioned.

    Zhou Shiya heard Yuxi¡¯s unspoken implication1?Chinese idiom : the actual meaning of what was said, so she stopped talking about this topic. ¡°Speaking of which, I really admire you. You have learned so well on how to do needlework and cooking dishes. Then, there is nothing for you to worry about in the future.¡°

    Yuxi¡¯s face was showing a slight helplessness, ¡°Who said I don¡¯t have anything to worry about? I have to learn to manage the household from next year. If only managing the household is something trivial.¡°

    Zhou Shiya immediately felt her future prospect was dark, ¡°I can¡¯t escape either! Hai, my Si Jie11si=four/fourth, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie is getting married at the end of the year. I shudder to think that one must serve one¡¯s inws and win the favor of one¡¯s husband when one marries another, and one must also beware of concubines who are making trouble.¡° It was a thousand good to be at one¡¯s own home, but would be very difficult once you left home to get married.

    Yuxi did not know that Zhou Shiya could be this pessimistic. ¡°Your mother loves you so much and she will be sure to find a good family for you. You don¡¯t need to be worried.¡± Seeing that Zhou Shiya still looked disgruntled, she smiled, ¡°My situation is ten times more difficult than yours. I¡¯m not worried. So, why do you need to be this worry?¡±

    They were muttering when they heard a quarrel. Yuxi heard Yurong¡¯s voice and immediately went out. She noticed that Qiu Yanfu¡¯s clothes were wet and there were many green tea leaves on her dress. She looked very embarrassed. On the opposite side, there was a woman dressed in a gorgeous autumn-coloured dress looking at Qiu Yanfu with disdain.

    Zhou Shiya kept close to Yuxi¡¯s ear and whispered to her ear, ¡°The woman wearing purple clothes is Lin Mei, the sixth young miss of the Duke of Ding residence.¡± Duke of Ding residence was not in a good rtionship with Duke Han of the State residence. Over the years, the rtionship between the two residences had been particrly lukewarm. However, in public asions, both residences would maintain their personal affection. So she didn¡¯t know what caused the uproar this time.

    Lin Mei raised her voice and said, ¡°I said I didn¡¯t mean it. I already apologized. I don¡¯t know what else do you want from me.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu was livid as she angrily said, ¡°Did you really apologize just now? Also, you obviously did it on purpose, by spilling tea on my clothes.¡° She didn¡¯t know how many people woulde to bully her if she submitted to the humiliation this time around.

    When Lin Mei heard Qiu Yanfu¡¯s words, the corner of her mouth at once raised, ¡°Then I don¡¯t know what Miss Qiu wants? Do you wish me to assist you with money? How much money do you want just tell me, I¡¯ll send it to you when I return to my residence.¡°

    Qiu Yanfu was so angry that she couldn¡¯t say anything back. Lin Mei¡¯s remark was a naked insult to her, which humiliated her as a girl from a merchant family with only money in her eyes.

    Yurong was also furious and cried out in anger, ¡°You deliberately spilled tea on my Biaojie12elder female cousin, and now you are spitting blood13Chinese idiom : venomously nder here. Is this how you have been brought up?¡±

    Lin Mei sneered, ¡°No matter how bad the rules of our residence are, we won¡¯t be parading around with nothing.¡± Although she was a shu1?born from concubine daughter, her mother was deeply loved by Duke of Ding Shizi1?heir of a noble family. As a result, she developed this huge temper of her.

    Yurong was so angry that she stared at Lin Mei as she said, ¡°Who do you say is nothing? You are just a little shu1?born from concubine girl. Do you think you are extraordinary?¡°

    Lin Mei was furious, as being born from a concubine was something painful that she could never speak of. Yuxi noticed that the situation was getting bad that she immediately said, ¡°Miss Lin, today is the 60th birthday of Old Madam of the Marquis residence. If this really breaks out, it won¡¯t be good for anyone.¡± When guests made trouble in the host family residence, they would offend the host family first, and the next one to be ruin was their own reputation for not knowing slight or important, urgent or non-urgent1?Chinese idiom : sense of priority.

    Lin Mei looked at Yuxi and said with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know that Fourth Miss Han is not only good at ying chess, but also good at talking.¡±

    Yuxi said with a calm face, ¡°It¡¯s still much better than Miss Lin.¡± No matter how much she hated Yurong, she couldn¡¯t let her be bullied here.

    Lin Mei nced at Yurong and Qiu Yanfu. She chuckled and did not speak anymore. This also meant that she would no longer pursue the matter.

    As Yuxi noticed that Yurong still had an angry face on, she immediately said, ¡°Wu Meimei1?wu=five/fifth, Meimei=younger sister take Qiu Biaojie12elder female cousin to change clothes.¡± In order to guard against emergencies, they would always bring two sets of clothes when they went out. This was why she said this.

    Yurong muttered, ¡°Where can we change our clothes?¡±

    When Lin Mei heard this, she burst outughing. She wanted to sneer, but when she saw Chiang Yiing in from the outside, she wisely said nothing.

    Yuxi was afraid that Yu Rong might say something bad again, thus she went to Chiang Yi and whispered, ¡°Da Biaojie1?da=big/eldest, Biaojie=elder female cousin, Miss Lin identally wet Qiu Biaojie12elder female cousin¡¯s clothes just now. I don¡¯t know if Da Biaojie1?da=big/eldest, Biaojie=elder female cousin can find some clothes for Qiu Biaojie12elder female cousin?¡°

    Chiang Yi nced at Yuxi, then she smiled and told the maids around her to bring Qiu Yanfu to change clothes. Qiu Yanfu did not know what kind of mentality she was currently having, as she looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°Si Biaomei1?Si=four/fourth, Biaomei=younger female cousin, will youe with me?¡±

    All the people standing around nearby were watching the y. How could Yuxi not know what Qiu Yanfu meant? ¡°I¡¯ll let Wu Mei2?wu=five/fifth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei to go with you!¡± She always thought Qiu Yanfu was very clever and she herself did not know what was really going on today.

    Yurong didn¡¯t think much about it. She originally wanted to go out with Qiu Yanfu anyway.

    Yuxi thought the matter would end right here, but she didn¡¯t expect that half a shichen21one of the 12 two-hour periods of the day=2 hourster, Chiang Yi¡¯s personal maid came over and whispered two words to Chiang Yi¡¯s face. Chiang Yi¡¯s face changed slightly, and then she left in a hurry.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t care much when she saw this scene. The Marquis residence had so many guests today that some problems were already expected, just whether the problems were big or small.

    She didn¡¯t know who suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s going to rain.¡±

    The sky was getting darker and darker as it started to go hazy. Soon, bean-sized raindrops fell from the sky, rattling the windows.

    Zhou Shiya said in a low voice, ¡°The heaven doesn¡¯t really being cooperative.¡± No matter who held the banquet, they were most afraid of the weather being bad since it was inconvenient to do anything.

    When the time for noon meal arrived, Yuxi still didn¡¯t the appearance of Qiu Yanfu and Yurong. Suddenly, there was something like bad feeling shed in her heart. Qiu Yanfu wanted to climb a higher branch. In case anything became out of line today, if Qiu Yanfu fell alone, then it would be okay, but Yurong went along with her. Yurong and Yuxi¡¯s condition was like honoured one, you honoured them all, injured one, you injured them all22be bound together for good or ill. She just didn¡¯t want to get involved. At this time, Yuxi was a little regretful. If she had known about this earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have let Yurong followed Qiu Yanfu. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When Zhou Shiya became aware of Yuxi¡¯s worries, she said with a smile, ¡°This is the Marquis Pingqing residence. Even if something bad happens, the Marquis residence will surely suppress it. Even if it is not for Marquis residence reputation, it will be for your San Jie23san=three/third, jie=elder sisters, short form for Jiejie. Your San Jie23san=three/third, jie=elder sisters, short form for Jiejie, Yuchen, is the heart of Old Madam Chiang.¡°

    Yuxi did not felt at ease even after hearing Zhou Shiya¡¯s words. If Qiu Yanfu cared about reputation, she would not have designed after her Erge2?er=two/second, ge=elder brother, short form of Gege from the beginning. He married her because he thought he had ruined her innocence.

    A lot of things were inconvenient to do when it rained. Today¡¯s lunch had been put off for more than a quarter of an hour. At this time, Yuchen¡¯s maid, Shiqin, came over at Yuxi side and whispered something to her ear.

    After Shiqim left, Zhou Shiya asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    Yuxi breathed a sigh of relief and answered, ¡°My Wu Mei2?wu=five/fifth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei and Qiu Yanfu are beside my mother.¡± As for what happened in the middle, Shiqin didn¡¯t mention it just now. She won¡¯t know about it until they went back home.

    A light rain was falling outside, as it had no intention of stopping. Because of the rain, it was not convenient to serve the food here. However, Marquis Pingqing residence had long been well prepared as the food on the table was still hot.

    It was impossible for one to eat and drink to one¡¯s heart¡¯s content while at someone else¡¯s home. So Yuxi, just ate like any other girl around, where she ate only in small bites, and it took her half an hour.

    After lunch, Yuji joined Yuru and Yujing. Yujing looked at Yuxi being alone and asked curiously, ¡°Where are Wu Mei2?wu=five/fifth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei and Qiu Biaojie12elder female cousin?¡±

    Yuxi answered with a smile, ¡°By Mother side.¡± Yujing wasn¡¯t someone who took the interests of the whole into ount2?consider the situation as a whole. If she let Yujing knew about something weird, Yujing would surely cry out. It was okay to tell her when the right time came.

    Yujing looked suspiciously at Yuxi, but she knew that such asion was not suitable for her recklessness, so she just kept the matter in her mind.

 Chapter 98 - Penalised

    <strong>Chapter 98 : Penalised</strong>

    When Yuxi was going to return home, she did not see Yuchen around, so she asked, ¡°Where is San Jie1san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form of jiejie?¡±

    Qiu Shi smiled and said, ¡°Your San Jie1san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form of jiejie is currently entertaining guests with Eldest Miss of Chiang family. She will be back in two days.¡±

    Yuxi gave out a cry of ¡®Oh¡¯, as she had nothing else to say other than that. In fact, in her heart, she was continuously ridiculing this act. Old Madam Chiang was really capable in finding an opportunity to make Yuchen stayed in the Chiang family. Other people may not know about it, but to Yuxi, it was very clear. Yuchen respected and adored Old Madam Chiang very much, but she wasn¡¯t that fond of staying with them. Old Madam Chiang and Lord Marquis Chiang may had doted on her very much, however, the rest of the Chiang family didn¡¯t feel the same thing. In particr, Chiang Xin, who was so averse to Yuchen.

    When they arrived at the gate, Qiu Shi said to Wu Shi, ¡°I¡¯ll be with Fourth Girl, while Dimei2younger sister-inw will be together with Fifth Girl and Miss Fu!¡± That morning, she shouldn¡¯t have shared a carriage with Wu Shi, since she was bored to see that evil woman, but she couldn¡¯t help it. This was the first time for Wu Shi to attend such a big banquet, and there were some things she must remind her. Now that they were on their way back home, she was unwilling to let herself be in grievance again.

    After they got on the carriage, aside from them, the carriage was full with their trusted subordinates, so Yuxi didn¡¯t have any misgivings, as she asked, ¡°Eldest Aunt, did something happen just now?¡±

    Qiu Shi weighed it carefully in her heart, and finally decided to tell Yuxi about it. ¡°Miss Fu Biao3family rtionship via females and your Wu Meimei?wu=five/fifth, meimei=younger sister came across Tenth Young Master of the Chiang family in the backyard.¡± She avoided telling Yuxi about Qiu Yanfu being teased by the Tenth Young Master. It was really inappropriate for a young girl like Yuxi to hear anyway!

    Yuxi wondered, ¡°As far as I know, there are only four young masters in Marquis Pingqing residence! Was this Tenth Young Master from the branch of Chiang family?¡° There were only two di?born from formal wife sons and two shu?born from concubine sons in Marquis Pingqing residence, so how could they suddenly have tenth young master?

    Qiu Shi nodded and exined, ¡°He is actually the second son of the Third Old Master of the Chiang family.¡± The Third Old Master of the Chiang family was the biaodi?younger brother from the same parents of the Old Marquis who had passed away. It was only natural to invite him on such a big day today.

    Yuxi wasn¡¯t the type who took joy in cmity and delight in disaster?Chinese idiom : to rejoice in other people¡¯s misfortune over Qiu Yanfu¡¯s encounter with a male guest. On the contrary, she frowned and asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it said that the Chiang family has the strictest rules? Why was there still a man in the backyard?¡° The most taboo thing for the host family to hold a banquet was when the security for their home gateway was not strict enough. Who knew if it would be other guests who suffered? This time, it was right for Yuxi to take an extra maid when she went out.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t me the Chiang family too much. As a person in charge of the household herself, she knew that no matter how tight the security arrangement was, as long as one set one¡¯s mind, one could go in through the loophole. Furthermore, today¡¯s incident was not fully attributable to the family of Marquis Pingqing. It was Qiu Yanfu herself who was running around in the backyard. ¡°Fortunately, it didn¡¯t cause any bad effect, or else, you would all be involved.¡± She nned to go back and inform the Old Madam about it. Next time, no need to let Qiu Yanfu follow them out through the gate of the house, to save them from being disgraced and lose their faces because of her.

    Yuxi took this opportunity to tell tale of Qiu Yanfu in front of Qiu Shi, ¡°Eldest Aunt, Qiu Yanfu was inquiring about Erge?Er=two/second, Ge=elder brother, short form of Gege in the residence some time ago. Erge?Er=two/second, Ge=elder brother, short form of Gege hasn¡¯t been betrothed yet, so Aunt, you have to be extra careful with her.¡°

    Qiu Shi¡¯s face was somewhat ugly, ¡°You said Qiu Yanfu was inquiring about your Erge?Er=two/second, Ge=elder brother, short form of Gege?¡± Their encounterst time, she had treated it as a meeting by chance. If what Yuxi said was true, then, in that case, the nature of the encounter waspletely different.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°If Eldest Aunt doesn¡¯t believe it, Aunt can ask the maids of Shuixiang Courtyard. Aunt, as the saying goes, those who do not guard against thieves remember them long after. Fortunately, Erge?Er=two/second, Ge=elder brother, short form of Gege is not in the residence right now. When he finds a job in the capital next year, he will return to the residence every day. Who knows what will happen at that time? Aunt also knows Erge?Er=two/second, Ge=elder brother, short form of Gege¡¯s temperament. If Qiu Yanfu plotted against him, once his started to show his obstinacy to marry her, who could stop him?¡°

    Mama Li had reminded Qiu Shi before, but she didn¡¯t take it to heart. Now, with Yuxi¡¯s words of advise, they went straight to her heart. Before, she always chased the wind and clutched at shadows1?Chinese idiom : act on hearsay evidence, but now there was evidence.

    When Yuxi looked at Qiu Shi¡¯s expression, she finally put down the worries in her heart. As long as Eldest Aunt was on guard and with those words that she had told her Erge?Er=two/second, Ge=elder brother, short form of Gege, even if Qiu Yanfu seeded in her calction, Erge?Er=two/second, Ge=elder brother, short form of Gege would not marry her as his wife. The worst she would get was only as his concubine.

    When they finally reached home, the rain got even heavier. Because of the heavy rain, the group of people had gotten drenched. Even Yuxi¡¯s skirt became wet. Thus, everyone did not go to the main room but went back to their own courtyard instead.

    Before Yuxi took a bath, she ordered, ¡°Bring the food upter.¡± Every time she went out to for a banquet, the kitchen would also prepare food for her to eat when she came back.

    After showering and changing her clothes, the food had already been set up. Yuxi didn¡¯t eat much either. After she was fifty percent full, she put down her chopsticks.

    Zisu then told the maid to remove all the tableware, as she turned to Yuxi and asked, ¡°Miss, will Third Madam be angry with you this time?¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t care at all. ¡°Counter soldiers with arms, water with an earth weir11Chinese idiom : different situations call for different action.¡± Wu Shi could only use a few moves. In fact, she remembered how frustrated she was and how tearful she would be when she was bullied by Wu Shi all day long in herst life. Therefore, only when one was strong could one seed, and the rest were all just bogus.

    In the evening, Han Jingyan sent a page to Rose Courtyard to invite Yuxi to Biteng Courtyard. As soon as Yuxi entered the room, she found the atmosphere inside was very imposing. Qiu Yanfu was sitting with her eyes red. Yurong who stood on one side was crying with her eyes also red, and Wu Shi¡¯s face was full of anger.

    Yuxi was not affected by the atmosphere. She continued courtesy to the two people sitting on the kang, ¡°Dad, mother.¡± From the address, one could see the difference between intimacy and estrangement.

    Han Jingyan asked with a cold face, ¡°What happened today?¡± When Wu Shi had conflict with Old Madam Han, he had to stand on the Old Madam Han even if he didn¡¯t want to. But when Yuxi shed with Wu Shi, Han Jingyan would only be standing on Wu Shi¡¯s side. It was also during this time that he heard exaggeration words from Yuxi. Otherwise, he would not have been asking today, but immediately reprimanded her.

    Yuxi looked up at Wu Shi and Qiu Yanfu as she asked curiously, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on?¡± She was the best when it came to y dumb.

    Han Jingyan asked with his cold face, ¡°Why did you leave your Biaojie12elder female cousin from female/mother side and Yurong at the Chiang family? And let them be calcted?¡°

    Yuxi really wanted tough. They wanted her to be calcted along with Qiu Yanfu?

    Wu Shi spoke first before Yuxi could say anything, ¡°Before we went out, I asked you to take care of your Meimei13younger sister and Qiu Yanfu. How did you take care of them? Leave them alone and let them be bullied?¡° Yuxi had been to Marquis Pingqing residence and was familiar with the ce. If Yuxi didn¡¯t leave Yanfu and Yurong alone, how could they encounter that bastard? Now, they could only take these pent-up unspoken grievances by themselves.

    Yuxi was not afraid of Wu Shi. When she heard these words, they were such a rarity that she had to say, ¡°That can¡¯t be. Although at that time, Fu Biaojie12elder female cousin from female/mother side had a dispute with Miss Lin, Miss Lin didn¡¯t get any bargain from it.¡± This statement only showed that Qiu Yanfu had not actually been bullied.

    When Wu Shi looked at Yuxi ying dumb, her anger started to rise up, but Han Jingyan was nearby, so she didn¡¯t dare to show how angry she was.

    Yurong suddenly said with her red eyes, ¡°Si Jie1?si=four/fourth, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, when I apanied Fu Biaojie12elder female cousin from female/mother side to change clothes and as we on our way to go back, we met a skirt-chaser who bullied us.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s expression was not looking good as she said, ¡°The rules in Marquis Pingqing residence has always been very strict. For today¡¯s banquet, there were old women servants and maids guarding every corner and every gate in the backyard. Even if the skirt-chaser intruded the backyard, when you came across him, you should have given out a loud shout, then the maid and the old woman who were there would definitely rush in. Wu Meimei?wu=five/fifth, meimei=younger sister, was there any circumstances that have been hidden in this matter?¡° If one followed a maid, one would not be afraid even if one really met the Tenth Young Master of the Chiang family. Just called out and someone would definitelye. But if Qiu Yanfu trespassed on her own, that would be another story.

    Wu Shi coldly said, ¡°Your Biaojie12elder female cousin from female/mother side and Yurong would inevitably go the wrong way when they went to Marquis residence for the first time. If you had listened to me and took them with you all the time, how could this have happened?¡°

    Yuxi was so amused that she said, ¡°Mother, it was Eldest Miss Chiang¡¯s personal maid who took Fu Biaojie12elder female cousin from female/mother side to change clothes at that time. If there was nothing to hide, then, how could the maid have led Fu Biaojie12elder female cousin from female/mother side astray? Does my Mother think I was more familiar with Marquis Pingqing residence than the maids of Eldest Miss Chiang?¡°

    Han Jingyan didn¡¯t expect Yuxi to have such a sharp mouth. He coldly questioned, ¡°Is that how you talk to your mother?¡± It wasn¡¯t something strange when Wu Shi had told him that Yuxi didn¡¯t take her seriously.

    Yuxi looked up at Han jingyan with disappointment and grief in her eyes, ¡°Dad, is Qiu Yanfu more important than the reputation of this daughter and this residence?¡±

    This made Han Jingyan became furious, ¡°How dare you argue back?¡±

    Yuxi also stopped pretending to be dumb as she angrily retorted bacl, ¡°Dad, what is Qiu Yanfu¡¯s status? She is just a merchant¡¯s daughter. If I bring her to get to know the daughters of high-ranking families, not only will I lose my dignity, even the reputation of the residence will also be damaged.¡° In herst life, she didn¡¯t know what was the consequence of her, the di?born from formal wife daughter of Duke of the State residence, being a footman for Qiu Yanfu. Though, this didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t know about it now. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When Qiu Yanfu heard these words from Yuxi, she hated that she couldn¡¯t tear Yuxi¡¯s mouth. Just now, Yuxi said she didn¡¯t obey the rules and now, she was ridiculing her for her low status. This was a keen to forcing her to die. At this moment, she immediatelyined to Wu Shi.

    Han Jingyan scowled, ¡°Have you learned all your rules and etiquette in the dog¡¯s belly?¡±

    Yuxi knew that it would be useless for her to argue, so she simply knelt on the ground and said no more. She just let Han Jingyan continued scolding her.

    When Han Jingyan looked at Yuxi¡¯s action, he became more and more angry. He wouldn¡¯t let her get up. He just let her continued kneeling on the ground.

    Wu Shi could hardly wait for Yuxi to suffer a bit of hardships, so where would she have the heart to intercede, as Yuxi knelt for a quarter of an hour, without having any conscious for her own legs.

    When Zisu heard about this incident, she was so anxious that she was thinking of seeking Eldest Madam to intercede. But then, she thought that maybe Miss had other ns, so she didn¡¯t dare to ask for help. She could only stood there while feeling anxious and helpless for her Miss.

    When Han Jingyan noticed Yuxi continuously closed her mouth, he asked, ¡°Do you know what you have done wrong?¡±

    Yuxi still wanted to argue, ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t know where did I do wrong?¡±

    This painting depicts Confucius at his residence giving a lecture and Zengzi kneeling before him to ask about filial piety. ¨C from Illustrations of ssic of Filial Piety.

    Image Source | National Pce Museum via Wiki

    Han Jingyan told himself not to get angry, but when he looked at Yuxi acting like this, his anger could not help rose up. However, his mind was still rational and he didn¡¯t shout to Yuxi to get lost like he did before. Instead, he said, ¡°Go back and copy ¡®Lessons for Women¡¯ and the ¡®ssic of Filial Piety¡¯ fifty times.¡±

    Wu Shi thought the punishment was too light, but she also knew it was inappropriate to speak about it now as she watched Yuxi went out.

    When Yuxi got up, her legs suddenly lost their strength which made her wanted to fall forward. Fortunately, she responded quickly as she grabbed the chair beside her before she could fall. While holding onto the chair, she let out a cry, ¡°Zisu¡­¡±

    Zisu, who was waiting outside the room, hurried in and looked at Yuxi¡¯s appearance with a huge fright. ¡°Miss, Miss, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    Yuxi only uttered four words in response, ¡°Help me go back.¡±

    Han Jingyan looks at Yuxi¡¯s back, with aplicated look in his eyes.

    This time Yuxi didn¡¯t cry all the way back, but her angry and weak appearance still fell into the eyes of those who set their eyes on her.

    Zisu held her breath. Today, it was obviously had nothing to do with her Miss¡¯ business, but Master still chastised her because of a few words from Wu Shi. It was usually the Old Madam who used to be partial, but now, even Master had acted partial. She really didn¡¯t know when would her Miss¡¯ bad days going to end.

 Chapter 99 - Sick (1)

    <b>Chapter 99 : Sick (1)</b>

    Along the way, Yuxi didn¡¯t say a word. When she arrived in Rose Courtyard, she immediately entered her study and began copying the ¡®ssic of Filial Piety¡¯.

    Kufu took a boiled ginger syrup into the study and said, ¡°Miss, you have been blown by the breeze all night today. Drink some of this ginger syrup to get rid of the cold.¡±

    Yuxi looked at the white steam ginger syrup and instructed, ¡°Take it away. I don¡¯t want to drink it.¡±

    Despite that, Yuxi still ate her dinner as she always did before, which reassured Zisu, who had been afraid that her Miss would not even want to eat because of feeling depressed.

    Yuxi continued copying the ¡®ssic of Filial Piety¡¯ till it reached zishi111pm-1am. Ultimately, Zisu and Kufu had to work together to persuade her to go to sleep.

    Before dawn, it was the darkest time but also the sweetest time for people to sleep.

    Also at that time, the door of the main courtyard had been knocked loudly that it had woken Qiu Shi up. She got out of bed after putting on her clothes and asked Mama Li whom she saw approaching her room, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What¡¯s going on?¡°

    Mama Li quickly informed her, ¡°Madam, Miss Zisu told me that Fourth Miss has a fever and currently unconscious. She was asking for Madam to send someone to fetch the doctor.¡°

    Qiu Shi had a huge shock, ¡°How can this be? That child has always been in good health.¡° Since Yuxi had gotten well from smallpox, she had only been sick twice after that. At that time, she could even get well without taking any medicine.

    Mama Li slightly sighed and asked, ¡°Madam, would you like to go over and have a look?¡± Fourth Miss must have felt so wronged in her heartst night, plus she was caught in a little rain beforehand, and now, she had a fever.

    When Qiu Shi arrived at Rose Courtyard, she could see that the ce was brightly lit, but it wasn¡¯t in disorderly condition as she had expected. Everything was in good order, which made her heart deeply praised Yuxi.

    When Kufu saw Qiu Shiing over, tears immediately streamed down her face, ¡°Eldest Madam, Miss¡¯ body temperature is too high.¡±

    When Qiu Shi entered the room, she saw Yuxi¡¯s flushed face, however there was a towel folded into a square on her forehead. At this time, Maidong was taking another towel to change it with.

    Looking at this scene, Qiu Shi sat on the bed and helped Yuxi changed the towel on her forehead.

    Yuxi¡¯s body temperature was extremely high that she unconsciously wanted to turn over but was held down by Qiu Shi. She looked so miserable when she muttered, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t feel so good. Mom, where are you?¡±

    When Qiu Shi heard Yuxi¡¯s mutterings, tears immediately fell down from her eyes, ¡°Such a poor child.¡±

    Half a shichen2one of the 12 two-hour periods of the day=2 hourster, the doctor finally came. After Doctor Bai examined Yuxi¡¯s pulse, he frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯ll prescribe two patches of medicine for treating her fever.¡± Doctor Bai was specifically employed by the Duke residence. So, he knew the physical condition of every person living in the residence very well.

    When Doctor Bai was prescribing the medicines, Qiu Shi went out and asked, ¡°Doctor, my niece was drenched in the rain yesterday, but she has been fine all this time. Was it possible for her to have a fever because of the rain?¡± Yesterday it was not only Yuxi who got wet in the rain, but others also.

    Doktor Bai lowered his voice as he answered, ¡°Fourth Miss suffers from cold and internal heat generated by anxiety has attacked her heart3a mental illness caused by a person who does not vent well when one encounters some ufortable things in one¡¯s life, which are the causes of her high fever.¡± Though, he did not ask why a teenager would have this kind of anxiety in her heart.

    Qiu Shi stared at his eyes and gave him a wry smile. She also knew that Yuxi was wrongedst night, but it was just that she couldn¡¯t show herself up. If Yuxi was bullied by Wu Shi, she would certainly be able to help her to get out of that ce. But this was the order from the Third Master. There was nothing she could do about it!

    After the medicine cooked, Zisu carefully fed it to Yuxi using spoon. Although Yuxi had a high fever, fortunately, she was still able to drink the medicine and did not vomit it back out. This made everyone in the room felt relieved.

    Only after daybreak did Old Madam know about Yuxi being unconsciousst night. ¡°What¡¯s going on? How did she have a fever?¡° It was just a few drops of rain on Yuxi¡¯s clothes and she didn¡¯t even getpletely wet. No one else was sick, except for Yuxi, who was the one who had the best of health. Who would believe that?

    Mama Luo informed her, ¡°The doctor said that Fourth Miss has been infected with dry air, together with internal heat generated by anxiety attack ing her heart3a mental illness caused by a person who does not vent well when one encounters some ufortable things in one¡¯s life which have caused the fever.¡±

    Old Madam responded in a low voice, ¡°That girl¡¯s temperament is too big.¡± Nine times out of ten, Yuxi must have been reprimanded by her son yesterday. Because of that incident, Yuxi became upset and since she had been caught in the rain before, she got herself a fever.

    Old Madam always thought that Yuxi¡¯s temper was too perverse. No matter how wrong her son and Wu Shi were, they should not be questioned by a younger generation like Yuxi. So yesterday, she heard her son had chastised Yuxi, and she herself thought it was better to take this opportunity to crush Fourth Girl¡¯s arrogance. However, she didn¡¯t expect that Yuxi would get sick just because of anger.

    Mama Luo wasn¡¯t good in responding to that kind of words from the Old Madam. She tried to change the conversation by asking, ¡°Old Madam, do you want to see Fourth Misster on?¡±

    Old Madam shook her head and said, ¡°Forget it. You can go and see her on my behalf.¡± After Yuxi¡¯s birthday banquet, the father-daughter rtionship eased a lot, but now it had frozen again. However, this time around, she did not intend to find out what Han Jingyan had said to Yuxi. In her opinion, Yuxi¡¯s temperament was too big. If she indulged her again this time, she was afraid that she would not be able to shake the earthter on. As Old Madam thought till here, she couldn¡¯t help missing Yuchen again. Yuchen was quite clever in showing her filial piety. If Yuxi was half as good as Yuchen, she wouldn¡¯t have been worried about her.

    While, Wu Shi knew about Yuxi being sick after she had done with her breakfast. As she heard this news, a smile appeared on her face. Wasn¡¯t that girl so capable? Now, that girl fell sick because of fear. She then said with a cheerful voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go see that girl.¡±

    This was Wu Shi¡¯s first visit to Rose Courtyard. Although she had heard more than once about the simpleyout of the courtyard, what she saw and what she heard were totally two different things. Looking at theyout of the courtyard, her eyes shed with scorn. Qiu Shi was inconsistent as she kept on iming that she treated Yuxi as if she was her own child. Just by looking at theyout of the courtyard, it seemed like Qiu Shi was only knew how to brag about it.

    When Zisu saw Wu Shi, she suppressed her anger as she said, ¡°Madam, Miss hasn¡¯t woken up yet.¡± After Yuxi took her medicine, she had not woken up until now.

    Wu Shi ignored Zisu and went straight into Yuxi¡¯s bedroom. When she smelled the medicines, she frowned. She walked straight to the bed and looked at Yuxi who was indeed asleep. Without uttering any words, she then left with her maid.

    Zisu was extremely angry, but Wu Shi was the master while she was only a servant. No matter how angry she was, she couldn¡¯t do anything to Wu Shi.

    It was almost noon when Yuxi finally opened her eyes. When she woke up, she suddenly felt dizzy and her mouth was also a little painful, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡±

    Zisu wiped the tears from the corner of her eye and said, ¡°Miss, you caught a cold yesterday and had a high fever. Fortunately, the doctor came in time, otherwise¡­¡°

    Yuxi reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine soon,¡± It was likely because of her unstable mood, coupled with her being under the rain yesterday, it had lead to her having a fever.

    At that time, Kufu brought over a bowl of millet porridge, ¡°Miss, have some porridge!¡± This time, her Miss had really suffered a long standing sin. Kufu also didn¡¯t know what was going on in Third Master¡¯s mind, but he had gone so far with the way he treated her Miss like this.

    Before Yuxi could finish drinking the bowl of porridge, Qiu Shi came over for a visit. Yuxi greeted her with a pale smile, ¡°Eldest Aunt, you are here.¡±

    Qiu Shi touched Yuxi¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°You, this child, how can you not cherish your body at all? Do you want to hurt me so much!?¡°

    Yuxi coughed before she could reply.

    Qiu Shi hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk. The doctor said you should have a good rest. Now, don¡¯t think about anything. You should take good care of yourself first.¡°

    Yuxi knew Qiu Shi had treated her well so she nodded. Then she requested, ¡°Aunt, I want to see Mama Fang. Can you allow her toe into the residence?¡±

    Qiu Shi hesitated for a moment, before she finally nodded her head, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ask someone to send a letter to Mama Fang and let here to see you tomorrow.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Aunt.¡± Before, she had questioned why Han Jingyan hated her so much. So she decided that she should take this opportunity to personally ask Mama Fang.

    Meanwhile, Yuchen was very well informed about the event happened at her home and soon learned that Yuxi had fallen sick. She immediately went to see Old Madam Chiang and said, ¡°Waizumu?mother¡¯s mother, I heard that Yuxi has fallen sick. I want to go back and take a look at her.¡±

    Old Madam Chiang slightly frowned and said, ¡°Even if Fourth Girl is ill, your grandmother and the Madam of the state residence are still there. There is nothing you can do even when you go back home.¡±

    Yuchen apologetically said, ¡°Waizumu?mother¡¯s mother, I will be worried about her until I can go back and have a look at her.¡± No one knew better about Yuxi¡¯s health than she did. With just a few drops of rain, there was no way Yuxi would suddenly caught a cold and had a fever. There must be something strange happened. She wouldn¡¯t stop worrying if she didn¡¯t go back and have a look at Yuxi with her two eyes.

    When Old Madam Chiang looked at Yuchen¡¯s manner, she knew that she could not stop her. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll let your Da Biaoge?da=big/eldest, biaoge=elder male cousin escorts you back.¡±

    Yuchen was reluctant to bother Jiang Wei. ¡°Waizumu?mother¡¯s mother, you shouldn¡¯t need to bother. It¡¯s only half a shichen2one of the 12 two-hour periods of the day=2 hours walk from here to the residence.¡±

    Old Madam Chiang pretended to be angry, ¡°You didn¡¯t even listen to the words of your Waizumu?mother¡¯s mother now?¡±

    Yuchen was helpless as she had to nod as an agreement to her Waizumu?mother¡¯s mother¡¯s words.

    After Yuchen left, Old Madam Chiang instructed an old woman servant of hers, ¡°Go and find out what actually happened to Fourth Miss.¡± Yuxi didn¡¯t get sick sooner orter, but somehow she was sick at this time around. It was not easy for Old Madam Chiang nned on taking advantage of this opportunity to make Yuchen stay at her home for a few days, and then somehow, her n had been disturbed because of this matter. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Old woman Min, who was close to Old Madam Chiang, said, ¡°Madam, Miss Biao?family via rtionship via females seems to value Miss Yuxi very much!¡± She knew that Old Madam had always wanted some of her granddaughters to make friends with Biao?family via rtionship via females Girl, but it happened that none of them understood the pains of her master.

    Old Madam Chiang shook her head helplessly, ¡°Yuxi and Yuchen are not only close sisters, but also learn from the same teacher and nurturing momo?wet nurse together. Because of that, they have gotten along with each other over time. Naturally, their feelings are much deeper than with the others. Moreover, that girl?Yuxi has really deep thought.¡°

    Old woman Min responded, ¡°Old Madam, I¡¯m afraid Miss Biao?family via rtionship via females will suffer.¡±

    Old Madam Chiang replied, ¡°Yuchen is not a stupid person and will not be easily calcted. Hai~ if Xin-er?used as endearment has that girl?Yuxi¡¯s mind, I won¡¯t have to worry so much about her.¡° How could she not see Chiang Xin¡¯s rejection of Yuchen? She had looked for so many opportunities to get them close with each other, but unfortunately all of her ns were useless.

    When Yuchen returned to the state residence, she did not even go back to her own courtyard but went directly to Rose Courtyard instead.

    Yuxi¡¯s health had been very good in recent years but somehowst night, it suddenly became dangerous. Howeve, after taking two patches of medicines, she had be half cured. When she saw Yuchen, she was very surprised, ¡°San Jie1?san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form of jiejie, why did youe back?¡±

    Yuchen looked at Yuxi¡¯s face and she felt relieved, ¡°I heard that you had a high feverst night. I was worried that I have toe back. How are you now? Are you getting better?¡°

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°I feel much better after taking the medicine. I didn¡¯t think that my illness had bothered San Jie1?san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form of jiejie to return early from the Marquis residence. I feel really ashamed.¡°

    Yuchen didn¡¯t know whether to be angry or tough at what Yuxi was saying, ¡°What a silly remark are you saying. I will naturallye back if you are sick. By the way, how did you get sick?¡° Yuxi had followed Momo?wet nurse Quan in learning pharmacology, and the most important thing she had to pay attention to was the way of keeping herself fit. Under normal circumstances, Yuxi won¡¯t easily get sick.

    Yuxi was silent for some time before she said, ¡°Father severely reprimanded me yesterday for Qiu Yanfu¡¯s incident, saying that I didn¡¯t know how to respect elders and didn¡¯t love my sisters. I couldn¡¯t ept the usations, so I refuted him with some sentences. As a result, father let me knelt on the ground, where the floor was very cold. I think that was the only way for me to catch a cold and fever!¡°

    Yuchen¡¯s face darkened. In this eleventh lunar month, her dad had gone as far as letting Yuxi knelt on the ground for a quarter of an hour. What did he take Yuxi for? Yuchen had always wanted to improve her dad¡¯s rtionship with Yuxi and she had been working hard for it. However now, it seemed that it would be useless for her to even try again.

 Chapter 100 - Sick (2)

    <strong>Chapter 100 : Sick (2)</strong>

    Yuxi noticed Yuchen¡¯s look of concern, so she bowed her head, looking as if she had been hit hard, ¡°San Jie1san=three/third, Mother told me to bring along Qiu Yanfu to get acquainted with more people, but Qiu Yanfu is only a daughter of a merchant. How could I introduce her to others? What will others think of me then?¡° After a pause, she added, ¡°At that time, there were so many people in the courtyard, but Qiu Yanfu still had to ask me to apany her to change clothes. When did I be her maid that I should do whatever she told me to do? Father didn¡¯t even give me a chance to exin, and he just punished me by asking me to kneel down for more than a quarter of an hour.¡°

    Yuchen¡¯s brows wrinkled so much that they could even catch flies. ¡°Dad didn¡¯t even listen to your exnation?¡± Dad had gone too far this time. Was Qiu Yanfu his daughter or was it Yuxi?

    Yuxi gave out a wry smile, ¡°San Jie1san=three/third, I really don¡¯t understand, am I really Father¡¯s own daughter? Otherwise, why would Father embarrassed me so many times for an outsider? San Jie1san=three/third, I have been thinking all these years. Was I a child that had been picked up by this family? If not, why aren¡¯t Grandmother and Father that fond of me?¡° Under Momo2wet nurse Quan¡¯s persuasion, she had tried hard to please the Old Madam over the years. Unfortunately, the Old Madam¡¯s attitude towards her didn¡¯t even change for a bit. It was neither too cold, too hot, nor too close. After seeing her efforts didn¡¯t bring any effect, she would no longer waste her time pleasing the Old Madam.

    Yuchen was taken aback by Yuxi¡¯s words, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? This isn¡¯t something you can just casually say, and you should never say such stupid things like that again.¡±

    Yuxi lowered her head, as her tears fell down again. She was really pitiful.

    Yuchen¡¯s heart also felt very ufortable. She knew that if it weren¡¯t for Eldest Aunt took care of Yuxi over the years, Yuxi would not have been living sofortably in the residence. However, Grandmother and Father had always treated Yuxi in a cold and indifferent way. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. You should take good care of yourself. No matter what happens, you should not be hard to your body.¡°

    Yuxi gently nodded her head. This statement was true. This body was her own. Even if she lost everything, she won¡¯t lose herself. ¡°San Jie1san=three/third, you should stay away from Qiu Yanfu in the future. Otherwise, you will only suffer.¡°

    Yuchen¡¯s eyes became cold as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t have the courage.¡± If Qiu Yanfu aimed at her, she would definitely make Qiu Yanfu unable to stay in the state residence anymore.

    Mama Fang was extremely happy when she got the news that she was allowed to enter the state residence to see Yuxi.

    Lian Shan felt that something was wrong when he heard the news. Ever since he married Mama Fang, although Fourth Miss often asked people to send things or letters over, but because of some certain misgivings, Mama Fang had been disallowed to enter the residence again. This time, they allowed her into the residence without any indication, which made his instinct questioned their move. He wasn¡¯t worried about these people would cheat Mama Fang once she went into the residence. After all, Mama Fang was now a family member of the Lian family. Even the Han family members were not so daring to treat her. What he really worried about was that Yuxi had gotten into an ident.

    Baozi3steamed stuffed bun with fresh meat and green onions filling. For the resipi, please pay a visit at Õ¬ÓëÂ·ÉÏ at Meishi.

    Image Credit | Zhaiyis at Sina via Meishi

    Mama Fang was busy from the moment she got the news, by preparing this and purchasing that. The next day, she got up before dawn to make Baozi3steamed stuffed bun with fresh meat and green onions filling which Yuxi loved the most.

    Lian Shan looked at Mama Fang in her excitement. He was somewhat worried and thought about it for a moment, ¡°Let Dng?da=eldest,ng=youth apany you to the state residence.¡± Just in case Fourth Miss was really in trouble, Dng?da=eldest,ng=youth could lend his hand.

    Lian Shan¡¯s impression of Yuxi was very good. Not because she gave Mama Fang a generous dowry, but because he knew it was her who persuaded Mama Fang to remarry him. When he wanted to marry Mama Fang back then, how many peopleughed at him and said that rather than marrying a virgin unmarried young woman, he wanted to marry an attractive middle-ageddy. Now, who didn¡¯t envy his unique vision? Not only Mama Fang opened a Baozi3steamed stuffed bun shop in the street near their home, she had also managed his family properly and treated his two children as if they were her own. After she married into his family for a few months, she took the initiative to let the two children learn to read in school. For the two children, Lian Shan was a good father but he wasn¡¯t as thorough as a mother should be. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When Dng?da=eldest,ng=youth heard this, he happily said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go with Mother.¡± After several years of getting along together, the two children had treated Mama Fang as their mother.

    Mama Fang couldn¡¯t resist the suggestion, so in the end, she had to agree to it. Lian Shan called over a carriage and sent the two people into the carriage before he went to work in the yamen?government office in feudal China.

    The jubnt Mama Fang felt something was wrong as soon as she entered Rose Courtyard. When she saw Yuxi lying sick in bed, her tears immediately fell down, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong with you? What happened to you?¡° She thought Yuxi was seriously ill.

    Yuxi smiled and soothed her, ¡°Mama, I just identally affected by the wind and caught myself a cold. I feel much better now, and after I have two more patches of medicine, my illness will be cured.¡°

    Mama Fang was skeptical. ¡°Really?¡±

    Yuxiughed, ¡°When did I ever cheat Mama? If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Zisu, or Doctor Bai.¡°

    This words finally made Mama Fang fully convinced. ¡°Miss also, didn¡¯t know how to treasure Miss¡¯ own body.¡¯

    Yuxi said to Zisu, ¡°You go to the door and stand guard. No one is allowed to get in without my permission.¡± It was inappropriate to let others know about the questioning she was going to conductter.

    Zisu knew that her Miss had something in her mind when she had requested Mama Fang¡¯s entrance into the residence. As expected, she said, ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Then, she went out and stood outside, in front of the door.

    Only then did Mama Fang reacted, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Now, there was no one else in the room, and Yuxi no longer kept the secret from Mama Fang, as she told her what had happened after Han Jingyan and Wu Shi returned to the capital. When Mama Fang heard Yuxi¡¯s words, her face turned to liver-coloured with anger. ¡°Even if Wu Shi is malicious, why does Third Master act the same? Miss is his own daughter. How can he be hard hearted enough to treat you like that?¡°

    After Yuxi done telling everything to Mama Fang, she asked, ¡°Mama Fang, does Father particrly hate Mom? Otherwise, why does he hate me so much?¡° She had been holding back everything until now, and her skill of restraining herself was already superb.

    Mama Fang didn¡¯t know how to begin.

    Yuxi asked the question that she had buried in her heart for several years, ¡°Mama Fang, why did Mom marry Father?¡± ording to the news she had heard over the past few years, her mom has a general appearance and no talent at all. It could be said that she was a very ordinary looking girl without any special characteristics. Even if Han Jingyan wanted to take a second wife, it was still impossible for him to marry her mom. The two were not matched at all. After hearing the news, she thought that nine times out of ten Han Jingyan did not ask her mom to marry him. There must be some unknown secret regarding this marriage.

    Mama Fang was in a bit of a quandary. It had been so many years, and besides, the reason was actually not good.

    Yuxi persuaded, ¡°Mama, I just want to know why Father does this to me?¡± When she saw Mama Fang still hesitating, she continued, ¡°Mama, please tell me! No matter what the reason is, I can stand it.¡° In the worst case, her Mom had calcted Han Jingyan and forced him to marry her.

    Mama Fang hesitated for a moment before she finally said, ¡°In fact, it was also a mistake for Madam to marry Master. In those days, the Ning family befriended the Wei family, and Old Master Wei was a mentor for Third Master Han, who often went to the Wei family residence.¡°

    Yuxi felt that her guess was wrong. If her Mom could do it again, it was impossible for her to calcte Han jingyan in other people¡¯s homes, ¡°Then?¡±

    In fact, the incident was actually simple and ordinary rather than what had been told as somethingplicated andplex. Although Ning Shi was a shu?born from concubine daughter, she was raised like a di?born from formal wife daughter by her dimu?term of address used for their father¡¯s official wife by the children of a concubine. This happened because there were not many daughters had been born in the Ning family, which made them became something really rare and precious. Because of her sudden change in status, Ning Shi¡¯s marriage had also been decided immediately after her birth. As the Ning family was on good terms with the Wei family, they often visited each other around, which resulted in a close friendship between Ning Shi and Third Miss of Wei family.

    As the story reached here, Mama Fang suddenly sighed, ¡°That year, Old Master Wei chose Fourth Young Master of the Wei family for your mother, and they would only be betrothed after he passed the Provisional Examination. But who would have thought that something bad would happen afterwards.¡°

    When Yuxi heard this, she knew that her previous thought had been wrong. Since her Waizufu?mother¡¯s father took a fancy to the Fourth Young Master of the Wei family, he would certainly reveal his intention to her Mom. Under such circumstances, why would her Mom design Han Jingyan. ¡°Then why did Mom married to the state government instead?¡±

    Mama Fang answered, ¡°Your mother went to a banquet held by the Wei family at that time. It was unknown how could she just drank a bit of wine and suddenly passed out drunk. When she woke up, she found out that she hadid next to your father while not properly dressed¡­¡° For them to be found sleeping in the same bed, was something that wasn¡¯t easy for her to tell Yuxi. She would just let Yuxi¡¯s mind fill in the space herself.

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits, ¡°Had Mom been calcted?¡± Having said that out loud, she felt that it was incorrect and added, ¡°It was not only Mom who had been calcted that day, but so did Father.¡±

    Mama Fang nodded her head and said, ¡°Later we knew that Third Miss Wei had a crush on Third Master and wanted to marry him as her second wife, but Madam Wei didn¡¯t want her to marry a widow. Yu Shi, Third Miss Wei just wanted it to be like raw rice was now cooked1?it is done and can¡¯t be changed. Then, Madam Wei would be able to do anything.¡° Third Miss Wei was the third di?born from formal wife daughter of Wei family. Where would her family give her away as the second wife of a widow? At that time, Han Jingyan already had a di?born from formal wife son and daughter.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t believe that all of this was just a coincidence. ¡°Then, who calcted my Mom?¡±

    Mama Fang replied, ¡°Madam was calcted by Lin Miao. Lin Miao was Third Miss Wei biaojie11elder female cousin. She had taken a fancy to Fourth Young Master Wei and thought that Madam was a stumbling block to her, so she used the trick of stealing a rafter for a column12Chinese idiom : to cheat.¡° After that, she said with some emotion, ¡°Actually, Madam and Lin Miao had a very good rtionship, but Madam herself didn¡¯t expect that Lin Mao would do such an evil thing in order to get married to Fourth Young Master Wei.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face looked very strange. Why did women like to use this move! Didn¡¯t they know that there would be endless troubles after they used this act? Even if one got married as one wish, it would be strange that one could still have a good life with such reputation! Unless one met someone like Han Jianye.

    Yuxi was a very keen person, ¡°Mama Fang, was Father unwilling to marry Mom at that time? Did Waizufu?mother¡¯s father forced him to marry her?¡° The Ning family was not a small family. His Waizufu?mother¡¯s father was also a senior official at that time. It was impossible for him to let his daughter became someone else¡¯s concubine. As far as Yuxi knew, Han Jingyan had a deep affection for Chiang Shi. At that time, it was only a year after Chiang Shi¡¯s death, so how would he want to marry her Mom. Thus, nine times out of ten, Han Jingyan had been forced to marry her.

    Mama Fang¡¯s face looked unnatural, but she still told Yuxi, ¡°Madam¡¯s reputation already ruined at that time, and there was no other way for her to go except to marry Master.¡± As for Han Jingyan¡¯s reluctance to marry Ning Shi, it was hard for her to say anything to it.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Does Father still think Mom was the one who calcted him?¡±

    Mama Fang nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Master firmly believed right away that Madam was the one who calcted him at that time. No matter how she exined, he did not want to believe it.¡± What happened after that, she couldn¡¯t tell Yuxi. Han Jingyan stayed in Madam¡¯s room for only three days after their wedding. After they returned from a visit to Madam¡¯s maiden family home, he never entered Madam¡¯s room anymore, and two monthster, he was sent to Hebei.

    Yuxi now knew why Han Jingyan hated her so much. He hated her Mom, and even hated her. Other people would love the house and its crow13Chinese idiom : love everything about sb, while she was like a fish in moat came to grief 1?Chinese idiom : the bystander will also suffer. This idiom has 2 parts, and the author only took the second part. The original is like this ¡®When the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moate to grief (³ÇÃÅÊ§»ð£¬Ñê¼°³ØÓã ch¨¦ngm¨¦n sh¨©hu¨¯, y¨¡ng j¨ª ch¨ª y¨²).

 Chapter 101 - Sick (3)

    <strong>Chapter 101 : Sick (3)</strong>

    Yuxi didn¡¯t speak, which made the atmosphere inside the room started to be imposing. Mama Fang didn¡¯t much like this kind of atmosphere. Her Miss that she hadn¡¯t seen for five years had changed so much since thest time she saw her. .

    Yuxi pondered for a long time before she asked, ¡°Did the Wei family also fall?¡± If not, it would be impossible for her not to ever hear of them.

    Mama Fang nodded and said, ¡°Yes. There were a lot of people involved in that incident, including the Wei family and Ning family. Madam Ning had flee, and if the surviving Ning family hadn¡¯t met with bandits, the boys who hadn¡¯te of age would have surely survive. And also, all the men of the Wei family died in the prison. If I have to say, this was their destiny too! ¡° Her Madam1Yuxi¡¯s real mother had escaped death from this misfortune, though she didn¡¯t able to live several days after that.

    By knowing the causes and consequences, and solving the doubts existed in her heart, Yuxi also finally rxed a lot. She wanted to know these things, not to get Han Jingyan¡¯s attention and love, but rather, her wish for herself to be clear on why she was treated this way by her own family.

    Mama Fang also said, ¡°Miss, please don¡¯t me Madam for selling her dowry to save other people. Although Madam was a shu2born from a concubine daughter, Old Madam Ning and several young masters had been very kind to her.¡° It was also because of this deep feelings that Ning Shi.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Mama, I never me my Mom. Although she did not leave me any dowry, she also entrusted my Eldest Aunt to look after me.¡° Eldest Aunt and Erge3er=two/second, ge=elder brother, short form for gege had been so kind to her, and it was also a blessing that had been left by her mother, so she really didn¡¯t have anything toin about.

    Mama Fang saw Yuxi¡¯s expression did not seem like fake, so she felt relieved but a little bit sad, ¡°If Madam was still here, Miss wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much.¡±

    Yuxi had never thought of this problem, because if she did, she would be thinking too much about it and it would only make her miserable. She deliberately changed the subject and said with a smile, ¡°We all eat grains, so how can we not get ill? Mama doesn¡¯t have to be so worry either. I will be fully recovered in two more days.¡°

    The grief in Mama Fang¡¯s heart was still beyond words. Miss already had a hard life like this, and yet, Master even went as far as sprinkling salt on her wound.

    Yuxi changed the subject with a smile, ¡°Mama, do Mama¡¯s new family members treat Mama nicely?¡± In fact, one didn¡¯t have to ask. Just by looking at Mama Fang¡¯s appearance, one would know that although five years had passed, Mama Fang looked much younger than she did five years ago. From this, one could see howfortable Mama Fang¡¯s life currently was.

    Speaking of her own life, Mama Fang began to rx a lot. ¡°Husband is very kind to me. Dng?da=eldest,ng=youth and Eng?er=second,ng=youth are also very filial to me.¡± She couldn¡¯t be more than satisfied with the life she had currently.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Dng?da=eldest,ng=youth and Eng?er=second,ng=youth are filial right now, but they will have to marryter on.¡± How many sons were filial before marriage, but they didn¡¯t even recognise their parents after they got married, so it was very important to let them married sensible and filial daughter-inws.

    Mama Fang did not know whether she should be happy that Miss still thought for her sake or this miserable Miss of her was being way too sensible. ¡°Miss, you don¡¯t have to worry about these things. When that timees, I¡¯ll personally and carefully pick for them.¡±

    Yuxi also stopped talking about this topic, since this matter was actually quite inappropriate for her to speak about. ¡°Mama Fang, tell me, how have you been living these years?¡± Although some maids had reported about it to her, she did not feel relieved to hear it till she heard it from Mama Fang herself.

    Mama Fang answered with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve bought a tough old woman to take care of the familyundry and cleaning, while I¡¯ll cook every day. Other times, I will be busy working at the baozi?steamed stuffed bun shop. My life has been very easy andfortable.¡± She had given the management of the baozi?steamed stuffed bun shop at Shangyuan Street to old woman An, so she only needed to go there for a few days in a month. She spent the most part of her time, every day, in the newly opened baozi?steamed stuffed bun shop. Other times would be put on her husband and children. In recent years, her life had been very busy but veryfortable. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi responded with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Mama Fang finally had a happy life, and it had not be in vain that she had half-forced and half-coaxed Mama Fang to remarry.

    It was rare for the two to meet each other, so Mama Fang had a lot of things to say to Yuxi. But without saying any of it, it was already time for lunch. Mama Fang looked at the sky and said, ¡°I have to go back.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°I have ordered the kitchen to prepare, so Mama has to stay for lunch.¡±

    Mama Fang shook her head and exined, ¡°Dng?da=eldest,ng=youth is still waiting outside! If I don¡¯t go out, he will not dare to go away. We will eat meal together next time!¡°

    In response, Yuxi also didn¡¯t force her to stay, and asked Zisu to personally send Mama Fang out.

    When Zisu went back, she saw Yuxi leaning on the head of a bed while being in a daze. Well, Yuxi was actually thinking. As for what she was thinking about, only Yuxi herself knew.

    Zisu didn¡¯t dare to disturb Yuxi so she carefully went out.

    When Zisu was about to reach the door, Yuxi stopped her by saying, ¡°Go and get me the qipu?chess manual.¡± It wasn¡¯t okay for her to only lie in bed doing nothing. It would be better for her to find something to do.

    Zisu immediately rejected Yuxi¡¯s request, ¡°Miss, the doctor said that you should have a good rest and don¡¯t exhaust yourself.¡± ying chess was very exhausting for her Miss.

    Yuxi replied, ¡°Then, go to the study and pick out a book for me. I don¡¯t feel good just by lying down.¡±

    Zisu spent a long time in the study and finally chose a picture book for Yuxi to read. She thought Yuxi would say something to her about the book. The final oue, Yuxi was actually reading the picture book with keen interest pleasure?Chinese idiom : with great interest. This made Zisu thought that her Miss was a freak.

    On her way out, Mama Fang happened to meet with Mama Luo. Mama Luo was a little surprised, but when she thought that Yuxi was currently ill, she asked, ¡°Is Mama Fang here to see Fourth Miss?¡±

    Mama Fang nodded and answered, ¡°Yes, I heard that Fourth Miss was sick and I panicked, so I went to the house without even posting a note. Fortunately, Madam was kind enough to let me in.¡° She knew that Old Madam would never allow her to enter the house that day. Although it was said that in the past five years, if the Old Madam knew that Miss had specially let her in, the Old Madam would not be happy again. If the Old Madam was not happy, her Miss would be in trouble again.

    Mama Luo smiled. Eldest Madam adored Fourth Miss the most, so how could she stop Mama Fang from visiting Fourth Miss. Mama Luo looked up and down at Mama Fang. Her clothes were not very expensive, and her jewelry was only a few gold ornaments. However, Mama Luo looked at Mama Fang with a little more interest than before, ¡°Mama Fang, I haven¡¯t seen you for years, but you look much younger than before.¡±

    Mama Fang smiled and replied, ¡°How can I look much younger? I¡¯m on my way to be half buried already. In a few more years, I¡¯m going to have grandchildren.¡°

    Mama Luo praised, ¡°This is also your blessing.¡±

    Mama Fang smiled, ¡°It is also a blessing to our Miss.¡± If her Miss had not persuaded her to remarry at that time, where would she have been this happy right now.

    The two exchanged a few words of gossip and then both of them dispersed.

    Mama Luo returned to the main house and told the Old Madam about this incident, ¡°I met Mama Fang on the way back here just now.¡±

    The Old Madam didn¡¯t even lift her eyelids.

    As a confidant of the Old Madam, Mama Luo wondered whether the Old Madam was really not that interested in this topic. As a result, she did not continue talking about it.

    Even Dng?da=eldest,ng=youth could see that Mama Fang¡¯s face was not looking good and asked, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s the matter? Are Fourth Miss very ill?¡°

    Mama Fang shook her head and said, ¡°No, Miss is just infected with the cold. She just needs to take two patches of medicine and she will be fine.¡±

    These words could make do for Lian Dng?da=eldest,ng=youth, but it didn¡¯t make do for Lian Shan. He asked, ¡°What is the reason for Miss to fall ill this time?¡± Even he did not believe this since Fourth Miss had never been ill in recent years, and she even happened to insist for his wife toe this time. Something must have happened.

    Mama Fang was really sad and in urgent need of an outlet. She also knew her husband¡¯s mouth was very tight, so she did not hide from him and repeated what Yuxi had told her. After saying this, sheined, ¡°Master, why are you so cruel? Miss is her di?born from formal wife daughter. How could he do this to Miss because of an outsider!¡°

    Although Lian Shan had never met Yuxi, but from Mama Fang¡¯s description, Fourth Miss was a good child who was also intelligent, lovely and filial. In addition, it was Yuxi who had helped him and Mama Fang. He always felt grateful to Yuxi because of this. ¡°In this world, there are many entric parents,and you have been given a chance tofort Fourth Miss.¡° There was no other way but to rx one¡¯s mind when one came across an entric situation like this.

    Mama Fang remembered Yuxi lying in bed and with her tears streaming down, she said, ¡°Before Miss had fallen ill because of smallpox, she would always cry every time she was wronged. But since she was cured of smallpox, no matter how much injustice she suffered, she never cried. Every time I look at Miss who is so fragile but still pretends to be strong and smiles at me, my heart hurts like it has been stabbed by a knife.¡°

    Lian Shan tried to look at the matter from Mama Fang¡¯s perspective. ¡°Fourth Miss knows that crying can¡¯t solve any problems.¡± Since it was no use for her to cry, there was no need to cry anymore. But even at the bottom of his heart, there was a trace of heartache. Fourth Miss had an uneasy life. It was said that young misses of the rich and influential families were all pampered and spoilt. Now it seemed like these young misses did not live as good as people had originally thought.

    Mama Fang wiped away her tears and said, ¡°Now, my only hope is for Miss to get a good marriage and a good husband in the future.¡± In this way, Miss could at least enjoy some happiness.

    Lian Shan nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Fourth Miss will have a good life in the future.¡± Such a wise girl would certainly not have a bad future.

    Ah, Lian Shan felt that Han Jingyan lived in plenty without appreciating it1?Chinese well-known saying : not to know when one is well off, and how much he ever wanted a daughter. Having a sweet-smelling, soft and adorable daughter was much better than having a son. Unfortunately, he could only wish for it to but didn¡¯t have a good fortune to have one. Han Jingyan had such a good daughter but didn¡¯t know how to cherish her.

    Han Jingyan only learned about Yuxi¡¯s fever two dayster when he returned to the residence, but he didn¡¯t go to the Rose Courtyard to visit Yuxi. He just instructed some people to send some medicinal supplements and let it bygones. ??What the heck?! He never wants to calm us, isn¡¯t he?

    When Qiu Shi heard this, she was so angry. He didn¡¯t have to go visit before since he hadn¡¯t been in the residence because of some business. Now that he was back in the residence, he didn¡¯t even look at her when he already knew that his daughter was ill. ¡°I don¡¯t know what will happen to that Yuxi child.¡±

    Mama Li thought about Yuxi¡¯s past performance. ¡°This time, I¡¯m afraid Fourth Miss will bepletely cold to the Third Master.¡± Yuxi fell ill because internal heat generated by anxiety has attacked her heart, and not because of her heart had be cold.

    Qiu Shi snorted coldly, ¡°It¡¯s better not to have this kind of father.¡± For a person who had different surname, he unexpectedly could even go as far as abusing his own blood daughter. Yuxi had fallen into eight lifetimes11fig. a long time of bad luck for having such a father.

    Mama Li also said, ¡°That¡¯s why people said, a child that has a mother bes a treasure, while a motherless child bes a grass.¡±

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t think this was right, ¡°Yuchen doesn¡¯t have a mother either, and yet Lao San1o=old, san=three/third, in this sense it means Third Eldest Child from what I read still adored her like she is the apple of his eyes. Who doesn¡¯t know what he has in his mind?¡° Lao San1o=old, san=three/third, in this sense it means Third Eldest Child from what I read loved Yuchen so much was because, firstly, Yuchen would bring great benefits to him in the future, and secondly, Marquis Pingqing residence could also aid him in his career. As for Yuxi, he had no problem stepping on vigorously. Anyway, there was still filial piety pressuring Yuxi, so how would Yuxi dare to be not filial in the future.

    In fact, Mama Li couldn¡¯t actually understand Third Master If he said that Fourth Miss wasn¡¯t suitable to appear in public, she could have ignored this indifference treatment. But Fourth Miss was so outstanding, and yet he still treated her like this. He didn¡¯t even worry if Fourth Miss married in the future, she didn¡¯t want to have any contact with her maiden family anymore. There was a reason why Mama Li thought so. When daughter could not go against their parents, they could not disobey their parents. But there was an old saying that went, married daughter was like a spilt water13fig. can¡¯t be retrieved, and once a daughter married, she had be someone else¡¯s family. At that time, if Fourth Miss decided not to have any dealing with the Second House??I think the Third House has been called Second House because Second Master has kind of being kicked out by the Old Madam, even Third Master would be helpless.

 Chapter 102 - Marriage (1)

    <strong>Chapter 102 : Marriage (1)</strong>

    In the cold winter, snow blocked the windows, and the icicles were like crystal pirs, hanging in rows on the eaves. When one walked out the door, one¡¯s breath would turn into white mist.

    When Yuxi went out, Zisu took out a pink and emerald green brocade with fox fur cloak from the room, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s very cold outside. You¡¯ve just gotten well, so you need to wear more.¡±

    Yuxi felt that she was almost wrapped into a zongzi by the people around her, but she couldn¡¯t say no. If she said she didn¡¯t want to wear it, it was estimated that the maids around her would take turns to persuade her, and the chatter would make her had a headache.

    When they reached the main house, as Yuxi¡¯s maid lifted the curtain, a maid from the room came forward to help Yuxi untie her cloak. Cuiyu whispered, ¡°Miss, Madam Shizi1heir of a noble house from Marquis Changping residence hase.¡±

    Yuxi nodded slightly and told her that she now knew.

    When Old Madam Han saw Yuxi came in, she looked at her carefully. Since she saw that Yuxi was not sick, and really sure that she was really well, she said, ¡°Bring a cup of ginseng tea for Fourth Girl.¡±

    Yuxi learned pharmacology, so she was more particr about this matter. ¡°Grandmother, just ask the maid to give me a cup of warm boiled water instead.¡± It was not advisable to eat more ginseng without having any illness or disaster.

    Old Madam Han didn¡¯t care. She already knew that Yuxi had such character. Yuxi won¡¯t put up with something she didn¡¯t find good for herself or something she didn¡¯t like, and she would definitely open her mouth to go against it. Old Madam Han said to Shanhu, the maid beside her, ¡°Go. Bring a cup of boiled water for Fourth Girl.¡±

    Madam Shizi1heir of a noble house from Marquis Changping residence was a little surprised. Generally, when a granddaughter was in front of her grandmother, she would always listen to what her grandmother said. She didn¡¯t expect Fourth Miss to be so brave to go against something general. Usually, the bolder ones were favored, but she heard that the Old Madam only pampered Yuchen, and she had never heard of her pampering Fourth Miss!

    Yuxi smiled and greeted Madam Shizi, ¡°Good greeting bomu2wife of father¡¯s elder brother.¡± TNFor a moment there, I got confused between Marquis Changping (brother of Old Madam Han) with Marquis Pingqing (brother of Yuchen¡¯s mother). (£­??)

    Old Madam Han exined, ¡°This child has been ill for several days and only recovered today.¡± After Yuxi got well from illness, she immediately came to pay her respects, which made her felt quite satisfied with Yuxi.

    Madam Shizi1heir of a noble house of Marquis Changping residence naturally would gave Old Madam Han some face, ¡°What a filial child.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t stay in the main room for long. Just from looking at the two people, she knew that they had something to talk about. After a short stay in the main house, she went out and switched route to the main courtyard.

    Qiu Shi was warming herself in the room when she heard Yuxi hade over. She immediately stood up and took her to the brazier, ¡°You really are a child. Your body just got well, and you still wanted to run around. It¡¯s so cold outside, what if you got cold again?¡±

    Yuxi smiled. In fact, her illness had already healed much earlier, but everyone around her wanted to take a very good care of her. As a result, this carested for more than half a month.

    Qiu Shi touched Yuxi¡¯s face and sighed softly, ¡°You have lost so much weight. You have to make up for it.¡± After saying those words, she instructed a maid to go to the warehouse to take some supplements for Yuxi to take back.

    Yuxi was embarrassed. She had eaten a lot of delicious food every day during this period of time, till she raised a few meat on her face and somehow, her aunt still said she was thin. Yuxi pinched her round face and said, ¡°Aunt, I can¡¯t make up for it anymore. If I do, I¡¯ll be a big fat girl.¡±

    Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t help groaning, ¡°Being fat is also good-looking. The little girls in other families are looking too thin, just like a bamboo pole. When I see them, I couldn¡¯t help worrying about their health. If someone else¡¯s family is looking for a daughter-inw, they surely don¡¯t want to choose a girl that looks like a bamboo pole.¡±

    Yuxi was speechless. Where did all thesee from?

    Qiu Shi also said, ¡°You also should have learnt about housekeeping on the first day of the twelfth lunar monthst time. Unfortunately, you were ill. So you shall learn from your sister-inw at the beginning of next year instead.¡±

    Yuxi nodded, ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s not that toote for me to learn it next year.¡± Next year, she would only be 12 years old, and housekeeping was a skill that she knew wouldn¡¯t be able to be learnt just for two or three years.

    Qiu Shi took Yuxi¡¯s hand and chat with her for a little while until Shanhu, the maid beside the Old Madam, came to invite her to go to the main room.

    Yuxi left the main courtyard and went to Tingyun Pavilion. On her walk there, she could only see snow all the way. It was very cold at this time of the year. In the garden, except for those who swept the snow, everyone else was warming themselves up in their houses. So, she didn¡¯t see that many people along the way. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    From a distance, Yuxi heard a melodious sound of qin. Without thinking much about it, she knew that Yuchen was practicing her qin. Yuxi smiled and said to Kufu, ¡°Speaking of which, the people around San Jie3san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie are really blessed since they can listen to San Jie3san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie ying the qin and blowing the flute every day.¡± Yuchen could also y the flute very well.

    Kufu was somewhat puzzled that she asked, ¡°Miss, why didn¡¯t you learn guzheng that day?¡± She knew that Teacher Song was originally nning to teach her Miss on how to y guzheng that day, but her Miss herself didn¡¯t want to learn it.

    Yuxi naturally won¡¯t say that she thought it was only a waste of time to learn this kind of stuff. Thus, she just chuckled and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have the talent, so I didn¡¯t want to waste my time learning it.¡±

    Yuchen knew Yuxi wasing over and her face was full of smiles, but there was still someints in her words, ¡°Why are you still walking around in this cold winter? Isn¡¯t it cold?¡±

    Yuxi handed over her coat to Shiqi and said with a smile, ¡°I heard the beautiful and moving sound from San Jie3san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie¡¯s qin from afar. Even in this cold, it still worth for me toe here!¡±

    Yuchenughed, ¡°If you want to listen so much, I¡¯ll y another song for you.¡± No matter how excellent people were, they all wanted to have a spectator. For Yuchen, Yuxi was her spectator.

    Yuxi narrowed her eyes, thinking, then smilingly said, ¡°I want to hear not only the qin but also the flute.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she was ttering Yuchen, but Yuchen¡¯s qin and flute skills were very good that they warmed the heart and delighted the eye?Chinese idiom : pleasing.

    Yuchen smiled and instructed Shiqin, ¡°My Si Mei?si=four/fourth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei will have lunch with me this noon, so tell the kitchen to cook more dishes.¡±

    Yuxi also had no argument. When she learned etiquette, she often ate in Tingyun Pavilion, which had be a habit for her.

    The two went to the qin room. Yuchen was sitting at the qin table when she asked, ¡°What song does Si Mei?si=four/fourth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei want to listen to?¡±

    Yuxi bowed her head and thought for a moment:. ¡°Did San Jie3san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie learn ¡®Yangchun¡¯?¡± ¡®Yangchun¡¯ was one of the top ten ssical music of guqin. It described the beautiful scenery of early spring when winter went and spring came, with the earth recovering and everything was thriving. The melody was fresh and smooth, and the rhythm was rxed and lively. This was also Yuxi¡¯s characteristic. She liked to wear bright clothes and bright jewelry, and also liked to listen to cheerful music. ording to her idea, the previous life was so depressing that she could no longer be cowardly to have a good life for herself.

    This is Yangchun :

    Yuchen gave her a helpless smile, ¡°You really know how to choose. I have just learned this song.¡± This song, Yangchun, was actually very difficult for ordinary people to y.

    Yuxi did not think she was making things difficult, as she confidently said, ¡°I believe San Jie3san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie can y it well.¡± In fact, for her, how could one show Yuchen¡¯s true standard without asking her ying the hard part? Of course, more practice was required for a difficult repertoire.

    Yuchen smiled gently and began to y the qin.

    Yuxi leaned against the chair, closed her eyes and listened to the tune quietly. Although she had not studied guqin, it did not hinder her from giving her honestments. After she had done hearing ¡®Yangchun¡¯, she opened her eyes and smilingly said, ¡°San Jie3san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, your qin skills has improved again.¡±

    Yuchen liked to discuss various topics with Yuxi, such as qin, painting, chess and calligraphy. ¡°Don¡¯t say something that nice. This piece of music is too difficult. I have some difficulty ying it the middle part.¡±

    Yuxi knew that the mood of this song was too great for ordinary people to master, ¡°San Jie3san=three/third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, try imagining yourself in a lush meadow surrounded by brilliant flowers, not far from you, there is spring water tinkling and the birds in the tree are singing melodious songs. When you put yourself in that scenes, what do you feel?¡± The skill and technique were something that Yuxi couldn¡¯t understand as much as Yuchen, but she could recognise the quality of the music.

    Yuchen closed her eyes and tried to describe the scene in her mind. After a while, she opened her eyes, gave out a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ll y it one more time.¡±

    After ying for the second time, without even hearing Yuxi¡¯s evaluation, Yuchen said with a smile, ¡°When I yed it the second time, it was much smoother than the first time.¡±

    At that moment, Shiqi came over and announced, ¡°Miss, Fourth Miss, the meal is ready, so you may have your lunch right now.¡±

    Every time Yuxi had a meal in Tingyun Pavilion, she had this idea of kidnapping the cook of Tingyun Pavilion to cook in her yard. Of course, she was just thinking about it in her mind. Not to mention of putting it into action, namely, she would not even say a word about it.

    After lunch, Yuxi apanied Yuchen walked around the house. Tingyun Pavilion was warm in winter and cool in summer. This was what it was said about it, but it was actually true. As long as one didn¡¯t go out, it would feel as warm as spring inside which made one won¡¯t bear to leave.

    After walking for less than half an hour, Yuchen took Yuxi into the musical instrument room again. She then took a jade flute from a brocade box. Instead of ying it, she looked at Yuxi and said, ¡°Yuxi, to learn to y flute is in fact very studious, much more so than the guqin and guzheng.¡± What her words really meant was that, if Yuxi wanted to learn it, she could teach Yuxi herself.

    This is how a jade flute sound like.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± If she married a good familyter, would she have time to hear any music? If she didn¡¯t marry well, she wouldn¡¯t still have the leisure to blow this stuff even if she learnt it. ording to modern pance, Yuxi was a pragmatic person, who only wanted to learn something useful, and resolutely refused to learn something that she deemed as useless.

    Momo?wet nurse Gui suddenly came over and said, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s time for you to take a nap.¡± She had carefully arranged all Yuchen¡¯s time. When the time came for one to nap, one had to go to sleep whether one was sleepy or not. Even if oneid with one¡¯s eyes open, one had toy down for that time.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°Then, I should go back to take a nap too.¡± She also learned etiquette quite well, but not as strict as Momo?wet nurse Gui required. Of course, this also had something to do with the future path of the two people. On the condition of Yuchen who would definitely married into the royal family, and as for Yuxi, she must be married into the official family. Therefore, Momo?wet nurse Quan didn¡¯t harshly ask for Yuxi to strictly follow the rules and etiquette.

    As soon as Yuxi returned to Rose Courtyard, Maidong immediately informed her, ¡°Miss, Madam Shizi1heir of a noble house from Marquis Changping residence came here today to matchmake Eldest Miss.¡±

    Yuxi was not surprised either. Yuru would be 15 next year. Now was the right time for a matchmaker to starting over. ¡°Tell me, which family did they discuss about?¡±

    Maidong shook her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t found out about this yet.¡± To Yuxi, it was already very good for her to find out that Xuan Shi, the wife of Marquis Changping residence Shizi1heir of a noble house, hade here to be a matchmaker for Yutu. This was also the result of Yuxi spending more than six years to establish contacts in the residence. Of course, the actual main reason was that Qiu Shi turned a blind eye to Yuxi¡¯s behaviour. Otherwise, Yuxi could not have achieved her goal this easily.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t ask about it anymore. It actually has nothing to do with us.¡± Even though she had never been in charge in her previous life, it was impossible not to know whom Yuru married to. Yuruter married left assistant minister of the Board of Punishment, Xiang darenrespectful title towards superior third di?born from formal wife son, Xiang Zhixue. His ambition was to excel in literary as he was unable to learn martial arts, but he had a good temper. Later, his family donated an official position to him. Thus, Yuru also became an official¡¯s wife. Later, she gave birth to two sons and two daughters. Yuxi envied Yuru very much in her previous life. She thought that Yuru had married well. Of course, this envy was only rtive to what had happened to her back then.

 Chapter 103 - Marriage (2)

    <b>Chapter 103 : Marriage (2)</b>

    The next day, Yuxi found out that Xuan Shi, the wife of Marquis Changping¡¯s Shizi1heir of a noble house hade on behalf of Zhou Lei, her family shu2born from of concubine son as his matchmaker. Zhou Lei was a shu2born from of concubine son, and Yuru was a shu2born from of concubine daughter, thus, they were well matched in terms of status.

    Yuxi knew that this marriage would be impossible, so she did not pay much attention to it. Sure enough,ter on, Qiu Shi graciously declined the marriage for the simple reason that Zhou Lei was not a good enough candidate for Yuru. Although Yuru was a shu2born from of concubine daughter, she was, after all, the eldest shu2born from of concubine daughter. Besides, she also had a good reputation outside. It would be a waste to match her with Zhou Lei. The other main reason was that, it would not bring any benefits to the Duke of the State residence by forming this rtionship.

    To Yuxi¡¯s surprise, Qiu Shi even discussed with her about Han Jianye¡¯s marriage and even asked her a question, ¡°Yuxi, what do you think of Miss Xinrong?¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t react at first, but then smiled and replied, ¡°Xinrong Jiejie3elder sister is really a good person! Is there anything wrong with her, Eldest Aunt?¡± She had been very busy these past few years that she had no free time to chat with both Zhou Shiya and Duan Xinrong. Currently, the friendship between the three people could still be maintained by writing letters to each other, and they also share the same interests anyway. That was why, even when they didn¡¯t meet with each other frequently, their rtionship was still really good.

    Qiu Shi then asked, ¡°What do you think of matching Miss Xinrong with your Erge?er=two/second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege?¡±

    Yuxi opened her eyes wide and asked, ¡°Eldest Aunt has asked a matchmaker to go to Duan family? What did the Duan family say?¡± She had known Xinrong for several years, and if Xinrong could marry Han Jianye, it would be wonderful. But, this idea had never crossed her mind. It wasn¡¯t because she thought that Han Jianye was not worthy of Duan Xinrong. It was rather because the Duan family was a schr family.

    However, the Duan family was not so lofty as to say that they would not associate themselves with those who had noble merit, nor did they say that they would not marry their daughter into a noble family. If this were the case, there would have been nothing wrong with Chiang Jing. It was only that, schrs did not like martial art man who flourished himself with a knife and yed with a weapon. Since Han Jianye wasn¡¯t good in study, he had to flourish with a knife and handle a sword.

    Qiu Shi shook her head and said, ¡°No. I think Miss Xinrong is very good in all aspects. So I like to invite someone to pay a visit to Madam Duan.¡± The matchmaker would be invited only after both parties had made a private agreement. Therefore, she wanted to see the attitude of the Duan family first.

    Yuxi felt that this marriage was going to be quite worrisome. Firstly, Han Jianye had never been good in study which did notply with the Duan family requirements. Secondly, her Eldest Uncle patronised his concubine¡¯s room, which everyone in the capital knew about. This shed with Duan family principle, that stressed on customs and etiquette. In Yuxi¡¯s point of view, this matter, nine out of ten?Chinese idiom : mostly likely was not even going to work.

    Yuxi also gave a mouthful bite of death to Qiu Shi¡¯s hope by saying, ¡°Eldest Aunt, Xinrong Jiejie3elder sister is really a very good person . I also hope she can be my Ersao?second brother¡¯s wife. It just that, Duan family is a schr family, so it is possible that they have nned to also find a schr for Xinrong Jiejie3elder sister.¡±

    Qiu Shi was also worried about this matter. That was why, she deliberately discussed it with Yuxi.

    Yuxi consoled her, ¡°Eldest Aunt, a man as nice as my Erge?er=two/second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege will not have trouble finding a good sister-inw.¡± Han Jianye had a straightforward temper and did not have so many crooked intestines. For this reason, she really thought that whichever woman married Han Jianye in the future, she would surely have a very happy life.

    Qiu Shi was unwilling to give up. She finally found the one candidate who was good in all aspects and for her to give up before she went there to ask, was not her natural temperament.

    How could Yuxi not see Qiu Shi¡¯s inner thoughts? She would not pour any cold water on Qiu Shi¡¯s hope any more as she said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, I think it is better to ask Dage?da=big/eldest, ge=elder brother, short form of Gege about Erge?er=two/second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege¡¯s marriage. Dage?da=big/eldest, ge=elder brother, short form of Gege walks outside more, so he must have socialise a lot and knows much more people.¡± It was said that Dage?da=big/eldest, ge=elder brother, short form of Gege acted more like a father in the family. Although Dage?da=big/eldest, ge=elder brother, short form of Gege was only two years older than Erge?er=two/second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, the way he conducted himself in society was much higher level than that of Erge?er=two/second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege.

    When Qiu Shi heard this, her face immediately filled with dissatisfaction. ¡°Your Dage?da=big/eldest, ge=elder brother, short form of Gege has no vision.¡±

    As Yuxi listened to this talk, she knew that the person whom Dage?da=big/eldest, ge=elder brother, short form of Gegefelt satisfied with didn¡¯t even manage to enter her Eldest Aunt¡¯s eyes, ¡°Which young miss did Dage?da=big/eldest, ge=elder brother, short form of Gege mention to Eldest Aunt?¡±

    Qiu Shi hesitated for a moment, but finally told Yuxi, ¡°Your Dage?da=big/eldest, ge=elder brother, short form of Gege said, that young miss of Mao family was pretty good. So I found a chance to meet her. This girl looks like a hemp pole, making me worry of what will happen if a strong wind blew pass. With that body, how will she bear the burden of raising children and taking care of the household chores in the future?¡± The young miss of the Mao family whom she was talking about was the second di?born from formal wife daughter of Left Assistant Minister from Ministry of Personnel. Her family background was very good, but Second Miss Mao was too slim. Qiu Shi liked the plump type. ording to her, such women were more fertile, so girls with hemp-stalk bodies would never enter her eyes.

    Yuxi felt awkward. ¡°Then, Eldest Aunt should try to carefully look at her once more.¡±

    Qiu Shi took Yuxi¡¯s hand and earnestly said, ¡°Yuxi-ah, a woman¡¯s figure should be gentle and beautiful, not thin and weak.¡± There was basically a standard for arge family to choose a daughter-inw. For Qiu Shi, this was her main standard.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know how much I eat.¡± Usually, a young miss of a household only ate a bowl of rice in each meal. However she needed two bowls for each meal. In addition to this, it was also important for her to have her fruit dianxin?well known as dim sum, which is how µãÐÄ were read in Cantonese. They are prepared as small bite-sized portions of food served in small steamer baskets or on a small te. For this reason, her height was now more than half a head taller than her height in her previous life. This made her extremely satisfied.

    Just then, Ye Shi came over. Yuxi immediately stood up and greeted her with a smile, ¡°Hello, Dasao1?eldest sister-inw.¡± Ye Shi always treated Yuxi very good and she really wanted to win her over, but Yuxi had always acted distant towards her. This was not only confused Ye Shi, but also felt quite strange to Qiu Shi.

    Ye Shi came over to discuss with Qiu Shi about some things, all of which were about the official residence. Yuxi had always avoided such things before, and she was ready to walk away this time too.

    However, Qiu Shi grabbed her by the hand and said with a smile, ¡°Next year you will have to learn household managing from your Dasao1?eldest sister-inw, so it is better for you to start listening to it now.¡±

    Yuxi had an advantage. It was actually unnecessary for her to study, but once she studied, she would study hard. After she heard Qiu Shi¡¯s words, she sat quietly by the side, and listened carefully to the household duties brought up by the two people, just as she usually did while listening to Teacher Song¡¯s lectures.

    There were a lot of things to do during the New Year. After Ye Shi had done discussing the matter with Qiu Shi, she went out again. Qiu Shi looked at Ye Shi¡¯s back and sighed slightly. Ye Shi was good in everything. The only bad thing about her was, there was no news yet on her stomach even when she had been married for more than two years. As a result, Qiu Shi became nearly worried to death.

    Although Qiu Shi often regarded Yuxi as an adult and told her about a lot of things, but regarding this matter, it wasn¡¯t good for Qiu Shi to open her mouth. What would she aplish from bringing up about her daughter-inw couldn¡¯t give birth?

    New clothes would be made at every New Year, and this time, Yuxi would get six new clothes. Despite Rose Courtyard being really simple, Yuxi¡¯s food and clothing were no worse than others.

    In thete twelfth lunar month, people in the state residence became busier and busier. At this time, Yuru, Yujing and Yuchen helped Ye Shi with household chores.

    Kufu couldn¡¯t help muttering, ¡°If only Miss would follow suit.¡± Being a household manager was something every girl must learn. The earlier, the better.

    Yuxiughed, ¡°My Eldest Aunt saw that I¡¯ve just gotten well, so she didn¡¯t want me to work hard. It also means that, when the first month of the new yeares, I will start learning about managing household from my Dasao1?eldest sister-inw.¡±

    Kufu breathed a sigh of relief. She was afraid that Eldest Madam would forget about her Miss.

    Zisu looked at Kufu with a smile, ¡°Eldest Madam loves Miss so much. She has thought of everything for her. Why do you need to be this worried?¡±

    Kufu hurriedly begged for mercy.

    The atmosphere inside the room was very joyous. It happened that a discordant voice sounded at that moment, ¡°Miss, Mama Chen from Third Madam¡¯s yard hase.¡± The people from the Biteng Courtyard were the least popr in the Rose Courtyard.

    This time, Mama Chen was inviting Yuxi to Biteng Courtyard.

    Since Yuxi became well from herst illness, she only went to Biteng Courtyard with Yuchen on the first day and the fifteenth day of the month to greet Wu Shi, but she did not go there at any other time. She looked at Mama Chen, and asked with an indifferent look, ¡°Why is Mother suddenly looking for me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve,¡± said Mama Chen respectfully. ¡°Madam is nning to give some extra bought jewellery for young misses, so pleasee over.¡± She couldn¡¯t help feeling quite afraid of Yuxi. One after another, her Master had suffered a lot in this girl¡¯s hand.

    After Yuxi was punished by Han Jingyan, she didn¡¯t do any extra things, except for letting her people publicised Qiu Yanfu¡¯s story that happened in Marquis Pingqing residence. Thest time Miss Biao11family rtionships via females ran into Second Young Master, it could still be considered as a coincidence. However, this time, in Marquis Pingqing residence, it was not a coincidence. Moreover, without Madam of the household, coupled with Great Grandmother curbing the rumours, the servant of the Duke of the State did they best in retelling the rumours, which now had so many versions avable.

    When Wu Shi heard the rumour, she became furious. She punished two gossiping servants on the spot and went to see Qiu Shi, to demand her to severely punish her gossiping servants. As a result, Qiu Shi not only rebuffed Wu Shi back but also made a cynical remark directly to her face. This made Wu Shi¡¯s face distorted because of anger.

    Not only Wu Shi and Qiu Yanfu who thought that this was Yuxi¡¯s revenge, even Mama Chen also believed the same thing. However, they could only guess it and couldn¡¯t find any evidence to support their im. Even if this matter was brought to Master¡¯s attention, they would not be able to stand up to it, so they had to pent-up their unspoken grievances deep inside their hearts.

    Yuxi had an indifferent expression as she stated, ¡°Since Mother had intentionally invited me, I¡¯ll be thereter on.¡± She couldn¡¯t stand Wu Shi, but Wu Shi was still her elder, thus, she couldn¡¯t avoid her. Hai, it was really upsetting to have such a person hanging around. It was not actually that difficult to move Wu Shi away but Wu Shi had two sons, which were like a death-defying gold medal for Wu Shi. Furthermore, there was still filial piety pressing down on her, so she couldn¡¯t directly deal with Wu Shi. Even if she schemed against Wu Shi, the oue would only be like fighting the enemy by killing one thousand but self-defeat eight hundred12Chinese saying : even though one side won, but that winning side also lost a lot of things. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Mama Chen returned to Biteng Courtyard and immediately informed Wu Shi, ¡°Madam, Third Miss and Fourth Miss will be hereter on.¡±

    Wu Shi¡¯s face turned cold. She had personally sent someone to invite them toe, and despite that, they had the impudence to make her waited for them. No one knew that she was currently nursing a grievance, which already made her sick of being their stepmother.

    For Wu Shi to feel sick of doing something was normal. It was already hard to be a second wife and it became much harder when she happened to be their stepmother. Many stepmothers managed to suppress the children left behind by their predecessor, simply by controlling these three things: first, money, second, fame and third, marriage.

    For money, Yuchen and Yuxi already had assets in their hands, thus they were financially independent, and also, it was absolutely impossible for her to skimp on their food and clothing. As for their reputation, although Wu Shi held the title of their stepmother, there was still the big head, Old Madam Han, holding her down. There was no way Old Madam would let Wu Shi ruin Yuxi¡¯s reputation that easily. As for marriage, Yuchen and Yuxi were very much outstanding, naturally these matters became important resources for their future marriages. Would Old Madam and Han Jingyan let her intervene? Without these three chips, how could Wu Shi keep Yuchen and Yuxi under control? Of course, this was also the real reason why Yuxi didn¡¯t want to pay much attention to her.

    After a while, an outside maid announced, ¡°Madam, Third Miss and Fourth Miss are here.¡±

    Wu Shi tried hard to muster a smiling expression. In the past, since her husband came from the Duke of the State residence and also held a high official position in Hebei province, even wives of Hebei higher authorities had to treat her well and polished their faces when they met with her. But now, back in the capital, she had suffered more irritations than she did in previous decades.

    Yuchen and Yuxi entered the house, and gave their greetings to Wu Shi together. Even though Wu Shi¡¯s heart was unwilling, she didn¡¯t dare to treat the two girls badly. What she didn¡¯t know from the previous rumours, was that, the Old Madam already didn¡¯t have a good expression of her.

    After a while, Yurong and Qiu Yanfu also arrived. Seeing Yuxi, Qiu Yanfu immediately lowered her head, but soon after, she looked up again and greeted them both with a smile.

    Yuxi immediately gave a cold snort, then,pletely paid no attention to Qiu Yanfu, not willing to give her even a tiny bit of face. As for Yuchen, she just gave Qiu Yanfu a brief nod as a greeting, and then also took no notice of Qiu Yanfu¡¯s friendliness. Because of the previous incident, Yuchen felt extremely disgusted with her too.

    Qiu Yanfu hated Yuxi very much. For a young miss, reputation was very important, but now, her reputation had beenpletely ruined by Yuxi. She wanted to get her revenge, but sadly, she was powerless to do so. Even Wu Shi couldn¡¯t deal with Yuxi, let alone her, who lived there with her status as Miss Biao11family rtionships via females. She was rich, but she couldn¡¯t just squandered money like dirt13Chinese idiom : spend money like water. Moreover, many things in the residence couldn¡¯t be bought with money.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t pay any attention to Qiu Yanfu at all as she asked Wu Shi, ¡°I have been told that Mother wants to give some bought jewellery to us. Will we need to order it first or just directly choose it?¡±

    Wu Shi answered with a smile, ¡°Someone will send all the jewellery directly to meter, so you can just choose those that you have taken fancy to.¡±

    Yuxi asked again, ¡°Are they from Ruyi Pavilion?¡± Ruyi Pavilion was thergest and best jewellery shop in the capital. The jewellery made there were of excellent quality.

    Wu Shi was originally prepared to spend some money to earn a reputation for herself. Unexpectedly she was still been despised for it. Because of that, she could only suppress the grievance she felt deep inside her heart.

    It wasn¡¯t long before a person from the jewellery shop brought the jewellery in. A big household usually let the merchant brought things to the house for them to personally choose. While, the activity of shopping on the street was generally for them to rx.

    A lot of jewellery worn by Yuchen were made with pce craftsmanship, and some were customized by Ruyi Pavilion. So, she did not take these jewellery given by their Mother to heart. She was unlike Yuxi. Since she was rtively reserved and cared more about the reputation of Second House, she didn¡¯t say anything bad, only symbolically chose two bright red hairpins.

    Yuxi was disgusted with Wu Shi again but she also didn¡¯t want to lose her share in front of outsiders. She picked a hairpin which was iid with precious stones on it. Her affection for precious stones and gold was also her minor shoring.

    Wu Shi was somehow a little surprised. She thought Yuxi would pick a lot of jewellery just to let her bleed! She didn¡¯t expect that Yuxi would be so obedient this time around.

    In response, Qiu Yanfumented with a smile, ¡°Biaomei1?younger female cousin has really good eyes and picked out the best ones with just a nce.¡± She was actually mocking Yuxi¡¯s love for money, and how Yuxi¡¯s eyes only aimed for them.

    Yuxi seemed like she did not understand what Qiu Yanfu actually meant as she replied with a smile, ¡°Every New Year, Eldest Aunt will always order a set of head ornaments from Ruyi Pavilion for me, which are more than I can actually wear. This time, I got some head ornaments because of Mother¡¯s kind intention. However, maybe because I have seen so many good things and my eyesight had gotten skilled over time, I unconsciously picked out the best one.¡±

    When the madam of the jewellery shop heard Yuxi¡¯s words, she gave out a praise, ¡°Miss really has an excellent eyesight.¡±

    Yuxi nced at the hairpin in her hand and smiled lightly. ¡°It just so-so!¡± It was unknown whether she wasmenting on her eyesight, or the hairpin in her hand. Then she handed over the hairpin to Kufu, and didn¡¯t even look at it again.

    Yuchen just shook her head helplessly.

    When Wu Shi saw Yuxi acting like this, she nearly vomited out a mouthful of old blood. She suddenly realised that she just spent money on jewellery that turned out to be unsatisfactory.

 Chapter 104 - New Year Goods

    <strong>Chapter 104 : New Year Goods</strong>

    There were a lot of things to be prepared on the twelfth lunar month, especially the most essential items, the New Year goods.

    At noon on this day, Yuxi saw a te of sausages on the dining table, and her heart jumped. She pretended to be surprised, as she asked, ¡°What is this?¡±

    Kufu exined with a smile, ¡°Miss, these are called sausages. It is said that nowadays, they were very popr outside. Today, I bought a lot from the purchasing agent. Even that Old Nainai1respectful form of address for an old woman, and it seemed like this old woman was the one who managed the sells of the shop. You will see the same wordter but have different meaning had also asked someone to send two jin2a traditional Chinese unit of a catty, or 500g for Miss to taste while they are still fresh. Miss, apart from the sausages, there are also preserved meat. It is said that they taste good too!¡±

    Yuxi naturally knew that these were sausages. She had once thought to sell them that one time, butter she just gave up because she was worried that Old Madam would suspect her. She then asked, ¡°Who made this?¡± In her heart, she spected that this was probably something produced by Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. She couldn¡¯t think of anyone else, other than her.

    In a word, Yuxi really admired Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. In her opinion, Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was such a capable person. How much money did Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had made so far? It was estimated to be several hundred thousand liang?a traditional Chinese weight unit, which was equal to 1/16 catty, 1/12 pound, or about 37.8 grams of silver. How would Yuxi not feeling envious. Ah, there was a good old saying, fullness for the bold, famine for the timid?Chinese idiom : those who are timid will starve to death, so it encourages people to take risk. Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was bold enough that she could earn a fortune, while her had courage that was so small that she couldn¡¯t even manage to drink even a soup. Yuxi said to herself, ¡°I don¡¯t know what else wille outter on.¡± The things that Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang produced didn¡¯t spread inside the Duke of the State official residence. Yuxi guessed that everyone already had the thought that Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was too strange, that they weren¡¯t brave enough to buy her things.

    Kufu shook her head and said, ¡°Regarding this matter, this handmaiden isn¡¯t that clear. But I¡¯ve heard that this one is the most expensive. It costs 100 copper coins for a jin2a traditional Chinese unit of a catty, or 500g!¡± A jin2a traditional Chinese unit of a catty, or 500g of pork cost twelve copper coins, and a jin2a traditional Chinese unit of a catty, or 500g of sausages cost one hundred copper coins, whichmon families simply couldn¡¯t afford. Of course, this rare thing would only be enjoyed by rich households.

    Spicy Sausages

    Image Credit | Xinyue Shise via Meishij

    Yuxi inserted a piece into her mouth and nodded her head, ¡°Not bad. It is really delicious.¡± This time, her maid had bought spicy sausages, which were really to her taste.

    After she finished her lunch, Yuxi had a walk around her courtyard. Rose Courtyard was the smallest courtyard, which iparable to Yuchen¡¯s huge Tingyun Pavilion. Thus, it was just enough for her to walk inside her own yard.

    White Yuxi was walking in her courtyard, she also took the time thinking. She didn¡¯t know if Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang also found out about her abnormality. If she did, would she do something to her? She noticed that Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang wasn¡¯t a soft-hearted kind of person. Since she had been thinking too much, she eventually forgot the time. Until Kufu came to remind her, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s time for you to take a nap.¡±

    Yuxi gave out a smile, while wondering, how did two quarters of an hour passed so quickly?

    The next day, the purchasing agent brought a lot of things for Yuxi. There were eight types of sugar in various vors, as well as cookies, peanuts, sunflower seeds and other snacks in many vours. They weren¡¯t that much though, as each kind was only about two to three jin2a traditional Chinese unit of a catty, or 500g only.

    The old woman who brought the things over said, ¡°Old Nainai1respectful form of address for an old woman, and it seemed like this old woman was the one who managed the sells of the shop. You will see the same wordter but have different meaning said that these things are all new. She specially asked this old servant to bring some for Miss.¡± Naturally, when there was something new in the capital, every family would want to buy some. One was to pursue the trend, and the other was to prevent others from saying that theycked knowledge. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi had never been interested in candy and other sweet things alike, but these things still need to be prepared. When the New Year came, she would have something to serve those who came to her yard. While, from Ye Shi point of view, this showed that Yuxi was Qiu Shi¡¯s favourite, since Qiu Shi would make extra purchases just for Yuxi, a benefit that others didn¡¯t receive.

    Songxiang (pine rosin)

    Image Credit | Jibi44 via Wiki

    After dinner, Yuxi went to the Songxiang?pine rosin Courtyard to express her thanks to Ye Shi. There was no excuse for her not to be thankful when Ye Shi had sent her so many thoughtful gifts.

    Ye Shi did not expect Yuxi woulde and thank her for this matter. She smiled as she took Yuxi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Why Si Meimei?si=fourth, meimei=younger sister needs to be this polite for?¡±

    Rose Scented Tea / Rose Tea

    Image Credit | Â½Ð¡½¿ (July 31st, 2018, Ãµ¹å»¨²èÔõÃ´ÅÝºÃºÈ Ãµ¹å»¨²èÊ²Ã´Ê±ºòºÈ×îºÃ) via Zhifure

    It was here, when a maid immediately brought Yuxi a cup of rose scented tea.

    Yuxi looked at the rose tea and smiled. It seemed that Dasao?eldest sister-inw knew her preferences very well, and Yuxi was not that unreasonable either. Thus, she took the scented tea with both of her hands and took two sips before putting it down. ¡°Dasao?eldest sister-inw, why are there so many new things came out this year?¡± Although she already spected that they were made by Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, but her assumption wasn¡¯t ascertain yet!

    Ye Shi did not think much about it, as she smiled and replied, ¡°These things were all made by He Sheng Tang, but I heard that He Sheng Tang is the property of Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. By the way, the sausage and bacon from the previous two days were also released by the people of Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long life¡¯s hamlet.¡±

    Yuxi was shocked, ¡°I heard that Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang has opened many shops this year, and the business of each shop was extremely good. She is indeed a very capable person.¡± Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was so eager to exchange all the things she knew for money. So, what was actually Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s n to even risk herself from people assumption, just to collect this much money?

    Ye Shi smilingly said, ¡°Who would have known, right! However, this is also Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s good fortune in making money. Even though I¡¯m envious of her, but that feeling doesn¡¯t go over my admiration towards her.¡± She didn¡¯t mention it before, but what helped Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang to earn so many profits as much as the alms bowl was because everyone was buying goods for New Year.

    After Yuxi had a short conversation with Ye Shi, she left right away. She was mainly here to express her thanks, and in her opinion, that was sufficient.

    Ye Shi sent Yuxi out of the door and turned around. She could not help sighing, ¡°This Fourth Miss, she¡¯s so hard to get close to.¡± She had always wanted to build a good rtionship with Yuxi over the past two years. She had even specially been fawning over Yuxi, but Yuxi continuously treated her indifferently.

    Ye Shi¡¯s wet nurse, old woman Hua, advised, ¡°It¡¯s much better for Master to take a good care of Master¡¯s body. Everything else is just something vain.¡± To give birth to a son was something fundamental to the family of Duke Han of the State.

    Ye Shi touched her belly, then she said with a wry smile, ¡°I also want to have one!¡± The Shizi didn¡¯t have a concubine¡¯s room, and he only had her. They were very loving towards each other, and yet for two years, they had not conceived any child. Though, for Ye Shi, this matter shouldn¡¯t be done in a rush.

    Ye Shi¡¯s basic body constitution was somewhat inclining towards cold. This situation happened when she was pushed into theke in winter, during the year she was engaged. What made it worse was that she was in the middle of her monthly period at that time. Since then, the coldness in her womb had be more severe. So for the past two years, she had been recuperating herself. If this ailment of her was being known to others, it wouldn¡¯t end well. Especially if the ones who knew about it were the Old Madam and Qiu Shi, otherwise she would have a hard time living in the residence. Ye Shi tried to curry favour with Yuxi, in hoped that Yuxi would be able to put in a good word about her in front of Qiu Shi and this would definitely give her more time. Every woman wanted to have her own children and was unwilling to raise other people¡¯s children.

    Old woman Hua asked in a low voice, ¡°Eldest Nainai1?(respectful) mistress of the house, do you think we need to ask a physician to have a look at it?¡± Both were d that Physician Bai was not an expert in gynecology, otherwise their secret would have been exposed much earlier.

    Ye Shi shook her head and said, ¡°No need, let¡¯s keep using what we used before!¡± In exchange, on the contrary to their belief, their way was even more ineffective.

    The main courtyard was not far from Songxiang?pine rosin Courtyard. Thus, Yuxi went to the main courtyard again. Looking at Qiu Shi¡¯s face, she smiled and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Eldest Aunt?¡± With Ye Shi helping with the housework, her Eldest Aunt should have been much more rxed than usual.

    Mama Li exined in a low voice, ¡°Madam had asked someone to have a talk with Madam Duan, but Madam Duan hasn¡¯t given her answer yet.¡± Duan family and Han family were two groups of people who didn¡¯t walk on the same road. Even when Yuxi helped Duan Xinrong back in those days, only these two peers who kept visiting each other. Furthermore, Han family had never thought of iming connection of higher status with the Duan family.

    This result was as expected by Yuxi, ¡°Eldest Aunt, don¡¯t worry, my Erge11er=two/second, ge=elder brother, short form of gege will definitely find you a saozi12elder sister-inw who is much better than Xinrong Jiejie13elder sister/a respectful term for elder female.¡± Although Duan Xinrong was her good friend, nevertheless, the ones at the top of her priority list, were definitely her Eldest Aunt and her Erge11er=two/second, ge=elder brother, short form of gege.

    Qiu Shi was just a little depressed, not angry. Marriage was the best way to tie a knot between two surnames. If the other party didn¡¯t agree with it, she couldn¡¯t force them either, ¡°You and your sweet mouth.¡±

    Out of the main courtyard, Yuxi didn¡¯t immediately return to her own yard. In any case, since she was already out, it was better for her to stroll more, and thus, her stroll led her to Tingyun Pavilion.

    The one Momo1?wet nurse Gui disliked the most was Yuxi, and no others. Because of Yuxi, Yuchen¡¯s one-day n would be disrupted when she arrived. As a matter of fact, Yuchen didn¡¯t practice her qin that day, and chatted with Yuxi instead.

    Seeing that a maid brought in melon seeds which were green in colour, Yuxi took one and put it in her mouth. When she smelled the fragrance of tea, she could not helpughing, ¡°Did San Jie1?san=three/third, jie=elder sister also buy this from He Ji Tang?¡±

    Yuchen waved and let all the maids and old women to retreat. When there were only two of them left in the room, she said, ¡°I bought it from He Sheng Tang. In addition to melon seeds, there are also some peanuts and so on, which are made in many vors.¡±

    Yuxiughed, ¡°It must have been really tough for Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang.¡± She had never heard of these things before, nor did she ever eat them. Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang must have eaten them before, otherwise they would not have been so delicious. Of course, even if Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had eaten them, the people who did all the research were still the people of Gongzhu1?Princess/Princess of the First Rank Residence.

    Yuchen didn¡¯t like to talk about Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. Since Heshou3he = harmonious, shou = long lifeXianzhu?Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was so strange, she didn¡¯t have further interaction with her, ¡°It¡¯s going to be New Year¡¯s day soon. Have your hamlet send New Year¡¯s goods to you yet?¡±

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°I have sold almost everything I can sell in my hamlet.¡± None of the things that had not been sold were good, so they certainly would not be delivered to her.

    Yuchenughed, ¡°I knew it. The things from my hamlet should be arriving tomorrow. What do youck? I¡¯ll send you what I have here.¡±

    Yuxi was not going to be courteous to Yuchen either. Yuchen had so many good things, which Yuchen didn¡¯tck even one bit. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of making Grandmother and Eldest Aunt a scarf and kneepads. So, I¡¯m currently looking for some leather. If you have any, please leave some for me.¡± At first, she was reluctant to ask for Yuchen¡¯s things, but after a long time, Yuxi was no longer feeling awkward. Anyway, if she didn¡¯t use them, those things would only be piled in the warehouse, and became wasteful.

    Yuchen said, ¡°When those things finally arrived, I¡¯ll give you some more. You should also make yourself some big clothes in the meantime.¡± Yuxi wore very little clothes, which made Yuchen felt cold every time she saw Yuxi. In terms of physical constitution, Yuchen was far worse than Yuxi.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t want to make big clothes. She grew too fast. What she wore this year, she wouldn¡¯t be able to wear them next year. It would be too wasteful. Moreover, she was not afraid of the cold. In winter, she only had a cotton-padded jacket, and that jacket was already enough for her. If it weren¡¯t for the maids around her kept on harping about it, she wouldn¡¯t even wear those big clothes all those years she went out.

    The next day Yuchen¡¯s things finally arrived. She chose the best pieces of leather, including a tiger skin to be sent to Yuxi. Shiqin felt distressed and said, ¡°Miss, let¡¯s keep this tiger skin for our own use!¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m giving this to my Si Meimei?si=fourth, meimei=younger sister,¡± said Yuchen. She was very sure that Yuxi would not use this tiger skin for herself, but would use it to make hand guards and knee pads for the Old Madam.

 Chapter 105 - : Obtaining A Good Impression

    <b>Chapter 105 : Obtaining A Good Impression</b>

    Yuxi didn¡¯t think much of it either. She immediately made the maid who was holding the tiger skin, followed her to send it back to Yuchen. ¡°San Jie1san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, this tiger skin is so well preserved in its original one piece that it can entirely be made into a big clothes. It will be too bad if I cut it and made it into armguard and kneecap. So, it¡¯s better that you keep it for yourself. Even if you don¡¯t use it now, you will surely be using itter on.¡± If it was given to Yuxi, it would be like recklessly waste God¡¯s good gifts2Chinese idiom : let sth. go to waste.

    Yuxi¡¯s needlework was very good, but she focused too much on the aesthetic feeling of the end product. Thus making her speed became too slow, as slow as a turtle. However, the maids around her were all good in needlework except for Zisu, so they obviously could help Yuxi with her work.

    Qiu Shi knew that Yuchen had sent some sheets of skins to Yuxi that she could not help muttering, ¡°This child, really, she should just tell me if she wants some skins!¡± How should she put it, although Yuchen was very much an outstanding girl, Qiu Shi wasn¡¯t that fond of it. Yuchen¡¯s mother, Chiang Shi was a very arrogant person who didn¡¯t really like the rough Qiu Shi very much. For this reason, the two sisters-inw had a very bad rtionship. Although there was not a cloud of smoke floated over?no reason for hating or disliking them, they were still disgusted with each other. Combined with this reasons, it made Qiu Shi did not like Yuchen very much. However, Yuchen was the heart of the Old Madam, so Qiu Shi still had to be good to Yuchen.

    Mama Li said with a smile, ¡°It was not Fourth Miss who wanted it, but it was Third Miss who offered it. She knew that Fourth Miss wanted to make armguard and scarf for the Old Madam and Madam, but she had no leather, so Third Miss said she had leather in her hand.¡±

    Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°This child is usually very smart. Why is she such an idiot at this time?¡± The thing came from Yuchen. Once Yuxi send out the finished products, she would not be the only one who would get thepliment.

    Even Mama Li couldn¡¯t see through the matter either, ¡°Maybe Fourth Miss has her own ideas.¡±

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t think that Yuxi had any idea. She only thought that Yuxi had suddenly be an idiot. It was just that Yuchen¡¯s leather had already been sent, and it would not be good for her to ask Yuxi to send it away.

    Ancient Chinese Male Overcoat or Dachang (the outer ck clothes)

    Image Credit | Yoga (May 19, 2019, The Most ssic Hanfu of All Time) via Newhanfu

    Yuxi was going to make a tiger skin overcoat for Han Jingyan. Even though, in her heart, she still felt disgusted with him, and didn¡¯t want to treat him as her father, she still had to tter him, at least on the surface. If she could paint herself a filial piety reputation, Han Jingyan would not be able to treat her casually in the future, and if she could get such huge benefit in half a month, it would surely be cost-effective.

    It wasn¡¯t easy for Yuxi to make a fur overcoat. Fur treatment alone was already a big problem. In addition, it was more difficult to make clothes from them. This required extremely high skills, which average person couldn¡¯t produce.

    Yuxi used to make clothes, but she never made such a big clothes. So she invited an embroiderydy who made big clothes to help her.

    The embroiderydy exined the process of making big clothes. Rather than rushing to make clothes after listening to the embroiderydy¡¯s teaching, Yuxi went to take her father¡¯s overcoat to study first. If she didn¡¯t understand, she would ask the embroiderydy. After that, she would draw a sketch of the design by herself, then marked out the ces that she wasn¡¯t good with. All these ces would bepleted by the embroiderydy.

    Finally, with the help of the embroiderydy and several maids, Yuxi finally done making thisrge overcoat on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month.

    Maidong looked at the well-made tiger skin overcoat and couldn¡¯t help eximing in admiration, ¡°Miss really has a good craftsmanship.¡±

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°It is also with your contribution.¡± She couldn¡¯t finish the clothes in such a short time by herself.

    The clothes were ready, but they were not for herself. Yuxi immediately asked Zisu to wrap up the clothes, and took it over to get a good impression from her father.

    When Wu Shi heard Yuxi wasing, she was puzzled. Usually, Yuxi would onlye on the first day and the 15th day, to pay respect to her. If she didn¡¯t invite her toe, Yuxi would never take the initiative toe to Biteng Courtyard herself.

    While, Han Jingyan¡¯s intuition was telling him that Yuxi came for him. He put on an indifferent looked and said, ¡°Let her in.¡± Last time, when Yuxi was ill, although his mother didn¡¯t say anything, he knew that his own mother was not happy. A girl¡¯s body was as important as her appearance. In case Yuxi¡¯s body was damaged, it would be difficult for her to marry into a good family. After all, for a man to take a wife was mainly for the continuation of blood vessels. If one could not bear children due to poor health, what would one do when one married such daughter-inw? Han Jingyan also had some small regrets in his heart, but it was absolutely impossible for him to show a long face over this matter.

    Yuxi came in and gave the two people a polite courtesy.

    Han Jingyan looked at the maid beside Yuxi who was holding a big parcel and asked, ¡°What did you bring?¡±

    Yuxi took the dress from Kufu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°This is a big fur overcoat I made for Dad?Yuxi was trying to get her father¡¯s good impression, so she has to change the way she called her, from Father to Dad.. Dad, see if you like it?¡±

    Han Jingyan froze at first, but then smiled and said, ¡°Let me take a look.¡± He always felt that Yuxi had a perverse temper. The previous events should have made Yuxi felt resentful towards him, but he didn¡¯t expect that Yuxi would make clothes for him.

    Han Jingyan shook the clothes, looked at it and was surprised. ¡°Yuxi, did you really make this clothes?¡± Tiger skins were inherently difficult to handle, and it took superb craftsmanship to make clothes from it without damaging any fur. However, what Yuxi had produced was a tiger skin overcoat with rare blue brocade, with the furs shining bright that were separated with distinct stripes and done with meticulous needlework. It was hard to imagine that such a big clothes was made by Yuxi.

    After spending energy and money, one couldn¡¯t be modest. So Yuxi replied, ¡°It took me half a month to make it.¡±

    Han Jingyan wasn¡¯t that fond of Yuxi, but seeing her working so hard to make the clothes for him, his heart felt very tight, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. Hereafter, don¡¯t do it again in the future, because it¡¯s too exhausting for you.¡±

    Yuxi opened her mouth and smiled, ¡°Making clothes for dad is not tiring at all.¡± It was strange to say that she was not tired, but everyone loved to listen to good words.

    Han Jingyan looked into his heart and felt an indescribable feeling. Although this child was a little perverse, but in essence, she was still a very good child. When he thought of what Yuchen said to him before, he felt that he had been too harsh on Yuxi. After all, everyone had his own shorings, and Yuxi¡¯s shorings were not that much. He wanted to say a few soft words?expressing apology, sympathy, etc. to Yuxi, but he could not say them. Atst, he could only say, ¡°It¡¯ste. You should go back to rest earlier!¡± The rtionship between the two had started to be good, as his feelings of tenderness and soft heart toward Yuxi began to rise up. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi quickly gave her courtesy, then she turned around and went back. Since she hadpleted her mission to get her father¡¯s good impressions, there was no need for her to stay.

    Wu Shi looked at the tiger-skin overcoat and unconsciously said, ¡°Fourth Girl is really good in embroidery. Till today, I haven¡¯t had the good fortune to wear the clothes she made!¡±

    Han Jingyan didn¡¯t like what he just heard, as he lightly said, ¡°Just let the embroidery room make whatever clothes you want.¡± Yuxi¡¯s willingness to make it was naturally to show her filial piety, and even if she was unwilling, she shouldn¡¯t be criticised for it

    Wu Shi felt suffocated when she saw Han Jingyan looking unhappy with her, thus she also didn¡¯t dare to say anything anymore. Only in her heart, she secretly hate Yuxi¡¯s sinister plot. With just one clothes, Yuxi already made her husband change his attitude towards her. This sinister girl really was getting more and more refined.

    Yuxi had been working hard for more than half a month to make the clothes. This time, her mission had sessfully beenpleted. After returning to her yard, she took a bath, them climbed onto the bed and went to sleep. Zisu found it funny that Yuxi was already sound asleep in a second.

    Kufu asked, ¡°Zisu Jiejie?elder sister/a respectful term for elder girl, why did Miss make clothes for Master?¡± Her Miss even took so much trouble and expended a great deal of her effort to make it.

    Zisu lowered her voice and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t ask more than you should.¡± Why else, other than making Third Master remembered about Miss a little more, so that he wouldn¡¯t embarrassed her and treat her like a stranger in the future.

    The next day, because it was New Year¡¯s Eve, Yuxi didn¡¯t sleepte. Naturally, her biological clock had already been set. Unless for special reasons, she wouldn¡¯t sleepte even if she wanted to.

    After breakfast, Yuxi did not go out either. At this time, Old Madam Han and Qiu Shi were still in the pce, so no one went to their courtyard.

    Lunar New Year was a festival that Yuxi liked the most. Without it, there wouldn¡¯t be red envelopes, and this year¡¯s red envelopes had been more than previous years, because the red envelopes that Han Jingyan gave to Yuxi contained a silver note, with the amount of a thousand liang??1a traditional Chinese weight unit, which was equal to 1/16 catty, 1/12 pound, or about 37.8 grams silver note, which could be called arge sum of money!

    Once the Lunar New Year celebrations started, people began to visit their rtives.

    On the second day of the Lunar New Year, people usually went to wife¡¯s family¡¯s home, which was a custom that would not be shaken even by thunder?Chinese idiom : to adhere rigidly to regtions. Previously, during this time, Yuchen went to Marquis Pingqing Residence, while Yuxi followed Han Jianye to the Qiu family. This year, it wasn¡¯t the same, even when Han Jingyan had returned to the capital, Yuxi must go to the Chiang family on the second day. Not only did she go with Yuchen, but together with Yurong and Jiancheng.

    Fortunately, Wu Shi did not go, otherwise Yuxi would have ridiculed her. Kufu quickly said, ¡°If Third Madam hase to Chiang residence, that would have been good!¡±

    Yuxiughed, ¡°Do you think she doesn¡¯t want to go?¡± She actually admired Wu Shi sometimes. For example, thest time Old Madam Chiang had her 60th birthday, a bright average person would definitely have avoided from attending. After all, when Old Madam Chiang looked at her, she was reminded of her own daughter who died young. Who could be in a good mood in that situation? But Wu Shi didn¡¯t seem to notice this kind of thing, and she just went over brightly.

    When they finally arrived at Chiang Residence, Old Madam Chiang immediately held Yuchen in her arms as she saw her and a burst of ¡®my dearest heart¡¯ could be heard. Then she asked Yuchen some questions. When Yuxi heard them, the corner of her mouth couldn¡¯t help twitching. It was nice to hear the Old Madam Chiang doted on Yuchen, but it was hard to listen to her thought that Duke of the State Residence had treated Yuchen harshly!

    Old Madam Chiang didn¡¯t know the reason for Yuxi to get illst time, which caused her to worry that Yuchen had been taken advantage by the people in Duke of the State Residence, so she asked regarding this matter carefully.

    Chiang Xin was upset. Every time Yuchen came over, such scenes would always been shown and she was tired of watching them. When Old Madam Chiang had done talking, Chiang Xin found an opportunity to say, ¡°San Biaojie?san=third, biaojie=older female cousin, the Wintersweet in our garden has finally bloom. Do you want to have a look?¡± It was so stuffy in the room that it was better for her to go out for a walk.

    This is a video on Wintersweet, which is a type of shrub that can grow up to 5 feet tall. Its flowers are mostly yellow, with a tint of purple inside. But currently, there are also the colour of pink and white.

    Yuxi also wanted to go out, because there was a smell in the room, that made her very ufortable, ¡°San Jie1san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, I want to see Wintersweet flowers. Let¡¯s go together!¡±

    Before Yuchen could even speak, Old Madam Chiang said, ¡°It¡¯s so cold outside, and you¡¯re not well. What if there¡¯s a wind? If you want to see it, I¡¯ll have the maid to bring in a few branches.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Waizumu1?maternal grandmother, even though Old Madam Chiang isn¡¯t really Yuxi blood maternal grandmother, but she has to treat Chiang Shi as her mother and treats Chiang Shi¡¯s mother as her maternal grandmother, there is no need to ask for the maids. We will bring them back to San Jieter on.¡± Yuchen was very obedient to the Old Madam Han and it was certainly the same with Old Madam Chiang.

    Yuchen was disappointed, but she still nodded her head and said, ¡°Si Meimei3si=fourth, meimei=younger sister, you was just sick not long ago, how about you don¡¯t go out?¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t want to stay in this room, so she just smiled and said, ¡°San Jie1san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, that was more than a month ago. But I will be careful.¡±

    After Yuxi done talking, she and Chiang Xin went out together.

    After they left the house and walked along the road, Chiang Xin said, ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯te out!¡± As far as she knew, Yuxi was Yuchen¡¯s follower. What happened today was somewhat exceeded Chiang Xin¡¯s expectations.

    Yuxi felt a little strange, ¡°Why are you so sure I won¡¯t follow?¡±

    Naturally, Chiang Xin would not tell the truth, but said with a smile, ¡°I thought that if San Biaojie?san=third, biaojie=older female cousin doesn¡¯t go, you won¡¯t go either.¡±

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°San Jie1san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie is San Jie1san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie. I am me. What San Jie1san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie does not do, does not mean I cannot do.¡± She wasn¡¯t unaware that in many people¡¯s eyes, she was like a tail behind Yuchen. She could not exin it one by one, and she would never exin it because it was unnecessary.

    Chiang Xin gave Yuxi a surprised look, turned her head and asked with a smile, ¡°I heard that Old Madam Han dotes on San Biaojie?san=third, biaojie=older female cousin and gives her the best food and clothes. Is this true?¡± She wanted to trap Yuxi.

    Yuxi honestly answered, ¡°Naturally, it is true. San Jie1san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie is the treasure in my grandmother¡¯s hand. So, she must have the best of everything.¡±

    Seeing Yuxi¡¯s appearance, Chiang Xin blurted out, ¡°Aren¡¯t you jealous?¡± Once she said this, she immediately regretted it. Yuxi was a follower of Yuchen. Yuxi would certainly tell Yuchen these things when she returned. If Grandmother knew, she would have to face the music again.

    Yuxi seemed not to see Xin Chiang¡¯s expression as she said with a smile, ¡°I am not an Immortal, how can I not be jealous?¡±

    Chiang Xin wondered, ¡°But then, you are still in good terms with San Biaojie?san=third, biaojie=older female cousin?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°My grandmother favours San Jie1san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, that¡¯s her business. What does it have to do with San Jie1san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie? Should I stay away from my grandmother just because she likes San Jie1san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie? Besides, San Jie1san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, is very kind to me, and she always share with me if she has something delicious and interesting!¡±

    Chiang Xin could not help but say, ¡°You really not take it to heart.¡± When she looked at Yuchen, she found her not pleasing to her eye, since everything good would always be given to Yuchen, while she could only use the leftovers.

    The smile on Yuxi¡¯s face remained unchanged as she said, ¡°What can I do other than not take it to my heart? It is unfair and useless to cry and shout. It is not only useless but also make other people resent you. I will not do such foolish things.¡± From what she saw just now, she found that Chiang Xin was not a person with deep thoughts. On the contrary, she was just a very simple person. Otherwise, she would have think first before she said anything. Actually, Yuxi felt quitefortable when she got along with this kind of people.

    Of course, everything should be seen from two sides. In Yuxi¡¯sst life, Chiang Xin looked down upon her especially, and always teased her, making her always in a sorry plight. Therefore, she used to hate Chiang Xin very much.

    Meanwhile, Chiang Xin found Yuxi to be a very interesting person, ¡°Your opinion is very out of the ordinary.¡± In other words, her views on Yuxi had improved much morepared to before.

 Chapter 106 - Surprised (1)

    <strong>Chapter 106 : Surprised (1)</strong>

    During winter, the garden in Duke Han of the State Residence would be bleak. Unlike the garden in Marquis Pingqing Residence where flowers would bloom all year long. As a matter of fact, Yuxi just caught sight of a blooming crabapple flower.

    Chiang Xin said with a show-off tone, ¡°This crabapple flowers does not bloom well this year, while wintersweet flowers bloom beautifully!¡±

    Yuxi genuinely said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go straight to see wintersweet.¡± Since it was said that the crabapple didn¡¯t bloom that well, wouldn¡¯t it just be a disappointment if she couldn¡¯t see them the same way she had expected?

    Previously, because of the unpleasant experience in her previous life, Yuxi totally avoided the Chiang family. Now that she the way she thought of things had changed, it also changed the way she acted. Naturally, many things around her changed too. So, she did not need to avoid Chiang¡¯s family anymore. It was natural for her to be friendly towards them. If she couldn¡¯t be friendly with certain people, she wouldn¡¯t be hostile to them either.

    After walking for a few minutes, Yuxi suddenly smelled a faint fragrance. Without even needing Chiang Xin to introduce it, Yuxi knew that the wintersweet was up ahead.

    The Chiang¡¯s wintersweet was different from Duke Han of the State¡¯s. In Duke of the State Residence, the wintersweet was reddish in colour, while in this courtyard, it was white. The white wintersweet that bloomed at the tip of the branches were like t thin snow.

    Yuxi stepped forward. She could see that all of these white wintersweet had five petals, which were white and wless, giving the viewers a pure and noble feeling. Just by standing in the middle of wintersweet, while smelling their fragrance, was also a pleasure.

    Chiang Xinughed ¡°Si Biaojie1si=fourth, biaojie=eldee female cousin has never seen wintersweet before?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°We nted red wintersweet in our residence. However, when wintersweet bloom every year, San Jie2san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie and her maid will collect snow water from them to make tea.¡± This only made the Han family look like country bumpkins. Although the Han family did not have the power like the Chiang family right now, in any case, they were still the people of Duke of the State official residence. It was really funny that they dare to look down on the Han family so much.

    Chiang Xin wasn¡¯t happy when she heard this. She looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°Say, what is the difference between tea steeped with spring water and tea steeped with snow?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and shook her head as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t usually drink tea. Though, when I do, I usually drink scented tea.¡± She seldom drank tea even the scented tea.

    Hearing this, Chiang Xin then asked, ¡°I heard that you are better at chess than San Biaojie3san=third, biaojie=elder female cousin? Is this true? ¡± In fact, she didn¡¯t actually believe it. Her intuition said that it was only hearsay, mainly because Yuchen usually performed too perfectly.

    Yuxi chuckled, ¡°That is an exaggeration praised by others. My chess skills are simr to San Jie2san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, but San Jie2san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie is proficient in all of the four arts. I am only good in chess.¡±

    Chiang Xin became more interested in Yuxi, ¡°Then, what do you usually do?¡±

    Yuxi answered with a smile, ¡°I usually read books, do embroidery, and then learn some cooking skills. If I have the opportunity, I will go visit Shiya Biaojie?elder female cousin and have a chat with her.¡±

    Hearing this, Chiang Xin¡¯s affection for Yuxi rose. While for her, her daily life was no different than Yuxi¡¯s.

    When the wind blew, the wintersweet fell down from the branches. Yuxi felt a bit pity when she saw this scene. If she had more time to spend right now, she would have collected these white wintersweet flowers and made them into scented tea.

    When Chiang Xin knew about Yuxi¡¯s idea, she was very surprised, ¡°You can make scented tea?¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Of course! Plum blossom tea, rose scented tea, snow lotus scented tea, honeysuckle scented tea, xueli?wild green flower scented tea, and in addition, I know how to make bitter gourd tea and kuding tea.¡±

    Plum Blossom Tea

    Image Credit | Jeon Gun-joo (Jul 7th, 2016, ?????? ???)

    Snow Lotus Scented Tea

    Image Credit | CLYK CLYK Store via Aliexpress

    Honeysuckle Scented Tea

    Image Credit | All About Honeysuckle Tea via Chinese Tea Info

    Xue Li (wild green flower) Scented Tea

    Image Credit | Anhui Natural Source Impex Ltd. via Alibaba

    Bitter Gourd Tea

    Image Credit | To the right owner. Please let me know if you own this picture

    Kuding Tea

    Image Credit | Ð¡°Ù»õ (Aug 22nd, 2018, ¿à¶¡²èµÄ¹¦Ð§Óë×÷ÓÃ) via Meishijr

    Chiang Xin happily asked, ¡°Can you teach me?¡±

    Yuxi naturally knew that Chiang Xin also liked to make scented tea by herself, and especially fond of mixing fragrances, ¡°Naturally, but I¡¯m of average standard, so don¡¯t be disappointed in the future.¡±

    When both of them returned to the main room, the people in the room found that Chiang Xin¡¯s attitude had changed greatly. She kept on calling out ¡®Yuxi Biaojie?elder female cousin¡¯ and continued asking her a lot of questions. Their rtionship was like close blood sisters.

    Yuchen was delighted to hear the changes in Chiang Xin, while for Old Madam Chiang, her heart was unconvinced with the changes. After everyone had left, Chiang Xin¡¯s maid was called in for questioning.

    As Old Madam Chiang listened to the maid¡¯s report, she could only say with a sigh, ¡°No wonder Yuchen totally sets her heart on this girl.¡± This means, this thinking, not ordinary people would have. Old Madam Chiang was very familiar with Yuxi¡¯s situation. She had no one to teach her other than Momo?wet nurse Quan. Therefore, Momo?wet nurse Quan had taught all her skills to Yuxi. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    On the way, Yuchen also asked Yuxi the same question, ¡°Si Meimei?si=fourth, meimei=younger sister, how did you get Xin Biaomei?younger female cousin to ept you?¡± She had always wanted to live in peace with Chiang Xin, but Chiang Xin was very exclusive to her and often made her felt very helpless with her sarcasm.

    Yuxi replied with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Xin Biaomei?younger female cousin asked me what I do at home every day? I told her that I¡¯m learning to embroider and so on. After the Lantern Festival, I will have to learn to manage the household. By then, Xin Biaomei?younger female cousin¡¯s attitude towards me had be much better?¡±

    Yuchen smiled gently, ¡°Xin Biaomei?younger female cousin has a little temper, but she is very nice.¡± For a Marquis Residence young miss, to have a little temper was very normal. As long as she had good nature and moral character, everything else was fine.

    Yuxi knew what Yuchen meant. ¡°San Jie2san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, I will get along well with Xin Biaomei?younger female cousin.¡± She had always known that Yuchen had been hoping for her to get close with the Chiang family. It was impossible for her to make friends, but it was still necessary to establish a good rtionship on the whole.

    After returning to Han Residence, Yuxi took a nap before going to the main courtyard. It happened that Ye Shi and Qiu Shi were currently discussing family affairs. Yuxi was going to learn how to manage the household soon, so it was natural for her to listen to Ye Shi when she came.

    Ye Shi talked with Qiu Shi for less than half an hour, while Yuxi was looking at Ye Shi who continued touching her stomach four to five times. Ye Shi¡¯s face looked good with makeup, and most people won¡¯t notice anything unusual. However, Yuxi had learned pharmacology, though she had never seen or treated anyone, but she could still Ye Shi¡¯s difort.

    When Ye Shi and Qiu Shi had done talking, Ye Shi went out. Yuxi looked at Ye Shi¡¯s back and frowned, but she didn¡¯t say a word to Qiu Shi.

    Once Ye Shi dealt with her matter, she immediately returned to Rosin Courtyard. At this time, she no longer kept her bravado, as she weakly said, ¡°Help me into the room so that I can have a rest.¡± She had a bad stomach ache, that she didn¡¯t even want to talk. In fact, her stomach had started to not feelfortable after she came back from the pce yesterday, but she didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. She thought it would be better after she had a rest, but she didn¡¯t expect to have such severe pain today.

    Old woman Hua, Ye Shi¡¯s wet nurse, advised, ¡°Da Nainai?da=eldest/big, nainai=young mistress of the house, please send for a physician! Just to see if there is any problem!¡±

    Ye Shi shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not good to have a doctor on the second day of Lunar New Year. Please wait after the Lantern Festival before calling for a physician.¡± She hasn¡¯t been able to give birth for more than two years, so she was very cautious in doing things, and she was afraid that her grandmother-inw and her mother-inw would not be happy because she hadn¡¯t done everything well.

    Old woman Hua was helpless as she said, ¡°Then Miss should go to bed and have a rest. I¡¯ll call for you when the meal is here.¡±

    Ye Shi was also feeling quite ufortable at this moment, so she agreed to take a rest.

    When Yuxi came out of the main courtyard, instead of returning directly to her own courtyard, she turned to Rosin Courtyard. At this time, Ye Shi hadn¡¯t yet fallen asleep.

    Once Ye Shi heard that Yuxi wasing, she didn¡¯t get up but she instead asked a maid to bring in Yuxi into the room directly. Seeing Yuxi, she smiled and asked, ¡°What brought Si Meimei?si=fourth, meimei=younger sister here?¡±

    Yuxi noticed that Ye Shi¡¯splexion was much better than before and said, ¡°Just now, I saw that Dasao1?eldest sister-inwplexion wasn¡¯t good. Are you not feeling well Dasao1?eldest sister-inw?¡±

    Ye Shi didn¡¯t deny it, as she answered, ¡°En, I¡¯m feeling a bit unwell. I think I¡¯ve been too tired recently.¡± To be a n leader wife, not only one should be able to handle the household and manage its affairs, but also, one had to be filial to her parents-inw, and also had good health. Ye Shi¡¯s health is pretty good, but she was bad in enduring.

    Yuxi frowned and questioned, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call for a physician?¡±

    Ye Shi smiled bitterly, ¡°This is the second day of the Lunar New Year, how can I invite a physician over?¡±

    As Yuxi heard what Ye Shi said, she finally understood Ye Shi¡¯s taboo. If a physician was invited on the second day of Lunar New Year, superstitious people like Old Madam would feel that the luck of the year would also be affected. Although Yuxi could only snort at this kind of statement, no one could choose a day when one fell ill, and one couldn¡¯t make it mandatory not to get sick during the New Year. Unfortunately, the Old Madam believed that her subordinates had to avoid talking about it and should not ever say anything about any illness.

    Ye Shi looked at Yuxi¡¯s tangled appearance and said with a smile, ¡°Si Meimei?si=fourth, meimei=younger sister doesn¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m just a bit tired and I only need to take a rest.¡±

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t say anything to counter. Although she had learned pharmacology and medical skill in secret, what she had learnt was only military tactics on paper11Chinese idiom : idle theorizing. Furthermore, she didn¡¯t have the courage to feel other people¡¯s pulse and give any prescriptions. After thinking for a moment, Yuxi stood up and said, ¡°Then Dasao1?eldest sister-inw, have a good rest.¡±

    After Yuxi left, old woman Hua turned to Ye Shi and said, ¡°I heard that the Fourth Miss has learned pharmacology. Da Nainai?da=eldest/big, nainai=young mistress of the house should have let Fourth Miss feel your pulse just now. It is better for you to know.¡±

    Ye Shi shook her head and said, ¡°Fourth Miss studied pharmacology, not medical skill. If I asked her to help me feel the pulse, wouldn¡¯t it make things difficult for her? Say no more, I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±

    Yuxi walked along the road thinking for a long time. Ye Shi had always been very friendly to her since she married into the residence. Although this was for Eldest Aunt¡¯s sake, Yuxi did not dislike it either. No one in this world could treat you well for no reason, unless there was a plot.

    After racking her brain left and right, Yuxi felt that she should talk to her Eldest Aunt. She should give the decision making to her. If she already knew that Ye Shi was unwell and still didn¡¯t ask for a physician, then she was at the end of her rope.

    Qiu Shi listened to Yuxi¡¯s words and felt very surprised, ¡°Where did you see Ming-er wife* is ill?¡± Her daughter-inw*12both are Ï±¸¾ x¨ªf¨´ but it has different meaning based on its usage in sentence. Though it refers to a same person. looked normal when she saw her just now.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°Eldest Aunt forgot that I¡¯ve studied pharmacology, thus I can still tell whether one looks good or bad. Just now, when I went to see Dasao1?eldest sister-inw, her look was very pale. It was just that Dasao1?eldest sister-inw has some scruples and does not dare to let Eldest Aunt know.¡±

    Qiu Shi did not doubt Yuxi¡¯s words. Over the years, she had taken the medicated diet prepared by Yuxi for her, and her body had now be much lighter. Of course, all the medicated meals were made under the guidance of Momo?wet nurse Quan. Yuxi had not yetpleted her apprenticeship, so she did not dare make anyplicated medicated meals. ¡°It may be that she has been overworked for a while.¡± There were so many things to be done during Lunar New Year, that she herself used to lose several jin13a traditional Chinese unit of a catty, or 500g every time Lunar New Year had passed.

    Yuxi thought it would be better to invite the physician toe to take a look, because Ye Shi had been touching her stomach at that time and it was obvious she was feeling ufortable. ¡°Eldest Aunt, can you please ask a physician to take a look at Dasao1?eldest sister-inw? If one doesn¡¯t feel unwell, one must seek a physician in time, otherwise minor problems will be major problems.¡±

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t agree, as she said, ¡°Your Dasao1?eldest sister-inw is not a child anymore. If she is not well, howe she doesn¡¯t know how to ask for a physician herself? So don¡¯t worry yourself over it.¡±

    Yuxi thought for a moment and said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, it¡¯s because Dasao1?eldest sister-inw is not a child, that she didn¡¯t say it. If it was me, I would have told you. Eldest Aunt, it is better to ask for a physician to help in examining Dasao1?eldest sister-inw! I can¡¯t set my mind at ease until I can request a physician for her.¡±

    Qiu Shi was both amused and angry at that time, ¡°What does this have to do with you?¡±

    Yuxi bluntly said, ¡°Eldest Aunt didn¡¯t see how Dasao1?eldest sister-inw looked then. Her face was even looking pale. Eldest Aunt also knows that I have studied pharmacology, and from what I have seen, it is not the result of tiredness. Eldest Aunt, we can¡¯t hide our illness, let alone dy our illness because it is the second day of the Lunar New Year!¡±

    Under Yuxi¡¯s great efforts in persuading her, Qiu Shi finallypromised, ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll send for Physician Bai to look at your Dasao1?eldest sister-inw. ¡± She finally promised to do so because, firstly, she loved Yuxi so much, and she was ready to pamper her; secondly, Ye Shi, this daughter-inw of her, had not yet given birth to a grandson. She was worried that Ye Shi would not be able to give her a son because Ye Shi¡¯s body had really gone wrong.

 Chapter 107 - Surprised (2)

    <strong>Chapter 107 : Surprised (2)</strong>

    Old woman Hua went to the bedside and when she saw Ye Shi¡¯s slept with furrowed eyebrows, she felt really sad in her heart. Since her Miss got married, her Miss had her heart in her mouth1Chinese idiom : filled with worry because she had some trouble in giving birth to a son. Old woman Hua knew her Master¡¯s difficulties, but they were taboo things for her to bring up. When would her Miss¡¯ difficulties end?

    In the midst of her anxiety, a maid named Ah Ling came asking for advice. She whispered in old woman Hua¡¯s ear, ¡°Mama, Physician Bai is here, saying that he came to check on Nainai2young mistress of the house. He¡¯s currently waiting in the yard!¡±

    Old woman Hua was very surprised, so she asked, ¡°How can Physician Bai be here?¡±

    Ah Ling herself wasn¡¯t clear about it.

    Old woman Hua woke Ye Shi up and told her about it. Ye Shi was very surprised but in the end, she finally understood, ¡°It should be the physician invited by Si Meimei3si=fourth, Meimei=younger sister.¡±

    When the physician arrived at the door, Ye Shi naturally would not refuse.

    Physician Bai felt Ye Shi¡¯s pulse. After a few minutes, his face became very solemn. After a while, he said, ¡°Please change your hand, Da?eldest Nainai2young mistress of the house!¡±

    Physician Bai¡¯s expression unbearably frightened old woman Hua, ¡°Physician Bai, what¡¯s wrong with my Da?eldest Nainai2young mistress of the house?¡± Rather than saying it was because her Master was feeling tired, by looking at the physician¡¯s look, it was actually not a small problem!

    After examining for a long time, Physician Bai finally said, ¡°Da?eldest Nainai2young mistress of the house, to be on the safe side, I like to request a physician who is an expert in women¡¯s study to check on you.¡± Women¡¯s study is called gynecology nowadays.

    Ye Shi¡¯s face was a little white. If you asked someone who was an expert in women¡¯s study, she would never be able to hide the condition of her cold womb.

    Old woman Hua was so scared that she quickly asked, ¡°Physician Bai, what¡¯s wrong with my Da?eldest Nainai2young mistress of the house? What¡¯s wrong with her that you can¡¯t diagnose and in need of a physician who is an expert in women¡¯s study?¡±

    Physician Bai hesitated for a moment before he asked, ¡°Da?eldest Nainai2young mistress of the house, did this month menstruation dy?¡±

    ¡°It had cleared six days ago,¡± said old woman Hua. The cold in Ye Shi¡¯s womb was particrly intense, that even her monthly menstruation didn¡¯te on time. It was often dyed.

    Physician Bai¡¯s expression became even more grave. After pondering for a while, he said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Da?eldest Nainai2young mistress of the house is pregnant, but the time is extremely short. It is better to invite a physician who is an expert in women¡¯s study toe and have a look.¡± Physician Bai was an expert inmon cold and he had not learned women¡¯s study.

    Old woman Hua was extremely delighted. Unfortunately, Physician Bai did not make her that happy for too long, ¡°It is much safer to get a doctor who is an expert in women¡¯s study.¡± He couldn¡¯t say if it was unlucky, since the foetus was unstable, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have bled six days ago. Six days ago, it was definitely not a normal menstrual. It should have been a red g.

    At this time, Ye Shi was very rational. Her rationality was almost abnormal. She asked, ¡°Physician Bai, is there anything wrong with me?¡± Generally, physicians would be very happy when they diagnosed pregnancy pulse. However, Physician Bai¡¯s current appearance was very wrong. Thinking that she had been working hard these days and nights, she thought that it had finally taken it toll on her body. As she thought till here, Ye Shi¡¯s heart started to flustered. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Physician Bai did not dare to say anything unlucky, so as not to frighten Ye Shi, ¡°Da?eldest Nainai2young mistress of the house no need to be anxious. When a physician who is an expert in women¡¯s studyes, just ask him on how to properly nurse Nainai2young mistress of the house¡¯s health, then the child should be able to survive.¡± Ye Shi always thought that doctor Bai didn¡¯t know her womb was extremely cold. In fact, he really didn¡¯t know about it. Since no one asked him about it, he wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to say it. After all, this matter would only offend other people.

    Pair of tablets (¶ÔÅÆ du¨¬ p¨¢i)

    It was usually made of bamboo and wood. Numbers would be written on it and then split into half as a token. It was usually used to withdraw items or in this novel, they were used to invite professional physicians.

    Image Credit | Baike Baidu

    Qiu Shi heard that Ye Shi was likely to be pregnant and she needed a physician who was an expert in women¡¯s study to make a definite diagnosis. All her scruples had been thrown beyond the topmost clouds?Chinese idiom : unimaginably far away. She immediately instructed Mama Li, by saying, ¡°Take this pair of tablets at once and go invite Imperial Physician Le to check on Da?eldest Nainai2young mistress of the house.¡± All this time, she had been looking forward to a grandson. Now that her grandson had finally arrived, there shouldn¡¯t be any mishap.

    An hourter, Imperial Physician Le came. The physician¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good after making a diagnosis on Ye Shi. Under this circumstance, not only old woman Hua and Ye Shi who were worried, but also Qiu Shi, ¡°Imperial Physician Le, is my daughter-inw pregnant?¡±

    Imperial Physician Le nodded his head. Before Qiu Shi could be happy, he added, ¡°The child¡¯s life is quite shallow. Recently, the foetus has be unstable due to Da?eldest Nainai2young mistress of the house being overwork and the foetus also has signs of near miscarriage.¡±

    When Qiu Shi just got the good news, then had to hear such bad news, she finally knew what was fire and ice, with both happened in one day. Qiu Shi broke out in cold sweat as she said, ¡°Imperial Physician Le, you must keep my grandson!¡±

    Imperial Physician Le was not quite sure he could do it, but still he said, ¡°I¡¯ll write a prescription first. Da?eldest Nainai2young mistress of the house will have to take it for two days. If her condition takes a turn for the better, then there is hope.¡±

    Imperial Physician Le prescribed a prescription for good health and said to Qiu Shi, ¡°A pregnant woman must not overwork herself. She should maintain a good state of mind and she should also pay attention to her diet. I will write down what she needs to avoid while she¡¯s pregnant.¡± There was one thing he had to hide. The Shizi?heir of a noble house¡¯s wife had an extremely cold womb. If the foetus could not be saved, it may be difficult for her to have children in the future.

    Imperial Physician Le was a person who walked among the harem. Thus, he knew clearly what could be said and what not. At this important juncture, such words should not be said at all. Otherwise, once it influenced the mood of the pregnant woman, there would be no hope for the foetus at all.

    Yuxi was extremely surprised to hear that Ye Shi was pregnant. She only thought Ye Shi was feeling unwell, but she didn¡¯t expect her to actually be pregnant. It wasn¡¯t wrong for Yuxi to be so surprised. In her previous life, Ye Shi was diagnosed as barren by the physician. Since the first wife was unable to give birth, she had to raise the status of a concubine¡¯s son to be the sessor for the title Duke the State.

    However, Ye Shi and Qiu Shi had great differences in choosing the concubine candidate. Ye Shi wanted her husband to marry her cousin Ke Minjie. Qiu Shi wanted to hire a girl from outside who had a clean family background and gentle temper. But, Qiu Shi was really bad when it came to scheming. In the end, Ye Shi gained the upper hand and made Ke Minjie as Master Shizi?heir of a noble house, Han Jianming¡¯s concubine. This made Qiu Shi and Ye Shi thoroughly detested each other.

    When Ke Minjie was carried into the official residence, she began to observe her duties, and had a low-key life. But after she became pregnant, she began to feel restless and tried to curry favor with Qiu Shi. Ke Minjie was a person who could bend and stretch?Chinese idiom : can bow and submit/flexible as she made a strenuous effort to get off her high horse?Chinese idiom : adopt a more humble or empathetic attitude. Besides, she had a protruding belly that she could use to fawn over Qiu Shi. How could Qiu Shi not like her? Therefore, the eldest son whom Ke Minjie gave birth to was not raised by Ye Shi but by Qiu Shi. Thus, the rtionship between Ye Shi and Qiu Shi deteriorated even further.

    Qiu Shi was not good at plotting, but she still had Mama Li who was good at scheming. In the end, Qiu Shi made use of Ke Minjie, letting her fight with Ye Shi. This situation created an opportunity for Wu Shi to take advantage of by making much more mess.

    This was also the reason why Yuxi did not want to get close with Ye Shi. Even if her attitude towards Ye Shi had improvedpared to before, she only maintained on the surface that she could get along with Ye Shi. She always felt that Ye Shi would go against Qiu Shi in the future, and it was a certainty that she would be on Qiu Shi¡¯s side. Since they were destined to be enemies, naturally one would not willing to be close with. What Yuxi really didn¡¯t expect was that Ye Shi was currently pregnant.

    As Yuxi thought till here, she reluctantly shook her head. She was the one who didn¡¯t care about everything around her in her previous life. She didn¡¯t know Ye Shi could not have a child until Ye Shi requested her husband to marry a concubine. At that time, she didn¡¯t have a clue about the procedure, so she didn¡¯t know if Ye Shi ever had a child. However, judging from today¡¯s situation, if she hadn¡¯t insisted on calling a physician for Ye Shi, if she had to wait for Ye Shi to invite a physician after the Lantern Festival, the child would have beenpletely lost. Of course, it was not without doubt. Since Yuxi studied pharmacology, naturally she knew whether one could be pregnant, or one who couldn¡¯t. However, Ye Shi could no longer get pregnant after she gave birth. There was only one reason for this situation, either Ye Shi¡¯s constitution had troubles to conceive, or her health was very poor. However, Ye Shi seldom seeked a physician after she had been in the residence for over two years. It could be inferred from this that it wasn¡¯t an easy pregnancy for Ye Shi, and most women who weren¡¯t able to get pregnant were usually suffering from severe cold in their womb. Yuxi felt somewhat strange. Young miss from rich and influential families were all highly pampered and treated as precious. How could Ye Shi¡¯s body be this poor?

    Yuxi thought for a little while, pondering if she should meddle in this matter or not. If she didn¡¯t poke her nose into it, she would be very worried that Eldest Aunt and Ye Shi would be enemies because of their children¡¯s problems. In the end, this dark smoke and filthy air?to describe an environment which is foul, messy and unpleasant would only give Wu Shi readily exploitable loopholes1?opportunity to exploit. But if Yuxi got involved in this matter, she would only get into a lot of trouble.

    Zisu looked at Yuxi who was pulling a long face, thus she asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Miss?¡± Even if Shizi?heir of a noble house¡¯s wife couldn¡¯t save her own child, it had nothing to do with her Miss.

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t express her worries. After she considered it for a long time, she still felt that it was better for her to wait and see. In any case, the child in Ye Shi¡¯s belly still had hope to be saved.

    Ye Shi heard what Imperial Physician Le had advised her, that was for her to lie in bed and take good care of herself during this period of time, otherwise it would be difficult for her to keep the child. How could she not dare to listen? When Yuxi arrived, Ye Shi obedientlyid in the bed.

    With regards to Yuxi, old woman Hua was extremely grateful. Imperial Physician Le had said, that if they had waited for several days to call for a physician, the child would not have been able to survive.

    Concerning old madam Hua enthusiasm, Yuxi was unable to bear. When Ye Shi saw Yuxi, she hurriedly said, ¡°Thanks to you, Si Meimei3si=fourth, Meimei=younger sister. If it weren¡¯t for you, Si Meimei3si=fourth, Meimei=younger sister, I wouldn¡¯t even know that I was pregnant.¡± If Yuxi hadn¡¯t asked her mother-inw for a physician, she wouldn¡¯t have known until the child was born. More or less, she didn¡¯t even know that she was pregnant.

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°This shows that my little nephew is blessed with great fortune and will surely be born safely.¡±

    Ye Shi touched her lower abdomen and softly said, ¡°I¡¯d like to borrow my Si Meimei3si=fourth, Meimei=younger sister¡¯s auspicious words.¡±

    In order not to disturb Ye Shi¡¯s rest, Yuxi only sat for a quarter of an hour and then left. Back in the Rose Courtyard, she learned from listening to Kufu¡¯s words that Eldest Aunt unexpectedly begged the Old Madam to use Momo11wet nurse Sha, who specialized in making medicated diet for Yuchen, to serve Ye Shi.

    Yuxiughed, ¡°Eldest Aunt really has a good sight.¡± Although Momo11wet nurse Sha couldn¡¯t bepared to Momo11wet nurse Quan, her medicated diet was still very good, and it should be no problem to be used to recuperate Ye Shi¡¯s body. If it was for other reasons, the Old Madam would certainly not be willing, but in Ye Shi¡¯s belly, it was likely to be her great-grandson, thus the Old Madam couldn¡¯t refuse.

    With Ye Shi¡¯s incident, for the next few days, Yuxi did not go to any other family household except for Qiu family and Zhou family. Even Zhou Shiya and Duan Xinrong¡¯s invitation cards she had to push aside. Imperial Physician Le had not yet said that the child in Ye Shi¡¯s belly was safe. So, the tense atmosphere in the government could not be dissipated yet. If Yuxi was still dressed up to go to rtives at this time, how stupid would she be!

    Fortunately, just after the Lantern Festival, when Imperial Physician Le examined Ye Shi¡¯s pulse, he said, ¡°You have done good with your recuperation. As long as you keep on carefully recuperating your health, there should be no problem with the child.¡± Of course, Ye Shi still had to lie in bed for the first three months. She could not go out and wander about.

    With these words, Qiu Shi¡¯s heart, which had been stuck in her throat, finally fell back into the distance. It had been an ordeal for her for more than ten days.

    Momo11wet nurse Sha looked for Imperial Physician Le and consulted with him about Ye Shi¡¯s diet. The two people talked for quite a while before Imperial Physician Le left. It could be said that Momo11wet nurse Sha was the one responsible for Ye Shi¡¯s ability to recuperate her health..

    Originally, it was agreed to lend Momo11wet nurse Sha for half a month, but now that Ye Shi¡¯s foetus had not yet stable, Qiu Shi wouldn¡¯t not let her return. Momo11wet nurse Sha wasn¡¯t allowed to leave Rosin Courtyard, at least for the first three months.

    Yuchen had no problem with it. Although she was not used to it after Momo11wet nurse Sha left, the child in Ye Shi¡¯s belly was the most important thing right now. Even Momo11wet nurse Gui, who was usually quite picky, did not say a word.

 Chapter 108 - Ke Minjie (1)

    <strong>Chapter 108 : Ke Minjie (1)</strong>

    Yuxi was currently practising calligraphy with a cantilever in her study. Now, the cursive script that she kept copied began to take shape. Although Teacher Song said that she could not reach everyone¡¯s standard, Yuxi was never discouraged. If she couldn¡¯t reach everyone¡¯s standard, then it would be good for her to reach second-tier level.

    After Yuxi finished practicing her calligraphy, she walked out of her study.

    Kufu came over and informed her, ¡°Miss, Madam Ye hase to visit Da Nainai1da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house.¡± Madam Ye had long received news that her daughter hadin in bed because of an unstable foetus. Just before the Lantern Festival, she had many things to do in the Ye Residence, so she was unable to leave. After the Lantern Festival, once she had dealt with the matter at hand, she quickly came to visit Ye Shi.

    Yuxi casually asked, ¡°Did Madam Yee alone?¡± As far as she knew, both Madam Ye and Ye Shi were very good to Ke Minjie. As for Ke Minjie, once she became a concubine, she started to go against Ye Shi, and this matters, Yuxi didn¡¯t want toment much. ording to her, Ke Minjie was brought in by Ye Shi herself, and even if Ye Shi suffered afterwards, it was all self-inflicted.

    Kufu shook her head and said, ¡°No, Madam Ye brought a girl with her. This girl seems to be Madam Ye¡¯s niece.¡±

    Yuxi was very quick to perceive as she asked, ¡°What is her name?¡± Could it be the one who followed Madam Ye was Ke Minjie? This woman was really not a good person.

    Kufu replied, ¡°Her surname is Ke. As for her specific name, I really don¡¯t know.¡±

    Yuxi said without thinking, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Rosin Courtyard.¡± Without thinking much about it, she knew that person was Ke Minjie. It wasn¡¯t a good thing to have this woman as apany. It was better for her to go there and have a look.

    Kufu was somewhat surprised, ¡°Miss, Da Nainai1da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house is entertaining Madam Ye!¡± Other people would surely talk about the two of them, about what was going on with her Miss.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern me who she currently entertains.¡±

    Kufu was puzzled, but she knew that her Miss was not a person who did not understand etiquette. At this moment, she must have her own reason.

    This time, Yuxi brought Zisu. When the two arrived at Rosin Courtyard, old woman Hua immediately weed her in.

    Madam Ye was sitting on the edge of the bed, talking to Ye Shi, and standing next to her was a petite, charming girl. With just a nce, Yuxi could immediately recognise that this person was Ke Minjie.

    Ke Minjie was very beautiful. She had a small and lovely snow white face, with a headful of jet-ck shiny hair, and a slim well-proportioned figure. She also had the gentleness and graceful temperament of a nobledy. This kind of appearance was very popr with men. In previous life, Yuxi¡¯s Dage2da=eldest, ge=eldest brother, short form for Gege was particrly fond of Ke Minjie.

    Stories from a Ming Collection: Trantions of Chinese Short Stories Published in the Seventeenth Century, Volume 3

    It took 3 stories plus 5 additional stories from Feng Menglong¡¯s collection, Stories Old and New (originally published in 1624) and tranted to English by Cyril Birch. The 3 main stories include ¡°The Pearl-Sewn Shirt¡±, ¡°Wine and Dumplings¡± and ¡°The Canary Murders.¡±

    Image Credit | Grove Antic

    Seeing Ke Minjie, Yuxi once again had a profound understanding of the what had been said by Momo3wet nurse Quan, ¡®a man¡¯s face may be known, but how can you know his heart??from The Pearl-Sewn Shirt short story, in Stories from a Ming Collection: Trantions of Chinese Short Stories Published in the Seventeenth Century, Volume 3 which meant there is no way to really know a person¡¯. This woman, she had malicious ideas that were hidden too deep. Yuxi restrained all her emotions, and she greeted Madam Ye as she called her out with a smile, ¡°Hello, Eldest Aunt Ye.¡±

    Madam Ye also knew that it was fortunate that Yuxi helped in inviting a physician that day. Otherwise, her daughter¡¯s foetus would have been impossible to protect, and she would also like to have a good look at Yuxi. After giving Yuxi a few words of praise, which made Yuxi¡¯s small face turned shy to the colour of an apple, she pulled Ke Minjie over to introduce, ¡°Fourth Miss, this is my niece, Minjie.¡±

    Ke Minjie looked at Yuxi and happily greeted, ¡°Hello, Yuxi Biaomei?younger female cousin.¡± Ke Minjie was from Suzhou. She speaked in soft Suzhou dialect, which was very pleasant to hear.

    Yuxi looked at Ke Minjie, but did not respond to her words. Instead, she frowned and said, ¡°*Biaojie?elder female cousin, Dasao?eldest sister-inw cannot smell any fragrant right now. Biaojie?elder female cousin, please take out the perfume sachet.¡±

    There was a sh of panic in Ke Minjie¡¯s eyes, but she soon recovered to how she was before. Then she gave a smallugh and said, ¡°Yuxi Biaomei?younger female cousin must be joking, I didn¡¯t wear any perfume. Inside the sachet are some dried petals and herbs for calming the mind.¡± As she finished saying this, she removed the sachet she had and prepared to pass it over to her maid.

    Yuxi had made great efforts in weighing up Ke Minjie¡¯s words and observing her facial expression?Chinese idiom : to discern what sb thinks from his bodynguage. Although she could not say that her skill was top-notch, she was still more than able to see through the present Ke Minjie. Ke Minjie¡¯s expression just now had been seen by her eyes, and her heart was already certain that there must be a problem with the sachet. For this reason, Yuxi impolitely and quickly took the sachet from Ke Minjie and said with a smile, ¡°Biaojie?elder female cousin has embroidered beautiful flowers on this sachet. Can you give me this sachet?¡± Once she finished saying this, she specially put the sachet in front of her eyes, as she looked at decorative patterns on the surface. In fact, she was trying to smell the fragrance inside. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi had also been in constant contact with drugs over the years and was rtively more sensitive to such things. After only one sniff, she could feel that it had a very special essence. Yuxi didn¡¯t have to guess that this sachet was 100% defective.Since there was a problem, how could it be returned to Ke Minjie.

    Ke Minjie¡¯s whole body was stiff.

    Ye Shi smiled and helped Yuxi exined, ¡°Minjie, don¡¯t mind about it. Yuxi has liked embroidery since she was a child. She just couldn¡¯t take her eyes off when she saw beautiful designs. Since Yuxi likes it, Minjie, just give it to her!¡± A pair of butterflies were embroidered on the sachet worn by Ke Minjie, which was lifelike and very beautiful. Yuxi had used this reason to get it, although it was a bit disrespectful, but it still made sense.

    Yuxi said with a full face of smile, ¡°Thank you Dasao?eldest sister-inw, also thank you Biaojie?elder female cousin.¡± After saying that, she gave the stuff to Zisu.

    Among Yuxi¡¯s several maids, Zisu had the most tacit understanding in regard to Yuxi. She knew there was a problem when she looked at Yuxi¡¯s behaviour. Thus, she took the purse and stuffed it into her sleeve**.

    Madam Ye was quite disgusted with Yuxi¡¯s behaviour. She just robbed her niece of her things like a robber. What¡¯s more, she was even a young miss of state official residence. Even those from small households wouldn¡¯t snatch other people¡¯s things. Madam Ye silently cursed in her heart, but she couldn¡¯t say anything in front of her daughter. After all, Yuxi was the most beloved child of the wife of the Duke of the State. Plus, she had done a huge favour towards her daughter this time around. ¡°Since Miss Yuxi likes it, then, just take it,¡± she said with a smile. This was equivalent to Madam Ye directly taking charge of Ke Minjie, to keep her from getting it back from Yuxi.

    When Ke Minjie heard this, it wouldn¡¯t be good if she still wanted to request the sachet back.

    The knowledge of Yuxi studied pharmacology had not been publicized. The main reason was, Old Madam Han thought that it was not an honorable thing for Yuxi to study pharmacology, so she had ordered the people in the residence that they were not allowed to discuss this matter outside, so outsiders rarely knew about it. While Ye Shi, even as a daughter-inw, seldom met her mother-inw. Even when they met, they usually talked about their matters. Where could they specifically talk about Yuxi learning pharmacology?

    Yuxi came and went hastily.

    After Yuxi left, Madam Ye said, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that Fourth Miss isn¡¯t highly cultured and steeped in propriety?Chinese idiom : educated and reasonable person, but how could she be so unruly?¡±

    Ye Shi also didn¡¯t know why Yuxi behaved so strangely today. If it was about embroidery workmanship, Yuxi could even do double-sided embroidery. How could she value Biaomei?younger female cousin¡¯s sachet that much? Except that, it was not appropriate for her to tell her mother about this, so she changed the subject.

    Madam Ye continued to chat with Ye Shi. Ke Minjie didn¡¯t go anywhere as she stood quietly behind Madam Ye all the time.

    Once Yuxi and Zisu were out of Rosin Courtyard, Zisu asked, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong with this sachet?¡±

    Although Yuxi had recited so many medical books and had been personally taught by Momo3wet nurse Quan, it was all theoretical and they had never been practiced. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Rose Courtyard first.¡±

    When they arrived at Rose Courtyard, Yuxi said to Zisu, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask what¡¯s the problem with it? Why don¡¯t you put it in front of your nose and smell it?¡±

    Zisu sniffed at it and immediately felt refreshed. ¡°What has been put in here? Although it doesn¡¯t smell that much, but it is particrlyfortable.¡± After that, her face changed as she asked, ¡°Miss, is this harmful to Da Nainai1da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house?¡±

    Yuxi nodded, but she did not exin much.

    Zisu had some doubt, thus she asked, ¡°Miss, can it be just a misunderstanding?¡± Just now, she was chatting with people outside the yard and got a lot of information. Among these information, there were a lot about Ke Minjie.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°Can it be you¡¯re harbouring suspicion that I¡¯m framing Ke Minjie?¡±

    Of course, naturally, Zisu won¡¯t harbour any suspicion. It was just that, there was no rtionship between Ke Minjie and her Miss. She was just worried that Yuxi tried to be clever and ended up with egg on her face1?Chinese idiom : tried to outsmart oneself but ended up in failure. At that time, her Miss wouldn¡¯t be able to turn around. ¡°Miss Ke is trusted by Madam Ye and Da Nainai1da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house. I heard from a maid that Miss Ke took shelter with Madam Ye three years ago. It seemed that her stepmother wanted to take her dowry and then married her out randomly. Therefore, she brought along her confidant, an old woman, to the capital, to seek protection from Madam Ye. In recent years, Madam Ye has treated Ke Minjie like her own daughter, and Da Nainai1da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house has also loved her like her own sister. Miss, if you don¡¯t get this right, it¡¯s going to be a big mess.¡± Zisu would say that she had seen Ke Minjie herself and she personally felt that Ke Minjie was not a vicious person. Most importantly, she couldn¡¯t find out why Ke Minjie wanted to harm Da Nainai1da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    If there was no previous life experience, Yuxi would surely feel that Ke Minjie was a very pure and kind woman. However, she had more memories than others, and knew more than others. ¡°Zisu, the human heart is the hardest thing for people to see through.¡±

    Zisu wanted to persuade Yuxi again, but Yuxi only shook her head and said, ¡°You ask someone to have a look out at Rosin Courtyard. When Madam Ye leaves, ask old woman Hua toe over by saying that I have something to tell her.¡± She didn¡¯t want to make too much noise about the sachet. One¡¯s own family matter should be handled by one¡¯s own family, thus she didn¡¯t want to interfere.

    Madam Ye only stayed in Rosin Courtyard for half an hour before she went back. Ye Shi¡¯s health was not good, and she couldn¡¯t be overworked. After all the long conversation with her guests, she felt sleepy.

    Old woman Hua sent Madam Ye out of the second gate. When she turned her head, she heard a little maid said to her, ¡°Mama, Fourth Miss asked you toe to Rose Courtyard.¡±

    Old woman Hua went to the Rose Courtyard after checking on Ye Shi in her room and saw that Ye Shi had fallen asleep.

    Yuxi also did not go round the curves and skirting the corners11Chinese idiom : speak in a roundabout way with old woman Hua, ¡°Zisu, give the sachet to Mama Hua.¡± Whatever issue could be found in this sachetter on, Yuxi would not interfere.

    Looking at the sachet in her hand, there were questions all over old woman Huan¡¯s face, ¡°Miss, isn¡¯t this the sachet that Miss Biao12family rtionship via females Ke wore at that time?¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Mama also knows that I had studied pharmacology. When I smelled the sachet, I could sense that there was something wrong. That was why I snatched it.¡±

    Old woman Hua¡¯s face kept on changing, ¡°Miss, can there be a mistake? Miss Biao12family rtionship via females and Da Nainai1da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house are like sisters. How could she harm Da Nainai1da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house?¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t want to dwell too much on this problem. ¡°I only know that there is a problem with this sachet. You can check it yourself. I haven¡¯t opened the sachet anyway, so you can ask a physician to see what¡¯s in it.¡±

    Old woman Hua was silent for quite a while before she said, ¡°Okay.¡±

 Chapter 109 - Ke Minjie (2)

    <strong>Chapter 109 : Ke Minjie (2)</strong>

    After old woman Hua left, Zisu asked, ¡°Miss, are we really not going to be concerned about this matter anymore?¡±

    Yuxi gave out a slight nod. ¡°It is inappropriate for us to intervene in this matter.¡± She had done her extreme benevolence, and utmost duty1Chinese idiom : meticulous virtue and attention to dutyby giving a wake up call to Ye Shi and old woman Hua. As for whether they believed it or not, it was beyond her control. If Ye Shi was still unable to keep the child and then requested her Dage2da=eldest brother, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegeto marry Ke Minjie as his concubine, Yuxi would help her aunt in stopping Ke Minjie from entering the residence.

    When old woman Hua returned to Rosin Courtyard, she told a few words to a maid, and then went out with the sachet. Originally, the most effective way was just to invite Imperial Physician Le and asked him to make a diagnosis on the sachet, but it was actually something that wasn¡¯t easy to do. Imperial Physician Le always came here at a set of time. Furthermore, there was no sudden incident for her to invite him over and she also must have an exnation for the invitation. She didn¡¯t want too many people to know that there was something wrong with the sachet. So after she took a look at Ye Shi and found nothing wrong with her, she immediately went outside to seek for a physician.

    Old woman Hua went to the most well-known drugstore in the capital city. She found an in-house physician of the drugstore and showed him the sachet, ¡°Mr Physician, my family Nainai3young mistress of the housefelt ufortable after smelling this sachet.¡± It was not because she didn¡¯t believe in what Yuxi said, but she knew that Yuxi didn¡¯t know about Ke Minjie until today, thus it was impossible for Yuxi to suddenly frame Ke Minjie when there was no actual grievance between the two people. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Since the in-house physician had met many strange things, he didn¡¯t inquire much. He just picked up the sachet and put it in front of his nose. After he sniffed it, he immediately opened it to examine the things inside. After looking at the things inside for a while, he said, ¡°Your family Nainai3young mistress of the houseis pregnant. That¡¯s why this sachet could make her feel ufortable.¡±

    Old woman Hua nodded and exined , ¡°My family Nainai3young mistress of the househas been pregnant for more than a month. Mr Physician, is there anything wrong with this sachet?¡±

    The physician put the herbs back into the sachet, then set it aside on the table as he said, ¡°The medicinal herbs that are put in the sachet will help in refreshing normal people¡¯s mind when they smell them. Meanwhile, pregnant women will feel ufortable instead. Furthermore, if a pregnant woman smells them too much, she will be in danger of miscarriage.¡± As to why the old woman¡¯s Master smelled such things, he certainly would not open his big mouth to ask. The first primary criteria when one became a physician was not to ask too much, and having a tight mouth about his patients was also essential.

    Old woman Hua¡¯s face turned white and it took awhile for her to regain herposure back. She then exined, ¡°My family Nainai3young mistress of the househas an unstable foetus, and the invited physician had advised her to stay in bed for the first three months. When she smelled this thing just now, she suddenly felt very ufortable. Is there any possibility for her to incur a miscarriage?¡±

    The physician was not in a position to judge, ¡°Regarding this, Daniang?aunt (polite address), I need to personally feel her pulse to actually know if there is any danger.¡± With just a few words, how could he be sure?

    Old woman Hua carefully recalled the incident at that time, ¡°My family Nainai3young mistress of the houseonly smelt this sachet for a short while. Moreover, it was at a distance of four or five steps away. Mr Physician, do you think there will be a problem?¡± This was mainly because Nainai3young mistress of the houseYe went to see Qiu Shi first, and then returned to Rosin Courtyard. Therefore, Nainai3young mistress of the houseYe and Ke Minjie only being together in the same room for a few minutes, before Yuxi arrived. At that time, Ke Minjie did not even try to get close to Ye Shi, and the sachet was taken out only a few minutester.

    The physician was still very conscientious as he asked, ¡°Did Nainai3young mistress of the househave any reaction at that time?¡±

    Old woman Hua shook her head and replied, ¡°No. My family Nainai3young mistress of the houseand Madam spoke for about two quarters of an hour and then she went to sleep.¡± Women in the early stages of pregnancy tended to be more sleepy.

    The physician¡¯s expression eased up a lot. ¡°Then, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem.¡± He had not been invited to meet the person himself, so it was unlikely for that person to be dying.

    Old woman Hua felt a little relieved and paid the consultation fee, then she went back to the state residence. The anxiety that filled her when she first came to the drugstore lightened up a lot.

    By this time, Ye Shi was already awoke and she was currently drinking bird¡¯s nest porridge. Seeing that old woman Hua had entered the room, she smiled and inquired, ¡°Mama, Ah Ling said you went out. What did Mama do outside?¡±

    On her way back, old woman Hua had been debating whether she should tell Ye Shi about the sachet or not. She was afraid that if Ye Shi knew about this, it would only be harmful to the foetus. Imperial Physician Le had reminded that her Master was resting now, so she should never be overworked or be bothered, and even more should not be stimted. When she saw Ye Shi, old woman Hua made up her mind not to say anything about it until her Master¡¯s child was firmly stable. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    White And ck Sesame Seeds

    Image Credit | ÌÃÂèÐ¡³ø via Xiachufang

    Old woman Hua smiled and answered, ¡°I suddenly wanted to eat sesame seed candy from He Ji Tang?a hall or a shop with He family sign. I just figured this out. ¨C (©V¦Å ?) -. When I saw Nainai3young mistress of the househad fallen asleep, I wanted to quietly buy some back. I didn¡¯t expect that I would bete though. When I arrived there, all the sesame candy had been sold out.¡± Old woman Hua had always liked sesame seed candy, but ones made by He Ji Tang?a hall or a shop with He family signst year had the purest vour.

    Ye Shi was usually a shrewd and ferocious person, but now she was somewhat short of spirit and unwilling to bother with anything. Since old woman Hua did not want to tell her the truth, there must be a reason for her to do so. Ye Shi was brought up personally by old woman Hua and she was also the person Ye Shi trusted the most. Ye Shi believed old woman Hua would never harm her. Therefore, since old woman Hua was unwilling to tell her the truth, she would not inquire deeply into it.

    Old woman Hua cautiously said, ¡°Da?eldestNainai3young mistress of the house, thest time Imperial Physician Le came here was three days ago. If we calcte the time, he should being back this afternoon, right?¡±

    Ye Shi touched her stomach and nodded, ¡°En. Imperial Physician Le¡¯s medical skills are really excellent. I am much more energetic nowpared to before.¡±

    Imperial Physician Le came to visit Ye Shi on time that afternoon. After examining her pulse, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll change another prescription for Da?eldestNainai3young mistress of the house.¡±

    Ye Shi asked, ¡°Imperial Physician Le, how is my child?¡±

    Imperial Physician Le¡¯s expression also eased a lot, ¡°The child is fine now, but Da?eldestNainai3young mistress of the housestill needs to take good care of it. After three months, when the baby is finally stable, Da?eldestNainai3young mistress of the housewill no longer have to lie in bed. By then, Da?eldestNainai3young mistress of the housewill have to walk more.¡±

    After hearing these words, as if Ye Shi had taken a reassuring pill for her heart, she no longer felt anxious.

    When Imperial Physician Le was writing a prescription outside, old woman Hua waved all the others away and took out the sachet. ¡°Imperial Physician Le, is it harmful for my family Nainai3young mistress of the houseto smell this stuff this morning?¡± It was still necessary for the Imperial Physician to give an urate reply before old woman Hua could finally feel at ease.

    Imperial Physician Le did not open it, but only sniffed at it and his face immediately changed. ¡°Where did you get this stuff? This thing cannot be smelled by Shizi?heir of a noble house¡¯s wife.¡±

    Old woman Hua asked, ¡°Imperial Physician Le, what will happen if my family Nainai3young mistress of the housesmells this thing?¡±

    Imperial Physician Le had just diagnosed Ye Shi¡¯s pulse. It had not yet affected Ye Shi¡¯s body, but he still said with a straight face, ¡°Generally, when pregnant women smell this, as long as the time is not too long, the worst thing they will get is an ufortable feeling. However, Shizi?heir of a noble house¡¯s wife has a weak physical, so she will have a miscarriage in less than two hours if she smells too much of this smell.¡± After a pause, he said something that they, Ye Shi and old woman Hua, had hidden all this time, ¡°Shizi?heir of a noble house¡¯s wife has a very cold womb. This kind of body problem should have made it hard for her to conceive. It is a blessing for Shizi?heir of a noble house¡¯s wife to be able to get pregnant this time.¡± Imperial Physician Lei¡¯s remark was equivalent to saying that this child was probably going to be Ye Shi¡¯s one and only child.

    When old woman Hua heard these statements, her legs went a little soft, ¡°Imperial Physician Le, please don¡¯t talk about this with others.¡± If the Old Madam and Madam knew, it would be disastrous.

    Naturally, Imperial Physician Le would not talk about this matter to other people. If he had the attention to expose this matter, why would he wait until now?

    After seeing off Imperial Physician Le, old woman Hua told Ye Shi, ¡°Da?eldestNainai3young mistress of the house, I wish to make a trip back to Ye Residence!¡± This matter must be told to Madam, so that Madam wouldn¡¯t bring Ke Minjie again next time.

    As Ye Shi heard this request, she was very sure that old woman Hua was hiding something from her. She leaned against the pillow and asked old woman Hua, ¡°Mama, is there something you¡¯re hiding from me?¡±

    Old woman Hua did not dare to let Ye Shi be aware of this matter. But she did not hide her feelings regarding this matter to Ye Shi. She only said, ¡°Da?eldestNainai3young mistress of the house, you must take good care of the foetus, and you should not be concerned over those trivial things, I will deal with it. Da?eldestNainai3young mistress of the house, the most important thing right now is the child in your belly.¡±

    Hearing these words, Ye Shi slightly nodded, ¡°Then I won¡¯t ask anymore.¡± She only thought that someone around her had broken the rules and angered old woman Hua. Then, this kind of matter could be personally handled by old woman Hua.

    Qiu Shi heard that old woman Hua had returned to Ye Residence and said discontentedly, ¡°I used to think this old woman Hua was a reliable woman. Who knew she would be this unreliable? Madam Ye did note here this morning. If it isn¡¯t because there¡¯s nothing can be said currently, I would haveined about it now.¡± Qiu Shi attached great importance to Ye Shi¡¯s foetus and now she would run to Rosin Courtyard three times a day.

    Yuxi was sitting right beside Qiu Shi. Ye Shi had to lie in bed for the safety of her foetus, thus the household management had been passed back to Qiu Shi¡¯s hands. Yuxi just learned how to take care of the household from Qiu Shi. Before she even started taking the household management, Momo?wet nurseQuan had already taught her very carefully and thoroughly about them. However, those were all theoretical knowledge, and now those theories must be applied practically.

    When Yuxi listened to Qiu Shi¡¯s words, she said with a smile, ¡°If you want me to say, the most unreliable one is Dage2da=eldest brother, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege. I haven¡¯t seen him for almost a month.¡± Yuxi had arrogantly followed Han Jianming to the Qiu family and the Zhou family on the third day of the Lunar New Year and then, she never saw him after that.

    Qiu Shi put the ount book back to its original ce and said, ¡°There are many things that have happened in the Imperial Court recently. Thus, your Dage2da=eldest brother, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegeis unable to leave because he is too busy with his works there!¡± She hadn¡¯t seen her son for a long time, as he had been busy all the time, till he couldn¡¯t even manage his household. Qiu Shi was d that her son had grown up, but she also felt somewhat sorry for him. Since his dad was unreliable, he had to work out everything by himself.

    Yuxi tried to stop talking about this issue by changing the subject, ¡°Eldest Aunt, Erge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegeis 17 years old this year. Shouldn¡¯t he find himself a job?¡± It wasn¡¯t a good thing to dy this kind of matter like this.

    Qiu Shi whispered to Yuxi, ¡°Your Dage2da=eldest brother, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege said that the Imperial Court is currently facing troubled times, so he said that it is much better to wait for some free time in the evening to properly find a job for your Erge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege.¡±

    Hearing her aunt¡¯s words, Yuxi suddenly became dumbfounded as she tried to recall whether there was any major event this year. As she thought, it reminded her of an event. It seemed that this was the year when the Crown Prince was deposed and the Imperial Court was reshuffled. However, because Han Jianming was in the same camp as the Ninth Prince, and the Ninth Prince was also the winner in this tussle, Yuxi refrained herself from opening her big mouth.

    Over the years, Yuxi had been very cautious in her actions. She wouldn¡¯t do anything that could be doubted by others. Just like those days where the Old Madam set her eyes on Ye Shi. Yuxi knew that Ye Shi couldn¡¯t have children but she kept quiet about it as she was afraid of being doubted. Of course, Ye Shi¡¯s pregnancy now proved one thing, that when she started to spread her own little wings, a lot of things had changed.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Since Dage2da=eldest brother, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegealready said so, it must be for Erge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege¡¯s good. It doesn¡¯t matter if this will take a few months.¡± Although her Erge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegewas currently 17 years old, young men like him werepletely different from young misses. Even if young men got married after two years had passed, they still would not have to worry about finding good young misses as their wives. It wasn¡¯t the same for young misses. Once they missed their marriage period, they had to lower their standard in choosing their future husbands.

 Chapter 110 - Ke Minjie (3)

    <strong>Chapter 110 : Ke Minjie (3)</strong>

    Qiu Shi had watched Yuxi grow up. So she knew that Yuxi wouldn¡¯t have done something like robbing people¡¯s thing without any reason. ¡°Mama Li, what do you think?¡± There must be something going on here, and it wasn¡¯t a trivial matter.

    Mama Li replied, ¡°Madam, we both know what kind of person Fourth Miss is. Even if the sachet was made of gold, it was unlikely for Fourth Miss to rob it. Unless there is something wrong with this sachet?¡±

    Qiu Shi also had this same idea, but she also had her doubts, ¡°You said there was something wrong with the sachet? Then, what¡¯s wrong with it?¡± At that time, Madam Ye and her niece hade to visit. Could it be these two try to harm Ye Shi? It couldn¡¯t be. They wouldn¡¯t gain any benefits by hurting Ye Shi.

    Mama Li started to link the incidents together, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t you think that after Fourth Miss robbed Miss Ke¡¯s sachet, old woman Hua suddenly went to Rose Courtyard and then she went out to find a physician? In the afternoon, after Imperial Physician Le came over, old woman Hua suddenly went back to Ye Residence in a hurry. What this old servant thinks, every incident seems to have something to do with this sachet.¡±

    Qiu Shi felt that Mama Li was right, but there was another problem, ¡°If there is a problem with the sachet, why didn¡¯t Yuxi tell me?¡±

    Mama Li replied, ¡°Fourth Miss didn¡¯t want you to be worried, so she decided not to tell you.¡±

    Qiu Shi did not want to think about it any more as she said, ¡°This won¡¯t do. This matter must be made clear.¡± After that, she immediately changed her clothes, and went straight to Rose Courtyard, apanied by a maid and an old woman servant.

    Mama Li was really powerless when it concerned Qiu Shi¡¯s impatient nature. It was her Master¡¯s good luck that Old Madam had given her the task to manage the residence all these year, and her shoring was considered as not that much of a problem.

    Back in Rose Courtyard, Zisu said to Yuxi with some uneasiness, ¡°Miss, old woman Hua has returned to Ye Residence. Will she go and talk to Madam Ye about the sachet?¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Most likely.¡±

    Zisu worriedly said, ¡°Miss, what if this is just a coincidence? At that time, Miss will be med inside and outside.¡±

    Yuxi chuckled, ¡°You think too much. Even if it was a coincidence, if it weren¡¯t for me, the child would be in danger of miscarriage. Dasao1eldest sister-inwand old woman Hua would only be grateful to me for this matter. As for the Ye family, what do they have to do with me?¡± If it weren¡¯t for her Eldest Aunt, how would she be willing to get involved in this muddy water?

    If she had to say, her Eldest Aunt was also unlucky in herst life. Her husband doted on his concubine more while she was treated indifferently instead. She raised her sons with difficulty and was hoping she could finally live in happiness. The oues, her eldest daughter-inw was unable to give birth. Because of this, mother-inw and daughter-inw became enemies because of different opinions on choosing a concubine; while her youngest son, despite being schemed by Qiu Yanfu, was still desperate to marry her. Her Eldest Aunt had a miserable life in herst life. Despite that, she was still doing her best in nning Yuxi¡¯s marriage, and this kind of friendship had always been in Yuxi¡¯s mind. Therefore, even if it was very troublesome, she must intervene in this matter.

    At the same time, the two heard Kufu raised her voice as she asked, ¡°Madam, why are you here?¡±

    For her Eldest Aunt toe at this time, something must have happened. Yuxi was not a fool. How could she not guess the reason for Qiu Shi¡¯s visit? Yuxi gave out a wry smile. She didn¡¯t want to tell her Eldest Aunt about it, but now she was afraid that her n wasn¡¯t going to work.

    Qiu Shi went into the study, leaving only Zisu and Mama Li waiting on them. While the others, all had been waved out. ¡°Yuxi, tell me honestly, did something happen today?¡±

    At this point, Yuxi also knew that she could not hide it anymore. Now, she honestly told her aunt the story. Not to mention, her Eldest Aunt ought to be flipped out right now.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s expression was very ugly. Mama Li asked curiously, ¡°Fourth Miss, how can you be so sure that there is something wrong with that sachet?¡±

    Yuxi exined, ¡°I have studied pharmacology and I¡¯m quite sensitive to the smell of medicines. I immediately smelled a faint fragrance as soon as I entered the room.¡± Ye Shi was currently taking medicine, so her room already had a smell of medicine. If it weren¡¯t for her sensitive nose and having studied pharmacology, she wouldn¡¯t have noticed it.

    Everyone looked at Yuxi in unison, as they found her to be very impressive for her ability to smell even the most peculiar smell.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t want people to misunderstand her, so she hurriedly said, ¡°In fact, I didn¡¯t think much about it at that time. I just felt that Miss Ke shouldn¡¯t be wearing the sachet. But when I mentioned this to Miss Ke, she looked a little unnatural which made me be suspicious at that time. After grabbing the sachet and smelling it, I was sure there was something wrong with it.¡± After a pause, she continued, ¡°I wanted to tell Eldest Aunt about this, but after thinking for a while, I thought perhaps it was just a coincidence! If it was a coincidence, it would not be good to stir up trouble between the two families, so I just told old woman Hua about it and let her solve it.¡±

    Zisu was quite impressed with Yuxi¡¯s response. Her Miss didn¡¯t n to tell Madam about the truth from the beginning till the end.

    Mama Li thought of a rather deep question, ¡°Miss, do you really think it was a coincidence?¡± If it was a coincidence, Miss should have said it at that time, instead of snatching the sachet and handing it over to old woman Hua. Miss¡¯ behaviour was clearly suspecting Ke Minjie of having a malicious mind. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s face tightened when she heard Yuxi¡¯s words, ¡°Yuxi, what problem will incur if your Dasao1eldest sister-inwsmells the sachet?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head as she answered, ¡°I am not sure what the specific problem will be, but I¡¯m sure that thing wasn¡¯t something good for Dasao1eldest sister-inwto smell.¡±

    Qiu Shi took Yuxi¡¯s hand and chided, ¡°You, this silly girl. You must tell me the first time youe across such a thing in the future, do you understand? This matter is so big for you to personally handle it.¡±

    Yuxi readily followed the good advice2Chinese idiom : willing ept other people¡¯s views, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Qiu Shi and Yuxi chatted for a while before Qiu Shi went back. It was impossible for her to find the Ye family regarding this matter, but she must find out the matter clearly, ¡°When old woman Huaes back, ask here to the main courtyard first.¡±

    Old woman Hua had just arrived at Ye Residence at this time.

    When Madam Ye heard that old woman Hua hade back to the residence, she was startled. When she saw old woman Hua, she hurriedly asked, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Bless Bodhisattva, hoped there was nothing wrong with that child.

    Old woman Hua looked around, and noticed that Ke Minjie wasn¡¯t in the room. She immediately replied, ¡°No, Miss is fine. When I came out, Miss had fallen asleep again!¡±

    Hearing that it was not her daughter who had a mishap, Madam Ye felt relieved. ¡°Then, why did youe back in such a hurry? Did something happen in the state residence?¡±

    Old woman Hua shook her head and looked at the maids and old women beside Madam Ye. Madam Ye knew that there was something private old woman Hua wanted to say to her, so she immediately drove out all the maids and old women from the room.

    Old woman Hua took out Ke Minjie¡¯s sachet and handed it to Madam Ye.

    Madam Ye looked at the sachet, and she was somewhat unable to understand why. ¡°Didn¡¯t the sachet have been snatched by the Fourth Miss of the Han family? Howe it¡¯s back in your hands?¡± When Yuxi grabbed Ke Minjie¡¯s sachet, it had changed Madam Ye¡¯s good impression of Yuxi.

    Old woman Hua lost her temper as she said, ¡°Madam, Fourth Miss have studied pharmacology. At that time, she smelled something wrong with the sachet, which was the reason why she took the sachet from Miss Biao3family rtionship via females. ¡±

    If Madam Ye was a fool, how could she teach a smart and vicious person like Ye Shi? It was a pity that although both mother and daughter were smart people, unfortunately there was darkness under the light?Chinese metaphor : unaware of their own shorings or indistinct problems with close peopleand they had no protection from the people around them. As Madam Ye held the sachet, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with this? Can you speak clearly?¡±

    Old woman Hua told her what Yuxi said, and then she ryed what the in-house physician and Imperial Physician Le said. Old woman Hua had trepidation remaining after a trauma?Chinese idiom : have lingering fearsup till now, ¡°Madam, if it weren¡¯t for Fourth Miss, the child wouldn¡¯t have been able to be preserved. Imperial Physician Le said that Miss¡¯s womb is severely cold, and it was lucky that Miss had been pregnant with this child. If there is any problem with this child, Miss will not be able to have any more children.¡±

    Madam Ye heard the meaning behind old woman Hua¡¯s words. ¡°Do you suspect that Minjie did it on purpose?¡±

    Old woman Hua was not foolish. How could she respond to this question? She just stated, ¡°Imperial Physician Le said that if Miss kept smelling this smell, the child¡¯s life may not be able to survive within a sichen?2 hours. Madam, these herbs in the sachet have a very weak smell, and there is already the smell of medicine in Miss¡¯ room. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Fourth Miss had studied pharmacology and also quite sensitive to medicines, we wouldn¡¯t have found them.¡± Old woman Hua¡¯s remarks were a bit at sixes and sevens?Chinese idiom : in an awful mess, but there was an implication in these remarks that it couldn¡¯t be just a coincidence.

    Madam Ye squeezed the sachet till it was out of shape. ¡°After all, do you still suspect Minjie?¡± She did not want to suspect Ke Minjie, since she had taken Ke Minjie as her daughter.

    Old woman Hua said with a wry smile, ¡°Madam, I think the Duke of the State¡¯s Madam has already known about this matter. She currently has no evidence and it is impossible for her to find the Ye family for this matter, but Miss Biao3family rtionship via femalesmust never go to the state residence again.¡± Old woman Hua did not believe that Yuxi would hide such a big thing for her Master, so regarding Qiu Shi would know about it, it would be in a matter of time. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    At this point, because of this, Madam Ye would not feel resentful to the state residence. Not to mention Qiu Shi, even for her, if she knew that her grandson was almost gone, whether intentionally or not, the one responsible would surely be cklisted. ¡°Does Qing-er know about this?¡±

    Old woman Hua shook her head. ¡°The Imperial Physician said that Miss should not be stimted, so I kept this matter from Miss.¡± In case the stimulus was excessive and as a result, the foetus could not be protected, then it would be a real reason for them to cry.

    Madam Ye breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°You can go back home! I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± She would definitely investigate this matter thoroughly. If she couldn¡¯t dig deep into it, not to mention that the culprit had made her daughter¡¯s life difficult, she herself would make the culprit¡¯s life difficult.

    Since Old woman Hua got her answer, she went home feeling satisfied.

    Madam Ye stayed alone in the room for a long time until her confidant, an old woman, looked at her and felt that there was something wrong. She dared to call her Master from outside the door, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Madam?¡±

    Madam Ye, who had recovered from her deep thought, picked up the sachet on the ground and instructed, ¡°Go and fetch Miss Biao3family rtionship via females.¡± After she had done saying that, Madam Ye sighed. Although she told old woman Hua that it was probably a coincidence but she knew in her heart that this incident was not a coincidence. No one knew better than Madam Ye. Although Ke Minjie did not understand medicine, the biological mother of her wet nurse, old woman Cui, was an old woman who could cure, and old woman Cui knew some pharmacology as well. Thus the herbs in the sachet were 100% made by old woman Cui.

    What Madam Ye wanted to know now was whether this matter was Ke Minjie¡¯s own suggestion or whether she was instigated by old woman Cui. If this was really Ke Minjie¡¯s suggestion, why did she do it? She asked herself if she hadn¡¯t treated Ke Minjie well and nowadays, she was still racking her mind to find a good husband¡¯s home for Ke Minjie.

 Chapter 111 - Ke Minjie (4)

    <strong>Chapter 111 : Ke Minjie (4)</strong>

    Ever since the sachet was taken by Yuxi, Ke Minjie¡¯s heart had been so anxious, but she didn¡¯t dare to let other people see her objection, so, she had to bear it with great difficulty. Upon returning to Ye Residence, Ke Minjie immediately went back to her yard under the pretext that she was not feeling well, when she was actually telling old woman Cui about what happened.

    Old woman Cui soothingly said, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. All the herbs in the sachet are ordinary herbs. Even if Fourth Miss smells them, there will be no problem.¡± The herbs in the sachet would be harmless to ordinary people. It was a pity that men could only propose, and God dispose1Chinese saying : man¡¯s schemes are inferior to those made by heaven. She wouldn¡¯t think that Yuxi would know pharmacology, thus making her able to see the clue. To be exact, Yuxi had long suspected that Ke Minjie had a malicious mind.

    Old woman Cui¡¯s words calmed Ke Minjie, who quickly adjusted her mood and went to apany Madam Ye after lunch. When old woman Hua arrived at Ye Residence, it happened that Ke Minjie had gone back to her courtyard to change her clothes.

    After a short rest, Ke Minjie went to the main courtyard with some pastries. As soon as she arrived at the main courtyard, she felt the atmosphere there was wrong.

    Ke Minjie stuffed a pouch into a maid¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± When she went to change clothes just now, everything was just fine, but now the atmosphere had changed into a depressing feeling.

    The maid epted the bribe given by Ke Minjie with great pleasure as she replied with a smile, ¡°It was nothing. Madam just felt somewhat out of sorts. Madam is very fond of Miss. If Miss goes in and talks to her, Madam¡¯s state of mind will surely turn back to good.¡±

    Old woman Cui wanted to apany Ke Minjie to the main house, but she was stopped by Madam Ye¡¯s personal mama, who let Ke Minjie enter the main house by herself, while she talked with old woman Cui about the daily lifes of the family.

    Ke Minjie entered the main room which was very bright because of the lit tung oilmps. She looked at Madam Ye who was sitting at the seat of honour, as she smilingly went up to her and greeted, ¡°Aunt.¡±

    Madam Ye stared at her niece who was smiling like a flower. Ke Minjie felt like she was being scrutinised, thus she asked, ¡°Aunt, what¡¯s the matter? Is there something wrong with my body?¡±

    Madam Ye returned the sachet in her hand to Ke Minjie and said, ¡°Fourth Miss of the Han family had sent this sachet back to old woman Hua.¡±

    Ke Minjie¡¯s face changed a bit, but soon, her smile returned to her face as she stated, ¡°Didn¡¯t Fourth Miss of the Han family say she liked the embroidered butterflies on this sachet so much? Why did she return it now?¡±

    Madam Ye stared at Ke Minjie as she said, ¡°Minjie, Fourth Miss Han has studied pharmacology for a long time. She only snatched your sachet when she smelled a peculiar fragrance from it.¡± It could be seen from Fourth Miss Han¡¯s behaviour, that she was very suspicious of Ke Minjie. Although her suspicion was a bit strange, nevertheless others had managed to detect the problem.

    Ke Minjie turned stiff. How was it possible? How could a well-bred girl like Han Yuxi learn pharmacology? She pretended to be calm as she exined, ¡°Aunt, my sachet is only filled with refreshing herbs. I do wear it myself, and there is no harm so far.¡±

    After waiting for Ke Minjie to finish her exnation, Madam Ye added, ¡°Old woman Hua had already shown the sachet to the Imperial Physician. He said that if Qing-er had sniffed the sachet, she would have a miscarriage in less than a sichen22 hours¡­¡± Old woman Hua deliberately shortened the time to make Madam Ye worried, so that she would not spare Ke Minjie.

    Ke Minjie¡¯s whole body froze. After a while, Ke Minjie was able to response by throwing herself in front of Madam Ye and cried, ¡°Aunt, I don¡¯t know, I really don¡¯t know that the sachet will be bad for Dajie3da=eldest, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie. If I knew, I would have never worn it. Aunt, please believe me, I really didn¡¯t mean it.¡±

    Madam Ye patted Ke Minjie on the shoulder and said, ¡°I know. I know you didn¡¯t mean it. I just want to remind you not to wear any sachet when you visit your Dajie3da=eldest, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejiein the state residence next time. You also know that your Dajie3da=eldest, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejieis weak and it was not easy for her to conceive this child.¡±

    After listening to Madam Ye¡¯s words, Ke Minjie¡¯s heart finally settled, ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t worry. When I go to the state residence next time, I won¡¯t wear sachet any more.¡±

    Madam Ye smiled and said, ¡°Well, you¡¯re a good child. Look at this crying face, like a *flower cat. Somebody, bring over a basin of water.¡±

    After Ke Minjie had done cleaning herself up, Madam Ye had someone send her back to her own yard.

    As soon as she arrived at her own yard, Ke Minjie drove the others out and said to old woman Cui, ¡°Mama, the secret of the sachet has been discovered. Both my aunt and my Da Biaojie?da=eldest, biaojie=elder female cousinknow about it.¡±

    Old woman Cui¡¯splexion kept on changing, ¡°How could it be discovered?¡± Even if the Fourth Miss of the Han family saw that there were herbs in the sachet, these herbs had a very weak fragrance, so she would not be able to smell anything strange. As long as she didn¡¯t go to a physician specially, she wouldn¡¯t find any problems with them. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Ke Minjie was almost gnashing her teeth?Chinese idiom disying extreme angerwhen she said, ¡°Han Yuxi had learned pharmacology. She snatched my sachet because she smelled something wrong with it. Mama, what should I do now?¡±

    Old woman Cui asked incredulously, ¡°What did you say? Fourth Miss of the Han family studied pharmacology? Why haven¡¯t we heard of this?¡±

    Ke Minjie felt quite frustrated as she questioned, ¡°How much do we know about the affairs in the state residence?¡± She only heard that the Fourth Miss of the state residence had excellent chess skills, but Ke Minjie didn¡¯t know that she also knew pharmacology. Clearly it was a very good n, but eventually fell into the hands of Han Yuxi. Ke Minjie truly hated this situation that she couldn¡¯t help gnashing her teeth?Chinese idiom disying extreme anger.

    Old woman Cui calmed herself down and asked, ¡°What did Madam say?¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, my aunt only thought it was an ident. She told me not to wear any sachet next time I go visit my Dajie3da=eldest, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejiein the state residence, so as not to cause anymore misunderstanding again,¡± she answered.

    Old woman Cui breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Fortunately, Madam believes in Miss. However, since we have lost such a good opportunity, it will not be so easy for us to act next time.¡±

    When Ke Minjie thought that the graceful and handsome man might have nothing to do with her in the future, her heart was unwilling to ept it. ¡°Mama, is there no other way?¡±

    Old woman Choi shook her head and said, ¡°Nothing for the time being.¡± When she saw Ke Minjie¡¯s depressed expression, she tried tofort her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. It will take her ten months to deliver a baby. She is only pregnant for a little over a month now, and with eight more months to go, there is no guarantee that the baby will be born smoothly. Even if it is born safely, it doesn¡¯t mean that she will have a son.¡±

    Ke Minjie clenched her fist and said, ¡°What Mama meant was that I shouldn¡¯t rush it.¡± She must hold on, otherwise she would really have no fate with him.

    Ke Minjie¡¯s thought was too glorious. For such a big thing, how could Madam Ye have no doubt? She said that way just now was to appease Ke Minjie, and it wasn¡¯t because she actually believed in her.

    Not long after, Madam Ye questioned Ke Minjie¡¯s personal maid. In those days, when Ke Minjie ran to Madam Ye for shelter, she only took old woman Cui to the capital. The maids served beside Ke Minjie were all from the Ye family. This maid was the child of the Ye family servant. All her parents and brothers had been sent to the state residence to serve her daughter.

    Madam Ye¡¯s confidant, old woman Feng, asked Ke Minjie¡¯s personal maid, Xiaoyan, ¡°Is there anything strange with Miss Ke¡¯s schedule recently?¡±

    Xiaoyan was scared, but she still shook her head and answered, ¡°Miss has always been proper.¡± Miss Biao?family rtionship via femaleshad been very kind to her over the past few years, and after getting along with her for so many years, she also had a feeling of wanting to burn incense?adorationfor her. For some things, she faintly surmised that she should also help to hide. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Where would Madam Ye bother herself with an askew maid as she said, ¡°I will sell you to a brothel tomorrow. As for your parents, it is not bad to let them go to Liaodong to mine.¡±

    The affection Xiaoyan felt towards Ke Minjie was upared to the affection she had towards her own family members. Now, she was scared to walk on the opposite path. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, Madam. I¡¯ll tell you everything. I only ask Madam to spare my family.¡± Xiaoyan finally knew that she couldn¡¯t escape from being damned. After all, she should have told Madam about this thing long time ago. Except that, she was worried it would ruin the close rtionship between master and servant, thus she kept silent.

    Ke Minjie had also been wary of the maids who served her, mostly because their life contracts weren¡¯t in her own hands, so she never told her secrets to the maids. Even though Xiaoyan got her heart most, she could only tell the important things to old woman Cui. But no matter how hard she tried to conceal it, the people who served her closely could always see the signs.

    Xiaoyan stated, ¡°Ever since Miss Biao met Da Guye?da=eldest, guye=son-inw (used by wife¡¯s family)that day, she has no thought for tea or rice?Chinese idiom : to have no appetite. Over the past two years, every time Da Guye?da=eldest, guye=son-inw (used by wife¡¯s family) apanied Da Gunainai1?da=eldest, gunainai=married daughterback to Ye Residence, Miss¡¯ mood would be especially good. Besides that, Miss Biao?family rtionship via femaleshas often asked for information about the state residence.¡± This meant that Ke Minjie took a fancy to Han Jianming more than two years ago.

    Although Han Jianye and Han Jianming were brothers, they did not look alike at all. Han Jianye looked exactly like the Qiu family, big and tall; however, Han Jianming was like Han Jingdong, the Lord Duke of the State. Han Jingdong owned a very good skin, otherwise he would not have attracted Qiu Shi¡¯s eyes. However, Ke Minjie took a fancy to Han Jianming not only for his appearance, but also for his identity and status.

    When Madam Ye heard that Ke Minjie had an improper thought on Han Jianming, she became furious. In fact, her realisation that the suspicion on Ke Minjie of ying an important part in trying to hurt her daughter, had now been confirmed.

    Old woman Feng was much calmer, ¡°What else? Do you know about Miss Biao?family rtionship via females¡¯s plot to harm ?¡±

    Xiaoyan¡¯s face was horrified. She thought she told them what she had known for so long because no one had discovered it until today. It turned out that Miss Biao?family rtionship via femaleshad been obsessed with the plot to murder . ¡°Madam, I really don¡¯t know. If this handmaiden had known, she wouldn¡¯t have dared to hide it.¡± Having said that, she cried once again, ¡°I thought that my Da Guye?da=eldest, guye=son-inw (used by wife¡¯s family)was a good-looking man and the Shizi11heir of noble familyof the state residence. So, it was normal for Miss Biao?family rtionship via femalesto fall in love with him. However, over the past two years, Miss Biao?family rtionship via femaleshad adhered to etiquette and had not made any unusual moves. Otherwise, this handmaiden would have told Madam.¡±

    Old woman Feng believed Xiaoyan¡¯s words.

    Xiaoyan suddenly remembered something and said, ¡°Madam, I once poured water for Miss and because I entered the house without her permission at that time, I vaguely heard about her wanting to be Da Guye?da=eldest, guye=son-inw (used by wife¡¯s family)¡¯s concubine.¡± On that asion, because she entered the house without permission, she was fined three months by Ke Minjie.

    Madam Ye shivered with anger. She had thought about it all the time. It was really unexpected that Ke Minjie had taken a fancy to her son-inw. She pped her hand on the table as she said, ¡°I dug my heart out12be totally devotedfor her, but didn¡¯t expect that I have been raising such a white eyed wolf13cold-hearted, cruel person.¡±

    Old woman Feng also did not expect that Ke Minjie¡¯s heart was so big that she wanted to be the concubine of Da Guye?da=eldest, guye=son-inw (used by wife¡¯s family). ¡°Madam, the only thing that we can be rejoiced right now is that the discovery was timely and Da Gunainai1?da=eldest, gunainai=married daughterwas not hurt. Madam, the top priority now is how to deal with this matter. Since Madam inw knows about this matter, why don¡¯t Madam make a statement.¡±

    Madam Ye wiped her tears and said, ¡°Tomorrow I will personally go to make amends.¡± It was she who had led the wolf into the house1?Chinese idiom : exposed one to dangerand nearly made her lose her daughter forever.

    Old woman Feng also said, ¡°Madam, this is all thanks to the Fourth Miss of the Han family.¡± What she meant was that they also had to express their gratefulness.

    Madam Ye nodded and said, ¡°Go to the warehouse and pick out more good things.¡± Good things were prepared to be given to Yuxi, and as an apology to Qiu Shi.

    Old woman Feng mother-inw nodded and asked, ¡°Madam, what about Miss Biao?family rtionship via females?¡±

    ¡°What about her?¡± asked Madam Ye. ¡°After all, she¡¯s not my own daughter, and it isn¡¯t appropriate to publicise it.¡± Seeing the bewilderment on old woman Feng¡¯s face, Madam Ye sneered and said, ¡°Her father is still alive. Her marriage should be decided by her father, so I won¡¯t do it on her behalf.¡±

    Ke Minjie¡¯s mother died of illness eight years ago. His father married her stepmother a yearter. The woman started out well, but when she gave birth to her own child, she started to regard Ke Minjie as a thorn in her side and wanted to take away her mother¡¯s dowry. Thus, Ke Minjie couldn¡¯t live at her own home and just took old woman Cui as they ran to the capital to ask for help from Madam Ye.

    Master Ye held military and political power in his hands, Let alone Ke Minjie¡¯s father who was a low ranking official. Even the most powerful Song family had to give him three tenths of courtesy. Under the shelter of Ye family, Ke Minjie had a veryfortable life over the years.

    Old woman Feng nodded, as she thought that this method was indeed very good. Not only did it make people choose not to make mistakes, but it also helped them undo their hatred. With the character of Master Ke and Ke Minjie¡¯s stepmother, it was definitely impossible for them to find her any good family. There was nothing better than letting Ke Minjie fell into the fiery pit1?life of difficulties.

 Chapter 112 - Ke Minjie (5)

    Early the next morning, Madam Ye sent a letter to Suzhou. Then, after breakfast, she took her things to the Duke of the State Residence.

    Ke Minjie found out about Madam Ye went to the state residence without bringing her along, therefore her heart began to suspect. "Say, Mama Cui, do you think my aunt was only trying to appease me yesterday, but in fact she was thinking of doing something to me?" If her aunt really didn''t mind just like what she had said, she should have brought her along today instead of going to the Duke of the State Residence alone.

    Old woman Cui felt that it most likely happened that way, when she suddenly remembered something, "Oh, by the way, Xiaoyan went home yesterday, but she hasn''te back yet. Could something have happened to her?"

    Ke Minjie hastily said, "Mama, hurry, go and try to find out if Xiaoyan is still at her home."

    Over the years, Ke Minjie and old woman Cui had secretly gathered some people of the Ye family to their side. Hence, it soon became clear that Xiaoyan had suddenly fallen ill. Old woman Cui didn''t need to guess the reason why as she immediately told Ke Minjie, "Miss, our matter has been exposed."

    Ke Minjie finally realised that she was scared. Her aunt wasn''t a person who had a heart of a Buddhamerciful1. Since she had tried to harm her Da Biaojieda=eldest, biaojie=elder female cousin2, she now knew that she wouldn''t be able to receive any good fruitwon''t have a good end3from it. "Mama, what should we do now?" She had no other ce to go except to the Ye family.

    Old woman Cui also did not have any good idea to suggest, "Miss, try to stay calm first. When Madam returnster on, we look at her attitude first, then we will see the opportunity and actChinese idiom : act ording to circumstances?." She knew that there was little chance that Madam would let her Miss go, so they had to find another way out fast.

    Madam Ye hade to apologise in person. For this reason, Qiu Shi''s anger also subsided. No matter what, Madam Ye was also a victim in this incident. However, she still had to be blunt, "My son''s mother-inw, don''t me me for not giving you any face, but you aren''t allowed to bring your niece to my home anymore."

    Madam Ye hastily said, "Don''t worry, my daughter''s mother-inw. I have already sent a letter and asked her father to send someone to pick her up. She will return to Suzhou not before long."

    Qiu Shi who had trepidation remaining after a traumaChinese idiom : having lingering fear?eximed, "That''s good. That''s good." A woman like Ke Minjie was no longer as simple as a white eyed wolfcold-hearted, cruel person?. So it was best to stay far away from this kind of malicious person. .

    Just as the two were talking, a maid suddenly announced, "Fourth Miss has arrived."

    Madam Ye took the opportunity to express her thankfulness to Yuxi.

    Yuxi didn''t think she was much of a hero. She had stood out this time for Qiu Shi, not for Madam Ye nor Ye Shi. "This is what I should do."

    Qiu Shi patted Yuxi''s shoulder as she smilingly praised, "This child is so sincere."

    When Yuxi sneaked off from the main courtyard, she brought back a pile of things.

    Maidong opened one of the boxes and was shocked, "Miss,e and see! Miss,e and see!"

    Yuxiughed, "What good things have made this maid''s face smiles as beautiful as a chrysanthemum." However, when she herself looked inside the box, she also became dumbfounded. There were six dazzling stones lying in the box, which wereposed of the colours red, blue and green.

    Zisu also looked at them and could not help sighing, "Madam Ye is really generous!" ording to market value, these precious stones couldn''t be bought even for ten thousand pieces of silver.

    Yuxi picked up the biggest gem, carefully looked at it and then threw it back into the box. "Compared to the child in Dasaoeldest sister-inw?''s belly, these are nothing." Nine times out of ten, this child would be Dasaoeldest sister-inw?''s only child, consequently, the child''s value was unmeasurable by money.

    Zisu felt that there was truth in what Yuxi just said.

    That night, Kufu informed Yuxi one thing, "Miss, Miss Qiu will attend Miss Shi''s banquet tomorrow." Miss Shi''s father was only a six grade low level officer, or in short, just an uncorrupted yamen. It was unknown how Qiu Yanfu had known Miss Shi, being the girl only befriended Qiu Yanfu, not because she thought Qiu Yanfu was charming, but because she took a fancy to thebel of the Duke of the State Residence behind her.

    Yuxi just responded, "Just let her do as she pleases." As long Qiu Yanfu didn''te to harm her Ergeer=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege?, whoever she tossed her love to, it was Wu Shi and her father who would have to deal with the aftermath, not her.

    Speaking of Wu Shi''s present situation, Yuxi couldn''t help sighing. In herst life, Wu Shi had always been loved by her father, but in this life, it had changed. Currently, her father was doted on his two concubines, which made Wu Shi busy fighting with them now. On that ount, she had no time to create troubles for Yuxi. As for Yurong, she was learning the rules earnestly from her Momowet nurse?nowadays.

    However, Qiu Shi began to get edgy again. The marriage of her second son could be put on hold for the time being, but the marriage of the two shuborn by concubine1?Han young misses could not be postponed. They both were already 15 this year, and if she dragged it on any longer, they would be old maids. Therefore, Qiu Shi recently had often taken Yuru and Yujing to look around for marriageable young men. At the same time, she had to look after her daughter-inw. If it weren''t for Yuchen and Yuxi helping to manage the household duties, she estimated that she would have fallen sick in the end.

    In fact, when Yuxi first saw Yuchen doing the housework in a way her heart wished, her hand would aplishChinese idiom : skilled at the job11, she felt a sense of disillusionment. Yuchen had always looked like a fairy maiden, and when she was doing her work, she was like a fairy maiden who had fallen into this world.

    Once Yuxi and Yuchen finished their housework today, Yuxi said, "San Jiesan=third, jie=elder sister12, I''m going to visit Dasaoeldest sister-inw?." Since they began to learn household management, Yuxi and Yuchen had spent less time together.

    Yuchen smiled and responded, "Let''s go together then!" Her special cook, Momowet nurse?Sha, was still making meals for Ye Shi in Rosin Courtyard, which was her contribution.

    Recently, Yuxi would visit Rosin Courtyard every three to five days, and when she entered the courtyard today, she noticed that old woman Hua''s face was distorted.

    Yuxi found it was interesting that Ye Shi''s foetus had basically stabilised, but Imperial Physician Le wouldn''t allow her to get out of bed for the first three months to be on the safe side. As for the inside of Duke of the State residence, there would be no one bringing trouble to the people in Rosin Courtyard. Therefore, for old woman Hua looking so ugly just now, the only exnation left was that something had happened in the Ye family. .

    When old woman Hua saw Yuxi, she immediately resisted the disgusting feeling she had and went up to her, then she said with a smile, "Third Miss and Fourth Miss are here. Da Nainaida=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house13was just talking about you two!"

    As Ye Shiid in bed every day, she also became quite stuffy. If there was anyone apanying her to talk, she naturally couldn''t be any more happier.

    Yuchen and Yuxi did not stay long in Rosin Courtyard though, as they came out after only a few minutes. Thus, Yuchen invited Yuxi to her Tingyun Pavilion, "Si Meimeisi=fourth, meimei=younger sister1?, do you want toe to my ce?"

    Yuxi shook her head and declined, "Another day, I have work to doter on." Seeing Yuchen''s disappointment, she added, "Tomorrow, I''ll go tomorrow."

    Yuchen happily said, "Okay." Although Yuchen excelled in everything, had the best food and clothing, she would inevitably feel lonely. Others tended to stay at a respectful distance from her. Only Yuxi always regarded her as a sister. Therefore, Yuchen cherished this sisterhood between them.

    Once Yuxi arrived at Rose Courtyard, she asked Kufu to inquire on what currently happened in the Ye family, "Old woman Hua''s look was so ugly. It''s definitely not a trivial matter." After she gave her instruction, Yuxi went to her backyard and looked at the bare yard, while wondering what kind of herb that was good for her to nt.

    Zisu felt that Yuxi was a tough nut to crack. No matter how easy a herb survived, it could hardly survive in the hands of her Master. Even if they survived, they would still be disabled and could not be used as medicines. It happened that her Master enjoyed doing this, so, what else could she do?

    In the afternoon, Kufu informed Yuxi the news she had heard, "Miss, Da Nainaida=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house13''s cousin had climbed into Second Master Ye''s bed."

    "No wonder Madam Hua''s face looked so ugly," Yuxi said with a smile. "This woman really does not stick to one pattern!" First, Ke Minjie wanted to climb into her brother-inw''s bed, but when she saw that she was unable to actually do it, she then went to climb her Biaogeelder male cousin1?''s bed. This woman really was an exotic flowerng. weirdo1?.

    Kufu lowered her voice as she continued, "Miss, it is said that Second Master Ye already has an engagement. Since Miss Biaofamily rtionship via females1?Ke had climbed into his bed, Second Master Ye''s arranged marriage is likely to be finished." Anyway, Ke Minjie was also Madam Ye''s blood niece, for this reason, she couldn''t be taken as a concubine!

    Yuxi responded with a smile, "It was unlikely for Second Master Ye''s arranged marriage to be withdrawn. Therefore, Ke Minjie can only be a concubine." If she hadn''t uncovered Ke Minjie''s intention toy her hands on her Dasaoeldest sister-inw?, Madam Ye might have recognised her as her daughter-inw. But now that Madam Ye finally knew Ke Minjie to be such a vicious woman, it would be absolutely impossible for Madam Ye to let her son marry her unless Madam Ye turned into a brainless person!

    Kufu felt this statement was strange. "Miss, how can you be so sure?"

    Yuxi said with a smile, "No need for you to believe it. But, when the timees, you will know." Ke Minjie''s skill was not something easy for people to deal with. In fact, not only Qiu Shi had a bad life in previous life because of her, even Ye Shi also led a very miserable life. Betrayed by her most trusted Biaomeiyounger female cousin1?, who was also responsible for creating a discord between her mother-inw and her, the daughter-inw, which then escted to a discord between her husband and her, the wife. What else could these all be said other than one was having a miserable life?

    Zisu said, "The Ye family is probably like both men and horses are thrown off their feetChinese idiom : in aplete mess1?right now."

    Yuxi indifferently said, "That is Ye family''s business. It has nothing to do with us." Yuxi didn''t even have a bit of sympathy for Madam Ye. It was her who raised this man-eating flower. In Yuxi''sst life, this man-eating flower had harmed the Han family. In this lifetime, she had harmed the Ye family, ergo Yuxi just let Madam Ye taste the bitter fruit.

    As Zisu expected, the Ye family was now in a mess. Madam Ye was so angry that she nearly vomited blood just after she learned that Ke Minjie had climbed onto her son''s bed. Then, when she heard Second Master Ye would withdraw from the arranged marriage with the Lu family and wished to marry Ke Minjie instead, she just passed out.

    A physician came over and had a hard time waking up Madam Ye. After the physician examined her pulse, he wrote a prescription and immediately left.

    Madam Ye was lying on the bed, while looking at Second Master Ye standing beside her, and said, "Let me tell you, don''t you ever think of breaking the engagement. I will never let you marry her." Just like what Yuxi had thought, if not for the matter that Ke Minjie had tried to poison Ye Shi, Madam Ye might just have to hold her nosefig. to describe doing something distasteful but necessary2?in recognising the marriage between her son and her niece. But now that she knew Ke Minjie to be so malicious and so mean, she would never ept her even if she died.

    Second Master Ye sadly said, "Mom, don''t you always like Biaomeiyounger female cousin1?? Why can''t you let me marry her now? Mom, after I married Biaomeiyounger female cousin1?, both of us will be filial to you."

    Madam Ye did not tell Second Master Ye about Ke Minjie''s attempt to poison Ye Shi before, because she knew that even if she said it, it would be useless. "If I say no, it means no. Even if I have to let you stay single for a lifetime, I won''t let you marry her."

    Madam Ye knew that it was impossible to throw Ke Minjie back to Suzhou. The whole Ye Residence had known that her son had slept in the same bed with her. It could be said that since her son already had an official engagement so, it was unnecessary for her son to officially marry her, but it was imperative to take her as a concubine instead. In view of Ke Minjie''s identity, she must be a high ranking concubine at least. Thinking of this matter, Madam Ye''s head started to hurt badly, as she didn''t know how to exin this to the Lu family.

    Noob Trantor''s MusingWhen Yuxi said that Madam Ye deserved her family ruined because of her niece, Ke Minjie, I feel that it wasn''t really Madam Ye''s fault. She only got closed to her niece for two years and Ke Minjie is the daughter of herte sister. Since Ke Minjie also was a runaway, and came took shelter under her, of course, Madam Ye took the responsibility to take care of her as her aunt. The only person that could be me for this problem is Ke Minjie. She aimed at her cousin''s husband, like she suddenly forget that if it wasn''t for her aunt, she would have nowhere to go. She even dare to hurt her benefactor''s daughter. Now, she roped in her son. Ke Minjie is really such an ungrateful girl.

    :: :: ::

 Chapter 113 - Ke Minjie (6)

    <strong>Chapter 113 : Ke Minjie (6)</strong>

    Originally, Madam Ye thought that when she finally could endure this pent-up unspoken grievances, she would allow Ke Minjie to be her son¡¯s concubine. Then, in the future, she would find an opportunity to send Ke Minjie out of Ye Residence, then her days in the Ye Residence afterwards would pass smoothly.

    It was merely that, Madam Ye¡¯s idea was quite glorious, but she somehow had forgotten that she had an absolutely infatuated son. Second Master Ye became aware that Madam Ye had intended to let him take Ke Minjie as his concubine. How could he let his sweetheart be his concubine? Therefore, he went to the Lu family without permission, wanting to announce that he would withdraw from the arranged marriage between the two families.

    Miss Lu wasn¡¯t from a poor humble family. The Lu family head, Old Master Lu held the position of a Y¨©p¨«n1(of officials in imperial times) the highest rankwho was in charge of the Imperial Guards, a position that couldn¡¯t be held by the Emperor¡¯s confidants. Although Second Master Ye¡¯s luck was not generally bad, when he ran to the Lu family to withdraw from his marriage however, it was found that Old Master Lu was at home at that time. When Old Master Lu heard Second Master Ye¡¯s purpose, he replied with only one sentence, ¡°Go out and beat him for me.¡± He used to think that Second Master Ye was a good person, but he didn¡¯t expect that he would be a brainless one too.

    With words from Old Master Lu, the servants of the Lu family started to be ruthless. Second Master Ye was beaten till he spit blood and they also broke one of his legs. Atst, he was carried back to Ye Residence by some of Lu family servants.

    After hearing the news, Madam Ye became more powerless. ¡°Go and ask Eldest Master to return.¡± Eldest Master Ye was on duty in a 3,000 battalion camp which was not situated in the capital city. As for Old Master Ye, he just went out to do an inspection and was also not in the capital.

    Madam Ye called her eldest son back because she could not handle this matter regarding Second Master Ye. If the engagement was broken, it would create a big feud between the Ye family and the Lu family!

    After giving some instructions to the servants, Madam Ye immediately went to the Lu family home. She sat on a cold bench inside for a long time, when she was met by the personal old woman servant of the Second Madam Lu.

    At that time, Second Madam Lu had already known about this matter, which made her feel very furious. Her daughter was already 16 years old this year, and both families had already set the date of the wedding date, which would be held in October. Now that the Ye family had made such a big fuss, not only making the Lu family lost their face, but at the same time, her daughter¡¯s life had also been dyed.

    The old woman servant sarcastically asked, ¡°Is Madam Ye here to deliver a gengtie2card with the horoscope of a boy or girl sent as a proposal for betrothal, T/N : It¡¯s like another version/word for 8 Characters? Please correct me if I¡¯m wrong.?¡±

    Madam Ye knew she was in the wrong and exined, ¡°I havee to make amends.¡°

    Because of the fuss that the Ye family had brought forth, Second Madam Ye¡¯s personal old woman servant started to ridicule Madam Ye for a while. After enjoying a lifetime of fame, Madam Ye never thought that one day she would be ridiculed by an old woman servant. She really wished that she could drill herself underground at this moment.

    When Madam Ye returned home, she finally copsed. Even an iron man3person of exceptional physical and moral strengthlike her could not endure the blows that came one after another. But fortunately, there was Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the househandling the Ye family household duties, otherwise everything in the residence would be in a mess. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When Eldest Master Ye returned to the Ye Residence, he caught sight of his sickly-looking mother lying on the bed. Eldest Master Ye belonged to a rational type of people, as he began to quietly listen to his mother¡¯s personal old servant¡¯s exnation. Once he had done listening to it, he asked the most crucial question, ¡°Why did Biaomei?younger female cousinsuddenly calcted against Erdi?er=second, di=younger brother, short form for didi?¡±

    Old woman Feng didn¡¯t know how to exin.

    The pale faced Madam Ye suddenly instructed, ¡°Mama Feng, go outside and keep watch!¡± It was more appropriate for her to personally tell her eldest son about this.

    Eldest Master Ye looked at the current situation and knew, this matter was a big deal.

    Madam Ye started by telling him about Ke Minjie¡¯s malicious trick with the sachet that Ke Minjie had brought to the Han family home. After that, Madam Ye exined, ¡°I¡¯d let it known to her that I had sent a letter to Suzhou. However, she didn¡¯t want to go back to Suzhou, so she schemed against your Didi?younger brother.¡±

    Eldest Master Ye didn¡¯t expect his Biaomei?younger female cousin, who usually had gentle and soft like water appearance, would be this sinister and vicious that she even dared to harm her Dajie?da=eldest, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, ¡°Mother, when you already knew the most crucial part that she wanted to hurt Damei?da=eldest, mei=younger sister, you should have immediately sent her back to Suzhou instead of writing to the Ke family to pick her up.¡± If Ke Minjie had been directly sent back to Suzhou, this kind of situation would not have happened right now.

    Madam Ye also felt regret. At that time, she didn¡¯t want the news to spread, and it was also to save her face, but she didn¡¯t expect such an oue. ¡°Now that things have ended up like this, what do you propose to solve them?¡±

    Eldest Master Ye replied, ¡°Mother, Biaomei?younger female cousin¡¯s affair is easy to handle, but Lu family affair is quite troublesome.¡±

    Madam Ye nodded and said, ¡°When I went to Lu family home, none of them showed up unfortunately and I have failed to keep the marriage. It is just that, I¡¯m begging you, when you try to settle this matter, don¡¯t make enemies with them.¡±

    Eldest Master Ye nodded and said, ¡°I will immediately go to the Lu family home.¡± His Didi?younger brotherused to have a good attitude. How could he abruptly make this huge mistake because of being schemed by a woman!

    Eldest Master Ye and Second Master Lu had a good rtionship. Second Master Lu said that they would settle the problem peacefully after he finally met with Second Master Ye. The two discussed in the study for half a sichen1?2 hours. The topic of their discussion was unknown. However, the Lu family didn¡¯t personally make a visit to the Ye family. They instead asked a matchmaker to withdraw the marriage from the Ye family.

    Madam Ye took out the gengtie2card with the horoscope of a boy or girl sent as a proposal for betrothal, T/N : It¡¯s like another version/word for 8 Characters? Please correct me if I¡¯m wrong.with a bleeding heart. It was her husband who racked his brain11Chinese idiom : to take great pains to think sth throughto n the marriage with the Lu family that day. Not only for the reason that Old Master Lu had won the Emperor¡¯s heart, but what was more important, several of Miss Lu¡¯s uncles held important positions in the army. Even three of her elder brothers were outstanding. Miss Lu¡¯s eldest brother had be a third rank Assistant Commander in less than 30 years, while her other two elder brothers were simrlypetent, as they rose without receiving any help from their family. Besides, with Second Master Ye being the one responsible for stirring up trouble, it would be hard for them to find a good marriage in the future. At the very least, many families with a little bit of background in the capital would forget about this incident.

    As the Lu family problem had been settled, it was now time to deal with Second Master Ye and Ke Minjie¡¯s matter. Eldest Master Ye told Madam Ye, ¡°It is impossible for him to marry Biaomei?younger female cousinto be his wife, but it is still eptable if he takes her as his concubine.¡±

    Madam Ye also knew that Second Master Ye must ept Ke Minjie as his concubine, not for nothing else, but to use this settlement as a gamble to stop the crowd outside from talking about this for a long time.

    Eldest Master Ye said, ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t have to worry about Biaomei?younger female cousinharming Erdi?er=second, di=younger brother, short form for didianymore. When Erdi?er=second, di=younger brother, short form for didihas gotten well from his injury, let him go outside and earn some experiences. As for Biaomei?younger female cousin, if Mother doesn¡¯t want to see her, I will send her to a hamlet as soon as her position is decided. We will wait for the rumour to pass, and at the same time, let her die there!¡±

    Ke Minjie didn¡¯t know that she was already a dead person in the eyes of Eldest Master Ye, as she was still under house arrest inside her courtyard. At this point, all the maids inside the courtyard had been reduced and reced. Even Mama Cui had been missing. The only one who could lift her out of this difficult situation right now was Second Master Ye.

    As Madam Ye thought, Ke Minjie only schemed after Second Master Ye after she knew Madam Ye nned to send her back to Suzhou. Her father didn¡¯t like her because she was a daughter, while her stepmother was mean and vicious towards her. If she was sent back to Suzhou, she would definitely be pushed into the fire pit by those two people. However, it was also useless for her to beg Madam Ye anyway. Hence, in her desperation, she thought of an idea to use Second Master Ye.

    Ke Minjie had always known that Second Master Ye was very fond of her. However, all her previous thoughts had been on Han Jianming, therefore she paid little attention to Second Master Ye. Now that she was at an impasse12Chinese idiom : to be in a tight spot, she had no choice but to climb on this root (Second Master Ye) as she clutched hard at a straw13one¡¯sst hope. However, she had never imagined that Second Master Ye would go and ask for marriage withdrawal from the Lu family for her. At the beginning, her heart was very happy. After all, who would like to be a concubine? But when she heard that Second Master Ye had been beaten till he spit blood, she immediately felt foolish. How could she forget that the Lu family background was on par with that of the Ye¡¯s, and this family marriage between the two families wasn¡¯t an easy to be withdrawn.

    The Ye family dispute had nothing to do with Yuxi. In this asion, she was trying to adapt to her new status as one of the manager of the household.

    Qiu Shi noticed that although Yuxi and Yuchen had only been managing the household for more than a month, they had handled the matter in perfect order. She didn¡¯t go out during this period, as she used this time to deal with her household duties. However, she also thought of stealing some times to be idle, for this reason she divided more than half of the houseworks between the two girls.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t refuse them either. Although she felt a little bit tired right now, as to her, by learning these things well would only give her advantages rather than disadvantages. She used to learn housekeeping from Momo1?wet nurseQuan, but all she learned was only in theory. There was still a big gap between theory and practicality. Although she had spent her time studying it, she often made mistakes during the practical process of managing the household. However, with Mama Li, staying alongside her as she led her towards the right directions, Yuxi quickly entered the role. As for Yuchen, she hadn¡¯t done any mistakes at all. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    It was another busy afternoon that day. After Yuxi had finished with her work, she was on her way to

    Rose Courtyard when she met Qiu Yanfu. With Yuxi¡¯s temper, she certainly had no reason to pay attention to Qiu Yanfu. Unfortunately, Qiu Yanfu¡¯s skin was as thick-skinned as the city wall as she took the initiative to greet Yuxi, ¡°Si Biaomei1?si=fourth, biaomei=younger female cousin.¡±

    When Yuxi was in the middle of a public situation, she would not say anything offensive. As she saw Qiu Yanfu¡¯s manner, she asked with an indifferent look, ¡°Do you have something to say to me?¡±

    Qiu Yanfu smiled and answered, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that my parents had sent some things, many of them are speciality products of Hebei province. I¡¯ll give some to Biaomei?younger female cousinand is it okay for me to send them over in the eveningter on?¡±

    Yuxi tly rejected, ¡°No need. I already have special products from Hebei, such as pictures woven from reeds and so on.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu was about to say something else, when she noticed that Yuxi had already turned around. She gripped her hands tight, but she didn¡¯t dare to show any dissatisfaction on her face. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t realise in what way she would be schemed again by Yuxi. Now, she had to be scrupulous in everything she did while she was still in the state residence.

    When Yuxi finally arrived in Rose Courtyard, she did some body stretching, as she prepared to read in the study. Then, Kufu walked up to her and said, ¡°Miss, Second Master Ye had epted Ke Minjie as his concubine today. The deed had already been signed.¡±

    Yuxi smiled as she asked, ¡°This concubinage, was it only a formality?¡± She clearly remembered that Second Master Ye couldn¡¯t get out of bed after he was being badly beaten. Thus, how could he take a concubine with this kind of appearance?

    Kufu nodded and said, ¡°En. After the deed had been signed, Miss Ke had been immediately sent to Second Master Ye¡¯s courtyard.¡±

    Yuxi just smiled and said nothing more.

    Zisu didn¡¯t say a word at first. However, after Kufu left, she questioned, ¡°Miss, will the Lu family just let themselves swallow this implication? I¡¯ve heard that the Lu family is no less powerful than the Ye family? What¡¯s more, the Ye family has simply lost such a good marriage, how could they not be angry with Ke Minjie?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and replied, ¡°In the end, she¡¯s going to be a dead man, so what¡¯s the point for them to be angry with her?¡± The reason Ke Minjie was able to stir up trouble in the state residence, was because of her good luck. At first, Ye Shi wanted to help her give birth to a son, so she always protected her. Later, her eldest aunt needed her to fight Ye Shi, so she shielded her. Later, when she gave birth to three sons, her position was firmly established in the state residence. Unfortunately, in this life, she had be one of the Ye family, and yet, everyone refused to shield her, in addition with the Old Master Ye and Eldest Master Ye weren¡¯t the type of softhearted persons. Ke Minjie had broken Second Master Ye¡¯s marriage, thus ruining his bright future. For this reason, how could Old Master Ye and Eldest Master Ye amodate her? Now, Second Master Ye had epted her as his concubine, but he was doing this only to block outside people from talking.

    Zisu disliked this kind of woman who fooled around with a married man the most, because she and her mother had suffered from the same thing at the beginning. ¡°Let her eat her own bitter fruit1?Chinese idiom : reap what one has sown. She is really such a lowly woman. Luckily, Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the househas not been schemed by her, otherwise our residence would not have been peaceful.¡± If one saw such white eyed wolf, it was better for one to retreat three feet back.

    Yuxi thought that Zisu was like the god of truth. In herst life, the state residence was made into a mess by Ke Minjie. But it was also because of this matter, it had made Yuxi feel that being softhearted wouldn¡¯t cause no end of trouble1?Chinese idiom : nip the problem in the bud. If Madam Ye had ruthlessly dealt with Ke Minjie after she was aware that Ke Minjie was going to kill Dasao1?eldest sister-inw, it wouldn¡¯t have turned into such a big deal. Not only this matter made the Ye family reputation swept to the ground, but it also made them lost such a good marriage potential.

    Zisu thought for a moment before she asked, ¡°Miss, how long are you going to keep the matter of the Ye family from Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house?¡± It was impossible to hide it all the time. Inevitably there would be time when the matter would be exposed.

    Yuxi smiled and responded, ¡°How long can you hide it? It¡¯s better to conceal it until Dasao1?eldest sister-inwhaspleted her three months rest.¡± Now, Ye Shi was lying on the bed, keeping the foetus at ease. Once the foetus finally stabilised, it would be time for Ye Shi to go out and stretch her legs. How could such a big thing that had happened to the Ye family be able to hide by that time? As for Ye Shi¡¯s inability to bear the stimtion which could also affect her foetus, Yuxi did not think much about it at all. If this matter could still result in Ye Shi having a miscarriage, it could only be said that Ye Shi did not have the fate to be a mother, and the child didn¡¯t have a good fortune to be a member of the Han family.

 Chapter 114 - A God-like Change (1)

    <strong>Chapter 114 : A God-like Change (1)</strong>

    Yuxi had always felt that the Ye family had nothing to do with the Han family. She still let Kufu pay attention and made a follow-up on the Ye family, because to her, it was nothing more than her having fun, but she didn¡¯t expect that because of Ye family broken engagement, it had brought such arge implication to the Han family. Indeed, it was like a God-like change.

    When Yuxi heard what Qiu Shi had told her, her first reaction was not to believe it, ¡°Eldest Aunt, are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken? How could Dage1eldest brotherwant Erge2second elder brotherto marry Miss Lu?¡± It was not actually a big issue for her Erge2second elder brotherto marry Miss Lu. The Lu family power and influence were so powerful, and if Erge2second elder brothermarried Miss Lu, he would be the one who gained the most benefits. The only problem was that the young miss her Dage1eldest brother wanted Erge2second elder brotherto marry was the one who broke her engagement with the Ye family. Regardless of the fact that Erge2second elder brotherwas allowed to marry a girl who just broke her engagement, the Ye family was still Dage1eldest brother¡¯s wife¡¯s family, and it was unlikely for Dage1eldest brotherto do such absurd things. If he really allowed Erge2second elder brotherto marry Miss Lu, wouldn¡¯t it be the same as hitting the Ye family directly on the face.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s voice suddenly became loud, ¡°How can I make a mistake about such a big thing? Didn¡¯t you just say that Miss Lu should have been your Dasao3eldest sister-inw¡¯s younger brother¡¯s wife? Now, if they (Han Jianye and Miss Lu) got married, how would these wives of your brothers get along well?¡± If the rtionship between sister-inws wasn¡¯t good, it may also affect the affection between the brothers in the future. Many brothers had a good rtionship before they got married. However, once they married, they had a fall out and became enemies because of the pillow talks with their wives.

    Yuxi opened her mouth, asking, ¡°Why did Dage1eldest brother suddenly want Erge2second elder brother to marry Miss Lu? Did he tell aunt any reason?¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s face was filled with indignation, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t want to know. I will never agree to this marriage anyway. Even if I die, I won¡¯t ept the proposal of a marriage alliance from the Lu family matchmaker. He rather screws his own brother just to establish his own profession.¡±

    Looking at Qiu Shi¡¯s manner, it was impossible for Yuxi to make sense of it. She also did not want Qiu Shi to worry about this topic anymore, so she smiled and stated, ¡°Eldest Aunt, Dasao3eldest sister-inw¡¯s child will be three months old in a few days. Then you don¡¯t have to worry so much about Dasao3eldest sister-inw¡¯s safety anymore.¡±

    Qiu Shi muttered, ¡°My only hope is this child going to be a son.¡±

    Yuxi paused for a moment and then said without leaving a mark on her aunt¡¯s heart, ¡°Even if this child is a daughter, she will still be born. Since Dage1eldest brother and Dasao3eldest sister-inware still young, you will still be able to carry both your grandson and granddaughter in the future.¡±

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thister. Forget it, let¡¯s not talk about these kinds of worries. Is there anything that you find difficult these days with the stewardess or is there someone making your work difficult? If you have something, don¡¯t hide it from me. Eldest Aunt will support you.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and shook her head. ¡°No, the stewardess mama are all very good. They didn¡¯t deliberately pose any problems to me and San Jie?san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, nor did they purposely make things hard for us.¡± The servants in the state government weren¡¯t a group of foolish people. They knew that Yuchen was Old Madam¡¯s favourite granddaughter, while Qiu Shi was very fond of Yuxi. Besides, both of them had someone given them directions all the way. Making things difficult for them was tantamount to asking trouble for themselves. Therefore, these stewardess mama were very obedient to both of them. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Qiu Shi nodded and said, ¡°Then, that¡¯s good.¡±

    Yuxi felt that Qiu Shi¡¯s appearance was looking somewhat sullen, and she seemed like she didn¡¯t want to talk much. Thus, Yuxi suggested, ¡°Eldest Aunt, why don¡¯t I give you a massage!¡± She knew all acupuncture points on the human body, and she had learned massage from Momo?wet nurseQuan. Even if it was just for a short while, her massage would be precise.

    A little over half a sichen?a sichen=2 hours, half a sichen=1 houter, Qiu Shi felt sofortable that she started to get sleepy and finally dozed off.

    Yuxi walked out cautiously without any noise, and whispered a few words to Liuyin who was waiting at the door. Then, she took Zisu back to Rose Courtyard.

    Zisu looked at Yuxi¡¯s wrinkled brows and asked, ¡°Miss, is there something bothering you?¡± She seldom saw Yuxi frowned.

    Yuxi replied with a wry smile on her face, ¡°Dage1eldest brother wants Erge2second elder brotherto marry Miss Lu who just recently withdrew her engagement. So, mother and son are currently at odds with each other. I also don¡¯t know what Dage1eldest brother¡¯s actual n is.¡± If she had known this much earlier, she would have encouraged Eldest Aunt to settle her Erge2second elder brother¡¯s marriage much much earlier, then something troublesome like this would not have urred.

    Zisu was really surprised. This was indeed quite difficult for her Miss to handle.

    After Yuxi took her nap, she heard Kufu informed her, ¡°Miss, Eldest Madam had been scolded by the Old Madam.¡± As for the reason why, it was still unknown to Kufu.

    It was clear to Yuxi the reason why when she heard this, but she didn¡¯t realise that Dage1eldest brother didn¡¯t actually discuss it with Eldest Aunt, but rather talked about it with their Grandmother. The only reason for Grandmother to agree to the union was, by marrying the Lu family, it would bring huge benefits to their family, which was quiterge enough induction to ignore the bad influence that the Lu family had gotten from recent marriage withdrawal.

    At this moment, Yuxi didn¡¯t have much time to think more deeply about it. She just hurriedly went to the main courtyard. As soon as she entered a room, she heard a cry. She didn¡¯t need to guess. She knew the one who was crying was her Eldest Aunt.

    Seeing Yuxie, Mama Li hurriedly said, ¡°Miss, please persuade Madam!¡± Fortunately, Lord Shizi?heir of a noble housewas absent at this moment. If he was present, there would be a good big fight between mother and son.

    Yuxi also didn¡¯t know how to persuade her aunt. Would she just conceded to Qiu Shi and together with her aunt carried the burden of going against the marriage till her death, since to Yuxi, this matter involved issues of interests, not because of her aunt¡¯s refusal. As for persuading Qiu Shi to agree, Yuxi could not open her mouth either. This matter was tooplicated, and, in the future, there would be plenty of trouble because of it. She really didn¡¯t want to get involved in it.

    Qiu Shi took Yuxi¡¯s hand and wept bitterly, ¡°Xi girl, tell me, what this son that I¡¯ve given birth to, has be? This unfilial son, whose wings are full-fledged and be hard?Chinese fig. one is able to do things independently or no longer obey others.now, even if he won¡¯t listen to what I say, he is even plotting against his younger brother, who is his own blood brother! ¡± Qiu Shi was not willing to exchange her son for benefits, even if the benefits were very attractive.

    Yuxi soothingly said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, don¡¯t be sad. There is always a way to solve the problem. You have to take good care of yourself. The state residence can¡¯t do without you around.¡±

    Qiu Shi was feeling very sad when she said, ¡°What can¡¯t do without me? Even if there¡¯s me or not, I¡¯m just an unnecessary person.¡± It was a good thing for her eldest son to be a capable person, but he was too capable that he went beyond the sacrificial altar and took over the kitchen?Chinese idiom : take matters into one¡¯s own handsin deciding his Didi1?younger brother¡¯s marriage. Especially to such a bad marriage potential.

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t helpughing at her eldest aunt¡¯s statements, ¡°Eldest Aunt just talked nonsense. As for being an unnecessary person, I am the most unnecessary one! Won¡¯t you say so, Eldest Aunt?¡±

    After Qiu Shi heard Yuxi¡¯s words, she hastily said, ¡°What¡¯s unnecessary? No one is unnecessary. Hence, don¡¯t utter such silly things again in the future.¡±

    Yuxi managed to appease and stabilise Qiu Shi¡¯s mood for the time being. But, this wasn¡¯t a long-term solution. So, she could only sigh, since this kind of thing didn¡¯t actually need her concern.

    She really didn¡¯t expect that this would happen though. Early that evening, Han Jianming¡¯s maid arrived at Rose Courtyard. ¡°Fourth Miss, Lord Shizi?heir of a noble houseinvites you to go to his study.¡±

    Yuxi suddenly felt quite bitter and felt like she had been forced by her as Dage. Even without thinking too deeper into it, she knew that Dage1eldest brother wanted her to be a go-between him and his mother. She couldn¡¯t escape this troublesome matter this time around.

    As Yuxi had expected, Han Jianming really did want her to be a go-between, to personally persuade Qiu Shi to ept the marriage proposal.

    Yuxi felt quite bitter that itpelled her to say, ¡°Dage1eldest brother, you think too highly of me. How can I persuade Eldest Aunt? Dage1eldest brother, can¡¯t you just spare me?¡±

    Han Jianming stared at Yuxi¡¯s appearance, with a smile on his face. ¡°In this whole residence, only Si Meimei11si=fourth, meimei=younger sistercan persuade my mother.¡± Yuxi was usually able to make her mother happy easily. This time, it wasn¡¯t impossible for her to coax his mother as well. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi wanted to cry. ¡°How can Eldest Aunt listen to me for such a big thing? Dage1eldest brother, you can¡¯t force me to do something that I¡¯m unable to aplish.¡±

    Han Jianming gave a wry smile and said, ¡°Yuxi, for the sake of your Erge2second elder brother¡¯s future, whether Mother agrees or not, this marriage must be concluded.¡±

    Yuxi stopped pretending at this time and asked, ¡°Even if he doesn¡¯t marry Miss Lu, Erge2second elder brother can still make a career on his own. Dage1eldest brother, you also know Erge2second elder brother¡¯s temperament. He would rather not have a future that depends on a woman.¡±

    When Han Jianming heard this, he couldn¡¯t help himself fromughing. ¡°Where did your mind go? I¡¯m just saying that the Lu family is a huge force in the army, and they will look after your Erge2second elder brother in the future. His future still needs him to put in his own great effort.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s head was full of ck lines. It was obvious that the way he said his words were opened to different interpretations, but he med her mind for over thinking it. Nevertheless, now was not the time for her to care about this. ¡°Dage1eldest brother, does it have to be from the Lu family? Can¡¯t it be from other family!¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°I have been searching for the right candidate for the past two years. If it was not for people looking down on us, or if it was not for our reputation being only having attractive appearance, but without substance, people had thought that there wouldn¡¯t be any benefit to those who be our rtions through marriage¡­¡±

    All of sudden, Yuxi became dumbfounded. ¡°Has the state residence been reduced to this point?¡±

    Han Jianming wryly said, ¡°Yuxi, currently, to strangers outside, the Duke of the State Residence is just having an attractive appearance, but without any substance.¡± His Grandfather had died early. While, his father only knew how to eat, drink and make merry12Chinese idiom : to abandon oneself to a life of pleasure. As a result, he didn¡¯t care about anything else, resulting in the state residence faded out from the center of power and wealth. Although Han Jianming had worked hard in recent years, he was still young after all, and it would take time for him to finally enter the center of power and health.

    Yuxi knew Han Jianming was responsible for revitalising the state residence. At this moment, she had no means to criticise him, but she was not willing to help him persuaded Qiu Shi.

    When Han Jianming saw that Yuxi didn¡¯t say a word, he continued, ¡°My original n was to run awork while holding a position inside the Imperial Court, while your Erge2second elder brotherwould build a career in the military camp. Then, us two brothers would work together. As long as I was given enough time, I would certainly be able to revitalise the state residence. Unfortunately, there is not so much time left now.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face slightly changed as she asked, ¡°No time left? Does the fight of power between factions in the Imperial Court have dragged the Duke of the State Residence into it, or will there be disturbance in this world?¡± She could say these things because she was familiar with history books. For Han Jianming to say that there was no time, aside from these two things, there was no other reason.

    For a woman in the boudoir to have such a vision and insight, made Han Jianming¡¯s expression on Yuxi changed a lot. Though, he really felt so much regret. ¡°Yuxi, why are you not my didi1?younger brother?¡± If Yuxi was his didi1?younger brother, she would also be a pir for the Duke of the State Residence. In this way, the nerve that had been burdening his shoulders would be much lighter.

    Yuxi actually regretted saying those words. However, when she heard Han Jianming¡¯s praise, she lowered her head and said, ¡°Dage1eldest brother, I was only talking nonsense.¡±

    It was useless for Han Jiangming to have this kind of feeling. Yuxi was a woman and she would be someone else¡¯s family in the future. There would be no way for him to change this fact. For this reason, he exined to Yuxi, ¡°This whole world won¡¯t be at peace when factions start to fight for power. Your Erge2second elder brotherwill definitely go to war if he wants to make his contributions to this country. But your Erge2second elder brother¡¯s temper is too straightforward, unable to curve around, and our family connections in the army have long been gone. With your Erge2second elder brother¡¯s temperament, no one will be able to protect him when he enters the military camp and he will surely suffer a great loss.¡± As it appeared that Yuxi¡¯s expression was still motionless, he added, ¡°To suffer a great loss is still a small matter. What I¡¯m really afraid of is for someone to push him to the front, to act as a cannon fodder.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s whole body went stiff. Han Jianming¡¯s words reminded her of her Erge2second elder brotherin her previous life, where Han Jianye had died in Liaodong but his body was unable to be found.

 Chapter 115 - A God-like Change (2)

    <strong>Chapter 115 : A God-like Change (2)</strong>

    After being silence for a long time, Yuxi asked Han Jianming a very stupid question, ¡°Dage1eldest brother, aren¡¯t the Zhou, Qiu and Chiang also lend their hands? Can¡¯t they be the ones who take care of Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegeinstead?¡±

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi and softly said, ¡°The Zhou family situation is no different than the Han family, which is only looking polish on the surface. The Qiu family has a very shallow foundation, while the Chiang family only shows affection to us on the outside. If your Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegemarried Miss Lu, he would be Lu family¡¯s son-inw, so the weight would be totally different. Also, the three elder brothers of Miss Lu are all very outstanding, especially her Dage1eldest brotherwho was very skillful in fighting, and he had also be a third rank high official. If he can instruct your Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegein the future, he can avoid so many detours, therefore, we will not have to worry about his future anymore.¡± Han Jianye was rich in theories, but had no actualbat experience. While Miss Lu¡¯s dage1eldest brotherwas full with theoretical and practical experiences.

    Yuxi struggled with these reasons.

    In response to Yuxi¡¯s reaction, Han Jianming again repeated, ¡°Miss Lu¡¯s three brothers, especially the eldest one is the most outstanding, and the other two are also not bad. With the help of the Lu family, your Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegewill have a much brighter future.¡±

    When Yuxi heard those statements from Han Jianming, she asked him a very crucial question, ¡°Dage1eldest brother, did this marriage proposal was brought up by the Lu family or did you put it forward on your own initiative?¡±

    Han Jianming asked back, ¡°Is there any difference?¡±

    Yuxi nodded as she pointed out, ¡°If it was the Lu family themselves brought up this marriage, it shows that they are very optimistic of Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegeand will definitely give him great help in the future. If we were the one who put it forth, then in that case, we were like trying to climb over and avail ourselves of them. Thus, this will only reduce our reputation to a much lower point. Even if the Lu family agrees to this marriage, they will surely not lend their hands to Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege.¡± The important thing was that, if it was Han Jianming who put the proposal forward, she would not help him. To avail oneself to an opportunity wasn¡¯t a trade, and that was the way it was supposed to be. Miss Lu had just recently withdrawn from an engagement, and now they also rushed forward to propose marriage to her. Wasn¡¯t this the same as humiliating themselves?

    Han Jianming frankly answered, ¡°It was the Lu family who first brought up the matter, and I have a good rtionship with Sixth Master Lu, who is Miss Lu¡¯s third brother.¡±

    When Yuxi heard that it was the Lu family who brought up the matter first, she gave a brief nod. No matter why the Lu family, especially Sixth Master Lu, had taken a fancy to her Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, but since it was proposed by them first, then they would certainly treat him well in the future. However, she had another question, ¡°Dage1eldest brother, Miss Lu¡¯s family had withdrawn from the marriage engagement with Second Master Ye not a while ago. Won¡¯t we have a problem with the Ye family if Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegemarries her?¡±

    There was a sh of fierceness in Han Jianming¡¯s eyes as he answered her question, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There will be no probleming from the Ye family.¡±

    Yuxi obviously did not believe it.

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi¡¯s expression that said ¡®if you don¡¯t exin it clearly, I won¡¯t help you¡¯. He shook his head helplessly as he exined, ¡°I told the Ye family that Sixth Master Lu had saved my life before. Now, he has taken a fancy on my Erdi3er=second, di=younger brother, short form for Didi, therefore I told them that I couldn¡¯t refuse the Lu family marriage proposal.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°Sixth Master Lu had saved your life, Dage1eldest brother?¡±

    Han Jianming nodded, ¡°There was a little ident at that time and I was saved by Sixth Master Lu. Our friendship was forged at that time.¡±

    Yuxi remembered Qiu Shi¡¯s strange expression when she saw her before, that she had to ask Han Jianming another question, ¡°Dage1eldest brother, is this really the only way?¡± If she had to say unpleasantly, even if Sixth Master Lu had saved Dage1eldest brother¡¯s life, he didn¡¯t need to ask Dage1eldest brother¡¯s didi?younger brotherto marry the girl who had broken off her engagement with the Ye family. Did you know, once Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegemarried Miss Lu, the whole state residence would be the one who had to bear the me for the broken engagement. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Han Jianming chuckled, ¡°Can you think out another way?¡±

    Yuxi bowed her head and struggled for a long time, before she finally asked, ¡°Dage1eldest brother, do you know about Dasao?eldest sister-inw¡¯s health problem?¡±

    Han Jianming was stunned as he inquired, ¡°How did you know your Dasao?eldest sister-inw has a health problem?¡±

    Yuxi answered solemnly, ¡°Dage1eldest brother, did you forget that I¡¯ve studied pharmacology? Although I was unable to feel her pulse, I noticed that Dasao?eldest sister-inw¡¯s condition was abnormal. For this reason, I can guess that there must be something wrong with her health.¡±

    Han Jianming gave out a wry smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that for you to learn pharmacology has this kind of effect. Yes, I only knew about it a few days ago. Imperial Physician Le told me that your Dasao?eldest sister-inw¡¯s health is currently very bad, and her womb is in extremely cold condition. It is fortunate that she can get pregnant this time.¡± There was nothing worse than marrying a wife to inherit a male child but the wife was unable to give birth to a child. It was a pity that the Ye family had tenaciously concealed the news at that time, that they (the Han family) didn¡¯t know at all about it until now. This could be said that there was a clear suspicion that the Ye family had done a marriage fraud.

    Yuxi then put on such an adamant look as she requested, ¡°Dage1eldest brother, I must personally see this Miss Lu first, before I can decide whether I will persuade Eldest Aunt to agree or not.¡±

    Han Jianming was somewhat confused on why Yuxi made such a request.

    When Yuxi noticed Hab Jianming¡¯s reaction, she exined with a headache, ¡°Dage1eldest brother, you only think about the advantages of Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegemarrying Miss Lu. You don¡¯t ever think that if Eldest Aunt is unwilling, Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegewill also be unwilling, and when he married Miss Lu, then when she was treated badly by our people, do you think the Lu family will help Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege? At that time, rather than bing close inws, they will be enemies instead.¡±

    Han Jianming naturally thought of it. He allowed his didi?younger brotherto marry Lu Shi in order to gain another great help, not to make enemies with the Lu family. ¡°I¡¯ve written a letter to your Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, and he has agreed to this marriage.¡± If he wasn¡¯t afraid that Miss Lu would be wronged, he wouldn¡¯t havee back and asked his mother to be a matchmaker.

    Yuxi¡¯s head was full of ck lines. ¡°So, you told Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegethat Sixth Master Lu is your savior, and now it¡¯s time for us to return the favour?¡± This was the only way to get her Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegeto ept it so quickly. Who asked her Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegeto have such a one-track mind?

    Han Jianming felt that Yuxi was like a worm in his belly. Even without him saying it out loud, Yuxi seemed to know about it.

    Yuxi thought about the matter deeply and said, ¡°Even if Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegealready agreed, I still have to meet this Miss Lu. Only when I have seen her and know that the other party is a good person, will I help persuade Eldest Aunt. Otherwise, I won¡¯t open my mouth.¡±

    This request was not too excessive, and also, when Han Jianming thought about it, it was actually quiteprehensive. Hence, he naturally had no other reason to refuse. ¡°I will arrange this.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Han Jianming¡¯s tired look and her heart went soft. How could it be so easy for him to revitalise the family? ¡°Dage1eldest brother, don¡¯t worry. If Miss Lu is a good person, I will definitely convince Eldest Aunt.¡±

    Han Jianming smilingly said, ¡°I know my Si Meimei?si=fourth, meimei=younger sistercan do it.¡± He had known from much earlier that Yuxi had the ability to talk his Mother over and now, it depended on whether Yuxi was willing to do it or not. Everyone said that the most outstanding person in the state residence was Yuchen, the Third Miss, but for him, the outstanding person wasn¡¯t Yuchen but Yuxi. Yuchen only had an attractive appearance, but without substance, and only acting good on the surface. However Yuxi was much honest and truly a brilliant child. He didn¡¯t know who would be advantageous enough to be with her in the future, but in his opinion, an average boy was not worthy of Yuxi.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t want to talk to Han Jianming anymore. Although it was said that Dage1eldest brotherdid it for the revitalisation of the family, which on the surface couldn¡¯t be criticised, she was still feeling a little flustered because he could even calcte his didi?younger brother¡¯s marriage for the sake of the n benefit. ¡°I¡¯ll return first. Let me know when the time for the meeting is fixed.¡±

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi¡¯s back as she walked away and he deeply sighed. If Erdi3er=second, di=younger brother, short form for Didiwas half as thorough as Yuxi, he would not have been this tired.

    When Yuxi returned to Rose Courtyard, she heard Concubine Wen was waiting for her in the parlour. She frowned and asked, ¡°What is Concubine Wen doing here?¡± Wu Shi, together with Concubine Wen and Concubine Xin were having a continuous good drama every day. Yuxi often heard Kufu talked about the fighting between the three of them. She only listened to it as a pastime, but she never had any intention to intervene.

    Concubine Wen was sent by Han Jingyan¡¯s colleague. Although she had given birth to Seventh Young Master Jian Wei, her figure was still very slim and her appearance had also remained the same, which was unparalleled tenderness and charming. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    As Yuxi saw Concubine Wen, she lightly asked her, ¡°I don¡¯t know why Concubine Wen came to see me today?¡± However, when Yuxi saw Concubine Wen¡¯s expression that was filled with desire and longing, she impatiently said, ¡°If Concubine Wenes here to request, then, please, go back. I still have a lot of work to do. I don¡¯t have time for small talk.¡± She didn¡¯t even pay attention to Wu Shi, so, how could Concubine Wen expect that she would show a good face to a concubine?

    Concubine Wen did not expect Yuxi to be so impolite. With a stiff face turned, she unnaturally stated, ¡°The weather is getting warmer, so I made two pairs of shoes for Miss.¡±

    Yuxi nodded her head, and Kufu who was beside her, reached out and took them, ¡°Concubine Wen has taken too much trouble over me.¡±

    Concubine Wen responded with a smile, ¡°It doesn¡¯t cost much. Since Miss has something to do, I won¡¯t bother Miss anymore.¡± As she saw Yuxi¡¯s attitude, she knew that her n today had failed miserably.

    Yuxi looked at Maidong and instructed, ¡°Go and send off Concubine Wen.¡± The so-called sent off was only to the gate of the courtyard. Where would Yuxi let her maid to send Concubine Wen back to the ce she lived?

    Kufu looked at the two pairs of embroidered shoes in her hand and was puzzled. ¡°What is Concubine Wen doing here looking for Miss?¡± Her Miss and Concubine Wen had never met each other until today!

    Yuxi answered, ¡°She wanted to form an alliance with me! I don¡¯t know from which eye Concubine Wen did make her see that I would willingly make an alliance with her.¡± Many stepdaughters were so weak that they had to ally with their father¡¯s beloved concubines to fight against their stepmothers. But the problem here was that she had the support of the family female head. Even though Wu Shi was harsh, but somehow, she couldn¡¯t deal with Yuxi. Even for Yuxi¡¯s marriage, Wu Shi was unable to intervene. In this kind of situation, did Yuxi had nothing better to do than being an ally to her father¡¯s concubine?

    A Silkie / ÎÚ¹Ç¼¦ (wu ji gi lit. ck bone chicken)

    Image Credit | benjamint444 via Wiki (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

    Kufu was quite surprised when she heard Yuxi¡¯s answer, ¡°Concubine Wen wants to ally with Miss to deal with Third Madam?¡± After she had done uttering these words, when she remembered that Concubine Wen together with Concubine Xin had fought with Wu Shi till they had eyes like a silkie, she felt that, what Yuxi just said was right.

    Yuxi casually instructed, ¡°If Concubine Wenes backter on, you will have to send her away.¡± With this instruction, Yuxi went back to her study.

    Concubine Wen also wanted to ally with Yuxi. Both her and Concubine Xin had allied with each other to fight against Wu Shi and yet, they still suffered a lot of losses. So she turned her mind to Yuxi, who was also at odds with Wu Shi, but she did not expect that Yuxi would totally ignore her.

    Concubine Wen asked for Concubine Xin¡¯s opinion, ¡°What do you think of Fourth Miss? Even if she is loved by Eldest Madam, won¡¯t she still have to rely on her younger brothers when she¡¯s going to get married?¡± Yuxi¡¯s rtionship with Wu Shi was so bad that the two of the di?born by formal wifeyoung masters would be unlikely to back her up. If Fourth Miss was really a smart person, she should have allied with them.

    Concubine Xin was the child of this family servant and she had once been the Old Madam¡¯s personal maid. Thus, she was very clear about the Old Madam¡¯s temperament. In this way, as a concubine, she could consider this as a gift. She was actually unwilling to fight with Wu Shi if she was not forced to do so. ¡°Fourth Miss does not need the backing of her younger brothers.¡± When she saw the surprised expression on Concubine Wen¡¯s face, she continued, ¡°It is enough for Fourth Miss to have the support from Lord Shizi?heir of a noble familyand Second Master, so she doesn¡¯t care much of her own blood brothers¡¯ support.¡±

    Concubine Wen felt that Concubine Xin was thinking too much that she scoffed, ¡°With just one call from Lord Shizi?heir of a noble family, that isn¡¯t sufficient to say that he will give his support to her in the future.¡±

    Concubine Xin smiled and said nothing more. She was the child of a servant in the state residence, consequently, she knew much more than Concubine Wen. Naturally, she was also aware that Fourth Miss was favoured by Lord Shizi?heir of a noble family, and even much more closer with the Second Master, uparable with her own siblings. With these kinds of rtionship, why should she worry about not having a brother to back her up after she got married? Since Fourth Miss was secured in the knowledge that she had backing, this also became one of the reasons why she dared to go against Third Madam.

    When Wu Shi knew that Concubine Wen had gone to Yuxi, she immediately sent someone to inquire what Concubine Wen and Yuxi had talked about. ¡°Mama Chen, what do you think Concubine Wen wants to do?¡± If it was possible, Wu Shi was unwilling to be matched with Yuxi. No matter what, to be pitted against to Yuxi was the same as being pitted against Qiu Shi. At the beginning, Qiu Shi had poured dog blood on her head?Chinese idiom : to scold in a very humiliating fashionfor sshing tea on Yuxi. Later on, when Yuxi became ill, Qiu Shi once again made her feel distressed and depressed. Up until now, Qiu Shi had never given her a very good expression.

    Mama Chen tried to sooth, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam. Fourth Miss would surely don¡¯t have a good expression on Concubine Wen. She didn¡¯t even give any face to Miss Biao1?family rtionship via femalesQiu. How can she suddenly be willing to make friends with a concubine?¡±

    The person who went to inquire about the news soon returned. ¡°When Fourth Miss came back to Rose Courtyard, Concubine Wen came out after a minute.¡± How could there be anything happened in such a short time?

    Wu Shi also didn¡¯t inquire what the two had said to each other, as by asking would only end up be in vain. If she didn¡¯t precisely return to the state residence at that time, she wouldn¡¯t have been aware of this matter. Rose Courtyard was just like an iron barrel. It was almost impossible to inquire about the news inside. Of course, Tingyun Pavilion was also no exception. For Wu Shi to encounter such two fine stepdaughters, her intuition told her that she had been down on her luck.

 Chapter 116 - A God-like Change (3)

    <strong>Chapter 116 : A God-like Change (3)</strong>

    Yuxi just finished a set of punches, when she came out of the room with a rush for fresh air. She smiled as she gazed at the ceaseless golden lights on the far horizon.

    Kufu also smiled as she took the towel from Yuxi¡¯s hand and stated, ¡°Miss, the weather is pretty good today. It¡¯s a nice day for traveling.¡± It was still a bit chilly at the end of the second lunar month, but it was much warmer when the sun came out.

    Yuxi looked at Kufu¡¯s happy appearance and inquired with a smile, ¡°We¡¯re just offering incense sticks. Why are you this delighted?¡± It was Yuxi who suggested going to Lingshan Temple today. It was because, Qiu Shi had always been quite upset thesest few days, and she also wished to go out for a walk to clear her heart, so she agreed with Yuxi¡¯s suggestion.

    Kufu smiled as she replied, ¡°Naturally, I¡¯m very delighted. It¡¯s already rare for us to get out of the main door.¡± Any young miss who didn¡¯t like to go out were usually the ones who liked to stay in the study all day long. Kufu believed that it was useless for a girl to learn so much when she couldn¡¯t even be the number one schr or even a doctor. Of course, she only uttered these words in her heart. She would never dare to speak them out loud.

    Yuxi dressed herself up, then went directly to the main courtyard. She apanied Qiu Shi out of the main door after they had their breakfast, and went together to Lingshan Temple to offer incense.

    As Yuxi looked at the anxious looking Qiu Shi, she smiled and teased, ¡°Eldest Aunt, don¡¯t look like this when you go up the mountainter on. Otherwise, Buddha will certainly be in a bad mood when he sees you.¡±

    Qiu Shi poked Yuxi¡¯s forehead with her finger and scolded, ¡°You, this naughty girl, even dare to y with Buddha¡¯s name.¡±

    Yuxi immediately hugged Qiu Shi¡¯s arm and consoled her, ¡°Eldest Aunt, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not easy for us toe out together today, so we should be happy and stop thinking about those worries.¡± She had never been a mother, but she could understand the depression of Qiu Shi¡¯s oppressed heart. For the sake of the family benefit, her son even dared to betray his own blood brother. How could she, as his mother, not be so upset!

    Qiu Shi¡¯s expression eased a bit when she said, ¡°Well, then, I¡¯ll listen to you. Today, I don¡¯t want to think about anything. I just want to burn incense.¡±

    When they arrived at Lingshan temple, they kowtowed and offered incense to various Buddhas and then donated some ¡®sesame oil money¡¯. After a long ordeal, it was time for them to have their lunch.

    Vegetarian food in Lingshan Temple was extremely well-known. A lot of those who were ustomed tovish meals, after they tried these vegetarian dishes, they also felt that these dishes had a special vour.

    Qiu Shi had gotten aged and used to live like a prince1Chinese idiom : live a life of luxury. Today, when she started walking in the main hall and bowed down to so many Buddhas, she became extremely exhausted. If it wasn¡¯t for Yuxi¡¯s earnest advice, she wouldn¡¯t think of taking her lunch. As a matter of fact, she would have used this lunch time to have some rest.

    Yuxi was in good spirits, which was also attributed to her continuous daily exercise. ¡°Eldest Aunt, why don¡¯t you have a rest. I¡¯ll go and have a look at the scenery around Lingshan Temple.¡± Looking at the scenery was just an excuse. What she really wanted to look at was a person.

    Lingshan Temple had a very good reputation. Thus, Qiu Shi was not worried about what would happen to Yuxi while she was still in Lingshan Templepound. ¡°Go wherever you want to go, but you muste back after half a shichen22 hours. If you¡¯rete, it will be dark when we¡¯re going home.¡± A young girl like Yuxi was at the age of yfulness. Since Qiu Shi also had gone through this period, she thought she could understand Yuxi very well. If she knew that Yuxi was actually going to meet Miss Lu at this time, it was unknown whether she would still have this kind of feeling or not. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi took Zisu and Kufu directly to the back of Lingshan Temple. There, she saw a stone tablet engraved with the characters of ¡®Clear Spring Water Pond¡¯, which made her do not want to leave. She found a stone nearby and sat down on a handkerchief that she just put on it. She felt very tired after walking for such a far distance.

    Zisu looked at Yuxi¡¯s posture like she was waiting for someone, and Zisu¡¯s eyes shed with doubts. Kufu wascking in terms of her background, for this reason, she did not have enough tacit understanding with Yuxi. Zisu advised, ¡°Miss, it is a bit cold here. Why don¡¯t we change to other ce?¡± Next to Yuxi¡¯s seat was a spring water pond, which was surrounded by tall trees, hence the sun couldn¡¯t shine in, so how could it not be cold?

    Yuxi unhurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m tired of walking, so let¡¯s take a seat back here.¡± Han Jianming told her that every time Fourth Miss Lu came to the Lingshan Temple to offer incense, she would go to the spring water pond at the back of the mountain to take a bit of the spring water back. It wasn¡¯t like the Lu family had suddenly wanted to mingle with the cognoscenti3Chinese idiom : pose as a lover of cultureby using it for tea making, but rather because Old Madam Lu liked to drink the water from the spring water pond. The old woman was really superstitious as she felt that since the spring water in the temple had some benefits from Buddha, it would also be good for her health.

    Duijin Ao (front buttoned Chinese jacket)

    Image Credit | To righful owner and Shopee

    After waiting for less than a quarter of an hour, Yuxi finally heard the sound of footsteps. Not before long, four people walked towards her side. The girl in the middle was wearing a light green brocade with white fur duijin ao, a dark green leather skirt and a sable cloak. She wore very little jewelry as she only had two jade hairpins on her hair. With an egg-shaped face, delicate skin and graceful figure, she was definitely a beauty.

    Lu Xiu did not know who Yuxi was, because she had been in a bad mood regarding the broken engagement. This time, her trip to Lingshan Temple had been proposed by her San Ge?san=third, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, who rmended her to go to Lingshan Temple to offer incense to chase away her bad luck and have some fun by the way.

    Lu Xiu was not surprised when she saw strangers there. Many women in the capital woulde to Lingshan Temple to offer incense and take a walk around the temple after dinner to see the scenery. She had met many strangers every time she went to fetch the spring water. She nodded to Yuxi and was prepared to cross over to fetch some water.

    Yuxi noticed the water bag in Lu Xiu¡¯s hand and she shifted her sight towards Lu Xiu. ¡°Jiejie?elder sister, are you here to fetch the water?¡±

    Lu Xiu nodded and responded with a ¡®uh-huh¡¯. She seriously did not wish to chat.

    It was not easy for them to see each other, in this way, it was natural for them to have a chat. Yuxi was quite experienced in this kind of situation, as she asked, ¡°I heard that this spring has a history of hundreds of years. Jiejie?elder sister, do you think it¡¯s true?¡± It was natural for her to do homework on this ce before she came. She had also read all the information regarding Lingshan temple and she had asked her people to inquire about all kinds of rumours about the temple. As a matter of fact, these information were actually used for this type of situation.

    Lu Xiu nodded and borated, ¡°Well, this spring has a history of more than 360 years.¡± It was also for this reason that her grandmother felt that the spring had a spiritual nature, so every day, her grandmother would send someone to bring the water back for her to drink.

    Yuxi¡¯s face was full of smiles as she eximed, ¡°Really? Then, I must drink too.¡± Once Yuxi finished saying that, Kufu intervened, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any cups. What should I do?¡±

    Lu Xiu did not hesitate to offer, ¡°I have brought a cup. If you don¡¯t mind, you can drink it using my cup.¡±

    The maids around Lu Xiu looked somewhat hesitant, but when they noticed Lu Xiu¡¯s expression, they did not dare to raise any objection.

    Yuxi smiled so much that even her teeth were exposed, ¡°I don¡¯t mind it. Why should I be mind? Then, thank you, Jiejie?elder sister.¡± In such a short time, she had seen many things. First of all, Lu Xiu¡¯s temperament was very good, and secondly, she was notcking in managing her people.

    Once Yuxi took the cup from the maid¡¯s hand, she gave it a praise, ¡°This cup is really beautiful. If it was me, I wouldn¡¯t be willing to take it out. If it breaks, it will be no more.¡±

    When Lu Xiu saw that Yuxi liked the cup very much, she stated, ¡°This cupes from a pair. If Meimei?younger sisterlikes it, then I¡¯ll give this one to you.¡±

    Ah, how generous! Yuxi smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I was just expressing my opinion. By the way, Jiejie?elder sister, what¡¯s your name?¡±

    Zisu was the most familiar with Yuxi. Just by looking at Yuxi¡¯s warm appearance, you would know that there was something fishy going on. Her Miss was not a warm person, let alone being so warm to a stranger.

    Yuxi had done a lot of homework on Lu Xiu before and roughly knew what Lu Xiu liked. Just opened any topic with her and one wouldn¡¯t have to worry about having nothing to talk about.

    Until Lu Xiu¡¯s maid reminded her, she was shocked that she had unconsciously been talking to Yuxi for more than a shichen22 hours. ¡°Yuxi Meimei?younger sister, I have to go back, or my mother will be worried. When you have time,e to my house and y!¡± Although her age was greatly differ from Yuxi¡¯s, she could still get along very well with her.

    Yuxi smiled as she epted the invitation, ¡°Okay!¡±

    After Zisu watched Lu Xiu walk away, she reminded Yuxi, ¡°Miss, we should also go back.¡± Just now, Kufu also wanted to remind Yuxi but Zisu stopped her.

    Yuxi¡¯s face looked rxed. ¡°Let¡¯s go home!¡± She didn¡¯te here for nothing today.

    When they returned to the temple, Qiu Shi caught sight of Yuxi and said, ¡°You, this child, I have reminded you to return in half a shichen22 hours. Why did it take you so long to return? If you didn¡¯te back by now, I would have sent someone to find you.¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi replied with a smile, ¡°I met a jiejie?elder sister on the road and got along very well with her. We started to talk till I didn¡¯t notice the time.¡±

    Qiu Shi casually asked, ¡°Who was that girl?¡±

    By now, Yuxi had no intention to hide it from Qiu Shi any more. ¡°She was Lu Jiejie?elder sister.¡± When she saw Qiu Shi stared nkly at her, she sincerely exined, ¡°It was Lu Xiu, the Fourth Miss of Lu family.¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s temper was straight, but she was not a foolish person. What else did she not understand now? Her anger immediately red up. ¡°Did your Dage?eldest brotherput you up to today¡¯s incident?¡± She had been told to burn incense in the temple on the mountain, but it was actually a n to let her see this Lu girl.

    Yuxi thought of a way to exin so that Qiu Shi would not be so angry.

    Since Yuxi didn¡¯t say a word, Qiu Shi thought that Yuxi agreed with her. She was so angry that she scolded, ¡°That evil creature. Even you have figured it out. What was he thinking?¡±

    Yuxi hurriedly said: ¡°No, it was not Dage?eldest brotherwho ordered me. It was I who asked Dage?eldest brother. I really wanted to see Miss Lu.¡±

    Qiu Shi looked at Yuxi and noticed that her face was calm, thus she asked, ¡°What is your opinion on her? Did she have any good things for you to see?¡±

    Yuxi had gotten along with Qiu Shi for so long that she clearly understood Qiu Shi¡¯s temperament. ¡°I had noticed that Eldest Aunt had been worrying about this matter for several days, so I asked Dage?eldest brother. I thought Miss Lu must have been a bad girl. Otherwise, Second Master Ye would not have withdrawn from his marriage just to marry an orphan girl such as Ke Minjie! How could a crooked melon and cracked jujube?Chinese idiom : uglyperson be worthy of Erge?er=second, ge=elder brother? So I told Dage?eldest brotherthat I wanted to meet her first, so that, by that time, there would be enough reasons to ask him to give up his thoughts on that marriage.¡±

    Qiu Shi felt a little morefortable after hearing Yuxi¡¯s words, but she was still being impartial, ¡°For Second Master Ye¡¯s broken engagement, he did it himself. It has nothing to do with that girl.¡± That girl was also such a pity. The wedding day had already been fixed, and she was going to get married. The result, the groom ran all the way to the door to withdraw from the marriage. Now, that girl had to suffer eight lifetimes1?a long timeof bad luck before she coulde across another marvellous fiance.

    When Yuxi heard this, she felt relieved and added, ¡°Eldest Aunt, I just saw Lu Jiejie?elder sister. You know what? Lu Jiejie?elder sisteris very good-looking, and she has a curvy figure, with a nice chest and a big hip.¡± Well, although these words were somewhat rough, but her Eldest Aunt definitely loved to hear them.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s eyes brightened at these words from Yuxi, as to her, having a good figure was definitely the material for giving birth to a son! However, as soon she thought of Lu Xiu¡¯s broken engagement with the Ye family, this newly-emerged interest immediately suppressed.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know what Qiu Shi¡¯s expression represented, as she continued, ¡°Eldest Auntie, Lu Jiejie?elder sisteris not only good-looking, but also gentle in temperament. She is also outstanding in needlework and cooking skill. Every side of her is perfect. Erge?er=second, ge=elder brotheris absolutely going to be blessed for having such a wife.¡±

    Qiu Shi sighed, ¡°However, she has just withdrawn from her recent engagement, and moreover, the family that she withdrew from was the Ye family.¡± If she really married into their family, how would Ye Shi get along well with Lu Shi after that?

 Chapter 117 - A God-like Change (4)

    <strong>Chapter 117 : A God-like Change (4)</strong>

    The sun condensed into a dazzling light as it turned into the colour of a sunset glow, like a red leaf fell to the ground covered with yellow dust, and the hills under the setting sun turned into dark purple.

    Yuxi lifted the curtain and pointed out, ¡°Eldest Aunt, look, what a beautiful sunset.¡±

    Qiu Shi was not in the mood to appreciate the beautiful scenery. ¡°This scenery is avable every day. No need for you to be anxious like you won¡¯t be able to see it again.¡±

    Although Qiu Shi¡¯s words weren¡¯t pleasant to the ears, herplexion looked much better than when she came. When Yuxi saw this situation, her heart secretly felt relieved. Her Eldest Aunt was showing the signs of softening, hence Yuxi¡¯s thoughts had not been in vain.

    Qiu Shi was still unaware that Yuxi was secretly observing her, so she kindly said, ¡°If you have anything to say, don¡¯t hide away.¡±

    Yuxi showed her fawning look, ¡°Eldest Aunt, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m trying to speak on Dage1eldest brother¡¯s behalf. It¡¯s just that Dage1eldest brotherhas always been very protective of Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, which I have seen with my own eyes. Although Dage1eldest brotherhas gone too far this time around, he just couldn¡¯t help it.¡±

    Qiu Shi furiously said, ¡°But no one had forced him to do this either.¡±

    Yuxi knew that Han Jianming had hidden a lot of things from her aunt when she saw Qiu Shi¡¯s reaction. She felt that in order to persuade her aunt to agree to the marriage, she had to tell her everything. ¡°Eldest Aunt, what Dage1eldest brotherdidn¡¯t tell you was that Sixth Master Lu had once saved Dage1eldest brother¡¯s life. This marriage was also brought up by Sixth Master Lu.¡± This action by Sixth Master Lu was somehow like the feeling of begging for favours, which made her dislike it so much.

    Qiu Shi¡¯splexion suddenly changed, ¡°What do you mean about him saving your Dage1eldest brother¡¯s life? What¡¯s going on? ¡±

    Yuxi answered very honestly, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just heard about it from Dage1eldest brotherhimself. Eldest Aunt, this life-saving grace is really a big deal.¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s face turned ck for a long time, before she spoke again, ¡°However, he should not have used an important event in your Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege¡¯s life to pay this life-saving grace.¡±

    Yuxi cautiously said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, although Dage1eldest brotherdidn¡¯t tell me this personally, I can vaguely feel that there should be other reasons for Dage1eldest brother¡¯s agreement to this marriage reunion.¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s expression was somewhat unnatural. Old Madam had told her the other reasons, but she could not ept them. She was not willing to use an important event of her son¡¯s life as an exchange for benefits.

    While Yuxi did not miss any chance to praise Lu Xiu, ¡°Eldest Aunt, Lu Jiejie3elder sisteris pretty good. I personally believe that if you meet her, you will certainly like her too.¡±

    Qiu Shi shook her head as she questioned, ¡°What¡¯s the use of being a pretty good person? Do you think your Dasao?eldest sister-inwwill get along well with her when she marries into the family?¡±

    Yuxi hastily said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, what you¡¯re saying is incorrect. It was the Ye family¡¯s fault for breaking the engagement between the two families. If Lu Jiejie3elder sistermarries into our family, Dasao?eldest sister-inwwill be ashamed to face her. How can Dasao?eldest sister-inwshamelessly go against her? In addition, Erge2er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegewill definitely not be staying in the capital all the time, andter on, Ersao?second elder sister-inwwill surely follow him. After waiting for ten or eight years to pass, who will still remember this incident.¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When Qiu Shi thought about it seriously, she also felt Yuxi¡¯s words were reasonable. However, she still asked Yuxi, ¡°What benefit did your Dage1eldest brotherhave promise for you to work this hard as a go-between?¡±

    Yuxi held Qiu Shi¡¯s arm and said to her, ¡°I only agreed after I kept seeing Eldest Aunt with a worried frown and keptining about the food not being delicious recently. Eldest Aunt, when I saw Dage1eldest brothertwo days ago, I noticed that he had be much thinner. Eldest Aunt, although Dage1eldest brotherhad gone too far this time, he just couldn¡¯t help it. The burden of the whole state residence has been put solely on him, therefore, it hasn¡¯t been easy for him to hold the burden by himself either. So Eldest Aunt, please try to be considerate of him.¡±

    When Qiu Shi heard these words from Yuxi, she couldn¡¯t help herself from feeling very distressed. She had also noticed how much effort her eldest son had given over the years. Her husband did not care about his son who had been busy in trying to revitalise the family. Since he has been working hard day and night, he looked just like a little old man before he even turned 20. Although she felt really sorry for him, it had long been his responsibility and she didn¡¯t have the ability to say anything about it. After listening to Yuxi¡¯s words, she said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll seriously consider this matter and I will also stop fighting with that evil spawn.¡±

    Yuxi let loose a sigh of relief. What she had spoken a month ago wasn¡¯t as much as she had said today. As a result, her mouth and tongue became dry?Chinese idiom : talk too much, which also had made her dead tired.

    Once Yuxi returned to Rose Courtyard, she cried out, ¡°Water, pour me a ss of water.¡±

    That night, Qiu Shi tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Thus, she simply had a chat with Mama Li. ¡°Do you think I am not verypetent as a mother?¡± She didn¡¯t even realise that her son was dead tired because of being overworked, which showed that there was no other mother who neglected her duty more than her!

    Mama Li was very much surprised when she heard about this matter today. ¡°Madam, Master Shizi?heir of noble familywas afraid of worrying you, so he didn¡¯t tell you. Since it was for something special, Master Shizi?heir of noble familyhad to hide it, that was why you wouldn¡¯t know about it.¡±

    Qiu Shi knew this was the reason, but she still felt very ufortable about it. ¡°Do you think once this marriage was decided, there wouldn¡¯t be any problem between her and her sister-inw?¡±

    Mama Li tried tofort Qiu Shi, ¡°Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the houseis a reasonable person, and Madam knows that the broken engagement was not Miss Lu¡¯s fault. Madam, why don¡¯t we find an opportunity to meet this Miss Lu. If she is really as good as what Fourth Miss had said, then let¡¯s agree with Master Shizi?heir of noble family¡¯s proposal!¡± She could clearly see that both the Old Madam and Master Shizi?heir of noble family had agreed to the marriage, and only her Madam still strictly opposed it. Even if her Madam kept on opposing, even for two days more, it wouldn¡¯t be able to change anything.

    Qiu Shi remained silent for some time, until she finally said, ¡°Then, let¡¯s meet her.¡± If that girl was as good as what Yuxi had told her, then she wouldn¡¯t bring any grievance to Jianye.

    In the early morning, the next day, Qiu Shi called Han Jianming to her yard. When she caught sight of the ck circles under her son¡¯s eyes, she didn¡¯t know where to throw all the mes. ¡°How did you lose so much weight? How did the people beside you serve you?¡±

    As Han Jianming looked at Qiu Shi¡¯s expression, he knew that Yuxi¡¯s persuasion had worked. He couldn¡¯t help from sighing in his heart. No matter how he and his Grandmother had spoken to his Mother, she wouldn¡¯t budge from her objection. So he didn¡¯t expect his mother could be swayed by Si Meimei?si=fourth, meimei=younger sister¡¯s words of advice. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m still in good health!¡±

    In fact, Han Jianming thought too much of Yuxi. Even before Old Madam told her about the marriage proposal, she already knew that this marriage was imperative, but at the same time, she was very angry with Han Jianming for not putting his own mother in his eyes, and also for using his didi1?younger brother¡¯s marriage as a bargaining chip. Yuxi¡¯s persuasion was only her way out of the embarrassing situation.

    Qiu Shi was still full ofints as she reprimanded Han Jianye¡¯s attendants, before she said to Han Jianming, ¡°Eat your morning meal here.¡±

    At this time, the morning meal had been served.

    After having her morning meal, Qiu Shi stated, ¡°I¡¯ll find an opportunity to meet this Miss Lu. If this girl is indeed really good, let¡¯s settle the marriage. Your Erdi11er=second, di=younger brotheris not young anymore either, so it is better to settle his marriage much earlier.¡±

    Han Jianming¡¯s nose was somewhat a bit sour12something like when one felt before when one was about to cry (?)as he said, ¡°This unfilial son of yours whose behaviour has made it difficult for you.¡± He anyway understood the reason why Qiu Shi had been quite adamant in opposing the marriage. Lu Xiu had a broken engagement with the Ye family, and the Ye family was his wife¡¯s maiden family. If his mother went to the Lu family to propose a marriage, then when the wedding day came, people would definitely point their fingers at them and even their own rtives would make a joke of their action. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When Qiu Shi saw her son looking like this, her heart also turned sour. ¡°As long as you stay in good health, it doesn¡¯t matter if I suffer some injustice.¡± After a pause, she continued, ¡°Write a letter to your Erdi11er=second, di=younger brotherto ask him toe back. Then I will go with him to meet this Miss Lu. Even though I am still unsatisfied with this, it is still a secondary matter, whenpared to your Erdi11er=second, di=younger brother¡¯s satisfaction, which is the most important thing.¡± She was the one in charge of the inner court, consequently, how could she not know that Han Jianming had already sent a letter to the mountain?

    Han Jianming nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±

    Qiu Shi looked at Han Jianming as she sighed, ¡°Son, mother doesn¡¯t understand nor can mother help you with outside matters, but you must never forget to pay attention to your health and don¡¯t wear yourself out.¡± At this moment, she also med herself, since her son had already faced difficulty in his responsibility, and yet she, his mother, made it more difficult for him, which was indeed a quite shameful act.

    For Qiu Shi to take a good look at her future daughter-inw, she did not need to sneak around like what Yuxi did. She would go straight to the Lu family as a matchmaker.

    Sixth Master Lu ryed the matter to Second Lady Lu and said, ¡°Mother, although it is not polite for Second Master Han to see Meimei13younger sister, it is still a big event in her life. If what she saw was not to her liking, and yet, we forced her to marry him, Meimei13younger sister would have a bad marriage life in the future.¡±

    In fact, Han Jianming had lied to Yuxi. The marriage was not initiated by Sixth Master Lu but actually by Han Jianming himself. At that time, when the two of them had a drink together, Sixth Master Luined to him for a long time. So, Han Jianming took the opportunity to propose for the two families to be inws.

    Sixth Master Lu rejected the idea at that time. The Han family and the Ye family were inws. Thus, how could he marry his sister to the Han family? However, when he returned home, he heard that those candidates who came to ask for marriage alliance were either fond of wine and women or obviously ipetent people, with some also being crooked melons and cracked jujube1?Chinese idiom : ugly. However, when Sixth Master Lu looked at his sister with grief in his heart, in order not to let his family feel worried, he had to pretend to be an indifferent person; his mother¡¯s face would be filled with worried frowns all day long, which made his heart feel extremely unwell, but, even at this time, he did not even think about Han Jianming¡¯s proposal. Until he heard his father was going to marry out1?marry outside one¡¯s social status or far awayLu Xiu, as he spoke out Han Jianming¡¯s suggestion on impulse. After he had done saying it out, he regretted it. How could he let his sister marry into the Han¡¯s family?

    What he didn¡¯t expect was, after a few days, his father even said to him that this marriage could work. The reason Second Lord Lu did not object to the match was naturally because he found out that Han Jianye had followed Master Yang in practising martial arts all the way, thus he was outstanding in martial arts, and he also had a rtively simple temperament. Such a person was unlikely to have a crooked intestine. With him having martial arts skills, he would certainly have a good future when he entered a military camp; with his simple temper, he wouldn¡¯t mind about his daughter¡¯s broken engagement.

    As for Second Lady Lu, she did not agree at first. The reason for not agreeing was the same as Qiu Shi¡¯s. She was afraid that her daughter would not get along well with her Dasao?eldest sister-inwin the Han family. However, when Second Lord Lu had a discussion with her over this matter, it made her realise that Qiu Shi was a straightforward and easy-going person, nevertheless, her daughter would not suffer her mother-inw¡¯s anger, so she reluctantly agreed. Of course, the most important thing was that Han Jianye was the tallest among the midgets1?the best person avable. They had no better candidate than Han Jianye, as by marrying Han Jianye was better than marrying her daughter out1?marry outside one¡¯s social status or far away. If her daughter was married out1?marry outside one¡¯s social status or far away, they may not see her for the rest of their life.

    When Second Lady Lu heard Qiu Shi¡¯s request, rather than feeling any anger, she felt a lot of relief instead. The fact that Qiu Shi could offer this new suggestion for the two children to meet proved that she was also cautious about the marriage and wasn¡¯t muddled through her work1?Chinese idiom : work half-heartedly, ¡°Just in time. I will be going to the satin shop to pick some materials the next day. So it¡¯s better for the meeting to take ce at the satin shop.¡± It would have been painstaking for her to deliberately invite Qiu Shi to her home. If this was made public, and in case this marriage also failed, then, it would add up to more groundless gossip about her daughter outside, and her daughter couldn¡¯t stand any more twists and turns right now.

    Sixth Master Lu nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll arrange it.¡± If this marriage could be decided one day earlier, his Meimei13younger sisterwould not have to feel sad every day, nor would he see the knitted brows on his mother¡¯s face every day. As for the Ye family, the main offender, the criminal ringleader1?Chinese idiom : main cause of a disaster, he would definitely pay them back one day.

    Second Lady Lu told old woman Hong who was beside her, ¡°I hope everything goes well.¡± Once this marriage was settled, her daughter did not have to hide and cry under the covers day by day anymore. While, her hanging heart could also finally be put down.

 Chapter 118 - A God-like Change (5)

    <b>Chapter 118 : A God-like Change (5)</b>

    As soon as Qiu Shi got the news, she immediately turned around to ask Mama Li, ¡°Do you think it is better if we bring Yuxi along?¡± The idea of meeting in the satin shop was truly a good one.

    Mama Li replied with a smile, ¡°We must bring along Fourth Miss. My Lady, please don¡¯t forget that Fourth Miss knows Miss Lu.¡± Since both Yuxi and Miss Lu knew each other, they would definitely talk a lot when they met again. Her Lady could also take this opportunity to have a better look of this Miss Lu.

    Qiu Shi nodded as she admitted, ¡°It really can¡¯t be done without Yuxi.¡±

    Yuxi knew what Qiu Shi meant and thought for a moment before she said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, it is a little too deliberate to just take me alone. Why don¡¯t we invite Dajie1eldest sistertoo?¡± As for Yujing, it was normal for her not to mention, as there was a kind of animosity between Qiu Shi and Yujing. As for Yuchen, she would not be able to go even if she was invited.

    Qiu Shi smiled, ¡°It¡¯s all up to you. When we go to the satin shop, you should pick more satin and make more good clothes for yourself.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head as she responded, ¡°I can¡¯t even wear all the clothes that I have now, and with me growing so fast, the clothes that I made this year will surely cannot be worn for next year.¡± Old clothes were usually cut to make purses or be rewarded to other people, which to Yuxi was really a waste. After suffering a lifetime of starvation, Yuxi had be more frugal and didn¡¯t want to be wasteful. Of course, for something that should be spent would still be spent.

    Once Yuxi was out of the main courtyard, she went straight to Tingyun Pavilion.

    Yuchen was ying the bamboo flute when she heard Yuxi wasing over. She put down her flute and went out to meet her. ¡°What is Si Meimei2si=fourth, meimei=younger sisterdoing here?¡± The two sisters had a good rtionship, but recently, both were too busy to meet and hadn¡¯t talked with each other for a long time.

    Yuxi smiled and exined, ¡°I heard the sound of San Jie3san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie¡¯s flute on the way back. As I was absorbed in listening to the melody, unknowingly, I¡¯ve reached Tingyun Pavilion.¡±

    Seeing the smile that blossomed on Yuxi¡¯s face, Zisu found it quite amusing. Her Miss had be more eloquent nowadays.

    Yuchen was extremely happy with Yuxi¡¯s pleasant statements, which inevitably made her utter a few more words, ¡°I asked you to learn the flute that day, but you didn¡¯t want to. In fact, it¡¯s really not that difficult to learn. Yuxi, it¡¯s still not toote for you.¡±

    Yuxi immediately begged for mercy, ¡°San Jie3san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, you might as well spare me! I¡¯ve known nothing of the tones and they won¡¯t want to enter a single aperture of my head?Chinese idiom : don¡¯t have any understanding.¡±

    Since Yuchen was in a good mood, she felt quite amused with Yuxi¡¯s answer, ¡°What do you mean by they don¡¯t even enter a single aperture of your head?Chinese idiom : don¡¯t have any understanding? If you can understand while reading medical books, howe you¡¯re unable to learn ying bamboo flute? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just you who are unwilling to learn.¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    That was a good point. Once one¡¯s mind was not into something, no matter how great the teacher was, one wouldn¡¯t be able to be taught. Not wanting to argue with Yuchen, Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°San Jie3san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, Eldest Aunt will go out shopping the day after tomorrow. She has invited me and Dajie1eldest sister. So, do you also want to go together?¡± Although she knew that Yuchen wouldn¡¯t be able to go, but, she did specially made a trip here just to ask, just for the sake of being thorough.

    Yuchen shook her head and answered, ¡°That¡¯s okay. I don¡¯tck anything either.¡± Even if she found out that there was something missing, some people would send it directly to her. Why would she need to worry?

    Yuxi did not dare to persuade Yuchen to go out, otherwise, she would only make the Old Lady angry and ming her for bringing Yuchen astray, which was also inappropriate.

    The two chatted for about a quarter of an hour before Momo?wet nurseGui came over and reminded, ¡°Third Miss, it¡¯s time to practice calligraphy.¡± Yuchen had a full schedule every day.

    Yuxi looked at Yuchen sympathetically and said, ¡°San Jie3san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, I¡¯ll go back then.¡± Although she was also busy on a daily basis, especially busy learning many things, she learnt them mainly for herself. For whatever reason Yuchen had been learning, only Yuchen herself knew.

    Yuru soon knew that Qiu Shi would be taking her to buy clothes and jewelry. She also knew that it was Yuxi who had proposed this idea. Of course, Yuxi intentionally leaked her own deed. She was not the sort of person who did a good deed without leaving her name behind.

    Qingxuan smiled and said, ¡°Miss always treats Fourth Miss well, and she has kept it in her heart!¡± Otherwise, why was only her Miss who got invited? ??Ignorant is sometimes a bliss.

    Yuru nodded her head as she agreed, ¡°Momo?wet nurseChang was right. It is good and harmless for sisters to get along well.¡± The efforts she had made towards Yuchen and Yuxi in recent years had not been in vain.

    Han Jianye returned to the state residence that afternoon. He went to see Qiu Shi first, and talked with his mother for a little while. When he heard Han Jianming hade back, he then went to see him in a hurry.

    The brothers stayed in the study until the sun went down, then both of them went to the main courtyard together, apanying Qiu Shi for dinner.

    After dinner, Qiu Shi asked, ¡±Have your brother told you about the matter with the Lu family? So Ye-er, what do you think?¡± If her son was unwilling, this matter would be difficult to deal with.

    Han Jianye replied with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t have any problem. Mother, Sixth Master Lu had saved my brother¡¯s life. There is no other way for us to repay him back.¡± He would have lost his brother if it had not been for Sixth Master Lu. Even a drop of water should be returned with a burst of spring?Chinese proverb : even if it was just a little help from others, one should return the favour with all one¡¯s can when others are in need, not to mention the kindness of saving somebody¡¯s lives. At least the other person didn¡¯t ask him to climb a mountain of swords or plunge into a sea of mes?Chinese well-known phrase : be willing to undergo the most severe trials. He was only being asked to marry Sixth Master Lu¡¯s sister, so Han Jianye really didn¡¯t feel any injustice in it.

    Seeing that Han Jianye did not reject the idea at all, Qiu Shi felt better. ¡°Then buy two new sets of clothes and wear one of them on the day after tomorrow.¡±

    Once Qiu Shi began to chat with Han Jianye, she started to pour out what she had wanted to say for a long time.

    Han Jianming noticed that his didi?younger brotherturned his nce to him which showed a ¡®begging for help¡¯ expression. A smirk flowed out from the corner of Han Jianming¡¯s mouth, but he did not step forward to lend a hand.

    It had not been long for Han Jianye¡¯s return to the residence that it had been known by the people in the Rose Courtyard. Seeing that it was getting dark and Han Jianye had not been seening yet, Zisu inquired, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Second Mastere to see Miss today?¡± In the past, Second Master always visited Miss when he came back to the residence.

    Yuxi smiled as she replied, ¡±There¡¯s too much going on today, so Erge?er=second, ge=second brother, short form for Gegedoesn¡¯t have the time toe. He will definitelye over tomorrow morning.¡± She deliberately avoided going to the main courtyard that evening, so that the three, mother and children, could talk properly between them. No matter how much she was favoured by Qiu Shi, she was still not Qiu Shi own daughter, thus there was always ayer separating them. There were some things that she had to act in propriety.

    Zisu nodded as sheplied, ¡°Letting the people over there see that Miss is valued by Master Shizi1?heir of noble familyand the Second Master will also make our life less troublesome.¡±

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°There¡¯s no time like the present for trouble. It depends on whether you care about it or not.¡± If one cared about those troubles, one would have to worry about them everyday. If one didn¡¯t pay attention to them, they would just pass by themselves. Therefore, whether one lived well or not, it was entirely determined by one¡¯s own mentality.

    Just as Yuxi had thought, Han Jianye came over just after she had her breakfast. ¡°Si Mei11si=fourth, mei=younger sister, short form of meimei, it¡¯s only been two months since I¡¯ve seen you, and you have grown up again. You¡¯re growing up really fast.¡±

    Yuxi was not short among the girls in her previous life. Now she was one head taller than she was at that time, and if it kept on going like this, she would really be a tall person. ¡°Even if I am growing taller, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to worry about running out of material for my garment anyway.¡± A tall person was a tall man. One could not stop eating and exercising just because one was afraid of growing tall.

    When Han Jianye heard this, heughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m not worried about the clothes, I¡¯m afraid that when the timees, you¡¯ll be too tall for anyone to marry.¡±

    Zisu also knew Han Jianye¡¯s temperament, where the way he spoke may sound harsh but it was without any bad intent. If one wanted to deal with him, one would be infuriated while he himself didn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. In order not to let herself from feeling infuriated, Zisu decided to withdraw.

    Yuxi cut in, ¡°A good girl like me, why will I need to be worried about not getting married? It¡¯s you, Erge?er=second, ge=second brother, short form for Gege, who should be worried. Who knows if future sister-inw¡¯s is going to turn her back on you.¡±

    As Han Jianye heard Yuxi¡¯s words, heughed out loud, ¡±Good, you have this much confidence in yourself. My family Xi-er will have whatever she wants, and those who propose marriage in the future will surely line up till the city gate.¡± In his mind, Yuxi was excellent in every way.

    Not only did Yuxi not shy away, she even responded smugly instead, ¡°Of course.¡± For her, talking to Erge?er=second, ge=second brother, short form for Gege was the mostfortable thing ever, as she could say whatever she wanted. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    After chatting a few words, Han Jianye asked, ¡°Erge?er=second, ge=second brother, short form for Gege is getting engaged soon. Yuxi, you know about this matter, right?¡±

    Yuxi nodded as she acknowledged it, ¡°I do know about it. Eldest Aunt told me two days ago that she had chosen Lu Jiejie12elder sister! ¡±

    Han Jianye¡¯s eyes lit up, as Yuxi¡¯s tone seemed to suggest that they knew each other. ¡°Do you know Fourth Miss Lu?¡± No one would not be curious about his future wife, and Han Jianye was no exception.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I met her at the back of Lingshan Temple a few days ago¡­¡± Then, she gave him a detailed ount of their meeting at Lingshan Temple. She emphasized on Lu Xiu¡¯s character and talent, which were all in good light. She only did not say how Lu Xiu looked like.

    Han Jianye felt very satisfied when he heard Lu Xiu¡¯s sewing and needlework were very good. However, Yuxi didn¡¯t tell him the most important thing, ¡°How does Miss Lu look like?¡±

    Yuxi stopped before she reached the climax, ¡°Erge?er=second, ge=second brother, short form for Gege will know when you see her tomorrow. Anyway, Erge?er=second, ge=second brother, short form for Gege will definitely not be disappointed.¡± It was fun to keep her Erge?er=second, ge=second brother, short form for Gege¡¯s appetite up!

    This made Han Jianye¡¯s heart itched even more, but Yuxi still did not want to tell him anyway. Han Jianye resented it so much that it made his teeth itched13To bother or unsettle a person; to put someone on edge.. He left with the following sentence, ¡°I doted on you for nothing.¡±

    Yuxi justughed.

    Han Jianye was imagining how his future wife would look like that he didn¡¯t have the time to pay attention to anyone else around him. It wasn¡¯t until his page boy reminded him that Han Jianye finally realised a pretty girl was standing before him.

    After Qiu Yanfu performed her salute, she softly called out, ¡°Er Biaoge1?er=second, biaoge=elder male cousin.¡±

    When Han Jianye saw Qiu Yanfu, Yuxi¡¯s words immediately came to his mind. Other than this woman, Yuxi had never said anything bad about anyone else in front of him, not even about Wu Shi. Therefore, he believed that Qiu Yanfu was definitely a person who didn¡¯t have any good character.

    As Han Jianye thought till here, he ought to not respond to her, as he turned around and left. His page boy hastily followed behind him. Those who did not understand Han Jianye¡¯s behaviour, would assume that he thought Qiu Yanfu was one of the severe floods and fierce beasts1?extremely dangerous or threatening things.

    Qiu Yanfu¡¯s face had be egg drop soup, as it changed into every color under the sun, which was looking extremely interesting.

    Egg Drop Soup inrge curds and small curds.

    At noon, Kufu told Yuxi about the incident like it was a joke, ¡°Miss, do you know, when Second Master saw Qiu Yanfu in the residencepound, it was as if he had seen a ghost that he started to run away.¡±

    Maidong brought a cup of juice to Yuxi and said, ¡°Speaking of which, this Miss Qiu was also very lucky. Howe she managed to run into Second Master in the residencepound one after another?¡± This situation was quite ironic enough.

    Yuxiughed lightly, ¡°Do you think Qiu Yanfu was really innocent?¡±

    Maidong was the least scheming and the most simple of the four maids around Yuxi. She let Maidong stay around her, because she liked her simple mind. ¡°If you were in Qiu Yanfu¡¯s position, what would you do if you met Second Master?¡±

    Maidong thought for a moment with her head tilted sideways and then she answered, ¡°If it was me, I wouldn¡¯t havee forward to greet Second Master. I would rather leave quickly instead.¡±

    Yuxiughed softly, ¡±That¡¯s not it. Would she still be gossiped if she had turned around and left? The more one harbours intentions that can¡¯t bear daylight1?Chinese idiom : having secret motives, the more righteous one will be on the surface.¡±

    Maidong seemed to understand.

 Chapter 119 - A God-like Change (6)

    <strong>Chapter 119 : A God-like Change (6)</strong>

    As soon as Yuxi arrived at the main courtyard, she immediately saw Han Jianye.

    Han Jianye looked burly and had an imposing stature which resembled an angry King Kong. These two types of attributes were really unpopr in the capital, and it was not easy to find a marriage prospect to people who had these attributes. However today it was all about dressing up, and Han Jianye was seen wearing a purplish red round-necked gold brocade changpao. On his waist, his belt was decorated with a yupei and his ck hair had been neatlybed into a bun, decorated with a pure gold tiger shaped head zan.

    A round neck changpao

    Image Credit |Paludan, Ann. (1998). Chronicle of the Chinese Emperors: the Reign-by-Reign Record of the Rulers of Imperial China. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd. ISBN 0500050902. Page 115. via Wiki

    The one with the arrow is called a zan

    Image Credit | To the rightful owner via my hanfu favorite

    The one with the green arrows are called a yupei

    Image Credit | To the rightful owner via China (ÖÐ¹ú)

    Yuxi happily said, ¡°Erge1Second brother, you look very nice in this dress. You have to wear something like this in the future!¡± Han Jianye used to bask in the sun every day on the mountain, and he loved to dress himself in ck, which made him look like a piece of ck charcoal. If you prepared clothes in bright colors such as blue or red for him, he wouldn¡¯t wear them. In the end, Qiu Shi had no choice but to make him darker coloured clothes, such as in grey and cyan.

    It went without saying that he was already dark, and by wearing such dark coloured clothes would only make him more unsightly. Still, Han Jianye didn¡¯t care, plus he had been studying in the mountains with no restraints.

    Han Jianye was currently trying to make a good impression on a girl, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have worn such a garment! Only those who were sissy would wear red and green. It could only be said that Han Jianye had been misled by a master who did not have any aesthetic ideas.

    The group of people first went to the rouge and jewellery shop for a while. When they saw it was already a shichen22 hours, they headed towards the satin shop.

    As they arrived at the entrance of the satin shop, Yuxi was just getting out of the carriage when she saw Second Lady Lu and Lu Xiu who were on their way to enter the shop. Yuxi called out, ¡°Lu Jiejie3elder sister.¡± After she called her out, she walked to Lu Xiu¡¯s side and happily said, ¡°Lu Jiejie3elder sister, I didn¡¯t expect to run into you here, what a coincidence.¡±

    Lu Xiu was also happy to see Yuxi. Although she and Yuxi were four years apart in age, the two still got along well together. ¡°Yuxi Meimei?younger sister, are you here to buy clothes too?¡± What it could be said today was that Lu Xiu didn¡¯t know a thing. Second Lady Lu didn¡¯t tell her because she was afraid that the marriage wouldn¡¯t happen which would further affect Lu Xiu¡¯s mood.

    Qiu Shi looked at Lu Xiu up and down. Lu Xiu was indeed like what Yuxi had told her: Lu Xiu had a big chest, and a big hip. Her body was definitely good for bearing children.

    After saying a few words with Lu Xiu, Yuxi greeted Second Lady Lu first, then introduced, ¡°Lu Jiejie3elder sister, this is my Eldest Aunt and this is my Erge1Second brother.¡±

    Han Jianye¡¯s eyes lit up at once when he saw Lu Xiu. What Yuxi said was right. With this look and body, there was nothing that he could nitpick! This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Lu Xiu noticed Han Jianye when he was in this situation. In her mind, she thought that this person must have been a skirt-chaser?yboy, otherwise how could he stare intently at her like this.

    Yuxi immediately saw something was wrong with Lu Xiu, so she said with a smile, ¡°Lu Jiejie3elder sister, let¡¯s go in! Let¡¯s see what good material is in the shop.¡± Once her words ended, she held Lu Xiu¡¯s hand and went into the store.

    Rather than angry about Han Jianye¡¯s performance, Second Lady Lu was happy instead. When Second Master Han looked at her daughter, there was euphoria and excitement in his eyes, and there was nothing unclean in his stare. This showed that Second Master Han was very satisfied with her own daughter.

    Once Qiu Shi saw the real person, thest bit of worry in her heart finally went away, and she enthusiastically said to Second Lady Lu, ¡°Let¡¯s go in too!¡± After taking two steps, she saw that Han Jianye was going to follow as well and she said to him, ¡°You just wait outside.¡±

    Han Jianye would love to go in and see more of Lu Xiu, since she was his future wife! But he didn¡¯t dare to disobey Qiu Shi¡¯s words, or else he would have a bad reputation as being unfilial to elder in his future mother-inw¡¯s heart. ¡°Then, Mother, take your time looking around, I¡¯ll wait outside.¡±

    When Second Lady Lu heard this, she smiled.

    The group of people stayed in the satin shop for nearly two quarters of an hour. When they came out, Qiu Shi, with a full face of smile, stood at the door while holding Lu Xiu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°What a good child.¡±

    Lu Xiu was a little embarrassed to hear this praise, but before she could say anything, she saw Han Jianye fixed his eyes at her. She felt annoyed in her heart and could only smile reluctantly at Qiu Shi as a response.

    Yuxi took it all in stride, and a smirk appeared on her face. She knew Erge1Second brother would definitely like Miss Lu once he took a look at her.

    Lu Xiu got into the carriage as fast as she could.

    Looking at Lu Xiu sullen look, Second Lady Lu asked with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you angry because of Second Master Han?¡±

    Not surprisingly, what came out from Lu Xiu¡¯s mouth was, ¡°Mother, why does Yuxi Meimei?younger sister have such a brother?¡± He waspletely a skirt-chaser?yboy.

    ¡°Silly girl,¡± Second Lady Luughed, and after she had doneughing, she told Lu Xiu the reasons for their visit to the satin shop today.

    Lu Xiu¡¯s eyes went wide, but then she remembered Han Jianye¡¯s performance, which made her be reluctant. ¡°Mother, Second Master Han is too¡­.¡±

    Second Lady Lu lovingly touched Lu Xiu¡¯s hair and said with a smile, ¡°Silly girl, when Second Master Han looked at you, his eyes were clear. He looked at you like that because he already regards you as his fiancee.¡±

    Lu Xiu opened her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t say a word because she didn¡¯t know what to say to that.

    How could Second Lady Lu not know about Lu Xiu¡¯s worry. ¡°Lady Han said that she would ask an official matchmaker toe to our house tomorrow to propose the marriage. You don¡¯t have to worry either, since Second Master Han was handpicked by your father and praised by your San Ge?san=third, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, so it won¡¯t be bad.¡± The marriage with the Ye family was promised by Old Lord Lu. There was a stake involved with the marriage, so at the time, Second Lord Lu and Second Lady Lu couldn¡¯t refute it either. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Lu Xiu¡¯s eyes were red as she said, ¡°For my sake, my parents and Gege?elder brother have been troubled about it.¡± To keep her parents from getting anxious, Lu Xiu tried very hard to act like nothing was wrong. Unfortunately, what Lu Xiu didn¡¯t know was that the more she was like this, the more her family felt sorry for her.

    Second Lady Lu smiled, ¡°It is impossible to have smooth sailing all one¡¯s life. There will always be many obstacles. At this point in your life, you should treat the obstacle as something in the past.¡±

    And on the other hand, Yuxi didn¡¯t speak at all after she got into the carriage. Seeing this situation, Qiu Shi curiously asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Yuxi opened her mouth and asked, ¡°Eldest Aunt, when we ask the matchmaker to go to the Lu family tomorrow to propose, and if our rtives and friends know, will they gossip about it?¡± They would gossip for sure. No matter which family they were, they would not let their youngest son marry a girl who had a broken engagement with the eldest daughter-inw¡¯s own younger brother. Those who knew the inside story would surely say that they had interests at stake.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s face was a bit unnatural, as she reluctantly smiled, ¡°We should live our own life. Let others say what they like to say, and we have no control over other people¡¯s mouths.¡± Seeing Yuxi¡¯s worried face, Qiu Shi felt warm and said, ¡°When your Erge1Second brother marries his wife, I will take off the heavy burden and leave the matter of socialising to your Dasao?eldest sister-inw.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that my Dasao?eldest sister-inw will have a grudge against aunt as well.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that Qiu Shi wasn¡¯t worried about it, but there was nothing she could do. The Old Lady had made it clear to her the benefits from the rtionship, and her eldest son had also made it clear to her. What could she do other than back down? Opposing it till her death would only make things difficult for her son.

    Yuxi naturally knew Qiu Shi¡¯s dilemma as she said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, I actually have an idea. As long as it is implemented, neither aunt and Dage?eldest brother will be criticized nor will you have any bad feelings with Dage?eldest brother and Dasao?eldest sister-inw.¡±

    Qiu Shu revealed a look of surprise, ¡°What idea do you have, tell me quickly.¡±

    Yuxi also noticed Han Jianye staring at Lu Xiu just now. In a sh of light, she hade up with a solution to the gossip. ¡°Eldest Aunt, didn¡¯t Erge1Second brother gape at Lu Jiejie3elder sister just now? We can use this opportunity to do a y.¡±

    Qiu didn¡¯t quite understand, ¡°Put on a y? What kind of y?¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s idea was actually very simple, that was, Han Jianye fell in love with Lu Xiu at first sight in the satin shop today and he wanted to take Lu Xiu as a wife anyway. Qiu Shi and Han Jianming refused, but Han Jianye forced them by saying that he would rather be a monk if he couldn¡¯t marry her. In the end, they had no choice but to agree.

    Qiu Shi was choked with emotion for a moment. What kind of an idea was this?

    Yuxi exined, ¡°Eldest Aunt, there are a lot of sons of nobility in the capital who marry improper wives. Between Miss Lu and Erge1Second brother, there is only the Ye family. When Erge1Second brother, marries Lu Jiejie3elder sister, if outsidersugh at you, you just say it was not up to you. Even Dasao?eldest sister-inw will not have much to say either.¡±

    Qiu Shi thought it was a good idea, but then she would be condemning her youngest son at the same time.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡±Eldest Aunt, Erge1Second brother will only be gossiped about at most at that time, but it won¡¯t have any effect on his future. When the two get married and live harmoniously in the future, others will in turn be very envious of Erge1Second brother. Where will they continue to gossip about Erge1Second brother?¡± The world was very lenient on men, and an affair had no effect on a man¡¯s fame nor future. But women were different. If they had a slightly wed reputation, not to mention their marriage would be in less value than anticipated, they would also have to marry to lower rank grooms.

    Qiu Shi was silent for a moment, then responded, ¡°Let me think about it first.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Qiu Shi¡¯s expression and knew that her aunt was already tempted. She only had an idea. How to implement it, depended on Eldest Aunt and Dage?eldest brother. However, for Yuxi to have this idea, was in fact inspired by Han Jianye who went to a great length just to marry Qiu Yanfu in herst life.

    As soon as Qiu Shi returned to the state residence, she immediately dragged Han Jianye into the house and told him about it. If her son didn¡¯t agree, she wouldn¡¯t be using this method.

    After Han Jianye knew the reason for doing so, he said, ¡°Mother, do what you think is good. I¡¯m okay with that.¡±

    Seeing that Han Jianye didn¡¯t have a hint of reluctance on his face, Qiu Shi said, ¡°I¡¯ve wrong you.¡± Making Jianye married the Lu girl had already aggrieved him enough, and now for him to carry such a reputation, Qiu Shi¡¯s heart felt both sad and heartache.

    Han Jianyeughed and said, ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t have anyints. Miss Lu is quite good.¡± Miss Lu perfectly matched all the fantasies Han Jianye had in mind about his wife. How could he feel aggrieved.

    After the mother and child had their talk, Qiu Shi thought for a moment and immediately went to find the Old Lady as she talked about the matter with her. Qiu Shi also knew her shorings and told the Old Lady that she hoped to improve the matter and not leave any ws.

    When the Old Lady heard this, she looked at Qiu Shi and after being silent for a moment, she asked, ¡°Is this Jianming¡¯s idea?¡± Qiu Shi¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t turn that fast, so the Old Lady thought there was a good chance that the idea was made by Han Jianming¡¯s personal aide. Although the idea was good, but itcked camaraderie.

    Qiu Shi shook her head and said, ¡°No, it was Yuxi who came up with the idea. She said that in this way, we all will not be pointed out, nor will let Ye Shi¡¯s mind create estrangement. It also won¡¯t harm Jianye¡¯s future and reputation. I have thought about it for a moment, and I think Yuxi¡¯s way to stop the gossip is really good. I have already asked Jianye and he agreed.¡± Qiu Shi didn¡¯t sell Yuxi on purpose, but she didn¡¯t want to hide it from the Old Lady.

    The Old Lady¡¯s pupils flinched.

 Chapter 120 - A God-like Change (7)

    <strong>Chapter 120 : A God-like Change (7)</strong>

    After quite a while, the Old Lady stared at Qiu Shi and asked, ¡°You¡¯re saying that this idea came from Yuxi?¡± The idea was indeed excellent, as it would solve all the future troubles. It was just that the idea was from Yuxi, which made her want to think a little more about it. After all, she was still not at ease with Yuxi.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t think too much about it as she nodded, ¡±Yes. Yuxi said that if we directly married Ye-er with the Lu family girl, the whole Han family would be gossiped, but if Ye-er wanted to marry her himself, there would be no harm.¡± As a daughter-inw, she had thought about it carefully and she felt that this method was feasible.

    The Old Lady nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. But make it realistic and don¡¯t let too many people know the inside story.¡±

    Qiu Shi responded and left.

    When Mama Luo noticed the beads spinning fast in Old Lady¡¯s hand, she knew that the Old Lady¡¯s heart was not calm, ¡°Old Lady, it¡¯s good that the Fourth Miss can give the First Lady an idea!¡± It was the same thing with Han Jianming who put forward an idea that took advantage of goodwill sentiment. This matter had been single-handedly set up by Han Jianming from the beginning till the end, in which case forced the Second Master to marry the Lu family girl. It would be too much if Han Jianming also thought of this idea of using Han Jianye. But if it was Yuxi¡¯s idea, it would be apletely different story. Yuxi wouldn¡¯t get half a dime out of it, and she came up with this idea entirely for the sake of the state residence and the First Lady.

    The Old Lady softly said, ¡°I always thought that I could see through that girl, but I didn¡¯t think¡­¡± she didn¡¯t continue saying the following words. If it wasn¡¯t for this matter this time, she might not have known the other side of that girl until now. She thought she knew this girl, but she didn¡¯t think that what she knew was only the tip of the iceberg.

    Mama Luo didn¡¯t know how to respond to this statement.

    The Old Lady asked, ¡°Mama Luo, what do you think of the Fourth Girl, if she ispared to Chen-er?¡± She asked this because she remembered what Han Jianye had said to her. In many ways, Yuchen was not as good as Yuxi.

    Mama Luo understood the meaning of this sentence. ¡°Old Lady, Fourth Miss is rather outstanding, but she still can¡¯t bepared with the Third Miss.¡± Third Miss had a beautiful appearance, which was a woman¡¯s biggest capital. A woman¡¯s greatest happiness was not on how hard she worked, but rather the men who wanted her would present her everything she wanted with both of their hands. Third Miss had this kind of ability.

    The Old Lady nodded slightly.

    It seems words had spread in the streets overnight, about Second Master Han had fallen in love at first sight with Fourth Miss Lu and he was adamant to marry her. The gossip spread so fast that an average person couldn¡¯t imagine it.

    Heshou Xianzhu1he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang heard the rumor that afternoon and asked, ¡°What is the stance of the Han family?¡±

    The messenger said, ¡°This servant doesn¡¯t know what the stance of the Han family is, but this servant heards that the Second Master Han has started a hunger strike.¡±

    Heshou Xianzhu1he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang narrowed her eyes. ¡°Tell me immediately if anything happens.¡± In her previous life, Ye Shi had no children at all, and Han Jianming had married the Ke family, Miss Biao2family rtionship via females as his concubine, which eventually led to mother-inw and daughters-inw be enemies, and sisters3rtionship between main wife and concubines had a fall out. While Second Master Han married Wu Shi¡¯s niece, Qiu Yanfu, the daughter of a merchant, the Qiu family, who was stunk of copper?filthy rich. At that time, the Duke Han of the State official residence became theughing stock of the upper ss women. But now, Ye Shi had gotten pregnant, and her biaomei?younger female cousin had be Second Master Ye¡¯s concubine; Han Jianye got entangled together with Miss Lu. All of this, with each of it had pointed to one thing, which was, her error of judgement. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    The messenger replied, ¡°Yes.¡± With that, the messenger withdrew.

    Heshou Xianzhu1he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang waved off everyone, and when there was only her left in the room, she murmured, ¡°Han Yuxi, you have hidden yourself really deep.¡± It was only now that she was certain that Han Yuxi was in the same situation as her. Once was a coincidence, but it couldn¡¯t be a coincidence every time. How many changes have Han Yuxi made in this life? A mountain could not have two tigers?Chinese idiom : (of two rivals) to be fiercelypetitive, and she would never allow such a big threat to exist.

    Yuxi did not know that she had just been cklisted by Heshou Xianzhu1he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. By this time, the state residence was already in uproar because Han Jianye was determined to marry Lu Xiu. Of course, those who were well-informed knew it was just a show, and the uninformed were taking joy in cmity and delight in disaster?Chinese idiom : rejoice in other people¡¯s misfortune. Wu Shi belonged to the second group.

    Wu Shi sneered, ¡°I don¡¯t know what Ye Shi would think once she knows that her brother-inw will marry a girl who has a broken engagement with her own younger brother.¡±

    Old woman Chen said, ¡°Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house just got pregnant, so this matter must have been hidden from her till now!¡± Even after three months, Ye Shi was still very careful. Besides walking around her own yard, she did not go out to visit others. That was why old woman Chen estimated that this matter was still unknown to Ye Shi.

    Wu Shi said with a sneer, ¡°Let someone pass this news to Ye Shi and see how she will react.¡± Those who just watched the y were not afraid of raising the matter up, even more when it was Qiu Shi¡¯s y.

    With Wu Shi deliberate interference, Ye Shi soon knew about the marriage. She thought about old woman Hua¡¯s recent abnormality, thus she asked, ¡°Mama Hua, tell me, what happened recently?¡± Lu Xiu was her Erdi?er=second, di=younger brother¡¯s fiancee, and their marriage had already been decided. Now, her brother-inw got into the mix, and he should not marry a girl who had already been betrothed. Something must have happened in the Ye family.

    Old woman Hua knew that she could not hide the matter from Ye Shi anymore, hence she replied, ¡°Nainai1?young mistress of the house, you must hold on. Nothing is as important as the child in your belly. ¡±

    Ye Shi touched her slightly swollen belly and said, ¡°Go ahead, I can hold on.¡±

    Old woman Hua skipped over the part where Ke Minjie had tried to hurt Ye Shi and only telling her in the most concise words about Ke Minjie¡¯s scheme on Second Master Ye.

    Ye Shi was not a foolish person. How could she not know that there was something fishy in it? ¡°Why did Biaomei?younger female cousin suddenly schemed Erdi?er=second, di=younger brother? Moreover, why did Mother not want Erdi?er=second, di=younger brother to marry Biaomei?younger female cousin anyway? Mama Hua, don¡¯t keep it from me. Tell me everything.¡± Her mother treated her biaomei?younger female cousin just like she was her own daughter and sometime ago, her mother had said that she had already chosen someone for her. Without sufficient reasons, her mother would not send her biaomei?younger female cousin back to Suzhou without taking care of her.

    Old woman Hua knew that she could not hide it even if she wanted to, so she lightly said about the sachet.

    After listening to old woman Hua¡¯s words, Ye Shi asked, ¡°Why did she want to harm my child?¡± There was always a reason for someone to do bad things! She thought to herself that she hadn¡¯t been mean to her biaomei?younger female cousin and she would always give a piece of whatever she had to her. She didn¡¯t understand why Ke Minjie wanted to harm her.

    Old woman Hua revealed the heart of the matter, ¡°Miss Biao2family rtionship via females has a crush on the Shizi11heir of a noble family. Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, she knows very well in her heart12Chinese idiom : be well aware of the situation regarding your body. If the child slips, it will be very difficult for you to have children. Then Master Shizi11heir of a noble family will have to take a concubine¡­¡± The omitted part was for Ye Shi to think of it on her own.

    Ye Shi¡¯s face turned ck with anger. ¡°No wonder¡­¡±

    Before Ye Shi could finish speaking, old woman Hua hurriedly said, ¡°Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, you mustn¡¯t be angry. Did you forget that Imperial Physician Le said you should not be angry?¡± Anger was really harmful for the body, and what one most feared was miscarriage.

    Ye Shi took a deep breath, again and again. It took quite a while before she calmed down and asked, ¡°What is the attitude of my mother-inw when my second brother-inw wants to marry Miss Lu?¡±

    Old woman Hua sighed, ¡°The First Lady is ill with anger.¡±

    Ye Shi pursed her lips, as she found that this matter was really difficult to handle. If this was her mother-inw¡¯s idea, she could still move her mother-inw¡¯s mind to make her refuse the marriage. However, it was her brother-inw himself who had taken fancy to Lu Xiu, therefore, she couldn¡¯t ask him to withdraw. Ye Shi could not help being angry with Lu Xiu. ¡°It was really unbing of her to withdraw from the marriage and yet, still unts around. It is Ye¡¯s good fortune to have broken off the engagement, otherwise I don¡¯t know what will happen.¡± If she let her brother-inw marry Lu Xiu, she didn¡¯t know how she would get along with Lu Xiu in the future. ??Ye Qing, it wasn¡¯t Lu Xiu¡¯s fault. It was your brother¡¯s fault. You want Lu Xiu to stay at home for a year?

    When old woman Hua saw that Yeshi was going to intervene, she immediately objected, ¡°Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, let¡¯s leave the matter of Second Master Ye alone. The most important thing for you now is to raise the child.¡± Imperial Physician Le said that the child was stable now, but it still needed to be nursed carefully. She did not want Ye Shi to take any risks.

    Ye Shi knew old woman Hua¡¯s misgiving. To old woman Hua, even if the sky was falling now, it would never be as important as the child in her belly. Ye Shi thought for a moment and then said, ¡°Please invite Fourth Miss over.¡±

    After Yuxi came over, she knew that Ye Shi wanted her to persuade Erge1?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege to give up his mind. She shook her head and said, ¡°Dasao13eldest sister-inw, I have also persuaded Erge1?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, but Erge1?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege is like being possessed by the evil spirit1?obsessed that he won¡¯t listen to anyone. There is nothing I can do about it.¡±

    After saying a few words, Yuxi made an excuse to leave.

    Zisu didn¡¯t even want toin, but for Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house consulting such a big matter with her Miss? She wondered if Ye Shi¡¯s IQ plummeted after she had her pregnancy. On the way back, Zisu¡¯s face was full of unhappiness, ¡°What does Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house mean? Can she let Miss get involved in this? I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s thinking.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for her Miss, Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house would nine times out of ten1?most likely lose the child. Not only did she not appreciate it, she also posed problems to her Miss. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t me Ye Shi as she said, ¡°It is difficult for Dasao13eldest sister-inw do.¡± Originally, Lu Xiu was her Dasao13eldest sister-inw¡¯s own younger brother¡¯s future wife, but now she was going to be her husband¡¯s sister-inw. This feeling must be very unpleasant.

    Zisu snorted coldly, ¡°Since she herself finds it difficult, then that¡¯s her business. What¡¯s the point of involving a girl like Miss?¡± If Ye Shi wanted Lu Xiu to be good, then she should just me Second Master Ye, for losing his mind in breaking the engagement.

    As soon as Yuxi arrived at Rose Courtyard, she heard Kufu say, ¡°Miss, Lord Duke is back.¡±

    Yuxi found it odd. ¡°Eldest Uncle is back?¡± This uncle of hers was really a man of distinguished appearance. After the death of Concubine Rong, he basically treated it like he just lost his family. As for what exactly he was going to do next, Yuxi wasn¡¯t sure, as she didn¡¯t bother to inquire or ask anyone since it was unnecessary.

    Kufu nodded and said, ¡°Yes, he just got back. On his return, he first went to see the Second Master, and then he went to the main courtyard. Miss, shall we go and have a look?¡±

    Yuxi thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, ¡°We will goter!¡± It would have been embarrassing for her to go if her Eldest Uncle was having a fight with her Eldest Aunt.

    Less than half an hourter, Yuxi heard the news that Qiu Shi fainted. She hurried to the main courtyard, and when she met Liu yin at the door, she asked, ¡°Why did Eldest Aunt faint?¡±

    Liu Yin answered, ¡°Lord Duke said that he would invite an official matchmaker to propose marriage to the Lu family and he also said that he would make the decision regarding this matter. The physician said the Lady fainted because she was so angry.¡±

    Yuxi felt awkward. What a huge turn of event this was. When she walked into the yard, she heard Qiu Shi¡¯s crying. Yuxi¡¯s three steps changed to two steps as she rapidly walked towards the inside of the house. Seeing Qiu Shi¡¯s red eyes, she asked, ¡°Eldest Aunt, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Qiu Shi wiped her tears and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She was only a little bit sad, and she just couldn¡¯t hold back her tears for a moment.

    Yuxi was full of doubts, but she also knew the discretion. This kind of thing was not something that she could inquire about. So she just apanied Qiu Shi by telling her some irrelevant gossip.

    After talking for sometime, Qiu Shi¡¯s mood eased a lot. It was at this time that Liu Yin walked in and informed her, ¡°My Lady, the Lord Duke has invited an official matchmaker to the Lu family to propose marriage.¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s face turned ugly.

    Yuxi waved everyone out and softly said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, we hit the mark with a fluke1?have a stroke of good luck because of Eldest Uncle. Then, Erge1?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege doesn¡¯t have to pretend to go on hunger strike any more. It was suffocating when I looked at him.¡± In any case, her Eldest Uncle had been weirdtely. In this way, it was not a big deal for him to do more weird things. However, with her uncle¡¯s intervention this time, all future troubles had been totally resolved.

    Qiu Shi only sighed and said nothing.

    The Lu family saw a matchmakere to their house to propose marriage, thinking the matchmaker was invited by Qiu Shi. Both families had a good discussion. Naturally, the Lu family did not make things difficult and they quickly agreed. The matchmaker took the matchmaking gift and was overjoyed.

    When Lady Ye knew that the Han family had sent a matchmaker to propose marriage to the Lu family, she nearly crushed her silver teeth1?to be in extreme anger. What did the Han family mean by deliberately creating a marriage alliance with the Lu family? Were they going to break up with them or what? Just as Lady Ye was going out to find out the reason from Qiu Shi, she heard that the matchmaker was not invited by Qiu Shi at all, but rather by Lord Duke Han.

    With this news, Lady Ye couldn¡¯t say a word. Who in the capital didn¡¯t know that Duke Han was an unreasonable person? If she tried to reason with him, it would only be her who would be so angry without anyone knowing why.

 Chapter 121 - The Settlement of The Ye Family Matter

    <strong>Chapter 121 : The Settlement of The Ye Family Matter</strong>

    After Han Jianye¡¯s marriage to Lu Xiu was finalized, he soon filled in a position of sixth rank official vacancy in the Imperial Guards. In his previous life, after he graduated from his training, he was assigned as a lower seventh rank official position inside the Three Thousand Camp, under the workings of Han Jianming. Comparing now and back then, it was two poles apart, with him in the Imperial Guards now, the two positions that he once held and what he currently was currently holding couldn¡¯t even be mentioned in the same breath1Chinese idiom : twopletely different things. It was also at this time that Yuxi deeply felt the gap between the Han family and the Lu family. The Han family had to go to great lengths just to get a position of a lower seventh rank. While the Lu could easily get a sixth rank position for their son-inw, even when the status gap between the two families wasn¡¯t thatrge.

    Qiu Shi was overjoyed when she heard this news as she took back the reins and began to prepare the betrothal gifts. Han Jianye¡¯s marriage to Lu Xiu was set to be held in the twelve lunar months, and as to why it was set for the end of the year, Yuxi didn¡¯t ask much. Anyway, as long as Han Jianye was betrothed, Yuxi would no longer have to worry about whether Qiu Yanfu would design after Han Jianye or not, but even if she did, she would still be nothing more than a concubine.

    Kufu told Yuxi thetest news from the Ye family, ¡°Miss, Ke Minjie is pregnant. It is said that she has been pregnant for more than a month.¡±

    Yuxiughed, ¡°How did you know?¡±

    Kufu said, ¡°The whole Ye residence know about theis news.¡± Since everyone in the Ye residence knew about it, it could no longer be a secret.

    Yuxi felt a bit strange. ording to her personal opinion, Ke Minjie should have been taken care of, but she didn¡¯t expect that Ke Minjie would still scamper for so long and be pregnant. It was really an unexpected news.

    As a matter of fact, Eldest Master Ye had long wanted to deal with Ke Minjie. However, Ke Minjie was aware of the danger, so she stayed close to Second Master Ye¡¯s side. While on the other hand, Second Master Ye had a deep-rooted affection for Ke Minjie from a much early time, but previously, he had been constraining himself because of the ethical code. After sessfully having a good affair with Ke Minjie, he wished to marry her as his wife, which was the reason why he suddenly lost his mind and ran to the Lu family residence to withdraw his marriage. Eldest Master Ye¡¯s wish to take care of Ke Minjie was known by Second Master Ye. Thus, he was forced to save Ke Minjie by saying that it would also lead to his death.

    Eldest Master Ye didn¡¯t care whether Ke Minjie was dead or alive, but he couldn¡¯t help but care about his didi2younger brother. Therefore, Ke Minjie could survive this time and had gotten herself pregnant.

    After learning about Ke Minjie¡¯s pregnancy, Eldest Master Ye only said to Lady Ye, ¡°Pour her the medication.¡± The medication wasn¡¯t just an aborticide, but it would also induce infertility.

    Lady Ye shook her head and said, ¡°No, we can¡¯t do this.¡± It wasn¡¯t because she loathed to give up the child in Ke Minjie¡¯s belly, nor was she cared for the former affection. After Ke Minjie¡¯s failed calction on Ye Shi, and afterward, she schemed against her son, Lady Ye only had hate for Ke Minjie. Only, after a period of time, she knew that if anything happened to Ke Minjie, her son would also abandon his life. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    As Eldest Master Ye listened to Lady Ye, he then asked, ¡°Mother, what are you going to do about this?¡± His didi2younger brother who excelled in pen and sword3Chinese idiom : fine schr and soldier, unexpectedly had fallen into the hands of a woman. Of course, if Second Master Ye was not an outstanding person, Old Lord Lu would not have taken a fancy on him and gave him his granddaughter.

    Lady Ye also didn¡¯t know what to do with this matter anymore.

    Eldest Master Ye went to see Second Master Ye that day. This time, he didn¡¯te to quarrel. He just asked Second Master Ye, ¡°Would you rather have this woman than your parents, brothers and family?¡±

    Second Master Ye was still young and had a good foundation. He had been recuperating his health for more than a month already and he was almost well. He listened to Eldest Master Ye¡¯s words and felt very painful, ¡°Ge?elder brother, short form for Gege, I have long said that Jie-er has nothing to do with all this. I really like her and want to marry her. Moreover, it¡¯s not that I have been unfilial towards my parents or love my brothers after I¡¯ve married Jie-er. So why do you have to force me?¡±

    Eldest Master Ye no longer wanted to waste his breath on his brother, ¡°I have found a vacancy in the Bai households in Yunnan for you. Pack your things and go! From hereafter, you should take care of yourself!¡± When he reached the door, he turned around and looked at Second Master Ye as he said, ¡°You have chosen the road yourself. Therefore, don¡¯t regret whether your future will end up good or bad.¡±

    A few dayster, the transfer order arrived. Ke Minjie proposed a meeting with Ye Shi. Second Master Ye agreed and brought her to the state residence.

    Ye Shi was furious when she heard the news, but with old woman Hua¡¯s persuasion, she still met with Second Master Ye. Her reason for seeing Second Master Ye was simply to tell him about what Ke Minjie had done to her that day.

    Unfortunately, Second Master Ye did not believe it all. ¡°Dajie?eldest sister, Jie-er has already told me that what happened that day was just a misunderstanding. She didn¡¯t know that the medicine in the sachet would be harmful for you. This time around, shees here just to apologise to you.¡±

    Ye Shi did not want to dispute whether this was a misunderstanding or not. She just asked, ¡°Er Di?er=second, di=younger brother, short form for Didi, then you tell me, why would we want to nder her? How did Mother and I treat Ke Minjie before, didn¡¯t you see? You can¡¯t just say that Mother and I have been harsh on her, can you?¡±

    Second Master Ye asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t this all just a misunderstanding?¡±

    Ye Shi lightlyughed, ¡°Then, I won¡¯t say anything about the sachet. I was also being told that Mother was nning to send her back to Suzhou, but in an instant, she went and slept with you. Was that a misunderstanding too? How could there be these many misunderstandings in everything that had happened?¡±

    Second Master Ye felt that he could not make sense with Ye Shi.

    Ye Shi is probably the most clear-headed person in the Ye family ??Erm¡­no you¡¯re not.. As she saw Second Master Ye¡¯s manner, she stopped talking about Ke Minjie and asked, ¡°Did you hear about the engagement between my younger brother-inw with Fourth Miss Lu?¡±

    Second Master Ye didn¡¯t say a word. It would have been difficult for him to ignored such a big thing.

    Ye Shi did not seem to notice Second Master Ye¡¯s ugly face, as she said, ¡°My brother-inw got a job as a sixth rank official in the Imperial Guards as soon as the engagement between him and Miss Lu was settled. In just half a month, he took his job in the Imperial Guards like a fish in the water?Chinese idiom : be in one¡¯s element. With the support of the Lu family, his future will definitely be bright.¡± Han Jianye did well in the Imperial Guards, not only because of the Lu family¡¯s reputation, but his own good skill and loyalty attribute also yed important parts. Even if he was a straw sack?a good-for-nothing, no one would argue because of the Lu family¡¯s huge reputation. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Second Master Ye¡¯s face was a bit embarrassed, ¡°Jie?elder sister, short form for Jiejie, how can one rely on a woman? I should earn my own future.¡± Going up by nepotism wasn¡¯t going to get one very far.

    Ye Shi could only chuckle as she said, ¡°Er Di?er=second, di=younger brother, short form for Didi really has ambition. However, my only hope that you will not regret it in the future.¡± At first, she really thought that her younger brother-inw fell in love with Miss Lu at first sight, but when he suddenly got to fill a sixth rank vacancy, she finally knew that her thought was wrong. What love at first sight? Wasn¡¯t this because the state residence took a fancy to the Lu family¡¯s influence in the army? It was obviously her husband¡¯s handwriting, but even if she knew, what could she do? Could she stop her brother-inw from marrying Miss Lu? Obviously no. Not only she couldn¡¯t prevent it, she also had to wee Miss Lu with a smile once she was married to the family.

    Second Master Ye could not understand why each of his family members would say that he would regret it. ¡°Dajie?eldest sister, I will not regret it.¡± He would not regret it. He would definitely not going to regret it.

    After Second Master Ye left, old woman Hua asked, ¡°Da Nainai1?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, why don¡¯t you try to persuade Second Master Ye more?¡±

    Ye Shi shook her head and said, ¡±It¡¯s useless to say anything now. He can¡¯t get out of the that Ke Minjie has woven. Only when he truly realises what he has lost will hee to his senses.¡± Without the help from his family, all the previous advantages that he had enjoyed were all gone and even his future official career would not be able to move a single step11Chinese idiom : to be in an (extremely) difficult situation. Of course, it would be a different story if he was assigned to live in Liaodong or Northwest territories where they were rich with future prospects.

    The map of the Ming Dynasty. I think this story was based on the Ming Dynasty. Liaodong was at the right corner of the Ming Dynasty border, while Northwest was situated around Shaanxi. Yunnan was situated at the bottom left of the Ming Dynasty map.

    Image Credit | Chine Ming ¨C provinces Yongle.svg: Podzemnik (talk ¡¤ contribs) derivative work: rowanwindwhistler (talk) ? CC BY-SA 4.0

    Old woman Hua was somewhat unwilling, ¡°Miss, are we really going to just let her go? She did try to harm Da Nainai1?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house¡¯s child that day and for us to just let her get away with it, I am really unwilling.¡±

    However, Ye Shi suddenly asked, ¡°Nainiang12(dialect) wet nurse, you said that when I fell into the water, was it also her doing?¡± She had never suspected it before, but now, the more she thought about it, the more suspicious it became. Although her biaomei13younger female cousin¡¯s temperament was a bit rash, she would not be so mad as to push her into the water.

    Old woman Hua was startled, ¡°It couldn¡¯t be, right? At that time, Miss Biao1?family rtionship via females hadn¡¯t even met Master Shizi1?heir of noble family yet!¡± Meaning that, Ke Minjie had no bad motive at that time.

    Ye Shi, however, ignored all this and said, ¡°I like to see if she can keep confusing Er Di?er=second, di=younger brother, short form for Didi without her child.¡±

    Old woman Hua knew that Ye Shi had an idea, but she was still worried. ¡°The Lady wants to do it too, but she¡¯s worried about the Second Master.¡±

    Ye Shi snorted, ¡°The older Mother gets, the softer her heart has be. If I have to say, she doesn¡¯t want to beat the rats as she is afraid of hurting the jade bottles1Chinese idiom : originally Í¶Êó¼ÉÆ÷ (t¨®u sh¨³ j¨¬ q¨¬) which mean not act against an evil so as to prevent harm to innocents. She¡¯s merely thinking that the child in that lowly person¡¯s belly is her own grandson. Don¡¯t worry, we can¡¯t handle her while she¡¯s in the capital. However, within the thousands of miles from the capital to Yunnan, there are plenty of opportunities for us.¡± She has always been the master who never let others suffer. However, since Ke Minjie had the courage to harm her, then, she would have to bear the consequences.

    Old woman Hua worriedly stated, ¡°In case Second Master Ye doesn¡¯t want another woman other than Miss Biao1?family rtionship via females, and at that moment, Ke Minjie can¡¯t have a child, once Second Master¡¯s knees are empty, my Lady will surely me Miss.¡±

    Ye Shi shed a hint of coldness from the lifted corner of her mouth, ¡°What will I be if I am afraid of the wolf in front and the tiger behind1?Chinese idiom : be full of fears?¡± After a pause, she continued, ¡°Mama¡¯s worries are unnecessary, and no man won¡¯t be able to hide himself from cheating. Er Di?er=second, di=younger brother, short form for Didi is only temporarily confused. In three or five years at most, there will be feelings of animosity between them.¡± No matter how infatuated Er Di?er=second, di=younger brother, short form for Didi was with Ke Minjie, what he could not obtain was always good. Of course, he only got what he wanted only a few days old. When that feeling started to change, she would like to see what would happen to Ke Minjie.

    When old woman Hua saw that Ye Shi had made up her mind, she said nothing more.

    Yuxi smiled when she heard the news. Yunnan was thend of barbarians and a ce where birds would noty eggs1?deserted ce. As long as one had a little connection, one would not have gone there. For the Ye family to send a member, Second Master Ye, to Yunnan, it was unknown what they really meant with this move.

    Kufu thought more deeply, ¡°Miss, Ke Minjie is only pregnant for more than a month, and now she has to follow along to Yunnan, which surely will cause her travel-worn. Won¡¯t she fail to save the child because of this?¡±

    Yuxi nced at Kufu curiously, ¡°What it has to do with us if the child is preserved or not?¡± For Ke Minjie to give birth to ten, eight or even one child or not had nothing to do with her.

    Kufu choked for a moment. She thought her Miss had been wishing for Ke Minjie¡¯s bad luck. Otherwise, why did her Miss pay so much attention to the Ye family?

    Yuxi chuckled, ¡°I pay attention to these things, because I have my own purpose.¡± If one listened more and thought more, then one would not make the same mistakes as others.

    Kufu watched as Yuxi walked out the door and asked, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re not going to practice writing anymore?¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°I want to go for a walk in the garden.¡± It was boring to stay in the study all day long. It was nice to go for a walk and lighten the mood once a while.

 Chapter 122 - The Return of Zijin

    <strong>Chapter 122 : The Return of Zijin</strong>

    As soon as Yuxi¡¯s group entered the garden, they saw that Yujing was there too.

    Today¡¯s Yujing was no longer as domineering as she was seven years ago. Of course, she still had some small temperament. Yuxi walked up to her and smiled, ¡°Er Jie1er=second, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, are you here in the garden to see the flowers too?¡±

    Yujing said with a smile on her face, ¡°Can¡¯t I be as carefree as Si Meimei2si=fourth, meimei=younger sister?¡± She had been worrying about her marriagetely. She was already 15 years old this year, but Qiu Shi mentioned to her that she still couldn¡¯t find any betrothal candidate for her yet. It must have been influenced by her real mother. It made her think that Qiu Shi wouldn¡¯t find her a good marriage in the end. Hence, she had be more worried about this matter than Yuru. It wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t even think of creating a problem either. She just didn¡¯t have a chance to do anything because she had been taught by the nurturing momo3wet nurse to be a good person and every time she went out, her two maids would stay close to her.

    Yuxi chuckled, ¡°This is the only way I can steal some free time. I will have to take care of the housework after this.¡± Yuru and Yujing also learned to manage the household, but they often went out to socialise. For such a long time, they just hung up the title to their names and did not actually take care of any housework. Unlike Yuxi who had to learn everything.

    Yujing stifled a sigh, ¡°Then I won¡¯t disturb Si Meimei2si=fourth, meimei=younger sister any longer.¡± With Qiu Shi¡¯s affection for Yuxi, having a conflict with Yuxi definitely wouldn¡¯t be good. Now, it was not like seven years ago.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t take Yujing to heart at all. Except for Wu Shi and Qiu Yanfu who asionally gave her the dilemma, other than that, she was currently living a veryfortable life.

    That night, Yuxi¡¯s right eye kept on twitching. She said to Zisu, ¡°I remember an old saying, if the left eye twitches, it means there will be wealth, while, if the right eye twitches, there will be disaster. My right eye has been twitching from noon until now. Is there any disaster happening right now?¡± Because of her rebirth, Yuxi was very sensitive to such unexined things.

    When Zisu heard this, she also became tensed, ¡°What disaster?¡±

    Yuxi thought for quite a while, but she still couldn¡¯te up with a reason why, which was simply unexpected. As sheid in bed that night, she thought about it again. Suddenly, an idea shed through her mind, which made her jump up from the bed. How could she forget such a big thing? The big change in the Imperial Pce happened in the fourth lunar month in her past life. Then, that event would surely happen in this period of time in this life.

    When the pce had a drastic change in Yuxi¡¯s past life, a mob tried to ransack the Duke of the State official residence. However, the residence was highly guarded by retainers, thus, it was not that easy to be taken down. When the mob saw that there was no hope of capturing the residence without the mood to continue fighting, they soon left. The incident that happened back then, although it was frightening, it left a deep impression on Yuxi, which was why she could still remember it so clearly.

    Although in her past life, it could pass peacefully, Yuxi did not dare to guarantee that nothing would change in this life. In this life, she was not the only person who knew about the time of the pce change, as Heshou Xianzhu3he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang should have known about it too. Ahem,pared with Heshou Xianzhu3he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, she was simply weak. She basically knew nothing about the outside world, thus she didn¡¯t know any other event that was as big as the pce change. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Fearing an ident would happen, when Yuxi got up in the morning, she wrote a letter and handed it to Zisu, ¡°Send this letter to Zijin.¡± Zijin had followed Yuxi for several years. Although she did not learn much, it was not a problem for her to basically write and read letters.

    Zisu was a bit surprised, but seeing that Yuxi didn¡¯t have any intention to exin it to her, she didn¡¯t inquire about it.

    After breakfast, Yuxi went to the main courtyard. Looking at Yuxi who didn¡¯t look well, Qiu Shi was startled, ¡±What¡¯s wrong? What with such an ugly look?¡±

    Yuxi exined, ¡°Sincest night, before I went to bed, my right eye kept on twitching. I feel like something very bad is going to happen.¡± Just at this moment, her right eye started to twitch again.

    People in this era were very superstitious. Qiu Shi was so frightened to see this look that she hastily called out for Mama Li, ¡°Quickly go and get the red paper.¡±

    Qiu Shi took a scissor and cut the red paper to the size of a fingernail. Next, she held it in her hand and murmured. After that, she handed it to Yuxi and said, ¡°Put this little red paper on your right eye.¡±

    Yuxi asked awkwardly, ¡°What is this for?¡±

    Mama Li exined, ¡°This is a folk prescription. Stick this on to avoid any disaster.¡±

    Although Yuxi was not convinced, she did not waste Qiu Shi¡¯s kindness, ¡°Eldest Aunt, today I¡¯ve sent a letter to bring Zijin back.¡±

    Qiu Shi pointed to Yuxi¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°You, this child ah, to send your personal maid to learn martial art well. If I didn¡¯t know about it, I would have thought that you were in danger.¡± There would be no danger for a girl who went out to socialise as she was always surrounded by maids and old women servants.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°Thank you, Eldest Aunt.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for Qiu Shi, Zijin certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to go out to study martial arts. If it was someone else, even if Zijin managed to go out, she wouldn¡¯t be able toe back to the residence in the future. Fortunately, Qiu Shi was the mistress of the house. As long as Yuxi¡¯s request was not too out of line, she would definitely not refuse, making it much easier for Yuxi to act.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t know that Zijin was also required to pay tuition for her study, which cost 500 tael?a tael = 1?16 of a catty j¨©n [½ï] (old) a year. If she had known about it, she wouldn¡¯t let Zijin study martial arts. ¡°Silly girl. No need to thank me.¡± Over the years, Yuxi had been thinking about everything for her. Even Mama Li, who once had asionalints about Yuxi, was now full of praises for her. Yuxi did it for Qiu Shi, even when she was not her biological daughter.

    In the afternoon, Yuxi was reading a book in the study. Zisu walked in softly and announced, ¡°Miss, Zijin is back.¡±

    Surprise shed in Yuxi¡¯s eyes as she put down the quill in her hand and prepared to walk out.

    Instead, Zisu called out to Yuxi and also informed her, ¡°Miss, Zijin didn¡¯te back alone. She also brought in two strange girls.¡±

    Yuxi nodded her head, indicating that she knew, and walked out.

    Zisu understood that these two girls were not brought in by Zijin on her own ord. It was Miss who asked Zijin to invite them. That was good. She thought that since Zijin had been studying outside, she didn¡¯t know the rules of the residence anymore!

    Seeing Yuxi, Zijin immediately knelt on the ground and called out, ¡°Miss.¡± She hadn¡¯t seen Miss since she had been sent out to study outside by Miss herself three years ago.

    Zisu¡¯s brows furrowed at the sight of Zijin. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t wee Zijin, it was just that Zijin had changed too much. Not only she was bing more tanned, but she was also getting fitter which made her look less like a girl and more like a boy.

    Seeing Zijin looking like this, Zisu felt that she should suggest to Miss to hurriedly bring Zijin back. If one got a tan, one could turn it back, but it would not be appropriate if one turned wild while outside.

    Yuxi personally helped Zijin up and said, ¡°It has been a hard few years for you.¡± Three years ago, Han Jianye asked Zixin to learn martial arts from Deng, a female escort guard of the escort agency. Unlike Han Jianye, Zijin had to pay tuition fees to study with this female guard, which was 500 tael?a tael = 1?16 of a catty j¨©n [½ï] (old) a year, with food, clothing, amodation and transportation were counted separately. A year down the line, Zijin alone would have to spend more than 600 tael?a tael = 1?16 of a catty j¨©n [½ï] (old) of silver, while Yuxi herself never spent that much in a year.

    Zijin really didn¡¯t feel it was hard. Learning martial arts was much easier than reading and writing with Miss. She smiled and introduced Yuxi to the two girls that she brought, ¡°Miss, this is Shuang Jie?elder sister and Xue Jie?elder sister that I often mentioned to you.¡± Deng Shuang was the eldest child and Deng Xue was the second, with both of them the true blood nieces of the female escort. Although the female escort did not know why Yuxi wanted to send Zijin to learn martial arts with her, her intuition didn¡¯t feel it was good. However, she could not bear to let go of Zijin¡¯s one-year tuition. It was not easy to earn money as an escort guard, let alone a woman. She only earned 300 to 400 tael?a tael = 1?16 of a catty j¨©n [½ï] (old) a year, and she also had to face various unexpected dangers. Sometimes she could even lose her life. Now she could make that much money just by teaching a maid and to push that off would be a foolish act. However, in order to prevent any trouble, she only promised to teach kung fu, not to ept Zijin as her disciple. Therefore, Zijin could only call Deng Shuang and her sister as jiejie?elder sister, not senior sisters.

    When Deng Shuang and Deng Xue entered the state residence, they felt that their eyes couldn¡¯t see enough. When they entered the courtyard and saw Yuxi, they were somewhat reserved. Never looked down at Yuxi¡¯s young age, as her aura was not. If she did not have any dignity, she would not be able to control the stewardess mama in the residence. As everyone knew, these stewardess mama were the ones who decided on the dishes ording to the guest?Chinese idiom (dialect) : to treat sb ording to their social status, rtionship with them etc. If their master temperament was a little softer, they would dare to deceive their superiors and delude their subordinates?Chinese idiom : conceal the true state of affairs from above and below oneself. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When Yuxi realised that the two girls were being restrained towards her, she didn¡¯t care either and just smiled, ¡°Zisu, take these two girls down for them to rest.¡±

    It was only after the two girls left that Zijin opened her mouth and asked, ¡°Miss, what happened to you?¡± As soon as she entered the door, she noticed the red paper affixed to the corner of Yuxi¡¯s eyes.

    Yuxi said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either. From yesterday until now, my right eye has been twitching continuously. I was worried about something, so I called you back. Whatever happened, I will feel at ease with you around.¡±

    This was when Zixin understood why Yuxi asked her to bring the two sisters in with her, ¡°From now on, I won¡¯t leave Miss¡¯ side, not even for a moment.¡±

    Naturally, Yuxi would not object as she asked, ¡°Where are your weapons?¡± In case something happened, having a weapon had a very different oue than not having one.

    A Broadsword

    Image Credit | WeEnterWinter CC BY 2.5 via Wiki (´óµ¶¶Ó)

    Zijin replied, ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy for me to bring weapons.¡± She usually practiced with a broadsword, which weighed nearly 100 jin?a catty (approximately 500 g). At first it was a bit difficult, but now, she could dance with it in full swing.

    Yuxi was silent for a moment before she said, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone bring it inter in the evening.¡±

    Zijin didn¡¯t think much of it either, as she said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll fetch it myself in the evening. That way, no one will be suspicious.¡± The people in the residence knew that she had a handful of strength, but how much strength she actually had, was unknown.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Bring in the weapons of the two Deng girls too. If there is nothing, leave the weapons in the room and don¡¯t move them. If something happened, they may be a lifesaver.¡±

    Zijin also became tense by Yuxi¡¯s words, ¡°Miss, Zijin won¡¯t let anything happen to you, not even a little bit.¡±

    Yuxi listened to Zixin¡¯s words with relief and smiled, ¡±There¡¯s no need to worry either. I¡¯m just doing this just in case. However, you¡¯ll have to take a little bit more responsibility for this matter.¡± What she meant was the idea of bringing Deng Shuang and her sister into the residence was Zixin¡¯ s suggestion, not Yuxi¡¯s. She was worried that the Old Lady would cause some trouble.

    Zijin stated, ¡°Miss, if there is anything you want me to do, I will do it.¡± She didn¡¯t like to use her brain. Many things made her think and most of the time, she couldn¡¯t understand much. Later, she simply didn¡¯t want to think and she would only listen to Yuxi.

    Yuxi told Zijin about her ns.

    Zijin still had something to say, ¡°Whatever Miss says, I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    PS: I wrote about Yuxi¡¯s right eye twitching straight up yesterday, and today, my right eye also twitched a few times. I ended up bleeding from my knee by hitting the edge of the bed before I went to sleep. o(¨s¡õ¨t)o I¡¯m not sure if that was a coincidence or if it was just working out too well¡­.

 Chapter 123 - Palace Rebellion (1)

    <strong>Chapter 123 : Pce Rebellion (1)</strong>

    Zisu settled the two sisters and went out, leaving them in the room.

    Deng Xue nced at the arrangement in the room, then asked in a lowered voice, ¡°Dajie1da=eldest, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, I see that the Fourth Miss isn¡¯t like how aunt had said about her.¡± From Deng Shi¡¯s mouth, Yuxi was categorised as a foolish rich master. It was no wonder Deng Shi thought so. If Yuxi wasn¡¯t foolish, who would spend so much money for a maid to learn martial arts.

    Deng Shi thought that Yuxi who was deep in the boudoir wouldn¡¯t definitely know the market outside. In fact, Yuxi was very clear of the price in martial arts school. The best military official in the capital would only charge a hundred tael21?16 of a catty j¨©n [½ï] (old) of silver a year. However, there were very few female masters, and it was even more difficult to find the one who was after one¡¯s heart3Chinese idiom : satisfying one. Thus, Yuxi made Zijin learn martial arts from Deng Shi. Later on, although Deng Shi didn¡¯t take Zijin as her apprentice, she still taught Zijin carefully and did not hide any secrets from her, so Yuxi allowed Zijin to continue her studies.

    Deng Shuang said, ¡°Remember what aunt said when we went out. When we are here, we talk less and work more.¡± Father Deng was also an armed escort. When he was wounded in those days, he couldn¡¯t stop from taking a lot of medicines. He kept on seeing a physician and taking medicines like he had fallen into a bottomless pit, and within two years the Deng family¡¯s financial resources finally emptied out. Mother Deng couldn¡¯t stand living in such a poor life. As a result, she left her three young children to elope with another man. Father Deng couldn¡¯t stand the blow that he vomited blood and died. At that time, Deng Shi even had already set her wedding date, but she voluntarily withdrew from her marriage for the sake of her nieces and nephew. Over the years, she had been working hard to raise them.

    Deng Xue nodded and said, ¡°Jiejie?elder sister, you don¡¯t have to worry, I won¡¯t act rashly.¡± She was not as calm as Deng Shuang, but she was very obedient. She always listened to everything Deng Shi and Deng Shuang said.

    Deng Shuang looked at her meimei?younger sister and smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to think too much about it either. We¡¯ll be staying in this courtyard for just a few days. Although I don¡¯t know what will happen, I think we can go back after a few days.¡± Although Zijin didn¡¯t say how much the payment would be, by looking at what the Fourth Miss had done for Zijin, it was certain that Fourth Miss would not be a petty master.

    From what Deng Shi heard from Zijin, when she thought about Miss Yuxi¡¯s family, the danger would be limited, therefore, she let the two sisters go there together. The rewards they received would be used to buy more dowry for themselves.

    When Deng Xue heard this, she lowered her voice and inquired, ¡°Jiejie?elder sister, when we go back, how do you feel about requesting for a bolt of red satin from Fourth Miss?¡± Deng Shuang had been engaged and would be married at the end of the year. If they could get Fourth Miss to reward them with red satin for the wedding dress, it would have been extremely grand.

    Deng Shuangughed, ¡°There are some things that don¡¯t need us to mention.¡± If they mentioned it themselves, their status would fall to the lower level. If Ziyin had a heart, she would definitely mention it to the Fourth Miss.

    Less than half an hour after the Deng sisters arrived at the Rose Courtyard, Feicui from the main room came and informed Yuxi that the Old Lady had invited her to the main house.

    Yuxi was not afraid of the Old Lady now, but she had been very defensivetely. She always felt that all she did have been seen through by the Old Lady. ¡°Let¡¯s go right away.¡± There was no need to dress up to meet the Old Lady. It was enough for her just to wear home wear to go there. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When Yuxi got to the main room, the Old Lady noticed the red paper affixed to Yuxi¡¯s right eyelid and asked, ¡°What is going on here?¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t hide it either, as she exined, ¡°From yesterday until now, my right eye has been twitching all the time. When Eldest Aunt found out about it, she made me stick this paper here.¡± Actually, she felt it was useless to stick this on, as her right eyelid just started twitching again at the entrance. However, it wasn¡¯t good for her to question Qiu Shi¡¯s good intention.

    The Old Lady¡¯s face changed slightly. People of her age were actually very superstitious. ¡°Don¡¯t go out within this period of time.¡± When a person right eyelid started to twitch, it meant that something bad was going to happen.

    Yuxi nodded in agreement.

    Only then did the Old Lady ask about the Deng sisters. ¡±What is the identity of those two girls? And why did you bring them in for?¡± She knew that the matter must have received Qiu Shi¡¯s approval, but it was still necessary to prod over it. Advocating strangers to enter the residence without permission should not be turned into a habit. As the matter of fact, the Old Lady had someints in her heart against Qiu Shi, for bing more and more indulgent towards Yuxi.

    Yuxi hesitated for a bit but then she told her, ¡°Grandmother, I had a nightmarest night. I dreamed that my Rose Courtyard was covered with blood and I was also covered with blood myself, which made my heart felt very afraid as I always felt that something bad was going to happen.¡±

    The Old Lady¡¯s expression did not even change for a bit after she heard this. She instead said, ¡°Dreams always show the opposite of reality.¡±

    Mama Luo also did some research on this matter as she stated, ¡°Dreaming of blood usually indicates that one is going to get rich. Fourth Miss, your fortune has arrived.¡± ??In a way, she kinda of will be receiving a ¡®fortune¡¯.

    The corner of Yuxi¡¯s mouth twitched, but she sincerely said, ¡°Grandmother, I won¡¯t be this afraid if it¡¯s just a nightmare. But my right eyelid keeps on twitching after I had that dream and I became very upset, so I wrote to Zijin this morning to ask for her return today. At least, with her around, I can be a little bit at ease.¡±

    If Yuxi invited Zijin toe back, even the Old Lady couldn¡¯t pick out any problem, after all, Zijin was Yuxi¡¯s personal maid. The Old Lady asked, ¡°Then, why did Zijin bring the other two girls? To take the liberty of bringing in strangers like that, did she totally forget what her position is?¡±

    What Yuxi hated the most was that the Old Lady always treated a small issue like it was a big issue. However, the Old Lady was still the one who held the greatest power in the residence, so she couldn¡¯t afford to offend her. ¡°Zijin was very anxious after reading my letter, so she invited her two senior sisters toe and protect me.¡±

    The Old Lady expression turned a little ugly. What did Yuxi mean that they were here to protect her? As if the residence was a dragon¡¯s pool and tiger¡¯s den?Chinese idiom : danger spot. She calmly said, ¡°If you are not at ease, arrange for some strong old women servants to live with you. They are also much better than the two little girls.¡± She was very unhappy when Yuxi sent Zijin to learn martial arts. Only after Qiu Shi and Han Jianye helped to intercede that she felt that it was not worthwhile for her to sweep the face of her daughter-inw and grandson over this petty thing, hence she agreed. However, this didn¡¯t mean that she was willing to let Yuxi mixed with outside people.

    How would Yuxi be willing to send people away? ¡°Grandmother, I have promised the Deng sisters to let them stay here and they will go back after three days. Grandmother, Teacher Song used to teach us that a person should keep his word. Grandmother, I can¡¯t be a person who goes against her own promise.¡±

    Old Lady Han shed a little smile from the corner of her mouth, which indicated that she felt Yuxi was actually not bad. Even Yuxi¡¯s mouth had be more and more nimble. Unexpectedly, the Old Lady had actually been pressed with her own great principles by Yuxi, ¡°Since you are determined, I won¡¯t embarrass you either. You can let them stay if you want, but you better stay in your own yard these days and don¡¯te out.¡± She believed that if Yuxi stayed in her own yard, there would not be any disastering their way.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t have any problem with this either, as she nodded her head in response, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Mama Luo felt that Yuxi was acting more and more recklessly nowadays. ¡°Old Lady, the Eldest Lady is following Fourth Miss¡¯ words more and more now. This old servant was really worried that if things went on like this, Fourth Miss won¡¯t know how to restrain herself anymore.¡±

    The Old Lady casted a nce at Mama Luo and said, ¡°You keep on provoking me with your words. Enough already. I believe that girl knows how far she can go and when she should stop.¡± With what happened to Han Jianye before, the Old Lady had be more tolerant of Yuxi. Han Jianye¡¯s incident was enough to show that although Yuxi had estrangement and even psychological resentment towards her and Yan-er, she was not really a cold-hearted person. If there was something bad happening in the residence. Yuxi would surely put forth her strength to help. ??Pardon me, Old Lady, whatever good things she did so far were mostly for her own self, her aunt and Han Jianye. Not for the residence.

    Mama Luo hesitated for a moment, then she said, ¡°Old Lady, the Fourth Miss took advantage of managing the household to install many of her people. Should we just let her?¡± Since it was necessary to insert people, it was natural that some people would be pulled down from the stage. Many of those who had been pulled down were Old Lady¡¯s people. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    The Old Lady did not have any problem with the way Yuxi managed the household, despite her act of disposing some of the old servants and she had ced all her people in inconspicuous positions, without moving any of her confidants. From here, it could be seen that Yuxi really had a sense of propriety, where she didn¡¯t make the Old Lady resentful of her action and at the same time, achieving her own goal. Truly killing two birds with a stone. ¡°That girl, her conduct has be increasingly thorough.¡± It was just that Yuxi was still a little young, so it was going to take another two years of practice for her to be sophisticated and no longer became a cause for concern.

    As the Old Lady followed Yuxi¡¯s side, she realised that many of Yuchen¡¯s problems also came out. Yuchen was not as good as Yuxi in her work, and she always looked ahead into the future and back into the past?Chinese idiom : be overcautious and indecisive, despite that, the results had never been neat, which was actually very bad. However, after the Old Lady mentioned them to her, Yuchen made a lot of progress.

    When Mama Luo saw this situation, she couldn¡¯t say anything anymore. It was just that there were still things she could onlyment in her heart, this was truly 30 years in the east of the river and then the next 30 years in the west of the river?Chinese proverb : fortune changes with time. Eight years ago the Fourth Miss was just a little transparent to the Old Lady, but now she was almost equal to the Third Miss in the Old Lady¡¯s eyes.

    After Yuxi finished her dinner, news came from the concierge that someone had brought a box of things. ¡°Zijin, your things have arrived, go and get them yourself!¡±

    Zijin immediately went outside to get her things.

    Zisu looked at Yuxi with her brow still tightly furrowed, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Yuxi replied, ¡°My eyelid has stopped twitching.¡± Since her eyelid didn¡¯t twitch anymore, this proved that the cmity wasn¡¯t far away from her. Because this matter had happened so long ago, her brain could only remember that the pce changed in the middle of the fourth lunar month, but somehow she couldn¡¯t remember what day it was. That¡¯s what happens when you don¡¯t do anything back then!

    Zisu didn¡¯t know what Yuxi was thinking, thus she reminded her, ¡°Miss, you should listen to the Old Lady, don¡¯t go anywhere!¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t exin, as she just nodded slightly. She was not Heshou Xianzhu?he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. Heshou Xianzhu?he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was not afraid of being criticized or doubted, but she was. She was afraid that she would be killed because she was a monster. She did not want to die. She just wanted to live well andter on, she would lead a peaceful life. Henceforth, she couldn¡¯t say anything, and she wouldn¡¯t say anything to anyone.

    A quarter or soter, Zijin brought the box back. The box was sent directly to Yuxi¡¯s room, and after waiting for everyone to leave, she opened the box and took out the broadsword inside.

    Yuxi looked at the broadsword that radiated a cold light and asked, ¡°Have you edged the sword?¡± The so-called ¡®edged the sword¡¯ means covered with blood.

    Zijin froze for a moment, then she shook her head, ¡°No.¡±

    Yuxi asked, ¡°If a thief rushes into the courtyard, will you dare to cut someone with that sword?¡± She could only hope that she had been mistaken, that this life would still be as it had been in a previous one, and the thugs would just leave after storming at the gates, instead of what she had thought recently, where there would be changes this time around. But what if it happened in the way that she thought it would be? By that time, there would definitely be some blood.

    Zijin opened her mouth and answered after a while, ¡°Miss, how can someone just rush into the yard and kill people?¡± It wasn¡¯t like the house guards outside were just posing. There was absolutely no way this would happen.

    Yuxi said, ¡°I was only asking you, if you really encounter this kind of situation, do you dare to kill?¡± Zijin was only one year older than her. Over the years, her life had been drifting with the wind and the current1?Chinese idiom : smooth sailing. Yuxi was worried that in case such situation happened, Zijin would be inconvenient to do it.

    Zijin nodded, ¡°I dare. If anyone dares to hurt a girl, I will fight with him till death.¡± She didn¡¯t remember where her home was, but she remembered her childhood very well. At her old home, she never ate a full meal, wore warm clothes, and was often beaten until she met Miss. She could not only eat and wear warm clothes, but she could also read and write, and even had the opportunity to learn martial arts. Without Miss, there would be no her today.

    Yuxi nodded and exined, ¡±I had a dream yesterday that a bandit entered the courtyard to kill someone. Plus my right eyelid keeps on twitching, so I¡¯m a little worried.¡±

    Zijin said, ¡°Miss, I heard that dreams always showed the opposite of the reality!¡±

    Yuxiughed, ¡±I¡¯m just merely taking precaution. There¡¯s no better time for us to prepare than right now, and if something like this does happen, at least we won¡¯t lose our heads out of fear 11Chinese idiom : panic-stricken.¡±

    Zijin felt like the scared people after hearing frightening words12Chinese idiom : rmist.

    Yuxi smiled and didn¡¯t exin more. It was good if nothing happened, she also hoped that there was nothing, but in case it happened, they would not be feeling any fear as they had prepared themselves.

    As Yuxi thought of this, she went into her study, lifted the brush, and began to draw the setup of the state residence backyard. She could be selfish and ignore other people, but the people in the Rose Courtyard had served her for so many years. For this reason, she should try to protect everyone within the scope of protection that she was able to give.

 Chapter 124 - Palace Rebellion (2)

    <strong>Chapter 124 : Pce Rebellion (2)</strong>

    Zisu carried a bowl of shrimp and tofu thick soup as she called out when she finally arrived at the entrance, ¡°Miss, your midnight snack is here.¡± Yuxi demanded to have midnight snacks every night, since her study tasks were so heavy that her body could not bear them without eating food takente at night.

    When Yuxi heard Zisu¡¯s voice, she put down the history book, rubbed her temples and said, ¡°Come in!¡±

    As Zisu waited for Yuxi to finish her midnight snack, she suggested, ¡±Miss, let¡¯s not continue reading today, and take an early rest!¡± Zisu actually had some trouble understanding Yuxi. What was the point of bothering oneself to learn so many things? They were not going to be that useful even after one learned them. It was also based on this idea that Zisu always advised Yuxi to rest more and not to read so many books, which, unfortunately, had very little effect.

    Yuxi thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°Then, prepare hot water.¡±

    Zisu was overjoyed, since this meant that Yuxi was going to bed. She also didn¡¯t ask why Yuxi could be convinced this time around as she hurriedly responded, ¡°I¡¯ll instruct them to prepare hot water.¡± The fact that Yuxi slept sote every day caused the few people who waited on her and the kitchen people to also sleep thiste.

    After showering and dressing herself, Yuxiid down on the bed, looked at Zisu, and said, ¡°Let Zijin be on duty tonight.¡± With Zijin on the side, she felt more at ease.

    Zisu knew that Yuxi was feeling afraid in her heart, so she didn¡¯t say anything. She just dragged Zijin outside and talked to her for half an hour about the things that needed her to pay attention during night duty. She was also worried that since Zijin had been out for so long, she might have forgotten about the rules and taboos of the residence.

    It wasn¡¯t until Yuxi was calling for someone from inside the room that Zisu let Zijin go, ¡°Be careful at night, I¡¯m afraid that Miss will have nightmares again.¡± Yesterday, Kufu was the one who was keeping watch but she slept like a dead pig. When Miss had nightmares, Kufu didn¡¯t even know about it, which showed that she was really too ipetent. If Kufu knew about Zisu¡¯sint, she would seriously feel very aggrieved.

    Zijin listened attentively to Zisu¡¯s words, and once she had done listening, she said, ¡°Zisu Jiejie1elder sister, and informal way to call a girl /woman who is much older or more senior don¡¯t worry, I will wait upon Miss well.¡± In fact, she hadn¡¯t forgotten any of these matters.

    Zijin walked into the room, and readied to blow out the tung oilmp on the table.

    Yuxi reminded Zijin, ¡°Be vignt tonight, okay?¡± She was afraid that there would be the rustle of leaves in the wind2Chinese idiom : a sign of disturbance or trouble from outside and all the people of the inner courtyard would know nothing about it. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Seeing how scared Yuxi was, Zijin thought for a moment and suggested, ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t I ask Shuang Jie3elder sister, short form for Jiejie and Xue Jie3elder sister, short form for Jiejie sleep in the outer room while the three of us take turns keeping watch?¡±

    Yuxi thought this idea was very good, ¡°Then you go arrange it!¡±

    When Deng Xue heard Zijin¡¯s words, she was somewhat surprised, ¡°It was only a dream. She would go as far as being this afraid?¡± When she looked at Fourth Miss, she didn¡¯t seem like a timid person! Why would she suddenly be scared and disturbed just because of a nightmare? Well, for these girls of rich families to be this scared because of their dreams, if they had to work outside for a living, it could be estimated that they would not be able to make a living even for a day.

    Deng Shuang swept a nce at Deng Xue and saw that she had lower her head, before she asked, ¡°Zijin, what are the rules in keeping watch for Miss?¡± Since they were already employed, naturally, they should follow the orders from the master¡¯s house.

    Zijin shook her head, ¡°Miss is very easy to be waited upon, so there¡¯s nothing particrly taboo matters.¡± There was no better master to serve than her Miss.

    Deng Xue said, ¡°In fact, Miss is afraid of thievesing in, not of someone making mischief inside the yard. I don¡¯t think we sisters need to go to the Miss¡¯ room to keep watch at all. The situation will still stay the same here anyway.¡± What kind of people could break in really deep into the residence? Really, Deng Xue didn¡¯t even know how to spit this matter out anymore.

    Zijin thought for a moment and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go ask Miss.¡± It was still up to Miss to decide.

    Yuxi also knew why the two sisters didn¡¯te, but she restrained herself, ¡°Okay, then just follow what Miss Deng had said.¡±

    With so many things hidden in her heart, Yuxi kept tossing and turning, unable to sleep. She made Zijin light up themp as she took her medical book and read it. She was hoping that this would make her sleepy, but this time it didn¡¯t work. Even if she kept reading the medical book, she still couldn¡¯t sleep.

    Yuxi simply stopped reading the medical book and drew Zijin in to talk about her daily life, ¡°Have you ever had a hard time in the Deng family over the past two years? It¡¯s looked like you have been under the sun a lot?¡± For Zijin to be this dark after being under the sun, she didn¡¯t know if Zijin would be able to go back to how she looked before. If Zijin unable to do it, Yuxi would have to help in providing thick dowry for her.

    Zijin unconsciously touched her face, ¡°I didn¡¯t feel it was anything while I was with the Deng family.¡± But as soon as she returned to the residence, she was a little embarrassed to see how fair-skinned Zisu and Kufu were.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Will you return there in a few days?¡±

    Zijin answered without thinking, ¡°Of course I will go back. Miss has paid all my tuition this year, so I shouldn¡¯t waste all the spent money.¡± Although Deng Shi taught her martial arts, she did not like Deng Shi. Without her, Deng loved money too much. The tuition fee of five hundred tael?1?16 of a catty j¨©n [½ï] (old) a year was already sky-high, and even an extra one hundred tael?1?16 of a catty j¨©n [½ï] (old) for amodation and meals. It was not like there would be plenty of meat and fishvish meals every day, they were just ordinary meals that were charged with so much money. This was clearly taking Miss as someone who was a spendthrift and foolish!

    In fact, Zijin knew very well in her heart that it was not true that her Miss did not know, but in order for her to learn her skills, her Miss pretended to be deaf and dumb?Chinese idiom : feign ignorance. After all, it was not that easy to find a female master. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi nodded her head and said, ¡°It is good for you to make your own decision on this matter. Tell me about your life at Deng¡¯s house. Is there anything particrly interesting?¡± She didn¡¯t want to listen to anything on martial arts since it wasn¡¯t that useful to her.

    Deng Shi was an armed escort, and she always went out to escort goods, thus, her behaviour was very much bold and shrewish. This also affected Deng Shuang and Deng Xue, which led to Zijin often following the Deng sisters out to deal with things. Naturally, Zijin would have more contacts with the outside world.

    Yuxi listened with fascination. Although she also often went out to see thenterns during the Lantern Festival, it was far from as lively as the one that Zijin saw.

    The two did not know how long they had been talking, when Zijin suddenly realised it was alreadyte, ¡°Miss, you have to get up early tomorrow, so you should go to bed!¡±

    Yuxi was indeed a bit sleepy too, ¡°Then you should go and take a nap for a bit too.¡±

    Yuxi, who had just fallen asleep, was pushed awake by Zijin. When she opened her eyes, she saw a panic Zijin, ¡°Miss, you must wake up.¡±

    Yuxi swiftly got up and asked while dressing, ¡°Did any bandits manage to get in?¡±

    Zijin shook her head and exined, ¡°No, but I think the sound outside is a bit wrong¡­¡± Before she finished her words, the two Deng sisters rushed in.

    Deng Shuang informed, ¡°Fourth Miss, the situation outside is not right.¡± The two of them just went out of the courtyard and saw many bright spots of lights in the outer courtyard. If she didn¡¯t guess wrong, those were torches. Something big must have happened, that was why so many torches had been lit.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t have time to think much at this point either, and she immediately shouted, ¡°Quick, go to the courtyard and call everyone up.¡±

    When Yuxi had dressed herself up and walked to the yard, all the maids and old women servants were already up. She instructed Zisu, ¡±Zisu, you take them all and hide inside the garden rockeries. Don¡¯te out until dawn.¡±

    Zisu¡¯s face changed dramatically, ¡°Miss, what happened?¡±

    Yuxi also didn¡¯t have time to exin, ¡±Don¡¯t ask so many questions, just do as I say. It¡¯s colder inside the rockeries, so you guys hurry back to your rooms and get two thick clothes.¡± It was cold inside the rockeries during summer, not to mention the fact that it was still in the fourth lunar month, and if one only wore this kind of thin clothes while being in the rockeries in the middle of the night, one would definitely catch a cold.

    Zisu didn¡¯t want to leave Yuxi and said, ¡°Miss, let Kufu take them to the garden and I will go with Miss.¡± Live or die, she would follow her Miss.

    Yuxi knew that Zisu was being temperamental, but at this time she didn¡¯t want to let Zisu give her additional troubles, ¡°Do as I say. Zisu, I¡¯ll leave this matter to you, I¡¯m going to the main courtyard now.¡± After saying this, she led Zijin and the Deng sisters towards the direction of the main courtyard at a brisk pace.

    Maidong looked at Yuxi, who had disappeared in a blink of an eye, and busily asked, ¡°Zisu Jiejie1elder sister, and informal way to call a girl /woman who is much older or more senior, what should we do now?¡±

    Seeing Yuxi left, Zisu steadied herself and looked at the people in the yard. First, she told them to go back to their rooms and put on thick clothes, then she divided them into three teams. Maidong took the first team to the bedroom to get the jewellery, and Kufu took the second team to the study to get the books and the four treasures. As for Zisu, she, on the other hand, took thest group of people to the warehouse.

    Although the maids in the courtyard did not know what had happened, they could see the danger from Yuxi¡¯s expression, so whether they were wearing thick clothes or taking things, their movements were all very fast.

    The jewellery was the fastest to be gathered, as most of the jewellery were put in boxes except for the ones on the dresser; Kufu often cleaned the study and knew that inkstone and ink were the most valuable things in the room. She told the people to only take the valuable things and gave up the others, while she took several of Yuxi¡¯s medical books; as for the warehouse, naturally, it was Zisu who was the most familiar with it, and she clearly knew the most valuable ones inside.

    A few minutester, everyone was holding something in their hands. Those who didn¡¯t know would think that they were fleeing. Zisu was carrying arge bundle on her back and a box in her hand. ¡°Go, go to the garden,¡± she said. There were many rockeries in the garden. It would be hard for people outside to find people hiding inside, hence, it was the safest hiding ce ever.

    When the group of people nearly arrived at the entrance of the garden, a shriek suddenly could be heard. Zisu, seeing that the situation was wrong, immediately cried, ¡°Quick, quick, hide in the rockery and we will be safe.¡± Fortunately, their reaction was very fast and there was no one in the garden at that time.

    At this time, everybody was feeling really scared, and when they heard Zisu¡¯s words, they immediately followed her fleeing toward the entrance of the garden.

    Soon, the group of people went into the garden. By this time, the clutter outside was growing louder, with cries and panicked cries for help, as well as pleas for mercy. Seeing that the crowd was moving slowly, Zisu lowered her voice and said, ¡°Quick, don¡¯t dawdle.¡± Even if they went out there, they couldn¡¯t help much as theycked the strength even to truss a chicken?Chinese idiom : weak.

    Zisu often apanied Yuxi to take a walk in the garden, so she was very familiar with theyout. The group of people quickly drilled themselves among the rockeries, and since no one was dared to remain at the entrance, everyone moved towards the deep inside of the rockeries. They didn¡¯t stop until there was no more way for them to go.

    Kufu cried, ¡°Zisu Jiejie1elder sister, and informal way to call a girl /woman who is much older or more senior, what exactly did you say happened?¡± The scream just now had stunned them all.

    Zisu lowered her voice and said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk. I¡¯m not sure anyone wille soon. If anyone leads someone toe here, all of us will die.¡± Miss had asked her to bring these people here to save their lives.

    Kufu did not dare to cry this time, while the others covered their mouths, did not dare to make any noise.

    Zisu saw that the crowd didn¡¯t make a sound, therefore she didn¡¯t speak anymore. She was worried about Yuxi, and wondered how her Miss was currently doing.

 Chapter 125 - Palace Rebellion (3)

    <strong>Chapter 125 : Pce Rebellion (3)</strong>

    Yuxi was more than a quarter of an hour away from the main courtyard. Even if she used the fastest speed this time, it would still take her nearly a quarter of an hour to reach the main courtyard.

    This time the main courtyard had be in disorder just like a pot of porridgeplete mess. When Qiu Shi saw Yuxi, she was startled. She took Yuxi¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°You silly girl, why don¡¯t you just stay in your own yard and run around? Don¡¯t you know it is dangerous now?¡± Just now she got a frightening news that a group of bandits were attacking the residence.

    When Yuxi noticed Qiu Shi¡¯s manner as if she was on her way out, Yuxi asked, ¡°Eldest Aunt, are you nning to go to Grandmother¡¯s ce?¡±

    Qiu Shi nodded as she exined, ¡°Some people have the audacity to attack this residence, hence it must have been a mess outside. I have to go and check up on the Old Lady now, otherwise I won¡¯t know if there is any trouble there.¡±

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Eldest Aunt, what about Dasao2eldest sister-inw?¡±

    Qiu Shi replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already instructed someone to call your Dasao2eldest sister-inw and have her go to the main house. Yuxi, let¡¯s go to the main house too.¡±

    Yuxi, however, stood still and said, ¡±Eldest Aunt, why don¡¯t we wait for Dasao2eldest sister-inw here. Once Dasao2eldest sister-inw is here, let¡¯s go to the main house together!¡± She was stalling for time. She didn¡¯t want to go to the main house. Not for any particr reason, just reluctance.

    Qiu Shi was not a foolish person. After she listened to Yuxi¡¯s words, she knew what Yuxi really meant. There was no time to argue at this point, therefore she directly asked, ¡°Yuxi, you don¡¯t want to go to the main room, do you? You¡­¡± She originally wanted to ask whether Yuxi still had any resentment, but she couldn¡¯t ask. Back then, the Old Lady had treated Yuxi really badly. If Yuxi had said that she didn¡¯t hate her Grandmother, even Qiu Shi herself wouldn¡¯t believe it.

    Yuxi knew what Qiu Shi was thinking when Yuxi looked at her. Without answering her aunt¡¯s question, Yuxi instead said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, it¡¯s nearly a quarter of an hour from here to the main house. If we go first, what if Dasao2eldest sister-inw meets a bandit on the road, especially now that she is a pregnant woman?¡±

    This question made Qiu Shi be hesitant.

    Yuxi continued saying, ¡°Eldest Aunt, if there is no bandit, naturally one will have nothing to be afraid of. But if there are bandits in the inner courtyard, and we meet them on the road? We will only be likembs ready to be ughtered. At least there are high walls and arge gate here.¡±

    Qiu Shi denied, ¡°It is impossible for bandits toe in here.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°No one can say that for sure. It is good if there are no bandits around. But, if there are bandits, what can Eldest Aunt do when Eldest Aunt arrives at the main house?¡± Although Qiu Shi was a daughter of a military family, she never practiced martial arts, which made her a weak woman too.

    Mama Li was a little anxious, ¡°It¡¯s not safe for us to stay in the yard!¡± The best way was to find a safe ce to hide. But now, where could they find a safe ce?

    Yuxi calmly said, ¡°What worries me the most right now is not the bandits in the main courtyard, but those whoe in to fish in troubled water3Chinese idiom : take advantage of a crisis for personal gain. Even if the bandits manage to get through, we can still withstand for a period of time with therge gate and high walls. As soon as the news reaches the front yard, someone will certainly be sent to help.¡± The wall of the main house was not as high as here, and the gate was not as strong as here. In addition, besides the front door and the back door, the main house also had a side entrance through the side door. It was good if there were no thieves, but if there were thieves, these things would all be hidden dangers to the main house. Of course, the most important thing was that Yuxi was really unwilling to take risks for the Old Lady. She had spent a quarter of an houring from Rose Courtyard to here. If there were bandits who fished in troubled water3Chinese idiom : take advantage of a crisis for personal gain, they must have alreadye in. If Yuxi and the others had gone to the main house at this time, they had just followed the rhythm of courting death set by the bandits. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s heart was in turmoil and all of a sudden, she had no idea what to do. Seeing that Yuxi was not worried at all, Mama Li calmed down and asked, ¡°Miss, if there are bandits, do we have the ability to hold them back?¡±

    Yuxi nodded and reassured, ¡°They can be stopped. Zijin, Deng Shuang and Deng Xue have martial arts skills. It will definitely won¡¯t be a problem for them to hold on until the guardse to our rescue.¡± The high walls and therge gate of the main courtyard were very strong. Bandits could not easily enter without using any tools. Even if one or two of them managed toe in, since there were three people here who could do martial arts brought by Zijin, there was nothing for them to be afraid of.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s mind was in a mess, but she still thought that Yuxi did make a good point. However, she always felt that the bandits would not be able to enter the inner courtyard.

    Yuxi let out a long sigh of relief. With her aunt acting like this, her aunt¡¯s n to go to the main house had been dyed. Just then, Deng Shuang pointed to a direction and eximed, ¡°Everyone look, there is a fire in the southwest direction.¡±

    Yuxi heart jumped. Southwest, was not the ce where her Rose Courtyard was. Only that, this wasn¡¯t the time for her to think much about it, ¡°Eldest Aunt, the bandits have entered the inner courtyard. We must stay here and wait for the guards. We shouldn¡¯t go to the main house right now.¡±

    Qiu Shi was so terrified, ¡°How did this happen? I even sent your Dasao2eldest sister-inw to the main house. I wonder how she is now?¡± Under such circumstances, it was definitely impossible to go to the main house any more, as they would be done for if they came across the bandits. When Qiu Shi thought of Ye Shi who was pregnant with her grandson, she became anxious and angry.

    In response to the situation, Zijin suggested, ¡°Miss, let me go pick up Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house!¡±

    Yuxi said towards Qiu Shi, ¡°Eldest Aunt, can you send someone to lead the way for Zijin?¡± Zijin wasn¡¯t familiar with the path towards Roxin Courtyard over there, which was why Yuxi had to ask for someone to lead the way.

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°Liuyin, take Zijin to find your Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house.¡±

    Liuyin was really scared that she could not help but flinch at this time. But she toughened her scalp?brace oneself as she stood up and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Deng Shuang said before the two went out, ¡°Zijin, don¡¯te in through the main gate when youe backter.¡± She told Zijin this because she was going to seal the main gate.

    Yuxi awkwardly corrected her, ¡°Deng Shuang, this courtyard has no back door for them to use.¡±

    Hearing this, Liuyin hurriedly said, ¡°This yard does not have a back door, but it has a side door.¡± The so-called side door was a door to facilitate the delivery of firewood and other things.

    The corners of Deng Shuang¡¯s mouth suddenly twitched, when she found out that this courtyard surprisingly did not have a back door. ¡°A side door will do.¡±

    After Zijin and Liuyin went out, Deng Shuang immediately instructed, ¡°Close the gate and all the windows in the courtyard.¡±

    The others were dumbfounded when they heard that a bandit had really broken into the inner courtyard, and they didn¡¯t dare to move. In fact, one of the maids even cried out, ¡°A bandit ising in, my Lady, let¡¯s hurry and run!¡± One couldn¡¯t just sit around and wait for the bandits to actuallye in this yard.

    Deng Shuan was a bit speechless when she heard them nning to run away, ¡°What are you afraid of? There are so many house guards outside, even if the banditse, it won¡¯t take long for the house guards toe to our rescue.¡± Although the two Deng sisters were nervous, they weren¡¯t afraid. Mainly because they knew that there were retainers and guards in the outer courtyard of the State Residence. Also, there were quite a few of them outside.

    Yuxi did not want to quarrel with these people. ¡°If you want to escape, get out of here quickly, otherwise, we will lock the gate.¡±

    None of the subordinates dared to move. How dare they run away when their masters hadn¡¯t even moved. Two of the strong women servants were brave enough to walk over and close the gate.

    After the gate was closed, the Deng sisters sent someone to find something particrly heavy, ¡±Is there any pir? If we rest the pir against the gate, even if someone were to hit the gate, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for them to break it open.¡±

    When Deng Shuang heard that there were no pirs, she suggested, ¡°Then take some door nks to hold out against the gate.¡±

    Not only the door nks were used to hold out against the gate, but other heavy objects were brought over and ced on the lower part of the gate. After this was done, Yuxi instructed the maids and old women servants in the courtyard to close all the windows.

    After they had done all this, Yuxi told the people in the courtyard, ¡°There are many sticks in the firewood room. In case a real bandites in, one person can¡¯t really beat him up, while four or five people at the same time can always beat him up.¡±

    Qiu shi felt that Yuxi was much calmer than she was, thus she instructed, ¡°From now on, you all listen to Fourth Miss. Whatever she tells you to do, you shall do it.¡± This was the same as handing over all themand to Yuxi.

    All the people in the yard did not move. Yuxi then said, ¡±We don¡¯t need to be afraid of these bandits. They can only run wild for a while. As long as we guard this courtyard, not to mention the house guards, I am sure the government troops will be here soon as well.¡± She only said thispletely to appease the crowd. If the pce changes today, they would not have to rely on the government troops. It was toote for the government troops to suppress the rebellion, so where would they have the time to care about them, the shrimps?fig. small fries? This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    However the effect of the words was obvious, as the maids and old women servants of the courtyard took them seriously, with some went into the kitchen and some went into the firewood room. Those who went into the firewood room took sticks, and those who went into the kitchen took knives.

    Yuxi¡¯s calm demeanor affected the entire courtyard. The crowd stood quietly under the covered corridor with folded sleeves and weapons in their hands, no longer frightened out of their wits?Chinese idiom : panic-stricken.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± A burst of miserable cry could be heard from outside, and the people in the yard expression turned white. The bandits, the bandits are here.

    A few of the timid ones had fallen limply to the ground.

    Yuxi was also scared to death in her heart, but she couldn¡¯t show her fear at this time. Moreover, she believed that with the Deng sisters present, even if the bandits rushed in, they would not be able to hurt her. With this belief, some of the panic in her heart were able to be removed.

    Just at this time, a knock on the door made Yuxi¡¯s frightened heart miss a beat. While the fearful Qiu Shi was firmly grasping Mama Li¡¯s arm.

    Liuyue hurriedly said, ¡°It should be Zijin and the others who have returned.¡± After she said that, she ran to the side door.

    When they could hear Zijin¡¯s voice, the old woman on guard finally opened the door.

    Ye Shi¡¯s face was pale as she was helped in by old woman Hua, with Zijin and Liuyin followed closely behind them. Seeing that there was no one else following behind, the old woman hurriedly closed the door.

    In response, Qiu Shi walked over and immediately said, ¡°You get in the room!¡± Just by looking at Ye Shi¡¯s appearance, Qiu Shi knew that she must have suffered a fright.

    Ye Shi didn¡¯t have much strength to be polite anymore, and upon hearing Qiu Shi¡¯s words, she immediately nodded. She went into the room afterwards.

    Once Yuxi saw Ye Shi enter the room, she whispered to her aunt, ¡°Eldest Aunt, you should also go into the room! Just leave the matter here to me and Deng Shuang.¡±

    Although Qiu Shi was scared to death, she knew that even if she went into the room, she would not be at ease, and it was better for her to just stay here. ¡°I¡¯ll just stay here and keep watch, so you don¡¯t have to be scared either.¡±

    When Yuxi noticed Zijin¡¯s extremely nervous look, she asked, ¡°Have you encountered any bandits on the road?¡±

    Zijin nodded. ¡°Yes, I met two of them, but I managed to knock them down. Originally, there were four maids who came with Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, but when they met the bandits, they couldn¡¯t move. Since I could do nothing about it, I had to leave them and bring Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house back.¡± She was not such a warm-hearted person either. Her task was to bring back Ye Shi, and she wasn¡¯t in charge of the others. It would have been better if they could keep up, but she could do nothing if they were unable to. As for Ye Shi¡¯s side, only old woman Hua alone had gritted her teeth to keep up with her.

 Chapter 126 - Palace Rebellion (4)

    <strong>Chapter 126 : Pce Rebellion (4)</strong>

    A rush of footsteps could be hearding from outside, and soon, there was a loud banging sound at the gate. Needless to say, everyone knew that some people were hitting on the gate.

    Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t even stand still as she had to lean against Mama Li so she wouldn¡¯t fall to the ground. Although she was from a martial arts family, she had never encountered anything like this.

    Yuxi was also shivering with fear, except that she knew that right now wasn¡¯t the time for her to be scared. The more she show how much she was scared, the more worse the oue would be.

    Deng Shuang steadied herself and said to the group of women who had bloodless scared faces, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, they won¡¯t be able to open the gate.¡± She had already observed the gate just now that it was unusually strong and definitely would not crash at any time.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not really the case here,¡± said Zijin.

    Deng Shuang thought for a moment and then asked, ¡°Is there anydder?¡± She wanted to climb up the wall to see how many people were currently outside. In this way, they would have the bandits number in their mind.

    Thedder, which was used to find things in the storehouse, was quickly moved to the yard. It was really convenient that the warehouse was divided into two levels at this time of the year.

    Deng Shuang climbed up thedder, and looked around for a while. When she came down, she told them, ¡°I have made a visual inspection. There are about thirteen to fourteen people outside.¡± Actually, she was also feeling a huge relief. If there were thirty to forty people out there, she would have to think of a way to save her life right now, rather than fought for it.

    Yuxi was relieved when she heard the figure. There were more than 20 people in the yard, and they really had the ability to fight them back if they had to. Yuxi said, ¡°It¡¯s not good for us to have our hands tied up and just waiting for death1Chinese idiom : helplessly waiting for death here. We have to think of a way to solve these people.¡±

    Deng Shuang took a look at Yuxi. That was really a big talking out from the mouth of Fourth Miss. As soon as she spoke, she said they had to deal with more than a dozen people outside. ¡±How? The fact that these people dared to break into the State Residence is enough to show that they are daredevils who really want money without caring for other people¡¯s lives.¡± After a pause, she informed her, ¡°Fourth Miss, these people have lethal weapons in their hands.¡±

    Yuxi knew that she could only assume the situation as a matter of fact, ¡°Since they can¡¯t open the gate, they will climb over the wall.¡± Although the wall was high, one could always climb over it as long as one tried one hardest.

    Deng Shuang said, ¡±We can¡¯t stop all of them at once, but we can still solve the few thate in. Fourth Miss, we should utilise the advantage that we have.¡± These men were so ruthless, that they, women inside the yard, could only make use of their geographical advantage and theirrge number as a deuce.

    Yuxi nodded.

    Just as Yuxi thought, when the people outside saw that they couldn¡¯t break down the gate, they wanted to climb over the wall to get inside. Because of Deng Shuang¡¯s reminder, everyone inside was staring deadly at the walls on all sides. A maid with sharp eyes pointed to a direction and said, ¡°There¡¯s someone there.¡±

    Zijin took the stick from a maid beside her and smashed it at the thief on top of the wall. She was very urate, as people heard a scream, and then the bandit disappeared.

    Yuxi did not expect that Zijin was not only strong, but urate too. However, the people outside were clearly unwilling to give up, and not soon after, another one tried to crawl in.

    Zijin was about to smash the man down when Yuxi stopped her, ¡°Zijin, don¡¯t do it, just let him in.¡±

    Everyone in the courtyard thought Yuxi had gone crazy. The bandit was trying to get in, and you¡¯re not going to kill him? It was a pity that Zijin only listened to Yuxi, and not anyone else. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    The bandit who had climbed up the wall was overjoyed when he heard Yuxi¡¯s words and immediately slid down the wall. Yuxi just looked at the man without fear and instructed Zijin, ¡°Zijin, kill him.¡± For Yuxi to have such boldness, it was also because she saw Zijin easily smashed someone off the wall just now.

    The banditughed and raised the sword that was still dripping with blood in his hand. Just as he wanted to speak, he noticed Zijin also raised a broadsword and advanced towards him with a sh.

    With one blow from Zijin, the bandit¡¯s hand went numb and his sword fell to the ground. He quickly reacted and wanted to pick up the sword back, but how could Zijin let him do what he wanted? At this moment, Deng Shuang went over and picked up the sword thatid on the ground.

    The bandit didn¡¯t have any weapon left, and he met a savage woman with boundless strength. He really felt that he had earned an extremely bad luck. He retreated and called out, ¡°Dage2it literally means eldest brother, but sometimes this word is used by gangs to call their leader,e in and save me.¡±

    Deng Shuang and Deng Xue, on the other hand, were looking at the walls in case anyone else tried to climb in.

    The bandit dodged another sh from Zijin and shouted, ¡°Dage2it literally means eldest brother, but sometimes this word is used by gangs to call their leader,e in and save me. Skinny Monkey,e in and save me!¡±

    The other bandits outside were startled when they heard the cry for help. ¡°Dage2it literally means eldest brother, but sometimes this word is used by gangs to call their leader, what should we do now? Do you want to continue to go in?¡±

    The bandits leader looked gloomy as he pointed at the three big built men among them and said, ¡°You guys go in.¡± He didn¡¯t expect that there would be a hard stubble inside the courtyard.

    While Zijin quickly subdued the bandit.

    This time, the bandit had been knocked to the ground and couldn¡¯t get up. As he watched Zijin walk towards him step by step, he felt that it was like death approaching him step by step. At that moment, he opened his mouth and begged for mercy, ¡°Great Aunt, please spare my life.¡± When the thief saw Zijin stopped in her tracks, he immediately said, ¡°I beg Great Aunt to spare my life. I have to take care both of my aging parents and also my children. I was also temporarily obsessed¡­¡­.¡±

    Yuxi took Deng Xue¡¯s sword in her hand, went up to the bandit and thrust it into his heart, then drew it out without looking at the blood gushing out as she turned towards Deng Xue. Yuxi didn¡¯t even see that the bandit¡¯s eyes were wide open when he died. He was dead but wouldn¡¯t close his eyes3Chinese idiom : die with a grievance (or evesting regret).

    Qiu Shi¡¯s pupils shrunk. To her surprise, Yuxi had killed a person, and she even did it without any hesitation.

    Yuxi returned the sword to the stunned Deng Xue, then faced the lifeless Zijin as she coldly said, ¡°What situation are we currently facing now? Do you have to be merciful? If you once again act merciful to these people who kill others without even blinking their eyes, then we will be the ones who die.¡±

    Zijin¡¯s hand suddenly trembled, and with a feeling of remorse, she stated, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Actually, Yuxi was also scared. How could she not be scared when it was her first time killing a person? It was just that, if she really let this man go, it would only fuel the bandits¡¯ anger and discourage them, everyone inside the yard, from fighting back. These bandits were all daredevils, and once they had the upper hand, they wouldn¡¯t let them inside go, and surely, everyone would die. She didn¡¯t want to die, she didn¡¯t want to die like this. ¡°Don¡¯t apologise, and don¡¯t show any more mercy in the face of those bandits. Otherwise, it will be us who¡¯ll die.¡± After saying that, she said towards the dumbfounded group of people in the courtyard, ¡°There are only ten or so bandits left outside, and there are more than twenty of us in this courtyard. Furthermore, Zijin and the Deng sisters have martial arts skills, hence we don¡¯t need to be afraid of them at all, it¡¯s them who should be afraid of us.¡±

    The group of people in the courtyard were emboldened by her talk. Of course, it was mainly because of Zijin¡¯s awesome martial arts, and Yuxi¡¯s decisive way of dealing with these bandits like they were no more than so-so?Chinese idiom : nothing out of the ordinary. As a result, the two had raised an unyielding fighting spirit in the hearts of all the people inside the courtyard.

    Yuxi looked at Qiu Shi, whose face had gone bloodless, and urged, ¡°Eldest Aunt, go inside the house quickly! I will stay here.¡± Qiu Shi was useless when she stayed in the courtyard, and it was better for her aunt to just go inside like Ye Shi.

    When Mama Li heard these words, she was busy pulling Qiu Shi and said, ¡°My Lady, let¡¯s go inside!¡± She also thought that it was safer to stay indoors than in the open yard. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Qiu Shi was horrified when she saw Zijin start to fight the bandit, but she knew she could not enter the room. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± For her, as an adult, to leave Yuxi alone in the courtyard was an embarrassment for her to speak out.

    When Yuxi saw Qiu Shi insisted on not entering the house, she did not force her. At this time, a maid called out, ¡°Miss, someone has crawled in again.¡±

    Yuxi looked up at the wall, and this time, there were three people on top of it. She looked at the people in the courtyard and instructed, ¡°Deng Shuang, Deng Xue, both of you have to deal with one of them each. Zijin, all you have to do is knock down the broadswords in the bandits¡¯ hands.¡±

    As soon as the three bandits fell on the ground, two fought with Deng Shuang and Deng Xue. After all the swords in the two bandits¡¯ hands were knocked down by Zijin, four to five rough old women servants with thick arms and sticks in their hands swarmed up to the two bandits.

    The rest of the ten bandits outside shivered when they heard another screams for helping from inside the yard. Among them, a bald man asked, ¡°Dage2it literally means eldest brother, but sometimes this word is used by gangs to call their leader, are we still going to go in?¡±

    Just after he was smashed on the head, and there was blood all over his head as he stated, ¡°Dage2it literally means eldest brother, but sometimes this word is used by gangs to call their leader, there is a woman in there who is extremely strong and looks like she has trained herself. There are also two other women holding swords who look like bodyguards.¡±

    The leader was just about to say he was going to go in when a corpse was thrown out of the yard. The person who had just made an inquiry lost his voice when he saw what had been thrown out, ¡°Dage2it literally means eldest brother, but sometimes this word is used by gangs to call their leader, this is An Chun. Ah Chun has been killed by these people?¡±

    The leader shouted to the courtyard, ¡°As long as you release our brothers, we will immediately leave.¡± Ever since they entered this backyard, it felt like they had entered an unmannednd. The women they had met before were as weak as chickens, and they were all soft. It was really easy to fight them off, but they didn¡¯t expect to encounter a hard stubble here. Even one of their brother had been killed.

    Yuxi sneered. Those words were clearly a test. If they really released the three bandits, those bandits outside definitely would not leave.

    King Yan, the King of (Chinese-Buddhist) Hell

    Image Credit | Public Domain via The Temple Trail (Chinese God¡¯s 101)

    After hearing Yuxi¡¯s words before, Deng Fang immediately called out viciously to the people outside, ¡±Come in if you have the guts. If you dare toe in, I¡¯ll kill you, and I¡¯ll kill all those who dare toe next and next. This Great Aunt will personally send you all to meet King Yan Chinese-Buddhist King of Hell a.k.a King Yama, King Emma (in Japanese) = be dead.¡±

    Yuxi looked at the three dying bandits on the ground, and said, ¡±Give each of them a sh of your sword. Zijin, you throw them out.¡± Only Zijin had this huge strength to throw a person from this side to the outside.

    The leader looked at the three corpses that had been thrown out. Two of the bodies had sword wounds, and the other with a deformed head. Moreover, the first one earlier had been stabbed with a sword. All the women inside this courtyard were really vicious human beings. TNThose bandits are really like a pot calling the kettle ck.

    ¡°Dage2it literally means eldest brother, but sometimes this word is used by gangs to call their leader, what are we waiting for?¡± cried the thinnest one among them. ¡°Kill them all without exception, so that we can avenge Ah Chun and Monkey Four***I don¡¯t know if this is someone¡¯s name or the name of their group.¡± Wasn¡¯t it just a group of women, so just cut them all with a knife each.

    The bandits leader hesitated when he saw the bodies.

    The bald man who had been hit by Zijin with a stick on his head suggested, ¡±There are a few female guards with high martial arts skills in there, and the other twenty or so women are all holdingrge sticks. Dage2it literally means eldest brother, but sometimes this word is used by gangs to call their leader, if we can¡¯t loot here, let¡¯s go somewhere else, there¡¯s no need for us to die here.¡± They broke into the State Residence just to seek money, and when they encountered a tough situation such as this, they naturally did not want to risk their lives just to get into a tough situation.

 Chapter 127 - Palace Rebellion (5)

    <strong>Chapter 127 : Pce Rebellion (5)</strong>

    Just as the leader of the bandits was hesitating whether to continue the attack or to give up, one of them found the side door. ¡°Dage1eldest brother / respectful intimate term for leader of a gang, there is a door here.¡±

    Everyone inside the courtyard was very nervous when they heard this shout. When Yuxi saw this situation, she walked over to Deng Shuang and whispered a few words to her.

    As Deng Shuang listened to Yuxi, nodded her head, and then shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, there are only ten of them left. We have more than 20 people here. If they dare toe in, we will kill them all.¡±

    When Zijin noticed this situation, she shouted along with an extremely imposing manner, ¡°Right, when one enters, let¡¯s kill that one. When two enter, let¡¯s kill those two.¡±

    A few of the ten men outside suddenly hesitated when they heard the shouts from inside the courtyard. The bald one kept urging, ¡°Dage1eldest brother / respectful intimate term for leader of a gang, we better go! Furthermore, there are other ces that we can loot other than here.¡±

    The thinnest one was unwilling, as he countered, ¡°Aren¡¯t they just a few stinky women, and they¡¯re just bluffing, so you¡¯re afraid of what they will do? When we rush in, I will kill them and take revenge for Ah Chun.¡±

    The bald man had been frightened by Zijin, ¡±Bluffing? Didn¡¯t you see Ah Chun¡¯s body? Inside there are a bunch of tigresses. A bunch of tigresses who dare to kill.¡± Seeing that the others were hesitating, the bald man continued saying, ¡°If you want to go in, you can go in by yourselves. I will not apany you.¡± With that had been said, he led the two men around him away. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    In response to this situation, the bandits leader said, ¡°Let¡¯s leave.¡± Since four of them had passed away, the remaining bandits would only get themselves trampled on2Chinese idiom : to be taken advantage of.

    When the bandits left, the sound they made wasn¡¯t small, hence, those inside the courtyard could clearly hear them moving. At this point, everyone stood in the yard in silence, with none of them dared to speak.

    It was unknown who said it first, ¡°Miss, the bandits have left.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t rx at all as she said, ¡°You must not lower your guard down. It¡¯s likely that the bandits wille back here.¡± If the bandits really returned while they were cking off, the oue would be so ghastly to be contemted3Chinese idiom : unthinkable.

    When everyone heard these words, they were immediately in their battle array and waited for the arrival of the enemy?Chinese idiom : prepared to meet the challenge.

    Deng Shuang looked at the tightly stretched out Zijin and whispered, ¡°Zijin, even death cannot wipe out these people¡¯s crimes?Chinese idiom: dreadful crimes that rankled even after the perpetrator is dead. If they don¡¯t die, we will. So, you don¡¯t have to burden yourself so much.¡± Although Zijin looked like she didn¡¯t care about it in the least, Deng Shuang could feel that Zijin was scared.

    Deng Shuang was a bit scared at first. She had fought with people before, even with local hoodlums. It wasn¡¯t as if her head had never been broken or bleeding before this, but she had never killed anyone with her own hands. However, when she saw Han Yuxi, a girl from the boudoir, dared to kill with a sword, being unafraid of anything, made Deng Shuang not only unafraid, but also excited. The payment for this job would certainly be extremely rich and generous, not to mention a lifetime of not having to worry about clothes and food?Chinese idiom : be provided with the basic necessities, they also wouldn¡¯t have to worry about silvers for at least ten more years. At this moment, Deng Shuang hated not being able to immediately tell her aunt about this good news. Where was the half-assed fear that had been in her heart just now?

    Deng Xue nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. Even death cannot wipe out these people¡¯s crimes?Chinese idiom: dreadful crimes that rankled even after the perpetrator is dead. So, there is no need for you to me yourself.¡±

    If they were in a usual situation, everyone would have been afraid of these two women, and would definitely show their respects from a distance?Chinese idiom : to remain at a respectful distance. But, in this kind of situation, when everyone noticed how valiant the two sisters were, they miraculously lost their fear, and they had a high fighting spirit instead. Even if the bandits returned, they would also be unafraid.

    Zijin exined in a hoarse voice, ¡°I don¡¯t me myself.¡± The only thing she med herself was her being soft hearted just now. If she had not been soft hearted, Miss wouldn¡¯t have to be the one who killed that man. When she thought until here, she looked at Yuxi who was pursuing her lips while staring straight at the wall.

    Deng Shuang also took notice of Yuxi¡¯s manner and climbed up thedder to look out. After a while, she shouted, ¡°The bandits have gone far away. Everyone can have a rest first.¡±

    When Yuxi heard this, she immediately said to the cook, ¡°Go and cook something for everyone.¡± It was still early in the morning. Once everyone ate and drank their fill, then they would have their physical strengths back.

    Deng Shuang said, ¡°I am worried that the fragrance will attract the bandits.¡±

    There was a sh of cold light in Yuxi¡¯s eyes as she said, ¡°It¡¯s better if they reallye here.¡± If she was right, the number of people who broke into the inner backyard this time should not be veryrge, asaas they were divided into several groups. Otherwise, there would not have been only a dozen people who came here just now.

    As Deng Shuang carefully looked at Yuxi, she suddenly remembered what her aunt had said. There was a kind of person in this world who was naturally bolder than others. It was a pity that Yuxi was the Fourth Miss of the State Residence. If she was a jianghu?lit. rivers andke ¨C people wandering from ce to ce and living by their wits, e.g. fortune-tellers, quack doctors, itinerant entertainers, etc. , considered as a social group child, she couldn¡¯t say for sure what Yuxi would have done.

    After listening to Yuxi¡¯s words, the cook immediately called two maids into the kitchen and began to wash and cook. Several other people caught sight of this situation and immediately moved some firewood into the kitchen. In fact, there were still some fears in everyone¡¯s hearts, and by getting busy, they could clear the fear from their hearts.

    Yuxii said towards Qiu Shi, ¡°Eldest Aunt, the bandits have gone far now. I believe the guards in the residence wille soon. You should go inside and have a rest!¡±

    Qiu Shi had been a strong supporter a moment ago. Now that the bandits had gone far away, she no longer insisted to stay and had gone into the house with Mama Li.

    More than a quarter of an hourter, the cook brought a bowl of chicken soup to Yuxi and said, ¡°Miss, you drink a bowl to warm yourself up first, the meal will be ready soon.¡±

    Instead of answering, Yuxi asked, ¡°Have this been sent to aunt and Dasao?eldest sister-inw too?¡±

    The cook nodded and said, ¡°Theirs have all been delivered, and so was everyone else¡¯s.¡± The chicken was originally ced on the stove to be simmered as soup, which was intended to be used by Qiu Shi in the morning, or it wouldn¡¯t have been ready so soon. But for a single chicken that had been simmered into arge pot of soup, the taste was much lighter, and it was enough for everyone to have a drink of hot bowls of soup in the middle of the night.

    Yuxi had a delicious meal. After she ate, she handed the bowl to the cook and said, ¡°It has been hard for you.¡±

    The cook quickly shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not hard, not hard.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for Fourth Miss, they would all have been dead. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi waved her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get ourselves busy!¡± Once she said that, she went into the room to see Qiu Shi and Ye Shi.

    As soon as Yuxi entered the room, she saw Ye Shi lying on the bed with a white face. She noticed the bowl of chicken soup beside the bed that hadn¡¯t been drunk. She didn¡¯t say anything about it.

    Qiu Shi took Yuxi¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on outside right now?¡± She hadn¡¯t seen such a big thing in her whole life. She was really frightened at that time.

    Yuxiforted her aunt, ¡°Eldest Aunt, it will be fine. You don¡¯t have to worry. Even if no onees to help, we will be fine. After daybreak, everything will be fine.¡±

    Qiu Shi tightened her grip on Yuxi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Yuxi, we¡¯re fortunate that we have you tonight.¡± She was scared out of her wits1?Chinese idiom : distracted / stunned at that time. If not for Yuxi¡¯s calmmand, the main courtyard would have been rivers of blood11Chinese idiom : bloodbath.

    When old woman Hua saw that Yuxi had note to greet her Master for a long time, she could not help but toughened her scalp12to summon up courage and said, ¡°Fourth Miss, pleasee and help Da Nainai13da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house. Da Nainai13da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house is not feeling well.¡±

    Yuxi was somewhat embarrassed. If Ye Shi wasn¡¯t pregnant, she would still dare to take her pulse and give her diagnosis, but with Ye Shi¡¯s condition and in addition the importance of this baby, she wouldn¡¯t dare to meddle with it.

    Qiu Shi also paid close attention to Ye Shi¡¯s unborn child, ¡°Yuxi, please help your Dasao?eldest sister-inw to have a look! May as well do it for her peace of mind.¡±

    Yuxi still did not want to take Ye Shi¡¯s pulse. She just looked at Ye Shi¡¯s face, and said, ¡°Although I have studied pharmacology, I have never diagnosed anyone¡¯s pulse, much less prescribed a prescription. So, it is better to wait until after dawn to find a physician toe check on Dasao?eldest sister-inw. But looking at Dasao?eldest sister-inw like this, she should have suffered a scare and stirred her foetus vital energy.¡±

    Qiu Shi also thought the same thing, ¡°Yuxi, is there any other way?¡± ??Shouldn¡¯t they try to calm Ye Shi first?

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    When old woman Hua heard Yuxi¡¯s words, she hurriedly said, ¡°Fourth Miss, there is an anti-abortion medicine prescribed by Imperial Physician Le in our courtyard, as a protection against unexpected situations. Fourth Miss, tell Miss Zijin to go to Rosin Courtyard and fetch the anti-abortion medicine. I¡¯m afraid Da Nainai13da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house won¡¯t be able to hold on.¡± ??Have you tried calming your Da Nainai first? Shouldn¡¯t there be a mama who handles pregnant women around Ye Shi? This old woman Hua only creates a panic situation around her.

    As Yuxi heard these words, she took a look at Ye Shi and saw Ye Shi squinting her eyes in pain as Yuxi felt a chill in her heart. To Ye Shi, emotions only mattered as far as the child in her belly was concerned, while Zijin¡¯s life was insignificant, and so were the life of twenty or so people in this courtyard. At this moment, Yuxi clearly realised what a selfish person Ye Shi was. Fortunately, she only asked Zijin to pick her up just now.

    When Mama Li heard all this talk, her eyes shed with annoyance. At this time, without caring for the distinction between the superior and the inferior, she directly said, ¡°Mama Hua, you don¡¯t know the situation outside the house. Without Miss Zijin, others can¡¯t resist the bandits. Miss Zijin is indispensable to anyone.¡± The child in Da Nainai13da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house¡¯s belly was precious, but did this mean the life of her Lady wasn¡¯t as precious?

    Qiu Shi¡¯s face was also full of displeasure. Not to mention the fact that Zijin had set everyone¡¯s mind at ease, and let¡¯s just sayo outside right now was in a mess, and they still let Zijin go, who would have known if she would not return. Qiu Shi said to Ye Shi, ¡°Just bear with it a bit longer, and let someone get the medicine when the help finally arrives.¡±

    Once old woman Hua heard this, she still wanted to plead with Yuxi. But Yuxi¡¯s expressionless face made her be speechless instead.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t even look at Ye Shi and old woman Hua as she told Qiu Shi, ¡°Eldest Aunt, I¡¯ll go out first to check on the situation.¡±

    Qiu Shi nodded and fondly said, ¡°Go ahead! If you have anything you want, just let them know.¡± Today, it was all thanks to Yuxi, otherwise her strip of life wouldn¡¯t be here anymore.

    When Liuyin saw Yuxi¡¯s ugly face, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Miss?¡± When Yuxi first came in, she was looking fine. Why did she have a ck face when she went out? What did the Lady say to Fourth Miss? No, at this time, the Lady did not have time to express her praise of gratitude to Yuxi. Thus what could make Fourth Miss be unhappy?

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m just a little tired. Are the meals ready?¡± This evening, her food consumption was too high. A bowl of chicken soup was barely filled her tooth gap1?very sparse and extremely little, that she had be hungry again.

    Liuyin knew that something was definitely wrong. It was just that Yuxi didn¡¯t want to say anything, and it wasn¡¯t good for her to ask again. After all, she wasn¡¯t Yuxi¡¯s personal maid either. ¡°Miss please wait a moment, it¡¯ll be ready soon.¡±

    Deng Shuang looked at Yuxi and bluntly asked, ¡±What¡¯s wrong? Did the First Lady say something about your killing?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head as she replied, ¡°No, my Dasao?eldest sister-inw stirs her foetus vital energy. The old woman servant beside her wanted Zijin to go to Rosin Courtyard to fetch the anti-abortion medicine.¡±

    When Deng Shuang heard this, she was furious, ¡±Are you kidding me? Let Zijin go to the Rosin Courtyard to fetch the anti-abortion medicine? Do you want Zijin to die?¡± Although Zijin could strike two people by herself, two fists were still no match for four pairs of hands. Zijin had just made such a great achievement, and then they sent Zijin to her death in a heartless manner. No wonder her aunt always said that the masters of big families were just good-for-nothing people.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know what Deng Shuang was thinking, but she still said, ¡°I didn¡¯t promise. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let Zijin take any risk.¡±

    Deng Shuang stated, ¡°I think you still have some conscience at least.¡±

    With Deng Shuang¡¯s loud voice, old woman Hua¡¯s desire for Zijin to go to Rosin Courtyard to take anti-abortion medicine was soon known to all. Everyone in their mind hated that they couldn¡¯t tear apart old woman Hua. Zijin was the highest value force in this group of people. If Zijin left, what would they do once the bandits returned? It was also because of this matter, the poprity that had been umted by old woman Hua was totally wiped out. Combined with this, Ye Shi also left a very bad impression in everyone¡¯s hearts.

 Chapter 128 - Palace Rebellion (6)

    Chapter 128 : Pce Rebellion (6)

    Han Jingyan led a group of house guards to the main room. The smell of blood was strong as soon as they entered the yard. Looking at the disorder corpses that fell on the ground, Han Jingyan¡¯s heart shuddered as he thought of the unknown status of his mother¡¯s and daughter¡¯s life, whether they were still alive or dead, as his pace grew faster.

    The Chief Steward looked inside and outside, all the way through, then he said, ¡°Third Lord, I didn¡¯t see the Old Lady or the Third Miss.¡± He actually didn¡¯t dare to say that he didn¡¯t see their corpses.

    Han Jingyan yelled out, ¡°Mother, where are you?¡± His mother was already too old to escape to other ces, so she must be hiding somewhere inside the house.

    Soon, a voice could be heard, ¡°Father, I¡¯m here with Grandmother.¡±

    Han Jingyan heard the sounde from the Small Buddha Hall, thus he immediately led the Chief Steward there. As soon as they walked in, they saw Old Lady Han with Yuchen and Yurong.

    Han Jingyan was overjoyed and cried out, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re okay.¡± Not only his Old Mother had been out of danger, but so was Yuchen, which was a real surprise.

    The Old Lady was calm as she asked, ¡°How is the residence now?¡±

    Han Jingyan answered with a heavy face, ¡±We have beaten away the bandits at the main gate. For this group of bandits in the inner courtyard, we haven¡¯t yet know where they hade from. We have to wait until daylight to find out.¡± It was already pitch ck out there that he didn¡¯t dare to walk away right now.

    Yuchen was not calm yet as she asked, ¡°Father, what¡¯s going on? Why did some bandits attack our residence while the others break into the inner courtyard? ¡± This kind of thing could be said to be quite appalling.

    Han Jingyan was just d that he was not on duty today, otherwise there would be no one to take charge of the residence, and the situation would have be even worse. ¡°Today¡¯s situation felt very wrong. Unless there is a rebellion, it is impossible for there to be this kind of big movements. Also, these bandits were trying to fish in troubled waters1Chinese idiom : to take advantage of a crisis for personal gain.¡± The most hateful thing was that he didn¡¯t know where the bandits group who attacked the inner courtyard was from.

    Yuchen¡¯s white face turned green, ¡°Rebellion? Who¡¯s plotting rebellion?¡±

    Han Jingyan did not speak, but the Old Lady understood that the one responsible was no other than the Crown Prince. She put the Buddha beads on her wrists and said, ¡°You should quickly take the people to the master courtyard to take a look. I hope your Dasao2eldest sister-inw (Qiu Shi) are safe and sound.¡± Nowadays, the Old Lady didn¡¯t want anything else, merely wished Qiu Shi would be safe and sound. If something terrible happened to Qiu Shi, both of her grandsons would have to be in mourning period. This matter would be extremely disadvantageous for the State Residence.

    Han jingyan did not dare to leave the main house anymore. He was worried if by any chance this matter hadn¡¯t ended yet. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the Chief Steward to bring some people to the master courtyard.¡±

    The Old Lady nodded and added, ¡°Also send someone to the Rose Courtyard. I wonder how the Fourth Girl is doing?¡±

    Han Jingyan¡¯s face froze as he remembered the soaring mes that rose on the sky. The location of the mes seemed to be exactly in the direction of the Rose Courtyard. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Upon seeing this situation, Yuchen anxiously asked, ¡°Father, what¡¯s wrong? Did something happen to Si Meimei3si=fourth, meimei=younger sister?¡± Momo ?wet nurse Gui had a lot to do in the pce, and as soon as she noticed that there was something wrong in the pce, she immediately took Yuchen to the main room. The Old Lady immediately brought Yuchen and Yurong, who had run over, with her into the secret chamber. Although it was a little shocking to hear the sound of beating and killing outside, that was just about it.

    Han Jingyan shook his head as he replied, ¡°It¡¯s not clear yet.¡± At that time, the ce where the fire had started was in the direction of Yuxi¡¯s courtyard, but he couldn¡¯t say it for sure as he didn¡¯t have any detailed information on it yet.

    Yuchen quickly said, ¡°Father, you must ask someone to go to the Rose Courtyard to have a look. Maybe Si Meimei3si=fourth, meimei=younger sister is hiding just like us!¡±

    Before Han Jingyan could even respond, Yurong also said, ¡±Dad, I wonder how Mom is doing right now? Dad, I want to go to Biteng Courtyard to find Mom.¡±

    The Old Lady cut off Yurong¡¯s intention with her own words, ¡°Nonsense. It¡¯s already a mess outside right now. What are you going to do with that? What can you even do when you get there?¡±

    Hearing herself being scolded, Yurong didn¡¯t dare to utter a single word anymore.

    Han Jingyan said, ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to look for her. There should be newsing soon.¡± He just hoped that everything had gone well.

    As soon as Yuxi put down her bowl and chopsticks, she saw Deng Shuang whiz up thedder and shouted, ¡°Everyone, get ready. Someone ising.¡±

    All the people inside the courtyard immediately dropped their bowls and chopsticks as they held wooden sticks in their hands. With their previous battle scene, everyone had be unafraid.

    Chief Steward Han couldn¡¯t push the door open, thus he shouted, ¡±Is anyone there? Someone, please answer. I¡¯m Han Xing.¡± There were so many deaths and people injured at the main house side that he was worried that here would be worse than there. After all, although there were many dead maids and old women servants in the main house, the Old Lady was fine. If something terrible happened to the First Lady, the residence had to be set up for a funeral.

    When Yuxi heard this, she immediately told Deng Shuang toe down, while she climbed up. ¡°Is that the Chief Steward?¡± she cried towards the gate.

    When Han Xing heard someone finally responded, he hastily walked away from the gateway and went to a corner wall. Since Chief Steward was holding a torch, Yuxi wasn¡¯t worried that someone was impersonating him. Once she was sure that the man was indeed Chief Steward Han Xing, she asked, ¡°What is the situation in the residence right now?¡±

    Han Xing shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. All the bandits have ran away.¡± As a matter of fact, these people did not flee because they had been beaten badly, but rather left by themselves. These people came mainly for money. Once they grabbed them, naturally, they would immediately run away.

    When Qiu Shi heard Han Xing¡¯s words from inside the house, she hurriedly walked out and instructed, ¡°Open the gate.¡± With Han Xing here, certainly the danger had been no more.

    Yuxi disagreed and instead said, ¡°It¡¯s better to let theme in through the side door!¡± Since it was still early in the day, she was still feeling absolutely ill at ease.

    Han Xing replied, ¡°I will just came in through the side door.¡± Now that they were in this kind of situation, there was no guarantee that all the bandits had run away, hence, acted with caution at this time was the right way.

    As Han Xing passed through the doorway and saw that Qiu Shi was safe and sound together with Yuxi, he finally put his heart to rest. When he entered the yard, he noticed that everyone in the courtyard was safe, which gave him a big surprise, ¡°First Lady, didn¡¯t the banditse

    Deng Shuang pointed to a few damp spots on the ground and exined, ¡±More than a dozen thieves came. We killed four and that scared the remaining ten away. These are the ces where the thievesid when they died just now.¡± The blood had been washed clean by a couple of old women servants, which was the reason why they were wet.

    When Han Xing heard Deng Shuang say things about killing without even blinking her eyes, he suddenly burst out, ¡°Who is this girl?¡± He was sure that this girl was not a maid of the residence. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi introduced, ¡°This is Miss Deng, the niece of Zijin¡¯s martial arts Master.¡± It was not a secret that Zijin was practising martial arts outside, so everyone in the residence should have known about it.

    Although Han Xing did not know why Deng Shuang was here, it was obvious that it was all thanks to the presence of the two girls, otherwise the people in the master courtyard would have done nothing, ¡°Thank you for Miss Deng¡¯s righteous cause.¡± It was such a pity, that if there was people like this girl taking charge of the main house, the oue would not have been so miserable.

    Deng Shuang wouldn¡¯t dare to ept his gratitude. She still wanted to ask for a reward!

    Qiu Shi asked, ¡°How is the Old Lady? Is she hurt?¡±

    Han Xing shook his head and said, ¡°The Old Lady and the Third Miss are alright, hence First Lady doesn¡¯t need to worry anymore. My Lady, are Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house and Eldest Miss here with you?¡±

    Qiu Shi answered, ¡°Your Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house is inside the house, and I didn¡¯t manage to call over your Eldest Miss and Second Miss because of our emergency situation.¡±

    Yuxi actually inserted, ¡°Chief Steward, Dasao2eldest sister-inw has stirred her foetus vital energy. I¡¯ve been told that Rosin Courtyard has the anti-abortion medicines, so please send some people there with old woman Hua to get them.¡± She would absolutely not let Zijin leave her side, but putting up a few retainers to do it was not a problem for her.

    The Chief Steward readily agreed to Yuxi¡¯s request, ¡°First Lady, Fourth Miss, since you both are alright, I will go and have a look at other ces.¡± Mainly to see how Eldest Miss and Second Miss were doing.

    Han Xing was originally going to leave some people in the master courtyard, but Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°We don¡¯t need you to leave anyone here. Just take them all with you!¡±

    As Yuxi saw Han Xing prepared to leave, she suggested, ¡°The kitchen has just made some food and they¡¯re still hot. How about Chief Steward have some to fill up the stomach?¡± Since they were currently in the fourth month, the nights were usually cold.

    Han Xing looked at Yuxi as if he was looking at an entric, ¡°You guys also made food?¡± These people even had the mood to make food in this kind of situation. They were really tough people!

    Yuxi sheepishly exined, ¡°I saw that everyone was looking exhausted after a long day which made me worry if their bodies couldn¡¯t support them, so I asked the cook to make some food. It¡¯s just to fill in the stomach. It¡¯s not really a big deal.¡±

    Han Xing had a whole new level of respect for Yuxi, ¡°Fourth Miss has thought of it thoroughly. However, I still have to visit Eldest Miss and Second Miss, so I won¡¯t be able to eat.¡± Then, he left with a bunch of people he brought.

    When old woman Hua came to Yuxi¡¯s side, she stammered as she expressed that she wished Zijin to take the anti abortion medicine with her. Since Zijin had a high martial force, it would be more reassuring to have Zijin with her. However, as soon as old woman Hua¡¯s words came out, the other people in the yard red at her with hatred.

    Zijin refused, ¡°I want to stay with Miss.¡± No one knew if all the bandits had really left. Just in case there were still more, wouldn¡¯t her Miss be in danger?

    Old woman Hua gazed at Qiu Shi with an earnest hopeful look on her face.

    Mama Li was very disgusted with the way old woman Hua was acting. Everyone knew that Zijin was not bad in martial arts, and old woman Hua wanted to take away Zijin, who was responsible for their safety, just for her own sake, not to mention that the Lady and the Fourth Miss were still around. Mama Li put on a fake smile as she urged, ¡°Mama Hua, go faster the you can return early!¡±

    Old woman Hua had no choice but to toughen her scalp?force oneself to by taking four retainers to Rosin Courtyard.

    After old woman Hua¡¯s party went out, Yuxi asked the side door to be closed and had two old women servants watched over it, just in case.

    Deng Shuangughed, ¡°Even if there are a few fish that slip through the?Chinese idiom : criminal atrge, we have nothing to fear.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Deng Shuang and asked, ¡±What if the other party attacks us with fire? Will you be able to resist it when the timees?¡± It was a good thing those people (the bandits) didn¡¯t light a fire just now, or things wouldn¡¯t have been resolved so quickly.

    What Yuxi didn¡¯t know was that it wasn¡¯t because the bandits didn¡¯t know how to set the fire, but they didn¡¯t dare to do so after watching the courtyard people martial arts value went extremely off the charts. If by any chance they forced their way through, those 20 people inside the courtyard would kill them all, and at that time, none would be able to escape unscathed.

    The Chief Steward hade for a while, and although not one retainer from his group was left behind, the crowd was no longer afraid. The most dangerous moment had passed and now it was just a matter of waiting for daybreak.

    Three quarters of an hourter, old woman Hua returned.

    When Yuxi saw old woman Hua having weak legs, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Old woman Hua handed the medicine in her hand to Yuxi and said, ¡°This is Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house¡¯s anti abortion medicine.¡± After saying that, she passed out.

    Without waiting for instructions, some people immediately lent their hands in carrying old woman Hua into the room.

    Yuxi handed the anti abortion medicine to the cook, ¡±Go and make the medicine for Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house. Also, get some food for the four of them.¡±

    The four retainers looked at Yuxi with faces full of gratitude.

    Zijin looked at the exhausted Yuxi and said, ¡±Miss, you should go and rest for a while! There are me and the Deng sisters here. Everything will be fine.¡±

    How could Yuxi dare to sleep. ¡°I will wait till dawn before I rest.¡± Even if sheid in bed now, she still wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep.

    That night was destined to be a sleepless night. No one was sleeping. Everyone was on their feet, waiting for daybreak, as only then would everyone be at ease.

 Chapter 129 - Palace Rebellion (7)

    Chapter 129 : Pce Rebellion (7)

    Dawn morning glow gradually disyed the various colours of purple, blue and green, as the rising sun revealed its first light to the world. The sky had never been seen to be this red; and everyone had also never been exposed to this fresh bright red sky. In a split second, the fireball rose to the sky, as it set off the rosy clouds which caught everyone¡¯s eyesight.

    Yuxi looked at the rising sun and let out a long sigh of relief. Atst it was dawn, and she was no longer needed to be afraid of thieves or bandits.

    Zijin looked at Yuxi¡¯s bloodshot eyes and urged, ¡°Miss, you¡¯d better take a rest!¡± She was really anxious when she caught sight of her Miss¡¯ appearance.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Rose Courtyard first.¡± Everyone seemed to reach a consensus not to mention anything about Rose Courtyard, but Yuxi knew that with such a big fire, her courtyard definitely didn¡¯t exist anymore. She was now worried about the condition of those maids who had served her. Did they do what she said and hid in the rockery? If they didn¡¯t, then in that case, it would only bode ill rather than well1Chinese idiom : inauspicious / everything points to disaster.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t want Yuxi to go to Rose Courtyard, as she wanted her to have a good rest first.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°With Zijin following me, there¡¯s no need for aunt to worry about my safety. The sisters, Deng Shuang and Deng Xue will stay with aunt so I don¡¯t have to worry too.¡± Now that everyone was still in a state of shock, leaving behind the Deng sisters to stay in the yard would unlikely made her aunt be so anxious.

    Then Qiu Shi ordered four rough old women servants to follow Yuxi. ¡°Take these four people with you.¡± ording to her meaning, she really wanted Yuxi to properly stay in her courtyard. It was only that she knew Yuxi¡¯s nature, and others¡¯ opinion would not be able to make Yuxie to her senses. For this reason, Qiu Shi had a headache as well.

    Yuxi smiled a bit and no longer refused as she nodded her head, ¡°Okay.¡± She didn¡¯t believe that there were still bandits in the inner courtyard, for the simple reason that they could only fish in troubled waters2Chinese idiom : to take advantage of a crisis for personal gain at night, since there was nowhere for them to hide if they went in during the day. She didn¡¯t refuse it so that Qiu Shi¡¯s mind would be at ease.

    From the master courtyard to the Rose Courtyard, it only took a quarter an hour journey, and it usually felt like one would arrive there in the blink of an eye. But now, as Yuxi looked at the dead bodies being carried out from time to time, also with the bright red blood that was on the ground, she felt that every step she took forward was extremely difficult. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When Zijin noticed Yuxi had lost the colour on her face, she held Yuxi¡¯s hand and suggested, ¡°Miss, let¡¯s just go back.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Seeing such a scene reminded her of the time when she fled in herst life. In retrospect, she really felt extremely fearless back then. From the hamlet to the gate of the capital city, she had walked for more than ten days. She didn¡¯t know how many dead people she had seen then, but she was not frightened by them. Instead, she had avoided and escaped from wandering bandits, as she went straight to the capital city. The difference was that all the dead people she saw in those days were unknown people, but now, she recognised all that had passed away.

    As Yuxi thought till here, her heart started to choke up with nervousness. Nothing such as this happened in herst life, and these people didn¡¯t die. If it was really because of the poisonous hand of Heshou Xianzhu3he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, then Yuxi felt that she was partly responsible for the deaths of these people.

    When Zijin saw Yuxi was in a daze, she softly called her out, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Miss? Are you scared? Otherwise, let¡¯s go back to the master courtyard! We will go to Rose Courtyard in the afternoon instead.¡± By then, all the dead bodies must have already beenpletely removed.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Before they reached Rose Courtyard, they saw Zisu approaching them. When Zisu saw Yuxi, her tense expression slowly loosened up. Her eyes were red when she said, ¡°Miss, our yard¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t finish her sentence as she unable to help herself from crying.

    Yuxi knew it in her heart but she didn¡¯t say anything, and she just walked towards the direction of the Rose Courtyard. Not long after they continued walking, everyone could smell a strong, pungent scent.

    Soon, Yuxi arrived at the front gate of Rose Courtyard. What lefts of her courtyard were only remnants of broken ridges and dpidated walls, while in the middle of it, there was still smoke curling out from the burnt wooden beams.

    Seeing such a scene, Yuxi¡¯s mind went back to the time when she was inside a sea of me, which was extremely hot, and extremely painful till she finally couldn¡¯t even breath¡­..

    Zijin sensed that Yuxi¡¯s face didn¡¯t look right, and before she could ask, she saw Yuxi fell straight down to the ground.

    Zisu and the others were dumbfounded.

    Zijin had experiencedst night¡¯s events, thus her heart was clearly much more resilient. She quickly carried Yuxi on her back and returned to the master courtyard as fast as she could.

    Qiu Shi was astounded when she saw the unconscious Yuxi. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did she pass out?¡± She tried to wake Yuxi several times, unfortunately, Yuxi didn¡¯t wake up.

    Zisu wiped away her strings of tears and exined, ¡°When Miss saw Rose Courtyard had been burned to the ground, she couldn¡¯t stand the shock that she fainted.¡± Zisu wasn¡¯t the only one who thought it happened that way, even Kufu, Maidong and the others had thought the same thing.

    Qiu Shi also knew about the burnt Rose Courtyard just now, and when she heard Yuxi fainted because of this, she felt quite distressed and started to chide, ¡°This child, really! It was just a courtyard. If its burnt, then it will still be burned. Is a courtyard more important than a life?¡± Since Rose Courtyard had already gone, then just moved to another courtyard to live in.

    Zijin urgently requested, ¡°My Lady, we need to call the physician quickly!¡±

    Once Qiu Shi heard this, she hastily instructed Mama Li, ¡°Physician Bai is still with the Old Lady. You go there and request Physician Bai toe over here next.¡± She already got the news that the Old Lady and Yuchen were both fine. They invited the physician just to be on the safe side.

    When Mama Li got her orders, she quickly walked out. In the time it took Yuxi to return to Rose Courtyard, Mama Li had learned that more than ten maids from the main room had died and another more than ten had been injured. Aside from the Old Lady, Third Miss and Fifth Miss who managed to avoid the disaster, there wasn¡¯t a single normal person?it¡¯s like the opposite of a noble person, something like that in the main room. Ifpared with the main room, none of the people from the master courtyard had passed away nor did they have any injuries. For them to still be alive and in full intact, was all thanks to Fourth Miss¡¯ good fortune!

    After Physician Bai took a look at the Old Lady, Yuchen and the others, he exined that it was not a big issue, as they were just a little scared. He then wrote a prescription that could calm their nerves. This prescription was also good for when they had a seque and nightmares at night.

    Yurong said, ¡°Grandmother, my mom is also injured. Please ask Physician Bai to take a look at her injuries too.¡± Now that it was a mess outside, it was very difficult for anyone to hire a doctor. Physician Bai was the official doctor for the State Residence, so he didn¡¯t need to be hired by other people outside, and for that reason, he hade over to the residence at the first light.

    The Old Lady was just about to nod her head in agreement when Mama Li arrived.

    Mama Li kneeled on the ground and put forth her request with tears in her eyes, ¡°Old Lady, Fourth Miss has fainted. No matter how many times we called her, she wouldn¡¯t wake up. Old Lady, please let Physician Bai take a look at Fourth Miss!¡±

    The Old Lady jumped out from her seat in shock, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t you people say she was safe and sound just now? Why did she suddenly unconscious right now?¡±

    Mama Li wiped her tears and told the Old Lady, ¡°Fourth Miss went back to the Rose Courtyard, and when she saw that it had been burnt to the ground, she couldn¡¯t endure the shock that she fainted.¡± Anyone who saw that they suddenly didn¡¯t have anything at all, would not be able to stand the shock.

    The Old Lady didn¡¯t even want to think about it as she hurriedly said towards Physician Bai, ¡°Physician Bai, please hurry and see Fourth Girl¡¯s situation.¡± ??Is she really that concerned about Yuxi? (?_?)

    In response to this situation, Yuchen also stood up and said, ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯m going to visit my Si Meimei?si=fourth, meimei=younger sister.¡± It wasn¡¯t easy to get the news that Yuxi was out of danger the first time, and now, Yuxi was in dangerous situation again, which really made her very uneasy.

    Where would the Old Lady let Yuchen leave her side as she said, ¡°Your Si Meimei?si=fourth, meimei=younger sister is only a little stimted and will wake up soon. You don¡¯t have to be so worry.¡±

    Yurong reluctantly said, ¡°Grandmother, my mom is injured and also needs to be checked by Physician Bai.¡± Why on earth should he go see Yuxi first, when her mother was the elder? Her grandmother should let him focused on her mother first anyway.

    The Old Lady said to Physician Bai, ¡°Go see how Yuxi is doing first. After that, you¡¯ll go and take a look at the Third Lady.¡± Shemanded this not because she was being biased towards Yuxi, but she knew that Wu Shi only suffered from some external wounds, and even if the physician went there a bitte, it was no more than just flesh pain. However, if the physician waste in checking Yuxi¡¯s condition, there might be a life threatening situation. From Han Xing¡¯s side, she heard that Yuxi had preserved the life of people in the master courtyard. Now, in her mind, Yuxi¡¯s status was only second to Yuchen. ??Wow, status upgrade!

    No matter how unhappy Yurong was, she didn¡¯t dare to contradict the Old Lady¡¯s words. She could only bite her lower lip in frustration.

    The Old Lady looked at the extremely anxious Yuchen. She patted her hand andforted, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Yuxi will be fine.¡± Speaking of Yuxi, the Old Lady¡¯s mood was also quiteplicated. Except for old woman Luo beside her, half of the maids and old women servants who attended her had died, while those who survived, some were scared out of their wits, so only a few of them could be used. As for her properties, all the golds, silvers, jewellery and valuables in her yard were looted and the warehouse was nearly empty. However, because of Zijin and the Deng sisters who were brought by Yuxi, there were no casualties and no loss of property in the master courtyard. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Beijing Siheyuan

    From what I read, the side room is also called a wing. In this picture, we have west side room and east side room, which can also be called west wing and east wing. The west side room is usually used by an unmarried son, while the east side room is usually used by an unmarried daughter.

    Image Credit | D.N. Gardens

    Since Physician Bai had left, Yurong didn¡¯t want to stay in the main room anymore. Hence, she called a few old women servants to return to Biteng Courtyard. When the Old Lady saw this situation, she simply told Yuchen to go back to the side room, ¡°You should also go and have a rest for a while.¡±

    Not long after Yuchen left, old woman Luo came in and whispered to the Old Lady, ¡°Old Lady, Fourth Miss¡¯ eyelid had jumped non-stop the day before yesterday, and then that night, she dreamed about blood all over the yard? Do you think she is able to foretell good and bad fortune?¡± The night beforest, Yuxi dreamed that there was blood all over the yard, andst night, they met with mishap. This dream really became true.

    The Old Lady¡¯s hand shook a little. It was true that because of this nightmare Yuxi had let Zijin and the Deng sisters into theirpound. ¡°Did anyone from Rose Courtyard die?¡±

    Old woman Luo shook her head and said, ¡°I asked about it just now. All the maids of Rose Courtyard hid themselves inside the garden rockeryst night and they didn¡¯te out until dawn, so there were no casualties reported for Rose Courtyard. I asked them specifically, and they said that before Fourth Miss went to the master courtyard, they were told not to stay in Rose Courtyard and hide themselves inside the rockery.¡± In other words, neither Rose Courtyard nor Master Courtyard had suffered any casualties.

    The Old Lady opened her mouth, but she didn¡¯t say anything. The reason Rose Courtyard and the master courtyard didn¡¯t suffer any casualties was thanks to Yuxi¡¯s good fortune. But on their side, they didn¡¯t even been stained with half of her good fortune.

    Old woman Luo continued, ¡°Old Lady, the maids and old women servants beside Fourth Miss had taken every important thing before they went inside the rockery. Although Rose Courtyard had been burned down, the loss was not that great.¡± Compared with the losses of the main courtyard, Rose Courtyard lose was like one hair from nine oxen?Chinese idiom : too little to make a difference.

    The Old Lady was silent for a long time before she said, ¡°Ask someone to go and see. If Fourth Girl wakes up, let me know.¡± She didn¡¯t know what kind of attitude she should have when she saw Yuxi now. Even if she was willing to be nice to her, Yuxi¡¯s temperament might not be able to ept the sentiment.

 Chapter 130 - Palace Rebellion (8)

    Chapter 130 : Pce Rebellion (8)

    Everyone thought that Yuxi would wake up soon, but they did not expect that Yuxi would suddenly have a high fever and start to talk nonsense.

    Yuxi was lying in bed, looking very miserable, and her mouth kept on shouting, ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, I don¡¯t want to die¡­..¡± She had been repeating these sentences only.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s hair had turned white with anxiety. She asked Physician Bai, ¡°Mr Physician, what¡¯s wrong with the Fourth Girl?¡±

    Physician Bai also felt that it was very strange. ¡°For Fourth Miss to be like this, it is usually the consequence caused by a great stimtion. In principle, she just only saw her yard in ruins, so she shouldn¡¯t have this kind of serious consequence! First Lady, is there anything being left out that hasn¡¯t been told to thisoxiu1means ¡®I¡¯ and usually used by old men?¡±

    Qiu Shi remembered that moment when Yuxi inserted the sword into the bandit¡¯s chest, ¡°This child, this child¡­..¡± Yuxi was too calm at that time, so calm that Qiu Shi thought the act wouldn¡¯t interfere with Yuxi¡¯s emotion, but she didn¡¯t expect this child had just buried her fear in her heart.

    When Physician Bai heard that Yuxi was forced to kill a person under duress, he nodded. ¡°Because of the emergency situation at that time, it was a natural tendency for Fourth Miss to have an emotional strain. Once she rxed, she then saw that her yard had been burned down, thus the hidden terror had floated back to her mind. She has remained unconscious because of this acute anxiety.¡± It was contrary to what he expected, that Fourth Miss would be so brave during that critical moment. Though he admired Yuxi¡¯s quick ability to make a prompt decision to kill the bandit.

    Qiu Shi felt so anxious and irritated. ¡°Mr Physician, what should we do now? The child has continuously been talking nonsense. Can you please save her?¡±

    Physician Bai immediately wrote down a prescription for someone to prepare the medicine, and then he told Qiu Shi, ¡°When Fourth Miss wakes up, try to uplift her mood and don¡¯t let her think about the killing.¡± A bad thing like killing a person could be a shadow in person¡¯s life that couldst for a lifetime.

    When Zijin knew the reason for Yuxi¡¯s unconsciousness, she really regretted it, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t hesitated, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Deng Shuang had a different view. If Fourth Miss was forced to kill, it would surely leave a shadow, but at that time, Fourth Miss herself took the initiative to kill without anyone forcing her, so Deng Shuang was not worried at all. ¡°Zijin, you don¡¯t have to worry. Fourth Miss will be fine.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for the physician himself who said that Yuxi had gotten a scare and was currently unconscious, Deng Shuang would have suspected that Yuxi was faking it. Compared with the braveness that Yuxi showed that night, the present Yuxi was indeed weak!

    When Zijin saw Yuxi didn¡¯t seem to wake up soon, she had to continue carrying her heart2be very worried.

    At the time when Yuxi finally opened her eyes, she saw a golden sun shining through, filtered into dappled shadows by the window thin screen with hollowed-out flower pattern.

    Looking at Zijin, who had fallen asleep at the edge of the bed, Yuxi tried to softly call her a few times. When she saw Zijin being unresponsive, she stopped calling for her.

    Even though Zijin didn¡¯t wake up, Zisu, who was waiting outside, had sharp ears and could hear Yuxi¡¯s small yelp. When she strode in, she was surprised to see Yuxi awoke. ¡°Miss, you finally woke up?¡±

    Yuxi looked at Zisu in confusion, wondering why Zisu just said that she finally woke up.

    At this moment, Zijin also roused up, and when she saw that Yuxi had finally awakened, her tears started to fall, ¡°Miss, you scared me to death.¡± If Yuxi didn¡¯t wake up, Zijin would rather die to apologise to Yuxi for her sins.

    Yuxi tried to smile, but she was too weak to do so. Even when she managed to smile, it was looking particrly depressing. ¡°What with these nonsense words? As a matter of fact, I am all right.¡±

    Zisu wiped away her tears and grumbled, ¡°Miss, how can you be all right? You have been sleeping for three days.¡± If Miss didn¡¯t wake up, they would all be worried to death.

    Yuxi was very surprised, ¡°I have been sleeping for three days?¡±

    Zisu nodded, ¡°Uh-huh, today has been the third day.¡± Actually, if she had to say it precisely, Yuxi had only been unconscious for two whole days.

    When Zijin noticed that Yuxi wanted to talk more, she hurriedly said, ¡°Miss, please hold your tongue. This talk can be put offter, so please eat something first.¡±

    Yuxi caught sight of Zijin¡¯s bloodshot eyes and asked, ¡°Have you not been sleeping for the past three days?¡± In terms of loyalty, Zisu always be behind Zijin. No matter what happened, Zijin would consistently put Yuxi first.

    Zisu said beside her, ¡°Miss, Zijin has been staying by your bedside for the past few days. She¡¯s simply unwilling to leave. Miss, please persuade her! At this rate, even a strong man¡¯s body won¡¯t be able to stand it.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Zijin and urged, ¡°Go eat something yourself, then get some sleep.¡± When Yuxi saw Zijin¡¯s reluctant look, she continued to say, ¡°If you don¡¯t take care of yourself, who will protect me if something happens in the future?¡±

    Once Zijin heard this, she earnestly went out to eat.

    Yuxi felt a lot better after eating two bowls of rice congee. As sheid in bed, she took the opportunity to ask Zisu, ¡°What actually happened that night?¡±

    Two Quick Methods of Cooking Rice Congee/Porridge

    There was still a lingering fear in Zisu¡¯s face as she retold the night event to Yuxi, ¡°That night, the Crown Prince had staged a rebellion. When the capital local ruffians got wind of it, they seized the chance to band together in looting the properties of the rich and influential families. The State Residence was also the target that had caught these people¡¯s eyes.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and then asked, ¡°How is the condition outside now?¡±

    Zisu told Yuxi everything that she knew, ¡°The Crown Prince failed in his rebellion andmitted suicide. All those who were responsible and participated in the rebellion were executed with three generations of their families. I heard that the blood on the execution ground by the vegetable market could not be washed clean in the past two days.¡± Thousands of heads were cut off every day, thus it would be odd if the ground was able to be washed clean!

    Before Yuxi could even ask another question, she saw Qiushiing over in a hurry. As soon as Qiu Shi got the news that Yuxi had woken up, she immediately rushed over. ¡°Fourth Girl, you finally woke up.¡± These days, because of Yuxi being unconscious, Qiu Shi¡¯s heart was filled with regret and guiltiness. As an elder, she even made Yuxi, who was still a child, protect her. When she thought of this, it had made her unable to eat nor sleep.

    Yuxi said with her face full of regret, ¡°I¡¯ve made Eldest Aunt worry.¡±

    Hearing Yuxi¡¯s words of regret, Qiu Shi felt distressed and sad at the same time, ¡°What kind of nonsense are you talking about? If it wasn¡¯t for you, Aunt don¡¯t know what Aunt will be right now.¡± She still had a lingering fear every time she remembered that night. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t rashly take a bunch of maids to the main room, or else, they would have encountered a bandit on their way. At that time, how could they still be able to live till now. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t im the credit herself, but asked her aunt questions instead, ¡°Eldest Aunt, where did those banditse from? Have you checked it out?¡± She could guess in her heart that the bandits that night had been brought in by Heshou Xianzhu3he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, but she must not say these words openly. She could only guide Qiu Shi to suspect it without leaving behind any traces.

    Qiu Shi gnashed her teeth?Chinese idiom : disying extreme anger in hatred, ¡°It has been found out that these people climbed over the wall of the small Green Bamboo building. Judging from the situation that night, these people were very clear about the pattern of the State Residence backyard. This shows that there is a traitor inside the residence.¡±

    Yuxi pretended to find it strange and asked, ¡°Why did Eldest Aunt say so?¡± She really couldn¡¯t understand. She really felt that she had not been at odds with Heshou Xianzhu3he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, so why didn¡¯t Heshou Xianzhu3he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang just leave her alone? Heshou Xianzhu3he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang even went so far as to direct such a big show.

    Qiu Shi exined, ¡°They had sessfully robbed the main room, Tingyun Pavilion, Biteng Courtyard and Rosin Courtyard, except for my yard which they failed to rob.¡± Having said that, she added, ¡°These bandits probably saw nothing of value in your yard that they set it on fire in anger?¡± Gold, silver and jewellery were light and easy to carry, which was why bandits like to rob them the most. They were not interested in other things that were not easy being carried. In Yuxi¡¯s Rose Courtyard, Zisu and the others had taken all the valuables when they escaped. It was normal for these people to burn the Rose Garden in a fit of anger when they were aware that the yard was as empty as anything?Chinese idiom :pletely bereft.

    Yuxi was quite puzzled, ¡°There are actually many valuable things in my yard!¡± Over the years, she had umted a lot of jewellery and silvers. Also, there were many valuable things in the warehouse.

    Zisu said next to her, ¡°Miss, we have taken all the jewellery and other valuables with us.¡± Until now, she did not know if she had done the right thing to take the jewellery away. If she had not taken them away, Rose Courtyard might not have been burned by the bandits.

    When Yuxi heard this, she quickly asked, ¡°In that case, did you also get the shop title deed,nd deed and in addition the silver tickets?¡± These were the foundations of her existence. Others were only movable properties, that could be bought back with money.

    Zisu nodded, ¡°I also took them with me.¡± Those were the most important things for her Miss. How could she not take it with her!

    Qiu Shi looked at Yuxi¡¯s rxed expression and said with a smile, ¡°You silly girl, even if the shop title deed and thend title are burned, you can just go to the yamen to make them up again. Why do you need to be so worried about them?¡±

    Yuxi was a little embarrassed when she heard this. She really forgot about it that she immediately changed the subject, ¡°Eldest Aunt, have you found out about the traitor?¡±

    Qiu Shi nodded and said, ¡°The traitor has been found. It¡¯s old woman Cao from the inner courtyard. Your father has arrested her for further questioning.¡±

    Yuxi was not that interested in this. Even if there was anything to be questioned, it had nothing to do with Heshou Xianzhu3he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, ¡°How are Grandmother and San Jie?san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie? Are they okay?¡±

    Qiu Shi slightly sighed, ¡°The Old Lady and Yuchen are fine, but a few maids of the Old Lady are either dead or crippled. There are another two more but they are totally useless. I have sent Liuyin and Liuyue over to serve the Old Lady.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t need to think about it, since she knew the oue would be like this. ¡°How are the maids around Yuchen? Are they not okay?¡± Those maids were all carefully trained by Momo?wet nurse Gui. It would be a pity if they just died like this.

    Qiu Shi shook her head and said, ¡°The maids of the Tingyun Pavilion are all pretty clever. Knowing that the bandits wereing, they all ran to the pavilion in the middle of theke. Those thieves stole their belongings but didn¡¯t bother with the maids.¡± Momo?wet nurse Gui had followed Yuchen to the main courtyard, but they were still seasoned and experienced people stayed in Tingyun Pavilion like Momo?wet nurse Sha. At that time, Momo?wet nurse Sha saw that the situation was not right, and immediately had all the maids and old women servants of Tingyun Pavilion run to the pavilion in the middle of theke. Then they were divided into two groups, with one group was for those who could swim, while the other group was for those who couldn¡¯t swim. The ones who could swim stayed in the pavilion, and if the bandits came towards them, they would jump into theke while it was still dark. Those bandits would surely not be able to follow them by jumping into the coldke. The ones that couldn¡¯t swim sat on the two boats that had been left in theke, and then rowed them to a very secluded ce. Those two boats were reserved for Yuchen and others to y and frolic. No one thought that they would be used during this kind of time.

    These bandits had first arrived at Rose Courtyard, but they couldn¡¯t see a single person there; when they arrived at Tingyun Pavilion, they also didn¡¯t manage to see a single person. This made them do a thorough search around the yard. The result was they able to catch a maid who hadn¡¯t escaped, thus knowing that there were groups of people hiding in theke pavilion.

    When the people in theke pavilion saw that the bandits were being vicious, they all jumped into theke. The nights in the fourth lunar month were very cold, thus also made theke water also be cold, and the water could even turn much colder as time passed by, though it was much better than directly being killed by the bandits. As Momo?wet nurse Sha had predicted, when the bandits saw the maids jump into theke, they left theke pavilion after leaving behind some swearing words. Then, as they saw so many gold and silver jewellery in Tingyun Pavilion, they immediately became so happy that they couldn¡¯t even care less about those maids. Therefore, the final oue for more than 40 maids and old women servants in Tingyun pavilion was much better than those in the main house, with only three people had died, while six people were injured, and more than a dozen had caught a cold.

    Yuxi remarked, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± It was estimated that Heshou Xianzhu3he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang not only wanted to kill her, but she also wanted to kill Yuchen. Her n was like using one arrow to kill two golden eagles?Chinese idiom : a situation where one action can aplish two goals.

    Qiu Shi also shared one happy news with Yuxi, ¡°Your Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege has made great achievements this time. Although the order ofmendation has not yete, he will certainly be promoted.¡± This time, when the Crown Prince rebelled, Han Jianye had killed a lot of rebellious ministers and traitors, which disyed his great bravery. With the Lu family also there, Qiu Shi didn¡¯t worry about anyone erasing Han Jianye¡¯s credit, so this promotion was a matter of certainty.

    Yuxi¡¯s smile was much more genuine this time around, ¡°This is truly a big happy event.¡± Currently, her Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege was a sixth rank official, and if he was promoted, he would move up a rank, to a fifth rank official, which was a pretty good situation.

    Qiu Shi was also very pleased and felt that it was absolutely right to let him marry into the Lu family. Otherwise, this younger son of her would not have stayed in the capital, nor would he be able to make any achievements. Naturally, he would not also be promoted.

    Yuxi then asked, ¡°How about Dasao1?eldest sister-inw? Is the child all right?¡±

    Qiu Shi smiled, ¡°The physician has taken a look at her, and reported that she was just suffering a little bit of fright, nothing serious. Rather, old woman Hua, who saw a lot of dead people on the road at the time, was so scared that she lost her soul, and she¡¯s currently dumbfounded.¡± After a pause, she continued, ¡°Yuru and Yujing are also fine. It¡¯s just that, your mother has been injured in the chaos.¡± The only master in the residence who had been injured was Wu Shi.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t want to know anything about Wu Shi, but it would be inappropriate if she didn¡¯t answer since Qiu Shi had personally told her about it. Hence she asked, ¡°Is the injury serious?¡±

    Qiu Shi shook her head, ¡°She only suffered a flesh wound, thus her life is not at stake. Instead, one of your father¡¯s concubines had died. She had been hacked to death by the bandits.¡±

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Was Concubine Wen the one who died?¡± Concubine Wen was a thorn in Wu Shi¡¯s side, so it was not impossible for Wu Shi to take the opportunity to kill Concubine Wen during the disorder.

    Qiu Shi nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right, it is Concubine Wen. Well, you must have been tired after all this talk, so just lie down and have a rest.¡±

    Yuxi remembered that there was something she wanted to tell Qiu Shi, but she didn¡¯t know where to start.

    When Qiu Shi noticed Yuxi¡¯s manner of wanting to say something but hesitated, she said, ¡°Silly child, if you have anything to say, just tell it to Eldest Aunt. Eldest Aunt will do it for you as long as Eldest Aunt can.¡±

    It was only then did Yuxi stammer, ¡°Eldest Aunt, I don¡¯t want too many people to know about what happened that night.¡± Originally, she alreadycked any advantages. If outsiders knew that she dared to kill someone, she was afraid that it would be even harder for her to have a good marriage.

    Qiu Shiughed, ¡°What to do then? You actually don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ve already instructed them. They won¡¯t dare to speak carelessly about it.¡± Most of these people in the master courtyard were Qiu Shi¡¯s trusted subordinates. Even if they weren¡¯t her trusted subordinates, they all had received life-saving favour from Yuxi, so how would they still dare to gossip about her.

    Yuxi was relieved, ¡°Then, that¡¯s good.¡± She didn¡¯t want other people to think that she had the guts to do anything murderous.

    Qiu Shi assured her with a smile, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it. If anything happens, I¡¯ll take care of it. I won¡¯t let you be affected in the slightest.¡±

    Yuxi obedientlyy down and said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, the residence is in a mess right now, so there must be a lot of things for Aunt to deal with. I¡¯m really fine here. It¡¯s okay if Aunt has to hurriedly leave.¡±

    Qiu Shi nodded and went out. The outside of the State Residence was fine, but the inner courtyard was now a mess. Not only did they have to replenish people toe in, but they also had to reacquire many things, plus those who died had to be buried and be given pensions. While those who survived had to be given silvers for them to see the physicians. Qiu Shi was so busy that she wished she could split herself into two. In the end, she had no choice but to ask Yuru toe over and help.

 Chapter 131 - Palace Rebellion (9)

    Chapter 131 : Pce Rebellion (9)

    The weather was fine, and Yuxi wanted Zisu and Kufu to help prepare her for a walk, but the two girls didn¡¯t listen to her and they rather preferred to make sure she had a good rest in bed instead. ??Can¡¯t me them being so protective of Yuxi. She has saved their life, and now they pay her back by taking care of her, just like a mother hen.

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t even sleep when she was lying down. She was looking for something to do when Kufu walked in and said, ¡°Miss, Third Miss is here to see you.¡±

    Yuxi was really bored. Now that Yuchen was here, she would at least have a chat partner.

    Kufu hurriedly took a pillow and put it behind Yuxi¡¯s back. ¡°Miss, you are a patient now, so take it easy.¡± Somehow, her Miss never acted like a patient! Her Miss wasn¡¯t even aware that she was currently a patient.

    Yuchen came in just in time to hear Kufu¡¯s nagging words and said with a smile, ¡°Si Meimei1si=fourth, meimei=younger sister, you better lie down! Or else, your maid will harp about it to meter on.¡±

    Yuxiughed, ¡°I¡¯m already fine, so for what reason should I lie down again. They are the ones who have been too worried that they want me to rest a little bit longer. But I am not a pig. I will definitely feel bored after lying down for a long time!¡±

    Yuchen could only smile.

    Yuxi looked at Yuchen¡¯s face and asked, ¡°San Jie2san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, I see that you aren¡¯t looking too good. Have you not been sleeping well these past few days?¡± It wasn¡¯t like Yuchen needed to worry about the residence. The only thing that could affect Yuchen and made her look this bad was probably the shadow from the chaos that night.

    Yuchen waved her hand and all the maids in the house automatically retired, including Momo3wet nurse Gui who had been following her closely. It was only when there were only the two of them left in the room that Yuchen spoke up, ¡°These two days, I have nightmares as soon as I close my eyes, dreaming of those peopleing at me. They called for help, but I couldn¡¯t save them, so I had to watch them die.¡± Yuchen hadn¡¯t seen the dead bodies, much less the blood on the ground, but the screams and cries for help that night left a huge shadow in her.

    Yuxi caged a pillow with her hands to make herself morefortable before saying, ¡°That night, when a bandit climbed over the wall to get inside the courtyard, I was also scared to death. Fortunately, Zijin had martial arts skills and managed to kill the bandit. But the blood all over the ground was frightening to me too. The physician said that I was so frightened by the scene that I have been unconscious for some days.¡±

    Yuchen naturally knew about Yuxi who had been unconscious because she had been stimted too much. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Speaking of which, San Jie2san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie had it much better than me. San Jie2san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie only had nightmares, while I was scared so much that I became unconscious for two days and had a high fever? That¡¯s reallyme of me.¡±

    Well, after hearing Yuxi¡¯s words, Yuchen felt much better. Everyone had it differently, and it was not because she was actually timid. ¡°Yuxi, that night, my maternal grandparents¡¯ family and the Zhou¡¯s family were also attacked by bandits.¡± After a pause, she looked quite gloomy but still continued her words, ¡°But those bandits didn¡¯t take advantage of my maternal grandparents¡¯ home nor the Zhou family home like they did towards us. Only our family has suffered such heavy losses.¡±

    All of Yuchen¡¯s jewellery was basically robbed. Also, many of the porcin vases and jades ced inside the house were also destroyed. The ones who suffered the most tragic losses in the State Residence were the Old Lady and Yuchen.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t have much thoughts about this matter. ¡°Things that are gone, can still be bought, as long as one is out of danger and lives well.¡± Seeing that Yuchen still looked worried, she added, ¡°In fact, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. You can always recover the things that have been stolen.¡±

    Yuchen shook her head and said, ¡°As you said, you can always buy the things once they are gone. However, I am worried that this incident will also affect our reputation.¡± Once a girl¡¯s reputation was damaged, it would be fatal for her.

    Yuxi chuckled, ¡°San Jie2san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie thinks too much. Although we are frightened, nevertheless we all are still fine, so how will it damage our reputations. Moreover, there are several noble families in the capital that couldn¡¯t stop the bandits from attacking their home. ording to what San Jie2san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie said, do the young misses of those families have lost their reputation?¡±

    Yuchen shook her head and said, ¡°But there are still more than half of the noble families that have not been attacked by the bandits.¡±

    Yuxi felt that Yuchen had gotten herself into a dead end. ¡°At present, many people are thinking about how to protect themselves, thus where will they have the time for this kind of thing? Besides, Father and Dage?eldest brother will take care of this. San Jie2san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, it is really unnecessary for you to worry about this unfounded thing.¡± Thew couldn¡¯t be enforced when there were many offenders. If they from the State Residence were the only one who suffered from the bandits¡¯ attack, then their reputations would definitely be affected. At least, then they wouldn¡¯t be punished for the crime of beingx in security. But there was a special situation that night, and many families suffered the same thing, thus no one was qualified to say anything about anyone. As long as they (the Han family young misses) themselves were innocent, there was nothing for them to be afraid of.

    Yuchen felt that Yuxi¡¯s thinking was too simple.

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°San Jie2san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, for you to bring up such an unpleasant thing, even if you¡¯re worried and scared because of it, what can you change? It¡¯s only make people around you worry instead.¡±

    Yuchen fell into a moment of contemtion. Indeed, being worried and afraid of the matter would change nothing.

    Yuxi then softly said, ¡°San Jie2san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, don¡¯t worry. We are all fine. Even if there really is such gossip outside, so what? We should just stand up and sit up straight, so there is nothing for us to be afraid of.¡±

    Yuchen was a bit ashamed of herself. ¡°I¡¯m not as open-minded as ¡°Si Meimei1si=fourth, meimei=younger sister.¡±

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°I have experienced both life and death, what else can I take to heart? For me, to be able to live well is better than everything else.¡±

    After chatting for a while, Yuchen went back to the main room. Tingyun Pavilion side was currently in a mess, plus the Old Lady was also not at ease, thus she told Yuchen to stay in the main courtyard.

    Zisu sent Yuchen away and then turned back toin, ¡°Third Miss is really. She didn¡¯t even look at Miss¡¯ current situation. Why did she have toe and make aint?¡± Even if Third Missined to her Miss, there was nothing her Miss could do, and it would only add more burden to her Miss.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t feel anything though, ¡°They were just a few words, what burden can they give me, and you¡¯re just worrying blindly. It¡¯s fine anyway, so you should apany me for a chat!¡±

    Zisu had a belly full of things that she wanted to tell Yuxi, but she was worried that Yuxi¡¯s body wouldn¡¯t be able to take it, thus she was torn whether she should to talk to Yuxi or not.

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°I was merely suffering a little bit of fright. How can it scare you like this? You don¡¯t know how my body is. So don¡¯t think too much about it. Tell me, how did you people manage yourself that day?¡±

    Zisu considered it for a while, but she still decided to go along with Yuxi¡¯s wish. Otherwise, her Miss would definitely ask someone else. Zisu then told her about the scene that night, ¡°While we hid inside the rockeries, it was fine at first, but then it started to get cold. It was good that we were all wearing thick clothes, or else we all would have fell ill. It was all thanks to Miss, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t know if we would still be alive!¡± After saying that, she whispered, ¡°Miss, most of the maids in the main courtyard and several people are dead, and several people have died in the Tingyun Pavilion.¡±

    Yuxi frowned. The Old Lady was the most superstitious. Howe she could still live there when so many people had died in the courtyard? What Yuxi didn¡¯t know was that the Old Lady didn¡¯t dare to move to another courtyard because there was a secret chamber in the main courtyard where she could hide, in case of emergencies. If she went elsewhere, there wouldn¡¯t even be a ce for her to hide when emergencies came.

    Zisu said, ¡°Miss, if you had been hiding in the rockery with us, you wouldn¡¯t have been this frightened.¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot

    Yuxi smiled lightly, ¡°If I didn¡¯t go to the master courtyard, my Eldest Aunt would have been in danger.¡± If there were no Zijin and the Deng sisters at that time, more than half of the people in master courtyard would have been killed and injured, and the yard properties would not be able to be kept.

    Zisu agreed with this statement. The only one in the State Residence who hadn¡¯t lost anything was the First Lady, and this could be attributed to her own Miss, ¡°I heard Zijin say that without Miss making a quick decision, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to control the situation at the time.¡± Hence, what made Zijin feel so regretful? She suddenly remembered that Yuxi¡¯s act of killing a person might have distressed her.

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°Now that I think back on the scene, I myself find it unbelievable. But at that time, the situation was unique. I only thought about not letting the bandit into the courtyard, maybe that¡¯s why I had been so brave and courageous. I will never have the guts to do the same now.¡± At this point, Yuxi shook her head, ¡°In the end, it still didn¡¯t stop things from going wrong.¡±

    Yuxi only told this matter to Zisu. Only she herself knew that she was unconscious not because of the aftermath of the murder, but because of the shadow of her past life.

    Zisu, however, felt that Yuxi was already quite impressive. ¡°Without Miss¡¯ bravery at that time, I wonder what kind of situation the master courtyard will be facing right now. Miss, I think Zijin needs to hone and sharpen her skills a bit more. How can she be soft hearted in that situation?¡± If it wasn¡¯t for Zijin being so soft hearted, she wouldn¡¯t have caused Miss to lie in bed.

    Yuxi agreed with Zisu¡¯s words, ¡°Yes, we need to let Zijin hones her skills more. When the matter of the State Residence is settled, ask her to go back to the Deng family.¡±

    As they were talking, they heard the maid outside announce the arrival of Qiu Yanfu and Yurong. Yuxi was so surprised that she asked, ¡°Qiu Yanfu is also all right?¡±

    Zisu nodded and exined, ¡°The bandits didn¡¯t even enter Shuxiang Courtyard at all.¡± She was particrly annoyed when speaking about this matter. Their Rose Courtyard wad burned down and even Tingyun Pavilion was robbed, but Qiu Yanfu and Yurong¡¯s group of courtyards was still intact.

    Yuxi helplessly smiled. Heshou Xianzhu?he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang didn¡¯t pay attention to Qiu Yanfu, thus she just let Qiu Yanfu escape from being robbed.

    Zisu whispered, ¡°Miss, do you want to see them or not?¡±

    Yuxi was a little amused, ¡°Why do you think I don¡¯t want to see them? Just let them in!¡± After saying these words, she ttened her pillow, andy down again.

    Yurong came in with Qiu Yanfu, but this visit was a mere formality, not because they had a real good rtionship with Yuxi. For both of them, it would be better if Yuxi was always sick.

    When Yurong entered the room and saw Yuxi¡¯s fragile appearance, she felt very pleased in her heart, ¡°Si Jiejie?si=fourth, jiejie=elder sister, are you feeling better?¡±

    Yuxi continuously showed her weak appearance as she replied, ¡°A little better.¡±

    After they exchanged a few words, Zisu immediately said, ¡°Fifth Miss, my Miss is still not well enough to talk for too long, so she is going to have a rest right now.¡± This was the rhythm of chasing people away.

    The smile on Yurong¡¯s face deepened a bit as she said, ¡°Then, Si Jiejie?si=fourth, jiejie=elder sister should have a good rest. Biaojie?elder female cousin from mother¡¯s side and I will not bother you anymore.¡±

    From the moment Qiu Yanfu entered the house until the time she left, she didn¡¯t speak much more than a few words of greeting. This made Yuxi feel very odd. ¡°Zisu, have someone pay attention to the situation in Shuixiang Courtyard. Don¡¯t let this woman take advantage of the chaos to y any tricks.¡± Now that the residence was in a mess, it was easy for some people to make mistakes.

    Zisu sometimes felt that Yuxi paid too much attention to Qiu Yanfu. She didn¡¯t know what kind of waves could Qiu Yanfu make that Yuxi had to be conscious of. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone pay attention to Qiu Yanfu.¡±

    Yuxi nodded. ¡°When I feel much better, I¡¯ll move out.¡± In Rose Courtyard, she was in her utmost self, but here, she didn¡¯t feelfortable.

    Zisu was shocked, ¡°Move out? Where to move to? Isn¡¯t Rose Courtyard already gone?¡±

    A chuckle came out from Yuxi¡¯s mouth, ¡°There are so many vacant courtyards in the State Residence. How can there be no ce for me to live? I¡¯m not three or four years old now, so I can¡¯t stay in the master courtyard all the time. I¡¯ll try to talk with Eldest Aunt about this in a few days.¡± Even if Qiu Shi was willing to let her stay in the master courtyard, she wouldn¡¯t agree to it. It would be inconvenient to live here and for her to do anything.

    Zisu said with a smile, ¡°I haven¡¯t turned to every corner of this yard yet! But it¡¯s also good for us to actually move out.¡± Although everyone in the main courtyard was polite to her and no one was being vague about her demands, she still felt quite ufortable with all sorts of awkwardness. Rose Courtyard was a territory that belonged only to them, and there, they felt at ease with themselves. But in the master courtyard, they always had to be careful, afraid that they would do something wrong and then beingughed at.

 Chapter 132 - Two Rank Promotion in Succession (1)

    Chapter 132 : Two Rank Promotion in Session (1)

    When Yurong left the master courtyard, she looked straight at the silent Qiu Yanfu, and asked, ¡°Biaojie1elder female cousin from mother¡¯s side, what¡¯s wrong with you? You haven¡¯t spoken a word ever since we left the master courtyard.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu shook her head as she exined, ¡°I was just wondering why Fourth Miss could call her maid back in such a timely manner?¡± Not only did Yuxi call back Zijin, but she also brought back two girls who knew martial arts. Due to an unexpected turn of events, they managed to protect all the people in the master courtyard. Because of this incident, Qiu Shi would surely treat Han Yuxi like the apple of her eyes. Those who dared to touch Han Yuxi would then have to face a hard time with Qiu Shi. This news, however, was truly a bad thing for her and her aunt.

    Yurong also shook her head and said, ¡°I also find it very strange. I have especially told my Grandmother about this; but my Grandmother didn¡¯t seem to care, as if she had already known about it much earlier than us.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu knew it would have such a result. Everyone in this ce seemed to be aware of this matter, and only they were like the deaf and blind people, who didn¡¯t even realise about it. ¡°Biaomei2younger female cousin on mother¡¯s side, why don¡¯t you ask someone to inquire about what Fourth Miss did before?¡±

    Yurong was also aware of this problem. She tried to gather people without changing her tone or expression3Chinese idiom : calmly and quietly. Unfortunately, she was still young, had not yet earned any prestige, and also had little money at hand, thus the results were very minimal.

    While Yuxi was asked to rest well, and this reststed for ten days. Within those ten days, Qiu Shi had Zisu and Kufu take turns in watching over Yuxi, making sure that she rested well in her bed. She was not allowed to read, nor was she allowed to practice writing, and even more so, not to even thought of doing shadow boxing.

    Kufu had been called out for something, so there was no one else in the room. Seeing this situation, Yuxi immediately got out of bed. Once she got up, she started toin. Really, she was not a porcin doll! How could they think she would be that delicate? Besides, she was not actually ill, and if she continued staying like this, it was estimated that she would suffer from actual sickness in the end.

    Zisu brought in a bowl of bird¡¯s nest porridge, and when she saw Yuxi standing up, she asked in a loud voice, ¡°Miss, why are you up again?¡± If their Miss didn¡¯t properly raise herself from sickness, it would only make them be more worried sick.

    Yuxi red at Zisu, ¡°Do you want the whole world to know that I¡¯m up?¡± Previously in Rose Courtyard, she was the leader. There, even if Zisu and the others had any opinions, they would surely be suppressed by her. Unfortunately, now that they were in the master courtyard, not to mention Qiu Shi, even the residence managing matron, Mama Li, would nag at her for a long time if she caught sight of Yuxi acting disobedient. Just thinking about it already made Yuxi hate it so much, that she wished she could plug off her ears.

    A smile blossomed on Zisu¡¯s closed mouth as she then said, ¡°Miss, have a drink of this bowl of bird¡¯s nest!¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi retorted in disgust, ¡°It¡¯s either bird¡¯s nest or rice porridge. Is there no other delicious food? Tiger skin trotters are also very nourishing, and so does yellow croaker with tofu.¡± The past few days, all Yuxi had been eating was something so nd and vegetarian that she felt her mouth gradually fade into a bird beak.

    Tiger Skin Trotters

    Little Yellow Croaker With Tofu

    In herst life, Yuxi was kind of a vegetarian since she didn¡¯t eat much meat. Probably because she had experienced hunger, she became a carnivore in this life and had a much heavier taste than before. Of course, since she was currently focusing on nourishing her body, she usually ate meat every other day and not much more. However, if she didn¡¯t eat it after three to five days, her mind started to panic somehow. Now, it had been more than ten days since shest ate one, not to mention how much she missed eating it.

    Zisu shook her head and said, ¡°No, Physician Bai said that Miss can only eat light food until Miss is totally well.¡± Greasy stuff like tiger skin trotters was absolutely forbidden for her Miss to eat.

    Yuxi felt depressed. She didn¡¯t know what Physician Bai was thinking. He had been insisting that she was suffering from severe physical losses and was overly exhausted, thus needed to properly rest. Otherwise, these people wouldn¡¯t have been able to force her to actually rest. Sigh, Yuxi was really worried that she would get moldy if she had toy down any longer.

    Just at this moment, a loud voice could be heard outside, ¡°Si Meimei?si=fourth, meimei=younger sister! Where is Si Meimei?si=fourth, meimei=younger sister?¡± No need for everyone to guess. Just by hearing the loud voice, one would immediately know that it was Han Jianye.

    Zisu gave Yuxi a quick push and urged, ¡°Second Master is back, so I guess he¡¯ll being over soon. Miss should quickly go back to bed.¡±

    Yuxi felt defeated. It was just that she was really afraid that Zisu and Mama Li woulde together just to nag her. Since she really didn¡¯t want to listen to any of them, she could only climb into bed earnestly.

    Not before long, heavy footsteps could be heard walking towards this side. Han Jianye pushed open the door and came in, without any qualm, and went straight to the bed.

    Yuxi looked at the increasingly imposing Han Jianye and called out happily, ¡°Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, you¡¯re finally back.¡± Since the ident, Han Jianye hadn¡¯te back to the residence. He only sent his personal attendant to return once just to get his clothes, while he himself didn¡¯t return.

    When Han Jianye looked at Yuxi, who was as thin as skin and bones, he felt very distressed. However, the words that came out from his mouth were not right, ¡°Look at yourself. Weren¡¯t they just a few petty bandits? Why did you have to be so scared like this? Really useless!¡± When Yuxi was unconscious, Qiu Shi exined to him that Yuxi had just gotten a scare. These ten days, she had been properly recuperating inside the house, which really meant that she had fainted as an aftermath, hence needed to recuperate properly. Many people in the residence had repercussions after the event, so Yuxi did not seem conspicuous.

    ??This is where the gif from the previous chapter applicable. Imagine the little panda (Yuxi) buttheaded the big panda (Han Jianye) for saying something like that. If only he knew that she had just killed a person. What will his reaction be? ( ????? )? ??

    Yuxi muttered, ¡°If I were as brave as Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, I would also go and cut down eight to ten of those bandits.¡± She also wanted to learn martial arts in order to protect herself, but unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have the opportunity.

    Han Jianye noticed that despite having lost so much weight, Yuxi didn¡¯t look like she just had a scare. He smilingly said, ¡°That¡¯s more like it. It was just a few petty bandits, what¡¯s there to be afraid of, right!¡±

    Yuxi remembered Zisu said a few days ago that Han Jianye had killed a lot of rebels and made great contributions. She quickly asked, ¡°How much contribution has Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege made this time? Has Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege been promoted?¡±

    Seeing Han Jianye¡¯s overjoyed face, Yuxi knew that he must have been promoted, ¡°So Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege is now a lower fifth rank officer? That¡¯s nice.¡± For a seventeen years old to be a lower fifth rank officer was actually pretty good. Plus, Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege¡¯s martial arts skills were not bad, and with the support of the Lu family, his future would be very bright.

    Han Jianyeughed, ¡°It¡¯s not a lower fifth rank officer, but it¡¯s actually the upper fifth rank officer.¡± Not only had Han Jiangye killed over a hundred rebels, but he was also very lucky to run into one of the leaders of the rebels. He made a great achievement by ying the leader himself, thus he was promoted two ranks in a row.

    Yuxi was so excited that she didn¡¯t even pretend to be sick anymore, as she crawled out from the bed and tugged at Han Jianye¡¯s arm, while asking with great surprise, ¡°Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, you¡¯ve even ascended up two ranks!? Is this true? If it¡¯s true, this is worth celebrating!¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Han Jianye looked at the clothes Yuxi was wearing, and the coat she had on, but she was still lying on the bed. Wasn¡¯t this intentionally trying to scare him? Han Jianye smiled and patted her on the head, ¡°What¡¯s the point of lying in bed and pretending to be sick when you¡¯re already well? I was so anxious that I came to see you without even going to see Grandmother first.¡± In the past ten days, Han Jianye had wanted toe back, but he had been given a mission to clean up the rebellion group, for this reason he was unable to return. Fortunately, he was informed that even though the State Residence had met with a burry, everyone in his family was safe and sound, which made him feel at ease while he was on his mission.

    Yuxi felt wronged andined, ¡°It was Eldest Aunt who always wanted me to lie down on the bed to recuperate. You think I¡¯m willing to lie down? Don¡¯t you know, my body almost went moldy?¡±

    Seeing that Yuxi was looking fine, Han Jianye also free from any anxiety, ¡°I heard that you just happened to call Zijin and the Deng sisters back that night, that was why Mother was out of danger.¡± Yuxi gave all the credit to Zijin and the Deng sisters, but as for her killing, she kept it a secret. It was not good for a girl to have a reputation of killing someone.

    Yuxi told Han Jianye about her eyelids jumping and the nightmare she had before, ¡°I called Zijin back because I was feeling scared back then. It was Zijin who kept inviting the Deng sisters toe here, but I didn¡¯t expect that something would actually happen that night.¡± She was also feeling quite anxious that they would meet with mishap at that time, but she still wasn¡¯t sure when it would happen. Otherwise, she could also warn Han Jianming and Han Jianye. Of course, after all was said, Yuxi still didn¡¯t dare to let anyone see her stand out from the masses?Chinese idiom : out of the ordinary.

    Han Jianye nodded, ¡°This was also because both Yin and Yang were wrong?Chinese idiom : a strangebination of circumstances.¡± Sometimes, it was good for Yin and Yang to be wrong?Chinese idiom : a strangebination of circumstances.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t want to talk too much about it, that she hurriedly changed the subject, ¡°Did Eldest Aunt and Dage?da=eldest, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege know about your two rank promotion?¡±

    Han Jianye smiled and nodded. ¡°Dage?da=eldest, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege knows, but mother still doesn¡¯t know yet. I will tell her when I¡¯ll see herter.¡± Qiu Shi was currently busy outside and hadn¡¯te back to the residence.

    Yuxi then asked, ¡°Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, did you catch the bandits who broke into the Duke of the State¡¯s residence that night? We can¡¯t let them get away with it.¡± These people who had robbed the gold, silver, treasures and jewels would definitely try to escape from the capital. Yuxi only hoped that Han Jianming would act swiftly and catch these bandits, thus implicating Heshou Xianzhu?he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang.

    When Han Jianye heard her words, the smile on his face immediately disappeared. ¡°You can rest assured. I will never let go of those people.¡±

    Yuxi had been hurting her brain for a while now, and it was not usually that difficult to point suspicion towards Heshou Xianzhu?he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang without leaving a trace. However, with just one wrong move, she herself would also get implicated! Since Yuxi used to be very cautious, she was willing to drag this out a bit longer to avoid herself from also being suspected.

    When Han Jianye saw Yuxi¡¯s entangled appearance, he assumed that she was still worried about it, so he said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Not only our residence is looking into it right now, but so do the Chiang and the Lu. It won¡¯t be long before we can find out the person behind-the-scenes.¡± Those people at the gate only wanted to fish in troubled waters1?Chinese idiom : to take advantage of a crisis for personal gain, but those who came into their backyard were definitely organized, nned and premeditated. This person also knew about the pce rebellion in advance, hence this person could be extremely dangerous, who must be caught.

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes lit up. This time, the turmoil did not affect the Chiang and the Lu families. If these two families intervened, with the foundation of the Chiang family plus the power of the Lu family, there would still be a possibility to find out who was behind this incident.

    Han Jianye actually felt a little guilty. They were all busy with their own affairs, that someone almost took over their nest. ¡°Yuxi, you don¡¯t have to worry about this. Dage?da=eldest, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege and I will take care of it. I won¡¯t put you in danger again.¡± Through this incident, the security for State Residence was much tighter than before.

    Yuxi was very happy when she heard this assurance, ¡°Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, you¡¯ve finally grown up.¡±

    Han Jianye¡¯s face was full of ck lines. What did she mean by him finally grew up? And what was with this adult-like tone of voice! Without question, Yuxi suffered a beating from him.

    Yuxi touched her head and muttered in dissatisfaction, ¡°Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, it goes without saying that I¡¯m not smart in the first ce. After you beat me like this, I feel like I¡¯m bing more stupid.¡±

    Han Jianye chuckled, ¡°What do you need to be so smart for? Being dumb is actually really cute.¡± He just loved seeing Yuxi¡¯s stupid and dumb look. It was especially adorable.

    Yuxi felt suffocated.

    Zisu couldn¡¯t helpughing at the two siblings¡¯ noisy manners. It was only in front of the Second Master that Miss would act like a child. Usually, she would be too mature.

    When Qiu Shi heard about Han Jianye receiving two rank promotions in session, she smiled so much that her face turned into a flower. Her son was only seventeen years old this year, and he was already an upper fifth rank officer. If this trend continued, he might be able to be a first rank general in the future.

    Han Jianye¡¯s two consecutive promotions brought joy to the State Residence, which had been shrouded in shadowstely. It wasn¡¯t advisable to celebrate by inviting guests for a banquet at this time, but it was still possible for the whole family to get together for a meal.

    The Old Lady sent out the word to held an evening dinner party.

    When Yuxi got the news, she began to pester Qiu Shi, ¡°Eldest Aunt, I already got better. Please let me join the feast tonight!¡±

    Qiu Shi looked at Yuxi¡¯s pitiful appearance, who looked like a puppy begging for food, that she couldn¡¯t helpughing, ¡°Well, if you want to go, you can go, but you have to obey Physician Bai¡¯s words that are to eat something light, not greasy food.¡±

    Yuxi was somewhat helpless. Although her taste was quite heavy, her three meals in a day had a suitable bnce of meat and vegetables, and she never had plenty of meat and fish1vish meals. She didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her Eldest Aunt. Her aunt had made her behave like a vegetarian in the past ten days, and this time around, Yuxi still couldn¡¯t refute any say from Qiu Shi, or she wouldn¡¯t let her touch any meat again. ¡°Okay.¡±

    Other than Rose Courtyard, which had been burned down, the other courtyards, such as the Old Lady¡¯s courtyard and Tingyun Pavilion, had all been cleaned up. This gathering was set up in the main courtyard.

    Since Yuxi¡¯s Rose Courtyard had been burned down, she had nothing else other than what had been brought out of her yard. So Yuxi¡¯s clothes were all newly made.

    Qiu Shi had made the people in the sewing room to sew six sets of clothes for Yuxi in one go. Fortunately, those bandits only robbed a few yards they had set their eyes on, and they were not interested in the sewing room, so the clothes, materials, needles and thread in the sewing room were all there, so they could make the clothes in time.

    Zisu brought out two sets of dresses in peach red and sapphire blue sessively, both of which were rejected by Yuxi, ¡°Bring me something iner in colour.¡±

    In the end, Yuxi chose a pale purple coloured dress with a simple flower hanging bun on her head, which was pinned with a pair of silver dragonflies hairpin. This made Zisu¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She said, ¡°Miss, this is too dull, which is not good.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and asked, ¡°My yard has burned down. What good things do you think I have?¡±

    Zisu didn¡¯t know what kind of medicine Yuxi sold in her gourd12Chinese saying : what someone is nning, but she said after seeked truth from fact13Chinese idiom : be practical and realistic, ¡°Miss, everyone in the mansion knows that we have saved all your jewellery.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head helplessly, ¡°What situation are we in right now? The Crown Prince is dead. He may havemitted suicide in the rebellion, but he was once the Crown Prince. Besides, how many people have died outside. Even in our residence, so many people have died. If I¡¯ll be like a lovely scene of blossoming nts swaying in the breeze1?Chinese idiom : gorgeously dressed (woman) for the dinner party, isn¡¯t that going to show that I have ack of heart?¡±

    Zisu felt that Yuxi had a point, but she still believed that Yuxi was dressed too inly, ¡°How about changing into a different set of clothes?¡± Her Miss was dressing herself like a mourning girl. She worried that the Old Lady and the Lord¡¯s facial expressions wouldn¡¯t look good when they saw her Miss like this.

    Yuxi waved her hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s fine.¡± No matter what she wore, she would be fine. Her aunt would definitely protect her.

    Zisu wondered, howe her Miss became much bolder after she had gotten well from illness. ¡°Miss, what if the Old Lady med you?¡±

    Yuxi looked at Zisu and smiled, ¡°Grandmother won¡¯t me me.¡± As for the reason why, she didn¡¯t exin it to Zisu.

 Chapter 133 - Two Rank Promotion in Succession (2)

    Chapter 133 : Two Rank Promotion in Session (2)

    Yuchen knew that Yuxi wasing over for the feast, hence she went out to greet her personally.

    Seeing what Yuchen was wearing, Yuxi smiled. Yuchen wore a semi-old, non up-to-date bamboo green dress, while her three thousand strands of hair were held up by a peach coloured hairpin, which was inexplicably in. But such a costume made Yuchen look more original than ordinary. ??How did she know that Yuchen has 3000 strands of hair? ¦²(-?_-??)

    After Zisu saw what Yuchen was wearing, she felt that it was just a waste for her to be really worried before. After all was said, it was still her Miss who was actually awesome.

    Yuchen approached Yuxi and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°You¡¯re too thin.¡± The current Yuxi was as thin as paper, which was way too thin.

    There was an endless unspoken criticism in Yuxi¡¯s heart. For more than ten days, she had only been given clear soup every day, so it was no wonders she could be this thin. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve just reperucate my health.¡± As long as she was given meat to eat, it wouldn¡¯t take a month to gain back her old weight.

    Liuyin saw the two of them chatting up at the door, and she said with a smile, ¡°Fourth Miss, the Old Lady is waiting for Miss inside the house!¡±

    When Yuxi came into the room, she saw the Old Lady sitting on the couch. The Old Lady was dressed in a stone-blue coloured dress and had her hairbed into a simple bun. She also didn¡¯t wear any jewellery at all. To Yuxi¡¯s surprise, since she hadn¡¯t seen her for more than ten days, she felt like the Old Lady had aged ten years older. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    The Old Lady beckoned towards Yuxi and said, ¡°Fourth Girl, sit next to me.¡± After the incident, the Old Lady¡¯s attitude towards Yuxi had changed a lot.

    Yuxi felt ufortable all over when she heard this, but she still sat down beside the Old Lady ording to her words. She smiled and asked, ¡°Grandmother, I haven¡¯t been here for ten days, but why have you lost so much weight?¡± Not only did her Grandmother look so thin, but even herplexion also seemed to be very poor.

    Yuchen said, ¡°Yuxi, during this period, Grandmother has been chanting scriptures in the family Buddhist hall.¡± When one chanted Buddhist scripture, it was natural for one to follow it by being a vegetarian.

    When Yuxi heard this, she immediately knew why her aunt had forbidden her from eating meat for the past ten days, and here was the crux of the matter.

    Yuxi prepared a mental outline and said, ¡°Grandmother, everything outside has settled down now. If Grandmother still remembers Feicui Jiejie1elder sister, or can be used to call an older girl than the speaker, please ask the master of the temple to do a few rituals for Feicui Jiejie1elder sister, or can be used to call an older girl than the speaker to cross over!¡± The Old Lady¡¯s daily chanting of scripture was nothing more than her feeling sorry. It would be a joke to say that the Old Lady would feel guilty because of the death of Feicui and others. The Old Lady didn¡¯t even care about her own granddaughter¡¯s life, so in what way would she even care about the lives of several maids?

    In fact, Yuxi also knew that the death of Feicui and several maids were really unjust. At the age of several of those dead maids, they should have actually been released and got married, but the Old Lady was reluctant to release them and said she wanted them to stay for another two more years. Thus their life contracts stayed in the master courtyard.

    The Old Lady lovingly said, ¡°I told your father to ask for it two days ago. It¡¯s just that there are too many people who died in the capital this time, so we can¡¯t arrange for it in the time being.¡± People were looking for Buddhist monks to release their loved ones¡¯ souls from suffering through worshiping Buddha and chanting sutras, while they were trying to release their servants¡¯ souls from suffering, so it was only natural that they should give way to those who needed it more importantly.

    Yuxi was startled by the Old Lady¡¯s sudden loving attitude that she got goosebumps all over her body. The Old Lady had always been indifferent to her. Suddenly, for her to act so loving, instinctively gave birth to a feeling to be more on guard in Yuxi¡¯s heart.

    Yuchen was actually very worried and said, ¡°Grandmother, your body won¡¯t be able to stand it like this.¡± During this period of time, because the Old Lady was being vegetarian day in and day out, Yuchen also followed suit. However, she would have medicated food to nourish her body daily, so she was fine.

    The Old Lady smiled and said, ¡°No harm.¡± After saying this, she also purposely looked at Yuxi. Seeing that Yuxi was barely smiling, she also sighed slightly in her heart. Three feet of ice did not form in a single day2Chinese idiom : It takes a lot of time to achieve something important, and trying to get Yuxi to change her attitude towards her was something that couldn¡¯t be done in a short period of time. However, Yuxi was now twelve years old, and she would be getting married in three or four years. The Old Lady had taken great pains to warm up towards her and in an instant, Yuxi would get married soon. It was the same as doing nothing. Thinking of this, the Old Lady¡¯s attitude towards Yuxi became indifferent again.

    At this time, a little maid reported from outside, ¡°The Old Lady, the Third Lady, the Fifth Miss and Miss Biao3family rtionship via females Qiu are here.¡±

    The Old Lady¡¯s demeanour became more indifferent, ¡°Come in!¡± Concubine Wen¡¯s death was said to be the work of the bandits, but everyone knew it was Wu Shi¡¯s doing.

    Once Wu Shi walked in with her daughter and niece, the two groups of people were just like rivers Jing and Wei separated clearly?Chinese idiom : to be entirely different. The Old Lady, Yuchen and the others were dressed inly, while Wu Shi¡¯s group was dressed too brightly.

    Wu Shi¡¯s face was a little unnatural, as she bowed towards the Old Lady. In fact, Wu Shi and Yurong¡¯s clothes were fine. Although the clothes they wore were brighter in color, they were dressed up in a more solemn manner and didn¡¯t go too out of line. Instead, it was Qiu Yanfu¡¯s outfit that made people take a second look. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Qiu Yanfu wore a Su brocade with a bunch of flowers and crescent moons pattern dress, which was clipped against her slender waist. She also had an elegant countenance?Chinese idiom : graceful posture. When paired with delicate makeup, her charm was unexinable.

    A smile appeared on Yuxi¡¯s face as she said, ¡°Fu Biaojie?elder female cousin from mother¡¯s side is so beautiful tonight, that I can¡¯t take my eyes off you! Though I don¡¯t know, for whom did Fu Biaojie?elder female cousin from mother¡¯s side dress this beautiful for?¡±

    The people in the room expression was very subtle when this was said. They still could not forget the previous rumours in the residence. And yet today was a special celebration for the Second Master, and it was hard to not let people think about it more.

    Qiu Yanfu was so angry that she nearly made her fingers nipped at her palm. Everytime Han Yuxi saw her, she would always speak in frigid irony and scorching satire?Chinese idiom : mock and ridicule, which made her look really bad. Qiu Yanfu cursed in her heart, why didn¡¯t the bandits kill this sly girl that night? If this sly girl died, she wouldn¡¯t have to be humiliated.

    The Old Lady looked at Qiu Yanfu with displeasure, not only because of Qiu Yanfu¡¯s outfit, but also at what Yuxi had just said. She knew very well that although Ye-er¡¯s martial arts skills were not bad, but without the opportunity given by the Lu family, Ye-er wouldn¡¯t have been able to disy his talents, and naturally, he wouldn¡¯t have been promoted up two ranks, which was the joyous celebration they had right now. Therefore, this marriage with the Lu family must not be faltered. ¡°Alright, all sit down!¡± The Old Lady had already made up her mind, she had to make sure that Old Three?Han Jingyan ¨C Yuxi¡¯s father would marry off this girl quickly. If anything should happen, it would be toote to regret.

    Not long after, Qiu Shi and Yuru also arrived. Qiu Shi¡¯s face was so full of joy that she couldn¡¯t even hide it. When her son was promoted, the one with the brightest face was Qiu Shi.

    Yuxi took a look at what Yuru was wearing and nodded a little in her heart. Yuru was wearing a half-new light mauve dress with no jewelry except for a pair of silver bracelets on her wrist. Yuru finally learned through experience.

    Qiu Shi was a little surprised to see Yuxi sitting next to the Old Lady, but she didn¡¯t say much, just smiled and announced, ¡°Mother, the feast will be ready in a quarter of an hour.¡±

    At this time, the little maid outside reported, ¡°Old Lady, First Lady, Da Nainai?da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house is here.¡± Ye Shi was currently pregnant, so no one would be harsh on her foring a bitte.

    Ye Shi entered the room with her big belly, but before she could bow, the Old Lady said, ¡°Sit down! As you are one us, there is no need to particrly pay any attention to those mere formalities.¡±

    In response, Ye Shi immediately sat down without much modesty. She had walked such a long way, she was indeed tired.

    After talking for a while, the Old Lady frowned and asked, ¡°Eldest daughter-inw, why didn¡¯t Yujinge? Send a maid over to ask.¡±

    As a result, the little maid who had been appointed to go check soon returned, followed by Yujing¡¯s personal maid Yunying. When Yunying saw everyone in the room looking at her, she shrank, but she still toughened her scalp1?summon up courage and said, ¡°Old Lady, First Lady, Miss¡¯ body is not feeling well. She has been continuously coughing, and she is afraid toe over for fear of passing her sickness and annoying several masters.¡±

    Yuxi lowered her head to hide the smile on her face. It was reasonable to say that Han Jianye¡¯s promotion should be the most suffocating for Ye Shi. If there was no Lu family, her Er Ge11er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity to make a meritorious promotion, and naturally, there was no such thing as two consecutive promotions. It might even have been Second Master Ye who was promoted. But now, even the most suffocating Ye Shi came to the feast, and yet Yujing didn¡¯t evene. As for whether or not Yujing was really sick, she had been fine during the day without Yuxi herself heard that she was sick and now she was suddenly coughing, who would believe it!

    The Old Lady didn¡¯t look very good as she said, ¡°Since she is ill, she should take good care of herself!¡± It was a waste of all her hard work for Yujing to be this unknowing when toe or leaveChinese idiom : with no sense of propriety. Such a pity that she just showed her true face.

    Soon Han Jingyan came over with a few of his sons, followed by Han Jianming and Han Jianye. When Han Jianye arrived, the room was filled with his booming voice.

    Yuxi¡¯s smile became much more genuine when she heard Han Jianye¡¯s cheerful voice. Her Er Ge11er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege had always said that he wanted to build a great career in the future. In hisst life his wish didn¡¯te true, in this life her Er Ge11er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege¡¯s wish would definitelye true.

    Qiu Yanfu had never really paid attention to Han Jianye before, mainly because his appearance wasn¡¯t her type. But she didn¡¯t expect Han Jianye to be an upper fifth rank officer in just a few months. She knew because her aunt¡¯s husband was only a lower fourth rank official. Looking at the magnificent Han Jianye, Qiu Yanfu felt bitter in her heart. She was now sixteen years old, and she still didn¡¯t know when her marriage would be.

    Every little of Qiu Yanfu¡¯s look didn¡¯t escape Yuxi¡¯s sight. She didn¡¯t take Qiu Yanfu seriously anymore, for no other reason than that, even if her Er Ge11er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege was schemed by Qiu Yanfu again, there wouldn¡¯t be a repeat of herst life. Thus there was no need for her to worry.

    When the Old Lady looked at Han Jianye, her eyes were full of smiles, but she still had to say, ¡°Now that you have been promoted up two ranks, this will surely make many people jealous. Be careful in the future and you must never act recklessly.¡±

    When Han Jianye heard this, he smiled and said, ¡°Grandmother, I still want to have a good drink today!¡± Han Jianye wasn¡¯t a rash person either, especially when he was upied with a mission and naturally he wouldn¡¯t even drink even a drop of alcohol. He didn¡¯t have a drink for over a decade now.

    Han Jingyan smiled and said, ¡°Mother, today is a big day and we¡¯re at home, so there¡¯s no need to be so restrained. Just let Jianye rx and unwind.¡± His nephew had a bright future sessful and he looked very happy.

    The Old Lady nodded, ¡°There¡¯s no harm since we¡¯re at home, but when you are out, you have to be careful. Ming-er, you¡¯ll have to watch after him all the time from now on.¡± How many people outside would be jealous at a seventeen-year-old upper fifth rank officer? Those people must have always been watching him closely in hope that he would make a mistake.

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°Grandmother, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll watch over my Er Di12er=second, di=younger brother, short form for Didi.¡± This time Han Jianye was promoted two ranks in a row to Han Jianming¡¯s satisfaction, and the more he felt that Han Jianye was more suited to be paired up with the Lu family now.

    An old woman came in and reported, ¡°Old Lady, the food has been served. It¡¯s time to start the feast.¡± The Old Lady¡¯s dedicated cook was hacked to death by the bandits. This time, the one who handled thedle was Yuchen¡¯s cook.

    Looking at the table full of food, Yuxi felt very resentful. Why was it all vegetarian? There was not even a speck of meat. She still wanted to have meat today! She didn¡¯t know how much longer she would need to eat vegetarian foods.

    What Yuxi actually feels.

    On her way out the door, Qiu Yanfu couldn¡¯t help but look at Han Jianye twice more. She suddenly felt that someone was also staring at her. When she turned around, she saw that it was actually Ye Shi. Qiu Yanfu immediately lowered her head, avoiding Ye Shi¡¯s gaze.

 Chapter 134 - Two Rank Promotion In Succession (3)

    <strong>Chapter 134 : Two Rank Promotion In Session (3)</strong>

    The sky was full of stars, like a piece of broken gold sprinkled on a dark blue cloth, glittering and shining.

    Yuxi rubbed her stomach as she walked, ¡°I¡¯m very full today.¡± Even though she said she was full, she was actually eighty percent full. She usually ate until she was sixty to seventy percent full.

    Zisu said discontentedly, ¡°I always reminded Miss to control yourself, but you always wouldn¡¯t listen. Now, how can you sleep at night after eating so much?¡±

    Yuxi smiled. Although there was no meat today, but, the cook¡¯s cooking was so good that she couldn¡¯t help but to eat some more. ¡°No harm. Wait until we¡¯re back, I¡¯ll do wuqinxi1Five-Animal Exercise (imitating the movements of tiger, deer, bear, ape, and bird) for a while, I¡¯ll assure you by that time, I won¡¯t feel too full anymore.¡± Living in the master courtyard was like having one¡¯s hands being tied2helpless and one¡¯s legs being bound, even practicing wuqinxi1Five-Animal Exercise (imitating the movements of tiger, deer, bear, ape, and bird) was an inconvenience.

    The two of them spoke for a little while, but Zijin kept on being silent. Yuxi was puzzled, ¡°Zijin, what¡¯s wrong with you? What¡¯s on your mind?¡±

    Zijin looked up at Yuxi and said, ¡°Miss, I want to learn martial arts from Master Yang.¡± She had just heard in the main courtyard that Han Jianye had killed over a hundred rebels by himself that night. She was just thinking that if she was as powerful as the Second Master, her Miss wouldn¡¯t have been frightened that night, and it was because of this thought that sprouted her wish to learn martial arts from Master Yang. TN??Your Miss is actually strong¡­..mentally¡­..she only doesn¡¯t know any martial arts. So, just give her sword and she will be okay.

    Yuxi had such an idea before, but the facts told her that this road was not essible. ¡°Master Yang does not ept female apprentices.¡± To put it bluntly, men looked down on women, and would not ept a female apprentice. Even if Master Yang knew that Zijin was born with great strength, he would only say that it was a pity, and still wouldn¡¯t want to ept Zijin as an apprentice.

    Zijin responded, ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t want Master Yang to ept me as an apprentice. I just want him to give me some advice. When I learn martial arts well, no one can bully Missl again.¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi also wanted Zijin to learn martial arts from Master Yang. Unfortunately, Master Yang wouldn¡¯t ept it, so there was no other way. ¡°Don¡¯t think about learning martial arts from Master Yang. If you feel that your knowledge and skills aren¡¯t yet refined, wait for a few days until everything in the residence settles, then you can continue your learning from Deng Shi.¡±

    Zijin lowered her head and didn¡¯t say anything.

    Yuxi knew that Zijin was sad, but there was nothing she could do about it. Master Yang wasn¡¯t Deng Shi, who could be persuaded withmission.

    Originally, Yuxi was in a good mood, but because of Zijin¡¯s words, she became depressed. This world was too harsh on women. It was really too hard for a woman to do a good job.

    When Qiu Shi returned to the courtyard after finishing her work, she saw that the light in Yuxi¡¯s room was still on. She didn¡¯t go directly there, but changed her clothes before going over.

    When Qiu Shi saw Yuxi still leaning against the head of the bed reading a book, she walked over to take the book from Yuxi¡¯s hand and chided, ¡°What time is it and you still reading? Hurry up and go to bed.¡±

    Yuxi chuckled lightly, ¡°I slept too much during the day and now I can¡¯t sleep. I¡¯ve got nothing else to do, so I¡¯m just reading to pass the time.¡±

    Qiu Shi put down the book in her hand on the bedside table and said, ¡°You, this child, really don¡¯t have a moment to spare!¡± The other youngdies spend all their time on clothes and jewellery, but Yuxi studied either pharmacology or embroidery, and then wouldn¡¯t stop all day long.

    Yuxi gathered her quilt and said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, I want to move out in two days. Although the master courtyard is good, I have too many maids and old women servants that I don¡¯t have any room to put them.¡± When children grew up, they had to move out. First, they could cultivate their independent ability. Second, they had many people serving them that there was not enough room in the courtyard.

    Although Qiu Shi was reluctant, she knew it was impossible to keep Yuxi by her side all the time. After listening to Yuxi¡¯s words, she smiled and said, ¡°I have ordered someone to clean the Taoran3lit. happy and carefree House, and it should be ready in a couple of days. When the timees, you will move there.¡±

    Yuxi naturally knew which courtyard Taoran3lit. happy and carefree House was. Han Jianye lived in Taoran3lit. happy and carefree House when he got married in hisst life. ¡°Eldest Aunt, Taoran3lit. happy and carefree House is too big, I will rather not ept it. Just pick a smaller courtyard!¡± Yuxi¡¯s Rose Courtyard was just a small courtyard with one entry. Taoran3lit. happy and carefree House was a three-entry courtyard, which was also one of therge courtyards in the State Residence.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t listen to Yuxi¡¯s whining and said, ¡°I¡¯ll let you live there. The only bad thing about Taoran3lit. happy and carefree House is that it¡¯s a bit far from me.¡± No one currently lived in that courtyard and Taoran3lit. happy and carefree House was one of the best, which was why she chose Taoran3lit. happy and carefree House for Yuxi.

    Yuxi thought for a moment and said, ¡°If I remember correctly, Taoran3lit. happy and carefree House should not be far away from Dage?eldest brother¡¯s study, right?¡± Although Taoran3lit. happy and carefree You belonged to the inner chambers and Han Jianming¡¯s study was in the front courtyard, it was only half a quarter of an hour from Taoran3lit. happy and carefree House to Han Jianming¡¯s study, which was very near.

    Qiu Shi nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t you like to read? Your Dage?eldest brother has quite a collection of books, so if you want to read any books then, just look for your Dage?eldest brother.¡±

    The new courtyard was a done deal. Yuxi also felt a lot more relieved. In fact, no matter which courtyard she lived in, she didn¡¯t feel much about it. The Rose Courtyard was a ce she used to live in, and Taoran3lit. happy and carefree House was just another ce for her to live, which didn¡¯t have any special meaning for her.

    Later, Yuxi had a good night¡¯s sleep.

    The next day, when Han Jianye got up and was about to go out, he heard his personal maid walk passed with a strange expression as she said, ¡°Second Master, Fourth Miss¡¯ maid, Miss Zijin, came looking for you.¡±

    Han Jianye didn¡¯t think much about it. He only thought that Zijin was sent by Yuxi. However, when he heard Zijin¡¯s request, he didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry?Chinese idiom : find sth. both funny and annoying. ¡°My Si Meimei?si=fourth, meimei=younger sister once told me that she wanted you to practice martial arts with my master, but my master refused. Zijin, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but that I can¡¯t.¡±

    Zijin didn¡¯t force Han Jianye and only said, ¡°Second Master, can you tell me where Master Yang lives?¡±

    Han Jianye looked warily at Zisu and asked, ¡°What do you want to do? Let me tell you, my master is a very stubborn person, and even if you just go there to beg, it will be useless.¡±

    Zijin looked up and said, ¡°Second Master, I have no wish to acknowledge Master Yang as my teacher. Not to mention that I¡¯m a girl, my status is also not qualified. Second Master, I just want to learn martial arts well and protect Miss in the future. Second Master, please help me and tell me the address of Master Yang!¡±

    Under Zijin¡¯s pleading, Han Jianye finally couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and told her where Master Yang lived. Although he told her the address, he still reminded her, ¡°I will still repeat the same thing, my master is a very stubborn person. I firmly believe that even ten horses won¡¯t be able to pull him back. If he says he won¡¯t take you as a disciple, he won¡¯t take you.¡±

    Zijin never thought of acknowledging Master Yang as a teacher. She only hoped to get his guidance. ¡°Second Master, I know. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t make you feel embarrassed.¡±

    Han Jianye wasn¡¯t afraid of being embarrassed, he just felt very sure that Zijin wouldn¡¯t be able to seed.

    Zijin also knows that she couldn¡¯t make sense with Han Jianye, and both of them were not on the same wavelength at all. ¡°Second Master, I only hope that Miss won¡¯t know about what happened today. I am afraid Miss will be worried when she knows about this.¡±

    Han Jianye readily agreed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let my Si Meimei?si=fourth, meimei=younger sister know about this.¡± It was also Yuxi¡¯s good fortune to have such a loyal and devoted subordinate.

    When Han Jianye went to work for the Imperial Guards, he saw his future brother-inw. When Sixth Master Lu saw Han Jianye, he patted him on the shoulder and praised him, ¡°Very good.¡± Sixth Master Lu just got the news yesterday afternoon and told his family with joy when he returned home.

    Han Jianye grinned and replied, ¡°It was also because of luck.¡± Running into one of the leaders of the rebels and then managed to ughter him, he truly felt like his luck was off the charts!

    Sixth Master Lu smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not just luck, it depends on your skill too.¡± Luck was there, but without skill, even with luck, it would only be futile. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Han Jianye wasn¡¯t modest anymore, ¡°San Ge?san=third, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, let¡¯s go have a drink after the next errand.¡± Men¡¯s friendships were built at the wine table.

    Sixth Master Lu shook his head and said, ¡°After the next errand, you cane home with me! Dad has something to tell you!¡± After being in contact with him for such a long time, he discovered that Han Jianye was really a tactless one.

    Han Jianye paled and said with difficulty, ¡°Okay.¡± He was truly afraid of meeting his future father-inw, and every time he was criticised, it would be from head to toe, like he had not even one good point?Chinese idiom : everything about something or somebody is wrong. Of course, it wasn¡¯t without its benefits; through the criticism of Second Lord Lu, he had seen many of his shorings and was currently working on correcting them.

    Han Jianming always wanted Han Jianye to get rid of his bad habits, but he was only two years older than Han Jianye, and he didn¡¯t have enough experiences, thus he didn¡¯t know how to correct his shorings! Second Lord Lu was different. He had enough experiences, so when he taught Han Jianye, it was simply the same as just by stretching his hand and grabbing it?Chinese idiom : very easy. This was why Yuxi felt that Han Jianye had matured a lot.

    After Sixth Master Lu finished with his errand, he waited at the door. When he saw Han Jianye¡¯s expression like he was going to the execution ground, heughed and said, ¡°My dad is not going to eat you, how can you be scared like this?¡± This time, Sixth Master Lu seemed to have forgotten, that every time he was taught by his father, he would also be as good as a kitten.

    Han Jianye followed Sixth Master Lu, but as he walked he felt something was wrong, ¡°Liu Ge1?liu=sixth, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege Brother, isn¡¯t this the way to uncle¡¯s study?¡± He hadn¡¯t married Lu Xiu yet, hence he couldn¡¯t call Second Lord Lu as his father. That was why he still called him uncle.

    Sixth Master Lu showed a sly smile on his face, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I won¡¯t take you the wrong way.¡±

    Although Han Jianye was forthright, he wasn¡¯t brainless and inquired, ¡°What the hell is going on? If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯m going home.¡±

    Sixth Master Lu said with a smile, ¡°Grandpa just took a break today, and Dad is waiting for you by Grandpa¡¯s side!¡±

    Han Jianye¡¯s legs went weak when he heard this. It had been almost two months since he had been betrothed to Lu Xiu, and he hadn¡¯t seen Old Lord Lu. He hadn¡¯t expected to see Old Lord Lu either, mainly because Old Lord Lu was a very busy man and had many children and grandchildren at his knees, so a future grandson-inw of his was really nothing. But, no amount of fear would have prevented this.

    After another short walk, the two arrived outside a homely-looking courtyard. Seeing that Han Jianye couldn¡¯t lift his leg, Sixth Master Luughed lightly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Grandpa is waiting inside!¡±

    He had to get in anyway, if he died then he died! Han Jianye had to put forward his spirit of not being afraid to die as he walked in with a brisk stride.

    When Sixth Master Lu noticed Han Jianye¡¯s manner, he didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry?Chinese idiom : find sth. both funny and annoying. If he didn¡¯t know, he would think that Han Jianye was going to an execution ground! However, when he thought of his stern Grandpa, Sixth Master Lu also cringed.

 Chapter 135 - Two Rank Promotion in Succession (4)

    <strong>Chapter 135 : Two Rank Promotion in Session (4)</strong>

    Old Lord Lu¡¯s study has no decorative objects. Apart from a desk and a row of books, there were only the eye-catching bows and arrows hanging on the wall.

    When Han Jianye entered the study, he saw two people inside. There was Second Lord Lu whom he was all too familiar with and the remaining old man with a dignified face whom he knew without thinking was Old Lord Lu. After Han Jianye greeted them, he stood honestly in ce.

    Old Lord Lu looked at the endlessly awkward Han Jianye and didn¡¯t say anything soft words1expressing apology, sympathy, etc.. He only swept a glimpse at Han Jianye and asked, ¡°Is it really that delightful to be promoted up two ranks?¡± When he looked at Han Jianye¡¯s appearance of being flushed with sess, he knew the joy would have been overwhelming.

    Han Jianye felt like he didn¡¯t know where to put his hands and feet, as his words weren¡¯t any clearer, ¡°No, very terrified.¡± The look in Old Master Lu¡¯s eyes seemed like they could see all through him.

    When Sixth Master Lu, who was standing at the back, heard what Han Jianye was saying, he lowered his head tough up his sleeve.

    Old Lord Lu put down the paperweight in his hand and softly said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you know how to be terrified. Being promoted two ranks in session is actually not good for you.¡± If it was ording to Old Lord Lu¡¯s original intention, it should have been pressed a bit. Being too young, rising too fast and with his heart could not keep up, it would instead do more harm than good. It was just that it was already a foregone conclusion when Old Lord Lu got the news, and he was powerless to change it. What to say? After all, Han Jianye was only his grandson-inw, not a grandson, so naturally, Old Lord Lu wouldn¡¯t have paid special attention, or else he wouldn¡¯t have only learned of the news today. However, Han Jianye¡¯s contributions also made Old Lord Lu look up at him with new eyes2Chinese idiom : have a whole new level of respect for sb or sth. As he also worked as an official, whether civil or military, everyone liked one kind of people that was talented and lucky. This kind of talent could go far and high, and Han Jianye, obviously, was this kind of person.

    People in the Han family were very happy that day Han Jianye had gotten the official position of upper sixth rank officer. In fact, they didn¡¯t know that it was a good coincidence for him to get this position. At that time, there was just such a vacancy in the Imperial Guards, and Han Jianye¡¯s conditions were just right. After the Duke of the State Residence made a connection with them, in addition, the Lu family would help from behind his back, which in turn made Han Jianye get this vacancy. Speaking of it, this could also be considered to be his luck.

    Han Jianye calmed his mind and said, ¡°I still wish to ask Taiye3the head of the house to give me one or two pointers.¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Old Lord Lu nodded lightly. This one was indeed a good young sessor. He had specifically asked Sixth Boy to call Han Jianye over not to lecture, but to instruct him. Right now, Old Lord Lu and Han Jianye were talking about the matters between the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Court.

    In the backyard, Second Lady Lu heard that Han Jianye was in her father-inw¡¯s study, thus her face was full of smiles. It was also her future son-inw¡¯s good luck to get the guidance from her father-inw.

    Lu Xiu¡¯s face was a little flushed. She also only found out at noon that her fianc¨¦ had been promoted two ranks in session, which was a great honor. The haze that had filled her life for some time before had thoroughly cleared away. When everyone saw her being congratte for this joyous event, they didn¡¯t feel pity and sympathy anymore towards her.

    Han Jianye stayed in Old Lord Lu¡¯s study for more than an hour. When he came out, the moon was already hanging in the air.

    Sixth Master Lu smiled and said, ¡°You still look the same when you go in.¡± When Han Jianye entered, he was afraid of his grandfather like he was something scary. When Han Jianye came out, after he met his grandfather, his eyes hadpletely filled with feeling of respect.

    Han Jianye didn¡¯t care about Sixth Master Lu poking fun at him. There was an old saying that went, listening to the words of a wise man could be superior to studying ten years of books. That was how he felt right now.

    At this time, in the study room, Old Lord Lu said to Second Lord Lu, ¡°This child is a good seedling. Cultivate him well, and he¡¯ll be a big help in the future.¡± He actually still had some guilt about Lu Xiu. He had thought that the Ye family¡¯s Second boy was a good one, but he hadn¡¯t expected to be wrong. That boy was not bad on the outside, but inside he was a straw bag?a good-for-nothing, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t do such a brainless thing. It was also fortunate that he had a clear view before marriage, or else,ter on, his granddaughter would be burdened with her husband¡¯s concubine¡¯s bastard.

    Second Lord Lu nodded and said, ¡°I will.¡±

    After this incident, in the next few days, Han Jianye always went to the Lu family residence. Even if he couldn¡¯t get guidance from Old Lord Lu, it would still be great for him to get guidance from his future father-inw.

    After Qiu Shi found out, she couldn¡¯t help muttering, ¡°He¡¯s almost bing a son of the Lu family.¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi, however, thinks it was a good thing. The reason Han Jianye had developed such a simple temperament had a lot to do with theck of male elders to teach him. Now that Second Lord Lu was able to perform his father¡¯s duties in ce of her uncle, it was beneficial for her Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother. This was also because Second Lord Lu doted on Lu Xiu, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have been so devoted to her Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother.

    After listening to Yuxi¡¯s words, Qiu Shi said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not an unappreciative person. For the Lu family to be this dedicated, is no other thing but for their daughter¡¯s sake. Don¡¯t worry, I will treat Lu Xiu well when shees through the door. If both husband and wife have a good rtionship, I will have grandchildren in the future. ¡± Lu Xiu¡¯s figure was definitely a prior indication for her to be able to hold two grandchildren within three years!

    When Yuxi heard this talk, she said with a smile, ¡°Why is there the need to wait for Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother to marry? Isn¡¯t Dasao?eldest sister-inw due in the ninth lunar month? At thetest of the ninth lunar month, Eldest Aunt will be able to hold a grandchild.¡±

    Since this matter wasn¡¯t something private and personal, Qiu Shi wouldn¡¯t hide it from Yuxi. She immediately said, ¡°Nine times out of ten, your Dasao?eldest sister-inw will give birth to a girl.¡± It had been more than five months, and it could roughly be seen whether the foetus would be male or female.

    Yuxi cried out loud, ¡°Who said that? How do you know if it¡¯s a boy or a girl when the baby isn¡¯t even born yet?¡± She really didn¡¯t know anything about this. It was mainly because she had never been exposed to it, plus she had never given birth in herst life.

    Qiu Shi replied, ¡°That¡¯s what both Imperial Physician Le and the midwife have said, so it shouldn¡¯t be wrong.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t think it would necessarily be that way, ¡°It¡¯s still necessary for the child to be born first before determining whether it¡¯s a male or female, and what they see is not necessarily urate! Even if it is a girl, she is also the eldest di?born from formal wife granddaughter of our Duke of the State Residence, and she is also highly pure and precious!¡±

    Qiu Shi smiled and said, ¡°You, this girl, I didn¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t like it if she gives birth to a girl.¡± Although she really wanted to have a grandson, but, having a granddaughter was also not bad.

    Yuxi looked at Qiu Shi and knew that Qiu Shi didn¡¯t know yet that it would be difficult for Ye Shi to give another birth in the future. Yuxi didn¡¯t intend to tell Qiu Shi about this. Whether Qiu Shi found out on her own or Han Jianming told her about it, Yuxi had decided not to be the bad one.

    Mama Li walked in and announced, ¡°My Lady, the hot water is ready for you to take a bath.¡±

    Zisu looked at Yuxi¡¯s torn look and asked in a low voice, ¡°Miss, what did the First Lady tell you that made it so difficult for you?¡±

    Yuxi thought about it. There was no way to hide this matter, as it would definitelye out when the time came. Afraid that the people outside would hear, Yuxi lowered her voice and told Zisu in a few words about Ye Shi¡¯s inability to give another birth. Afterwards, she said, ¡°If this foetus is a girl, Dage?eldest brother is definitely going to marry a secondary wife.¡± For this single matter, the Ye family had been the wrong one in the first ce. They just waited for Ye Shi to give birth to the child. After the Imperial Physician determined that Ye Shi could not get pregnant again, marrying a secondary wife would be imperative, nor could it be stopped.

    Zisu looked frightened, ¡°Such a big thing, and the Ye family is hiding it?¡± For the Ye family to know fully well that it would be difficult for Ye Shi to give birth to another child, there was a clear suspicion that they had cheated to get a marriage.

    Yuxi quietly said, ¡°It¡¯s pointless to talk about the past. I¡¯m just worried that if Dage?eldest brother did marry a secondary wife in the future, there would be a fight that would never end.¡± With Ye Shi¡¯s nature, she definitely wanted the candidate to be chosen by her so that she would be able to control the other party well in the future. But if Eldest Aunt knew about Ye Shi¡¯s situation, she would definitely notply, and then this would give birth to animosity between mother-inw and daughter-inw.

    Zisu knew that Yuxi was worried and said, ¡°Miss, I actually think the key to this matter lies with Master Shizi?heir to a noble family.¡±

    Yuxi also felt like she was in a maze. As Zisu said the key to this mattery on Dage?eldest brother. If the person Ye Shi picked out was not to Dage?eldest brother¡¯s satisfaction, all would just be in vain. As for what made Dage?eldest brother agree to marry Ke Minjie as his secondary wife in herst life, Yuxi didn¡¯t want to waste time thinking about it.

    Yuxi softly said, ¡°It¡¯s best that this child will be a son.¡± As long as Ye Shi gave birth to a son, there would be no marriage to secondary wife matter.

    A concubine was the root of a chaotic family, let alone marrying a secondary wife. The secondary wife was naturally a high rank concubine. With Ye Shi¡¯s situation, if in the future, Dage?eldest brother married a secondary who was so powerful and able to give birth, the fight between the wife and concubine would absolutely be unavoidable. When the time came, the Duke of the State would be the stage for the wife and concubine fought and schemed against each other every day. Yuxi liked to watch drama, but she didn¡¯t like to watch this kind of drama. ??I likeedy.

    Zisu spoke even quieter than Yuxi¡¯s as she said, ¡°Miss, you must not interfere in this matter.¡± This kind of thing was definitely an arduous and thankless task1?Chinese idiom : work hard but get little result.

    Yuxiughed. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m missing a string in my head11out of mind to intervene in this matter. Before, for Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother¡¯s matter, I didn¡¯t even feel concerned about it, but it was Dage?eldest brother who came to me. My Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother has always been very good to me, and I would feel very sorry for him if I didn¡¯t go and help him.¡±

    Zisu knew that Yuxi acted in a measured way, and what she said just now was just to remind Yuxi.

    Before, in Rose Courtyard, Yuxi usually went to sleep at half haishi129-11pm. But here, she had to go to bed before the end of xushi137-9pm which she truly could not get used to. While Yuxi was lying on the bed, she said, ¡°Fortunately, we¡¯ll be moving to Taoran House in a couple of days. Otherwise, I¡¯m really worried that I won¡¯t be able to stand it.¡± Seven to eight years of habit was not something that could be corrected in ten days or so. ??Darn, 7-9 pm. The only time I would fall asleep at that time, was because I had been dead tired.

    Speaking of Taoran House, Zisu looked excited, ¡°Miss, Taoran House is more than three times bigger than Rose Courtyard. Let¡¯s see if Second Miss and Fifth Miss will stillugh at you in the future?¡±

    Yuxi, however, was a little regretful, ¡°I still like my Rose Courtyard.¡± Especially the roses in Rose Courtyard, which were her favourite.

    Zisu smiled and suggested, ¡°Miss, wouldn¡¯t it be nice to have two rose bushes nted in the courtyard. If Miss is willing, Miss can also build a swing in the courtyard.¡± The fact that Zisu would say that, was because, it was aplete reference to theyout of Tingyun Pavilion.

    Where would Yuxi have such a refined and leisurely frame of mind, ¡°Don¡¯t nt those attractive but useless kinds of things. I want to nt medicinal herbs in the backyard.¡± Even if the results of her herbs were terrible, Yuxi still hadn¡¯t given up and she would persevere unremittingly1?Chinese idiom : to keep going until the end in the future.

    Zisu¡¯s eyes widened as big as two copper bells. After a while, she smiled and said, ¡°When Miss arrives at Taoran House, Miss will decide whether to nt medicinal herbs in the backyard or not.¡±

    Yuxi knew the generalyout of the Taoran House, but for the specific, she was unclear. She thenughed, ¡°What kind of nts have been nted in Taoran House backyard that have made you treasure them like this?¡±

    Zisu didn¡¯t spare her any clue, ¡°Miss will know when the timees.¡±

    Yuxiughed and scolded, ¡°Now you¡¯re dressing up as God, but y the devil1?Chinese idiom : purposely make a mystery of simple things in front of me.¡± Not only did Zisu like Taoran House, but also did Zijin, Kufu and the others. Yuxi knew why. Previously, her Rose Courtyard was too small, not only was it crowded, there was no ce to put her things. Now that Taoran House was so spacious, she didn¡¯t have to worry about that anymore.

 Chapter 136 - Taoran House (1)

    <strong>Chapter 136 : Taoran House (1)</strong>

    Taoran House was a threepound courtyard. The frontpound was to receive guests and for the guests to have a rest; the nextpound was the central room, which was a great ce for meeting guests or hosting an important event, while the wings rooms on the left and right could also be used for guests¡¯ amodation. The side of the courtyard was where the servants lived, and the kitchen was near there. The thirdpound was the master¡¯s quarters, which were not only exquisitely furnished, but it also had about ten other rooms in various sizes.

    The only thought Yuxi had after looking at it, it felt really spacious. After walking around, she asked, ¡°Why isn¡¯t there a backyard here?¡± No wonder that girl, Zisu, kept her on tenterhooks. Taoran House didn¡¯t have a backyard at all.

    Kufu smiled and exined, ¡°Miss, the Taoran House was builtrger and this location is also good, so there was not a yard left to turn into a backyard.¡± The reason why Rose Courtyard had a backyard was not only because it was built smaller, but also because it was in a remote location.

    When Yuxi looked at the garden, there were two green pines leaning against the east wall. She was very impressed with these two pines, since they had been there for a good deal of years.

    These two pine trees were very pretty good, as they stood tall and straight. There was also a rosewood mixed with marble table put under the trees, together with wooden low stools padded with leather felt. There was also a cobblestone path extended to the stone table.

    After seeing everything through, Yuxi muttered, ¡°Where can I nt rose flowers in this ce?¡± Although it was more spacious here, she thought that Rose Courtyard was much better. None other for the reason that every side here was all surrounded by buildings. When she was surrounded like this, she didn¡¯t feel very good.

    Zisu really couldn¡¯t understand Yuxi, ¡°Miss, this is much better than Rose Courtyard. Your study here is more than twice bigger than the one you had before.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Zisu and asked, ¡°How did me reading my book have to do with the size of the study?¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Zisu replied, ¡°Howe it doesn¡¯t matter? It¡¯s good to have lots of light in the study, since it won¡¯t hurt your eyes! Also, Miss can embroider in the embroidery room from now on, so Miss doesn¡¯t need to go to the yard just to embroider anymore.¡± In the past, there were too few rooms in Rose Courtyard that they didn¡¯t even have enough room for them to live in, thus how could they shift one as an embroidery room. However now, there was no such worry.

    Yuxi muttered, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯vest embroidered.¡± Not only she hadn¡¯t embroidered in more than half a month, even calligraphy she hadn¡¯t touched in more than half a month either.

    Yuxi advanced towards the bedroom, and looked at the washed yellow rosewood furniture. She couldn¡¯t help telling Zisu, ¡°You don¡¯t have to envy Yuchen from hereafter.¡±

    Zisu didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry1Chinese idiom : find sth. both funny and annoying, ¡°Miss, my envy is also your envy, okay?¡± When did she ever envy? She was just taking up the cudgels against the injustice2Chinese idiom : defend somebody from injustice done to her own Miss, that was all.

    Yuxi looked at the furniture and softly asked, ¡°I wonder, for whom these things were actually for?¡± Their appearance looked like they were already 20 or 30 year old.

    Kufu knew this better as she said, ¡°Miss, the furniture in the bedroom was moved out of the warehouse by the Old Lady.¡± Seeing Zisu¡¯s puzzled face, Kufu exined, ¡°These things were actually prepared by the Old Lord for Dagu Nainai3da=eldest, gu=father¡¯s sister, nainai=young mistress of the house, and then when Dagu Nainai3da=eldest, gu=father¡¯s sister, nainai=young mistress of the house got married, she couldn¡¯t use them, so she kept them locked in the warehouse.¡±

    Yuxi curled her mouth. Dagu Nainai3da=eldest, gu=father¡¯s sister, nainai=young mistress of the house whom Kufu was referring to was her father¡¯s eldest sister, who was born from the same mother as the Second Lord, Han Jingjun. She had no idea of her, other than this eldest paternal aunt of hers had unexpectedly participated in the pce election and ended up being chosen to enter the pce. Unfortunately, she died of illness less than a year after entering the pce. Any more than that was unclear to Yuxi. Women who entered the pce naturally didn¡¯t need to preparerge pieces of furniture, and contrary to what Yuxi expected, it somehow had be something advantageous for her.

    Maidong said an untimely remark, ¡°Fortunately those bandits didn¡¯t set them on fire, or else the furniture wouldn¡¯t have been saved.¡± After saying that, she knew she had said the wrong thing. The events of that night were taboo and could not even be mentioned in the residence. The main reason was that too many people had died, abined total of seventy people, so one could imagine how huge the number was. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Zisu gave Maidong an angry nce, but with Yuxi present, it wasn¡¯t her turn to lecture Maidong yet.

    Yuxi questioned, ¡°What¡¯s been going ontely, Maidong? Either your heart wasn¡¯t here?Chinese idiom : absent minded, you were lost in thought, or you were just talking nonsense? If something happens, you should tell me, don¡¯t keep it to yourself alone.¡±

    Maidong bowed her head, unsure of what to say.

    Zisu was really angry, ¡°Maidong, if you have any difficulties, you should tell Miss. If you can¡¯t solve it, Miss can also help you solve it.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s expression turned soft, ¡°Tell me, what matter has made you this awkward?¡± Seeing that Maidong still looked like she was struggling, Yuxi didn¡¯t bother to ask any more questions, ¡°Think about it more, and tell me when you¡¯re done.¡± Among the four maids beside her, only Maidong didn¡¯t talk much. But because she did her daily work properly, Yuxi decided to keep her.

    After she had finished seeing the bedroom, Yuxi entered the study next. The study was very spacious, and the furniture here also had the taste of primitive simplicity, and their appearance looked like they also had been for some few years. Especially the coffee table in the study that was made of rosewood. Yuxi asked, ¡°Where did the things in the studye from?¡± She had some hindsight, that these furniture had a history of at least 180 years.

    Zisu replied, ¡°These things were moved from the big warehouse of the front courtyard by the First Lady. I heard Mama Li said that these things were all from the Old Lord¡¯s study.¡± The so-called big warehouse of the front courtyard of the residence meant something that belonged to the public, while the warehouse inside a courtyard was a part of private property. In general, it was necessary to get the consent of the person in charged to use public things, and one¡¯s private property could be freely managed by the courtyard owner.

    Yuxi smiled, despite everything inside her courtyard were things of shreds and patches?Chinese idiom : assembled at random. However, after this disaster, the capital had not yet been peaceful, hence one couldn¡¯t even go out to buy furniture. One could only move them from one¡¯s own warehouse. ¡°Not bad.¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    The furniture in the study was good, but the only bad thing was that the study felt too empty. Yuxi muttered to herself, ¡°Pity those books of mine.¡± Sadly, Zisu only brought out some of her medical books, but didn¡¯t bring out some historical books hidden in the cupboard, and the notes that she had made, all had been burned. But it was not yet peaceful out there. Even if Yuxi wanted to go out to buy books, she wouldn¡¯t be allowed to.

    Image Credit | °Ù¼ÒºÅ/¹¤¿ÆÀÏÅ®µÄÁôÑÔ·ÆÓï

    An example of a set head jewellery.

    Zisu didn¡¯t regret that she didn¡¯t move those books out that day. Who made those books too heavy? ¡°Miss, just wait for a few more days. By then, Miss will be able to buy them again.¡± A set of Yuxi¡¯s top head jewellery was enough to buy half a shelf of books.

    As Yuxi looked at the writing brush, blotting paper and inkstone ced on the desk, the most valuable things from her old study that Zisu managed to bring out, she felt that her loss was not so big actually. Yuxi said, ¡°For what else to buy, I¡¯ll write a list for you. Don¡¯t make your own decisions.¡± Zisu always wanted her to be treated like Yuchen, but Yuxi really felt that it was unnecessary. If she was raised too delicately and lived toofortably, her body wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it if she suffered again in the future.

    How could Zisu not know what Yuxi was thinking? Although she was unwilling, she still nodded and said, ¡°I got it.¡± Even if she had gotten something good, her Miss would only put it away when she didn¡¯t want to use it, so why should Zisu be bothered with that thought!

    In addition to the study room, Qiu Shi also arranged an embroidery room and a painting room for Yuxi, as well as a chess room which was really a very well thought out of her aunt.

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t help herself fromughing. ¡°Is it necessary to do this? I really don¡¯t need them. Now, they have taken up all these rooms for nothing.¡± She hadn¡¯t touched the painting brush all year round. As for the chess room, it was unnecessary. If she wanted to y chess, it was already good for her to y it in the study. Why would she need to go to the chess room specially?

    Zisu said, ¡°The courtyard is empty anyway.¡± Only a few personal maids and trusted old women would live in this courtyard, and there were still so many vacant rooms.

    Yuxi waved her hand, ¡°Let¡¯s dismiss the chess room and the painting room.¡± She knew that this was intended to imitate Tingyun Pavilion, but Tingyun Pavilion wasn¡¯t that easy to imitate. Yuxi¡¯s chess room and painting room seem to be simply decorated, but there was actually a lot of knowledge that had been put inside, making it refreshing to the mind and pleasant to the eye?pleasing to both the heart and eye. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Zisu put forward Qiu Shi¡¯s name to persuade Yuxi, ¡°This is what the First Lady had instructed.¡±

    Yuxi felt that she was being too amodating during this time as she asked with a cold face, ¡°Are you going to listen to my aunt or to me?¡±

    This question was rather serious that Zisu couldn¡¯t stand it.

    Yuxi felt that she had been really negligent, by letting Zisu learn ount books and other things, but didn¡¯t foster her aesthetic concept. Of course, Zisu went to Tingyun Pavilion only a few times, and most of the time, Yuxi was followed by Kufu. ¡°You try to draw a tiger but end up with the likeness of a dog?Chinese idiom : attempt sth. overambitious and end in failure, and if I have to say, that is what the current situation we are in. You do have a good intention, but when that timees, I will be the onlyughing stock.¡±

    Zisu¡¯s facial expression suddenly changed.

    Yuxi was also unwilling to have a dispute with Zisu, but she did sense that after they had experienced this unforeseen event, several maids around her were beginning to get fickle and impatient, which was not a good sign. She had to fix it, or else it would be easy for them to do something wrong while in this state.

    After visiting Taoran House, Yuxi went back with Zisu and Maidong. She had to choose an auspicious day to move here. This time, she only came to see theyout.

    Yuxi was lying on the bed reading a medical book. At this time, Maidong suddenly walked in. With her head hung low, she had an appearance of having done something wrong. Thus Yuxi put the book on the pillow, ¡°Tell me, what makes you so hesitant before.¡±

    What Yuxi didn¡¯t expect was, the problem Maidong hid in her heart was not only one thing. Maidong¡¯s mother wanted her to ask for favour from Yuxi, that was to find a job for her younger brother, and then let her younger sister work in Taoran House. Besides, her mother was also nning to betroth Maidong to her biaoge?elder male cousin from mother¡¯s side.

    The reason Maidong¡¯s mother had made these requests was because the State Residence was currently short of staff. Maidong¡¯s mother thought that as long as Fourth Miss opened her mouth, she would definitely be able to find a good job for her son. While, for the reason she tried to send her youngest daughter to Taoran House was because Yuxi was very generous to her servants and gave them many rewards.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t pay much attention to the first two requests. For maids and old women servants to sharpen their minds to serve their masters was just for the sake of seeking more benefits. However, for thest matter, to go as far as wanting to betroth Maidong to her biaoge?elder male cousin from mother¡¯s side, this one really touched Yuxi¡¯s bottom line. A maid who personally served her master could not be married without the master¡¯s consent. Moreover, the personal maid would not be released until she was at least eighteen years old, and Maidong was only thirteen years old, so it was still a long way for her to get married! Yuxi calmly asked, ¡°Is it because I am always being generous to you people that you want to climb on my head one by one?¡± Being too rxed wasn¡¯t good, while being too stern also wasn¡¯t good. One had to be calm and rxed when treating people around oneself. If one didn¡¯t manage to grab proper limits of one¡¯s people, it would be easy to give birth to future problems.

    What her Miss just said to her was so serious that Maidong trembled and immediately knelt on the ground. Since she had been around Yuxi for so many years, she still knew roughly Yuxi¡¯s temperament. This time, she had truly offended her Miss.

 Chapter 137 - Taoran House (2)

    <strong>Chapter 137 : Taoran House (2)</strong>

    Yuxi saw that Maidong only knelt down and didn¡¯t say a word. She also didn¡¯t force her to speak, so she just lowered her head and continued to read her book.

    When Maidong noticed that Yuxi didn¡¯t say anything, she bowed her head and kneeled much lower that her legs went numb but she didn¡¯t dare to groan.

    After a while, Yuxi put down her book and said to the pale looking Maidong, ¡°If you have nothing to say, then withdraw!¡± It was better for a servant girl to be a bit smart, but Maidong was too inarticte which gave Yuxi a headache.

    Maidong¡¯s voice was a little shaky as she said, ¡°Miss, I didn¡¯t respond to my mother¡¯s requests.¡± There were three men and three women in Maidong¡¯s family. She happened to be in the middle, so she wasn¡¯t doted by her father and wasn¡¯t loved by her mother. When she entered Rose Courtyard, Yuxi was in an unfavourable condition inside the Duke of the State Residence. Later, when Yuxi¡¯s condition raised up, Maidong was then promoted to Yuxi¡¯s personal maid, and her family started to view her in a new, more favourable light1Chinese idiom : regard (or look up to) sb. with special respect. However, the prices of being viewed in a more favourable light1Chinese idiom : regard (or look up to) sb. with special respect was, she had to send home her monthly money and rewards every month.

    Yuxi nodded her head, still not hopeless yet. Maidong had been exploited and squeezed by her family which Yuxi had known for a long time. Even if Yuxi reminded her so many times, it was still useless. However, she didn¡¯t expect that Maidong¡¯s family¡¯s appetite had gotten much bigger.

    As she had learned her lesson from herst life, Yuxi was not only generous to the maids around her, but she also cared for them and would help them to the extent that she could. For example, she had previously found a work as junior steward of the inner courtyard for Kufu¡¯s second sister-inw and an errand duty for Maidong¡¯s second brother.

    Yuxi asked herself had she did well, but today Maidong¡¯s words were the ones that made her realize that she was overly lenient to those around her, which made them all ride on her head.

    When Maidong saw that Yuxi was bing silent again, she was a little scared and called out, ¡°Miss¡­¡± she was able to have a good life now thanks to Miss¡¯ blessing. If she was kicked out by Miss, her parents would definitely treat her with cold-shoulder again, and she wouldn¡¯t have a good life when she went back.

    Yuxi faced Maidong and said, ¡°Tell your mother that if she doesn¡¯t know what her duty is, I¡¯ll let her know.¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Once you were crowned with such a title of an unscrupulous person, you would never be able to live your life. Maidong was scared silly, as she immediately knelt on the ground and cried, ¡°I¡¯m begging Miss for forgiveness. All mistakes are this handmaiden¡¯s fault.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s expression became even more indifferent, ¡°Maidong, you have served me for seven years, and you know my temper. As long as you work hard and keep to your duty, I won¡¯t treat you badly. If not, I can¡¯t keep you around me anymore.¡±

    Under this circumstance, Maidong did not even dare to plead.

    Yuxi did not want to say more. There were many people who got carried away, not only Maidong¡¯s parents. ¡°Withdraw! I¡¯m going to read my book.¡± Just now, when she was reading her book, that was all an act. How could she really read it. Maidong¡¯s behaviour let Yuxi use it to coerce the maid¡¯s thought. But when she recalled all the years where Maidong had worked hard even if she had not performed meritorious deeds, even if Yuxi let her out, she still had to settle the great event2usu. referring to marriage in Maidong¡¯s life.

    It wasn¡¯t that Yuxi had any deep feelings for Maidong, but if she was being too ruthless, it would make the other maids feel chilled, and then they would prone to be disloyal.

    Maidong staggered and went out.

    Soon after, Kufu walked in and saw Yuxi read a medical book so intently that she didn¡¯t even know how to open her mouth to talk about Maidong.

    Without turning her head, Yuxi said, ¡°Say what you have to say, I¡¯ll listen.¡±

    Kufu was a bit embarrassed, but thinking about the crying Maidong, she still spoke up, ¡°Miss, Maidong is also quite embarrassed, and she did not agree to her mother¡¯s request, so please don¡¯t me her.¡± Maidong and Kufu get along so well with each other like real sisters. When Kufu looked at Maidong, she felt that it would be against her conscience not to help Maidong. Therefore, she had this huge courage to plead for Maidong.

    Yuxi closed the book, ced it on herp, and asked, ¡°What do you think I should do? Comfort her? Enlighten her?¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Kufu was suddenly baffled by the questions.

    Yuxi put down the book in her hands and lifted the nket to get up. She then went to the table and poured herself a ss of water. After she drank half of it, she put it down. When she saw that Kufu hadn¡¯t spoken yet, she asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you open your mouth now?¡±

    Kufu blushed and said embarrassingly, ¡°Miss, that¡¯s not what handmaiden meant. Handmaiden just think¡­¡±

    Yuxi chuckled, ¡°If Maidong had the decency to remember her identity, she should have solved these problems by herself, instead of telling me, wanting me to help her solve them. If you really have the heart, you should persuade Maidong to be tough, instead ofing to plead for her. Do I indulge you too much on ordinary days, that you people don¡¯t know who you are?¡± Not to mention that she hadn¡¯t punished Maidong. Even if she did, it was not up to the subordinates to plead for her.

    Kufu was dumbfounded. How did this me have turned to burn her instead?

    Yuxi¡¯s face looked calm, ¡°Withdraw! Your affection is important, but don¡¯t forget your identity. After this kind of thing, think clearly before youe to plead for someone.¡±

    Kufu¡¯s heart thumped hard, regretting that she had rashlye in to plead. Now she didn¡¯t dare to say anything more and softly said, ¡°Miss, this handmaiden won¡¯t dare again.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Go call Zisu in.¡±

    Zisu came in and saw Yuxi with her eyes closed while leaning against the head of the bed. She couldn¡¯t figure out what Yuxi¡¯s attitude was right now. But because of Maidong¡¯s matter beforehand, her mood must have been bad.

    As time passed, Yuxi, who was leaning on the bed, seemed to be asleep. But Zisu didn¡¯t think that Yuxi was asleep, on the contrary, she was getting more and more uneasy. Ever since she had arrived at the Duke of the State Residence, her Miss had always been good to her and had treated her like a sister. Yet today, she was unable to grasp what her Miss meant.

    It was unknown how long time had passed, when Yuxi finally asked, ¡°Do you know what you did wrong?¡±

    Zisu nodded and said, ¡°I know, I shouldn¡¯t have taken the liberty of setting up the chess and painting rooms without asking Miss¡¯ opinion.¡± Being a servant and making decisions without permission was a very overstepping thing for a maid to do.

    Only then did Yuxi open her eyes and looked at Zisu, ¡°Not quite foolish yet.¡± After a pause, she said, ¡°Actually, setting up the chess room and the painting room is just a small matter. Your fault is that your mind is unbnced.¡±

    Zisu looked puzzled.

    As Yuxi looked at such Zisu, she suddenly remembered what Momo3wet nurse Quan said. She said that managing one¡¯s subordinate was one of those profound knowledge. Now, she finally had a deep understanding, ¡°You always like topare me with San Jie?san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie. You think I should have things that my San Jie?san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie have, right?¡±

    Zisu was silent for a moment, before she finally nodded slowly, ¡°Miss is no worse than the Third Miss, so why should Third Miss pressure Miss in all of things? Miss, this handmaiden won¡¯t ept this.¡±

    A smile appeared on Yuxi¡¯s face, ¡°What are you not epting? Do I have an exceptional look like Yuchen? Do I have her retentive memory ability? Or do I have a strong maternal grandparents¡¯ home ?¡±

    Zisu was baffled.

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t help but sigh and said, ¡°San Jie?san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie and I are different. She has her own path to follow and I have mine to follow, so there¡¯s no need for you topare me with her.¡±

    Zisu smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Miss, it is impossible for me to see you being so indifferent.¡± Her Miss had made great efforts to move forwards, but in the eyes of the Old Lady and the Third Lord, just like before, there were only Third Miss, and yet her Miss was continuously treated like a dispensable existence.

    Yuxi knew what Zisu was thinking. She was silent for a long time before she spoke to Zisu, ¡°You do know that I had smallpox before, right?¡±

    Zisu nodded briefly, ¡°I know.¡± Mama (Fang) had told her everything about Yuxi when she was a child, therefore, Zisu had always felt distressed for Yuxi. She especially loathed the Old Lady and Third Lord¡¯s partiality.

    Yuxi said with an unchanged expression, ¡°Since that day, in my heart, my Grandmother is just my Grandmother, and my Father is just my Father.¡± After that, she deliberately paused, looked at Zisu and continued, ¡°Do you understand what I mean?¡± The meaning of this word was that her Grandmother and Father only upy her great sense of honour but she didn¡¯t have any affection towards them. This was the first time she had spoken out her own real thoughts.

    After a long time, Zisu finally nodded, ¡°I know what Miss means now.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°Zisu, in fact, you don¡¯t have to be unfair at all. The better Grandmother and Father treat San Jie?san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, the more she has to give back to the family in the future. Therefore, don¡¯t do these unnecessarypetitions in the future. ¡± How much one had been given, that was how much one would have to pay in the future. As for her, she never wanted to repay her family or anything.

    Zisu looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°What does Miss mean by that? What do the Old Lady and the Third Lord want the Third Miss to do?¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t exin this to Zisu. This kind of thing couldn¡¯t be exined. ¡°You¡¯ll find out in the future.¡±

    Zisu realised only then that she was actually very distant with her Miss.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Think about it! Let Zijin keep watch tonight.¡± Zisu was smart. But, for her to be smart only on thing like appearance wasn¡¯t a good thing.

    The reason why she would tell Zisu so much was because Yuxi saw Zisu as her right-hand man. As for Maidong, it was only because she had done her work cautiously and conscientiously that she was tolerated. However, after this incident, Yuxi felt that her courtyard really couldn¡¯t afford to be without a managing mama.

    The ¡®decoration¡¯ mama, Mama Shen, had been dismissed by Qiu Shi before she could even move to Taoran House. Now, there was no mama in charge of Taoran House.

    Yuxi was a man of action, and she told Qiu Shi about it the next day. There wasn¡¯t a managing mama controlling these maids, that they now had so many thoughts.

    Qiu Shi was not a stupid person, so how could she not see that Mama Shen had acted as a decoration only. It also wasn¡¯t that easy to find a qualified managing mother right now. ¡°I¡¯ll give you an answer in a couple of days!¡±

    Turning her head, Qiu Shi said to Mama Li, ¡°An average person can¡¯t calm down some of those Rose Courtyard maids.¡± Especially Zisu. That maid was capable, but her temper wasn¡¯t small, and her nature wasn¡¯t docile either. Without enough skills, one couldn¡¯t keep her under control.

    Qiu Shi also had a headache. ¡°Let¡¯s put this off for now, there¡¯s no rush anyway. Let¡¯s deal with Yuxi¡¯s move first.¡± The day for Yuxi¡¯s move had been set. The day of the move had been chosen to be on the eighth day of the fifth lunar month, a very auspicious day, which was Qiu Shi¡¯s amazing choice.

    The eighth day of the fifth lunar month was indeed a beautiful day. The sun shone brightly. The pors were red and the willows were green, while the sweet-sounding song of birds and insects could be heard everywhere, while an intoxicating aroma was floating in the air.

    Yuxi entered Taoran House with a group of people, which gave of a different feeling from herst visit here. Now, Taoran House had more characters.

    The bedroom and study had already been set up, thus there was no need for Yuxi to bother with anything. Rather, only her maidservants acted like raging mes rocket into the sky?Chinese idiom : bustling with activity.

 Chapter 138 - Taoran House (3)

    <strong>Chapter 138 : Taoran House (3)</strong>

    As Yuxi and her servants moved into their new home, everyone would surelye over to congratte them. That afternoon, Yuru and Yujing came over one after another, and they both prepared some gifts.

    The embroidery patterns behind this kang (heatable bed) is called kang screen. It¡¯s used as decoration.

    Image Credit | ãäÌ­ (×ß½øÇå¹¬¿´³ÂÉè, Sep 13th, 2017)

    Yuru prepared a pair of kang screens. ¡°I embroidered it myself. I hope Si Meimei1si=fourth, meimei=younger sister won¡¯t dislike it.¡± Yuxi¡¯s embroidery was good, which was known all over the Duke of the State Residence. It was a pity that Yuxi pursued perfection, thus she had made very few embroidered works. Only the Old Lady and the First Lady had obtained her embroideries, while others didn¡¯t have the opportunity.

    Yuxi took the kang screens and smilingly said, ¡°It¡¯s not toote to like it, and how can I dislike it?¡± Yuxi also knew that she always blew apart the hairs upon a fur to discover any defect2Chinese idiom : being nitpicking, but she couldn¡¯t help it. If the embroidery wasn¡¯t to her liking, she would rather destroy it than using it.

    The seat screen generally refers to a screen with a base that cannot be folded. In ancient times, it was often used as a barrier behind the main seat to show recognition of nobility and dignity. ¨C ×ùÆÁ, Jun 16, 2016

    The gift from Yujing was also made from embroidery, which was a pair of seat screens. The difference was that Yuru¡¯s pair of kang screens could be seen at a first nce had been embroidered by her personally, while Yujing¡¯s gift was clearly from her maid¡¯s hand. Yuxi didn¡¯t show any dislike for it and she smiled as her expression of thanking her.

    What Yuchen had given her as a gift was a painting. Tingyun Pavilion had already been tidied up for a long time. Thus, in the beginning of the fifth lunar month, Yuchen resolutely moved back to Tingyun Pavilion despite the opposition from the Old Lady Han.

    Yuxi originally thought it was a painting, painted by Yuchen herself. That was why she was really shocked when she opened it. Yuchen had gifted her Wu Daozi¡¯s ¡®Five Saints and a Thousand Officials¡¯. Yuxi hastily declined it, ¡°San Jie3san=third, jie=elder sister, this gift is too valuable. I can¡¯t take it. If San Jie3san=third, jie=elder sister really wants to give me a painting, please paint one for me, and I¡¯ll like it even more.¡± This thing was priceless! Yuxi couldn¡¯t even figure out why Yuchen was giving her such an expensive gift.

    Yuchen shook her head and said, ¡°When things have been sent out, there is no reason for me to take them back. If you really like my painting, I will draw it and send it to you another day.¡±

    It was definitely not good to ept something so valuable, but then again, Yuchen looked like she wouldn¡¯t take it back once she had given it away. Yuxi really felt like Yuchen was giving her a hard time. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yurong looked at Yuxi¡¯s awkward expression and felt that Yuxi was truly pretending. This painting was worth several cities?Chinese idiom : priceless. Yuxi¡¯s heart must have been eager to receive it from Yuchen, while going as far as pretending to be awkward. But as Yurong thought about how Yuchen had sent her a few mediocre things from the moment she came back from Hebei until now, she became really upset. She was also her younger sister, but she received such a different treatment from Yuchen.??Only Yuchen treats you differently, but your mom and dad love you. Try to wear Yuxi¡¯s shoes, where she is ignored by her Grandmother, Father, Stepmother, younger sister etc. I think you¡¯ll get mad.

    Yuru smiled beside her as she urged, ¡°This is San Mei?san=third, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei¡¯s piece of mind. Si Meimei1si=fourth, meimei=younger sister, just take it!¡± She remembered when she first saw the painting, she felt very jealous, but she didn¡¯t expect that it would be in Yuxi¡¯s hands in the blink of an eye. However, it was fortunate that she didn¡¯t snatch away the painting that day.

    Those bandits didn¡¯t understand anything about calligraphy and painting, let alone this painting of the ¡®Five Sages and Thousand Officials¡¯ hanging in the drawing room. That was why they didn¡¯t take any precious calligraphies and paintings in the study.

    Yujing really couldn¡¯t tolerate seeing Yuxi being neither leftwards nor rightwards?Chinese idiom : in a dilemma as she said, ¡°Si Mei?si=fourth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei, don¡¯t be sentimental.¡±

    With Yuchen¡¯s gift had been given out first, Yurong and Qiu Yanfu¡¯s gifts could just be ignored. The two of them didn¡¯t really want to give Yuxi any gifts, but it was because it would be truly bad if they didn¡¯t give any.

    After everyone sat down, a maid brought in several tes of peaches. These peaches were fragrant and tempting, and their colour was really gorgeous. Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°This peaches taste good. Everyone should try it.¡±

    Yurong looked at the peaches and asked, ¡°Did you buy these peaches, Si Jiejie?si=fourth, jiejie=elder sister?¡± Everyone in the residence knew that Yuxi¡¯s courtyard had been burned down, so where would she still have the money to buy peaches. The peaches were just on the market, and they were so expensive that mostmon people couldn¡¯t afford to buy them.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°No, I don¡¯t have that kind of spare money. These peaches were sent over by Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege this morning.¡± As for whether Han Jianye bought it or got it from someone else, she wasn¡¯t sure.

    Yurong sneered. Yuxi only knew how to curry favour with the senior branch of the family, without looking at which side she was currently on. Yurong didn¡¯t know what her Dad thought about this, but unexpectedly he didn¡¯t seem like he even care, and just let Yuxi had her way to court favour with the senior branch.

    Yuru smiled andmented, ¡°Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege really loves Si Meimei1si=fourth, meimei=younger sister.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t seem to see the different expressions on everyone¡¯s faces, as she happily smiled, ¡°Yeah! Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege loves me very much, and he will think of me every time he sees good things outside. In these years, many rare things that I¡¯ve got were bought by Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege.¡±

    Yuchen listened to these statements with a forlorn look on her face.

    Momo1?wet nurse Gui didn¡¯t know at first that Yuchen had sent Wu Daozi¡¯s ¡®Five Saints and a Thousand Officials¡¯ as a gift, and after she knew about it, she advised, ¡°Miss, if you¡¯re sending such a valuable thing to Fourth Miss, what will you send to Eldest Miss and Second Miss for their happy asion11wedding in the future?¡±

    Yuchen smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re going to have the joy of moving into a new house.¡± She had lost all her jewellery and some of her porcin and jadeware had been broken into pieces. Nevertheless, she still had all those fixed assets, such as the house deed, thend title and furthermore some silver drafts, so Yuchen didn¡¯t wound her muscles and move her bones12Chinese idiom : have a serious injury.

    Momo1?wet nurse Gui softly said, ¡°Miss is being very good to the Fourth Miss.¡± It was too good, which made others feel that Third Miss was clinging to the Fourth Miss. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuchen indifferently said, ¡°It¡¯s just a painting. How can that be considered as good!¡±

    Momo1?wet nurse Gui thought of Yuxi¡¯s manner and said, ¡°Miss, no matter how well Fourth Miss behaved usually, it is an unchangeable fact that she has a grudge against the Old Lady and the Lord in her heart. Otherwise, she should have taken Zijin and the Deng¡¯s sisters to go to the main house to protect the Old Lady that night, instead of going to the master courtyard. If the Fourth Miss had gone to the main house, so many people would not have died in there.¡± Momo1?wet nurse Gui said these words in the hope that Yuchen could guard against Yuxi and not to get emotional.

    It had been such a long time, so how could Yuchen not know what Momo1?wet nurse Gui was thinking as she softly said, ¡°Momo1?wet nurse, please go out. I want to be alone.¡± It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t know what Momo1?wet nurse Gui said. It was just that night matter, in what position did she have to me Yuxi?

    After Momo1?wet nurse Gui left, Yuchen went to the window and looked at the swaying lotus flowers outside. Her mood was unusually heavy.

    During this period of time, Yuchen had been reflecting. Yuxi knew to let her maids take refuge in the rockeries in the garden after discovering that something was wrong, but what about her? She only followed Momo1?wet nurse Gui to the main room and left all the others behind. If she had arranged the servants like Yuxi, would those people be alive? Also, Yuxi only kept Zijin and Deng¡¯s sisters in the master courtyard, while she and her grandmother did nothing. When they knew that the bandits hade, they hid in the secret cab of the Buddhist temple, and they didn¡¯t care about the maids at all. She hid in the secret cab, as she listened to the cries of people for help, but there was nothing she could do. That kind of feeling, she couldn¡¯t forget until the day she died.

    Also through this incident, it made her see the difference between herself and Yuxi. Yes, Yuxi¡¯s looks and talent couldn¡¯tpare to hers, but in other aspects she was far inferior to Yuxi.

    Yuchen sometimes felt that Yuxi was like a mirror, and every time she looked into it, she could find her own ws. It was not scary to have ws. It was scary when one did not know where one¡¯s ws were.

    That evening, Yuxi received a gift from Han Jingyan, which was a set of four treasures of the study. After taking a look at it, she told a maid to put it in the study.

    By having a study, reading was much more convenient for Yuxi. However, after reading the medical books for half an hour, she felt out of sorts. She remembered the burned Book of Han and the notes that she had made. Her six years¡¯ hard work had gone to waste.

    The next day, Yuxi sought out Qiu Shi, stating that she wanted to go out to buy books. The books that she had bought before had been reduced to ashes, which Qiu Shi knew all about them. However, she didn¡¯t agree to Yuxi¡¯s request.

    Qiu Shi exined, ¡°There is still some chaos outside. After some time has passed, you can go out to buy books.¡± Seeing that Yuxi didn¡¯t quite agree, she continued, ¡°If it¡¯s so urgent, then you can ask your Er Ge?er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege to buy it for you.¡± With what happened before, Qiu Shi had be frightened.

    Yuxi smiled as a response, and talked about another thing, ¡°Eldest Aunt, shouldn¡¯t we let the Deng sisters go back?¡± Since the incident, Qiu Shi had made the Deng sisters stay behind. Usually she would ask one of them to follow her around before she could really feel at ease, and this was the aftermath of that night.

    Qiu Shi was a little hesitant.

    When Yuxi saw the situation, she took apromise method, ¡°Eldest Aunt, Deng Xue¡¯s wedding date has been set for the tenth lunar month, so she has to go back to embroider her dowry. If you want, you can ask Deng Xue to stay here a little longer.¡±

    Qiu Shi thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, ¡°Forget it. Just let the sisters go back! The residence is now patrolled every night, so there shouldn¡¯t be any more trouble.¡±

    Yuxi said with relief, ¡°Eldest Aunt, there was a reason for the incidentst time. If the banditse again, they will definitely onlye and go.¡± Last time, the prince rebelled. Many people wanted to fish in troubled waters. Now who dared to do such a thing, if only just to court death.

    Qiu Shi nodded and said, ¡°You are right. It is impossible for such a thing to happen again.¡± Rather than saying these words for Yuxi, it was more for herself to hear.

    Yuxi became aware that Qiu Shi had fallen into the shadow13something like paranoia?. She suggested, ¡°Eldest Aunt, if you are not at ease, why don¡¯t you put some more strong women in the courtyard. If something really happens, they will be able to withstand it for a while.¡±

    Qiu Shi noticed that the way Yuxi spoke her words like the clouds were pale and a light breeze was blowing1?Chinese idiom : not a big issue / care less / doesn¡¯t care, that she suddenlyughed, ¡°Fancy that this aunt who has lived to such an old age, has it even worse than you, and yet I¡¯m not getting better.¡± Yuxi was not afraid, but she was. Wasn¡¯t this kind of a joke?

    Yuxi thought that it was normal for Qiu Shi to be afraid, ¡°Eldest Aunt has too many worries to let go, as a result, aunt feels very afraid.¡±

    These words made Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t help but tap the back of Yuxi¡¯s head when she heard them, ¡°What kind of words are these? What do you mean I have too much to let go of? You talked as if you have no worries.¡±

    Yuxi smiled gently. Not all of things could be exined. Speaking of which, there was really nothing that could make her worry in the Duke of the State Residence.??Are you really really really really really sure, Yuxi?

    Qiu Shi¡¯s heart choked with emotion, but she couldn¡¯t say anything to make it better. She simply turned her head and told Liuyue: ¡°Go and call the sisters, Deng Shuang and Deng Xue.¡± ??Qiu Shi just remembered Yuxi¡¯s life in the residence and those who supposed to protect her, didn¡¯t protect her

    The Deng sisters were both relieved to know that Qiu Shi was going to let them go back to their own home. They were well fed, well housed and well dressed at the Duke of the State Residence, and yet they still felt ufortable all over. But the Lady of the Duke of the State didn¡¯t even raise the matter of letting them go back home, so they couldn¡¯t take the initiative to ask her to leave the residence. The employer hadn¡¯t said that the contract had beenpleted, so they couldn¡¯t take the initiative to cancel it.

    Qiu Shi was a very generous person. Knowing that Deng Shuang was going to marry, she not only gave them some jewellery, but she also gave the two sisters one hundred mu1?unit of area equal one fifteenth of a hectare of fertile farnd as dowry, which was worth a lot more than silver.

    The Deng sisters were so happy to have gotten these things that they couldn¡¯t close their mouths. This goodnd around the capital, was truly something that no amount of money could buy. The sisters took the reward and went back happily. This one errand trip was really worth it.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Eldest Aunt¡­you should just give them 1,000 tael1?a unit of weight for silver of silver each. Why should we give them such fertilend?¡± This style of spending money was a bit too much.

    Qiu Shi smiled, ¡°The Crown Prince had plotted a rebellion and many families had been implicated. Those who have a little money will take this opportunity to buy property.¡± Those families that were implicated in the plotting and rebellion case, all their properties were all up for sale. Qiu Shi still had a good insight as she bought some shops and estates during this time.

    Yuxi quickly said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, I still have over three thousand tael1?a unit of weight for silver of silver on hand. Do you think you can buy another small shop for me?¡± Although she had an annual ie of two to three thousand tael1?a unit of weight for silver of silver, her expenses were huge, hence she could only save three thousand tael1?a unit of weight for silver of silver so far.

    Qiu Shi smiled, took a small casket from Mama Li¡¯s hand and handed it to Yuxi. Yuxi knew what it was without having to look at it, as she shook her head and said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, I can¡¯t take this.¡±

    Qiu Shi ced the small casket in Yuxi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°This is the dowry that aunt has prepared for you, but now it¡¯s given to you in advance.¡±

    Yuxi was dead set against it.

    Mama Li smiled and said, ¡°Fourth Miss, this was specially ced for you by my Lady. Wouldn¡¯t it be a waste of my Lady¡¯s efforts if you don¡¯t take it?¡± In the past, whenever Qiu Shi wanted to help Yuxi financially, Mama Li would say a few words of advice. She was afraid that if they gave things too generously, Yuxi would want a foot after winning an inch1?Chinese idiom : not satisfied with small gains. However, now, Mama Li didn¡¯t even say half a word. Compared to what Yuxi had done before, this little bit of stuff was really nothing.

    In desperation, Yuxi could only take the small casket.

    Mama Li said to Qiu Shi, ¡°This temperament of Fourth Miss is really rare.¡± That night, Yuxi not only protected the lives of all the people in the master courtyard, she also preserved the master courtyard¡¯s properties. For such a great merit, Fourth Miss not only did not take credit for it but she seemed to have also forgotten about it, which was admired by Mama Li.

    Qiu Shi nodded, ¡°Yes! It¡¯s all thanks to Yuxi.¡± If there was no Yuxi, she would be just like the Old Lady, where all the properties in her courtyard would have been looted. If so, where would she have the money to purchase estates and shops?

    Mama Li smilingly said, ¡°This is also a reward for my Lady¡¯s kindness.¡± If Qiu Shi didn¡¯t treat the Fourth Miss as her own daughter, the Fourth Miss wouldn¡¯t have run to the master courtyard to protect the Lady despite the danger, and she wouldt have hidden inside the rockeries just like her maids.

    Qiu Shi agreed very much with this saying, ¡°While living a life, you still have to umte a lot more blessings.¡± Only when one umted blessings, could one be rewarded with blessings.

    When Yuxi returned to Taoran, she gave the small casket to Zisu.

    Zisu was naturally a money-grubber, and loved money much more than Yuxi. Otherwise, in such a dangerous situation at that time, she would not have forgotten to let the maids and old women servants of Rose Courtyard to snatch all the jewellery. Zisu opened the box and looked at the contents. She happily said, ¡°Miss, the Lady has given you a pavement store front in East Street, plus a thousand mu1?unit of area equal one fifteenth of a hectare of fertilend.¡± These two things were much more valuable than the industries Yuxi had at hand.

    Since it was a dowry for her, Yuxi already knew it was a shop and an estate without even looking at them. Only these industries were the most affordable. Yuxi instructed, ¡°Since they are gifts from Eldest Aunt, you should put them away!¡±

    Zisu happily put these things away and said to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, with the industries in your hand and the dowry that will be given by the Duke of the State, we won¡¯t have to worry about money anymore in the future.¡± At that time, when Zisu knew Yuxi had given out 500 tael1?a unit of weight for silver of silver every year to let Zijin learn martial arts, and her hair nearly turned white with worry.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t respond to this statement. If there were no mistakes, these properties would indeed guarantee her food and clothing. But no one really knew what would happen in the future.

    PS (Author) : Good night, folks, and sweet dreams.

 Chapter 139 - Taoran House (4)

    Chapter 139 : Taoran House (4)

    When Zijin heard that the Deng sisters had gone back, she immediately sought out Yuxi, while saying that she still wanted to continue to learn martial arts with Deng Niangzhi[1]polite form of address for a young woman. ¡°Miss, this year¡¯s tuition has already been paid, so if I don¡¯t go learn now, then in that case, we won¡¯t get anything from the money that has been spent.¡±

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t get herself tough or cry[2]Chinese idiom : in a situation where it isughable and sad at the same time, but one can¡¯t bring oneself to do either. She didn¡¯t expect that Zijin would also be a money-grubber. ¡°All right, if you want to go, then go! But you should go after lunch.¡±

    Nearing the time for Zijin to leave, Yuxi handed her two hundred tael[3]1?16 of a catty j¨©n [½ï] (old) of silver, ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to give you here, so this money can be considered as my portion for the sisters¡¯ dowry.¡± Qiu Shi had given the sisters such great portions of gifts. So this was all Yuxi could do to save some of her face.

    After lunch, Zijin left the residence with a bundle on her back.

    Zisu sent Zijin off, then she turned to Yuxi and said, ¡°Miss, Zijin took all the silver that she has saved with her.¡± Zijin was very frugal. She never brought money with her to the Deng family in the previous two years she went there. This time, however, she took all of her savings with her, which Zisu found very unusual.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t think much of it. She just said with a smile, ¡°She¡¯s probably bringing the silver to buy a gift for Deng Shuang too!¡± She had added a bit to the sisters¡¯ dowry, and Zijin surely didn¡¯t show any indication of it at all.

    Zisu felt that there was something amiss with this matter, but she couldn¡¯t tell what was wrong.

    Yuxi truly felt that Zisu had eaten till she had a full belly[4mon phrase : has nothing better to do, that she was even free to think of something so foolishly. ¡°How can you not know what kind of person Zijin is? Even if she takes all her silver out, she won¡¯t do anything out of the ordinary. You¡¯re worrying for nothing.¡± Even if Zisu had been with her for more than six years, her temperament of wishing copper coins to be broken in half[5]being frugal had not changed.

    When Zisu heard what Yuxi had said, she also felt that she was being overanxious.

    The next evening, Han Jianye brought two boxes of books for Yuxi. All these books were selected by Yuxi for Han Jianye to buy, which included medical books, travel notes, agricultural books and so on. She looked over them all and found that there were all kinds of books, but there was no history book that she wanted. ¡°Er Ge[6]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, where is the Book of Han that I asked you to buy? Why didn¡¯t you buy it?¡±

    Han Jianye responded with some words, ¡°Not so fast. It¡¯ll take another two months to get that book.¡± Books like history books wouldn¡¯t be avable in average bookstores, and only avable in a big one like the one Yuxi had visitedst time, Songyun Pavilion. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi was depressed. Two more months? How would she spend the next two months? She used to read history books every day, and she always felt out of sorts when she didn¡¯t read it.

    Original draft of the Zizhi Tongjian (Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government) by Sima Guang of the Northern Song Dynasty, located in the National Library of China. ¨C Wiki

    Han Jianye smiled at the situation and said, ¡°I have the ¡®Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government¡¯ in my hand. If you want to read it, I¡¯ll have someone send it over for you.¡± The ¡®Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government¡¯ in Han Jianye¡¯s hand wasn¡¯t something he personally bought. It was Han Jianming who gave it to him for him to read. Han Jianye had no problem when it was about practicing martial arts from morning to night, but once one asked him to read quietly, it was the same as killing him. So all the books Han Jianming had given him were only disyed in his study!

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes lit up. She had seen this book, ¡®Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government¡¯, at Yuchen¡¯s ce. It was Teacher Song who rmended Yuchen to read it. ording to Yuchen, this book was the first book that had written general history in chronological order,piled in 294 volumes.

    Yuxi also wanted to buy this book when she went to the bookstore, but unfortunately, there was no more of that book from the publishing house, thus she couldn¡¯t buy it. She didn¡¯t want to go to the trouble of asking someone to help her find it, and since she already had books to read, she gave up and didn¡¯t continue her search. If she had known that Han Jianye had this book in his hands, she would havee over long ago. ¡°No need to ask for a maid to deliver it. I¡¯ll just follow Er Ge[6]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege there and take it.¡±

    Han Jianye became speechless. ¡°Yuxi, this kind of book is hard and difficult to understand, that even I fall asleep whenever I read it. Why do you like to read this kind of book so much?¡± Han Jianye really didn¡¯t understand Yuxi. Wasn¡¯t a girl supposed to embroider, y the qin and tease birds? How came Yuxi¡¯s preferences stood out from the masses[7]Chinese idiom : different from the rest!

    Yuxi smiled happily. ¡°Some prefer radish but others prefer cabbage[8]taste differ.¡± At this moment, it was still a time of leisure and carefree, but it wouldn¡¯t be like this in the future.

    Yuxi followed Han Jianye to his courtyard.

    Entering Han Jianye¡¯s study, Yuxi looked at the lonely twenty books on the bookshelf and said, ¡°Er Ge[6]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, can you let me have all these books? It¡¯s a waste to leave them with you anyway.¡±

    Han Jianye smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s fine, but you can¡¯t touch the books on the desk. Those are the books that I want to read.¡± The books ced on the bookshelf were just something to fill the ce. Hence, it was all right to give them all to Yuxi.

    A little curious, Yuxi walked over to the desk and looked at the few books that were piled up. Seeing the titles of these books, Yuxi knew why she could not borrow these books. These books were all about the arts of war, including ¡®Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War¡¯, ¡®Thirty-Six Stratagems¡¯, ¡®Wu Zi¡¯, ¡®The Methods of the Sima¡¯, ¡®Wei Lao Zi¡¯, ¡®Six Secret Teachings¡¯, ¡®Three Strategies of Huang Shigong¡¯, and ¡®Questions and Replies between Tang Taizong and Li Weigong¡¯.

    After Yuxi looked at all the books, she asked, ¡°Er Ge[6]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, how many of these books have you read?¡± These books were all very old, and one could see at a nce that they had been kept for a long time. There was no need to even think about it, she knew these books must have been from the collection of rare and valuable articles in the Duke of the State Residence.

    Han Jianye embarrassedly touched the back of his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m still reading ¡®Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War¡¯. But, Master said that learning ¡®Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War¡¯ is already enough.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°Er Ge[6]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, when you have free time, you should study more about these books, since you can use themter on.¡± There would be plenty of battles in the future as there would be many turmoils everywhere.

    Han Jianye said with a smile, ¡°Yuxi, if you asked for my say on whether reading ¡®Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government¡¯ is better off than reading books on the arts of war. For me, reading these books thoroughly is much more useful than reading history books.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and stated, ¡°I don¡¯t have to lead troops to fight. Isn¡¯t it going to be useless if I read books on the arts of war?¡± She didn¡¯t want to waste her time on things she didn¡¯t need.

    Han Jianye picked up ¡®Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War¡¯ from his desk and said with a smile, ¡°How can it be useless? Have you heard of ¡®Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War¡¯ or ¡®Thirty-Six Stratagems¡¯?¡±

    Yuxi knew about ¡®Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War¡¯, but she had never heard of the ¡®Thirty-Six Stratagems¡¯. It was mainly because she had nevere across such books. ¡°Thirty-Six Stratagems? Which Thirty-Six Stratagems?

    Han Jianye showed off the only things he had learned from the book, ¡°The Thirty-Six Stratagems for the arts of war are ¡®cicada sheds its carapace[9]Chinese idiom : a crafty escape n¡¯, ¡®throw a brick to attract a jade[10]Chinese idiom : offer a few ordinary remarks by way of introduction in the hope that others will make valuable suggestions¡¯, ¡®lend somebody a knife to kill someone[11]Chinese idiom : attack using the strength of another¡¯, ¡®wait at one¡¯s ease for the exhausted enemy[12]Chinese idiom : nurture one¡¯s strength and bide one¡¯s time¡¯, ¡®to capture a thief, capture the King first¡¯, ¡®loot a burning house[13]Chinese idiom : profit from sb¡¯s misfortune¡¯, ¡®catch a thief by closing his escape route¡¯, ¡®to fish in troubled waters[14]Chinese idiom : take advantage of crisis for personal gain, ¡®to beat the grass and startle the snake[15]Chinese idiom : punish sb as a warning to other¡¯, ¡®cross the sea by a trick[16]Chinese idiom : achieve one¡¯s aim by underhanded means¡¯, ¡®sowing discord among one¡¯s enemies¡¯, ¡®a dagger hidden in smiles[17]Chinese idiom : friendly manners belying hypocritical intentions¡¯, ¡®lead away a goat in passing[18]Chinese idiom : to steal sth under cover of an emergency¡¯, ¡®lure the tiger out of the mountains[19]Chinese idiom : lure the enemy away from his base¡¯, ¡®the plum tree withers in ce of the peach tree[20]Chinese idiom : to substitute one thing for another¡¯, ¡®to point at the mulberry and abuse the locust[21]Chinese idiom : point at one but attack another / indirect criticism¡¯, ¡®to watch the fires burning across the river[22]Chinese idiom : dy entering the fray until all others have been exhausted by fighting amongst themselves, ¡®the ruse of self-injury[23]inflicting an injury on oneself to win the confidence of the enemy¡¯, ¡®to create something from nothing¡¯, ¡®beauty trap¡¯¡­¡±

    Han Jianye looked at Yuxi¡¯s stunned appearance and smiled smugly, ¡°With so many tricks, there will always be a time to use them, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Yuxi sincerely said, ¡°It¡¯s very useful. Er Ge[6]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, if you can, please lend me this one for me to read for a short while!¡± I don¡¯t know if ¡®the raw rice was now cooked¡¯ belonged in the ¡®Thirty-Six Stratagems¡¯. But even if it didn¡¯t, she decided to learn it. For example, these tricks such as ¡®lend somebody a knife to kill someone¡¯ and ¡®creating something from nothing¡¯ could even be used in the inner courtyard. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Han Jianye was in a bit of a dilemma. These books weren¡¯t something that money could buy. They were either handed down from his ancestors, or given to him by his Dage[24]eldest brother. But seeing Yuxi look at him expectantly, he couldn¡¯t refuse. Finally, after he gritted his teeth, he said, ¡°Alright, you can have what you want to read! I have a few more books on the arts of war, which are enough for me to read.¡±

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t help butughed, ¡°Er Ge[6]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, I was just joking with you. You can lend me this book for now, and when I¡¯ve finished copying it, I¡¯ll return the original to you.¡± It wasn¡¯t like Yuxi didn¡¯t know everyday matters. At a nce, this book looked like it had been around for years, thus it was bound to be a family treasure. So how could he just give it to her? One should know that this kind of book couldn¡¯t be bought on the market.

    Han Jianye let out a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Then that¡¯s done. You should return it to me in a couple of months.¡± After saying that, he felt embarrassed again and exined, ¡°These books on the arts of war were given to me by Dage[24]eldest brother. I¡¯m afraid that it won¡¯t be easy for me to answer if Dage[24]eldest brother asks.¡± If it was any other book, such as the ¡®Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government¡¯, he could have directly told Han Jianming that he had given it to Yuxi. But giving a book on the art of war to Yuxi would definitely result in him receiving a scolding from Dage[24]eldest brother when the time came.

    Yuxi smiled and emptied the books on Han Jianye¡¯s bookshelf, then sandwiched the book on the art of war between them. Next, she said to Han Jianye, ¡°Er Ge[6]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, only you and I know about this, so don¡¯t let a third person know about this too.¡± She didn¡¯t want anyone to know about her reading history books, let alone the book on the art of war.

    Han Jianye waved hisrge hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t say anything to anyone.¡± He was a very loyal person and he would do what he had promised, which was his greatest virtue.

    More than twenty books were put on the shelf, and yet, they could not even fill a single case. Yuxi looked at it and said, ¡°After a while, once it is peaceful outside, I need to buy more books.¡± For other things, she would be reluctant to spend money, but when it came to purchase books, she was extremely willing to spend. Money came and went quickly, and one may lose one¡¯s rare treasures in an instant. Only what one learned was the only thing one totally own, and no one could take it away.

    That night, Yuxi read ¡®Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War¡¯. However, she didn¡¯t expect that she would be fascinated by it.

    The candle burned out and the room went dark instantly before Yuxi came back to her senses. It was a good thing that the tung oilmp at the door was still on, or else the house would have been dark.

    Zisu, who was outside, noticed that there was something wrong, thus she took the candle and went inside. When she saw Yuxi sitting in front of her desk, she asked, ¡°What kind of book is Miss reading? So absorbed that Miss didn¡¯t even notice that the candle had burned out.¡± After she said that, she lit the room with the candle in her hand.

    Yuxi justughed but didn¡¯t respond.

    While Yuxiid in bed that night, she was still thinking about those stratagems. If one learnt them well, then one wouldn¡¯t need to be afraid of other people¡¯s schemes anymore.

    For the next two days, Yuxi stayed in the study reading books all day long, and she did not even leave the door. This caused Zisu toin all the time, thinking that Yuxi had been possessed.

    After three days in a row, Zisu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Miss, what exactly are you reading? Why are you reading it so obsessively?¡± Zisu was five years older than Yuxi and she knew what she was doing. It didn¡¯t matter if Yuxi only obsessed with reading books. She was just afraid that Yuxi was reading some dirty books. Mainly because Han Jianye gave Zisu the impression that he was not very trustworthy. T/NI feel sorry for you, Han Jianye. ?

    Since there were only two people in the room, Yuxi didn¡¯t hide it, as she said, ¡°I¡¯m reading ¡®Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War¡¯ with the ¡®Thirty-Six Stratagems¡¯. After reading this kind of book, it¡¯s truly broadened my mind.¡± If the stratagems were really used one after another, they would truly trap people for life. Yuxi felt a bit of a pity though. Howe she only discovered such a good book right now?

    Zisu didn¡¯t know what expression she had on her face. In the end, she dropped her head and didn¡¯t speak. She might as well not care about it. Forget it, a book of war was a book of war. As long as her Miss did not read those forbidden books. Whether it was reading a book of war or a book of history, to Zisu, it was all just a book her Miss read to pastime, which didn¡¯t have any difference to her. But with this incident, Han Jianye was bing more and more unreliable in Zisu¡¯s heart. For him to let her Miss read a book on the arts of wars was really a speechless thing to do!

 Chapter 140 - : Zijin Seeked Skill

    Chapter 140 : Zijin Seeked Skill

    In the morning, the air on the mountain was extremely fresh, with birdsong sounded so pleasant to the ears. Even the sounds from some small unknown insects could be heard along with the musical sounds of nature. While the fragrance of flowers burst together with the breeze. Thus one couldn¡¯t express howfortable it was to be there.

    Master Yang got up from bed and stretched himself. Then, he picked up his spear by the entrance and walked out, as he wielded his spear with all his vigorous might.

    Half an hourter, Yu Zhi, Master Yang¡¯s young apprentice, came and took the spear while handing the towel in his hand to Master Yang. As he saw Master Yang was in a good mood, he said, ¡°Master, that girl is still kneeling outside the gate. She has been kneeling there for two days already. If she still kneels there again, I am afraid that her body will not be able to bear it.¡±

    Master Yang responded with an expressionless face, ¡°If she wants to kneel, let her kneel. Let her sound out the difficulties herself and then retreat to avoid any defeat[1]Chinese idiom : shrink from difficulties.¡±

    Yu Zhi didn¡¯t dare to speak anymore, but when Master Yang had his breakfast, he sneaked out and saw Zijin still kneeling at the same spot.

    Yu Zhi walked to Zijin¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°Miss, my Master doesn¡¯t take women as apprentices, so you should just give up your idea regarding this!¡±

    Zijin didn¡¯t have the strength to speak anymore at this point.

    Yu Zhi didn¡¯t have the heart to see her like this as he advised, ¡°What my Master has decided, no one can ever change it. Why don¡¯t you hastily hurry back¡­¡± before he could finish saying his words, he saw Zijin fall to the ground.

    As Master Yang was eating his breakfast, he saw Yu Zhi worriedly rushed in, ¡°Master, this is bad. That girl has fainted. Master, you have to save her!¡± Yu Zhi actually hoped that Master Yang would let Zijin stay, for no other reason than, he would have someone to talk to if Zijin managed to stay. Furthermore, they would have someone to cook them some edible foods. Regardless if the cook was him or his Master, both of their meals would end up taste really bad.

    Master Yang went out and saw Zijin lying on the ground. Although he wouldn¡¯t ept Zijin as an apprentice, he couldn¡¯t go as far as letting her die either. He walked over and grabbed Zijin like she was a chick, then threw her on a wooden bed and said to his young apprentice, ¡°Give her a bowl of porridge. She will wake up soon.¡± Her physical strength was really good, as she couldst for two days and two nights. Of course, her perseverance was also good. It was a pity that she was a girl. If she was a boy, he would definitely ept her. Since she was a girl, then he should just forget about it.

    After an hour, Yu Zhi looked for Master Yang again and said, ¡°Master, this is bad. That girl now has a fever? Master, please go and have a look! ¡±

    Master Yang really felt that women were indeed troublesome, but he also didn¡¯t want to see Zijin die inside his yard. He immediately went to a drugstore to get the medicine, then tossed it to Yu Zhi. ¡°Decoct it for her.¡±

    Yu Zhi took the medicine and was busy decocting it.

    Master Yang shook his head helplessly as he looked at his young apprentice who ran off to decoct medicine, ¡°This guy¡¯s temper is too jumpy. I don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll be able toplete his apprenticeship.¡±

    Zijin¡¯s body was in good condition, so after a dose of medicine, her fever went downpletely, and she finally woke up at noon. When she opened her eyes, she noticed the wooden beam over her. She realised that she had entered the inside of the courtyard.

    When Yu Chi looked at the awakened Zijin, he felt unusually happy, ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± After saying that, he saw Zijin¡¯s weak appearance, and hurriedly asked, ¡°Are you hungry? I¡¯ll go and bring you a bowl of porridge.¡± After he said that, he eagerly went off to bring her a bowl of porridge.

    Zijin drank two bowls of porridge before she felt a little bit better. She instantly felt somewhat embarrassed, as she said, ¡°Little brother, thank you!¡± In the past, when she was sick, it was Zisu Jiejie[2]elder sister/sister who would take care of her. This was the first time for her to have an unfamiliar little boy taken care of her.

    Yu Zhi smiled and said, ¡°My name is Yu Zhi, you can call me Xiao Zhi.¡± After saying that, only then did he forget to introduce his identity as he hastily added, ¡°I¡¯m my Master¡¯s youngest apprentice.¡±

    If it was anyone else, they would haveughed at the way Yu Zhi uttered words that did not hang together[3]Chinese idiom : talk incoherently, as they would have thought that Yu Zhi was either having a problem with his brain or he was missing a string[4]crazy. However, Zijin was an exceptionally nice child and she didn¡¯tugh at Yu Zhi. She just said, ¡°My name is Zijin.¡±

    Yu Zhi was very curious, ¡°Why do you have to learn from my Master? My Master said that he won¡¯t take a woman as his apprentice. So why did you have to stubbornly kneel outside? You could even still kneel for two days and two nights, and you were not even afraid that the wolves would eat you¡­¡± If Yuxi was here, she would definitely say, how could there be a man that was such a chatterbox.

    Zijin gratefully said, ¡°Many thanks to you.¡±

    When Yu Zhi heard this, he was rather embarrassed instead, ¡°After I said all these, you still haven¡¯t told me where you are from? And the reason why you must learn from my Master?¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot

    Zijini didn¡¯t hide it. She told him all about her situation, ¡°I know Master Yang won¡¯t ept me as an apprentice, and I don¡¯t dare to have this extravagant hope. I just want Master Yang to give me some pointers in martial arts.¡±

    Yu Zhi felt that he had heard the craziest thing ever, ¡°Are you really the personal maid of Third Senior Brother¡¯s meimei[5]younger sister? What are you doing up here in the mountains? Does your Master know that you are here?¡±

    Zijin shook her head, ¡°She doesn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t dare to let my Miss know.¡±

    Yu Zhi felt that he had met a very strange person, but in the blink of an eye, he told Master Yang about this, ¡°Master, this girl is really strange.¡±

    Master Yang thought for a moment before he said, ¡°Go down the mountain now, then call your Third Senior Brother here. Tell him to bring this girl back.¡±

    Yu Zhi was overjoyed. He hadn¡¯t been down the mountain for more than half a year and had been longing to go down there to y. But before he could openly show his joy, he heard Master Yang added, ¡°You have to rush back tonight.¡± From the mountain to the capital, it would take two hours when one rode a horse, which was the same as telling him that when he returned, he had to fumble in the dark by himself. Yu Zhi felt that his Master was being way too cruel.

    Han Jianye was very surprised when he got the news, but he didn¡¯t go back to the residence to inform Yuxi about it, since he directly followed Yu Zhi up the mountain.

    When Zijin saw Han Jianye, she lowered her head and greeted, ¡°Second Master.¡±

    Master Yang waved his hand as he stated, ¡°Since she¡¯s one of your family people, it¡¯s just right that you bring her down the mountain in the morning.¡± There were wild animals on the mountain at night, or else Master Yang would have driven them out right now.

    Zijin got up from the bed and stated, ¡°I won¡¯t go back. Master Yang, please let me stay!¡± She wouldn¡¯t go back until she got what she wanted.

    Han Jianye also felt Zijin¡¯s devotion was praiseworthy that he had the intention to help her out a bit. He immediately advanced towards Master Yang and suggested, ¡°Master, let¡¯s go talk outside!¡±

    Master Yang reminded, ¡°Even if you persuade me with a deluge of heavenly flowers[6]Chinese idiom : extravagant embellishments, I won¡¯t take her as my apprentice.¡± This was a matter of principle, thus there was no room for discussion.

    Han Jianye¡¯s face was filled with a smile as he said, ¡°Where does this disciple have such a big face to let Master break a rule just for me? Though, I do have something to say to Master.¡± There were some things that were difficult for him to say in front of Zijin.

    They went out of the house, and came to the yard. Master Yang then said, ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯m listening.¡±

    Han Jianye told him about Zijin¡¯s situation, and the detailed events on the night of the pce rebellion. He then exined why Zijin was dying to learn martial arts from Master Yang. ¡°Master, it just so happens that there¡¯s a shortage of a cook to tend the kitchen fire here, so you can just let her stay and work as a maid who handles rough jobs.¡±

    Master Yang smiled and pondered, ¡°Let her work as a maid who handles rough jobs here?¡±

    Han Jianye said with a smile, ¡°Master, you once said that she was born with superhuman strength because Heaven had blessed her. Now she hase to your door to seek your skills. For Heaven¡¯s sake, why don¡¯t you just leave her with one or two pointers!¡± When he saw that Master Yang was unmoved, he added, ¡°Master, you don¡¯t know that this girl is actually a good seedling. The fists handbook that you asked me to send that time, she has learned it in three months. She is really a good seedling when ites to practicing martial arts.¡±

    Master Yang was really impressed with Han Jianye. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so eloquent. As expected from an experienced person mixing in the official circles.¡±

    Han Jianye rather felt unnatural, ¡°Master, just say yes! At any rate, you don¡¯t need to trouble yourself by teaching her. But it¡¯s already enough if you can usually give her some pointers.¡±

    Zijin was no stranger to Master Yang, but he was rather quite familiar with her. When he knew that Zijin was very strong, he felt it was quite unfortunate that Zijin was a girl. But now, Master Yang¡¯s focus was not on Zijin, ¡°Old Third, you said that your meimei[5]younger sister sent her to Deng Niangzi[7]polite form of address for a young woman to learn martial arts, and it cost 500 tael[8]a unit of weight for silver of silver a year?¡± Master Yang was surprised by Yuxi¡¯s behavior. This girl¡¯s mind was really deep. He didn¡¯t believe that Han Yuxi would send her personal maid to learn martial arts for no reason.

    Han Jianye nodded, ¡°Well, in addition to this, it cost a hundred tael[8]a unit of weight for silver more for yearly food and amodation expenses.¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot

    After a moment of contemtion, Master Yang said, ¡°Then tell your meimei[5]younger sister to send me 600 tael[8]a unit of weight for silver of silver, and I will promise to give some pointers to her maid.¡±

    Han Jianye was delighted, ¡°Master, you agree to let this girl stay?¡±

    Master Yang said in a bad mood, ¡°I¡¯m not giving anyone¡¯s face. I just can¡¯t help but give some face to Heaven.¡± Since he taught these disciples, he could see that one was useless, while the other was stupid.

    Han Jianye immediately praised, ¡°Master, you are truly wise.¡±

    Master Yang was impatient when he saw him still there, ¡°Hurry inside the house and go to sleep.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know about this until the next afternoon. ¡°What? Zijin ran to Taigong Mountain and knelt outside Master Yang¡¯s gate for two days and two nights? This girl, I can¡¯t believe that she didn¡¯t even reveal a tiny bit about something this big.¡± In Yuxi¡¯s mind, Zijin didn¡¯t know how to hide things, but unexpectedly, she could do such a big thing quietly.

    Han Jianye told her about Master Yang¡¯s conditions, ¡°My Master said that it has to be the same as Deng family niangzi[7]polite form of address for a young woman, which are five hundred tael[8]a unit of weight for silver a year for tuition and one hundred tael[8]a unit of weight for silver a year for lodging and food. You have to pay for that.¡± He did want to pay for it himself, but he was afraid that if his Master found out about it, he would have a fall out with himter on.

    Yuxi was confused and asked, ¡°Will Master Yang really give some pointers to Zijin?¡± As far as Yuxi knew, Master Yang was not like Deng family niangzi[7]polite form of address for a young woman, and he didn¡¯t evenck any money at all.

    M

    Han Jianye smilingly said, ¡°Master let Zijin stay because she has the talent to learn martial arts, plus she was born with superhuman strength. Otherwise, not to mention six hundred tael[8]a unit of weight for silver, even sixty thousand tael[8]a unit of weight for silver wouldn¡¯t be able to make my Master nods his head. By the way, this is also Zijin¡¯s good fortune.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t waste any time, as she immediately opened the box to get the silver ticket. After giving the silver ticket to Han Jianye, she reminded him, ¡°Er Ge[9]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, I hope you can help me keep this secret and don¡¯t tell anyone. If you let Grandmother know that Zijin is studying with Master Yang, she will not be able toe back to me in the future.¡± Once this matter went out, Zijin wouldn¡¯t be able to return to her again. It didn¡¯t matter much when Zijin learned martial arts with Deng family niangzi[7]polite form of address for a young woman, because the one who taught Zijin was a woman. However, Master Yang was a man and this would only ruin Zijin¡¯s reputation.

    Han Jianye nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone about this. Not even to Dage[10]eldest brother.¡± It was easy to hide this matter. After all, Master Yang was always on the mountain and rarely came down. Also, there were very few people who ever went to the ce where he lived. So as long as no one deliberately inquired about it, this matter wouldn¡¯t leak out.

    Yuxi was a little relieved by this. She just hoped that everything would go on well.

 Chapter 141 - Evil Spirit (1)

    Chapter 141 : Evil Spirit (1)

    When the breeze blew, all the lotus flowers in the pond shook up. The graceful lotus flowers that filled the pond were more than one, and each one had its own posture.

    As they stood by theke, Yuxi instructed Zisu, ¡°Ask Auntie Guo to make beggar¡¯s chicken for lunch.¡± Beggar¡¯s chicken was one of Yuxi¡¯s favourite dishes, which she always asked the cook to make it from time to time.

    Yuxi felt that Yuchen had be very strange during this time. Before, Yuchen would ask a maid to call her to Tingyun Pavilion if she wanted to see her. Now, Yuchen woulde by herself if she wanted to do something with her. The change in attitude before and after was so great that it made Yuxi tense her nerves at first. Later on, when she saw that there was nothing unusual about Yuchen, plus the Old Lady didn¡¯t me her for it, Yuxi started to rx.

    However, Yuxi pursued give-and-take, and Yuchen had often visited her. So when Yuxi was bored or couldn¡¯t read any more books, she would go to Tingyun Pavilion.

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°Lotus leaf porridge has the effect of cooling and relieving summer heat, but San Jie[3]san=third, jie=elder sister, are you sure that Momo[4]wet nurse Gui will let you eat it?¡± Momo[4]wet nurse Gui was capable, but she was being too controlling. If it was Yuxi herself, she would definitely be unwilling to have such a momo[4]wet nurse.

    Yuchen lightly smiled, ¡°As long as Momo[4]wet nurse Sha says it¡¯s fine, Momo[4]wet nurse Gui won¡¯t have any objections.¡± Since that night, Yuchen had taken the initiative to approach Yuxi. After which the content of their conversation was no longer limited to music, chess, calligraphy and painting. They would talk about the house¡¯s internal affairs, food, jewellery and clothes. asionally, they would also talk about outside gossip and critique the temperament of other family youngdies. This was unimaginable to Yuxi in the past, and it felt like Yuchen had fallen from the altar back to earth.

    Yuxi put down the grapes in her hand and somewhat sighed, ¡°San Jie[3]san=third, jie=elder sister, I really envy you, since there are so many capable people around you. Unlike me. I wanted to find a managing mama, but after looking for so long I couldn¡¯t find one that was satisfying.¡± It wasn¡¯t that Qiu Shi hadn¡¯t given Yuxi some rmendations, but Yuxi¡¯s requirements were just too high for any of them to meet. As for the Old Lady, ever since the incident that night, she no longer interfered with Yuxi¡¯s affairs, and she just left her to her own devices.

    How could Yuchen not know Yuxi¡¯s thoughts? ¡°You can¡¯t find someone like Momo[4]wet nurse Quan so easily. If you ask me, you might as well invite Momo[4]wet nurse Quan back.¡± Managing mama was not only capable and resourceful, but also trustworthy. It was very difficult to find the person who could meet these three requirements at the same time.

    Yuxi also wanted Momo[4]wet nurse Quan to be by her side. The problem was, Momo[4]wet nurse Quan was not the type who was willing to submit to others. Everyone had their own aspirations, so she wasn¡¯t going to force it. ¡°For this kind of thing, let nature just take its course!¡± After saying that, she gave out a smile, ¡°This is really rare. We¡¯ve been sitting here for so long and Momo[4]wet nurse Gui didn¡¯t evene to urge you to practice writing and ying the qin?¡±

    As the two people talked andughed, half a shichen[5]2 hours had passed. Just as Yuxi was about to tell Yuchen to go back, an old woman servant came over and informed, ¡°Third Miss, a messenger from Marquis Pingqing Residence hase.¡±

    Yuchen didn¡¯t mind. Marquis Pingqing Residence would send people to deliver things over every now and then, so she was used to it. But in the end, it was a token of her Waizumu[6]maternal grandmother¡¯s and Jiujiu[7]maternal uncle¡¯s goodwill, thus it was not good to give them a cold-shoulder. ¡°Yuxi, let¡¯s talk again other time!¡±

    Yuxi stood up with a smile and said, ¡°Okay.¡± When she was tired from reading a book or felt a little agitated, it was also quite pleasant to have someone to chat with, taste some tea, listen to the qin or eat fresh and delicious fruits.

    On the way, Kufu couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Marquis Pingqing and Old Lady Jiang really love Third Miss.¡± There was nothing that Marquis Pingqing wouldn¡¯t send, not to mention food, clothing and anything that Yuchen needed. Especially after the disaster that night, Marquis Pingqing Residence had sent a lot of things as soon as he got the news. Incidentally, he also sent two girls who knew kung fu to protect Third Miss.

    Yuxi only smiled. She truly did not envy these kinds of things. This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When Yuchen returned to Tingyun Pavilion, she was shocked to see that it was actually old woman Min who was waiting in the living room. ¡°Mama Min, what are you doing here?¡± Old woman Min was the most close servant of the Old Lady Jiang, and she wouldn¡¯te here unless it was really important.

    Old woman Min swept a nce at other people in the room.

    Yuchen immediately ordered everyone else to leave the room and then asked with a very serious look, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± At first, Yuchen presumed that Old Lady Jiang was unwell, but that wasn¡¯t the case now. If Waizumu[6]maternal grandmother was indeed sick, there was no need to hide it from anyone.

    Old woman Min asked, ¡°Miss, the Old Lady asked me to ask you, have you ever offended Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang?¡± This matter was so important that Old Lady Jiang even had to let her confidante over.

    Yuchen was unable to make head or tail[9]Chinese idiom ; baffled of this question, as she shook her head and replied, ¡°No! I¡¯ve only met with Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang three times in total, and although we didn¡¯t be friends, I didn¡¯t act hostile with her either. We only have ordinary contacts with each other.¡±

    Old woman Min frowned. ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± After uttering that, she asked again, ¡°Did Miss never ever offend Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang? Think about it more, Miss.¡±

    Yuchen¡¯s intuition told her that there was something wrong, and it was a big deal. ¡°Mama, I never ever offended Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. The first time I saw her was at Marquis Taining Residence! However, speaking of which, I still feel puzzled about this. The first time I met her, she was the one who first acted hostile against me?¡±

    Old woman Min immediately grasped the key word. ¡°Being hostile? Did Miss have any enmity with Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang?¡±

    Yuchen shook her head. ¡°No, it was my first time to meet Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang in Marquis Taining Residence. Hence, how could we suddenly be enemies? We also didn¡¯t get along badly at the next two of our meetings.¡±

    Old woman Min asked again, ¡°Then what about Miss Yuxi? Did Miss Yuxi have animosity with Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang?¡±

    Yuchen shook her head without even thinking for a bit, ¡°No. Yuxi was very respectful towards Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang and did not overstep her bounds at all. At that time when Yuxi won against the Young Lady of the Yu family in a chess game at the Gongzhu[10]princess¡¯s residence, Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang even held Yuxi¡¯s hand and praised her fiercely, showing special closeness.¡±

    Old woman Min frowned so deeply till the ce between her brows turned into the character ´¨ (chuan[11]river).

    Yuchen had bad thoughts in her mind, ¡°Mama, what is actually going on? Why did you keep on talking about Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang when everything is fine between me and her?¡±

    Old woman Min¡¯s expression turned ugly as she exined, ¡°Miss, the Lord Marquis has already caught the bandit leader who had sneaked into the Duke of the State Residence that night. The bandit leader has confessed, saying that someone spent huge sums of money to let his people break into the Duke of the State Residence on the night of the pce rebellion, and take advantage of the disorder to kill you and Miss Yuxi. ording to his confession, the Lord Marquis found out that Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was the person responsible behind-the-scenes. Therefore, the Old Lady specially asked me toe and ask you about it.¡±

    Yuchen felt that this was the most ridiculous thing she ever heard. ¡°The mastermind behind-the-scenes was Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang? Why would she do that? As far as I know, there is no enmity between our residence and Qiao family! Moreover, even if Yuxi and I ever offended her, she shouldn¡¯t have gone as far as paying the bandits toe to our house for the purpose of killing us and set our home on fire, should she?¡± Not to mention if they ever did quarrel, or even if Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang wanted to make trouble because she wasn¡¯t happy with them, she wouldn¡¯t go as far as scheming to kill them.

    Old woman Min shook her head as she said, ¡°Lord Marquis and Master Shizi[12]heir of a noble family Han have definitely gone over everything. The Han family with the Qiao family, as well as the Gongzhu[10]princess Residence have always been like river water that did not interfere with well water[13]Chinese idiom : Do not interfere with one another. Not to mention that there had not been any quarrel that would cause such great enmity and deep hostility[14]Chinese idiom : profound hatred. So, Lord Marquis surmised to the Old Lady that Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang must have been driven by her own personal grudge.¡± The so-called personal grudge was the enmity between the two, Yuchen and Yuxi, with Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang.

    Yuchen said resolutely and decisively, ¡°Nothing happened like that. Not to mention about us bing enemies with her, Yuxi and I have never been disrespectful towards Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang.¡±

    Old woman Min also thought that this matter was weird. Of course, in the eyes of the Chiang family, it was Yuchen that Heshou County really wanted to kill, and Yuxi was just incidentally. Mainly because Yuchen¡¯s fame was too big, while Yuxi¡¯s reputation was not yet sufficient to even be considered.

    Yuchen was silent for a moment before she asked a very crucial question, ¡°Mama, how did Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang know about the Crown Prince¡¯s n to rebel that night? Has Jiujiu[7]maternal uncle found out about it yet?¡± For such a confidential matter, even her Jiujiu[7]maternal uncle, an important minister in the court, didn¡¯t know, but it was too weird for a youngdy who was in a deep boudoir like Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang to know it. Of course, Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had always been an abnormal person.

    Old woman Min shook her head, ¡°Not yet. This is truly an evil nature. In ordinary course of events, Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang shouldn¡¯t have known about such a confidential matter.¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Then, Yuchen said something that had been hidden in the bottom of her heart all this time. ¡°Mama, I always feel that Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang is a bit strange. Look at all the things she has done in the past two years. I have noment on those juices and fresh cakes. But she also made soap and perfume. Mama, as far as I know, Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang has never studied about perfume, nor has she evere into contact with such things. Then, how did she know how to make these things?¡± If there were only one or two, they could still be considered as coincidence. However, for there to be so many things came out, how could they still be considered a coincidence?

    Old woman Min asked, ¡°What does Miss actually want to say?¡±

    At this time, Yuchen did not want to hide anymore nor would she make up any trick, ¡°Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang is not clean.¡± The so-called not clean meant that something or someone had been possessed by evil spirit.

    Old woman Min didn¡¯t respond to Yuchen¡¯s statement, but she instead said, ¡°Miss, do you know, during the time the Crown Prince plotted a rebellion, many families that supported him were destroyed and their properties had been taken over. Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang took this opportunity to buy many shops and real estate, and besides, she also bought a lot of antique calligraphy and paintings. I heard that she had spent up to 700,000 to 800,000 total of silver, which she had earned in the past two years.¡± This passage that old woman Min said was actually a side response to Yuchen¡¯s words, supporting the statement that Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was really abnormal. As to whether she was really possessed by dirty things, any oral expressions could not be taken as evidence[15]Chinese idiom : words of mouth alone don¡¯t carry conviction.

    Yuchen asked, ¡°What should we do then?¡± If this was just a quarrel with a youngdy family, it was okay for them to suffer some grievances and eat some losses. However, because of the matter that had been done by Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, was the same as making an enemy of the Duke of the State Residence, so it was impossible for them to just forget about it.

    Old woman Min shook her head, ¡°This old servant doesn¡¯t know.¡± She was only in charge of delivering the message, and as for the follow up, it was not for her to intervene nor to say anything.

    After sending off old woman Min, Yuchen spent a long time in her bedroom. She didn¡¯t know why Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was trying to kill her. But, because of Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, so many people had been killed and injured in the State Residence. As a result, she was haunted by nightmares about it these days, and even her grandmother felt guilty about those who had died.

    No matter for what reason Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was doing all this, and no matter what kind of a demon Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was, from today onwards she and Heshou Xianzhu[8]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang were enemies, and they would fight to theirst gasp as enemies.

 Chapter 142 - Evil Spirit (2)

    Chapter 142 : Evil Spirit (2)

    Yuxi returned to her study and looked at ¡®Thirty-six Stratagems in Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War and ¡®, with a rxed smile on her face. After two months, she finally finished copying the book.

    Zisu wasn¡¯t used with Yuxi¡¯s current look. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re not leading an army to a war, so why are you reading this?¡± Zisu was close to say that reading this had been just a waste of her Miss¡¯ time. If her Miss really had such free time, she might as well embroidered two more hebao[1]pouches! Duan Xinrong and Zhou Shiya had been waiting for Yuxi¡¯s hebao[1]pouches for more than half a year, which even Zisu, Yuxi¡¯s personal maid, felt embarrassed to exin.

    Hebao or Money Pouch

    It¡¯sposed of two sides, the interior and the exterior. The exterior is often embroidered with posh patterns, while the mouth is threaded with a silk string that can be tightened and loosened. ¨C China Daily

    Yuxi didn¡¯t exin. She just smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s very interesting.¡± There were conspiracies, overt plots, and various schemes emerged in an endless stream, which really opened up her view.

    Zisu didn¡¯t want to persuade any more. It was useless for her to do so.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°If Er Ge[2]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegees back, let me know. I¡¯ll return the books on the arts of war back to him.¡± She was only interested in this book of war, or rather in the thirty-six stratagems within it. As for ¡®Six Secret Teachings¡¯ and ¡®Three Strategies of Huang Shigong¡¯, there was nothing interesting for her. Just like Zisu had said, it wasn¡¯t like she had to personally lead an army into battle, so it was no use for her to dig into the two books on the arts of war.

    As soon as she put her copies of the books on the arts of war inside the cupboard, she heard Kufue in and announced, ¡°Miss, Liuyin Jiejie[3]elder sister ¨C used towards own older sisters or close known older female hase to send a message. She asked Miss to go to the main house.¡±

    Yuxi felt a little strange. It was almost lunchtime. What did the Old Lady call her for? However, Yuxi didn¡¯t think much of it, as she fixed her makeup and went there.

    Liuyin was one of Qiu Shi¡¯s people, but because the Old Lady didn¡¯t have anypetent maids by her side right now, she was temporarily given to the Old Lady to be used. Liuyin had dealt with Yuxi for several years, and she was very grateful to her for saving her life that night, as she lowered her voice and said, ¡°Miss, the Third Miss just went to see the Old Lady. After that, the Old Lady¡¯s face looked really ugly, and then she asked this maidservant to call Miss over.¡± Although Liuyin knew that Yuxi was on good terms with Yuchen, she still reminded Yuxi so that she wouldn¡¯t be at a disadvantage. The Old Lady didn¡¯t like Yuxi, which was something that the people in the entire State Residence knew about.

    Yuxi¡¯s heart trembled. First, there was someone from Marquis Pingqing Residenceing over, then Yuchen went to the main courtyard, afterwards, the Old Lady looked ugly and asked someone to call her over. This chain of events made Yuxi quickly think of a possibility. Marquis Pingqing Residence had most likely already found out that the mastermind behind that night was Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang.

    Yuxi kept all her emotions in check and said with a smile, ¡°Thank you Jiejie[3]elder sister ¨C used towards own older sisters or close known older female for the reminder. I¡¯ll pay attention when I arrive there and try not to make my Grandmother angry.¡±

    Liuyin smiled.

    When they arrived at the main house, Yuxi saw the scowling face of the Old Lady, and the imposing face of Yuchen, who was sitting at the right hand seat. Yuxi realised that her previous guess should be about right. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuchen spoke up, ¡°Si Meimei[5]si=fourth, meimei=younger sister, the reason why the bandits broke into our residence that night was at the behest of Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. She paid off those bandits to sneak into the State Residence from the side of the small Green Bamboo building on the night of the pce rebellion.¡±

    Yuxi was stunned. After a while, she asked, ¡°Do we, the Han family, have any bitter enmity that we cannot live under the same sky[6]Chinese idiom : absolutely irreconcble with the Qiao family?¡± At this time, she must be steady. She couldn¡¯t let the Old Lady and Yuchen notice anything wrong with her.

    Old Lady Han answered in a heavy voice, ¡°No.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Impossible, if we and the Qiao family didn¡¯t have any hatred that we cannot live under the same sky[6]Chinese idiom : absolutely irreconcble, why would Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang do this? And what good would this bring to her? No, our Han family and the Qiao family must have enmity with each other, or else, Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang wouldn¡¯t have seen me and San Jie[7]san=third, jie=elder sister with so much hostility that day. Grandmother, is there something that even you don¡¯t know about?¡±

    Old Lady Han stated with certainty, ¡°There is no animosity between the Han and the Qiao families. The Qiao family only raised to power and position for more than thirty years ago, and before that, the Qiao was a scavenger in the country pits. If the two families are in a deadly feud, it¡¯s impossible that I aren¡¯t unaware of it.¡± Old Lady Han had married into the State Residence over thirty years ago and was very familiar with the affairs of the residence. If the two families really had formed a grudge, it was impossible for her not to know about it.

    Yuxi opened her mouth and asked, ¡°Naturally for what reason then?¡± After asking that, she asked the same question as Yuchen, ¡°How did Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang know that the Crown Prince would plot a rebellion that night? How did she know about such a big deal?¡±

    Yuchen¡¯s hands remained sped tightly and never loosened, ¡°Yuxi, I don¡¯t know how Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang knew that the Crown Prince would plot a rebellion that night. But I do know that she let these bandits infiltrate the State Residence in order to kill you and me.¡±

    Yuxi stood still. After a long time did Yuxi speak up and ask, ¡°Why did she want to kill us?¡±

    Yuchen shook her head and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s voice suddenly grew louder, ¡°There¡¯s not even a grudge between us. Even without making head or tail[8]baffled of it, she somehow wanted to kill me and you? Is Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang crazy? No, even crazy people won¡¯t act like her.¡±

    Yuchen responded, ¡°Si Mei[9]si=fourth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei, I think Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang has been possessed by an evil spirit.¡± Otherwise, how could Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang do such an unbelievable thing.

    Yuxi was shocked, ¡°Possessed by an evil spirit?¡±

    Yuchen nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s legs weakened and she managed to hold onto the chair beside her with both hands before she could slip onto the floor. After taking a few deep breaths, Yuxi sat down on the chair, then slowly questioned, ¡°Even if Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was possessed by an evil spirit, then why did she want to kill me and San Jie[7]san=third, jie=elder sister? We never offended her.¡±

    This was also the thing that Yuchen found to be strange.

    Old Lady Han had just been observing Yuxi, but Yuxi¡¯s behaviour was rather normal, and Old Lady Han didn¡¯t see anything wrong with her. Hearing Yuxi¡¯s words, Old Lady Han asked, ¡°Yuxi, what do you have in mind?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head, ¡°Nothing.¡± Yes, for this matter, it couldn¡¯t be said so quickly. She wouldn¡¯t want to be particrly powerful in front of the Old Lady.

    Yuchen also couldn¡¯t figure out the reason why, as she said, ¡°Grandmother, my Jiujiu[10]maternal uncle has investigated this matter very clearly. No matter what Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s reason is, we can¡¯t help but report this enmity.¡± This kind of thing couldn¡¯t be taken as if it didn¡¯t happen.

    Old Lady Han looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°Yuxi, what do you think should be done?¡±

    Yuxi still answered with these three words, ¡°I don¡¯t know. But this matter has to be told to Father and Dage[11]eldest brother. They have to be allowed to make up their minds about such a big matter.¡± Marquis Chiang was powerful, and the Chiang family had deep roots in the capital, which was why they could find the truth before them. It was just that the Chiang family could only help in finding the murderer, but this enmity had to be reported by themselves.

    When put it that way, she was unable to say anything. The Old Lady then said, ¡°You two go back first.¡± This matter took time to make any final decision.

    The two people separated in the middle of the road with a heavy heart. When Yuchen returned to Tingyun Pavilion, she went to the study, then beckoned for Momo[12]wet nurse Gui toe and told Momo[12]wet nurse Gui about it, ¡°Momo[12]wet nurse, say, even if Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was possessed by an evil spirit, why did she have to kill me and Si Mei[9]si=fourth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei?¡±

    The person on the spot was baffled, the onlooker saw clearly[13]Chinese proverb : an outsider can see things more clearly or objectively than those involved. Just as old as Momo[12]wet nurse Gui was, she could be said to have eaten more salt than Yuchen ate rice. After listening to Yuchen¡¯s words, she said, ¡°There is no enmity between the families, nor do you have enmity with her. There is only one reason why she has such ruthless hands.¡±

    Yuchen asked, ¡°What is the reason?¡± She had racked her brains and still couldn¡¯t figure out the reason.

    Momo[12]wet nurse Gui answered, ¡°Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang knows that you and the Fourth Miss will be threats to her in the future, the kind of threats that will be fatal for her, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been this generous with her money?¡±

    Yuchen was stunned, ¡°What does Momo[12]wet nurse mean by that? What do you mean in the future that Yuxi and I will be fatal threats to Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang? Who can predict what will happen in the future?¡± After asking those questions, Yuchen thought of the possibility and her face instantly went white.

    When Momo[12]wet nurse Gui looked at Yuchen like this, she knew that Yuchen understood what she meant, ¡°This evil spirit may have the ability to foretell the future.¡± This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuchen gripped the handle of the chair with her right hand and said, ¡°This evil spirit¡­¡±

    As Yuchen thought of this, she immediately called Shiqin and instructed, ¡°Prepare the vehicle, I want to go to Marquis Pingqing Residence.¡± After she had done saying that, she immediately went to the main house and told the Old Lady about it.

    The Old Lady really hadn¡¯t thought about this. But when Yuchen said it like that, there really couldn¡¯t be any other reason other than this one. ¡°We must take our time in making a decision for this matter. We can¡¯t act rashly. Don¡¯t go to the Marquis Pingqing Residence for the time being. I¡¯ll discuss this with your father and Dage[11]eldest brother first.¡± Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was after all a kinsman of the Emperor[14]Chinese idiom : person with powerful connections and she had a title of nobility to her name, so they must be very cautious.

    Yuchen went out of the main house, thought for a moment and then she went to Taoran House. When she heard from a maid that Yuxi had drilled herself into the study as soon as she came back, Yuchen¡¯s expression was very much subtle.

    Kufu raised her voice and called out, ¡°Miss, Third Miss is here.¡±

    Yuxi changed the book on arts of war in her hand with a medical book, opened its pages and put it on one side. Then she went out to wee Yuchen to her study and asked, ¡°San Jie[7]san=third, jie=elder sister, what can I do for you?¡±

    Yuchen did not answer her back. ¡°What are you doing?¡± With a questioning out from her mouth, her eyes fell on the books on the desk, not expecting Yuxi to have the leisure to read medical books at this time.

    Yuxi said, ¡°I was just thinking, if only I could develop an invisible poison. It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t learn the art¡­¡±

    Yuchen didn¡¯t know how to describe how she felt right now, ¡°Even if you were able to develop an invisible poison, how would you poison her? Can you get close enough to her?¡±

    When Yuxi heard this, she became weak, ¡°Ahem, I¡¯m really confused by the anger, so I was thinking of how to get rid of Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. Ahem, San Jie[7]san=third, jie=elder sister, what do you think? She certainly won¡¯t be content that she¡¯s unable to kill us this time. Not to mention going out, I¡¯m not even at ease to stay at home.¡± As long as Yuchen was determined and Marquis Pingqing could give some help, this matter would be much easier to handle. It would be hard to get Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang killed, but it would definitely knock her down a peg.

    A touch of hostility shed across Yuchen¡¯s eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there won¡¯t be next time.¡±

    It was the first time for Yuxi to see Yuchen acted like this.

    Yuchen was scared by Yuxi¡¯s look, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there anything wrong?¡±

    Yuxi cracked a smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just thought that San Jie[7]san=third, jie=elder sister was looking particrly beautiful today. Couldn¡¯t help but be a little stunned for a moment.¡±

    Yuchen felt both funny and angry at the same time, ¡°When will you ever be serious? I came over to find you this time because I have something to tell you.¡± Then she told Yuxi her suspicions.

    Yuxi felt that Momo[12]wet nurse Gui was too impressive to even guess this. Since Heshou Xianzhu[4]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang knew the future so she wanted to kill her and Yuchen. Yuxi agreed with her in her heart, but she showed disbelief on her face, ¡°San Jie[7]san=third, jie=elder sister, this can¡¯t be? To be able to predict the future, doesn¡¯t that make her a deity?¡±

    Yuchen snorted coldly, ¡°Not a deity, but a demon.¡±

 Chapter 143 - Evil Spirit (3)

    Chapter 143 : Evil Spirit (3)

    In the capital, there were rumors circting that Heshou Xianzhu[1]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was a demon. This demon im wasn¡¯t just a talk, it also had justified signs to support the im.

    Heshou Xianzhu[1]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was very well informed as she heard about the rumors just that afternoon. The people around her were all worried, but Heshou Xianzhu[1]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was not even a bit panicked as she calmly instructed, ¡°Have someone go and investigate who has spread this rumor.¡± She was ready to be questioned for being so daring to open a shop on a grand scale[2]Chinese idiom : make a big production out of sth, raking in money so openly. However, in the past, it had only been muttered in private and spread on a small scale. So it wasn¡¯t so easy to find out the one who was behind it then.

    Heshou Xianzhu[1]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was not surprised, nor was she anxious. This person had an intention to target her, thus it certainly wouldn¡¯t be easy to find out about that person. However, she wasn¡¯t afraid of these rumors, since she had been prepared for them.

    The New Huangzhi Temple

    The original Huangzhi Temple had been burnt down during the Tongzhi period of Qing Dynasty (1837-1875). The temple was rebuilt in 1889. While the ancient pagoda behind it had been severely damaged after experiencing earthquakes 2 times during the 48th year of Kangxi (1709) and the third year of Qianlong (1739) of the Qing Dynasty. The existing ancient tower was rebuilt by monk Weixiu in the 48th year of Qianlong.

    Image Credit | The article writer (»ÊµoËÂ-Ê¯×ìÉ½-ÄþÏÄËÂÔº, June 6th, 2013)

    Rumors soon spread that Huangzhi Temple Abbot, Great Master Liao Tong had long made a fortune-telling on Heshou Xianzhu[1]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, and said that she had opened her all-seeing mind[3]Buddhism : mind which perceives both past and future. T/NI don¡¯t know that Huangzhi Temple really exists. ¨C shocked ¨C

    When Yuxi heard Yuchen¡¯s words, sheughed, ¡°It¡¯s surprising that she even got Great Master Liao Tong to testify for her, proving that she is not a demon but rather has an all-seeing mind[3]Buddhism : mind which perceives both past and future. With Great Master Liao Tong¡¯s testimony, I¡¯m sure many people will believe it.¡± In Buddhism, it was said that there were five eyes, which were the physical eye, the heavenly eye, the wisdom eye, the Dharma eye and the Buddha eye.

    Great Master Liao Tong was an eminent monk who had attained the highest state of spiritual enlightenment and had many believers. When he came out and said that Heshou Xianzhu[1]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had opened her all-seeing mind[3]Buddhism : mind which perceives both past and future, the questioning voices were immediately reduced by half.

    Yuchen said unhappily, ¡°You¡¯re stillughing?¡± When she got the news, she felt as nauseated as if she had swallowed a housefly. [0]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°If I don¡¯tugh, then should I just cry? San Jie[4]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, even if Monk Liao Tong said that she had opened her all-seeing mind[3]Buddhism : mind which perceives both past and future, will it be impossible to deal with her?¡± Since Liao Tong had testified for Heshou Xianzhu[1]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, it proved that he was not a person with good character. Nine times out of ten[5]Chinese idiom : most likely, he would have gained some benefits from it.

    Yuchen helplessly said, ¡°Except that Liao Tong Shifu[6]respectful form of address for older men is naturally known as fearless. The real problem now is that the Emperor also believes Liao Tong Shifu[6]respectful form of address for older men¡¯s words that Heshou Xianzhu[1]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang has opened her all-seeing mind[3]Buddhism : mind which perceives both past and future and said that it was an auspicious thing.¡± With the Emperor said that Heshou Xianzhu[1]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s ability to open her all-seeing mind[3]Buddhism : mind which perceives both past and future was an auspicious thing, by no means would anyone dare to call her a demon again, otherwise, that would be the same as questioning the Emperor.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Could this be the handiwork of Imperial Consort Song?¡± The Emperor had always been obedient to Imperial Consort Song, hence it would not have been surprising if this had really been her handiwork.

    Yuchen nodded, ¡°It is indeed the handiwork of Imperial Consort Song. The Crown Prince had killed himself, and with the Empress alsomitted suicide by taking poison, now the Imperial Harem is solely controlled by Imperial Consort Song. With her backing, it¡¯s difficult for us to touch Heshou Xianzhu[1]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang.¡± With the Emperor¡¯s golden mouth and pearly words[7]Chinese idiom : utterances that carry great weight, together with the Imperial Consort Song¡¯s backing, they had to refrain themselves from throwing at the rat for fear of breaking the vases[8]Chinese idiom : holding back from taking action against an evildoer for fear of involving or harming good people.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°No wonder she is acting fearless since she knows that she has a strong backing. As it turns out that she has prepared beforehand.¡± Heshou Xianzhu[1]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was not a fool. If she didn¡¯t have anyone to rely on to, she would never act in such a high-profile manner. In the past two years, she had ingratiated herself with Imperial Consort Song, without been known by the people of the upper sses.

    Yuchen said with some frustration, ¡°It¡¯s not just Waizumu[9]maternal grandmother who has told Jiujiu[10]mother¡¯s brother to leave the matter alone, even Grandmother and Father think that we should wait first.¡±

    Yuxi said with approval, ¡°It¡¯s right for Grandmother and Father to be worried. If we still said Heshou Xianzhu[1]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang is a demon now, wouldn¡¯t it be against the Emperor and Imperial Consort Song? San Jie[4]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, ten years is not too long for a gentleman to take his revenge[11]Chinese well-known phrase : It¡¯s never toote for a gentleman to take revenge. Let¡¯s put this hatred behind us for now, and one day we¡¯ll let her pay it back with interest.¡±

    Yuchen said with a wry smile, ¡°How can it be so easy by then? I heard that Imperial Consort Song is thinking of taking Heshou Xianzhu[1]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang as the 9th Prince¡¯s Imperial Concubine. If so, it will be much harder to touch her in the future.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s heart was shocked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Yu Xiyu will be the 9th Prince¡¯s Imperial Concubine? When did it change to Heshou[12]he = harmonious, shou = long life?¡±

    Yuchen shook her head and said, ¡°At the end ofst year, I got wind of rumors that the Emperor was going to appoint Yu Xiyu as the First Imperial Concubine of the 9th Prince, but there has been no movement. Now there is a rumor that Imperial Consort Song intends to appoint Heshou[12]he = harmonious, shou = long life for the 9th Prince. But they¡¯re all just gossip. Until the Imperial Decreees down, let just consider them all as false.¡±

    Yuxi eyes widened. No matter how much she didn¡¯t care in herst life, she knew that the 9th Prince¡¯s Imperial Concubine was Yu Xiyu. Could it be that Heshou[12]he = harmonious, shou = long life was thinking of snatching that position from Yu Xiyu? This wasn¡¯t right. The one she should snatch was the 10th Prince. Thest one to ascend to the throne was the 10th Prince. It was impossible for Heshou[12]he = harmonious, shou = long life not to know about this.

    However, Yuxi hadn¡¯t heard any rumors talking about Heshou[12]he = harmonious, shou = long life and the 10th Prince. On the contrary, there was hearsay about Heshou[12]he = harmonious, shou = long life having a very close rtionship with the 9th Prince. Rumor had it that the two people often met in private.

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t figure out what Heshou[12]he = harmonious, shou = long life was really thinking. But if one thought about it from another angle, Heshou[12]he = harmonious, shou = long life was definitely not a smart person. If she was, she would never have acted in such a high-profile manner. The bird which put its head out would get shot first[13]Chinese well-known phrase : the person in the limelight bears the brunt of attack. The fact that her behaviour was so high-profile that it had already aroused suspicion.

    Yuxi¡¯s head hurt from thinking about it so much. Heck, just forget it. One couldn¡¯t usemon sense when deducing Heshou[12]he = harmonious, shou = long life¡¯s behaviour. Normal people wouldn¡¯t pay bandits tomit murders and arson at the State Residence.

    Yuchen looked at the fierce light that shed in Yuxi¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°Si Mei[14]si=fourth, mei=younger sister, short form from Meimei, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head, ¡°Just a little sad.¡± Although she told Yuchen that ten years was not too long for a gentleman to take his revenge[11]Chinese well-known phrase : It¡¯s never toote for a gentleman to take revenge, she was unwilling to wait for ten years. What happened before made her deeply understand one truth, that she couldn¡¯t just sit and wait for death[15]Chinese idiom : resigned to one¡¯s fate any longer, or else she would probably end up in the same ce as herst life, the worse fate of dying without a burial site[16]Chinese idiom :e to a bad end.

    Back in Taoran House, Yuxi headed straight into her study.

    For three days in a row, except for times to eat, Yuxi would hole herself up inside her study. When Yuchen got the news, she said helplessly, ¡°This silly girl, I thought she really didn¡¯t take the matter to heart.¡± It was not that easy to study about an invisible poison that could kill a person. Even an experienced physician who had been practicing medicine for decades couldn¡¯t manage to get it out. Which was even less likely for Yuxi, who only knew superficial knowledge.

    Momo[17]wet nurse Gui wondered, ¡°Miss, is Fourth Miss really digging into medicine?¡± Would a such a shrew person like Fourth Miss would do such a stupid thing? Her intuition told her that there was something wrong.

    Yuchen was very confused as she asked, ¡°Momo[17]wet nurse, why are you being so prejudiced towards Yuxi?¡± So far, there wasn¡¯t any bitter quarrel between Yuxi and Momo[17]wet nurse Gui! What else could make Momo[17]wet nurse Gui thought that Yuxi was scheming in no matter what Yuxi was doing? [0]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Momo[17]wet nurse Gui answered, ¡°I have no prejudice against the Fourth Miss, but what she did this time made me a little puzzled.¡± She had be a little wiser now, and no longer spoke ill of Yuxi. Because no matter what she said, Yuxi would always be right. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Yuxi was too good at pretending. Not to mention Yuchen, even she herself would be fooled sometimes.

    Yuchen shook her head helplessly. Probably as Yuxi had said before that she was at odds with Momo[17]wet nurse Gui¡¯s eight characters, and that was why Momo[17]wet nurse Gui was so against her. Yuchen said, ¡°I better go to Taoran House and take a look.¡± That silly girl. She couldn¡¯t let her drill into a bull¡¯s horn[18]Chinese idiom : pay too much attention to small details or problems that cannot be solved for the moment at this point.

    When Zisu and Kufu saw Yuchen, they seemed to see a saviour, ¡°Third Miss, please advise my Miss! She¡¯s just like she has been bewitched. Except for eating time, she will continuously be in the study. No matter how many times we call for her, she won¡¯te out.¡±

    Yuchen went to the door of the study, looked at the tightly closed door and shouted, ¡°Yuxi, this is San Jie[4]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, please open the door.¡±

    After a while, there was still no sounding from inside the room. Yuchen felt uneasy and instructed, ¡°Go call two people over and break the door down.¡± She was worried that Yuxi had made herself unconscious inside the study.

    Two sturdy old women servants came over. But before they could bang on the door, Yuxi herself opened the door.

    When Yuchen looked at Yuxi who had puffy eyes and a pale face, she was scared to death, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Zisu, hurry up and get a physician.¡±

    Yuxi said with her half-lidded eyes, ¡°San Jie[4]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, you¡¯re here.¡± Afterwards, she yawned and said, ¡°San Jie[4]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, we¡¯ll talk about thister on. I¡¯m so sleepy, let me get some sleep first!¡±

    Since she had been reading too much, her eyes had gotten a little blurry, thus she couldn¡¯t see things clearly, which made her tripped over the door panel when she entered the room. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that there were Zisu and Yuchen by her side to help her out, she would have stumbled down and be like a dog ate dung[19]vulgar way of saying fall t on one¡¯s face.

    The two quickly helped her into the room. Yuxi said nothing, climbed into the bed, and said to Yuchen, ¡°You people can do your thing! I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± After saying that, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

    Yuchen looked at Zisu with an ill expression, ¡°Your Miss has this kind of appearance, and you don¡¯t know how to persuade her? If you can¡¯t persuade her, you should tell me or Eldest Aunt, and yet, you people let her fool around like this?¡±

    Zisu¡¯s heart was full of bitterints.

    When Physician Bai came over, Yuxi was still sleeping soundly! After examining Yuxi¡¯s pulse, he said, ¡°Fourth Miss is excessively worn out, and some are because of heat exhaustion [20]medical.plete physical or mental exhaustion. She¡¯ll be fine after two days of rest.¡±

    When Yuchen saw that Physician Bai didn¡¯t prescribe any medicine, she asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you prescribe anything for her?¡±

    Physician Bai smiled and exined, ¡°Fourth Miss is just not resting well, so there is no need to prescribe a prescription. If Third Miss doesn¡¯t feel at ease, I¡¯ll prescribe a remedial prescription for Fourth Miss.¡± Physician Bai was a dedicated physician of the State Residence, and he understood Yuxi¡¯s temperament, so even if he prescribed a prescription for her, she wouldn¡¯t eat it. As a result, he was originally not going to prepare a prescription to give to Yuxi.

    When Qiu Shi got the news, she lost her temper with Zisu as she scolded, ¡°How do you serve your Miss? You didn¡¯t even tell me about such a big thing?¡± Qiu Shi wasn¡¯t aware of Heshou Xianzhu[1]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang being the real assant of that night during the pce rebellion, and that was why she didn¡¯t know why Yuxi was in such a state. She thought Yuxi was just too worn up from reading too much.

    Zisu and Kufu felt wronged. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to tell others about it, it was just that they didn¡¯t dare. Yuxi had already put out warning that whoever went looking for help would be thrown out once she knew. With Yuxi¡¯s words, who dared to eat a bear heart and a leopard gall[21]pluck up some courage and go informed others.

    Not only did the Old Lady and Han Jingyan know that Yuxi had fallen ill from reading too much medical books, so did Wu Shi, Yurong and others.

    Because of Concubine Wen¡¯s death, Han Jingyan felt even more disgusted with Wu Shi. Now, Wu Shi was living by shrinking her head. She was no longer as arrogant as she was before. Although Yurong resented Yuxi, the teaching of her nurturing momo[17]wet nurse had not been in vain. She knew that if she wished to scheme against Yuxi, she would definitely be the one to suffer, unless she did it seamlessly. Until she was absolutely sure, she was not going to do anything.

    Yuxi slept until nightfall. When she woke up, what greeted her was Qiu Shi splitting the head and covering the face[22]Chinese idiom : right in the face, reprimanding her severely, which caused Yuxi to shrink into the nket and did not dare to utter a word.

    In the end, it was Zisu who took pity at Yuxi and stepped forward, ¡°My Lady, Miss hasn¡¯t eaten for half a day, and her body won¡¯t be able to take it if she¡¯s continuously not eating anything.¡±

    Qiu Shi said angrily, ¡°Let¡¯s just starve her to death. She¡¯s already bing such a big person and still didn¡¯t know how to cherish herself at all, just like a three-year-old child.¡±

    It was only after Yuxi¡¯s repeated assurances that Qiu Shi finally returned with Mama Li.

 Chapter 144 - Evil Spirit (4)

    Chapter 144 : Evil Spirit (4)

    That evening, Yuxi inquired from Zisu, ¡°Is Dage[+]eldest brother back yet?¡±

    Zisu shook her head and said, ¡°No, Master Shizi[+]heir of a noble family has beening back veryte these days. Even when hees back, he has been busy in his study and has not yete to the inner courtyard. Miss, why are you looking for Master Shizi[+]heir of a noble family?¡±

    Before Yuxi could answer, she heard a maid from outside say, ¡°Miss, Second Master is here.¡±

    When Han Jianye heard from his attendant that Yuxi was unconscious, he rushed over without asking about it carefully. As he saw Yuxi stand in her courtyard, he said with a ferocious looking face, ¡°Why are you running around when you¡¯re not feeling well? Why don¡¯t you go back inside and lie down?¡±

    Yuxi smiled as she said, ¡°Who told Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege that I was not feeling well? I¡¯m just a little tired from reading, and I¡¯m fine after I¡¯ve taken a nap.¡±

    Han Jianye was suspicious, ¡°Was it really because of that?¡± [+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi raised both her hands at once as a sign of guarantee. ¡°Really, just a little tired, there are no other problems. Shizi[+]heir of a noble family, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Physician Bai. He certainly won¡¯t lie to you!¡±

    When Han Jianye heard this, he scolded Yuxi again, ¡°Even you able to figure it out, and yet you still read too much until it rmed the whole family. You tell me, which unique, remarkable book managed to make you so obsessed that you had to read it no matter what? Also let me have a look at it too.¡± He had never seen such a bookworm in his life.

    Yuxi embarrassingly said, ¡°It¡¯s the ¡®Thirty-Six Stratagems in Sun Tzu¡¯s Arts of War¡¯.¡±

    Han Jianye suddenly froze, as her answer had given him a feeling that he was the first person to bury funerary dolls[+]Chinese idiom : the originator of an evil practice! Han Jianye put his mind and his expression in order as he said, ¡°You, this girl, there are times when you have to stop reading and put the book down. Unless something had made you do this at all costs?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and answered, ¡°Not anymore. By the way, Dage[+]eldest brother has been so busy these days that it must have made him dizzy. But, Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, howe you are this idle?¡± These past few days, she had been thinking about how to break their current problem, and it seemed like the time that she wasted had not been in vain. Finally, she hade up with a n. However, she intended to only tell her Dage[+]eldest brother, Han Jianming. She was unwilling to reveal it to Old Lady Han and Yuchen.

    Han Jianye was speechless. ¡°Why are you looking for Dage[+]eldest brother? You¡¯re not actually thinking of borrowing some of his books, are you? You still unaware, for you to get the same kind of book like those books of mine, you will be able to see them on the year of the monkey and month of the horse[+]Chinese idiom : time that will nevere (as this is not a valid year/month in the Chinese calendar)!¡±

    Yuxi could understand Han Jianming¡¯s course of action. When it came to Han Jianye¡¯s temperament, if he knew that the matter of that day had been done by Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, he would have rushed to Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s Residence and would try to find that person at all costs, and by then, the matter became even more hopeless. Yuxi feigned surprise as she asked, ¡°Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege doesn¡¯t even know what Dage[+]eldest brother is up to these days?¡±

    Han Jianye was baffled as he answered, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother has been fully upiedtely. However, just because Dage[+]eldest brother is busy, it doesn¡¯t mean I should be busy too.¡±

    Yuxi swept a nce at Han Jianye and said, ¡°Yeah right, it¡¯s just that, Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, for you to be without a heart and a lung[+]Chinese idiom : being not sensible, together with your ruckus call manner, how would Dage[+]eldest brother dare to let you know about the matter! By telling you, it isn¡¯t going to help him with the matter, but you will only give him an additional trouble!¡±

    What Yuxi had said was fairly heavy.

    Han Jianye¡¯s expression looked very ugly after hearing all these, ¡°What matter can¡¯t be told to me that I won¡¯t be able to help and only cause trouble? Can you exin to me clearly?¡± There were obviously words in Yuxi¡¯s words[+]Chinese idiom : things indirectly implied from what is said.

    Yuxi waved her hand and shouted to the people outside, ¡°Zisu, tell everyone here to retreat to the yard.¡± Yuxi could understand Han Jianming¡¯s course of action, but she didn¡¯t actually agree to it. If Dage[+]eldest brother hadn¡¯t been so overprotective of Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, he wouldn¡¯t have developed such a straightforward and simple temper.

    Han Jianye was simple in nature, but he was not a fool. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± [+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, Dage[+]eldest brother has found out the one behind-the-scene who had instructed the culprits to enter our inner courtyard that night.

    Han Jianye flew into rage and shouted, ¡°What did you say? Who is it? Which one of the turtle bastards[+]curse words which are normally used for someone who has wronged you is it? I¡¯m gonna kill him.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Han Jianye and sighed, ¡°I know who it is, but I can¡¯t tell you. If Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege wants to know, go ask Dage[+]eldest brother.¡±

    Han Jianye was extremely angry, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you tell me such a big thing?¡±

    Yuxi spoke very rudely as she said, ¡°What¡¯s the use of telling this matter to Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege? What else can you do besides shout and kill? Not to mention killing, even to find this person we have to rely on Marquis Pingqing. Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, we can¡¯t even find this assant without the help from Marquis Pingqing Residence. Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, do you know what this means?¡±

    Han Jianye waspletely stunned by Yuxi¡¯s talk.

    Yuxi continued to say, ¡°Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, think about it! It¡¯s not that Dage[+]eldest brother won¡¯t tell you about the family matter, but he¡¯s afraid that by telling you, it will not only not going to help him, but will also drag his feet.¡± Yuxi¡¯s words were quite unpleasant to hear. But it couldn¡¯t be helped. Han Jianye would never know what his problem was without giving him a heavy dose of medicine. Even if Han Jianye would detest her, Yuxi still hoped that Han Jianye would grow up a bit and stop acting like this. Otherwise, even with the Lu family¡¯s help, Yuxi would still worry that Han Jianye would follow the same path as in hisst life and be a cannon fodder. With the experience of herst life, Yuxi had long understood one thing. Only by making herself strong would she be able to protect herself and those around her.

    When Han Jianye left, his face was the colour of liver.

    Zisu sent Han Jianye off with a face full of questions, ¡°Miss, what did you say to Second Master? You¡¯ve made Second Master look so angry.¡± Second Master had came with a fierce face and left with a furious face.

    Yuxi said wearily, ¡°Nothing.¡± She didn¡¯t want to be the wicked one either, but Dage[+]eldest brother obviously didn¡¯t have this awareness. As for Eldest Aunt, she couldn¡¯t be counted. Ah, it was really hard to be the wicked one!

    Zisu cautiously asked, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong with you these days? You¡¯re looking like you have a lot on your mind?¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t answer her question and instead instructed, ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk in the garden!¡± Appropriate rxation was also necessary. Before, she had heard others say that wisdom was bound to hurt, so she wondered. Now she knew that the person who said this was extremely impressive. Smart people use too much of their brains which at the same time, consumed so much of their mental state, and that was why their health was generally not good. She had been thinking too much these days, and she already managed to make herself look like this. Those people who used their brains every day would not let themselves from being injured, right?

    There weren¡¯t many flowers blooming in the garden, but Yuxi wasn¡¯t in the mood to appreciate them at this time. She came to the garden just to rx her mind.

    As the night colour gradually grew dense, gentle breezes slowly blew, while blowing in the sound of insects and beautiful chirp of birds. When one looked down to the ground, the green grasses seemed to be murmuring with the flowers.

    Zisu couldn¡¯t just watch Yuxi looking like this, thus she advised, ¡°Miss, you don¡¯t have to be like this. Even if the sky is about to fall, there is still Master Lord and Master Shizi[+]heir of a noble family who can take care of it.¡±

    Yuxi smiled. To her, relying on God was much better than relying on her own.

    It was already at the end of xushi[+]>7-9 pm when Han Jianming returned to the State Residence. As soon as he reached his courtyard entrance, his little page boy came over and informed him, ¡°Master Shizi[+]heir of a noble family, Second Master is waiting for you in the study. Second Master hade over at the end of shenshi[+]3-5pm and he had been waiting until now.¡± From looking at Second Master¡¯s appearance, it seemed that something very important had happened.

    Han Jianming felt a bit strange. Now that the wind had dropped and the waves had subsided[+]Chinese idiom : calm and tranquil in the Imperial Guards, so how could there still be any significant problem? As he walked into his study with this suspicion, in a quick nce he saw Han Jianye sitting on a chair with a depressed look, ¡°What¡¯s wrong this time?¡±

    Han Jianye, however, asked him straightforwardly, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, why didn¡¯t you tell me such a big thing? Could it be that in your eyes, I¡¯m truly going to hinder you?¡±

    This kind of without a head and a brain[+]Chinese idiom : mindless remark made Han Jianmingugh, ¡°Such a huge grievance? What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    Ever since Han Jianye left Taoran House, Yuxi¡¯s words had continuously been ringing in his ears, ¡°Yuxi told me that you¡¯ve found the criminal ringleader, the main offender[+]Chinese idiom : main culprit who has caused our family¡¯s disaster, and you¡¯re afraid that I¡¯m dragging your feet, so you didn¡¯t dare to tell me? Ge[+]elder brother, regarding this huge thing, even Yuxi knew about it, and yet, not even a soul wants to let me know?¡±

    Han Jianming eximed, ¡°Yuxi told you everything?¡± Since Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had a special status, it was hard to kill her without leaving a trace. It was also for this reason that the Old Lady and the Chiang family felt that by spreading some rumours first would make the people from the Imperial Family abstaining themselves from Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, and then afterwards they could hit her ferociously. In the end, unexpectedly, Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was protected by the Imperial Family, and now they couldn¡¯t advance or retreat[+]Chinese idiom : stuck in a difficult position and they had to be extremely passive.

    Han Jianye was full of resentment, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, who is the mastermind behind all this? What deep hatred does this person have with our family to do such a vicious thing.¡±

    Han Jianming thought for a moment and said, ¡°This is aplicated matter, and I can¡¯t tell you clearly for a while. I¡¯ll tell you about it tomorrow!¡±

    Han Jianye couldn¡¯t be convinced, ¡°Why we have to wait for tomorrow?¡±

    Han Jianming¡¯s excuses were all ready-made, ¡°I¡¯m tired today, and I want to rest early.¡± It wasn¡¯t just that he was tired today, he had been tired all this time. Facing his enemy, who was a woman in a deep boudoir, he could only look on, and yet unable to take his revenge. This kind of feeling really made him powerless.

    When Han Jianye looked at Han Jianming¡¯s exhausted appearance, no matter how anxious he was, he couldn¡¯t say such words as asking Han Jianming to restter, ¡°That¡¯s alright. Dage[+]eldest brother, you have to rest properly. I¡¯lle back tomorrow.¡±

    As Han Jianming saw Han Jianye walk out of the study with a heavy face, his heart feltplicated. After a moment of silence, he instructed, ¡°Go see if Fourth Miss is already asleep? If she¡¯s still awake, ask her toe over here. If she has fallen asleep, please ask her toe over tomorrow morning after breakfast.¡±

    The little page boy was puzzled, but he respectfully responded, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Usually, Yuxi would be buried in her study at this hour, but today was a bit special. By the time the little page boy arrived, she had already fallen asleep.

    Kufu asked in bafflement, ¡°Zisu Jiejie[+]elder sister, say, what do you think Master Shizi[+]heir of a noble family wants from Miss?¡± In everyone¡¯s mind, Han Jianming belonged to the type of person who was extremely busy till his feet would not touch the ground[+]Chinese idiom : run like the wind. With such a busy man looking for her Miss, Kufu couldn¡¯t help but feel curious.

    Zisu remembered Han Jianye¡¯s appearance when he left that afternoon, and she reckoned that for Master Shizi[+]heir of a noble family to search for Miss was inseparable from Second Master¡¯s matter. ¡°How would I know what Master Shizi[+]heir of a noble family is doing?¡± When she saw that Kufu still wanted to ask more questions, Zisu hurriedly said, ¡°Why are you asking so many questions? Go, rest early. Miss has to get up early tomorrow!¡± Since Yuxi had to get up early, as her personal maids, they had to get up early along with her.

 Chapter 145 - Evil Spirit (5)

    Chapter 145 : Evil Spirit (5)

    Han Jianming had been busy with outside matters these days and hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the inner courtyard. When he heard from his little page boy that Yuxi was already asleep, he casually asked, ¡°What is the Fourth Miss doing these days?¡±

    As a page boy, his eyes had to watch four roads and his ears had to listen in all direction[+]Chinese idiom : be observant and alert. In this way, when Master Shizi[+]a heir to a noble family asked, he wouldn¡¯t be at a loss on how to answer. The little page boy replied, ¡°Fourth Miss fainted today. When the physician came to see her, he said afterwards that Fourth Miss had been too exhausted, which caused her to pass out after using too much of her energy. The physician told her maids that Fourth Miss should take a proper rest.¡±

    Before Han Jianming could open his mouth, his aide, Mr. Zhao, asked in bafflement, ¡°Too exhausted? What did Fourth Miss do that made her too exhausted?¡±

    The little page boy answered, ¡°I heard that she was so engrossed in reading that she fainted. When the doctor came to check on her, he said that Fourth Miss had overworked herself, so she required a proper rest.¡±

    Han Jianming roughly knew the reason why Yuxi is overworked. She was afraid that Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was still thinking of killing her, so she was looking for a solution and reading was only her pretext. ¡°You can withdraw.¡± [+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When Mr. Zhao looked at Han Jianming¡¯s appearance, he asked, ¡°Master Shizi[+]a heir to a noble family, is it true that Fourth Miss fainted after reading a book?¡± Mr. Zhao had been drawn to Han Jianming¡¯s side just recently, thus he wasn¡¯t too familiar with the people and events happened in the State Residence, but he could feel that Shizi[+]a heir to a noble family seemed to treat this Fourth Miss a bit special.

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve just asked her toe over tomorrow, then we can inquire about it from her.¡± For such a trivial matter, he didn¡¯t have the mental energy and time to guess, thus he would just directly ask her. However, he only hoped that this girl, Yuxi, wouldn¡¯t disappoint him.

    Mr. Zhao smiled and stopped talking about it.

    That night, Han Jianming once again discussed official business with Mr. Zhao until midnight. He also didn¡¯t return to the backyard, and just stayed overnight directly in his study.

    The white part mixed with blue is what they called whitish colour of a fish belly.

    From what I read it mostly happened in early summer and at the end of winter, and before 5am.

    Image Credit | ¹ÉÉÏÐÐ at WeChat

    Early in the morning, the sky was disying the whitish colour of a fish¡¯s belly, and dew was coagting on the trees. Everything looked so clean that it could make one¡¯s heart untroubled and spirit pleased[+]Chinese idiom : carefree and rxed, just like a light ink painting, which was filled with the smell of the grass.

    Yuxi opened the door, walked into the yard, then took a deep breath before she began her morning exercises. She had been busy reading books for the past few days that she hadn¡¯t stuck to her wuqinxi. As a result, when she did them now, she felt sore all over her body.

    After half an hour passed, Yuxi stopped, and panted heavily as she took the towel handed by Zisu. As she wiped the sweat from her face, she said, ¡°I must stick to it in the future and I must not stop.¡± After she stopped doing them for a few days, all of her muscles ached when she started to practice them again today.

    Zisu took the already damp towel andined, ¡°In the past, Miss used to remind us not to go fishing for three days, while drying thes for two days[+]Chinese idiom : (of a person)cking perseverance, but now, it¡¯s Miss herself who doesn¡¯t set a good example.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°This time, things happened for a reason, and it won¡¯t happen again next time.¡± This time, the matter was quite special, and there was no way the matter would happen again.

    After her morning exercise, Yuxi noticed the fine weather and the air was very fresh, hence she simply brought out her medical book and memorised it in the yard.

    Zisu helplessly shook her head, as she no longer tried to advise her Miss, and she just went directly to the kitchen.

    It was only after their breakfast did Zisu let Yuxi know about the little page boy who came overst night, ¡°Master Shizi[+]a heir to a noble family asked Miss to make a trip to his study once Miss had finished with breakfast. From what I see, Master Shizi[+]a heir to a noble family must have something to find Miss.¡±

    Yuxi also wanted to find Han Jianming, so she immediately went over once she got the information.

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi¡¯s rosy cheeks and good spirits, which didn¡¯t look at all like she had been overworked. ¡°I heard you fainted after reading a book? What book did you read? And why did you be this obsessed?¡±

    Yuxi was speechless. ¡°Who¡¯s talking nonsense? I was just too tired from reading and fell asleep. How could I faint from reading a book?¡±

    Han Jianming got interested and asked, ¡°What book managed to make you this obsessed until you pass out? Don¡¯t tell me it was a medical book?¡±

    Yuxi rolled her eyes and replied, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you.¡±

    Just like a little kid. Han Jianming had a smile on his face as he said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to say it, then don¡¯t say it. But why did you tell your Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege yesterday evening that I had found the mastermind behind the scenes?¡±

    Yuxi tilted her head and asked with a look of surprise, ¡°Am I wrong? Didn¡¯t Dage[+]eldest brother already find the master behind the scenes?¡± [+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Han Jianming was not going to take this kind of behaviour from Yuxi and asked, ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant. Tell me, why did you do this?¡±

    When Yuxi looked at the serious Han Jianming, she also put away the smile on her face and exined, ¡°I remember that Dage[+]eldest brother once said that you would like to revitalise the State Residence with Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege. But if you look at Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege¡¯s current behaviour, can he afford this heavy responsibility?¡±

    Han Jianming knew that Yuxi wouldn¡¯t say those words to Han Jianye without rhyme or reason[+]Chinese idiom :pletely uncalled for, ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. There¡¯s no need to waste time by going round the curves and skirting the corners[+]Chinese idiom : beat around the bush in front of me.¡±

    Yuxi criticised him in her heart, ¡®You¡¯re the one who had long wasted your time¡¯, ¡°Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege has been learning martial arts from Master Yang in the mountains all these years, and yet he also developed this simple and straightforward temper. Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege is a person who wants to walk on the road of an official, which is filled with people fighting and scheming against each other. Dage[+]eldest brother, with Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege¡¯s temper right now, it will surely be his fatal weakness when he starts to work as an official.¡±

    Han Jianming put his hands behind him and asked, ¡°Do you have any good ideas?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, you have been overprotective of Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege until he doesn¡¯t know about the current situation of the State Residence, and the hardships that he will face outside. If Dage[+]eldest brother really wants the best for Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, you ought to be the one who tells him about it. Not only that, you should also let Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege know how hard you have worked to revitalise the family line of business, even to the extent that make you feel less capable than desirable[+]Chinese idiom : not as strong as one would wish. Only then will Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege truly mature and work with you to revitalise the family line of business.¡± Yuxi said these words based on her own personal experience as well. In herst life, she didn¡¯t know how nasty the surroundings she was in while she only knew how to feel remorse, where in the end, she ended up in such a terrible situation. She felt that only by letting her Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege know how bad the surroundings of the State Residence was currently in, he would start to take on his responsibility.

    Han Jianming was deeply moved by her talk. Every time he talked to Yuxi, he had this regret on why Yuxi was not born with male body, but rather born as a girl. ¡°I also realise the problems that you¡¯ve mentioned, but you have to eat your food one bite at a time[+]Chinese metaphor to Rome wasn¡¯t built in a day., and things have to be done step by step. If you pull the seedlings to help them grow[+]Chinese idiom : spoil things by excessive enthusiasm, the seedlings will wither and die.¡±

    Yuxi nodded as she agreed, ¡°I know.¡± Actually, Han Jianye had matured a lot more in a few monthspared to before, but as Han Jianming had said, it was impossible to change one¡¯s temperament in an instant. This incident had made her lose her peace of mind and she had be a little anxious.

    Han Jianming stopped talking about Han Jianye and asked, ¡°Do you have any opinions regarding Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s matter?¡± From Yuxi¡¯s appearance, it seemed like she also had something to say about it.

    Yuxi nodded, ¡°I do have some ideas. But before that, I would like to know Dage[+]eldest brother¡¯s n. Do you think long-term like Grandmother and my Father, or do you have other ns?¡±

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t answer Yuxi¡¯s question, but instead said, ¡°Tell me what you¡¯re thinking.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Han Jianming with a depressed expression. Dage[+]eldest brother was only seven years older than her. Why did she always have the feeling that she was facing an old fox every time she faced her Dage[+]eldest brother? ¡°San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie said that Heshou may have the ability to predict, since she and us know that me and San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie will pose a deadly threat to her, before she would do it again next time¡­.¡± At this point, Yuxi paused to look at Han Jianming¡¯s expression.

    Han Jianming urged, ¡°Keep talking, I¡¯m listening.¡± He felt that this reason was a bit ridiculous. What with Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life being able to foretell the future? The one who could foretell the future was an immortal, so how could a woman who has a heart as malicious as snakes and scorpions[+]extremely murderous like Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life be able to do it?

    Yuxi carefully said, ¡°I just listened to what San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie said and thought of ¡®taking away the firewood from under the cauldron[+]Chinese idiom : take drastic measures to deal with an emergency¡¯ method.¡± The method that she thought was actually quite simple. It was to publicise the fact that Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had bribed the bandits to sneak into the State Residence to burn, kill, and loot on the night of the pce rebellion, and then spread the reason why the Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang did it as well.

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t find Yuxi¡¯s strategy as useful. ¡°I don¡¯t see any use for it other than making people think that the State Residence is ipetent.¡± For the dignified Duke of the State¡¯s Official Residence to easily let bandits sneak into the residence to kill and loot, what could it be other than being ipetent?

    Yuxi felt that Han Jianming¡¯s thoughts were too one-sided. ¡°Didn¡¯t Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang make Monk Le Tong prove that she had opened her all-seeing mind[+]Buddhism : mind which perceives both past and future? We helped her confirm this matter by letting the world knows how Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang used her all-seeing mind[+]Buddhism : mind which perceives both past and future.¡±

    Han Jianming nced at Yuxi. This method was indeed taking away the firewood from under the cauldron[+]Chinese idiom : take drastic measures to deal with an emergency, but it would also bring a fatal blow to Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. ¡°Do you mean to let the world know that Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life has taken advantage of her ability to predict the future to harm others, so that people will be on guard against her?¡± Not only would people be on guard against her, they would even want to get rid of her quickly.

    Yuxi nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Han Jianye calcted the feasibility of this matter in his mind.

    Upon seeing this situation, Yuxi added, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang is not only hostile towards me and San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, she also has a deep animosity towards Yu Xiyu. I¡¯m sure Yu Xiyu can feel it, once this news spread out and I don¡¯t believe she will be indifferent when she hears it.¡± After a pause, Yuxi continued, ¡°Even if Yu Xiyu treats it indifferently, it doesn¡¯t matter. I believe that with these rumors, Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang won¡¯t be able to be the 9th Prince¡¯s Imperial Concubine.¡±

    Han Jianming¡¯s head was full of ck lines after hearing her words and asked, ¡°Who told you that Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life will be the 9th Prince¡¯s Imperial Concubine? Did you hear it from Yuchen again?¡±

    Yuxi was dumbfounded. After a while, she managed to ask in a low voice, ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head. The women in the inner courtyard have limited insight after all. ¡°Of course not. With Qiao¡¯s family status, even if Monk Le Tong said that she had opened her all-seeing mind[+]Buddhism : mind which perceives both past and future, she was not qualified to be the Prince¡¯s Imperial Concubine. At most, she can just be a Side Concubine[+]ce fei, a status lower than Imperial Concubine (zhang fei).¡± When he noticed Yuxi was staring at him, Han Jianming exined, ¡°The Qiao family has gone downhill since Old Master Qiao passed away. There is no one in the Qiao family who is good enough, in addition with Qiao Meng being profligate, it is impossible for the Emperor to let Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life be the Imperial Concubine.¡±

    Yuxi screamed in her heart, ¡®Yuxi-ah, you had spent your mind thinking for a long time till you exhausted your mind and body for nothing ah¡¯. Heck, she was the one who trusted Yuchen too much and thought her information wouldn¡¯t be wrong. ¡°It¡¯s me who¡¯ve been too presumptuous.¡±

    The corner of Han Jianming¡¯s mouth raised. The attitude of admitting one¡¯s mistake was very upright. ¡°You have a very good idea. If we really used this strategy, Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life can¡¯t even think about being the Prince¡¯s Side Concubine[+]ce fei, a status lower than Imperial Concubine (zhang fei).¡± In fact, as long as this news of Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life took advantage of the pce rebellion incident to buy off local bandits to slip into the Duke of the State¡¯s Official Residence was verified, the Emperor would never match this woman who had a heart as malicious as snakes and scorpions[+]extremely murderous with the 9th Prince. However, Han Jianming had his own concerns. If this incident was spread, it would have a great impact on the reputation of the State Residence.

    Yuxi looked at Han Jianming¡¯s face and roughly guessed what he was thinking, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, one only need one thousand days to be a thief, but where one had time to wait a thousand days to prevent the thieves[+]Chinese saying : It is difficult to achieve long-term prevention, there is always time for negligence. With Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life scheming to get us killed and since she had known about the pce rebellion in advance, it was not shameful for us to be caught off guard. At least, there weren¡¯t any major casualties in our home.¡±

    Han Jianming asked, ¡°Have you ever thought that if this matter is spread, your reputation will be damaged and your marriage will be very difficult?¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s attitude was very clear, as she questioned him back, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, have you ever thought about that if Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life bes the 9th Prince¡¯s Side Concubine[+]ce fei, a status lower than Imperial Concubine (zhang fei), she will be the Prince¡¯s moneybag? If we deal with her at that time, it will be the same as we go against the 9th Prince.¡± The 9th Prince was always the second person that the Emperor held dearly in his heart until the 9th Prince passed away. It was definitely not going to give them a good end if they had to confront the 9th Prince by then.

    Seeing Han Jianming being silent, Yuxi knew that her words had worked, and she continued, ¡°On the night of the pce rebellion, many families had been attacked by bandits. Thew can¡¯t take action against masses, so no one will deliberately target us sisters.¡±

    Han Jianming suddenly changed the subject as he asked, ¡°What exactly have you been reading these past few days? What kind of book would have the words ¡®take away the firewood from under the cauldron[+]Chinese idiom : take drastic measures to deal with an emergency¡¯?¡± He didn¡¯t have to think about it, it must be a book on arts of war.

    She had been seen through, and it was useless for her to hide or make up any story anymore. Yuxi honestly admitted, ¡°I was reading ?Thirty-six Stratagems in Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War?. ¡®Taking away the firewood from under the cauldron[+]Chinese idiom : take drastic measures to deal with an emergency¡¯ is one of the thirty-six stratagems.¡±

    Han Jianming looked depressed. That book of his was for Han Jianye, but he didn¡¯t expect that Yuxi would be the one who was obsessed with it. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would delve into the book on the arts of war.¡±

    Yuxi immediately said, ¡°My books were all burnt and I had no books to read, so I went to Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege¡¯s side to borrow some. Not only did I borrow ?Thirty-Six Stratagems in Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War?, but also ?Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government?, ?Zuo Zhuan?, and ?Guoyu?.¡±

    These books were picked out by Han Jianming for Han Jianye to read. Han Jianming said, ¡°I have this feeling that you have taken all of your Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege¡¯s book.¡±

    Yuxi wisely said, ¡°Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege doesn¡¯t look at them anyway, so I might as well read them to pass the time. But speaking of it, the book ?Thirty-Six Stratagems in Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War? is really interesting and useful.¡±

    When Han Jianming heard Yuxi say that she read books on arts of war to pass the time, he once again regretfully said, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you¡¯re not a man, and it¡¯s actually useless for you to learn this.¡± The one who should learn about them, didn¡¯t want to learn, but the one who didn¡¯t need to learn them, took them seriously.

    Yuxi silently disagreed in her heart. ¡®Who said that it was useless for me to learn them, when it was clearly useful?¡¯ She just didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud, and she instead came with, ¡°Being Idle is being idle, and just by reading a book can I pass my time.¡±

    Han Jianming¡¯s eyes shed with a smiling expression, ¡°You¡¯re quite special. Other girls pass their times by watching birds and flowers, but you pass your time by reading medical books, history books, and books on the arts of war. You¡¯re really special for having a particr hobby like this. By the way, when did you start reading history books?¡± Han Jianming now sort of knew why Yuxi could see problems so thoroughly.

    Well, Han Jianming couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his heart. If Han Jianye was as thorough as Yuxi, he would not have hidden the truth from him.

    Only a fool would answer this question. Obviously, Yuxi was not a fool. ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, I don¡¯t know yet. I haven¡¯t finished reading my medical books until now, so there is no time to read history books. Other than that, there is really no book that¡¯s worthwhile for me to read this time, that¡¯s why I took all the books from Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege.¡±

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t force Yuxi to answer. Anyway, what should be known, he had already known, and what wasn¡¯t known, he could always know about itter. At that moment, he said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing more for you to do here, so you can go back.¡±

 Chapter 146 - Evil Spirit (6)

    <strong>Chapter 146 : Evil Spirit (6)</strong>

    Yuxi did hear Han Jianming telling her to go back, and yet, she still didn¡¯t move. Of course it was because Dage[+]eldest brother hadn¡¯t yet told her his own n.

    Yuxi sat on a chair and asked, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, you still haven¡¯t told me what you¡¯re going to do about Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang?¡± From Yuxi¡¯s posture, it gave out the meaning of ¡®I¡¯m not going to leave until you tell me¡¯.

    ¡°What¡¯s the use of telling you about it?¡± Han Jianming asked.

    When Yuxi saw Han Jianming ying dumb, she was upset, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, you asked me to tell you my n, so I told you everything, word for word. And now you¡¯re not going to tell me anything. This is so unfair.¡± As she saw that Han Jianming didn¡¯t utter a word, she continued, ¡°As the saying goes, three unskilled cobblers are superior to one Zhuge Liang[+]Chinese well-known phrase : wisdom of the masses exceeds that of any individual, so talk to me, maybe I can help Dage[+]eldest brother by giving my advice as well.¡±

    Han Jianming responded with these words, ¡°Blood debt is paid by blood.¡±

    Yuxi cried out, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, do you want to assassinate Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang? Isn¡¯t this inappropriate?¡± Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had been conferred with the title Xianzhu[+]Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang by the Imperial Family, and was said to be auspicious by the Emperor¡¯s golden mouth and pearly words[+]Chinese idiom : utterances that carry great weight. If they killed Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, the Duke of the State¡¯s Residence wouldn¡¯t be able to eat it all, then they would only have to take it home[+]Chinese idiom : bear the consequences.

    Han Jianming¡¯s voice was indifferent while saying, ¡°Since Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang has made the State Residence into rivers of blood[+]Chinese idiom : turned into bloodbath, then I¡¯ll also make the Qiao family into rivers of blood[+]Chinese idiom : turned into bloodbath.¡± Although not a single master of the State Residence died, more than fifty servants had perished, with more than eighty had been wounded. This debt, he would definitely take them back from the Qiao family.

    Yuxi cautiously asked, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, this strategy indeed can really vent the grievances in your heart, but it is not appropriate! If you kill all the Qiao family, it will be unlikely for Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess not to respond back. Our State Residence current foundation is too weak to bear this kind of retaliation.¡±

    Yuxi knew that Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess was not a smart person, and a smart person would not raise their children that turned out like Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life and Qiao Meng. Nevertheless, a Gongzhu[+]Princess is still a Gongzhu[+]Princess. Even if Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess was not the Emperor¡¯s full blood sister and she had no power in the capital, once she went crazy and retaliated, the State Residence would not be able to bear this kind of consequences.

    Han Jianming naturally knew that this n had its loopholes, ¡°It is still under consideration.¡± It was the presence of theseplications that made him not put it into action. [+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    An idea floated in Yuxi¡¯s mind, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, I think, it¡¯s possible for us to paint while holding two brushes[+]Chinese idiom : attack one problem from two angles at the same time.¡± The so-called painted while holding two brushes was to use the two schemes together.

    In fact, after hearing Yuxi¡¯s words just now, Han Jianming also had this idea in his mind, ¡°It still needs to be improved.¡±

    Yuxi nodded. ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, can I sit in while you discuss with your aide?¡± After talking with Han Jianming, she saw many of her shorings. The most important thing was that her news was not onlygging behind but also inurate.

    Han Jianming thought about it and nodded, ¡°You can.¡± He then turned his head and told the page boy to call Mr. Zhao over to discuss the matter.

    When Mr. Zhao listened to Yuxi¡¯s suggestion, his eyes brightened. ¡°This trick of taking away firewood from under the cauldron[+]Chinese idiom : take drastic measures to deal with a situation is really good.¡± Yuxi¡¯s trick could make up for many shorings in their strategy.

    Han Jianming and Mr. Zhao discussed the advantages and disadvantages of using the two strategies together, as well as matters that needed them to pay more attention to. Yuxi listened quietly, without interrupting them.

    Mr. Zhao said, ¡°Master Shizil[+]a heir of a noble family, the Han family and Qiao family have already be sworn enemies, so there¡¯s no need for us to hide and let them pinch us anymore. We¡¯ll first use Fourth Miss¡¯ trick to make the world be defensive towards Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, then we¡¯ll go after the Qiao family. Moreover, we¡¯ll also let everyone know that the State Residence is the one responsible in dealing with the Qiao family.¡± What Mr. Zhao meant was that they would find out what the Qiao family had done that was breaking thew, then send them all to prison while usingw and decree to sanction them.

    Yuxi understood right away once she heard it. First of all, they would make Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang feared by everyone. Next, they would pull the Qiao family into the water[+]get sb into trouble. After that, they would let everyone in the Qiao family know that they were implicated because of Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, making them hate her. The means might be open and aboveboard, but none could find fault in them.

    Han Jianming stated, ¡°The Qiao family has been in the capital for so many years, so it is easy to find their dirty deeds.¡± Whose family didn¡¯t have any dirty deeds? It was just a matter of how tightly they were covered, and when being suppressed they would stay under control. As long as one set one¡¯s mind searching for it, one didn¡¯t have to worry about catching something about the Qiao family.

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes were shining brightly. Since the Han family retaliated openly and aboveboard, even if Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess wanted to repay them back, she would have some misgivings. In this way, the Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang would be caught between two fires[+]Chinese idiom : being attacked from the front and rear/both sides, ¡°This is a good n.¡± Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang thought that by foreseeing the future she could call the wind and summon the rain[+]Chinese idiom : stir up trouble, while doing whatever she pleased. Now they would let Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang know the pain herself so that she would realise how ignorant she actually was!

    Han Jianming said, ¡°They still need to be improved.¡± Many minor details still need to be carefully considered, just to make sure that their attacks wouldn¡¯t miss their mark.

    Mr. Zhao nodded as he said, ¡°Well, there¡¯s a lot of areas that need to be considered. In addition, for these matters to be sessful, we have to require a helper.¡± This helper, naturally, referred to Marquis Qingping.

    Han Jianming was a man who could either bow or submit[+]Chinese idiom : flexible. Thus by borrowing power, he naturally would not waste much of his strength. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this matter.¡±

    It was precisely this morning that Yuxi could see apletely different worldpared to it was before, where she also learned things that she could never learn just by reading from books.

    After the discussion came to an end, Yuxi looked at Han Jianming with eager eyes and asked, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, can Ie over in the future to ask you if there¡¯s anything in the book that I don¡¯t understand?¡±

    How could Han Jianming not know what¡¯s in Yuxi¡¯s mind, ¡°If I¡¯m not busy, you cane over.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°If I¡¯m busy, you cane over and ask Mr. Zhao.¡±

    Yuxi was pleasantly surprised and she looked at Mr. Zhao, ¡°Mister, is that ok?¡±

    Since the master, Han Jianming, had already spoken, Mr. Zhao naturally wouldn¡¯t shirk from it, ¡°As long as Fourth Miss doesn¡¯t mind this old man of humble talent and shallow learning[+]Chinese idiom : have inadequate ability and knowledge, Miss cane over and ask.¡±

    Yuxi hurriedly shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind, I don¡¯t mind¡­¡±

    This stupid look made Han Jianming unable to bear to look at her directly, as he rushed for Yuxi to leave, ¡°It¡¯s almost noon, you should go back.¡± Even he didn¡¯t know how she had be like this, smart for a while, then became a bit foolish for a while.

    Yuxi happily returned to Taoran House, and ate less than half a bowl for lunch. Zisu smiled and asked, ¡°Miss, what makes you look so happy?¡± [+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother promised me that if they are anything I don¡¯t understand while reading my book, I can go and ask him.¡± The events of the past few days had made Yuxi aware of her one problem. She looked at things too narrowly, not as long term andprehensive like Dage[+]eldest brother and Mr. Zhao.

    When Kufu heard this, she pursed her lips for a bit and then said, ¡°I thought Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family had rewarded Miss with some rare treasure?¡±

    Yuxi muttered in her heart, that rare treasures might be someone else¡¯s at any moment, but what she learnt would always belong only to her.

    After lunch, Yuxi was strolling in the yard, to help with her digestion. At this moment, Ah Ling, Ye Shi¡¯s maid, came over and said that Ye Shi wanted to invite Yuxi to Songxiang Courtyard.

    As Yuxi gazed at the sun outside that could dry people up, she asked, ¡°You want me to go now?¡± Since that night, when old woman Hua demanded Zijin to take the risk of getting Ye Shi¡¯s anti-abortion medicine, Yuxi had never gone to Songxiang Courtyard. Even when Yuxi saw Ye Shi in the Master Courtyard, her attitude in treating Ye Shi also had been restored to what it was before, where she would be more polite than being intimate with Ye Shi.

    Ah Ling bowed her head and responded, ¡°No, Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house said to only invite Miss to go over when Miss has free time.¡± If she let Fourth Miss go there under such a hot sun, the First Lady would be unhappy if she knew.

    Yuxi asked again, ¡°Did Dasao[+]eldest sister-inw say that it was something important?¡±

    When Yuxi saw Ah Ling shake her head, she stated, ¡°I¡¯ll go there when the sun goes down.¡± The sun was already this hot, and it was nothing urgent, so she definitely wouldn¡¯t go now!

    Yuxi felt a bit strange, thus she asked Zisu who just walked in, ¡°What¡¯s going on over at Songxiang Courtyard?¡± She hadn¡¯t heard any problemsing from Songxiang Courtyardtely!

    Zisu put down the fruit bowl that contained pomegranates, then she shook her head and said, ¡°The breeze is still and waves are quiet[+]Chinese idiom : calm and tranquil over there at Songxiang Courtyard. But I¡¯ve heard that Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family hasn¡¯t gone there for a little over half a month.¡±

    Yuxi walked to the shelf, washed her hands, picked up half of the pomegranate, broke off a few and put them in her mouth. After eating it, she nodded her head and praised, ¡°This pomegranate tastes good. Was it from Eldest Aunt?¡±

    Zisu shook her head and said, ¡°No, it was sent by Third Miss.¡±

    Yuxi nodded slightly and asked, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother should rarely go to the Songxiang Courtyard this time, right?¡± From that previous conversation, she could sense that Dage[+]eldest brother was very angry at Ye family for hiding the fact that it was very difficult for Ye Shi to conceive another child.

    Zisu also felt that it was very strange, ¡°Miss, at the early stage of Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house¡¯s pregnancy, Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family was still very happy, and even if he didn¡¯t stay in Master Courtyard, he would still visit her every day.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother has been so busy with a lot of thingstely, hence he can¡¯t attend to backyard matters.¡± Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life had a mother who was a Gongzhu[+]Princess, thus she had royal blood in her veins, which was her greatest protection. If the Duke of the State Residence used schemes against them, the consequences would be severe once the Emperor and their n people knew about it. This was also the reason why Han Jianming waste in making his move.

    Zisu, however, spoke with Yuxi about a gossip, ¡°Miss, everyone in the residence is saying that it was because the Imperial Physician said that Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house¡¯s unborn child would be a girl. That was why Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family didn¡¯t go to Songxiang Courtyard anymore.¡±

    Yuxi red at Zisu, ¡°What¡¯s nonsense? The child has not been born yet, so it¡¯s already confirmed that she must be a girl just because the Imperial Physician and the midwife said that the unborn child would be a girl? Nonsense.¡± Actually, deep in her heart, she acknowledged their talks. Dage[+]eldest brother knew that it was very difficult for Ye Shi¡¯s body to have a second child, and if this unborn child was a girl, it would mean that Dage[+]eldest brother would have no legitimate son. The significance of a legitimate son for a family like them was out of ordinary. Hence Dage[+]eldest brother was currently venting his anger on Ye Shi.

    Zisu didn¡¯t stop the topic just because of Yuxi¡¯s cold eyes, but she continued instead, ¡°I heard that Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house originally wanted to save her reputation by giving one of her personal maids to Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family, but Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family refused.¡±

    This talk didn¡¯t taste right anymore, and Yuxi kept a straight face as she said, ¡°What are you trying to say? If this was known by others, they would think that I cared about what happened in my brother¡¯s room.¡± She thought this was only gossip at first, but now she didn¡¯t think that was what it was all about.

    Zisu said all these to Yuxi with a purpose, ¡°Miss was in Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family¡¯s study for the whole morning. So I think Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house wants to make use of Miss to inquire about Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family.¡± Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family¡¯s study, not to mention Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, even the First Lady couldn¡¯t go in and out at will. But her Miss could talk with Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family all morning in the study, thus Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house surely had this idea.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll have to disappoint my Dasao[+]eldest sister-inw.¡± It wasn¡¯t like she was full of nothing to do and too idle, that she wanted to get involved with matters between them husband and wife. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t as simple as just a quarrel, it was a matter of heavenly importance when it came to an heir.

    Upon seeing this reaction from her Miss, Zisu breathed out a sigh of relief, as she said, ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m afraid that when Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house begs Miss, Miss¡¯ heart will soften and Miss decides to intervene in this matter.¡± She didn¡¯t know what really happened in the Master Courtyard that day. She thought that Yuxi was too busy to go to Songxiang Courtyard recently, while not at all realising that Yuxi had a grudge against Ye Shi.

    Yuxi chuckled, ¡°Am I that muddled? Set your mind at ease, I will never get involved in such a thing.¡±

 Chapter 147 - Evil Spirit (7)

    Chapter 147 : Evil Spirit (7)

    The setting sun hung in the air and like a burning me, it slowly moved down the mountain. The edge of the sunlight was also dyed with a golden light, as it covered the surrounding yards and trees like they were wrapped around with ayer of golden gauze.

    In the seventh lunar month, even when the sun had already gone down, it was still too hot. After a long walk, Yuxi took out her handkerchief and wiped away her sweat. She had some regrets. If she had known about this earlier, she would not have said that she would go over when the sun went down, but rather went there tomorrow morning.

    When Yuxi finally arrived at Songxiang Courtyard, Ye Shi noticed Yuxi¡¯s reddened face and immediately instructed, ¡°Bring a bowl of chilled suanmeitang[+]sweet-sour plum juice for Fourth Miss.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and shook her head as she said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just bring me a ss of water.¡± After learning pharmacology, Yuxi knew very well that women shouldn¡¯t take anything icy-cold, and eat freezed things; so she only ate water rich fruits. She would ce the fruits inside the well, and if she wanted to eat them, she just needed to get them out directly from inside the well. This was also because Taoran House already had a well. Such as Rose Courtyard which didn¡¯t have any well, they could only be ced in a cool and shady ce.

    Zisu lowered her head, not letting anyone see her rolled her eyes. If Ye Shi truly considerate, how could she not know that her Miss didn¡¯t eat anything cold. No matter how one put it, it was just that Ye Shi had not been meticulously enough.

    Yuxi looked at Ye Shi. Herplexion was pretty good, with her face looking very smooth and round. She could tell that Ye Shi had been taking care of herself quite well, ¡°Dasao[+]eldest sister-inw, did you call me over for something?¡±

    Ye Shi didn¡¯t expect Yuxi would be asking her directly, and she immediately answered her with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I haven¡¯t seen you for quite a few days, thus I was just thinking of having a talk with you.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t point it bluntly. She just said, ¡°I recently scoured some books from my Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege. Those books were very interesting, therefore I didn¡¯t go out very much.¡±

    Ye Shi was just rambling to Yuxi about anything, without bringing out about this morning¡¯s matter. Contrariwise, Yuxi seemed to talk about it unintentionally, and her excuse was that Han Jianming had scolded her after he knew about her reading too much. Then she took advantage of the situation to ask him a lot of questions, so she had stayed in his study a bit longer.

    Ye Shi smilingly rebuked her, ¡°You, this girl, reading books too much is not good for your eyes. During your free days, you should go out more.¡±

    After chatting for a little over half an hour, Yuxi took her leave.

    Ye Shi personally escorted Yuxi out of the courtyard, then said, ¡°It¡¯s bing more and more difficult to see through this Fourth Miss.¡± It had been three years since she had married to Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family, so she had a rough idea of what kind of temperament he had. For him to let Yuxi stay in his study for the whole morning, it definitely wasn¡¯t as simple as just asking questions.

    Old woman Hua regretted it a bit, ¡°Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, if I hadn¡¯t asked Zijin to go get the anti-abortion medicine from Songxiang Courtyard that day, Fourth Miss wouldn¡¯t have been so cold now.¡± Fourth Miss used toe here every couple of days to talk with Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, but now, she wouldn¡¯te even for ten days till half a month. Old woman Hua knew that because of that night event, Fourth Miss had be estranged with Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house.

    Ye Shi didn¡¯t me old woman Hua, as she said, ¡°It has nothing to do with you, since you also had gone out of proportion for me and my child¡¯s sake.¡± The two of them were inside the room at the time, so they didn¡¯t know the situation outside at all. That was why they also didn¡¯t realise that it wasn¡¯t Zijin alone that managed to fend off the bandits. If they had been made aware of it, they wouldn¡¯t make such a demand and offend all those involved for nothing.

    Old woman Hua asked, ¡°Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, what should we do now? Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family acts too unusual this time. Even if the Imperial Physician diagnosed Nainai¡¯s child to be a girl, Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family won¡¯t have been this cold.¡± Before, she would just suggest to let the matter blossom first and bear fruitter[+]yield positive result for example, but Han Jianming¡¯s attitude made old woman Hua worry that he had already known their real situation.

    Ye Shi touched her belly and softly said, ¡°Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family will know about this matter sooner orter.¡± It was impossible to hide such a big matter for much too long. It was already a God¡¯s blessing for them to be able to hide the truth from him until now.

    Old woman Hua felt really sorry for Ye Shi, ¡°Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, if Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family knew the truth, I can¡¯t say for certain, he might have to marry a secondary wife. Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, don¡¯t we have to n early?¡±

    Ye Shi was a bit annoyed, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about thister.¡± Regarding her husband¡¯s future marriage to a secondary wife, no matter what, she would give birth to the child before she could say anything. Right now she just wanted to nurse the child well and give birth to it safely.

    Old woman Hua was hesitant, but in the end, she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, Madam¡¯s proposal¡­¡±

    Before she could finish, she was interrupted by Ye Shi¡¯s stern voice, ¡°Mother is already muddled. Can you not be muddled as well?¡± Madam Ye had be really worried ever since she knew that the Imperial Physician said that it was highly possible that Ye Shi¡¯s child would be a girl. The other day, she even thought about changing Ye Shi¡¯s child to a son, that was, by preparing a boy in advance, and if Ye Shi really had a daughter, she would be exchanged with the boy.

    This proposal was tly rejected by Ye Shi, and she harshly but clearly exined to Madam Ye. Not to mention that her mother-inw would be beside her, watching her giving birth, even those midwives, maids and old women servants were not just some decorations. Even if she gave birth to a daughter, there were still plenty of first wives who were without sons in the capital, and she hadn¡¯t seen anyone being forced to return to her maiden home. No one could shake her position as long as her maiden family didn¡¯t fall. However, if the matters of exchanging between the children as they had mixed up blood was discovered, then she would be forced to leave right away.

    When old woman Hua saw Ye Shi reacted this way, she didn¡¯t dare to say anymore regarding this matter.

    After calming herself down, Ye Shi touched her belly and said, ¡°This child, whether it is going to be a boy or a girl, is still my flesh and blood. I will still raise her well.¡± Once she had done saying those, she warned old woman Hua, ¡°Never mentioned this matter again. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for throwing you out despite years of affection between us.¡± Ever since Ke Minjie incident, her mother had been acting more and more abnormal that she could evene up with such a stupid idea as a child swap. Her mother was already in a mess, but she couldn¡¯t follow suit, or else, she would not be the only ruined, as the child in her belly would also be implicated.

    Old woman Hua¡¯splexion turned white. How would she dare to say another word after hearing this threat? [+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Ye Shi skipped this subject and asked about the situation in Yunnan, ¡°How is Ke Shi now?¡± Master Ye and Eldest Young Master Ye had thrown Second Young Master Ye to Yunnan, and they both truly washed their hands of his business[+]Chinese idiom : neglect one¡¯s responsibility, but Madam Ye couldn¡¯t help being worried. Thus, she had sent some men to deliver things to Yunnan before the Dragon Boat Festival. Those men had just returned to the capital two days ago, hence Ye Shi asked about this.

    Old woman Hua reported, ¡°Those people who just came back said that Ke Shi lost her child halfway down the road. It was said that since they were constantly on the move for a long distance, it has caused her miscarriage, and she is currently recovering from it.¡± Ke Shi had lost her child in the middle of their journey, but Second Young Master Ye had to report at the appointed time, so Ke Shi had to stay halfway down the road to be confined for a month. She didn¡¯t dare to let anyone get close to her because she suspected that her miscarriage was the work of the Ye family servants who had followed them in their journey.

    While Ke Minjie was in confinement, she couldn¡¯t sit well, as she believed that there were snakes in the grass[+]hidden dangers. When she finally arrived in Yunnan, she wanted to request a physician to nurse her health, but in such a remote ce like Yunnan, to find a physician who was very good at nursing one¡¯s health was easier said than done[+]Chinese idiom : not so easy as you thought it to be. Therefore, Ke Minjie still had to take a rest and nourishment to regain her health up till now.

    A smile appeared on Ye Shi¡¯s face, ¡°Without beauty and a child beside her, I like to see what will happen to her.¡±

    Old woman Hua hesitated, but she still told Ye Shi the news she had heard from the Ye Residence, ¡°Madam knew that Ke Shi had a miscarriage and she has been chanting scripture for several days now.¡±

    Ye Shi had this ¡®never mind about it¡¯ expression on her face, ¡°I knew Mother hates to part with that child (Ke Minjie), otherwise wouldn¡¯t it have been my turn to be struck by her (Ke Minjie)?¡± If it wasn¡¯t for her mother¡¯s soft heart that day, she would never have let her fall into such a difficult situation. When she thought of Lu Xiu, who was going to marry into the State Residence at the end of the year, her whole body felt quite ufortable.

    Once Han Jianye returned to the State Residence after his errand, he immediately went to Han Jianming¡¯s study.

    Han Jianming waited for him in the study, and brought out Heshou Xianzhu¡¯s matter. At the same time, he also told Han Jianye about Yuxi¡¯s idea, which made Han Jianye felt extremely ashamed.

    The two brothers talked from sunset untilte at night. Han Jianye didn¡¯t go back to his yard that night and stayed directly in Han Jianming¡¯s study.

    After Yuxi heard the news, she instructed Zisu, ¡°Let me know when Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gegees back.¡± She didn¡¯t regret what she said, and she would say it again, but she didn¡¯t wish to have enmity with Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege because of those words.

    However, Yuxi didn¡¯t meet with Han Jianye for several days. Han Jianye was very busy these days, and he wouldn¡¯t be home untilte at night. Yuxi wasn¡¯t anxious. If it was what she expected, it should be that Han Jianye was also involved with the n. She felt that this was a good thing for Han Jianye. Only by improving himself through practice could he mature more quickly.

    On this day, Yuxi got the news that Han Jianye was back and immediately went over. But when she reached his gate, she didn¡¯t dare to go in. What she said then was really outrageous, and she didn¡¯t know if Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege had calmed down. [+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Zisu looked at Yuxi standing still and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss? Why don¡¯t you go in?¡±

    Yuxi straightened her back and crossed over the threshold. The one who stretched his head first would be cut by knife, the one who shrunk his head would also be cut by knife. At most, she would be scolded by Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, and it was not really a big deal.

    Zisu was unable to make head or tail[+]Chinese idiom : baffled to why her Miss gave her the feeling that she was going to a battlefield, with the appearance like she would go to her death like a hero.

    Han Jianye was very ufortable when he learned that Yuxi hade over.

    The maid looked at Han Jianye¡¯s appearance and carefully asked, ¡°Second Master, why don¡¯t I tell Fourth Miss that you¡¯re busy, then I¡¯ll ask her to go back.¡±

    Han Jianye responded, ¡°No need, just let here in!¡±

    Yuxi entered the study, bowed her head, and sincerely said, ¡°Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    A few days ago, he was scolded by Yuxi, with her not leaving even a bit of his face at all. Now that Yuxi had apologised, Han Jianye was actually thinking of a way to show off his awe-inspiring authority as an older brother. Just as he was wondering what to say, he saw Yuxi¡¯s tears falling.

    Yuxi said as she cried, ¡°Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, I know I was wrong that day, I shouldn¡¯t have said that to Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege. If Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege is still angry with me, just beat me up, but don¡¯t ignore me. Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, I really know that I was wrong, so don¡¯t be angry with me, okay?¡±

    Han Jianye feared neither Heaven nor Earth[+]Chinese well-known phrase : fearless, but he really feared a woman¡¯s tears. When he saw Yuxi like this, whatever awe-inspiring authority as an older brother ns that he had been thinking, all had been thrown away. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, I¡¯m not angry.¡± He really wasn¡¯t angry. He wasn¡¯t someone who was unable to tell good from bad[+]Chinese idiom : mistake good for bad. For Yuxi to speak like that to him, was also for his own good, but he was just a little ufortable. As he grew up, this was the first time a person would openly look down on him, and this person was the one whom he always doted on, Yuxi.

    With tears still on her face, Yuxi asked, ¡°Are you really not angry?¡±

    Han Jianye quickly shook his head and said, ¡°Not angry. I¡¯m really not angry. All right, don¡¯t cry. Whatever you want to say, I¡¯m good. So don¡¯t cry ah!¡± He was not very good at coaxing girls, okay!

    Yuxi choked as she said, ¡°I thought Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege would ignore me much more?¡± To her, Han Jianye was the best person in the whole State Residence, and she didn¡¯t want them to gradually get further apart because of this.

    Han Jianye smiled and said, ¡°Howe? You, this girl, who are good at everything, but think too much. I¡¯ve been busy these past few days, and I was nning to visit you again in a couple of days.¡±

    Yuxi broke into a smile, ¡°It¡¯s good that Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege is not angry. In fact, that day, I was¡­.¡±

    Han Jianye hastily interrupted Yuxi, ¡°I know you¡¯re doing this for my own good. Dage[+]eldest brother has already told me. Inparison, I can¡¯t even bepared to you.¡± At least he couldn¡¯te up with an idea like Yuxi¡¯s.

 Chapter 148 - : Evil Spirit (8)

    Chapter 148 : Evil Spirit (8)

    In the seventh lunar month, the days would be too hot till one had a hard time even to breath. On such a hot day, drinking a bowl of baobing[+]shaved ice couldn¡¯t be more refreshing.

    After eating a bowl of red bean milk ice, Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang handed the bowl to her maid, Binn, ¡°Share the rest!¡± Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was very generous to the maids around her. No matter what good things she had, as long as the girl was a maid around her, that maid would also have them.

    RED BEAN MILK ICE

    Jade Mat

    It was said that it was quite cool when you seat on this during summer or hot days.

    Image Credit | ratalious via carousell

    After drinking a bowl of shaved ice, the heat in her heart was also eliminated. Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang sat back down on the jade mat which was as cool as water and began to read the ount books. On hot days like this, her ice drink shop and the shop that sold ice were both raking in money every day.

    While she was looking at the ount book, the maid, Ah Bao, hurriedly came over and eximed, ¡°Xianzhu[+]Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, this is bad. Eldest Lord has been beaten.¡±

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang stood up and asked, ¡°Who hit him?¡± Her Gege[+]elder brother was really a good-for-nothing. Not only was he very bad in civil or military matters, he also liked to cause trouble. For this reason, she didn¡¯t know how much trouble he had caused. Since her return, she didn¡¯t even remember how many times she had tried to persuade him. Unfortunately, none had ever worked. Instead, he would repeatedly seek her just for money. When she wascking money on hand, he would run to her shop to ask some. This made her so angry that she wished she could just tie this person at home, preventing him from going out.

    Ah Bao replied, ¡°He was beaten by the Fourth Lord of the Yu family.¡± The Fourth Lord of the Yu family, born as the third di[+]born from formal wife son of Old Lord Yu, was also one of the tyrants in the capital. However, the little overlord Fourth Lord Yu was different from Qiao Meng. This person liked to fight local ruffians and bullied those idle groups instead of robbing from women and bullying the weaks like Qiao Meng.

    When Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang heard that the culprit was from the Yu family, her face turned quite ugly. Even the Emperor had to give in to some degree towards Prime Minister Yu. Also because of Prime Minister Yu, the Yu family had walked taller[+]proud and confident than other families. She asked again, ¡°How did the fight start?¡±

    Ah Bao lowered her head and told her, ¡°Eldest Lord took a fancy to a peasant woman selling vegetables in the street and wanted to grab her money¡­¡± After stopping here, she continued to say, ¡°The peasant woman was unwilling, thus Eldest Lord grabbed her money even more violently. It happened that his act had been caught by Fourth Lord Yu, so the two people fought.¡± Fourth Lord Yu despised Qiao Meng¡¯s behaviour very much. As a result, when he met with this injustice, he started to beat Qiao Meng up.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang hated that she couldn¡¯t p her Gege[+]elder brother twice, but for the time being, she was not going to look into this matter. ¡°Where is Dage[+]eldest brother right now?¡±

    Ah Bao¡¯s voice was as small as a mosquito, ¡°He¡¯s been carried back, and Gongzhu[+]princess had asked someone to invite a physician.¡± Even an Imperial Physician was already hard enough for them to invite.

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang hurried over, and as soon as she reached their courtyard entrance, she heard a scream like a pig had been ughtered, ¡°It hurts like hell, don¡¯t you know how to be gentle? Ah¡­¡±

    Although Fourth Lord Yu was very harsh and unreasonable, he also knew how to handle fights between his peers. As long as they didn¡¯t result in fatalities or serious injuries, it was not a big deal. But if it did, it would start a feud. Hence, Qiao Meng only suffered superficial injuries, and his life was not in danger.

    After Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang knew what was going on, she weighed it up in her heart and said to Qingyang Gongzhu[+]princess, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not a good idea for Gege[+]elder brother to go on like this.¡±

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]princess also had a headache, ¡°Do you have a way?¡± Twice every three days[+]Chinese idiom : practically every day she had to help with the aftermath of every ident that had befallen her family, and she was already tired from doing this too often.

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang meant to put Qiao Meng in the military camp for his protection, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s time for Dage[+]eldest brother to suffer. Otherwise, if this continues, Dage[+]eldest brother¡¯s life will be done for.¡±

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]princess shook her head without even thinking about it, ¡°No, your Dage[+]eldest brother can¡¯t bear the suffering. He will surely run back after staying there for only a day.¡± No one knew her son better than his mother, so how could she not know her own son¡¯s temper? If she really sent him to the army camp, he would definitely hate Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life for it.

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life also knew what her mother just said was right. ¡°Then marry him with a stern daughter-inw so she can take care of him.¡± In herst life, Qiao Meng married at the age of 16, and within a year, his wife passed away simply from having excess anger towards him. Since then, all respectable families in the capital were reluctant to marry their daughters to him. While factions in the pce wanted to curry favour with the Gongzhu[+]princess¡¯s mansion, but Qingyang Gongzhu[+]princess didn¡¯t like it, so this matter was dragged on for two years.

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]princess was rather hesitated with this idea.

    When Heshou looked at her mother¡¯s reaction, her anger erupted, ¡°Mother, you can¡¯t indulge Dage[+]eldest brother any longer. At this rate, Dage[+]eldest brother¡¯s life will really be ruined.¡± The fact that her Dage[+]eldest brother would be like this today was all due to her mother who had been spoiling him.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]princess looked at her angry daughter and asked, ¡°Then tell me, which girl do you want your Gege[+]elder brother to marry?¡±

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang already had a candidate in her mind, ¡°Tang Xin, General Zhennan¡¯s second di[+]born from formal wife daughter.¡±

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]princess red at her daughter ferociously and asked, ¡°Do you have a grudge against your Dage[+]eldest brother or something? You actually expect your Dage[+]eldest brother to marry someone like that tigress[+]fig. fierce woman?¡± Tang Xin was a sweet name, but the actual person was tall, very hot-tempered and had a rough conduct. She was a renowned tigress[+]fig. fierce woman in the capital. She was already eighteen this year, and hadn¡¯t yet been matched to any family.

    No matter what Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang said, they didn¡¯t make sense to Qingyang Gongzhu[+]princess. In the end, Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang went back to her courtyard with a dejected face.

    In the afternoon, Old Lady Yu came to apologise with Fourth Lord Yu and a bunch of medicinal supplements.

    Although Qingyang Gongzhu[+]princess was annoyed, she didn¡¯t throw away Old Lady Yu¡¯s face. Speaking of which, Fourth Lord Yu was five years younger than Qiao Meng, and what¡¯s more disgraceful for her was to have her own son being the one who had to be carried back after a beating.

    This matter, whether to Qingyang Gongzhu[+]princess or Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, all thought that this was the end of the matter. But they never expected that this was the prelude to a storm.

    First, the Imperial Censor impeached Qiao Meng with all kinds of wicked conducts, especially for grabbing ordinary woman by force and treating human¡¯s life as grass[+]Chinese idiom : act with utter disregard for human life. Then, someone impeached the current Old Lord Qiao for epting bribes and neglecting his duties; after that, a story about Third Old Lord Qiao practicing usury and smuggling broke out¡­as long as the Qiao family members had broken thew, all would be dragged out.

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang felt that there was something wrong with all these, since the situations were clearly aimed at the Qiao family. Before she could find the mastermind behind these incidents, something happened in the Gongzhu[+]princess¡¯s mansion as well.

    Binn hurried over and called out, ¡°Xianzhu[+]Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, this is not good. Gongzhu[+]princess has beaten up Fuma[+]husband of the Emperor¡¯s daughter.¡± The reason why Qingyang Gongzhu[+]princess beat Fuma[+]husband of the Emperor¡¯s daughter was very simple. It was because Second Lord Qiao (Fuma[+]husband of the Emperor¡¯s daughter) had raised a mistress outside, which was exposed by someone today.

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang stared at her, ¡°What did you say? My father has a mistress outside?¡± This didn¡¯t even happen in herst life. What the hell was going on here right now?

    What awaited Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang when she rushed to the Master Courtyard was the sight of her father kneeling on the ground with a bloody nose and a swollen face[+]Chinese idiom : badly battered. Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang let out a sigh of relief as she stepped forward and said, ¡°Mother, the Qiao family members have met with mishap one after another. I think someone are specifically targeting our Qiao family.¡±

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]princess wondered, ¡°Who would be targeting our Qiao family?¡±

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang could only shake her head as she said, ¡°Mother, first Dage[+]eldest brother was impeached, followed by Dabo[+]father eldest brother, then San Shu[+]san=third, shu=father¡¯s younger brother and the others. Even several Tangge[+]older male cousin from father¡¯s side and Tangdi[+]younger male cousin from father¡¯s side were not spared. It¡¯s obvious that someone wants to bring down the Qiao family. I¡¯ve already sent people to investigate, and we¡¯ll have the news soon.¡±

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]princess said with a cold face, ¡°I like to see who is acting behind the scenes.¡± Qingyang Gongzhu[+]princess was not a fool. What the other party did so obviously was clearly wanting to kill the Qiao family. She wanted to see, who had eaten a bear heart and a leopard gall[+]Chinese saying : have some courage to even dare to move the soil where Tai Sui[+]God of the Year presided[+]Chinese saying : challenge the powerful.

    The culprit, Han Jianming, did all these with no intention of hiding them. As long as one set one¡¯s mind on them, one could find out about him soon enough.

    That evening, Qingyang Gongzhu[+]princess knew that everything happened because of Han Jianming¡¯s ruthless hand. She frowned and said, ¡°Qiao family and Han family have always been like river water does not interfere with well water[+]Chinese idiom : do not interfere with one another. Why did the Han family have to do such a harsh thing this time around?¡± She wasn¡¯t particrly a smart person, but she was also not a fool. It was impossible for the Han family to be enemies with the Qiao family for no reason. Therefore, something must have happened.

    A chill rose in Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s heart when she knew that the mastermind behind the scenes was the Han family. However, she soon calmed herself down again. She had done that matter in such secrecy that it was impossible for the Han family to find out about it. As for whether it could have been because of Han Yuxi having told them about it, her words were only empty promises, with no supporting evidence[+]Chinese idiom : unfounded allegations. No one would believe what she said.

    Heshou despised Yuxi from the bottom of her heart. It was because Yuxi didn¡¯t use the advantage that came from her rebirth. She pretended to be naive with that nk stare of her instead. Since you had been given another live, then you should live it vigorously, and created an extremely wonderful life.

    Naturally, Han Jianming¡¯s action of this magnitude had rmed many people. The Han future inws, the Lu family, were also paying close attention to this matter. When Second Lord Lu knew about this matter, he immediately had his son call Han Jianye over and asked, ¡°What did the Qiao family do this time to make you people make such a deadly move? You have to know that the Qiao family has Qingyang Gongzhu[+]princess, and Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang has been praised by the Emperor himself as auspicious some days ago. What are you guys thinking, stirring the Qiao family at this time?¡±

    Han Jianye didn¡¯t hide it. He told him about what Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had done, and then said with resentment, ¡°We, the Han family, will not rest in fighting the Qiao family until we die.¡±

    Second Lord Lu was also a man of experience, but after hearing what Han Jianye had said, he still looked incredulous, ¡°Do you have any proof?¡±

    Han Jianye nodded and said, ¡°For such a big matter, we wouldn¡¯t have done it if it weren¡¯t for all the human testimony and material evidence that we have.¡±

    Second Lord Lu still found it unbelievable, ¡°Why did Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang do that? As far as I know, the Qiao family doesn¡¯t have a deep hatred with the Han family.¡± Unless the two families had a deadly grudge, they would never do such a thing. Even if the two families had a deadly feud, they would have to get rid of the enemy¡¯s family¡¯s men first. As long as all the adult males of the said family were dead, it would be a simple matter to clean up the women family members next. This kind of behaviour from Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was really hard for him to understand.

    Han Jianye shook his head and said, ¡°We don¡¯t know either. But no matter what the reason is, this revenge is something we must avenge.¡±

    Second Master Lu didn¡¯t say a word. No one with the slightest bit of blood in their veins would have treated what Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang did as if nothing had happened. ¡°Don¡¯t you still need to find out why Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang has done this?¡±

    Han Jianye hesitated and said, ¡°My Dage[+]eldest brother and I have already asked my grandmother and my San Shu[+]san=third, shu=father¡¯s younger brother. They both said that we have always been like river water does not interfere with well water[+]Chinese idiom : do not interfere with one another with the Qiao family. Later, my San Meimei[+]san=third, meimei=younger sister was aware of this matter and had made a ridiculous spection.¡±

    Second Lord Lu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What spection?¡±

    Han Jianye exined, ¡°Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was hostile to my San Meimei[+]san=third, meimei=younger sister when she first met her. The thief also admitted that Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had ordered them to kill my San Meimei[+]san=third, meimei=younger sister during the unrest.¡± Yuxi was worried that by stirring up a fire would only burn herself[+]Chinese idiom : court disaster to oneself, so she urged them to weaken her existence. Han Jianming and the others had considered it for a moment and thought it would be better to use Yuchen as a prelude. After all, Yuchen¡¯s reputation was already out there, so it would be more convincing to use her as a prelude.

    Second Master Lu didn¡¯t say anything and listened to Han Jianye continue, ¡°Not long ago, Great Master Liao Tong said that Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had opened her all-knowing mind[+]Buddhism : mind which perceives both past and future so she could foretell good or bad fortune beforehand. We suspect that Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang might have known that my San Meimei¡¯s existence would be unfavorable to her in the future, thus she made the first move.¡±

    Second Lord Lu pped his palm on the table, ¡°Ridiculous. You guys believe the nonsense said by that bald donkey[+]mocking word for Buddhist monk?¡± If the monks said that killing was a sin, then wouldn¡¯t the soldiers who fought to protect and defend the country be guilty of all sins? But without these soldiers, could there be a peaceful day in the country right now?

    Han Jianye responded, ¡°Other than that reason, we couldn¡¯t think of any reason why Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang would pay bandits toe to my home, just to kill and set fire to it.¡±

    Second Lord Lu preferred to believe that there was a feud between the two families rather than such nonsense. But he couldn¡¯t say that Han Jianye was totally wrong. This matter was really weird in every way. ¡°I¡¯ll look into this matter for you.¡±

    PS: June has done her best. How it will turn out, just look at the sky¡­

 Chapter 149 - Evil Spirit (9)

    Chapter 149 : Evil Spirit (9)

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t conceal the reason why they had to deal with the Qiao family. As long as someone asked him, he would just tell them about it. So this matter spread out quickly, along with spection made by Momo[+]wet nurse Gui that day.

    After Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess got the news, she had someone called Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang over. ¡°On the night of the pce rebellion, bandits had sneaked into the Han family backyard with intentions tomit murders and arsons. Were these people paid off by you?¡±

    A touch of panic shed across Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s face, but she was still mentally sound, thus she immediately denied the allegations, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. I didn¡¯t do such a thing. The Han family has no grudge against me, so why would I do that kind of thing?¡±

    No one knew a child better than the child¡¯s mother. Just by seeing Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang acted like this, in what way it was enough for Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess to ept. In a moment of anger, Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess swung down her palm on Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s face, as five-fingered marks immediately appeared on her skin. ¡°Even at this time you¡¯re still not going to tell me the truth?¡±

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was filled with resentment and questioned, ¡°Mother, why would you rather trust outsiders than your own daughter?¡±

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess was so angry that her blue veins started to pop out, ¡°If the people of the Han family don¡¯t have enough evidence, will they continue to bite the Qiao family like a mad dog? Did I just trust you too much that you decided to ignorew and heaven[+]Chinese idiom : defyws and regtions by daring to do such a thing?¡±

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had a moment of humbleness, but soon she tilted her head up and said, ¡°Mother, I really don¡¯t know why the Han family has be this crazy. The most important thing for us right now is finding a way to save Gege[+]elder brother.¡±

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess pointed to Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life¡¯s head and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject for me. Say, why do you do such a thing?¡±

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang would rather die than to admit it. There was no way she was going to confess. Could she just say that Yuxi was a filthy creature? In that case, wouldn¡¯t it imply that she herself was the same too?[T/N]: That¡¯s why people keep saying to think thrice before you do this kind of stupid things.

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess was so angry till her heart hurt so much. ¡°Was it just like what was said outside where you had predicted that Han Yuchen would be harmful to you, so you want to kill her just to silence her?¡± It was true that Yuchen was the embodiment of beauty and wisdom. Therefore, Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess could sum up everything in this way.

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was taken aback for a moment, but quickly denied it, ¡°There¡¯s no such thing. Mother, this matter really has nothing to do with me.¡±

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess didn¡¯t bother to pursue it any more, and only said, ¡°I only hope that you really didn¡¯t do this kind of thing. Otherwise, the whole Qiao family will be implicated because of you.¡±

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang felt that her mother was saying these frightening words just to scare her[+]Chinese idiom (originally ¡®frightening words to scare people¡¯) : rmist talk, ¡°Mother, there¡¯s no need for us to be afraid of the Han family.¡± The capacity and aplishment of the Han family had long been just a mere skeleton, and now it was merely attractive on the surface.

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess warned her, ¡°The Han family might not be terrifying, but if this matter is really your doing, there¡¯s nothing good that cane out of this. Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, if this matter is really your doing, not only will the Qiao family be destroyed, but you will also not going to eat any good fruit from this[+]fig. not going to have a good result.¡±

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life obviously did not realise the seriousness of this matter. If the Han family and the Qiao family were only having a personal feud, then it was only the rivalry between the two families, and no one else could interfere. With Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s status, it was not a problem to protect the Qiao family. But if what the Han family said was true that Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang wouldmit murder and arson because she predicted that Han Yuchen would pose a threat to her, it would cause everyone to find themselves in danger. Common people in the capital today were thinking that she could do murder and bring arson to the Han family just because she had foreseen that Han Yuchen would be a threat to her in the future. Whether she would use the same means to deal with them tomorrow, under this circumstance, there was no way everyone would look on with folded arms in their sleeves[+]Chinese idiom : look on without lifting a finger.

    Just as Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess had feared, after this incident spread, many people had some misgivings about Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang in their hearts.

    Upon hearing this rumor, Yu Xiyu immediately went to her mother and asked, ¡°Mother, are the rumours I heard from the outside really true?¡±

    First Lady Yu said with a smile, ¡°How can the rumours be true?¡± She thought this rumour was somewhat funny instead. What did they mean by Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had bribed bandits tomit kill and arson to the Han family on the night of the pce rebellion because she knew Han Yuchen would be a threat to her? No matter if Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had the ability or not, as a girl in the boudoir, she wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.

    Yu Xiyu had a deeply worried look on her face, ¡°Mother, can you ask Father to check on this matter to confirm the truth of the rumours outside?¡± [+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When she caught sight of her daughter¡¯s look, First Lady Yu also restrained her smiling expression and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is there anything wrong?¡±

    Yu Xiyu exined, ¡°Mother, previously, Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang used to act standoffish whenever she saw me. However, when I met her in Kang Wang[+]prince Mansion in the second lunar monthst year, her eyes were full of jealousy and hatred as she looked at me. ¡±

    First Lady Yu was startled. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    Yu Xiyu nodded and continued, ¡°Mother, the expression in Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s eyes were so terrible at that time that I won¡¯t be able to forget it. For more than a year, every time I remember it, my heart will be rmed, and I¡¯ll tremble in fear[+]Chinese idiom : scared witless. I don¡¯t have a grudge against her. So I don¡¯t know why she has been looking at me like that.¡± It was also because of the impression was too deep that time, Yu Xiyu had be very wary of Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. Even if Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang wanted to get close to her again, she would always held an attitude of not offending her but she also not going to get close with her.

    As the saying went, just let things drift if they did not affect their family personally[+]disregard things when they do not affect one directly, thus First Lady Yu could only treat it as if she was just listening to a gossip. But if this matter was rted to her daughter, then she must be extra cautious. ¡°Okay. When your fatheres back, I¡¯ll have him look into this matter.¡±

    Yu Xiyu was actually rather afraid of Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. Not for the reason that she was originally timid, but rather Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was too evil in nature. ¡°Mother, if the rumors outside are true, we can¡¯t just fold our hands and wait for death[+]Chinese idiom : helplessly wait for death.¡± She couldn¡¯t let Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwangmit murder and arson in her own home.

    Old Lord Yu was an experienced Imperial Court cab member of the current dynasty. Hence his sense of smell was unusually keen. When he felt that there would be unrest, the Yu family became extremely heavily guarded during that time. That night, the bandits arrived at the front gate of their house and they fought the bandits off in less than a quarter of an hour. However, two minor bandits did manage to sneak in, but they were quickly caught. In spite of that, the Yu family didn¡¯t actually take much notice about this single matter.

    That night, First Lady Yu told First Lord Yu about this. Ergo, the expression on First Lord Yu¡¯s face changed. ¡°She didn¡¯t misunderstand?¡± [+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    First Lady Yu shook her head, ¡°No matter how prudent you are, you still don¡¯t know that child, Xiyu. If she hadn¡¯t heard the rumors outside this time, she wouldn¡¯t have told me about it.¡± When she noticed that First Lord Yu¡¯s appearance was not right, she asked, ¡°Could it be that the rumors outside are really true?¡±

    First Lord Yu nodded and said, ¡°Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family Han said it himself. There can not be any mistakes.¡± This was not merely a hearsay, but something that was personally confirmed by Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family of the Han¡¯s family.

    First Lady Yu opened her mouth again, ¡°Do you know what this is about?¡±

    First Lord Yu shook his head, but he said, ¡°I would rather believe it than not believe it.¡± He could still trust his own daughter. If the situation was not that serious, his daughter would not have specifically told them about it.

    First Lady Yu asked, ¡°Lord, what are you going to do? Are you going to tell father-inw about this?¡±

    First Lord Yu thought for a while and then decided, ¡°I¡¯ll take a look at this matter first. If it¡¯s serious, then it¡¯s not toote for me to tell my father.¡± With the Han family in the front, he didn¡¯t need to appear personally. He could just hide behind the Han family.

    After talking about this matter, First Lady Yu spoke about Yu Xiyu¡¯s marriage, ¡°Lord, Xiyu is sixteen this year, and she will turn seventeen next year. Is there any solution to her marriage?¡± Previously, he said that he was going to match Xiyu with the 9th Prince, but he hadn¡¯t made any sound nor there were any news about it for more than a year. This had made First Lady Yu very anxious. The matter with the 9th Prince was still pending, therefore she didn¡¯t dare to speak to her daughter about her marriage.

    First Lord Yu shook his head and replied, ¡°Father didn¡¯t say anything about it. Let¡¯s put this aside first! Even if she turns seventeen next year, there is no need for us to rush.¡±

    First Lady Yu looked so sad. You may not be in a hurry, but I am!

    A few dayster, Han Jianye hurriedly returned home and said to Han Jianming, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, my father-inw said that Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess is ready to strike back, so we have to be very careful.¡¯

    Han Jianming smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of her.¡± In the State Residence government, only three people had be officials. His San Shu[+]san=third, shu=father¡¯s younger brother had always acted very cautiously, thus it would not be so easy for others to get a handle on him. He himself would be even more so. The remaining Han Jianye, only became an official for half a year, so there was nothing for others to grasp on to.

    Han Jianye continued, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, my father-inw also said to take more care of Dad, since there¡¯s a possibility that she will also deal with him.¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°No need to worry. Although Dad isn¡¯t keen on officialdom, he still acts in a measured manner.¡± Han Jianming might have all sorts of dissatisfaction towards his dad, but there was one thing he had to admit, his dad might like to walk on the hills and y in the rivers[+]Chinese idiom : travel from one beauty spot to another while spending his time in drinking and pleasure[+]Chinese idiom : indulge in sensual pleasures rather than taking care of family business, but he had never caused any trouble for the State Residence.

    Han Jianye felt that it was better for them to be careful at least.

    The next day, an Imperial Censor impeached the Duke Han and Han Jingyan. Duke Han was impeached for not having an actual job. His life was a little messy, but it was not a huge crime. Hence, being impeached didn¡¯t affect him much; contrariwise, Han Jingyan was impeached for embezzlement and bribery at local level, but these kinds of things needed to be verified first. It was not because someone had been impeached, he should immediately be dismissed from office and sent to prison.

    Disaster didn¡¯te alone[+]Chinese idiom : used to say that when something bad happens other bad things usually happen at the same times. Han Jianjun was beaten till he vomited blood after a fight with other people while he was in school, and he nearly lost his life; Han Jiancheng fell off his horse on his way home and broke his leg; fortunately, the next in order, Jianwei and Jianxing were still young. Hence they were taught by a home teacher. Otherwise they would also meet with mishaps.

    Upon receiving the news, Yuxi went to Tingyun Pavilion first, then went to Biteng Courtyard to visit Jiancheng together with Yuchen. No matter what, he was still the two¡¯s younger brother.

    When Wu Shi saw the two of them, her eyes were filled with fury. She pointed at Yuxi¡¯s nose and cursed, ¡°If you weren¡¯t such a jinx, how would my Cheng-er end up like this?¡± If it wasn¡¯t for Yuchen and Yuxi, why would bandits enter their residence that day? Then, she wouldn¡¯t have been so scared till she had nightmares day after day, and what¡¯s more, now, this matter had implicated her Cheng-er. It was just that, people liked to pinch a soft persimmon[+]Chinese idiom : it¡¯s the weak people who always get picked on. Since she did not dare to scold Yuchen, she vented all her anger on Yuxi instead.

    Yuxi sneered, ¡°Mother, you can¡¯t just call me a jinx. I wasn¡¯t even the one who made Liu Di[+]liu=sixth, di=younger brother, short form for Didi fall off the horse.¡±

    Wu Shi thought that her son would be a cripple. From then on, his career would be hopeless, and his life would be gloomy. So where would she have any more rational thoughts when she said this, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, a jinx, dare to provoke Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, would our family attract these kinds of cmities?¡±

    Yuchen was also annoyed when she heard all these. Just as she was about to open her mouth, Yuxi said, ¡°Since Mother thinks I¡¯m a jinx, then, I¡¯d better not be in Mother¡¯s way.¡± After saying that, she swung her arms and walked away.

    When Wu Shi saw Yuxi acting like this, she became so angry that her lungs nearly exploded.

    After leaving Biteng Courtyard, Zisu asked, ¡°Miss, are we going back to Taoran House now?¡± Her Miss¡¯ behaviour just now had truly released Zisu¡¯s anger.

    Yuxi shook her head, ¡°Let¡¯s go visit Gu Di [+]gu=fifth, di=younger brother short form for Didi.¡± Jianjun¡¯s injuries were even worse, but unfortunately he was a shuzi[+]son from concubine while Jiancheng was a dizhi[+]son from a legal/formal wife. ordingly, everyone¡¯s attention was mainly focused on Jiancheng.

    Concubine Xin gave birth to only one child, Han Jianjun. It could be said that she devoted all her efforts to this child. What she didn¡¯t expect was that they might have avoided Wu Shi, but they could not avoid outside calctions.

    Han Jianjun had woken up at this point. Nevertheless, because of the blood loss and the injury to his spleen, his entire body had be very weak.

    Yuxi asked Concubine Xin, ¡°What did the physician say?¡±

    Concubine Xin wiped her tears and replied, ¡°The physician said to take very good care of him, since it will take him three to four years before he can fully recover.¡± The other party clearly wanted to put her son to death, and if he hadn¡¯t been discovered, he might not even be alive. As a result, Han Jianjun managed to save his life, hence Concubine Xin was really thankful to Bodhisattva.

    Yuxi offered, ¡°If there is a need in the future, Concubine Xin cane directly to Taoran House to find me. I may not be able to help with big things, but I can still help with small things.¡±

    Concubine Xin gratefully answered, ¡°Thank you, Fourth Miss.¡± Although she knew that this disaster that had befallen on her son was triggered by Yuchen and Yuxi, she didn¡¯t me it on the two of them. Speaking of what had happened this time, it was an unwarranted disaster for the State Residence. If she really wanted to me it on someone, she could only me the one who started it and Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang. If it wasn¡¯t for her, they wouldn¡¯t have been in so much trouble.

 Chapter 150 - Evil Spirit (10)

    Chapter 150 : Evil Spirit (10)

    Returning to Taoran House, Yuxi heard Moju was waiting for her in the yard. Moju was matched with Meng Xiaofeng by Yuxi. Not long after her marriage, Moju became pregnant, and after she gave birth to a child, Yuxi didn¡¯t let here back to the residence, so she let Moju and Meng Xiaofeng manage the grocery store together instead.

    As soon as Yuxi entered the yard, she saw Moju with red and swollen eyes. She immediately asked, ¡°Is there something wrong with the grocery store?¡±

    Moju cried out, ¡°Miss, a group of local ruffians came today. They smashed our grocery store and the baozi[+]steamed stuffed bun shop inside the store. Now all the workers in the store are badly injured.¡±

    Yuxi hurriedly asked, ¡°Was Steward Meng injured as well? Is he badly hurt?¡±

    Moju cried as she said, ¡°When those ruffians came to smash the store, husband had just gone out to collect debts.¡±

    When Yuxi heard this, she breathed out a sigh of relief. This was good news. Yuxi then turned her head and asked Zisu to fetch a hundred tael of silver, while saying to Moju, ¡°Take this money and give it to the store servants first. If they are not enough, I¡¯ll send over more.¡±

    Moju didn¡¯t take the money and instead said, ¡°Miss, the store is so badly damaged that I can¡¯t do business for a while.¡± She was also afraid that those people woulde back.

    Yuxi exined, ¡°You should be aware of the recent incident that happened to the residence. Close the shop for now, and open it again after the matter is settled. By the way, you should quickly have someone send a message over to Mama Fang to inform her to temporarily close the baozi[+]steamed stuffed bun shop.¡±

    However, it was a bit toote for Yuxi to say this. After half an hour, Yuxi got the news that those ruffians had also gone to the baozi[+]steamed stuffed bun shop managed by Mama Fang. Nevertheless, Lian Shan¡¯s rtionship with other people was quite good. When the surrounding neighbours saw something was wrong, they immediately came over and chased off the troublemakers. Since the ruffians were drove away so soon, only a few tables were broken, thus the loss was not that huge.

    When Yuxi heard that Mama Fang was okay, she said to the messenger, ¡°The baozi[+]steamed stuffed bun shop will not be opened for now. Safety is the most important thing. Please inform Mama Fang that she also should pay special attention to her own safety during this period.¡±

    Mama Fang was very worried when she got the news. She was not worried about herself, but she was worried about Yuxi. She told Lian Shan, ¡°Miss has always been careful, so I don¡¯t understand in what way Miss had caught this Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang¡¯s attention. This is truly a sudden and unexpected disaster. I don¡¯t know how Miss is doing right now?¡±

    Lian Shan responded, ¡°Before, when you said this Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had paid people tomit murders and arsons in the State Residence, I didn¡¯t believe it. But now, from what I see, this rumour is nine times out of ten[+]Chinese idiom : likely to actually be true.¡± If Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang could invite the ruffians to smash the shops and injure people, surely she could alsomit arsons and murdered people.

    Mama Fang couldn¡¯t help but curse Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, ¡°What this about her has opened her all-seeing mind[+]Buddhism : mind which perceives both past and future? I think she¡¯s just an evil spirit that has speciallye here to harm people.¡±

    Lian Shan also felt that Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was evil all over. ¡°Let¡¯s close the baozi[+]steamed stuffed bun shop for now! Wait until this matter is over before you open it again. You should also not go out during this period. Just stay at home. If you have something to do, just ask old woman An to help you with them.¡± No matter how evil Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was, she was still a royaldy. This kind of thing wasn¡¯t something that poor people like them could just meddle in.

    Mama Fang nodded, ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t been going outtely anyway. However, I¡¯m worried about Miss.¡± That Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang was trying to burn her Miss to death, and since it didn¡¯t work this time, who knew what kind of method she would use next time.

    Lian Shan also felt that Fourth Miss was really unlucky. She had been out of luck ever since she had been targeted by that evil spirit. ¡°As long as Fourth Miss doesn¡¯t leave the State Residence, her life won¡¯t be in danger.¡± That night was an exception. If it wasn¡¯t for the pce rebellion, there wouldn¡¯t have been a chance for the bandits to break into the State Residence, and even if they did, they wouldn¡¯t have seeded. Now, if they still wanted to sneak into the State Residence tomit murders and arsons, that would absolutely be impossible.

    Mama Fang thought for a while and then said, ¡°When you take a break, please apany me to the temple!¡± She had to ask the Bodhisattva to bless and protect her Miss.

    Lian Shan knew that Mama Fang had been uneasy ever since she heard the rumours outside. Thus, he nodded and said, ¡°Okay. When the yamen is not busy in two days, I¡¯ll take a leave to apany you.¡± It would also be good to give incense to the Bodhisattva to get rid of Fourth Miss¡¯ bad luck.

    Meanwhile, Yuxi went to the Master Courtyard and saw Qiu Shi¡¯s angry face. She walked over to her and asked, ¡°Eldest Aunt, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Too many things had happened in the residencetely, and none of them was a happy event.

    Qiu Shi stated, ¡°It¡¯s not good what that evil spirit has done.¡± She addressed Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life directly as an evil spirit ever since she knew that night was Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life¡¯s handiwork.

    Mama Li exined beside her. It turned out that the State Residence¡¯s store and Qiu Shi¡¯s business had been suppressed and destroyed to varying degrees, and now both stores couldn¡¯t do business normally and had to temporarily close down. As a result, the State Residence suffered great losses. [+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi tried to reassure Qiu Shi, ¡°Eldest Aunt, don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s better to be out of business than end up like a few of my shops. They had been smashed to smithereens and my workers also got injured. The medical expenses alone along with future renovation of the shops will require arge sum of silver!¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s voice suddenly became loud, ¡°What did you say? Your shops were also smashed?¡± When she saw Yuxi nod, Qiu Shi shouted, ¡°This evil spirit really acts so arrogantly. If she dares to smash our shops, I¡¯ll have someone smash her shops as well.¡±

    Yuxi quickly said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, that is inappropriate. The truth was originally on our side, but if we also smashed her shops, then we would also be unreasonable like her.¡±

    Qiu Shi swept her eyes at Yuxi and questioned, ¡°How can you expect us to ignore this? We¡¯ve been bullied to our doorstep. Don¡¯t tell me we still can¡¯t strike back at her.¡±

    At this time, Qiu Shi¡¯s young male servant ran over and informed, ¡°My Lady, it¡¯s not good. Second Master has been taken away by the yamen.¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°What happened?¡± For their shops to be smashed and had to be shut down were only trivial matters. But the safety of her son was the most important matter to her.

    Yuxi heard that Han Jianye had killed someone before being taken away by the yamen. Hence she said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, you don¡¯t have to worry. Erge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege is not the kind of person who has no sense of propriety. There must be something wrong with this.¡± Since Han Jianjun and Han Jiancheng¡¯s ident, Han Jianye had been escorted by more than ten people. If it had been before, Han Jianye would have been reluctant to take them, but he had known that their current situation was a bit special, so he didn¡¯t decline the escorts. Rather, Yuxi didn¡¯t expect that Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life would use this way to calcte against her Erge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege.

    Qiu Shi was furious, ¡°This evil spirit, why didn¡¯t the monke to take her away? No, Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life and the monk are like the wolf and the bei which often gang up and attack livestock[+]Chinese idiom : work together to do evil things, so the monk can¡¯t be trusted.¡± Qiu Shi hated it so much that she couldn¡¯t stab that nasty person, Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life. She could only curse Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life to end their suffering by dying quickly and then being reincarnated.

    Liu Yue came in and said, ¡°Madam, Master Shizi[+]a heir to a noble family¡¯s personal maid hase over and she was instructed to invite Fourth Miss to go to Master Shizi[+]a heir to a noble family¡¯s study.¡±

    Qiu Shi frowned, ¡°Why are you being called to do at this time?¡± What could Yuxi, a child, do to help him.

    Yuxi smiled and said to Qiu Shi, ¡°Eldest Aunt, it might be that Dage[+]eldest brother is seeking me for something, so I¡¯ll go over there first.¡± Presumably, this matter regarding Erge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege was giving Dage[+]eldest brother a headache.

    Near the entrance of Han Jianming¡¯s study, Yuxi watched as an angry-looking Han Jingyan came out from inside. However, because of their different paths, Han Jingyan didn¡¯t see Yuxi.

    Yuxi had a bad feeling in her heart. It looked like that there should have been a quarrel. Although Dage[+]eldest brother was recognised as the head of the family, there was still his own father above him. Thus, Dage[+]eldest brother was not yet in any way a legitimately named nor smoothly worded[+]Chinese idiom : be perfectly justified as the head of the family. If her father was against it, then it would not be good. It wasn¡¯t good for them to have an internal strife while their external troubles hadn¡¯t yet been eliminated. [+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When she arrived inside the study, Yuxi saw a stern-looking Han Jianming, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, is Erge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege¡¯s matter a bit troublesome?¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head, ¡°There¡¯s no big problem with your Erge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege. Furthermore, he¡¯ll be backter. It¡¯s just¡­¡± In front of Yuxi, Han Jianming couldn¡¯t speak ill of Han Jingyan.

    Naturally, Yuxi wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to take the initiative to ask what Han Jingyan hade here for, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, this isn¡¯t the way for us to go on.¡± They had always been passive and taken all the beating. When would this matter end if they acted like this?

    ¡°Yuxi, you were right at the time.¡± Han Jianming¡¯s answer was not what Yuxi had been asking[+]Chinese idiom : sidestep a question.

    Oh? thought Yuxi. ¡°About what?¡± She now felt that all of her ideas were only tickling matters to Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life and they had no real effect.

    Han Jianming smiled, ¡°You said that by letting people know that Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life uses her own prediction ability to do bad things will lead everyone feel that they are in danger. Murdering and setting fire may make people feel dubious, but what she does these days are observed by the observant and conscientious people.¡± It could be seen from what Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life had done to the people of the State Residence these days. This showed that Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life was really a person with ruthless means and had a very vicious heart. For such a person to have the ability to predict, how could people not fear her?

    Yuxi asked Han Jianming, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, what kind of person do you think Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life is?¡±

    Han Jianming replied with only one word, ¡°Stupid.¡± If one really had the ability to foresee, one should use that ability to work for the Imperial Court, and then use it to elevate one¡¯s name and reputation. When one managed to climb to a position that no one else could reach, with enough strength and status, one then could just stretch one¡¯s hand and grab[+]Chinese idiom : very easy all the money and power one¡¯s wanted. But Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life chose the most foolish path, by doing business on her own, and she did so with such great momentums, for fear that others wouldn¡¯t even be aware of them.

    After hearing his words, Yuxi was silent for a long time. Men were not the same as women. Men¡¯s vision was broader, while women¡¯s vision was far too narrow. For example, Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life and her for instance. Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life could at least use what she knew to make money, but she, Yuxi, did not dare to do anything for fear of being noticed by other people. Of course, she didn¡¯t feel that her decision was wrong. Before she had enough ability to protect herself, leaking too many things that she shouldn¡¯t know would only lead to suspicion, thereby bringing disaster upon herself.

    When he looked at Yuxi¡¯s tangled face, Han Jianming couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Although Yuxi¡¯s ideas were sometimes immature, there was no denying that she was making progress and making rapid progress at that.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother sees things from a long-term perspective, while I¡¯ve been somewhat stuck on three tenths of a mu[+]a traditional unit of area equal to one fifteenth of a hectare.¡±

    Han Jianming gave Yuxi a rarepliment, as he said, ¡°You¡¯re already good.¡± Not to mention Yuxi¡¯s vision, at least Yuxi was already looking beyond the inner chamber to the world outside.

    It was rare to be praised for once, but unfortunately Yuxi didn¡¯t have any joy in her heart, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, the inner chamber and the front courtyard are actually closely rted to each other.¡±

    Han Jianming nodded his head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think about it so much. A lot of things should be done step by step. No one is born with it. You¡¯re still young and have plenty of time to learn.¡±

    That meant she was allowed toe to this side more often in the future. Thus, Yuxi grinned, ¡°Thank you, Dage[+]eldest brother.¡± It would be at least four more years before she got married, and having four years of study would be enough. By then, no matter what family she married into, she wouldn¡¯t be afraid.

    Yuxi happily returned to the Taoran House. Before she had a chance to catch her breath, she heard Kufue over and said, ¡°Miss, the Lady invites you to Biteng Courtyard.¡±

    Zisu went to Yuxi¡¯s side and said, ¡°Miss, I heard that the Lord is also in Biteng Courtyard.¡± In this case, it was the same as saying nothing good woulde to her Miss.

    Yuxi said, ¡°While I¡¯m here in the residence, can he still eat me?¡± It was nothing more than venting his anger out on her. Even if he was really mad, he would just scold her, or punish her by telling her to copy the scriptures or something. Anyway, it was of no importance. She should just bear with it.

 Chapter 151 - Evil Spirit (11)

    Chapter 151 : Evil Spirit (11)

    When Yuxi arrived at Biteng Courtyard, she immediately walked into the house and saw that there were only Han Jingyan and Wu Shi there, without any maids around.

    Yuxi knew Wu Shi must have beenining about her again. However, it wasn¡¯t obviously shown on Wu Shi¡¯s face, so Yuxi respectfully greeted the two of them, and then stood in situ earnestly.

    Han Jingyan asked with a cold face, ¡°What were you doing in your Dage[+]eldest brother¡¯s yard just now?¡± He had just found out from Wu Shi¡¯s side about Yuxi had gone to Jianming¡¯s study, and it hadn¡¯t happened just this once, but it had happened every now and then.

    Yuxi already made an excuse, ¡°It was Dage[+]eldest brother who asked me toe over.¡±

    Han Jingyan¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good anymore, ¡°What did your Dage[+]eldest brother tell you to go over there for? What could he want from you?¡±

    Yuxi lowered her head and answered in a low voice, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother called me over to ask me about my three shops that have been smashed.¡± Despite the fact that it had been a while since this matter happened, Yuxi was sure that Han Jingyan still didn¡¯t know about it.

    Han Jingyan was aware that Yuxi had three small shops, but since the Old Lady had given her initial approval, he couldn¡¯t say anything about it. So when he heard that Yuxi¡¯s three shops were smashed this time, the expression on his face changed, ¡°How did your three shops get smashed?¡±

    Yuxi looked very aggrieved as she said, ¡°This morning a group of ruffians came to my shops. They smashed everythings that they saw, and injured many of my workers.¡±

    Han Jingyan¡¯s expression changed again, ¡°They were truly ignoring thew and heaven[+]Chinese idiom : defyws and regtions.¡±

    At this moment, a maid outside announced, ¡°My Lord, my Lady, Third Miss is here.¡± When Yuchen received the news, she was afraid that Yuxi would be scolded by Father again, thus she urgently rushed over there.

    When Han Jingyan saw Yuchen, he immediately asked, ¡°Chen-er, were your shops also smashed?¡±

    Yuchen was taken aback for a moment, then she shook her head and replied, ¡°No, my shops have all been rented out.¡± Many of Yuchen¡¯s shops were not clearly made known to the general public, so they managed to escape from being targeted. Of course, even if many of Yuchen¡¯s shops were rented out, she still gained profit directly from them.

    With Yuchen present, Han Jingyan retracted all the words he had prepared to scold Yuxi. Since the rest of the story was not worth asking, he prepared to let Yuxi return.

    Yuxi wouldn¡¯t let go of such a good opportunity. After thinking of what to say, she spoke out, ¡°Father, mother med me and San Jie [+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie for Liu Di[+]liu=sixth, di=younger brother, short form for Didi¡¯s injury and Mother even called us jinxes? Although San Jie [+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie and I are not Mother¡¯s blood children, we have always been respectful to her. If this matter goes out, how else can us, these daughters, live?¡± When she finished speaking, tears started to streak down her face.[+]T/N : She¡¯s really a good actress! This is apliment btw.

    Han Jingyan¡¯s expression darkened and he asked Yuchen, ¡°Is what Yuxi said true?¡± Yuxi¡¯s words were not credible, but Yuchen would not lie to him.

    Yuchen remembered the scene at the time. She hesitated for a bit but then she nodded slightly. Although Wu Shi did not obviously say her name at the time, all the words Wu Shi had said still implied that she was also a jinx. However, Yuchen also helped to exin on Wu Shi¡¯s behalf, ¡°At that time, Mother was also overwhelmed with sadness because of Liu Di¡¯s leg injury.¡±

    This was like pouring oil onto the fire, as the blue veins on Han Jingyan¡¯s hands started to appear. Once a youngdy bore the reputation of being a jinx, not to mention marrying into a high family, even the average family wouldn¡¯t want to marry her. If that was the case, then Yuchen and Yuxi would be the same as useless, and Han Jingyan would not allow this kind of thing to happen. He instructed, ¡°You girls go back!¡±

    Once both of them were out of the Biteng Courtyard, Yuxi gratefully said, ¡°San Jie [+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, thank you.¡± How could Yuxi not know the reason for Yuchen to rush over this time was to help her out of her predicament.

    Yuchen smiled, ¡°I also haven¡¯t seen Father for a few days, so I came over to take a look.¡± After saying this she also gave a bit of advice, ¡°Yuxi, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m ming you, but you really should restrain your temper. We no longer have our birth Mother. Since our Mother right now is still our elder, you shouldn¡¯t clearly confronted her this openly.¡±

    Yuxi snorted, ¡°Mother? If she really thought I was her daughter, she wouldn¡¯t have said such a thing to ruin my reputation. A jinx? San Jie [+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, if I bear the reputation of a jinx, won¡¯t I have to stay alone till I¡¯m an old woman? Why should I respect her when she doesn¡¯t care if I live or die?¡± Yuxi was brave enough to act like this was because she was secured in the knowledge that she had a strong backing[+]Chinese idiom : feel emboldened on ount of someone¡¯s support, and she was sure that these rumors would unlikely to get out anyway.

    Yuchen was also disgusted with Wu Shi, but she wouldn¡¯t act the same way as Yuxi, ¡°I can¡¯t argue with you on that, but if you can, avoid having conflict with her in the future, and it¡¯s better not to be the one who start the conflict, since in the end, it won¡¯t be good for your own reputation.¡±

    Yuxi nodded her head in agreement, ¡°I know. As long as she doesn¡¯t harm me, I¡¯ll treat her with the respect of an elder.¡± If Wu Shi wanted to harm her, don¡¯t expect her just submit to her humiliation[+]Chinese idiom : suffer in silence.

    In response, Yuchen no longer persuaded her.

    After Yuchen and Yuxi left, Han Jingyan¡¯s eyes stared at Wu Shi like a knife and asked word for word, ¡°Did you really say that Yuchen and Yuxi are jinxes?¡±

    It was the first time for Wu Shi to see Han Jingyan looked so terrifying that she started to stutter, ¡°My, my Lord, I didn¡¯t, I wasn¡¯t, I was just furious¡­¡±

    Before she could finish her sentence, she received a heavy p on her face. Wu Shi wasn¡¯t prepared when Han Jingyan suddenly hit her that she ended up falling to the ground, while knocking her head on the chair as she fell. She had forgotten her own pain as she stared at Han Jingyan in horror.

    Han Jingyan warned in a cold voice, ¡°If you still dare to ruin Yuchen and Yuxi¡¯s reputations, I¡¯ll send you to the family hamlet, and you will not be allowed toe back here for the rest of your life.¡± Since Wu Shi had given birth to two sons and a daughter for him, he definitely couldn¡¯t cast her off[+]send her back to her maiden family. If he sent her to the family ancestral temple, their reputation would not be good, and it would also influence their children¡¯s reputation too. Nevertheless, the only thing left was to send her to their family hamlet with an excuse that her body was unwell.

    When old woman Chen saw a furious Han Jingyan walk out of the door, she hurriedly entered the house. As she saw the blood on Wu Shi¡¯s forehead, she was horrified, ¡°My Lady, my Lady what happened to you?¡±

    Wu Shi just hugged old woman Chen and cried so hard.

    That evening, Han Jianye returned home. When Yuxi asked, she realised that it was not Han Jianye who had killed the dead person, but rather one of his attendants had passed away. Han Jianye¡¯s attendants all had a sense of propriety, and there was also an illness found on the body of the dead person. After he had been questioned over and over again in the yamen for the whole afternoon, he was finally set free.

    The next two days were calm, but Yuxi felt that this was the same as the calm before the storm, and soon, there would surely be a bigger storm.

    Well, the expected storm didn¡¯te, but instead, there was an explosive piece of good news for the Han family. Han Jianming had always been very calm, but he was qui6 surprised and delighted to hear that Third Lord Qiao was involved in the Crown Prince¡¯s rebellion. ¡°Is this true?¡± The smuggling business that Third Lord Qiao did have the Crown Prince¡¯s share in it, and at this juncture, the news was so timely for them.

    Han Xing nodded, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±

    Han Jianming immediately calmed down, ¡°How did you find out such a hidden thing?¡± Third Lord Qiao had hidden his crime deep enough, otherwise he would have been caught with it during the purge.

    Han Xing exined, ¡°It was Third Lord Qiao¡¯s trusted attendant who confessed this. Master Shizi[+]a heir to a noble family, no matter who is behind this, it¡¯s extremely beneficial to us.¡± As long as it was connected to the rebellion case, it would be impossible for anyone to get away with it.

    Han Jianming thought for a moment and said, ¡°Go call Mr. Zhao over.¡±

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life had been very irritated these two days, and her bad temper was also great. The maids beside her didn¡¯t dare to make any noise while walking, as they were afraid that Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life might be offended.

    Bing Lan brought in a bowl of bird¡¯s nest porridge and whispered, ¡°Xianzhu[+]xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, have some of this!¡± In the past two days, Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang had eaten very little, making her very worried for her.

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang waved her hand and instructed, ¡°Just take it away. Is there still no news from Ninth Ge[+]elder brother, short form for Gege¡¯s side?¡± The Ninth Ge[+]elder brother, short form for Gege that Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang spoke of referred to the 9th Prince. In order to show closeness, she always called the 9th Prince as Ninth Ge[+]elder brother, short form for Gege.

    Bing Lan shook her head and answered, ¡°No. Xianzhu[+]xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, don¡¯t worry, maybe there will be news soon.¡±

    Some time ago, as long as she sent word that she wanted to see Ninth Ge[+]elder brother, short form for Gege, she would be able to see him right away. But for the past two days, Ninth Ge[+]elder brother, short form for Gege had avoided seeing her. As she thought of this, she became even more irritated.

    Before the pce rebellion, Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life had let the 9th Prince know about the Crown Prince¡¯s plot for rebellion. With her advance warning, the 9th Prince was able to kill the Crown Prince and his aplices with very little effort and achieved great sess. After the incident, the 9th Prince asked her what reward she wanted, but Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life did not reply to him directly.

    What did she want? Naturally, she wanted to be the 9th Prince¡¯s Imperial Concubine, and the Mother of the Nation[+]Empress. Of course, she also knew about the cmity that would befall on the 9th Prince, but she didn¡¯t take it to heart. She would just help the 9th Prince avoid it when that time came.

    Unfortunately, the 9th Prince didn¡¯t respond to her suggestion, and then implicitly said as for the Imperial Concubine position, it was out of the question. He could only give her the Side Concubine[+]ce fei, a status lower than Imperial Concubine (zhang fei) in a Prince¡¯s harem position. Side Concubine[+]ce fei, a status lower than Imperial Concubine (zhang fei) in a Prince¡¯s harem? He said that he could only give her the title of Side Concubine[+]ce fei, a status lower than Imperial Concubine (zhang fei) in a Prince¡¯s harem? How could she be inferior to others?

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life couldn¡¯t help but think of her previous life. In her previous life, because the Qiao family was weak and her mother was not valued by the Emperor, she finally married the less powerful Meng family. There was also an advantage of low marriage, that was, she had the final say in the Meng family. However, when she thought of the ending of her previous life, Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life¡¯s eyes shed fiercely again.

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life married Meng Yao, the eldest di[+]born from formal wife son of Grand Secretary Meng, Meng Yao. Meng Yao liked a woman who is gentle, charming and beautiful. However, Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life was the kind of person who was overbearing and easily jealous. She didn¡¯t allow Meng Yao to approach any woman except her, and the contradiction between them got deeper over time. This contradiction reached its peak when Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life was pregnant and Meng Yao housed a mistress outside.

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life¡¯s methods were simple and brutal, where she beat Meng Yao¡¯s pregnant mistress to death and made a scene in the Meng family. Although Meng Yao was hit severely by Grand Secretary Meng following their familyw till he couldn¡¯t get up for three months, Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life also didn¡¯t get the best of it since she lost her unborn child as a result of her being too extreme while kicking up a row.

    Through this incident, Meng Yao was also horrified by Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life¡¯s overbearing and ruthless means. After the incident, the rtionship between husband and wife was like that of strangers, and Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life would not allow any shuzi[+]son born from concubine to be born before her own son, which made her hands tainted with a lot of innocent blood. If onemitted too many sins, one would always meet due punishment. In the sixth year of marrying Meng Yao, when Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life was twenty-three years old, without any warning, a woman stabbed her to death with a knife. That woman had suffered an abortion because of Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life. For that reason, that woman was unable to bear any more children. Since she had nothing worth yearning for in this life[+]Chinese idiom / inte ng : a life devoid of meaning, she wanted to die with Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life. There were people who had helped in the dark for that woman to be sessful in taking her revenge on Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life.

    After her rebirth, Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life used all means to make Meng Yao lose all his standing and reputation[+]Chinese idiom : bring shame and ruin upon oneself, as well as finishing off the woman who had killed her in herst life along with those who had secretly helped her.

    As she thought of these things, she heard her personal maid, Bing Lan, walked over to her and said, ¡°Xianzhu[+]xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, Gongzhu[+]Princess is asking after you!¡± After a pause, Bing Lan continued, ¡°Xianzhu[+]xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to daughter of a Junwang, Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s expression looks quite unsightly. Something bad must have happened.¡±

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life didn¡¯t care much about it either, ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡± No matter how bad it was, it could only be as bad as their situation was right now. How much worse could it get than their current situation, right?

 Chapter 152 - Evil Spirit (12)

    Chapter 152 : Evil Spirit (12)

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess told Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang about Third Lord Qiao¡¯s involvement in the rebellion.

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life was really surprised when she heard this news. ¡°Rebellion? How could it be possible?¡± How could San Shu[+]san=third, shu=father¡¯s younger brother be involved in the Crown Prince¡¯s rebellion n when there was no such thing in her previous life?

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess exined, ¡°Your San Shu[+]san=third, shu=father¡¯s younger brother has already confessed. What we have to do now is found out how to remove ourselves cleanly so that your Father and Gege[+]elder brother are not going to get implicated too.¡±

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang gnashed her teeth and used, ¡°This is certainly the work of the Han family, right? This act by the Han family is truly wanting to quickly kill my Qiao family.¡±

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess always thought that Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life was clever, but now she found out that this daughter of hers was too stupid, ¡°After you made those people go to the Han family tomit murder and arson, the Han family and Qiao family naturally be mortal enemies.¡± Since they were now enemies, it was natural for them wanting to kill their enemy with their own hands. Who would still want to show mercy towards their enemy, right?

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life¡¯s face turned pale. She really didn¡¯t expect things to end up this serious. She hurriedly asked, ¡°Mother, what should we do now?¡±

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess was not in a panic mode right now. She knew Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life had helped the 9th Prince. If he came forward in this matter, it was not a problem for him to save their family. As for the rest of the Qiao family, she couldn¡¯t control it. ¡°Did you really do that matter to the Han family? Tell me, why did you do it?¡±

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life tried to measure the gains and losses if she decided to tell the truth.

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess was extremely furious, ¡°Even by this time you still don¡¯t want to say anything. Do you want your whole family to be killed by you before you¡¯re willing to say anything?¡±

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life couldn¡¯t say that Yuxi was the same as her. Since she was praised as auspicious by the Emperor, wouldn¡¯t it mean Yuxi was the same too?[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess looked at Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life looking like this, she remembered the rumours that had been spreading outside, thus she suddenly asked, ¡°Is it because Han Yuchen will be the woman favoured by the 9th Prince that¡¯s why you want to kill her? There are ways to kill Han Yuchen, an yet, you have to use the stupidest way.¡±

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life immediately shook her head and answered, ¡°No.¡± She was trying to get someone to kill Han Yuxi in the chaos, while at the same time, took Han Yuchen¡¯s life along the way. This had nothing to do with the 9th Prince even in the slightest.

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess asked suspiciously, ¡°If it¡¯s not for that reason, then why did you do it? Today, you have to give me a clear exnation on this.¡±

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life now realised that she had dug a hole just to bury herself in. Han Yuxi had always been quiet and hadn¡¯t done anything out of the ordinary. Even if she outwardly said that Han Yuxi was an evil spirit, others would only say that she just bit anyone at random. Hence, no one would believe her words without question.

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess really wanted to p Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life again, but she would endure her anger for now and inquired, ¡°You caused this matter, and only you can solve it. Have you met the 9th Prince in the past two days?¡±

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life knew what her mother meant. ¡°Ninth Ge[+]elder brother, short form for Gege doesn¡¯t want to see me.¡±

    After a moment of silence, Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess asked, ¡°What does the 9th Prince mean to you?¡± She knew Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life¡¯s thoughts. If the 9th Prince could marry Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life as his Zheng Fei[+]Main Consort, she would be happy to see it happen. So she never prevented Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life from getting in touch with the 9th Prince.

    In fact, Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess was aware that with the Qiao family¡¯s family background, Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life could hardly be the 9th Prince¡¯s Zheng Fei[+]Main Consort . What Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess really thought was that even if Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life couldn¡¯t be the Zheng Fei[+]Main Consort of the 9th Prince, she could still be his Ce Fei[+]Side Consort. As long as she got along well with the 9th Prince, being his Ce Fei[+]Side Consort was no worse than being his Zheng Fei[+]Main Consort.

    Hostility shed in Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life¡¯s eyes. ¡°The 9th Prince said that he could ept me as his Ce Fei[+]Side Consort, but I refused.¡± She was unwilling to be inferior in rank with Yu Xiyu.

    With a cold expression, Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess asked, ¡°Now, do you think you have a second way besides marrying the 9th Prince?¡± Seeing that He Shou didn¡¯t understand what she meant, she directly pointed out, ¡°You¡¯re the Prince¡¯s lucky charm. Do you think the Imperial Family would let you marry down to someone else?¡± That was one of the reasons why Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort would intercede for Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life.

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life wanted to marry the 9th Prince, but she wanted to be the Zheng Fei[+]Main Consort, not his Ce Fei[+]Side Consort.

    When Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess looked at Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, she knew that Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life still had extravagant hopes for the 9th Prince. ¡°For you to be his Zheng Fei[+]Main Consort, no need for you to think anymore about it. If the 9th Prince had the heart, he would have mentioned it to the Emperor a long time ago, and he won¡¯t have to wait until now to do it.¡±[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang stated, ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want to be his Ce Fei[+]Side Consort.¡± She was the daughter of a Gongzhu[+]Princess. How could she just be a concubine and unable to wear the bright red wedding dress for the rest of her life?

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess looked at Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t marry the 9th Prince, you can only be an oilmp before the statue of Buddha[+]the lonesome Buddhist monk¡¯s or nun¡¯s life for the rest of your life.¡±

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang asked while feeling puzzled, ¡°What does Mother mean by this? What do you mean by if I don¡¯t marry the 9th Prince, I can only spend my life as an oilmp before the statue of Buddha[+]the lonesome Buddhist monk¡¯s or nun¡¯s life?¡± After listening to Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s exnation, she turned as white as a piece of paper, ¡°Is there no other way for me to walk on?¡±

    When Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess saw Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life¡¯s appearance, her heart turned soft. ¡°You have the ability to foresee, so your vitality will be so great. Albeit when you enter the 9th Prince¡¯s Mansion, not even the 9th Prince¡¯s Consort can hold you down. This is merely in name only. In the future, when the 9th Prince bes the Emperor, you will at least be his Guifei[+]Noble Consort.¡± Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess was a person who especially liked to spoil her children. Whether it was Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life or Qiao Meng, she would alway be docile and obedient to their whims. That was how Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life had developed this domineering temperament. As for Qiao Meng, he had turned up as a hedonistic person.

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life pursed her lips and remained silent.

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess advised, ¡°Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, if you don¡¯t want to spend your whole life being an oilmp before the statue of Buddha[+]the lonesome Buddhist monk¡¯s or nun¡¯s life, then you¡¯ll have to go easy on the 9th Prince.¡±

    Before Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang could make her decision, there was a confession from Third Lord Qiao that Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess had helped to inquire about news and rope in connections for thete Crown Prince. The reason his smuggling business had thete Crown Prince¡¯s shares was also because of Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess who had be the go-between person between them.

    When Yuxi heard this news, she found it to be so unbelievable. ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, why would Third Lord Qiao implicate Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess too?¡± Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess was not a fool. How could she help the Crown Prince when she already knew that the Emperor hated thete Crown Prince and thete Empress? This was obviously a false usation.

    Han Jianming shook his head and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Someone has interfered with this matter. This person is not only trying to put the Qiao family to death, but also drag Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess along with it. Without Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess, Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang will have no one to lean on.¡± Although Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess was not the Emperor¡¯s blood sibling, she was still the Imperial Family Gongzhu[+]Princess. No one could touch her unless she plotted something serious like rebellion.

    When Yuxi heard this, she immediately said, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, do you think this matter could be the work of the Yu family?¡± With that kind of skill and ability, she couldn¡¯t think of anyone else except for the Yu family.

    Han Jianming shook his head and replied, ¡°If it was the Yu family who did it, we won¡¯t be able to find out anything about it. However, if it was really the work of the Yu family, it will only be beneficial for us.¡± Once it involved plotting a rebellion, even if one could save one¡¯s own life, one would not be able to save one¡¯s own skin[+]Chinese idiom : receiving a major harm or a significant loss. This time it would be hard for Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess to get out of it.

    It was only through this incident that Yuxi truly understood why Han Jianming said that the State Residence only had an attractive appearance. The Han family had gone to great lengths just to hurt the Qiao family, while the people of the Yu family, without even showing their faces, had sent the Qiao family into the eighteenth level of hell[+]condemn to eternal damnation till they couldn¡¯t even free themselves, while incidentally dragged Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess into it as well. The two families¡¯ handiworks were simply not on the same level. ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, what should we do now?¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°Nothing can be done now. This n will go wrong if we do anything. Let¡¯s just wait and see what¡¯s going to happen next.¡± After saying that, he revealed a sneering look, ¡°Hasn¡¯t Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang opened her all-seeing mind[+]Buddhism : mind which perceives both past and future? I like to see how she¡¯s going to save Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess and her Qiao family this time.¡±

    Yuxi thought for a moment and stated, ¡± Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang may really be able to save Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess and the Qiao family.¡±

    Han Jianming ridiculed, ¡°Save? With her ability to foresee? If she really has this ability, how can the Qiao family still fall into the risk of extermination?¡± Ever since the people from the Qiao¡¯s family were put in in prison, Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life¡¯s so-called foresight was just like a joke to him.

    Yuxi frowned as she said, ¡°I am afraid that the 9th Prince will intervene.¡± When she noticed Han Jianming¡¯s puzzled face, she exined, ¡°Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang was able to predict the time when the pce rebellion happened, so he certainly won¡¯t hide it, and he will surely inform others about it. I¡¯ve thought it over, and I feel that the 9th Prince is the most suitable candidate to be their saviour.¡±

    Han Jianming pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone look into this matter.¡± With a Prince involved, especially when it was the 9th Prince, who most likely to inherit the throne, they had to be cautious.

    At this time, the Gongzhu[+]Princess Mansion was shrouded in ayer of shadow. Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess looked at Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang and said, ¡°Tell me everything you can predict.¡± At this point, what they should think about was how to save themselves.

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang turned pale as she asked, ¡°Mother, what do you want me to tell you?¡±

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess was toozy to talk nonsense with Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life at this point. ¡°Tell me everything you know so that we still have a slim chance of survival as well. Otherwise our whole family will have to die.¡± The Emperor had always hated the Crown Prince and the Empress. No one who had anything to do with the Crown Prince would have a good end. And now the Third Lord Qiao had lodged an usation against her. If they didn¡¯t think of their own way out and only rely on the 9th Prince, by then it could be said that there was really no way out for them.

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life was still unwilling to do so as she continued to ask, ¡°Mother, is this all the Han family¡¯s work? How could they have so much power to do it?¡± The Han family obviously gained power after Han Yuchen had be the Empress. Before that, the Han family was just a mere skeleton, so how could they have so much ability to force San Shu[+]san=third, shu=father¡¯s younger brother to frame her mother for her involvement in the rebellion matter as well.

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess replied, ¡°It¡¯s not the work of the Han family. They don¡¯t have such a great skill. But now is not the time to pursue this matter. Just tell me everything that you can foresee.¡±

    When Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess saw that Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life still wouldn¡¯t speak about it, she asked, ¡°Do you want to see your mother imprisoned in the n residence before you¡¯re willing to speak?¡±

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life breathed out a sigh of relief after knowing the Han wasn¡¯t the culprit. At this point, she no longer concealed her secret, ¡°Mother, I actually don¡¯t have the ability to foretell. I just had a dream, a dream that couldn¡¯t be more real.¡±

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s face remained unchanged as she instructed, ¡°Tell me everything you have dreamed of.¡± In the past, she didn¡¯t interfere because she didn¡¯t think it was necessary. But now, she really had to take care of it.

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang told Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess everything she had experienced in herst life, leaving nothing out. Even about the fact that she was killed by Meng Yao¡¯s concubine in the end.

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s face turned ugly after hearing her story. She didn¡¯t expect her daughter to dream about things that would happen for the next nine years, and her dream was so close to reality. It was true that she had thought of giving Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life to Meng Yao that day. However, when Meng Yao had an ident, she let it go. Nevertheless, she never thought that Meng Yao¡¯s ident was also Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life¡¯s doing. This damned girl, there was nothing she wouldn¡¯t dare to do, huh.

 Chapter 153 - Evil Spirit (13)

    Chapter 153 : Evil Spirit (13)

    After a long silence, Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess asked, ¡°Why do you want to kill Han Yuchen and Han Yuxi?¡±

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life exined, ¡°Mother, in my dream, Han Yuxi is a yes-man kind of person, so unlike how she is right now. Moreover, many things in the Han family arepletely different from my dream. I¡¯ve even asked some people to check, and then I knew that Han Yuxi was just like me. She also knows about the future.¡± Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang didn¡¯t dare to say that she had lived an extra life, since it would be too frightful to her mother¡¯s ear[+]Chinese idiom : appalling.

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess didn¡¯t really have any impression of Han Yuxi, so she asked, ¡°How do you know that the Fourth Han Miss is in the same situation as you?¡± If Han Yuxi really had the ability to predict, then why was there no rumour about it at all? This made her feel quite doubtful with this im.

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life¡¯s expression was a little stiff. She toughened her scalp[+]summon up courage as she said, ¡°The current situation of the Han family ispletely different from the one in my dreams.¡±

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess endured her anger and asked, ¡°What else?¡± Seeing that Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life didn¡¯t say anything, she asked once more, ¡°So you decided to kill her just because the situation of the Han family in your dream ispletely different from their current situation?¡±

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life exined, ¡°No. It¡¯s like Han Yuxi has changed into a different person. The Han Yuxi in my dream was a yes-man, like she was a person of humble birth. For this reason, the Han family people never let her leave the front door. But now Han Yuxi is natural and graceful¡­¡±

    Qingyang considered what Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life had said and questioned, ¡°I¡¯m asking you, how can you be so sure that Han Yuxi is in the same situation as you? Other than the fact that she¡¯s different in real life than in your dreams, is there anything else? Like she knows things like you do that others don¡¯t. Does she have any unusual abilities?¡±

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life was dumbstruck by these questions. How could someone as cautious as Yuxi do something that would make people be suspicious of her?

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess really wanted to tear her heart out at the sight of Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life as she cursed furiously, ¡°Are your brain all made of tofu-dregs? Can a dream be exactly the same as reality? So what does it have to do with you even if Han Yuxi and the Han family are different from the ones in your dream, huh?¡± If Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life and Han Yuxi had feuded in Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life¡¯s dream, it would have been understandable for Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life wanting to kill the other. The two of them couldn¡¯t hit each other with even eight poles[+]Chinese well-known phrase : bepletely unrted, and just because someone was different from the situation in her dream, Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life had decided to kill her. If one really wanted to kill Han Yuxi, one could just find some strong martial arts people to kill Han Yuxi while she was out. However Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life went to Han family residence tomit murder and set fire to it, thus making their family had a deadly feud with the Han family. This act didn¡¯t show Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life had lost her mind, it simply showed that she was an absolutely brainless person.

    At that time, Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life thought Han Yuxi was a variable, thus she wanted to get rid of her. For the reason that she was afraid Han Yuxi would tell the world about what would happen in the future, hence she had to make the first move. She searched for a lot of ways, but Han Yuxi had been acting too cautious for her to find a suitable opportunity. In the end, she had no other choice, other than to use the pce rebellion to get rid of Han Yuxi and destroy Han Yuchen along with it.

    To say she didn¡¯t regret it would be a lie. If Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life knew it would turn out like this, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have done it that day. ¡°I did it cleanly and it would be unlikely for others to find out about it. But I didn¡¯t expect these people to be so ipetent that they couldn¡¯t even kill Han Yuxi, thus exposing me.¡± She always thought that she had been exposed because of Yuxi.

    When Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess heard this, she took a nce at Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu and said, ¡°This matter has nothing at all to do with Han Yuxi, this person that you¡¯ve been talking about. It was the people from Marquis Pingqing Residence who had captured the head of the bandits and thus traced it to you.¡±

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life opened her eyes wide and eximed, ¡°Impossible. I did it cleanly.¡± How could it have nothing to do with Han Yuxi! She always thought that it was Han Yuxi who had led the Han family. Thereby, the Han family had retaliated against her.

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess wanted to crack open Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life¡¯s brain to see if it was really filled with tofu-dregs. ¡°If there wasn¡¯t any solid evidence, why would the Han family do such deadly things to the Qiao family?¡± She now felt an iparable regret on why she hadn¡¯t asked for rification from Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life. If she had known, she wouldn¡¯t have let Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life make such a big mistake.

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang was stunned by her Mother¡¯s scolding.

    Talking about what had already been done wouldn¡¯t change anything. Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess once again calmed down and asked Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, ¡°You said that the 9th Prince will lose his life four yearster because of someone¡¯s murderous scheme. Are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken?¡±

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life nodded, ¡°I¡¯m sure. After Ninth Ge[+]elder brother, short form for Gege¡¯s death, the Emperor grieved so much and installed 10th Prince as the Crown Prince. The 10th Prince waster crowned Emperor, and Han Yuchen was made Empress.¡±

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess didn¡¯t even know what to say at this point. All she knew now was that she had given birth to a fool. A fool who was even dumber than a pig. ¡°If you know that the final winner is the 10th Prince, why do you want to get mixed up with the 9th Prince? And even want to kill Han Yuchen?¡± If it was her, she would have tried to win over the 10th Prince. As for the 9th Prince, to hell with him. In addition to this, she would definitely make a good rtionship with the future Empress Han Yuchen.

    Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life lowered her head and said, ¡°I know when Ninth Ge[+]elder brother, short form for Gege will be poisoned, and I can help him avoid that cmity then.¡± She had never considered the 10th Prince. That was because the 10th Prince had been deeply rooted in love ever since he met Han Yuchen.

    Since the 10th Prince married Han Yuchen, his Ce Fei[+]Side Consort and other concubines were all only for show. In his eyes and heart, there was only Han Yuchen. Not to mention, she didn¡¯t even like the 10th Prince. Even if she did, she wouldn¡¯t marry a man who had another woman in his eyes and heart. The 9th Prince¡¯s side was much simpler. He married Yu Xiyu as his Fei[+]Consort not because he liked Yu Xiyu, but because he was interested in the Yu family¡¯s power.

    The reason Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang arranged for Yuchen to be killed was because of her jealousy for Yuchen. She was jealous of Yuchen¡¯s good fate for getting what she wanted but couldn¡¯t get. She was also jealous of Yuchen¡¯s children. In short, she was jealous of everything that Yuchen had.

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess felt that her patience was really about to run out. For such a good resource to turn into something that was extremely undesirable because of her daughter¡¯s tofu-dregs brain. ¡°The 9th Prince owes you a big favour. Please help the 9th Prince with this matter. As for the rest, don¡¯t say anything.¡±

    Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang did not understand what her Mother¡¯s words meant.

    Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess didn¡¯t want to exin to Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life anymore. She just said, ¡°Just do what I say, and don¡¯t ask any more questions.¡±

    Yuxi was busy reading a book in her study. She was so engrossed in reading the ?Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance? when Zisu called out from outside the door, ¡°Miss, Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family invites you toe to the study.¡± The study in the Rose Courtyard only had a curtain and no door. The study in Taoran House side had a door. So every time Yuxi entered the study to read a book, she would close the door to avoid being disturbed.

    An example of ivory sticks/toothpicks

    Image Credit | Ð¡ÐÛÃÀÊ³ (¹Å´úµÄÑÀÇ©ÓÐ¶àÖÖ£¬×îÌØÊâµÄÑÀÇ©¾¹ÊÇ»¢Ðë£¬ÕâÖÖÑÀÇ©ÓÐÈý¸öÃØÃÜ, March 1st) via Sina CN

    When Yuxi heard Zisu¡¯s call, she picked up the ivory stick that had been ced aside and clipped it into the book. Then, she closed the book and put it back on the shelf. The desk had no drawers, which was one of the things Yuxi disliked the most about her study.

    When she arrived at Han Jianming¡¯s study, Yuxi looked at Han Jianming standing in front of the desk with a solemn expression. Her heart rushed out as she asked, ¡°Dage[+]Eldest brother, is there something wrong?¡±

    Han Jianming lowered his hands and said, ¡°Yuxi, as you expected, the 9th Prince has stepped in to intercede. The Emperor has angrily rebuked Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess, forfeits her sry for a year and she has been instructed to shut herself away and ponder over her mistake[+]ponder over one¡¯s mistakes in solitude for three years. Both men and women in Qiao¡¯s Third House were sentenced to death; Eldest Lord Qiao was beheaded in public, while the other members of Qiao family, except for the Princess¡¯ husband and Qiao Meng who had been released from prison, were all exiled to Liaodong¡­¡±[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi asked the question on thing that she was really concerned about, ¡°Dage[+]Eldest brother, where is Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang?¡±

    Han Jianming replied, ¡°Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang had been called as auspicious by the Emperor himself. So how can she be severely punished? However, I didn¡¯t expect Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang to take the initiative to go to Wutai Mountain to fast from eating meat and pray for the Great Zhou Dynasty. Because of this, the Emperor had pardoned Qiao Meng, hence he won¡¯t be punished.¡±

    Han Yuxi asked, ¡°If this is the case, why is Dage[+]Eldest brother frowning?¡± It was actually quite good to have such oues.

    Han Jianming exined, ¡°I wonder what kind of medicine Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life sold in her gourds[+]Chinese saying : what someone is nning? Also, it has been cleared that the 9th Prince was indeed prepared for the night of the pce rebellion. Instead, it was the Imperial Pce that had been acting a beat slower.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s expression showed that she did not understand. ¡°What does it mean that the Imperial Pce had been acting a beat slower?¡±

    Han Jianming exined good-naturedly, ¡°If my guess is correct, it should be that the Emperor already knew that the Crown Prince was nning to rebel, so he was already prepared. Except that, he wasn¡¯t sure on which day it would happen. The pce was a bit chaotic when the pce rebellion began, but it soon calmed down.¡±

    Yuxi understood now. ¡°Dage[+]Eldest brother means that the Emperor had been waiting for the Crown Prince to turn against him?¡± To be precise, the Emperor had dug a trap and he was waiting for the Crown Prince to jump in.

    Seeing Han Jianming nodded, on this day of the seventh lunar month, Yuxi felt ice-cold all over her body. This was not an act of biological, but rather like one treated one¡¯s foe. ¡°Why did the Emperor hate the Crown Prince so much?¡±

    Han Jianming only uttered these words, ¡°The Heavenly Family has no such thing as father and son. Only the monarch and his subjects.¡±

    Yuxi smiled bitterly, ¡°I¡¯ve seen this situation in the history books.¡± When she read about it, she didn¡¯t take it seriously. It wasn¡¯t until this moment that she deeply realised the cruelty of this sentence.

    Han Jianming had guessed that Yuxi had started reading history books a long time ago. ¡°What is recorded in the history books were all real events.¡± The authenticity of the event was still quite high especially when it had been confirmed as a true history.

    Yuxi fell into deep thought for a long time. When she finally looked up, she asked, ¡°Earlier, San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie told me that the Emperor intended to match Miss Yu with the 9th Prince, and yet he hasn¡¯t mentioned about this marriage even until now. Why is that? If I remember correctly, the 9th Prince is neen years old this year.¡± Previously it was said that there would be no wedding until Yu Xiyu was old enough. However, Yu Xiyu was already sixteen years old now and yet, there was still no marriage between them.

    Han Jianming asked, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    Yuxi told him her suspicions, ¡°If the Emperor really favoured Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort and the 9th Prince that much, after the death of the Empress, she would have been sealed with the title Empress plus crowned the 9th Prince as the Crown Prince. But up until now there has been no movement. Dage[+]Eldest brother, could it be that the Emperor fears Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort and the 9th Prince?¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°The fact that you can think so much means the time you¡¯ve spent on reading your books were not in vain. But the Emperor¡¯s mind is something I can¡¯t guess, and I don¡¯t know what this old man is nning.¡±

    Well, this kind of pce struggle was really not something she could y around with. Yuxi turned back to the main topic, ¡°Now that Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess has to shut herself away and ponder over her mistake[+]ponder over one¡¯s mistakes in solitude, what if she still wants to deal with us after these three years?¡±

    Han Jianming said, ¡°As long as we have enough power, Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess will not be someone worth to be feared. Then again, Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess has been despised by the Emperor. So even if she finallyes out, she won¡¯t be able to bounce around. Our only future trouble right now is Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang.¡± Although Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang brought up the matter to go to Wutai Mountain to clean up and repair herself, for some reason, Han Jianming felt that Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang was always a hidden danger that would stir up waves in the future. That woman was too evil in nature, and there was no way for him to bepletely rest assured until she was killed. This, however, was not something he could say to Yuxi.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When they thought that this matter was finally over, they never expected that just at this time, there was a rumour outside saying that Yuchen and Yuxi were evil spirits. Hence, Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang wanted to get rid of them because she knew about this matter.

    Yuchen was better informed than Yuxi, thus she was restless when she heard this rumour. After some thought, she simply went straight to Taoran House. Ever since Yuxi moved to Taoran House, Yuchen had been a frequent visitor.

    Hearing the rumours outside, Yuxi rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Can I say I¡¯m really ttered? As far as I¡¯m concerned, for a person like me who have no talent nor appearance, it¡¯s really a waste of the word ¡®evil spirit¡¯.¡±

    Seeing Yuxi¡¯s reaction, Yuchen expressed that she was speechless. ¡°Evil spirit is not a good word, so why are you still looking so eager?¡±

    At the same time, Kufu brought in a te of cut fruits.

    Yuxi looked forward to the slices of snow melons cut into pieces in the sweet white porcin fruit te as she said, ¡°This is what Dage[+]Eldest brother had sent overst night. Originally, I wanted to wait for night toe before calling you over to have these together.¡± Snow melons, the cantaloupe produced in Xinjiang, were tribute melons.

    Han Jianming got a total of five snow melons, and one was given to Yuxi. Yuchen, on the other hand, didn¡¯t receive any, but Yuchen didn¡¯t mind it. She just smiled and said, ¡°Dage[+]Eldest brother really loves you.¡±

    Yuxi said with a smile on her face, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I always go to your ce to eat anyway, and I have this rare opportunity to treat you to delicious food that I have for once.¡±

    Hearing these childish words, Yuchen¡¯s irritated heart suddenly calmed down, as she also picked up a piece and ate it. Every year, Yuchen would always have snow melons to eat, but that was all sent by Marquis Pingqing Residence. This was the first time there was one in her own residence, and from here it could also be seen that the State Residence was now in a much better position than before.

    Yuxi ate four pieces of snow melon in one sitting. After she had done eating them, she took water to rinse her mouth, and then wiped her mouth with a handkerchief before walking to the copper basin to wash her hands.

    After doing all this, Yuxi talked about what happened just now, ¡°With San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie¡¯s appearance and talent, it is not an exaggeration for people to say San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie is an evil spirit.¡±

    Yuchen¡¯s head was full of ck lines. Was this apliment? Why did she feel a sense of taking joy in cmity and delight in disaster[+]Chinese idiom : rejoice in other people¡¯s misfortune / schadenfreudeing from Yuxi?

    Yuxi sat back in her chair and said, ¡°San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie didn¡¯t know how much I used to envy and jealous of your evil spirit-kind of qualifications. What I could only learn in a day, San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie learned in an hour. Too evil, too hateful.¡± The word ¡®evil spirit¡¯ was instantly misinterpreted by Yuxi.

    After hearing this, Yuchen asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I feel it though?¡± Yuchen really didn¡¯t feel that Yuxi was envious and jealous of her. While in her impression, Yuxi had always been working very hard.

    Yuxi cheerfully said, ¡°Later, when it was cleared to me that intelligence and appearance were bestowed by Heaven, my envy and jealousy didn¡¯te out anymore. Since then, I¡¯ve been studying hard and try not to be left behind too far away from you.¡± Seeing that Yuchen looked much more rxed, she continued, ¡°San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, the rumours outside are full of pure envy, jealousy and hate towards you. So, you shouldn¡¯t be concerned about it at all.¡±

    Yuchen leaned back in her chair and pointed out, ¡°It¡¯s not only me who has been talked out by people outside. They talk about you too.¡±

    Yuxi spread out her hands and said with a mock sadness, ¡°Me? I was just piggybacking.¡± Unique appearance and unforgettable talent, as long as one have one of this, it was already enough for people to envy and hate, but Yuchen had both, which showed that God had been too partial towards her.

    While Yuchen couldn¡¯t helpughing at Yuxi¡¯s expression.

    ps (from author) : Yuxi said, ¡°Dear fans, please throw some small notes to congratte me on my growth into an evil spirit.¡±

 Chapter 154 - Evil Spirit (14)

    Chapter 154 Evil Spirit (14)

    The rumours that Yuchen and Yuxi were evil spirits were soon suppressed by the Duke of the State Residence together with Marquis Pingqing Residence.

    Just as Yuxi thought that the matter was finally over, she didn¡¯t expect that Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort, the favoured concubine of the Six Pces, summoned Yuchen together with Yuxi to the Imperial Pce by an Imperial Edict.

    Yuxi felt that there must be something wrong with her ears. ¡°What did you say? Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort wishes to see me and San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, so she summoned us to enter the Imperial Pce tomorrow?¡± What kind of wind had whipped this Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort for her to wish to properly meet with them?

    In Yuchen¡¯s mind it was only a matter of time before she entered the pce, so she wasn¡¯t surprised, scared, or nervous. When she noticed Yuxi¡¯s appearance looked like this, she evenughed. ¡°Yes! Tomorrow you and I will go to the Imperial Pce together! Don¡¯t read your book tonight. Go to bed early.¡±

    Yuxi nodded as she said, ¡°Okay!¡± After a pause, she asked, ¡°San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, shouldn¡¯t we make any preparations?¡± She was still a little nervous by the way.

    Yuchen smiled and shook her head, ¡°No need. Just get up early tomorrow.¡± She and Yuxi¡¯s rules and etiquette were taught by Momo[+]wet nurse Gui and Momo[+]wet nurse Quan, so there would be no problems for them in this aspect.

    Yuxi looked at the calm Yuchen and felt howme she had been.

    After sending Yuchen off, Yuxi went into her study again. She was holding a book in her hand, but she was unable to read it. In herst life, not to mention the Imperial Pce, even the Prince¡¯s Official Residence she had never stepped her foot into. She never thought that she would be able to go to the Imperial Pce in her present life.

    The news of Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort¡¯s Imperial Edict regarding Yuchen and Yuxi¡¯s visit to the Imperial Pce quickly spread inside the State Residence. Among the young misses of the residence, Yuru was the calmest, as she knew that the Imperial Pce was not a ce she could easily go. Since she was not envious of this, and she had the time, it would be better for her to make a pair of shoes for her Mother.

    While on the other hand, the most annoyed one in the residence was Wu Shi. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say the two were evil spirits outside? So why did Guifei[+]Noble Consort Niangniang[+]addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine still want to officially summon them to the Imperial Pce?¡± At first, Wu Shi was relieved to hear the rumours about Yuchen and Yuxi outside, but she didn¡¯t expect such a big twist.

    Although Yurong felt ufortable with the news in her heart, nevertheless she had to disagree with Wu Shi¡¯s words, ¡°Mom, people outside can spread the news but you can¡¯t. If Dad hears about this, he will definitely be angry with you again.¡±

    When Wu Shi thought of thest time Han Jingyan had hit her, her face instantly remembered the burning pain. She couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°From Hebei to the capital, I never have afortable day.¡± In many cases, the stepmother was the one who would tenaciously suppress her stepdaughter. However, in her case, it was the opposite. It was really her eight lifetimes[+]fig. a long time of bad luck to meet such two stepdaughters.

    Yurong agreed with this, as they used to live a free and easy[+]Chinese idiom : carefree / leisurely life in Hebei. But when they came back to the capital, they had to bind their hands and feet[+]Chinese idiom : be over-cautious whenever they did anything. ¡°Mom, please be patient.¡± They had no other choice but to endure.

    Wu Shi touched Yurong¡¯s face and said, ¡°Mother is fine, but you¡¯ve been wronged.¡± Only Third Miss and Fourth Miss were known from the residence, but her Yurong¡¯s presence had turned a little transparent and forgotten by others.

    Yurong smiled, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not in a hurry. There¡¯s still plenty of time for me anyway.¡± She was only ten years old this year, so she still had plenty of time.

    Soon after, the Old Lady asked her maid to call Yuxi over. She was mainly talking to her and Yuchen about some things to pay attention to when they went to the Imperial Pce.

    After saying that, the Old Lady saw that Yuchen looked quite calm, while Yuxi was looking a little nervous. She smiled andforted, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. When you go to the Imperial Pce, as long as you abide by the rules, you will be fine.¡± She remembered the first time she entered the Imperial Pce, she was quite nervous too back then!

    Dinner was then served in the Main Courtyard.

    It was just getting dark when Yuxi returned to Taoran House. Zisu urged her to have a bath and then went straight to bed. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re going to the Imperial Pce tomorrow, so you should go to bed early today.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Zisu and said, ¡°It¡¯s not even half passed xushi[+]7-9 pm, how can I sleep?¡±

    Zisu was a little frustrated, ¡°Can¡¯t a day go by without you reading a book?¡± She had never seen anyone so fond of reading, as if they would feel ufortable without doing it for a day.

    Yuxi chuckled as she said, ¡°I can¡¯t immediately fall asleep even if Iy in bed. Instead of lying in bed and thinking about it, I rather spend the time reading a book.¡± After saying those words, she went back into her study and closed the door.

    As the study door closed, Zisu could only stomp her foot. It wasn¡¯t until two quarters to haishi[+]9-11pm that she called Yuxi to bed.

    Yuxi thought that she would not be able to sleep, but she didn¡¯t expect that she would fall asleep shortly after she climbed into her bed. She did not even need to use her medical books.

    The next morning, Yuxi got up early to freshen up and put on her makeup. It took most of an hour to get it done. As Yuxi looked at the person in the mirror, she smiled softly and asked, ¡°Is this still me?¡± The person in the mirror was a radiant one.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Zisuined, ¡°Miss is merely toozy on ordinary days.¡± Yuxi usually didn¡¯t like to put on makeup. The most makeup she ever applied on her face was either some pearl powder or cucumber. She never had the need to put on rouge or lipstick during the day. Thus she presented herself confidently to the Emperor, without makeup[+]Chinese idiom : to show one¡¯s natural features, without makeup all day long.

    Yuxi touched her smooth and delicate skin and said, ¡°I¡¯m only twelve years old this year. What¡¯s the point of wearing rouge and powder every day? Too much of that stuff is bad for your skin.¡± Twelve years old was the age of youth, and one was just as beautiful without using any rouge.

    Zisu muttered, ¡°No matter what I said, the reason is always on Miss¡¯ side.¡±

    After tidying herself up neatly, Yuxi went to the Main Courtyard for breakfast. Once she entered the room, she saw Yuchen and gave her a smile. Even when Yuxi was dressed gloriously and beautifully, just by standing next to Yuchen, it was enough to turn her into a foil.

    The breakfast was very rich, but since they would be going to the Imperial Pce, they couldn¡¯t drink soup or goat¡¯s milk, for fear that they wanted to go to the toilet when they got there. After they had enough eating and drinking, they went to the pce in one carriage.

    Yuchen looked at the unusually calm Yuxi, then she smiled and asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Si Meimei[+]si=fourth, meimei=younger sister feel nervous?¡± Although Yuchen was looking calm on the outside, she was still a little nervous inside.

    Yuxi shrugged her shoulders and stated, ¡°Guifei[+]Noble Consort Niangniang[+]addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine is not a man-eating demon. She also has two eyes, one nose and two ears, so why should I be nervous?¡± Yuxi was not nervous, because she really thought she was just a foil. So, Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort¡¯s attention obviously would not be on her.

    Yuchen smilingly said, ¡°You can¡¯t be so blunt. When you arrive at the pce, don¡¯t open your mouth if no one asks you. If you are asked by Guifei[+]Noble Consort, you should think about it once through until you feel that you are able to give a proper answer.¡± Yuchen felt that Yuxi¡¯s usual performance was good, but when it came to critical moments, she would always like to drop the chain[+]fig. screw up. It didn¡¯t matter much if it happened at home, but if this happened at the Imperial Pce, it would end disastrously.

    Yuxi said with a roguish look on her face, ¡°I¡¯ll just follow San Jiejie[+]san=third, jiejie=elder sister anyway.¡±

    At the gate of the pce, four people got off the carriage and took the pce sedan chair. About a quarter of an hourter, they got off the sedan chair and started walking.

    Yuxi kept her head down and walked without looking around, just like a peaceful looking white rabbit. In the inner courtyard of the Imperial Pce, only those who were senseless would spend time looking around!

    They had been walking for a little over half an hour. Instead of feeling sore on her legs, Yuxi felt that sweating on such a hot day could ruin her makeup and when the timees, she would look unsightly just like a hua mao[+]flower cat.[+]T/N : Hey, a hua mao or known as a tabby cat is cute, okay! Who said they¡¯re unsightly?! (?¡ã?§Õ¡ã?)

    Just as Yuxi was worried about this, she heard the pce maid who led the way said, ¡°Momo[+]wet nurse Si, the two young misses from the Han family are here.¡±

    Yuxi raised her head and took a nce at Momo[+]wet nurse Si, who was looking very kind. Then, Momo[+]wet nurse Si smiled and said to the two of them, ¡°The two young misses, pleasee in with me.¡±

    It had been widely rumored outside that the Liuli[+]coloured ze Pce where Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort resided was magnificent, but it was a pity that Yuxi had been lowering her head all the time and she did not dare to look at the legendary pce.

    After walking for a while, Momo[+]wet nurse Si said, ¡°The two young misses, please wait here for a moment. I¡¯ll report your arrival to Guifei[+]Noble Consort Niangniang[+]addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine.¡±

    Gold Bricks

    ¡°On the floors of Chinese pces, tiles that have been trodden on by millions are called jinzhuan, literally ¡°gold bricks.¡± They¡¯re not gold but y. However, the cost is astronomical ¡ª around one tael of silver in ancient China and 26,000 yuan (US$4,050) for just one piece today.¡± ¨C Zhu Ying, Shine

    Image Credit | Zhu Ying (The gold that lies beneath your feet, June 23rd, 2018)

    Yuxi lowered her head and looked at her feet. She used to hear that the ce where the Emperor and the Empress dwelled was paved with golden bricks. Now that she knew what the golden bricks were, she felt that the floors were paved with the highest grade of white jade.

    Yuchen saw that Yuxi hadn¡¯t dared to look up ever since they entered the Imperial Pce. Thus, she went to her side to nudge her as she whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s all right.¡± She thought that Yuxi was really not afraid of anything, but it turned out that she was just pretending to be strong. This girl really liked to drop the chain[+]fig. screw up when in a critical moment.

    Momo[+]wet nurse Si came out and said to the two of them, ¡°Guifei[+]Noble Consort Niangniang[+]addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine allows the two young misses to enter!¡±

    As soon as the two of them entered the pce, they right away smelled a whiff of a sweet and smooth fragrance. After they moved forward a few paces, they knelt on the white jade floor and kowtow. Then they heard a pleasant voice say, ¡°Raise your heads.¡±

    Yuxi looked up only after she heard these words. She had long heard about Song Gui¡¯s beauty, and she was really taken aback when she saw the real person. Yuchen was also very beautiful, but Yuchen¡¯s beauty was raw and wlessly pure. While Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort¡¯s beauty was enchanting, charming, and could summon one¡¯s spirit[+]Chinese idiom : captivating.

    [+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    After a quick nce, Yuxi quickly lowered her head, acting both cautious and reserved, very much in line with her current status. However, it was clear that she was indeed thinking too much of it, as at this point Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort¡¯s attention was all on Yuchen.

    Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort had seen many beauties, who were either demure, lovely, delicate or sweet, but she was still amazed when she saw Yuchen, ¡°What a beauty.¡±

    When Yuchen heard thispliment, she softly said, ¡°Niangniang[+]addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine has wrongly praised. On appearance, chen nu[+]chen=I, your servant (used in addressing the sovereign), nu=female and Guifei[+]Noble Consort Niangniang[+]addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine are like the light of firefly and the bright moon.¡± There was a saying that how could a light from a fireflypete in brightness with the bright moon.

    When Yuxi, who had her head down, heard these words, her teeth became somewhat sour. She didn¡¯t know that Yuchen, who always set herself high above the masses[+]Chinese idiom : hold oneself aloft, would be this ttering. One really couldn¡¯t judge a person by appearance, just as one couldn¡¯t measure the sea with a dou[+]a traditional unit of volume, equal to 10 sheng (ÊÐÉý),and equivalent to 10 litres or 17.60 pints or 2.2 gallons measure.

    Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort chuckled at Yuchen¡¯s praise, and it was clear that she very much enjoyed the praise. ¡°Come,e to bengong[+]I, usually used by an Empress¡¯s side.¡±

    Yuchen sat next to Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort, while Yuxi did not receive this treatment as she continued to kneel on the ground. Fortunately, today was already the beginning of the eight lunar month. If it was winter, Yuxi estimated that she would want to cry.

    Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort spoke affectionately with Yuchen. Yuchen didn¡¯t say much, but whatever she said was always on point, which led Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort to praise her some more.

    Just when Yuchen and Concubine Song were chatting happily together, while Yuxi was kneeling on the ground and eventually forgotten by them, a person walked in from outside.

    Yuxi, who was still kneeling on the ground, didn¡¯t dare to look up. She only saw a pair of embroidered shoes, which were decorated by pearls, among which there was a thumb-sized one in the middle on each of the shoes. One had no need to guess. There was no other person who could run wild in Liuli[+]coloured ze Pce except Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort¡¯s own daughter, Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess. As far as Yuxi knew, Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess was the same age as her, which made her also twelve years old this year.

    When Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess saw Yuchen, she was somewhat surprised that she asked, ¡°Mu Fei[+]mu=mother, fei=consort, from which alleys did you get such a beautiful jiejie[+]elder sister/female ah?¡± As long as one heard these words, one would know that Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess had been well protected by Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort. Otherwise, she would not have been this guileless.

    Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort smiled and introduced, ¡°This is the Third Miss of the Han family.¡± By the time she wanted to introduce Yuxi, she realised that she was so focused on talking with Yuchen that she forgot that Yuxi was still kneeling on the floor. She immediately smiled and allowed Yuxi to rise to her feet.

    Yuxi bowed very respectfully again and said, ¡°Thank you, Niangniang[+]addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine.¡±

    Song Guifei[+]Noble Consortplimented, ¡°She is also a lovely girl.¡±

    ps (the Author) : (*^__^*) hee hee¡­¡­, does everyone like the pure and likeable Yuchen or the bewitching and charming Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort?

    Trantor : I choose Yuxi. (?¡¥??¡¥??)

 Chapter 155 - Monk Liao Tong

    Chapter 155 : Monk Liao Tong

    When Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess heard that Yuxi was the Fourth Miss of the Han family, she immediately asked, ¡°Are you the one who won against Xiyu Jiejie[+]elder sister in a qi[+]Chinese chess game?¡±

    Yuxi hurriedly denied the im, ¡°It wasn¡¯t true. Chen nu[+]chen=I, your servant (used in addressing the sovereign), nu=female¡¯s qi[+]Chinese chess skills are actually average. It was just a fluke that day for chen nu[+]chen=I, your servant (used in addressing the sovereign), nu=female to achieve a draw with Yu family young miss.¡± From Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s words, it was not difficult to tell that she had a good rtionship with Yu Xiyu. So she shouldn¡¯t try to grab the limelight.

    Qinxin tilted her head up, and said with an arrogant look on her face, ¡°A fluke? Then I have to see if you can beat me by luck today too. Someone, bring over the qi[+]Chinese chess board.¡±

    Song Guifei[+]Noble Consortughed and said, ¡°You, this child, how can you say that the wind is the same as the rain[+]from Chinese idiom Ìý·ç¾ÍÊÇÓê t¨©ng f¨¥ng ji¨´ sh¨¬ y¨³ [lit. believe in the rain on hearing the wind] : speak or act on hearsay?¡± Even when she said it this way, she still instructed a maid to bring over the qi[+]Chinese chess board.

    There was still a decent smile on Yuxi¡¯s face. While she was still here, she only had to obey and there was no room for any rejection.

    The qi[+]Chinese chess board was set up quickly and the two began to y against each other. Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess was ready to show off her might and beat Yuxi till she became like fallen flowers carried away by flowing water[+]Chinese idiom : to be in a sorry state. In the end, she was the one who couldn¡¯t stand it after seeing Yuxi make her second qi[+]Chinese chess move. She annoyingly shouted at Yuxi, ¡°Do you know how to y qi[+]Chinese chess or not? So slow just like a snail. At the rate you¡¯re going, we won¡¯t be able to finish this game by nightfall.¡± She had never seen a qi[+]Chinese chess yer y so slow.[T/N]Gongzhu, that¡¯s how qi is yed. One should use one¡¯s mind thoroughly, not just put one¡¯s piece randomly.

    When Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess yelled at her, Yuxi¡¯s hand shivered which made the chess piece in her hand fall to the ground. In response to this situation, she immediately stood up and kneeled on the ground, ¡°Forgive me, Gongzhu[+]Princess.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s nervous appearance made Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s anger rose even more, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to eat you? I¡¯m not a tiger.¡±

    Yuxi knelt down on the floor and kowtowed, ¡°It is this chen nu[+]chen=I, your servant (used in addressing the sovereign), nu=female who is useless, and chen nu[+]chen=I, your servant (used in addressing the sovereign), nu=female ask Gongzhu[+]Princess to forgive chen nu[+]chen=I, your servant (used in addressing the sovereign), nu=female.¡±

    Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess became even more angry. What kind of person was this? She didn¡¯t even do anything. She only said some words, and this person already became this scared!

    When Yuchen noticed that the situation was not good, she immediately smiled and interceded, ¡°If Gongzhu[+]Princess doesn¡¯t mind it, this chen nu[+]chen=I, your servant (used in addressing the sovereign), nu=female also wants to y with Gongzhu[+]Princess.¡± This was how Yuchen relieved Yuxi from her entanglement.

    Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess reluctantly said, ¡°All right! But I hope you won¡¯t be like her.¡± This Fourth Han Miss was reallyme. She wouldn¡¯t want to y with her anymore in the future.[T/N]I believe Yuxi feels the same, Gongzhu.

    Yuchen smiled and changed the subject of their conversation seamlessly, ¡°Chen nu[+]chen=I, your servant (used in addressing the sovereign), nu=female¡¯s qi[+]Chinese chess skill is slightly inferior to that of Yu family young miss. I will have to ask Gongzhu[+]Princess to show mercyter on.¡±

    Qinxin was not going to be merciful, as she said, ¡°If you want to y qi, then let¡¯s just y qi. If you want me to be merciful, what¡¯s the point of ying qi[+]Chinese chess then? All right, just stop talking and let¡¯s start the game.¡±

    Yuxi stood behind Yuchen, barely raising her head. Concubine Song nced at Yuxi a few times, before she walked away and sat back on the couch.

    Two quarters of an hourter, Yuchen won, but she won it with a narrow margin, beating Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess by a bit of the qi[+]Chinese chess pieces. Instead of being angry, Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess happily cried out, ¡°One more match.¡±

    In their second match, the two reached a draw. When Qinxin was about to suggest a third match, she heard the maid outside make an announcement, ¡°Niangniang[+]addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine, Master Liao Tong is here.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s heart thudded, the monk? Wouldn¡¯t that be the old bald donkey[+](derog.) Buddhist monk who proved that Heshou had opened her all-seeing mind[+]Buddhism : mind which perceives both past and future? The Great Master of Huangzhi Temple who was actually a bald donkey that had his eyes grew round with delight at the sight of money[+]Chinese idiom : thinking of nothing but personal gain / greedy / money-grubber.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Song Guifei waved her hand toward Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess and said, ¡°Don¡¯t continue your match. Come here.¡±

    Qinxin was unwilling to put down the qi[+]Chinese chess pieces in her hand. While Yuchen got off from the qi[+]Chinese chess table and walked respectfully to Song Guifei¡¯s side. As for Yuxi, she naturally followed behind Yuchen.

    Jiasha (Kasaya)

    Image Credit | ¹ÅÔÂÌ½ÃØ (·ð½Ììø×ÚÕæµÄÓÐÄ¾ÃÞôÂôÄÂð, May 26th, 2019)

    In a short while, an old man wearing a jiasha[+]kasaya, a patchwork outer vestment worn by a Buddhist monk while holding a string of Buddhist beads in his hand, who was about sixty years old and had kind eyebrows, came in, ¡°Liao Tong is happy to meet Guifei Niangniang[+]addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine.¡± Monk Liao Tong was a monk, so he didn¡¯t need to kowtow.

    Song Guifei¡¯s face was full of smiles as she said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite, Great Master. It has really been hard for Great Master toe and exin the scripture to bengong[+]I, usually used by an Empress or higher rank concubine in the midst of your busy schedule.¡±

    Yuxi lowered her head. She didn¡¯t believe this nonsense at all. She didn¡¯t know what medicine did Song Guifei sell in her gourd[+]Chinese saying : what someone is nning for her to ask Monk Liao Tong to exin the Buddhist scriptures on the day they entered the Imperial Pce.

    Monk Liao Tong respectfully spoke, ¡°It is an honour for this humble monk to exin Buddhist scripture to Guifei Niangniang[+]addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine.¡± His words were not false. Just by exining Buddhist scriptures to Guifei, he would naturally be sought after by the noblewomen of the capital afterwards.[T/N]Huh, he really does love money and fame, doesn¡¯t he?

    Song Guifei smilingly introduced Yuchen and Yuxi to Monk Liao Tong, ¡°These are Third Miss Han and Fourth Miss Han.¡±

    Yuchen and Yuxi respectfully greeted, ¡°It¡¯s good to meet with Great Master.¡±

    Qinxin found it interesting to see that the two moved in unison. Those who didn¡¯t know would think that those two had specially practiced for it. Otherwise, how could they cooperate with each other so tacitly.

    Monk Liao Tong gave the two girls a deep look before returning their greetings with his own greeting.

    Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess didn¡¯t have the patient to listen to Buddhist scriptures. She would rather go to sleep than listen to one. Thus, when Monk Liao Tong was about to speak about the Buddhist scriptures, Qinxin stood up and said, ¡°Mu Fei[+]mu=mother, fei=consort, you can continue listen to the Great Master¡¯s teaching of the Buddhist scriptures, while I will take Han Jiejie[+]elder sister to the Imperial Garden for a walk.¡±

    Song Guifei didn¡¯t force her either. She just smiled and reminded her daughter, ¡°Alright! But don¡¯t y until you¡¯re sweating whole over again.¡± For this only daughter, Song Guifei would have cradled her in her mouth if only she wasn¡¯t afraid that she would melt. She would have cupped her in her palms if she wasn¡¯t afraid that she would drop. She truly treated her as if her daughter was a rare treasure. It was also because Song Guifei had been overly protective of Qinxin that Qinxin had developed this naive and innocent temperament.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When Qinxin and Yuchen walked out of Liuli Pce, Song Guifei looked at Liao Tong and asked, ¡°Is there anything peculiar about these two girls?¡± Song Guifei had called Yuchen and Yuxi into the pce because Heshou told her before she went to Wutai Mountain that Han Yuchen would turn 9th Prince and 10th Prince into enemies, and brought disaster to the world in the future. As for Yuxi, Heshou only said that Yuxi would act as Yuchen¡¯s helper.

    Heshou wanted to say that Yuxi would do harm to the people, but Yuxi¡¯s appearance and talent were not particrly outstanding, and she had been keeping herself low profile so far. Therefore, no one would believe her if she said that Yuxi would do harm to the people of the world.

    Heshou¡¯s words were poking at Song Guifei¡¯s weakness. What was Song Guifei¡¯s greatest fear? Her greatest fear was that her two sons would turn against each other. However, Song Guifei would not let herself be led on the nose by Heshou, as that damned girl probably wanted to kill someone with a borrowed knife[+]Chinese idiom : get sb else to do one¡¯s dirty work. How could she let herself do what Heshou had been wishing for? But just in case, she would rather see the real person first. To be precise, she wanted to see if there was really anything wrong with Yuchen. As for Yuxi, she was merely a foil. However, after seeing how she behaved just now, she was even taken less seriously by Song Guifei.

    With a shout of ¡®Amitabha Buddha¡¯, Liao Tong replied, ¡°The Third Miss Han has a very good face, and she will definitely be a very rich person in the future.¡± With such a good look and temperament, how could she not be rich and famous![T/N]Huh! So every beautiful people will be rich in the future, while the not beautiful people will be poor? Bias!

    Song Guifei rxed her mind after hearing these words. As far as Han Yuchen¡¯s appearance and talent were concerned, she would surely be married into the royal family, thus it was not surprising that she would be rich. However, Song Guifei still asked more questions, ¡°Other than that? Is there anything unusual about her?¡±

    Song Guifei breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that there was nothing unusual about Yuchen. Then she casually asked, ¡°What about that other girl?¡±

    Liao Tong shook his head and said, ¡°As for the other female benefactor, by looking at her facial features, she is a person who has a fate that is full of trouble and misfortunes.¡± The term ¡®fate that was full of trouble and misfortunes¡¯ referred to a person who was born under an unlucky star.

    Song Guifei didn¡¯t care whether Yuxi¡¯s fate was going to be good or not. What she cared about was Heshou saying that Yuchen would turn her two sons into enemies. As Song Guifei thought of this, she summoned her personal Imperial Maid and gave her a few instructions in a low voice.[T/N]You will regret that, Niangniang. ¨C (?????) ¨C

    Qinxin took the two to the Imperial Garden by herself, because the backyard of the Imperial Pce was solely dominated by Song Guifei, and Qinxin was also very much loved by the Emperor. As a result, she didn¡¯t encounter any difficulties and calctions while she was on the road.

    When they finally reached the Imperial Garden, Yuxi¡¯s eyes almost popped out. What did it mean to have deep purples and bright reds[+]Chinese idiom : beautiful flowers? What was a picturesque scenery? What did it mean to be in a fairnd? She right now had a personal experience with them all. After Yuxi hadpletely looked at everything, she couldn¡¯t help herself from saying, ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful, as if we¡¯re inside a painting.¡±

    Yuchen was embarrassed when she noticed Yuxi¡¯s expression was like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.

    Qinxin curled her lips and asked Yuchen, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a garden in the State Residence? Why does your sister look like she has never seen a flower before?¡±

    Naturally, Yuchen would not let Yuxi lose her face. She simply gave out a softughed, ¡°She, ah, just likes flowers and nts. When she sees beautiful flowers and nts, her legs will not be able to move.¡±

    Qinxin felt that Yuxi¡¯s pattern was too small for her to look up for. So she only talked to Yuchen along the way, and Yuxi was deliberately ignored by her. Yuxi didn¡¯t care though. She simply kept following behind the two of them, while listening to their chatter.

    After staying outside for less than two quarters of an hour, a maid urged Qinxin to go back. Everyone was afraid that Qinxin would suffer a heat stroke if she was exposed under the sun for a long time. This happened once before. As a result, all the servants serving by Qinxin¡¯s side were reced.

    Qinxin felt very tired from hearing this kind of reminder, as she said with displeasure, ¡°Hurry, hurry, hurry. They really like a prodding ghost[+]someone who keeps pushing people to do things; a nagger. They truly don¡¯t want me to have a good time.¡± What Qinxin hated the most by having a bunch of followers around her was that they kept on humming in her ear all the time.

    Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°Gongzhu[+]Princess, it¡¯s almost noon. It¡¯s also about time that we have to return to the residence.¡± Before returning to their own residence, they naturally had to bid farewell to Guifei first.

    Qinxin felt that Yuchen was really to her liking, so she was a little bit reluctant to part with Yuchen, ¡°It¡¯s the same if you have lunch here before you go back!¡±

    Before entering the Imperial Pce, Yuchen had learned a lot about Qinxin from Momo[+]wet nurse Gui. Since Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess had been overly protected, she had be a little naive and tended to act very casually. She didn¡¯t like being restrained, and for others to act too polite with her. Yuchen immediately said with a smile, ¡°I have always heard that the food in the Imperial Pce is extremely good, which make them extremely delicious in the world. Today, thanks to Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s blessing, chen nu[+]chen=I, your servant (used in addressing the sovereign), nu=female is also able to taste them.¡±

    Qin Xin shook her head as she refuted her words, ¡°What with this Gongzhu[+]Princess calling. Just call me Qinxin. Don¡¯t be so courteous around me.¡± There were very few people who could get along with her temper. Yu Xiyu was one of them. Now there was another person, Yuchen.

    Heshou had always wanted to please Qinxin, but it was a pity that Song Guifei was very defensive against her and prevented her from contacting her daughter. Song Guifei was not a fool. She treated Heshou decent for the benefit that Heshou could bring to her, but this did not mean that she would let Heshou calcte against her daughter.

    Yuchen readily epted a good advice, ¡°Okay! Qinxin Meimei[+]younger sister, let¡¯s go back first! Otherwise, Guifei Niangniang[+]addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine will be anxious. ¡±

    Qinxin cheerfully responded, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Yuxi sighed in heart. No one could deny that by using this method, one could deal with Qinxin in such a short period of time! But, if it was her, she decided that she wouldn¡¯t be able to do it.

    PS : ~~~~(>_<)~~~~. Tears streamed down Yuxi¡¯s face, ¡®How could a good person like me suddenly be a person who had a bad life? They really don¡¯t want to see me having a good life.¡¯

 Chapter 156 - Princes

    Chapter 156 : Princes

    When Yuxi reached the outside of Liuli Pce, she suddenly had a stage fright. She didn¡¯t know if that bald donkey[+][derog.] Buddhist monk Tong could perceive anything from looking at her. If she was called an evil spirit, she didn¡¯t know if Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort would kill her on the spot.

    As if by reflex, Yuxi turned to look at Yuchen. She saw that Yuchen was still smiling and talking with Qinxin. Yuchen didn¡¯t look nervous at all. When Yuxi thought about it, Yuchen was an open-hearted kind of person, so naturally, she would not be afraid of the bald donkey[+][derog.] Buddhist monk Tong. While she, Yuxi, had something to hide, thus of course, she would have a guilty conscience.

    Yuxi walked into Liuli Pce step by step with her heart filled with uneasiness.

    They hadn¡¯t entered the inner room yet, when they heard a man¡¯s voiceing from inside. Qinxin¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up as she quickly walked towards the inner room.

    As soon as Yuxi and Yuchen entered the pce, they heard Qinxin eximed happily, ¡°9th Imperial Brother, 10th Imperial Brother, I made a new friend today. Let me introduce you to her.¡± After that, they heard her call out loud, ¡°Yuchen,e in quickly!¡± Yuxi had directly been ignored by Qinxin.

    Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort smilingly said, ¡°You, this child, don¡¯t you know how old you are already? Why are you still crying out loud?¡± Her mouth might beining, but the smile on her face couldn¡¯t be hidden.

    Yuxi, as usual, followed behind Yuchen. When she was aware that the bald donkey[+][derog.] Buddhist monk was not inside the pce and didn¡¯t notice any displeasure in Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort¡¯s words, her heart became rxed at once.

    The two greeted the Princes together, and Yuxi didn¡¯t even dare to lift her head when they had done their greeting.

    Qinxin, on the other hand, came over and took Yuchen¡¯s hand as she introduced her to the two princes, ¡°9th Imperial Brother, 10th Imperial Brother, this is my new best friend, Chen Jiejie[+]elder sister.¡±

    When the 9th Prince, Chaixuan, saw Yuchen, there was a sh of astonishment in his eyes, but his reaction was only limited to this. For him, the Imperial Pce did notck any beauties. Although he hadn¡¯t officially married yet, his current Ce Fei[+]Side Consort was also a bewitchingly charming beauty.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Whereas the 10th Prince, Chaijin, at the moment he came face to face with Yuchen, he stared at her in a daze. He didn¡¯t even hear what Qinxin was saying as he continued gawking at the beautiful youngdy.

    Qinxin was a very simple-minded person, and once she saw the 10th Prince¡¯s reaction, she didn¡¯t shy away from making fun of him at all, ¡°Tenth Imperial Brother, I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯re actually ogling at Chen Jiejie[+]elder sister.¡±

    The 10th Prince totally ignored Qinxin¡¯s words of teasing, as he asked Yuchen seriously, ¡°Miss Han, have we met before?¡±

    When Yuxi heard his words, the corners of her mouth couldn¡¯t help twitching. She didn¡¯t image that the 10th Prince, who had a look of a banished immortal[+]wayward genius, would used such a poor taste way to hit on a girl.

    Yes, the 10th Prince was very good-looking. He had aplexion that was as clear as jade, ink-stained eyebrows, and a sculpted face with distinctive features. Truly unmatched handsomeness.

    Yuxi had seen the 10th Prince in her previous life, and that was when Yuchen paid a visit to her maiden home after her marriage. At that time, it was indescribable how well matched the two, as they stood next to each other. In Yuxi¡¯s opinion, they were truly a beautiful couple.

    The words spoken by the 10th Prince were somewhat rash, but Yuchen was not angry either. She just blushed, shook her head slightly and then said, ¡°Chen nu[+]chen=I, your servant [used in addressing the sovereign], nu=female has never met His Highness before.¡±

    Qinxin smiled particrly without restraint, ¡°10th Imperial Brother, I guess you¡¯ve seen Chen Jiejie[+]elder sister in your dreams.¡±

    Before the 10th Prince could open his mouth, Song Guifei[+]Noble Consortughingly scolded her, ¡°Really impudent. You even dare to make fun of your own 10th Imperial Brother.¡±

    Qinxin noticed that the 10th Prince¡¯s eyesight kept on ncing at Yuchen from time to time. Thus, she said with a giggle, ¡°Look, Mu Fei[+]mu=mother, fei=consort, 10th Imperial Brother is secretly looking at Chen Jiejie[+]elder sister!¡±

    Yuchen naturally could feel the 10th Prince¡¯s eyes were on her. After hearing Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s teasing words, she blushed so much that she wished she could make herself invisible.

    Yuxi also felt that someone was looking at her. Even without looking up, she knew that the person must have been the 9th Prince. There were only six people in the inner hall. The 10th Prince was currently putting his attention solely on Yuchen. Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort and Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess would definitely not be looking at her, so that left the 9th Prince.

    The 9th Prince looked at Yuxi who had been keeping her head down and pretended to be a quail. He found her very interesting. Therefore, he said, ¡°What are you doing with your head down all the time? Raise your head.¡± For Yuxi to be rumoured as an evil spirit, at any rate, he had to see the true face of Mount Lu[+]Chinese phrase : the truth about a person or a matter.

    Yuxi knew that themand was for her. Her hand suddenly started to tremble, but she didn¡¯t dare to defy the 9th Prince¡¯s order. So she toughened her scalp[+]summon up courage and raised up her head, then quickly lowered her head in fright. This time she was not pretending. She was really scared.

    The 9th Prince¡¯s appearance was also outstanding, but at the same time, he was too terrifying. Those deep eyes seemed to be bottomless dark and boundless. The shadow cast between his eyes made him unfathomable, and there was not even the slightest emotion could be seen between his eyebrows. For her to be watched by him, seemed like he could see through her.

    Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort looked at the expressions of her two sons. Then she lovingly told Yuxi and Yuchen to go back. Even when Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess had coquettishly requested Yuchen to stay for lunch, Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort refused her request.

    Qinxin knew there was no way for her to change her Mu Fei[+]mu=mother, fei=consort¡¯s mind. For that reason, she uttered dejectedly, ¡°Then I¡¯m going back to my own pce.¡± She next turned her head towards the 10th Prince, and spoke, ¡°10th Imperial Brother, youe with me.¡±

    The 10th Prince nced at Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort. When he saw her nod, only then did he agree, ¡°Okay.¡±

    When there were only two people left inside the room, Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort asked the 9th Prince, ¡°What do you think of these two girls from the Han family?¡±

    The 9th Prince replied, ¡°If Mu Fei[+]mu=mother, fei=consort has anything to say directly to this son, then just let it out.¡±

    Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort borated, ¡°Before Heshou went to Wutai Mountain, she told me that Han Yuchen would turn you two brothers into enemies.¡± If Han Yuchen was just amoner¡¯s daughter, why would she got into such trouble to summon her into the pce when she could just directly kill her? However, Han Yuchen not only had the Duke of the State Residence, but also Marquis Pinging Residence behind her. If Han Yuchen was killed because of Heshou¡¯s word, it would cause officials to fear her and thereby med her for future disaster.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When the 9th Prince heard these words, a sneered appeared at the corner of his lips, ¡°Did Mu Fei[+]mu=mother, fei=consort really believe her nonsense?¡± That woman would do anything to kill the two girls of the Han family. Before, he was wondering why Heshou was so desperate to kill those two Han girls, but today, he finally understood.

    Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort didn¡¯t reply to his inquiry, but she instead pointed out, ¡°You saw your brother¡¯s appearance just now. He has taken a fancy to that girl from the Han family.¡± She was very clear about her younger son¡¯s attitude, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what her older son was thinking.

    The 9th Prince knew the meaning behind Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort¡¯s words, ¡°Mu Fei[+]mu=mother, fei=consort, the Han girl is indeed very beautiful, but there are many beauties under the sky. She is not the only one.¡± As long as he reached the throne in the future, he could have any kind of beauty. Ergo, why would he be so ssless as to steal a woman from his younger brother? Heshou really underestimated him.

    Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort¡¯s heart was truly relieved. If her eldest son also had any thoughts on Han Yuchen, she would have had to get rid of the girl even if it would cause her future trouble. Now that her eldest son didn¡¯t have such intention, she didn¡¯t have to take this step anymore. As for her younger son¡¯s fancy for Han Yuchen, whether it was her family, appearance, talent, or character, Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with her. Plus, she didn¡¯t have dissatisfaction towards Yuchen based on Tong¡¯s spoken words.[+]T/N : So Liao is that bald donkey¡¯s surname? ¨C think emoticon ¨C

    The 9th Prince remembered that Yuxi was looking like a white rabbit just now. Her face paled with fright simply from his nce. He let out a remark, ¡°It¡¯s interesting to look at the Fourth Miss Han though.¡±

    Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort felt a bit odd when she heard the wordsing from her son¡¯s mouth. Her eldest son¡¯s sight was really weird, where he would be the only one who paid attention to a person who was as timid as a mouse like Han Yuxi. Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort quickly reacted, ¡°That girl¡¯s eight characters are not good, and her fate will bring you misfortunes.¡± People who had fate full of trouble and misfortunes would bring trouble to those around them. Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort wouldn¡¯t allow such a person to stay with her son.

    The 9th Princeughed at his Mu Fei[+]mu=mother, fei=consort¡¯s statement. He responded, ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much, Mu Fei[+]mu=mother, fei=consort. I just find that girl interesting, nothing else.¡± That girl did not even open up when she was around him, so how could he suddenly fall for her?

    Once Yuxi was out of the Imperial Pce gate, she immediately got on her carriage. When the car curtain was lowered, she let out a long sigh and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m finally out.¡± In the Imperial Pce just now, she was really holding her breath.

    When Yuchen got into the carriage, she didn¡¯t look at Yuxi. She just sat quietly by herself on the left side. No one knew what she was thinking about.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, what¡¯s wrong with you? Are you still thinking about the 10th Prince?¡± The 10th Prince¡¯s eyes were so revealing that it was impossible for Yuchen not to feel the meaning behind them.

    Yuchen looked at Yuxi and instead, asked Yuxi back, ¡°Si Mei[+]si=fourth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei, what¡¯s going on with you today? Why are you so afraid of ying chess with Gongzhu[+]Princess like that? What were you thinking?¡± Yuxi¡¯s expression might look very real. If she didn¡¯t know Yuxi very well, she would have been deceived by her. As far as Yuxi¡¯s temper was concerned, even if she was nervous, she would not have been afraid like that. Unless, it was really Yuxi¡¯s intention.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t admit that she was faking, ¡°San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, I was really scared. For that Gongzhu[+]Princess, she¡¯s a real Gongzhu[+]Princess! The Gongzhu[+]Princess who could crush me with her bare hands!¡± Yuxi was dealing with all of this today with the same kind of mindset that she had in herst life. The results showed that it worked very well.

    Yuchen would not ept Yuxi¡¯s excuse as she continued to ask, ¡°Why did you do this?¡±

    Yuxi decided to tell her the truth. Since the two of them had spent time together for so long, they could distinguish the truth and false in each other¡¯s words simply by hearing them, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the Imperial Pce. I don¡¯t want to be careful when dealing with Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort, Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess and other people. San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, I¡¯m not the same as you. You are destined to have a fate with the Imperial Pce, while I¡­¡± Yuxi didn¡¯t finish her following words. She just let Yuchenplete them herself.

    Yuchen was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t like going into the Imperial Pce, you don¡¯t need to use such a method.¡± Yuxi¡¯s method was so humiliating.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I was already frightened merely from seeing Guifei Niangniang[+]guifei=noble consort, niangniang= addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine. Even if this matter was passed out, I would not lose any face nheless.¡± It was usual for her to feel nervous when it was her first time to enter the Imperial Pce. Even if people heard about this, they would at mostugh it off.

    Yuchen really couldn¡¯t understand Yuxi. In her opinion, Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort and Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess were very easy to get along with, but Yuxi avoided them like they were snakes and scorpions[+]vicious people.

    Yuchen was thinking too much. Yuxi simply didn¡¯t want to have more contact with Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort and Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess. For the sole reason that the more contact she had with them, the more trouble would she have to face in the future. Moreover, temporary camouge could be wless, while for her to pretend every day, she should not reveal any of her ws. She hadn¡¯t reached that level yet. However, unbeknown to Yuxi, the two women whom she didn¡¯t want to be close to would change the fate of her life. Because of these two women, she would embark on apletely different path from the one she had been expecting.

    Yuxi looked at Yuchen¡¯s frown, and cheerfully stated, ¡°San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, you should be happy. Today, the 10th Prince has been keeping his eyes on you. San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, since the 10th Prince is a noble descendant, who also has a handsome and dashing-looking appearance, make you two a match made in heaven! Oh¡­do you think the 10th Prince will immediately ask the Emperor to sanction a marriage to you?¡±

    Yuchen snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t be so outspoken.¡± If one ignore the blush on her face, her words would have been more intimidating.

    As soon as Yuxi heard herself being scolded, she immediately pleaded for mercy, ¡°San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, you can rest assured that I will never tell anyone about today¡¯s affairs, even to Grandmother and Eldest Aunt.¡±

    Yuchen stared coldly at Yuxi, but she didn¡¯t say anything else.

    Yuxi smilingly wondered, ¡°San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, seriously, you really never met the 10th Prince before? He said he had seen you previously.¡±

    Yuchen said with a cold face, ¡°If you speak about him again, I won¡¯t talk to you anymore.¡±

    Yuxi wouldn¡¯t dare to make any fuss anymore after hearing Yuchen¡¯s threat. ¡°I¡¯ll take a short break then. Today has really been exhausting.¡± Today, she had consumed a lot of her energy.

    P/S : Female lead¡¯s words : What a tragic way to be a female lead. I don¡¯t even get to be with the pretty boy or the cool boy!

 Chapter 157 - Maidong (1)

    Chapter 157 : Maidong (1)

    The moment Yuchen and Yuxi returned to the State Residence, Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort¡¯s bestowed rewards arrived soon after. The amount of gifts given to Yuchen was twice that of Yuxi. When everyone heard the different amount of gifts between the two, they realised that Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort was very pleased with Third Miss. As for Fourth Miss, she just followed Yuchen along to join the fun.

    Yuxi was rewarded with a pair of tribute silks, a pair of green jade auspicious clouds gilded with gold beads phoenix tail hairpin and a pair of sapphire blue jadeite pearl beads hairpins. In addition, there were also a pair of round fans, and a pair of scented bead bracelets.

    Green jade auspicious clouds gilded with gold beads phoenix tail hairpin probably looks like this. Though there¡¯s only one auspicious cloud in this picture. Phoenix tail hairpin means the curved shape of the bottom part of the hairpin that is used to attach the hairpin to one¡¯s hair.

    Image Credit | As stated in the image

    Sapphire blue jadeite pearl beads hairpin probably looked like this. Maybe the one Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort gave to Yuxi have more gems or pearl beads?

    Image Credit | As stated in the image via ±¦À¶µã´äÖéîÎ (µÚ3Ò³) at QQ

    A pair of round fans

    Image Credit | As stated in the image (·çÇéÍòÖÖµÄÖÐ¹ú¹¬ÉÈ, July 25th, 2018)

    Scented bead bracelet

    Image Credit | As stated in the image via Taobao

    Yuxi noticed the ugly look on Zisu¡¯s face. She smilingly said, ¡°The 10th Prince has taken fancy of San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, and it is a human nature for Guifei[+]Noble Consort to reward her with more favourable gifts than mine. Furthermore, the rewards from Guifei[+]Noble Consort are not to be looked down upon.¡± To Yuxi, these pieces of jewellery worth a lot of money.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Zisu was taken aback that she had to ask, ¡°Did Miss see the 10th Prince? I heard that he inherited Guifei Niangniang[+]Guifei=Noble Consort, Niangniang=addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine¡¯s appearance which must have made him look extraordinarily outstanding.¡±

    Yuxi gently nodded her head, ¡°Yes. In fact, the 9th Prince¡¯s look is also not bad, but he is so imposing that no one dares to look at him squarely in the eye.¡±

    Zisu hurriedly asked, ¡°What is Miss¡¯ impression on Guifei Niangniang[+]Guifei=Noble Consort, Niangniang=addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine?¡± The10th Prince had taken a fancy on Third Miss. While, based on her own self-knowledge, the 9th Prince would have surely turned up his nose at her Miss. It was not that she was being unduly humble[+]Chinese idiom : belittle oneself, but what kind of beauty hadn¡¯t the 9th Prince seen? Besides, her Miss was still young, and she hadn¡¯t properly bloomed yet!

    Yuxi shook her head and answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Guifei Niangniang[+]Guifei=Noble Consort, Niangniang=addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine didn¡¯t talk to me. But that¡¯s okay. That ce, the Imperial Pce, try your best not to go if you can! That ce has too many rules that need to be followed.¡± One had to be on one¡¯s knees at every turn. Moreover, one was not allowed to raise up on one¡¯s feet until one had been told to do so! Even now, her knees were still hurting from doing all the kneelings!

    Zisu felt that it was a great pity for her Miss to have this kind of thinking.

    Two dayster, Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess sent someone to pick up Yuchen to the pce. Zisu felt awfully sorry for her Miss over this matter. Yuxi, however, was unconcerned about it. She just went into her study to read once more.

    When Yuxi got tired of reading in the study, she went out. It was very hot at this time of the day, and only her second-ss maid, Cai Die, was standing alone with folding arms in the corridor, while the others were shrinking in the room. But Cai Die was looking like she was extremely at a loss.

    Yuxiughed, as she stepped forward, and asked, ¡°What made you look this awkward?¡± Yuxi never made things difficult for her lower level maids. Although Zisu was rather stern towards them, as long as they did their jobs well and didn¡¯t stir up trouble, she wouldn¡¯t casually scold them. Therefore, the maids who worked with Yuxi had a very good life.

    When Cai Die saw Yuxi, her face turned pale with fright and she started to stutter, ¡°Mi, Miss¡­¡±

    How could Yuxi don¡¯t understand after looking at Cai Die¡¯s current appearance, and thenbine it with how Cai Die¡¯s act just before. ¡°Come to my study,¡± she immediately said. The matter which had made Cai Die looking so at loss, perhaps had something to do with her. Otherwise Cai Die wouldn¡¯t have looked so scared when she saw her.

    When Yuxi entered the study, she stood in the middle of the room and asked, ¡°Tell me, what has been bothering you so much?¡±

    Now that Cai Die had reached this point, she didn¡¯t hesitate anymore. She exined, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s regarding Maidong Jiejie[+]elder sister¡¯s family.¡±

    Yuxi was rather puzzled. ¡°What happened to Maidong¡¯s family?¡± Since herst warning, Maidong¡¯s family didn¡¯t have any more wicked ideas.

    Cai Die made up her mind and told Yuxi, ¡°Maidong¡¯s mother and dasao[+]eldest sister-inw celebrated Maidong¡¯s grandmother¡¯s birthday two days ago. My mother noticed that Maidong¡¯s mother was wearing gold earrings, gold rings, and there were also four to five gold bracelets on her wrist. While Maidong¡¯s dasao[+]eldest sister-inw wore a jade bracelet.¡± The things that the two women wore together would cost more than hundreds taels of silver.

    Yuxi asked calmly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±

    Cai Die answered in a very low voice, ¡°Not to mention Maidong¡¯s mother¡¯s gold bracelet, my mother said that the jade bracelet worn by Maidong¡¯s dasao[+]eldest sister-inw could be worth more than ten taels of silver. My mother also said that Maidong¡¯s family had never been this well-off. In the past two years, although Maidong Jiejie[+]elder sister had helped support her family financially with ample amounts of money, nevertheless her dage[+]eldest brother and er ge[+]second brother had spent a lot of money given by her just by marrying their wives in session, thus her family could not have any savings. My mother thought that there was something odd with this, so she wanted me to tell Miss about it.¡±

    Yuxi asked, ¡°What¡¯s so odd about it?¡±

    Cai Die lowered her head even further, ¡°My mother said that Maidong¡¯s father and her two elder brothers are loyal and honest people, and they also haven¡¯t done any shady business. Hence, it was impossible for such arge amount of silver to drop down on her family out of thin air. I began to think that they were rewards given by Miss to Maidong Jiejie[+]elder sister, so I specifically asked Zisu Jiejie[+]elder sister. I found out that the Miss had never rewarded Maidong Jiejie[+]elder sister with any gold bracelets and a jade bracelet, so I thought this matter was not right.¡±

    When Yuxi¡¯s personal maids Moju, Motao and Hongshan had gotten married, she had rewarded them with gold and silver jewellery, but that was naturally for their dignity, which belonged to special circumstances. No matter how generous Yuxi usually was, it was impossible for her to merely give gold bracelets and a jade bracelet worth more than dozens of taels to her personal maids. If she really did this, then she would not be called as being generous, but rather mindless.

    Yuxi nodded her head and said, ¡°I know, and you must not tell anyone else about this.¡± Cai Die¡¯s mother must have reckoned that the money used for Maidong¡¯s family jewellery must havee from an improper source, so she had asked Cai Die to tell her about it. In fact, Yuxi already knew that there was something wrong with it as soon as she heard it.

    Cai Die felt grateful, ¡°Thank you, Miss.¡± Before, she was really hesitant to let Miss know about this matter. It was because, once she let this matter out, no matter if there was any problem with Maidong¡¯s family or not, she would not end well. If there was no problem with Maidong¡¯s family, then she was the one who had intentionally stirred up troubles; if there was any problem, Maidong would definitely be implicated, and several jiejie[+]elder sister who had good rtionships with Maidong would definitely have bad opinions on Cai Die. If she was excluded, she would have a hard time working in Taoran House. Now that Miss wouldn¡¯t let her tell anyone else, this meant that Miss was asking her to keep this matter a secret. No matter what the result would be, it wouldn¡¯t effect her.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi gave Cai Die a little nudge and instructed, ¡°Grind the ink! I want to practice my calligraphy.¡±

    Usually the work of grinding ink was done by Yuxi¡¯s personal maids, so when Zisu brought over a bowl of lotus seed soup, she was very surprised to see Cai Die grinding the ink.

    Yuxi waved her hand toward Cai Die and said, ¡°You should withdraw first.¡±

    After Cai Die withdrew, Zisu asked strangely, ¡°Miss, why did you ask Cai Die to grind ink for you.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°I just happened to want to practice my calligraphy, and when I went out, I saw her standing on the corridor, so I called her in. What¡¯s wrong? Is there any problem?¡±

    Zisu shook her head and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s just a bit strange. Speaking of which, this maid, Cai Die, has been acting really weird these past two days. Last night, she asked me whether Miss had ever rewarded Maidong with gold bracelets. I don¡¯t even know why she was asking about it.¡± Everything Yuxi rewarded had to be registered into the ount book, which was managed by Zisu, so just by asking her would be the most effective way to inquire.

    In addition to her four personal maids, Yuxi didn¡¯t have much contact with second-ss and third-ss maids, but she knew their basic situations. ¡°I remember that her mother works in the teahouse, and she has a brother who seems to have trouble with his legs and feet.¡±

    Zisu smiled and borated, ¡°Even though her mother works in a teahouse, she is a good person and has a good rtionship with people. His brother is still unmarried because of his bad leg! Cai Die is a good natured person, quick in her work and has a flexible mind, but not very talkative.¡± The teahouse was just like a nonprofit organisation, where it didn¡¯t pay much attention on how much profit it earned.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t continue with this topic any longer, but took and ate the lotus seed soup. After she finished eating, she resumed her calligraphy practice. Zisu didn¡¯t see any difference in her.

    Yuxi was a very calm person, that was, until after dinner that she took Zisu to the Master Courtyard to look for Qiu Shi.

    When Qiu Shi saw Yuxi, she smiled and asked, ¡°What have made you think ofing here today?¡± Since Yuxi got those books from Han Jianye, she didn¡¯t have much free time, and her visits to the Master Courtyard had decreased a lot.

    Yuxi smiled and talked with Qiu Shi for a while, before she turned to Zisu and instructed, ¡°I have something to tell Eldest Aunt. You should go and wait for me outside.¡±

    Zisu was a little surprised, but she didn¡¯t ask much and just walked out of the room.

    With Yuxi acting like this, how could Qiu Shi still didn¡¯t understand. She also asked the other maids in the room to go out, and then she asked Yuxi, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± With such an incident with Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang, Qiu Shi had almost became like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow[+]Chinese idiom : sb who frightens easily, due to past experiences..

    Yuxi brought up what Cai Die had told her to Qiu Shi, ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right to me either, but it is not good for me to check it out with great fanfare. It¡¯s okay if I managed to find out a problem, but if I couldn¡¯t find any problem, at that time, it would make those who served around me always feel uneasy.¡± A personal maid should not be suspected casually, nor could she check it with great fanfare, or it would make everyone nervous.

    It was impossible to do it quietly with Yuxi¡¯s current ability. Therefore, this matter could only be investigated by Qiu Shi.

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°In all likelihood, this matter is indeed problematic, but it depends on the size of the problem.¡± Qiu Shi was a Lady who managed their household. Thus she knew exactly what was going on here. If it was the outer courtyard steward or the stewardess of the inner courtyard, these people would have some money left over. Especially from ces like the kitchen where profits were abundant. This made their financial condition could be considered well-off in the residence. But for Maidong¡¯s family, except Maidong, who had a pretty good job, her other family members¡¯ jobs were only mediocre. Thusly how could they have the ability to get gold bracelets and buy a jade bracelet?

    Yuxi requested, ¡°Eldest Aunt, please check it for me!¡±

    Qiu Shi nodded her head and said, ¡°No matter what we find out, this Maidong can¡¯t stay there any longer.¡± If there was trouble in one¡¯s personal maid¡¯s family, that personal maid was likely to bring future problems.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to wait for the result first.¡± If it had nothing to do with Maidong, she would definitely not drive Maidong out. But if there was¡­she didn¡¯t know what was wrong, but her intuition told her that this matter might not be rted to Maidong.

    After talking about Maidong, Qiu Shi then talked about Yuchen, ¡°You went to the pce with Yuchen, but why did Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess only invite Yuchen alone to the pce?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°This is because Yuchen and Qinxin are brought together by fate, and I can¡¯t force myself to be between them.¡±

    Qiu Shi just felt it was a bit of a pity. ¡°If you can also win Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s favour, there will be more opportunities for your future appearances, and you¡¯ll have more room to choose your marriage partner.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°This kind of thing can¡¯t be forced. Besides, the pce has a lot of rules, and I¡¯m notfortable with them. I prefer to be at home, free and unconstrained.¡±

    Qiu Shi smilingly said, ¡°Look at you. You just know how to guard your own acre ofnd[+]personal space. In fact, only when you are still a young miss at home will you have some days of easy living. Once you get married, there are a lot of tedious things to do, and you won¡¯t be able to be as rxed as before.¡±

    Yuxi cheerfully responded, ¡°It¡¯s still too early for me to get married!¡±

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t think it was still too early. ¡°You will be thirteen years old after new year, and then after a few more years, you won¡¯t be able to stay at home anymore.¡±

 Chapter 158 - Maidong (2)

    Chapter 158 : Maidong (2)

    Seeing that Qiu Shi was talking with increasing vigour, Yuxi subtly changed the subject, ¡°Speaking of which, Dajie[+]eldest sister and Er Jie[+]er=second, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie are both fifteen this year. So it¡¯s almost time for them to settle on their marriages, right?¡±

    Qiu Shi nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got my eye on two, but I haven¡¯t decided which one yet!¡± One of them was the third son of the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, Xiang Zhixue, the fourth in line in the Xiang family, who was also Yuru¡¯s husband in her previous life; the other person was Zeng Kezhou, the eldest shu[+]born from concubine son of Garrison Commander of Garrison Military Camp, Zeng Daren[+]title of respect toward superiors.

    Yuxi did not understand why Qiu Shi had chosen the Fourth Young Master Xiang in the past, but she was surprised to hear about the situation of the Zeng family. ¡°The eldest shu[+]born from concubine son? They don¡¯t have a di[+]born from formal/legal wife son?¡± It was only when there was no first di[+]born from formal/legal wife son that the eldest shu[+]born from concubine son was allowed to be born. Otherwise, this would be a case of favouring the concubine and doing away with the wife[+]Chinese idiom : spoil one¡¯s mistress and neglect one¡¯s wife. If it was really the case of favouring the concubine and doing away with the wife[+]Chinese idiom : spoil one¡¯s mistress and neglect one¡¯s wife, then this family would definitely not be able tost long.

    Qiu Shi shook her head as she exined, ¡°The Zeng family had an eldest di[+]born from formal/legal wife son, but he had an ident when he was thirteen years old, and Madam Zeng also passed away for being extremely sad of his passing. After two years, Zeng Daren[+]title of respect toward superiors took a second wife. This second wife of his had just given birth to a son in the middle of this year.¡± Without the eldest di[+]born from formal/legal wife son around, Zeng Kezhou was naturally promoted as the family eldest son.

    After listening to this, Yuxi didn¡¯t feel Zeng Kezhou to be someone that Qiu Shi would personally pick. ¡°Who actually has taken a fancy on this Zeng Kezhou? It won¡¯t be Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege, right?¡± Dage[+]eldest brother wouldn¡¯t have contact with this kind of person. However, Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege was likely to be in a good terms with people like Zeng Kezhou.

    When Qiu Shi heard Yuxi¡¯s inquiry, she couldn¡¯t help smiling, ¡°It was your Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege who has taken a fancy on him. One of your Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege¡¯s friends is very close to Childe Zeng like a brother. In the course of frequent contact, your Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege and Childe Zeng Kezhou have gotten familiar with each other. When your Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege knows that the Childe Zeng was not yet engaged to anyone, your Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege brought out his name as one of the marriage candidate.¡±

    Yuxi asked, ¡°In that case, this Young Master Zeng is currently not holding any government official post?¡±

    Qiu Shi shook her head and answered, ¡°No, he just filled a positionst month, and now he¡¯s a lower seventh rank officer.¡± A lower seventh rank officer was really not much in the capital. However, Qiu Shi heard from Han Jianye that this man had a lot of potential, so she wavered a little.

    Yuxi suddenly smiled, ¡°The Fourth Childe Xiang is not holding any government official post, while Young Master Zeng is an officer; but Childe Xiang is a di[+]born from formal/legal wife son and has a good family background. While for the Zeng family, it is somewhatplicated, since he was a shu[+]born from concubine son. Both of them have their own advantage and disadvantage.¡±

    It was only because each of the two families had its own advantages and disadvantages which had made Qiu Shi be this indecisive.

    Yuxi smiled and suggested, ¡°Eldest Aunt, I think you should ask Dajie[+]eldest sister for her opinion on this. After all, it is her who will have to live with one of these people for a lifetime, and it is good to ask for her opinion.¡± If her Dajie[+]eldest sister wanted a stable and peaceful life, she should choose Fourth Childe Xiang. If she wanted to live as a wealthy and high-ranking titleddy, she should pick Zeng Kezhou.

    Qiu Shi was originally going to ask the Old Lady¡¯s opinion. Nheless, after hearing what Yuxi said, she thought it would be good to ask for Yuru¡¯s opinion. ¡°Okay, I will talk to your Dajie[+]eldest sisterter. Regarding your matter, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. It will be settled within these two days.¡±

    Before Yuxi went back, Qiu Shi urged her, ¡°Don¡¯t read books all the time. If you have nothing to do, you cane out more and take a stroll. You can alsoe apany me by chatting with me. Or you can spend time chatting with Yuru and the other girls.¡± Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t understand how Yuxi could stay in her study all day and night just by reading books. What was the point of her reading so many books when she didn¡¯t even need to take the zhuangyuan[+]number one schr examination?

    Yuxi smiled and responded, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that if Ie more often, Eldest Aunt will resent me.¡± When it came to something that there was no way for her to agree on, the best way for her to take was by changing the subject.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°How dare you say such things to your aunt. You really deserve a beating.¡± After saying that, she made a gesture to hit Yuxi a few times.

    They joked andughed for a while before Yuxi took her leave and went back.

    Qiu Shi restrained her smile, called over Mama Li, and told her to check on Maidong¡¯s family at once. Then she turned around and instructed Liuyue to invite Yuru over.

    When Yuru came over, Qiu Shi told her all about the Xiang and Zeng families, making it very clear and understandable for her.

    When Yuru heard Qiu Shi¡¯s words, her face turned a little red. She bowed her head and said, ¡°I will listen to Mother¡¯s orders and matchmaker¡¯s words for my marriage affairs.¡±

    Qiu Shiughed as she borated, ¡°The Fourth Young Master Xiang is not very sessful in his studies, and in all likelihood, he will have to abandon the path of being an official in the future. The Zeng family¡¯s eldest young master is not bad in martial arts and is somewhat a schr, so your Er Ge[+]er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege said his future prospects are not bad. If you choose the Xiang family, you will have a stable and prosperous life, but the fourth young master will have limited prospects; if you choose the Zeng family, the Zeng family second wife is not going to simplify matters. In addition, Young Master Zeng has joined the military, and there will always be danger while he is in the military. Both families have their own advantages and disadvantages.¡±

    Yuru, who was listening, was also at a loss.

    For such a great event in Yuru¡¯s life, Qiu Shi didn¡¯t expect Yuru to give her an answer right away, ¡°Go back and think about it first. You have three days to think about it.¡± It was only because of Yuru¡¯s good behaviour and obedience towards her for the past two years that made Qiu Shi take a lot of trouble by expending a great deal of her effort for Yuru¡¯s marriage. As for Yujing, she wouldn¡¯t be bothered to think too much.

    Yuru was so moved that she said, ¡°Because of my affairs, I have made Mother suffer.¡±

    Qiu Shi was in a good mood right now. She said with a smile, ¡°As long as you live a beautiful life in the future, it will not waste my hard work.¡±

    It was also at this time that the matter of Maidong¡¯s family had been checked out.

    Qiu Shi told Yuxi about the results of the investigation, and after she had finished telling Yuxi, she cursed, ¡°How dare they go as far as eating from inside and then steal for others[+]Chinese metaphor : live off one person while secretly helping another. They even sell you just for some money.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face also became very ugly. She originally thought that someone from Maidong¡¯s family had done something illegal and got ill-gotten wealth, but she didn¡¯t expect them to betray her by exchanging her information for money.

    When Qiu Shi saw Yuxi¡¯s expression, she rmended, ¡°This maid should never be kept any longer. You should hand her over to Mama Cao!¡± Mama Cao specialised in dealing with maids who had made mistakes.

    Yuxi thought for a moment and then stated, ¡°I¡¯ll hand her over to Mama Caoter.¡± As for what happened to Maidong¡¯s family, Yuxi didn¡¯t even bother to ask. A servant who betrayed his master would never end up well. And there was no way she, too, would make an exception for Maidong.

    Back in Taoran House, Yuxi instructed Kufu, ¡°Go and call Maidong over.¡±

    Mai Dong was cleaning her bedroom, when she heard Yuxi calling for her. She put down her chicken feather duster and immediately walked over. When she noticed Yuxi¡¯s gloomy face, Maidong panicked a little in her heart, ¡°Miss¡­¡±

    Yuxi looked at Maidong and asked, ¡°Do you know about the matter of your mother selling my information to Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s Mansion?¡± In fact, from what Yuxi could guess from Maidong¡¯s temperament, she should not know about this matter.

    These words, like thunder in a clear sky over Maidong¡¯s head, really frightened her. ¡°Miss, what are you talking about?¡± Why did her Miss say that her mother had sold her information to Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s Mansion?

    When Zisu and Kufu, who were standing next to her, heard these words, they were also shocked. Who didn¡¯t know the feud between the State Residence, Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s Mansion and the Qiao family? For Maidong¡¯s family to even dared to sell their Miss¡¯ information to Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s Mansion, wasn¡¯t it the same as courting after death?

    Kufu looked at Maidong and asked instead, ¡°Miss, could there be a mistake? Although Maidong¡¯s mother has always been entric, she is not so unreasonable.¡±

    Yuxi swept a nce at Kufu, who immediately turned pale from fear and in turn, she did not dare not say another word.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Zisu was a bit more daring as she asked, ¡°Miss, what is going on? How could Maidong¡¯s mother have colluded with the people of Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s Mansion?¡± Even if she was damned, her Miss had to make the matter clear to Maidong.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t tell them the exact process on how she had known about the matter, and she didn¡¯t need to exin it clearly to them. ¡°This matter had been found out by Eldest Aunt¡¯s people. Two hundred taels of silver tickets and more than two hundred taels worth of gold and silver jewellery had been recovered from her house.¡± As for the fact that Maidong¡¯s mother would never admit to betray her master even if she died, there was no need for Yuxi to bring it out. As long as there was sufficient evidence, it no longer mattered whether she admitted doing it or not.

    When Maidong heard this, she fell to the ground in shock and muttered, ¡°How could this happen? How could my mother do such a thing?¡±

    Seeing this situation, Kufu immediately knelt on the ground and started to beg, ¡°Miss, Maidong will never betray Miss. It must be Maidong¡¯s mother who was talking nonsense. This matter must have nothing to do with Maidong Jiejie[+]elder sister.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Maidong and ordered, ¡°Speak for yourself.¡±

    When Kufu looked at the dumbfounded Maidong, she hurried over and pinched her hand, while saying, ¡°Maidong, tell Miss that you have nothing to do with this matter. You haven¡¯t said anything about Miss to your mother, right?¡± As long as Maidong didn¡¯t reveal anything about Miss, there was still a chance for Maidong to remedy the situation.

    Only then did Maidonge back to her senses and confessed in tears, ¡°Miss, my mother did ask me about Miss, but I just told her that Miss liked to read books. When Miss was tired from reading, Miss would y chess or do embroidery work, or Miss would go and talk to the Third Miss. Other than that, I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± All these things that Maidong said were not secrets. Not to mention the people in the Taoran House knew about them, even the people in the State Residence knew about them. If that was all that was said, Maidong had not turned her back on her Master.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t say a word.

    Kufu also knelt on the ground and helped Maidong to plead for mercy, ¡°Miss, Maidong will never betray Miss. I beg Miss to be clear.¡± Once Maidong was given the reputation of betraying her master, it would be a dead end for her.

    Maidong cried as she begged, ¡°The girl has treated this handmaiden with debts of gratitude as weighty as a mountain[+]Chinese idiom : deep favour. How can this handmaiden be ungrateful? Miss, this handmaiden really didn¡¯t do anything that will let Miss down.¡± If Miss didn¡¯t even leave her a glimpse of hope, then, her only way was for her to die.

    Yuxi also believed that Maidong had not betrayed her, as she had not done anything overstepping her daily work, and yet, there was nothing more for her to say to Maidong. ¡°Go and pack your things! Mother Cao wille over soon.¡± Even if Maidong had not done anything wrong, she could no longer stay by her side.

    Who in the residence didn¡¯t know what Mama Cao¡¯s function was? Even if Maidong was stupid, she knew that once she was in Mama Cao¡¯s hands, even though she wouldn¡¯t die, she would be treated tenaciously. She knelt down and kowtowed, ¡°I beg Miss to spare my life. I¡¯m really innocent.¡±

    Yuxi asked Kufu to help Maidong up and then said, ¡°Whether you were wrongly used or not, your family is involved with the people of Gongzhu[+]Princess¡¯s Mansion, so I can¡¯t keep you here anymore. Mama Cao will be here soon, so you should bring whatever you can!¡±

    Maidong looked like dying embers[+]Chinese idiom : deathly pale [from fright or poor health].

    Zisu gave a wink and asked Kufu to help Maidong back to her room, then she asked Yuxi, ¡°Miss, there is no room to turn around, is there?¡± After being together for so many years, she couldn¡¯t bear to see Maidong ended up in such a state.

    Yuxi nced at Zisu and replied, ¡°It was already decided by Eldest Aunt. Besides, without rules, nothing can be done[+]one must follow some rules.¡± Thetter sentence was the real reason why she wanted to punish Maidong. If she didn¡¯t punish Maidong for such a big matter, her underlings would draw a dipper with a gourd as one¡¯s model[+]Chinese idiom : follow the existing pattern without modification, and when the time came, wouldn¡¯t it turn things upside down[+]in a mess?

    Zisu pointed out, ¡°Maidong was also implicated because of her parent.¡±

    Yuxi just responded, ¡°That¡¯s also her fate.¡± For having such bad parents, one couldn¡¯t even stand up for oneself, and thus one couldn¡¯t me anyone else for even getting implicated.

    PS (Author) : Guess what¡¯s going to happen to Maidong.

 Chapter 159 - Yurus Betrothal (1)

    Chapter 159 : Yuru¡¯s Betrothal (1)

    A quarter of an hourter, Mama Cao came over. She was a very dignified old woman servant. As she just stood there, even Zisu did not dare act casually around her.

    Zisu said, ¡°Mama, Miss invites you to her study.¡±

    Mama Cao was still very respectful to Yuxi, and after giving her a greeting, she asked, ¡°What are your instructions, Miss?¡± If there were no instructions she would not have been sent to the study on purpose.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t even put down the book in her hand as she said, ¡°Maidong has served me for more than six years. She has been working very hard even if she has not performed meritorious deeds. She is also implicated in this incident.¡±

    Mama Cao couldn¡¯t understand what Yuxi wanted her to do. ¡°If Miss has any request for me to do, please let me know.¡±

    Yuxi stated, ¡°Not many of these sold maids will end up well. Maidong is only fourteen years old this year. Go to a hamlet and find her a loyal, diligent and honest young man to marry her.¡± With Maidong¡¯s temperament, if she did not find a loyal and honest man, her life would be very difficult in the future.

    Mama Cao finally had a n in her mind. ¡°Miss is really kind-hearted, which is truly a blessing for this maid.¡± By marrying Maidong to a reliable man, she would have someone she could rely on for the rest of her life. This was a hundred times better than being sold to who know where.

    There was no smile on Yuxi¡¯s face, nor could she smile. She just said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble Mama Cao with this matter.¡±

    How could Mama Cao dare to neglect Yuxi¡¯s orders, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. I will make sure that this is done properly.¡±

    At this moment, Zisu came over and said, ¡°Miss, all Maidong¡¯s things have been packed up. Maidong said she wanted to kowtow to Miss.¡±

    Yuxi waved her hand and responded, ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to. Just tell her to take care of herself in the future.¡± She had done everything she could. Whether her future would end up good or bad, it depended on Maidong¡¯s fate.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When Mama Cao noticed that Yuxi was looking at her, she tactfully assured her , ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. I will find a loyal, honest and diligent young man for Maidong.¡± Yuxi had not requested for a wealthy family, but only a loyal, honest and diligent one, which meant that she could look for a domestic ve or a tenant[+]farmer¡¯s family. This left her a lot of room for selection.

    Maidong didn¡¯t have a lot of things with her. She only took home all the rewards given by Yuxi and her monthly sry. Apart from the clothes she wore, she only had a few pieces of jewellery to keep up her appearance. Zisu and Kufu gave her some of their personal money, so that she could ask Mama Cao to sell her to a better ce.

    Mama Cao looked at Maidong with severalrge parcels and said with an expressionless face, ¡°Come with me!¡± Only Maidong¡¯s Miss who was kind enough to allow her to take things out. If it were any other master, she would have been skinned[+]take money from!

    With the departure of Maidong, there was a vacancy in Yuxi¡¯s personal maid quota. Of the four of Yuxi¡¯s personal maids position, Zijin had taken one position but she was currently absent. However, no one dared to gossip about her after the night of the pce rebellion. But with Maidong gone, Yuxi had only two personal maids who already had their hands full. Therefore, this circumstance required her to take action[+]Chinese idiom : absolutely necessary by adding another maid as her personal maid.

    Zisu was very close to Yuxi, so she could ask her directly when she had something on her mind, and she would not go round the curves and skirt the corners[+]Chinese idiom : speak in a roundabout way with Yuxi, ¡°Do Miss have a candidate in mind?¡±

    Yuxi asked back, ¡°Who do you think is a good one?¡±

    After hesitating for a moment, Zisu finally replied, ¡°Caidie is not bad. She¡¯s reliable. She is also quick and neat in her works.¡±

    Yuxi softly chuckled, ¡°You have already kept your eyes on her and yet, you purposely ask me this question, right?¡± As long as Zisu had the mind to connect the events before and after, she would be able to guess that what happened to Maidong had something to do with Caidie.

    Zisu¡¯s face stiffened. She suspected that her Miss had a mind-reading skill, since Miss had already known about everything without the need for Zisu to say anything.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t look at Zisu¡¯s face, as she told her, ¡°Eldest Aunt has given me one of her maids, Bingmei, so you don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡±

    Zisu was taken aback, ¡°Bingmei?¡±

    Yuxi nodded a little and said, ¡°En. It¡¯s Bingmei.¡± Bingmei was Han Xing[+]Qiu Shi¡¯s Steward¡¯s youngest daughter, and her mother was in charge of the needlework room. She had previously be Qiu Shi¡¯s second-ss maid, and after Qiu Shi saw what had happened to Maidong, she no longer trusted the maids around her and gave Bingmei to her.

    Zisu felt a sense of crisis. When a maid with such status came over, it would threaten her status here.

    Then Yuxi said something else that made Zisu¡¯s heart tremble. ¡°Zisu, you are seventeen years old this year. What are your requirements for your other half?¡± Zisu was five years older than Yuxi, but personal maids usually stayed until they were around twenty before they got married. When Yuxi asked her this question, she was hoping that Zisu would find someone to her liking.

    Zisu asked with a pale face, ¡°Miss, do you dislike me?¡±

    Yuxi looked at Zisu¡¯s reaction and couldn¡¯t helpughing, ¡°What with this about me disliking you or not. You can stille back to work here after you¡¯re married. You are seventeen this year, so it¡¯s better for you to choose one now. It¡¯s also not toote for you to get married in a couple more years.¡±

    Zisu breathed out a sigh of relief as she said, ¡°Miss, I won¡¯t get married, nor will I go anywhere. I will continuously wait upon Miss.¡± She didn¡¯t believe in the idea that she could return to her Miss after she had gotten married. Moju, Motao and the others could note back after they had been married off. Not to mention that Miss once said that she would marry her into a good family, so it was even more unlikely for her toe back.

    Yuxiughed lightly, ¡°There¡¯s an old saying that said, ¡®When an unmarried young woman was left behind, she would leave a grudge¡¯.¡± When she noticed Zisu was about to retort, she waved her hand and continued, ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to marry you off now, but you should think about what kind of man you want to find. I told you that day, I would find you a man from outside, so your children would not have to work as servants.¡±

    Zisu¡¯s eyes were red. In fact, she really did not want to go out, nor did she want to marry anyone. Her father and her mother had been in love when they first got married, but then her father hooked up with that lowly woman and killed her mother. Hence, men are unreliable. It would be better for her to stay with her Miss and continue to wait upon her. That way, she could live a peace and quiet life.

    Meanwhile, Yuru had been torn for the past two days. Her mind was so depressed. If the merits of the two werebined into one, she would no longer be torn about who to choose. After thinking about it, Yuru¡¯s intestines had all being tied up before she decided to ask Qingxuan, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s better to choose the Xiang family or the Zeng family?¡±

    Qingxuan was a particrly clear-headed maid. So she was a little surprised when she heard Yuru¡¯s question. ¡°Miss, this handmaiden will probably say something not good. The Xiang family is a family of schrs, and the fourth son is a di[+]born from formal/legal wife son. If he could pass the exams, even if he was just a xiucai[+]a person who has passed the county level imperial exam, he wouldn¡¯t havee to propose marriage with the State Residence, right?¡± Qingxuan felt that the Xiang family did not look right.

    Yuru had always treated Qingxuan just like her own sister, so she was not angry at Qingxuan¡¯s overstepping words. ¡°Mother told me that the Fourth Childe Xiang is not good in his studies. So in the future, the Xiang family will ask him to abandon the path of an official.¡±

    Qingxuan nodded and said, ¡°Miss, he will still have a good future even if he couldn¡¯t pass the exam to be a xiucai[+]a person who has passed the county level imperial exam, and abandon the official path in the future.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°Miss, with Lord Duke doesn¡¯t even take care of his job, Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family is still young, and Second Master is a military official, what benefit will the Fourth Childe Xiang gain from marrying Miss?¡± As a matter of fact, marriage also involved benefits.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuru thought about it for a moment and agreed. ¡°But Madam Zeng is not an easy person to get along with.¡± Zeng Kezhou was not bad, but having a difficult mother-inw was also fatal. Yuru had heard people say before that having a bad mother-inw would make a girl suffer for the rest of her life.

    Qingxuan then assured Yuru with a smile, ¡°Miss, if Madam Zeng is Childe Zeng¡¯s own mother, and she is difficult and mean, then you definitely can not choose him. However, Childe Zeng is a shu[+]born from a concubine son, so he has to take precaution against Madam Zeng. If she makes things difficult for Miss afterwards, Childe Zeng will definitely stand on Miss¡¯ side. As long as the husband and wife are of one mind[+]united, there is no need to be afraid of Madam Zeng making things difficult for Miss.¡± The reason Qingxuan wanted Yuru to choose Childe Zeng, apart from what she had just said, were two other points that she had not mentioned. Zeng Kezhou¡¯s birth mother was already deceased, so there was one lessyer of restraint and one lessyer of someone holding Yuru by the elbow[+]hindered sb. from doing sth.. In addition, Madam Zeng was not from an old and well-known noble family. Therefore, she would only know a few tricks, so it was really unnecessary for her Miss to be afraid of her.

    Yuru was rather moved by this idea.

    In response to Yuru¡¯s reaction, Qingxuan spoke out, ¡°Miss, it is unlikely that Childe Zeng can continuously stay in the capital. When the timees, he will be assigned a post outside of the capital. If Miss follows him, once you¡¯re there at the designated office, Miss will be the master of Miss own house[+]Chinese idiom : be in power.¡±

    Still unable to make up her mind, Yuru requested, ¡°Let me think about it again.¡± However, after she thought about it once more, she still could not make up her mind.

    At this time, Qingxuan had already heard a lot of news from the Master Courtyard, and she knew, for Qiu Shi to ask her Miss¡¯ opinion was in all probability rted to Fourth Miss. When she saw her Miss¡¯ torn look, she rmended, ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t you go and have a chat with Fourth Miss?¡±

    Yuru was a little confused. ¡°Why should I talk to Si Meimei[+]si=fourth, meimei=younger sister about this?¡±

    Qingxuan¡¯s reasoning was simple, ¡°Miss Chiang Xin(Chapter 105)¡¯s biao jiu[+]biao=family rtionship via females, jiu=maternal uncle, in this context biao jiu means cousin¡¯s maternal uncle is married to the Xiang family¡¯s gu nainai[+]gu=father¡¯s sister, nainai=young mistress. Fourth Miss is on friendly terms with Miss Chiang Xin, so perhaps she has heard about the Xiang family!¡± Qingxuan thought that Zeng Kezhou was good, but she didn¡¯t think it was wrong for her Miss to hesitate either. She was only judging from a subjective point of view and she had insufficient knowledge on both of the families.

    Yuru hesitated. She felt a little embarrassed to ask Yuxi.

    Qingxuan was extremely anxious. ¡°Miss, this great event in your life is not a child¡¯s y. If you choose wrongly, it will be for a lifetime. Miss, just go and ask Fourth Miss!¡± Qingxuan felt that shamelessness was only temporary, but a marriage was for a lifetime.

    Under Qingxuan¡¯s repeated persuasions, Yuru finally gritted her teeth and agreed. Qingxuan felt that it was necessary to strike the iron while it was still hot. Otherwise, her Miss would go back on her word again. ¡°Let¡¯s go now!¡±

    It was already rare for Yuxi to embroider hebao[+]pouch in the embroidery room when she heard that Yuru wasing over. She stood up and went to wee her. When she arrived in the small parlour, she ordered Zisu, ¡°Bring up the new fruit.¡± Han Jianming and Han Jianye knew that she liked fruits, so they would bring her fruits from time to time. This time, at noon, Han Jianming had brought her bananas.

    After the tea, fruit and pastries were brought up, Yuxi waved her hand and told the maids to withdraw. ¡°Did something happen for Dajie[+]eldest sister toe here?¡±

    Yuru was a bit ufortable to speak about it. Usually, it was the meimei[+]younger sister who would ask any questions from her jiejie[+]elder sister. But here, she had switched their positions and yet, she was unable to open her mouth.

    When Qingxuan realised that Yuru was not able to get the job done, she had to take on the battle herself, ¡°I¡¯m not going to hide it from Fourth Miss, Madam has selected two families for my Miss¡­¡±

    Before Qingxuan could finish speaking, Yuxi waved her hand and said, ¡°I know, I heard Eldest Aunt talk about it. One is the Xiang family and the other is the Zeng family. But Dajie[+]eldest sister is currently hesitant, not sure which one to choose?¡±

    Yuru shook her head, ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet, and I don¡¯t know who to choose.¡±

 Chapter 160 - Yurus Betrothal (2)

    Chapter 160 : Yuru¡¯s Betrothal (2)

    Yuxi could roughly guess the reason for Yuru¡¯s visit this time was presumably because she wanted to ask her about something.

    Yuru told Yuxi the purpose of her visit, ¡°Si Mei[+]si=fourth, mei=younger sister has a good rtionship with Miss Chiang Xin. I was wondering if Chiang Xin had ever talked about the Xiang family?¡± If she had no choice, she would have nothing to say about this. However, since she had been given choices, she was afraid that she would choose the wrong one, thus this had made her be extremely tangled.

    Yuxi was silent for a moment before responding, ¡°I think I have heard Chiang Xin talk about the Xiang family.¡±

    Yuru¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really? What did Miss Chiang Xin say?¡± She was just trying her luck, but she didn¡¯t expect luck to be on her side.

    Yuxi used to think that Yuru had married well in herst life, but that was based on her previous life¡¯s perception. But now, she saw that Madam Xiang was not an easy person to get along with, and Xiang Zhixue was not someone whom one could entrust all of one¡¯s life with. ¡°Chiang Xin said that her cousin¡¯s aunt had a very bad rtionship with Madam Xiang, that she can¡¯t even go back to her maiden house much after she got married. I¡¯m not sure exactly what happened, but Chiang Xin¡¯s cousin¡¯s aunt, whom I¡¯ve met, is a very kind and gracious person.¡±

    Yuru¡¯s face froze. Chiang Xin¡¯s cousin¡¯s aunt was someone that was easy to get along with, which surely meant that even someone like her couldn¡¯t get along well with Madam Xiang. ¡°What about the Fourth Young Master Xiang?¡±

    This was a really bad question. Which family youngdy would discuss outside men in such a casual manner?[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Chiang Xin did not say anything about him. But yesterday, when I went to the Master Courtyard, I also heard a few words about him from Eldest Aunt, and I know some basic information about the Fourth Young Master.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°I have some personal insights, but I don¡¯t know if Dajie[+]eldest sister wants to hear them.¡±

    Yuru hurriedly nodded and urged, ¡°Si Mei[+]si=fourth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei, tell me.¡±

    Yuxi told her, ¡°The Fourth Young Master is sixteen this year, but he can¡¯t even pass the exams for xiucai[+]a person who has passed the county level Imperial Examination, so I guess he has no more hope for the Imperial Examinations. Although the Fourth Young Master Xiang is a di[+]born from a legitimate/legal wife son, he is the third oldest. So even if he abandons the path of an official in the future, the family will not have a lot of resources to spend on him, so his future is limited. Besides, the Fourth Young Master Xiang is the youngest son. I don¡¯t know if Dajie[+]eldest sister has heard the saying, the oldest grandson is like the youngest son, an olddy¡¯s lifeblood.¡±

    Yuru was not a stupid person either, as she pointed out, ¡°Fourth Young Master Xiang is treated exactly like the youngest son in his family.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Yes. Fourth Young Master Xiang is Madam Xiang¡¯s youngest son and her most beloved son. Generally, the most dote child tends to do as he pleases. As long as he is happy, he will not bother with how others are.¡± If she had to be specific, this attitude was rtively selfish. He had only himself in his heart. As long as he had a good life, he would never care about the lives of others. Not every youngest son was like this, however Xiang Zhixue was exactly this kind of person.

    Yuru was dumbfounded by what Yuxi said.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t pause as she continued, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about Young Master Zeng. I heard from my Eldest Aunt that Young Master Zeng is an educated person and very good in martial arts. Now, he already has an official position, so his future prospects will certainly be good. However, there are many problems on his side. Firstly, to be a wife of a shu[+]born from a concubine¡¯s son is going to be difficult, as I heard that Madam Zeng is hard to deal with. Secondly, Childe Zeng will surely have insufficient family assets in the future, and thirdly, Childe Zeng is a military general. So he will always be in a dangerous situation once he goes to the battlefield.¡± Of course, dangerous situations also meant opportunity for him.

    What Yuxi said was more or less the same as what Qingxuan had said, but what Yuxi told Yuru was a little more detailed and clear.

    Yuru hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Si Meimei[+]si=fourth, meimei=younger sister, who do you think I should choose?¡±

    Qingxuan really wanted to facepalm. What kind of stupid question was her Miss asking? You coulde over and ask for information, but how could you let Fourth Miss make the choice for you.

    Yuxiughed as she replied, ¡°This is a great event in Dajie[+]eldest sister¡¯s life. So you have to make up your own mind.¡± She could only help Yuru analyse it, but she certainly couldn¡¯t help her decide.

    Yuru was still very much entangled.

    When Yuxi saw Yuru¡¯s reaction, she didn¡¯t say anything. She just sat there and waited. It was Qingxuan who saw that something was amiss and gave Yuru a gentle nudge.

    Yuru reacted and immediately said, ¡°Thank you Si Mei[+]si=fourth, mei=younger sister for today¡¯s matter.¡±

    Yuxi responded with a smile, ¡°Dajie[+]eldest sister, why are you being so polite? We are all family, so we are naturally looking out for you. I think, if you still can¡¯t decide, you can ask Grandmother or Eldest Aunt. They have more experience in life than we do, so they see things much more thoroughly.¡±

    Yuru hesitated for a moment before she spoke out her idea, ¡°Si Meimei[+]si=fourth, meimei=younger sister, what do you think if I decide to meet both of them?¡± She would feel more at ease when she made her decision after meeting both of them.

    This was something that Yuxi did not have any position to give an opinion on. ¡°Dajie[+]eldest sister can go and ask her Eldest Aunt. If Eldest Aunt agrees then it¡¯s fine.¡±

    Yuru was too embarrassed to mention it herself, so she specifically told Yuxi in the hope that Yuxi would help her bring the matter up to Mother. Unfortunately, Yuxi did not catch her intention in the words she just said.

    After sending Yuru off, Yuxi told Zisu, ¡°The maid beside Yuru, Qingxuan, is actually good.¡± Qingxuan could persuade Yuru when she did something wrong, and give Yuru advice when she was entangled. Qingxuan also didn¡¯t usually use her shrewdness to be eager to excel over the other maids. It was really a blessing for Yuru to have such a maid.

    Zisu nodded in agreement, ¡°Qingxuan is indeed good.¡±

    After agonising for three days, Yuru finally found the courage to tell Qiu Shi that she wanted to see the two people first before making a decision.

    Qiu Shi was also very amodating. Since she knew what Yuru¡¯s meant, she nodded and said, ¡°I will mention this to the Xiang family. There should be no big problem.¡± When she noticed Yuru¡¯s tangled expression, she suggested, ¡°You should meet with the Xiang family first. If you feel that he is good, then you don¡¯t have to see Childe Zeng.¡±

    Yuru nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to Mother.¡±

    After a few days, Yuru followed Qiu Shi out. That afternoon, Yuxi heard that Yuru had agreed to the Xiang family¡¯s marriage proposal.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi sighed softly. Xiang Zhixue was very good-looking, with his red lips and white teeth. But that was the only thing he got. He had no talent, and he had also developed a habit of spending money like flowing water. If Yuru chose him, she would definitely have a hard time in the future.

    Qingxuan happened to be a bit unwell that day, so she didn¡¯t go to the meeting along with Yuru. When she heard that Yuru had chosen Xiang Zhixue, she became totally muddle-headed, ¡°Miss, didn¡¯t we agree to go and see the Young Master Xiang family first, and then Young Master Zeng? Why did you already consent to the Xiang family marriage proposal?¡±

    Yuru¡¯s face started to blush.

    When Qingxuan saw Yuru¡¯s reaction, how could she not understand. Her Miss had fallen in love with Childe Xiang. At this moment, Qingxuan was not yetpletely assured with her Miss¡¯ pick, thus she called Qingye, who had gone with Yuru. She asked her what happened when Miss met with Childe Xiang. Qingxuan asked her very carefully, as she wanted to know all the details. Once she had made up her mind, she went to find Yuru.

    Yuru looked with shock at Qingxuan who was kneeling on the ground, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Qingxuan requested, ¡°Miss, please go see the Lady and reject this marriage!¡±

    Yuru stared at Qingxuan and asked, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Not to mention the fact that she herself would not decline this marriage. Even if she did, she had promised Mother. If she went back on her word, it would make Mother be disgusted with her.

    Qingxuan replied, ¡°Miss, I heard from Qingye about the process of your meeting today. Miss, this handmaiden is going to say something unpleasant. Young Master Xiang may look like gold and jade on the outside, but he actually is rotten and decay on the inside[+]Chinese proverb : something that is not worth its value. If Miss chose him, Miss would definitely suffer in the future.¡±

    Yuru was out of breath with anger, ¡°You impudent.¡±

    Qingxuan tilted her head and said, ¡°Miss, even if you kicked this handmaiden out today, this handmaiden would still say the same thing. Young Master Xiang had rewarded someone ten taels of silver today. Miss, he rewarded a maid with ten taels of silver just for delivering a message. This shows that he has no restraint when ites to spending money. The Fourth Young Master Xiang spends money like flowing water, while he is unable to earn money by himself. Miss, I heard Qingye say that Young Master Xiang is very good looking. But what¡¯s the use of being good-looking if a man can¡¯t even support his family? Good looks don¡¯t pay for food.¡±

    Xiang Zhixue was only trying to make a good impression at the time, which was why he was so generous with his money. But he forgot that it was not his own money that he was spending, but rather, they were his parents¡¯ money.

    Qingxuan¡¯s words were like a pot of cold water that had been poured over Yuru¡¯s head, which woke her up instantly. Her monthly sry was only six taels, but Fourth Young Master Xiang could even reward a maid with ten taels of silver. Even a mountain of gold and silver would not be enough for him to spend.

    Qingxuan added, ¡°There is an old saying that said, ¡®if the house is cold then marry a man, you¡¯ll have clothes to wear and rice to eat¡¯. Although this saying is kind of vulgar, but, it is indeed true. Miss, Fourth Young Master Xiang can¡¯t support the family this way. Now you can still rely on Master and Madam Xiang, but what about the future? What about after Master and Madam Xiang reach their lifetime?¡± Marriage to such a man, not to mention a chore, but he was also not a good one.

    Yuru¡¯s heart was distracted and her thoughts were in turmoils[+]Chinese idiom : distraught with anxiety when she heard what Qingxuan said.

    Qingxuan continued, ¡°Miss, although I haven¡¯t seen Young Master Zeng, all I know about him was what my Lady had told Fourth Miss. Nevertheless, there must be something outstanding about him that managed to make the Second Master look upon him.¡± Simr things grouped together, simr people fit together. Those who had a good rtionship with Han Jianye must be good in all aspects.

    When it appeared that Yuru started to be moved, Qingxuan kept on talking about it until the middle of the night. Although Yuru didn¡¯t respond immediately, she thought about it as she tossed and turned while sheid in bed.

    After thinking about it for most of the night, Yuru still felt that Qingxuan was right. To marry a man, she should marry someone who was capable of supporting the family, not a prodigal. ¡°Qingxuan, I had already promised Mother yesterday. If I tell her now that I don¡¯t want to marry into the Xiang family, what will Mother think?¡±

    Qingxuan responded, ¡°Miss, the most Lady will do is to scold Miss. It¡¯s nothingpared to Miss¡¯ great event.¡± Qingxuan would try so hard to persuade Yuru, half for Yuru¡¯s sake and half for her own. She was Yuru¡¯s personal maid, and she would definitely have to apany her in the future. If she married into the Xiang family, there would surely be quarrel between the couple because of Fourth Young Master Xiang being so ipetent. Hence, they would be worse off as servants if their Master was not well off in the future. She would ept it if Yuru could marry into the Zeng family, even if Madam Zeng was difficult to deal with. As for the talk of Young Master Zeng would receive insufficient share of the family properties in the future, the man was capable enough to earn his own family properties by himself.

    Yuru mustered up all her courage, as she took the pair of shoes she had made for Qiu Shi, and went to the Master Courtyard with a pair of panda eyes. When she saw Qiu Shi, she bowed her head and informed her that she did not want to marry into the Xiang family.

    Qiu Shi was stunned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already agree yesterday?¡± It seemed like they treating the marriage as a trifling matter by backing out from what had been promised between the two families yesterday.

    Yuru didn¡¯t even dare to look at Qiu Shi¡¯s face, so she told the truth as Qingxuan had taught her, ¡°Mother, yesterday, when I saw Young Master Xiang¡¯s good-look, I immediately agreed on impulse. However, after thinking about it all nightst night, it just didn¡¯t seem right to me. What¡¯s the use of a good-looking man, if he is unable to provide me with a meal? One has to marry someone who is capable to do so, and only when a man is capable can he shelters his wife and children.¡±

    After she had done speaking, she carefully nced at Qiu Shi, and saw that Qiu Shi was staring at her nkly without speaking a word. She felt uneasy, but she didn¡¯t know what else could she say.

 Chapter 161 - Yurus Betrothal (3)

    Chapter 161 : Yuru¡¯s Betrothal (3)

    Trantor : As I have promised, here. Enjoy!

    As Qiu Shi listened to Yuru¡¯s words, she couldn¡¯t help but think of what she herself had experienced. It was because at that time, she had taken a fancy to Han Jingdong¡¯s look that she had defied her mother¡¯s advice and continued to marry him. Now looked at what happened! As a result, after toiling for most of her life, she still could not get Duke Han to look at her more than once. Her only constion was that both of her sons were filial to her.

    Qiu Shi looked up at the restless Yuru and said, ¡°Since you don¡¯t agree, I will decline the Xiang family. But you can¡¯t request a meeting with Childe Zeng anymore.¡± She did not want Yuru to meet with him, lest there would be more trouble. She had done her utmost for this shu[+]born from concubine daughter of her, Yuru. She didn¡¯t want her to be sleepless any more. After all was said, it was also because Qiu Shi was unwilling to take more trouble over it.

    Yuru gritted her teeth and let out, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to Mother.¡± She was already content that Mother had promised to turn down the Xiang family¡¯s marriage proposal. Thus, she didn¡¯t dare to ask for more.

    When Qiu Shi heard Yuru speaking like this, she nodded and said, ¡°Since you have really decided this time, you can¡¯t change again.¡± Fortunately, although Yuru had agreed yesterday, Qiu Shi thought that the bride¡¯s side should be more reserved, so she had not given their answer yet and only said that she would think about it. Now that Yuru had gone back on her words, Qiu Shi might as well declined the Xiang family¡¯s marriage proposal.

    Yuru¡¯s face turned pale as she assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I won¡¯t change my decision anymore.¡±

    Qingxuan waited for Yuru outside the door. When she noticed Yuru¡¯s appearance, she immediately stepped forward to support Yuru. Once they left the Master Courtyard, Qingxuan finally opened her mouth, ¡°Miss, I am not sure that Master Zeng is a good choice, but Master Xiang is definitely not a good one.¡± Although Qingxuan had her own selfish reason, she sincerely hoped that Yuru would have a good life at the same time. Yuru¡¯s biological mother had been very kind to Qingxuan¡¯s mother. Hence, Qingxuan¡¯s mother had been telling her to take good care of Yuru. If Yuru was going to do something wrong, Qingxuan must properly advise her.

    At this point, it was useless to back out. Yuru stated, ¡°Since the Zeng family has been chosen, there is no need to speak about this matter any more.¡± What made Yuru change her mind was the ten taels of silver. She herself was fed up with the pain of not having much silver, and as the Fourth Young Master Xiang had big hands and big feet[+]Chinese idiom : spendthrift, even mountains of gold and silver would not be enough for him to squander. She did not want to worry about silver in the future.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s action was quick. On the same day, she asked Han Jianye to reply to Zeng Kezhou, by saying that they agreed to his marriage proposal.

    Zeng Kezhou was overjoyed when he heard Han Jianye¡¯s words. He had waited for such a long time without hearing anything, thinking that it had be hopeless. However, to his surprise, Lady Han had agreed. Although the Duke Han was a bit whimsical, Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family of the State Residence was a very capable man. Moreover, Han Jianye had a very good future. It would be a great help to him to have such a good marriage.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    As Zeng Kezhou was feeling happy, Madam Zeng was not. Even though Madam Zeng was not of high birth, she was a smart person. She tactfully said to Zeng daren[+]title of respect toward superiors, ¡°Master, I heard that the mother of the Eldest Daughter of the State Residence had died young and because she was not raised by her dimu[+]term of address used for their father¡¯s official wife by the children of a concubine, she has a bit domineering temper. Master, if she is really as rumoured, and she is backed by the State Residence, she will definitely stir trouble in this house by then. Keda¡¯s age is still young, and he will still have to rely on Eldest Young Master in the future!¡± Madam Zeng said a lot of things, and all the words pointed out that Yuru would not be a good girl.

    Zeng daren[+]title of respect toward superiors originally thought this was a good match, but when he heard Madam Zeng spoke like that, he started to hesitate, ¡°Let me think about this again.¡± Zeng daren[+]title of respect toward superiors still valued ??Zeng Kezhou very much. After all, this son of his, Zeng Kezhou, had already reached adulthood and became an officer. While his di[+]born from formal/legal wife son was just a baby right now. Therefore, the Zeng family still had to rely on the eldest son to support the family.

    When Zeng daren[+]title of respect toward superiors arrived at the front yard, he thought about the marriage for a moment and called for Zeng Kezhou. Then, he told him his concerns.

    Zeng Kezhou was not stupid enough not to know that his stepmother had yed a part in this. He didn¡¯t say how good Yuru was, since he had never met her in person. So, even if he spoke about Yuru in a deluge of heavenly flowers[+]Chinese idiom : an extravagantly colourful description, it would have no use. Later, Zeng Kezhou told his father about the benefits of marrying Yuru. After he had done saying that, Zeng Kezhou added, ¡°Father, although I have never met with the eldest daughter of the Duke Han¡¯s family, I have made some enquiries about her during this period of time. Even though she is a shu[+]born from concubine daughter, she has studied and read with a teacher. She has also been carefully taught by a nurturing momo[+]wet nurse.¡± This meant that the Han family had also carefully nurtured Han Yuru, not just raised her.

    Zeng daren[+]title of respect toward superiors asked, ¡°Where did you hear about all these things?¡± If it was like this, then this Han girl should not have been a domineering and arrogant one.

    When Zeng Kezhou saw that his father had loosened up, he hurriedly replied, ¡°I heard about them from the people of the State Residence. I also heard them say that the eldest daughter of the Han family is gentle in nature and is excellent in needlework.¡±

    With these two ounts, one from his wife and another from his son, Zeng daren[+]title of respect toward superiors didn¡¯t know whose words he should believe. He simply asked someone to inquire about it himself. Within two days, he had Madam Zeng go to the Han family to propose a marriage.

    Madam Zeng was full of reluctance. But no matter what she said, her husband did not budge from his decision. So when she saw his expression did not look right, she could only nod her head and agree. The State Residence brand was still very impressive, thus, even though Madam Zeng was unwilling, she did not dare to slight them for a bit. She at once asked an official matchmaker toe to the Duke Han¡¯s home to propose a marriage.

    Yuxi was very surprised to hear that the Zeng family hade to their home to propose marriage. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that Yuru has agreed to the Xiang family marriage proposal? So why did the Zeng family stille here to propose marriage?¡±

    Kufu shook her head and answered, ¡°This handmaiden didn¡¯t know. At that time, I heard from the maid who followed her say that the Eldest Miss had agreed to marry into the Xiang family.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t pursue the matter further. It would be good if she knew the reason, but it also didn¡¯t matter if she didn¡¯t know. The process was not important, but since the Zeng family hade to propose marriage, Yuru¡¯s marriage could now be settled.

    As Yuxi had predicted, the marriage between the two families was soon finalised. Ever since the marriage had been arranged, Yuru had been staying in her courtyard and started to embroider her dowry.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Now that Yuru was engaged to be married, the one who would be the most affected was Yujing. She was the same age as Yuru, and now that Yuru was engaged, she was still in limbo. Even if she was anxious, if Qiu Shi did not act, it would only be useless for her to be so anxious.

    The next month was calm. Yuxi stayed at Taoran House every day, and Yuchen went to the pce every now and then. The two people were so busy with their own lives that they had very little time to intersect with each other.

    On this day, Yuxi was called to Biteng Courtyard once again. Since Wu Shi had been beaten up by Han Jingyanst time, she no longer dared to scowl at Yuxi, or not even saying a serious word. When Yuxi came over to pay her respects, she only nodded and then let her go back. Since she couldn¡¯t beat or scold Yuxi any longer, she simply ignored her.

    When Yuxi heard Wu Shi told her that they would be going to the Jiang residence in a couple of days, she reflexively asked, ¡°The Jiang residence? Which Jiang family?¡± She just hoped it wouldn¡¯t be Jiang Hongjin¡¯s house.

    Wu Shi responded, ¡°Minister of Court of Juridical Reviews, Jiang Wenrui¡¯s Jiang family. Madam Jiang is also the aunt of the Yu family. Oh, I remember that Jiang daren[+]title of respect toward superiors¡¯s daughter, Jiang Qi, is quite close to you.¡±

    Yuxi let out an ¡®oh¡¯ and stated, ¡°I am not familiar with her. Me and her just yed a game of chess.¡± She used to praise Jiang Qi in herst life, and yet, she was still despised by her. In Jiang Qi¡¯s mind, she was afraid it had the same idea as Yu Shi, where only a gongzhu[+]princess could be worthy of Jiang Hongjin.

    Wu Shi didn¡¯t expect Yuxi to say this, but this was even more better, ¡°The day after tomorrow is Madam Jiang¡¯s birthday. Go back and prepare yourself.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and nodded, ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t know if San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie will be going with us?¡± Her father, Han Jingyan, and Jiang Wenrui had gone to the same school together. In their previous lives, the two families had visited each other ever since her father returned to the capital. Nevertheless, they were not particrly close. It was just the usual human rtionships. As to why Jiang Hongjin married her, no one knew, including Jiang Wenrui and his wife, who couldn¡¯t make head or tail of it[+]Chinese idiom : baffled at that time. But they could not resist their son, and since marrying her would make them indirectly inw with the 10th Prince, they agreed. As for her life after they married, Yuxi no longer remembered it.

    When the rest of the Han family was happy to see that Yuchen was valued by Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort and Qinxin Gongzhu[+]princess, Wu Shi was feeling ufortable in her heart. Yuchen was not her daughter. Their rtionship was a mere face-saving feeling for her, not a mother-daughter feeling. No matter how blessed it was to the family, it had nothing to do with her, ¡°Your San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie is still at the Imperial Pce, so I will ask herter to see if she is avable that day.¡±

    Naturally, Yuchen had no time to spare, as she had been asked to stay at the Imperial Pce by Qinxin Gongzhu[+]princess. The eunuch who came to deliver the message said that she would stay there for three or five days, but no one asked whether it was really for three or five days only.

    Yuxi wore a decent smile on her face the whole way back. Although she was not yet able to maintain her expression even if Mount Tai copsed, she could still control her emotions such as happiness, anger and sadness.

    When Yuxi returned to Taoran House, she dived into her study and instructed Kufu, ¡°I want to read a book. You can withdraw! Don¡¯t make any noise if there¡¯s nothing important.¡± What ¡®didn¡¯t make any noise¡¯ meant was not to call her.

    Kufu didn¡¯t think much, and went out after responding.

    Now that the house was empty, Yuxi sat on a chair, thinking. This time, she had no intention of excusing herself from going to the Jiang family for Yu Shi¡¯s birthday celebration. In herst life it was the Jiang family who owed her, not her who owed the Jiang family, so there was no need for her to avoid the Jiang family. She also wanted to know if Jiang Hongjin had really been thinking of Yuchen. If that was the case, then she had found the reason why Jiang Hongjin had married her in her previous life.

    After thinking for a long time, Yuxi wrote a letter. She called Cai Die over, and said, ¡°You send this letter to Mama Fang.¡±

    Cai Die felt very strange. Yuxi used to give this errand to Zisu. She didn¡¯t know why the errand had been given to her this time. Although there were doubts in her heart, she dare not ask more, ¡°I will go now.¡±

    When Zisu knew that Cai Die had been made to deliver the letter to Lian¡¯s house, she asked in puzzlement, ¡°Why did Miss ask Cai Die to deliver the letter.¡± She used to be the one who went there before.

    As long as it was not a secret matter, Yuxi would not hide it from Zisu, ¡°Cai Die and Lian family Dng are about the same age. Let¡¯s see if they are destined to be together!¡± After all, Dng was not Mama Fang¡¯s real son. Their rtionship might be good now, but ifter he married a not good wife, there would still be a lot of trouble in the future. Yuxi was also quite worried about Mama Fang¡¯s eyes, so Yuxi wanted to find someone she could feel rest assured with. Cai Die had been serving by her side for several years. Yuxi knew everything about her temperament and temper. The most important thing, this girl was upright, and although she didn¡¯t speak very much, she acted very organised. If she could catch Lian Dng¡¯s eyes, then Yuxi would be relieved of her concern.

    Zisu didn¡¯t expect Yuxi to think this far ahead, ¡°Miss is being very kind to Mama Fang. Handmaiden is truly touched.¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little. She was kind to Mama Fang because she felt guilty. In herst life, Mama Fang had passed away early. In this life, she wanted Mama Fang to live a happy life and that was why she would think for her in every aspect.

    Furthermore, there was another reason that she could not tell others. If Mama Fang could live very well and happily, Yuxi felt that her future could also be changed. It wasn¡¯t impossible for her to also live happily in the future.

 Chapter 163 - Jiang Family (2)

    Chapter 163 : Jiang Family (2)

    Since someone was blocking the ducks way in the front and there was someone chasing after them from behind, more than 20 ducks quacked and flew everywhere, which turned the ce into a real mess of duck feathers.

    Yuxi looked at Jiang Qi who had an expression of wanting to get angry but she had to endure it silently. This was the first time for Yuxi to see Jiang Qi looking like this. Uh-huh, it made Yuxi rather feel pretty good.

    In the end, the ducks were driven back by two old women servants. When Old Madam Jiang¡¯s gaze fell upon the lovely scene of blossoming nts swaying in the breeze[+]Chinese idiom : gorgeously dressed young misses, she invited everyone to go sit inside her courtyard.

    While the others were silent, Yuxi found her very much interesting. Before, she had never heard Old Madam Jiang had such a yful nature. So she ignored Jiang Qi¡¯s ugly expression and asked, ¡°Old Madam, we won¡¯t be disturbing you, will we? Jiang Qi Meimei[+]younger sister said that you like a quiet atmosphere, so she asked us not to disturb you.¡±

    The Old Madamughed and replied, ¡°You¡¯re not going to bother me, and I¡¯m going to like it very much! Come, my courtyard is just up ahead, only a few steps away.¡±

    Jiang Qi nced at Yuxi with great dissatisfaction. If it had not been for Yuxi, she would have found an excuse to leave with everyone.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When Yuxi started to follow the Old Madam, naturally, it wouldn¡¯t be good if Jiang Qi decided to leave with the others. At that moment, she reluctantly followed along after the two of them.

    Although the Old Madam said it was not far, it actually took a few minutes for the group to arrive there. Looking at the clean courtyard, Yuxi looked left then right and saw that there were no ducks around.

    The Old Madam smiled at this and said, ¡°The ducks are back there! It was the maid who left the door open just now, thus she let them run out. If you want to see them, I can take you there.¡±

    The Old Madam¡¯s courtyard was thergest one in the Jiang family residence, and it came with a small backyard. The Old Madam instructed the backyard to be separated into three plots and those three plots to be nted with vegetables. Now, looking at the growing greeneries on those plots was very satisfactory. The ducks, which had just made a mess, were kept under lock at the right corner of the courtyard.

    Yuxi felt that everything was very interesting, and smilingly praised, ¡°Old Madam is so amazing to have such well grown vegetables.¡± She remembered the time she tried to nt medicinal herbs in her former Rose Courtyard backyard for five years and the results, the backyard was still looking so bleak. Originally, she wanted to wait for someone to sort out the Rose Courtyard. She wanted them to raze it to the ground before she continued nting herbs there, but she was too busy to do that. Of course, it was mainly because she now found that reading books was more useful than growing herbs.

    The Old Madam smiled so much that there were more wrinkles on her face, ¡°I¡¯m so old already that I can¡¯t even stand up from nting these few pieces of vegetables. I used to work all day in the fields, and I would be fine after a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± It was rare to meet such an interesting young girl, so the Old Madam couldn¡¯t help but to speak a bit more.

    Yurong eximed, ¡°Old Madam still goes to work in the field?¡± Wasn¡¯t that something that a menial worker would do? Why would the Old Madam of the Jiang family do the work of a menial worker?

    If there was a hole in the ground, Jiang Qi wished she could squeeze herself in.

    When Old Madam Jiang noticed Jiang Qi¡¯s indignant look, she sighed slightly in her heart and responded with a smile on her face, ¡°I nt vegetables to move my muscles and bones. I¡¯m getting old already. If I don¡¯t move my arms and legs, they will be stiff.¡± She had never shied away from her origin because she didn¡¯t feel there was anything shameful about it. What was wrong with being a peasant girl? What was there to be shameful of, as long as you didn¡¯t steal or rob others and you rely on your own skills to support yourself? But her granddaughter wanted to save face, and she could not afford to embarrass her in front of everyone.

    Old Madam Jiang hated Yu Shi. Not to mention that Yu Shi was trying to harm her eldest grandson, if she had to say, when she saw the way Yu Shi taught her two children made Old Madam Jiang unbearably weary. That child, Hong Jin, already had a deep mind when he was still a young boy. While Jiang Qi had bepetitive and petty. On top of that, both children despised her origin. Old Madam Jiang did not mind her own origin, but she did mind the way the two children treated her. Ever since they came to the capital, the two children had been very distant towards her. They had never treated her like she was their grandmother and the way they treated her like she was a stranger. So every time she saw Yu Shi put on her false smile, she would be full of anger. If it weren¡¯t for her eldest grandson, she wouldn¡¯t want to stay in the capital even for a single day. She thought she would be more at ease in Jiangnan than in the capital. It was only because she was worried that Yu Shi would harm her eldest grandson again that she held back and nned to wait until he was married before returning there.

    Yuxi smiled and refuted, ¡°Old Madam doesn¡¯t look old at all, and I want to ask Old Madam on your nting skills! What Old Madam doesn¡¯t know, I have tried nting a few herbs in my yard before, but they always end up dead.¡± Whenever she spoke of her past experience of nting herbs, she always shed bitter tears.

    The Old Madam asked in amazement, ¡°You¡¯re learning medical skill?¡±

    Yuxi replied with a smile, ¡°I have learned some pharmacology from my nurturing momo[+]wet nurse.¡±

    The Old Madam waved her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m good at growing vegetables, but I can¡¯t grow herbs. There are a lot of requirements for growing herbs. The habits of herbs and their soil requirements are very particr. If you really want to learn, you have to find an expert on them.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head as she exined, ¡°I grew it because I thought it was interesting. I didn¡¯t learn it from anyone. I have heard from my nurturing momo[+]wet nurse that this vegetable will taste especially good when it was fry immediately after being picked.¡±

    When Old Madam Jiang heard this, she nodded her head repeatedly in agreement, ¡°Your nurturing momo[+]wet nurse is right. By stir-frying the vegetables after picking them directly from the ground will make them taste especially fresh and tender, much tastier than the ones bought from outside. If you don¡¯t mind, you can eat at my ce at noon.¡±

    Yuxi took a glimpse at Jiang Qi rather awkwardly, then shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s wait for another chanceter on!¡±

    Jiang Qi wanted to leave the courtyard quickly as she suggested, ¡°Yuxi Jiejie[+]elder sister, it¡¯s rare for you to hit off with my grandmother. Why don¡¯t you just stay and talk with her. I¡¯ll take Yurong Meimei[+]younger sister and the other girls back first. I¡¯lle back to fetch youter.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I am afraid to disturb the Old Madam.¡± Although their interaction was very short, Yuxi could now be sure that for Old Madam Jiang to be able to walk from a mere peasant woman to the woman she was today, definitely not by good luck, but rather her own ability.

    The Old Madam smiled kindly as she said, ¡°What¡¯s there to be bother with? I¡¯m more than happy if you can stay and talk with me, this olddy!¡±

    Upon seeing this situation, Jiang Qi immediately led Yurong and the rest of the group out of the courtyard.

    The Old Madam didn¡¯t seem concerned about this, as she pointed to her three plots and asked, ¡°What kind of vegetables do you want to eat? I¡¯ll have the maids pick and fry them up for lunch.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and stated, ¡°It¡¯s uninteresting to let the maid pick them. It¡¯s best if we pick them up ourselves. Let¡¯s just pick (Chinese) cabbage (a.k.a bok choy) and spinach!¡± This was not even mentioned in the medical books. She had known about it when she had to live in the countryside before.

    When Old Madam Jiang heard her words, she smiled and instructed a maid to bring a basket over.

    Yuxi took the basket and went to a vegetable plot. She went to the (Chinese) cabbage first. She twisted the leaves off the cabbage roots as she picked them and she quickly picked half a basket with the help of her maid. Then she moved on to the spinach. The spinach was not picked, but plucked directly out of the ground, and the soil on the roots were shaken off afterwards.

    Info : Bok Choy °×²Ë, what we widely know them for, is a Cantonese word. For the Mandarin speaker, they are known as Çà²Ë q¨©ng c¨¤i (Çà qing=green, ²Ëcai=vegetable) or Ð¡°×²Ë xiao bai cai (Ð¡ xiao=small, °× bai=white, ²Ë cai=vegetable]). °×²Ë Bai cai to Mandarin speaker refer to Napa Cabbage, though it is known nowadays as ´ó°×²Ë da bai cai (da=big, bai=white, cai=vegetable).

    Old Madam Jiang was a little surprised to see that Yuxi was so skilled at doing these tasks as if she had done them often. It was only at this time that Old Madam Jiang noticed the calluses on Yuxi¡¯s fingers. Although they were not thick, it was still quite surprising to see them on a young miss from the State Residence, ¡°Have you done these things often before?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and shook her head. ¡°No. I saw the tenants do this when I went to the countryside once.¡±[T/N]: Darn, she must be a genius if she already knows how to pick vegetables perfectly after just watching it once.

    The Old Madam nodded her head repeatedly. This was not an ordinary learning ability.

    After all the vegetables had been picked, Yuxi walked back into thepound with Old Madam Jiang. As they were talking, they heard from the maid outside announcing the return of Eldest Young Master.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi instantly recognised Jiang Hongfu who just walked in, for no other reason than the fact that Jiang Hongfu and Jiang Hongjin looked fifty to sixty percent alike.

    What surprised Yuxi was that Jiang Hongfu was followed by a young man. The young man was wearing an extremely simple, no pattern purple brocade robe, and there was only an excellent quality jade hairpin in his hair. Apart from this jade hairpin, there were no other essories on his body. Even if he just stood there, no one would overlook his presence. It was just that this young man looked pretty good, elegant and handsome. Such a young man was simply the dream husband of a girl in a boudoir.

    Yuxi was not acting over-cautious as she greeted the two of them, ¡°Biaoge[+]Elder male cousin from mother¡¯s side, though I don¡¯t think Yuxi¡¯s mother had any rtionship with the Jiang family or the Yun family. That was the way Han Jianming had asked her to call Jiang Hongfu, Young Master Chen.¡± The teenager who was dressed extremely simple was Chen Ran, whom Yuxi had met once at Marquis Taining¡¯s residence.

    Jiang Hongfu was a little surprised at the way Yuxi was addressing him, ¡°You are?¡±

    Yuxi generously reminded, ¡°Biaoge[+]Elder male cousin from mother¡¯s side doesn¡¯t remember. I met you and Yun Qing Biaoge[+]Elder male cousin from mother¡¯s side in the street seven years ago. You even gave me a red envelope.¡±

    Because of Yuxi¡¯s words, Jiang Hongfu could not help but think of his biaoge[+]Elder male cousin from mother¡¯s side in the northwest, and his heart turned gloomy. He knew his biaoge[+]Elder male cousin from mother¡¯s side wanted to seek revenge on the Song family, but the Song family was very powerful and had the backing of two other princes, especially with the 9th Prince of whom would probably even ascend to the throne. His biaoge[+]Elder male cousin from mother¡¯s side alone could not shake the Song family. However, he could not persuade his biaoge[+]Elder male cousin from mother¡¯s side not to take revenge, for revenge was the only thing that had kept him going and made him stronger.

    Seeing Jiang Hongfu¡¯s dumbfounded look, Yuxi thought he had forgotten and simply reminded him again, ¡°Biaoge[+]Elder male cousin from mother¡¯s side, we ran into each other several times on the road, and at the Lantern Festival seven years ago, Yun Qing Biaoge[+]Elder male cousin from mother¡¯s side even saved Duan Jiejie that night. Don¡¯t you remember?¡±

    Jiang Hongfu remembered who the young girl in front of him was. She was the one who had been pinched in the face by his biaoge[+]Elder male cousin from mother¡¯s side. ¡°You¡¯ve grown so much, that I don¡¯t even recognise you.¡± The five-year-old child had now grown into a slender and elegant youngdy.

    Yuxi¡¯s head was full of ck lines. What with his adult-like tone? If she remembered correctly, Jiang Hongfu was only sixteen years old this year, which made him only four years older than her!

    Old Madam Jiang ushered with a smile, ¡°Come inside, don¡¯t stand in the courtyard talking.¡±

    Once Jiang Hongfu heard this, he immediately stepped forward and helped Old Madam Jiang to cross the threshold as they walked into the house. While Yuxi, being a step behind, stood with Chen Ran.

    When Old Madam Jiang turned her head, she saw the scene of the two of them standing together. She couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Seeing the two of you stand together, it feels just right.¡±

    Chen Ran was wearing purple clothes, while Yuxi was wearing a purple dress today. What¡¯s more, some dark patterns were embroidered on the cor and sleeve edges of her clothes, while there were no embroidery patterns on the other parts of her clothes. When these two people who dressed like this stood together, outsiders would feel that they looked very well matched.

    Yuxi asked herself to have a thick-skinned face, but after hearing Old Madam Jiang¡¯s words, her face still managed to turn red. When she took a quick look at Chen Ran, she found that his face looked as normal as ever without any hint of change, which made her felt really bad for herself.

    After Yuxi stabilised her expression, she said with a smile, ¡°Old Madam, I have been out for some time now, so I must go over there or my Mother will send someone to look for me.¡± Men and women were different. It was fine to say a few words when they met, but it would be inappropriate for them to have dinner together.

    Old Madam Jiang knew that Yuxi was just making an excuse, but she still smiled and nodded in agreement. Afterwards, she instructed her maid to send Yuxi to the Master Courtyard.

 Chapter 164 - Chen Ran

    Chapter 164 : Chen Ran

    As Jiang Hongfu helped Old Madam Jiang into the house, he asked, ¡°Grandma, how did Han Biaomei[+]younger female cousin from mother¡¯s side burst into your courtyard?¡± His grandmother¡¯s courtyard was in a different direction from the Master Courtyard, so it was impossible for Yuxi to havee this way by mistake.

    Old Madam Jiang replied with a smile, ¡°Just now, the maid didn¡¯t keep the ducks under lock, so they all ran out. When I asked the maid to drive the ducks back, I met your meimei[+]younger sister and Yuxi. That child was really sincere. When she saw me alone, she stayed to talk with me. If you hadn¡¯te back suddenly, she would have apanied me for lunch.¡±[T/N]Yeah, bad grandson for disturbing Yuxi from eating her vegetables!

    Jiang Hongfu was a little surprised. He never expected Han Yuxi to be so considerate. At the same time, he felt very guilty. When he was at home, his tang di[+]younger male cousin from father¡¯s side and tang mei[+]younger female cousin from father¡¯s side would always be around his grandmother, so her courtyard would always be bustling every day. Unlike in the capital where she would always be alone and lonely.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    When Chen Ran saw this situation, he interjected, ¡°Great Aunt, Shixiong[+]senior male fellow student or apprentice is also worried about you being alone, so he specially came back to apany you.¡± Both Chen Ran and Jiang Hongfu studied under Teacher Shan Changmin of Baitan Academy, which was the reason why Chen Ran apanied Jiang Hongfu back to the Jiang residence.

    Old Madam Jiang patted Jiang Hongfu¡¯s hand and said with a smile, ¡°You truly are a filial child.¡±

    There was a specially prepared small kitchen inside the Old Madam¡¯s courtyard. Jiang Wenrui was afraid that his mother would not use to the capital cuisine, that he especially invited a cook who was good at cooking Jiangnan cuisine.

    During the meal, Old Madam Jiang pointed to the stir-fried (Chinese) cabbage and spinach, and smilingly said, ¡°These two vegetables were handpicked by that child, Yuxi. That child is pretty good, and she¡¯s even familiar with ground work. Speaking of which, what¡¯s the deal with that child? She doesn¡¯t look like a spoiled little girl.¡±

    Jiang Hongfu exined, ¡°Her mother died early and she was brought up by her managing mama.¡± Even if Yuxi didn¡¯t have her birth mother with her, she should have been brought up by a nanny. But he didn¡¯t know why she was raised by her managing mama.

    Madam Jiang said with a nod, ¡°No wonder that child is so sensible. It¡¯s because her own mother died early!¡± All motherless children were precocious and understanding. Her eldest grandson was no different.[T/N]Erm, there was Yuru though.

    Chen Ran was the childe of Marquis Taining Residence and he had been taught to not speak while eating. He remembered the first time he apanied Jiang Hongfu to Jiang residence, he was really surprised when he saw the Old Madam talked to Jiang Hongfu while she ate. By this time he had gotten used to it. ¡°Great Aunt, it looks like you like that Miss Han a lot!¡±

    Old Madam Jiang smiled in agreement, ¡°Yes, that child has a good heart, good temper and is very capable.¡± After that, she added, ¡°Her body is also very good.¡± That child had apanied her by picking vegetables and talked with her. That child certainly didn¡¯t sit in her boudoir every day. So, the Old Madam didn¡¯t find anything strange with Yuxi¡¯s behaviour.

    To Chen Ran, her first sentence sounded all right, but he couldn¡¯t understand hertter sentence. He thought it must be rted to that girl¡¯s nature, so he didn¡¯t ask the Old Madam.

    After lunch, Old Lady Jiang had something to say to Jiang Hongfu. Thus, Chen Ran sensibly said that he would like to return to Marquis Taining Residence.

    After Chen Ran left, Jiang Hongfu looked at Old Madam Jiang and smilingly asked, ¡°Grandma, what do you want to tell me?¡± He didn¡¯t remember his grandmother had ever whispered to him before.

    Old Madam Jiang said, ¡°Grandma seldom goes out, so Grandma only knows very few young nobledies, but Yuxi is such a nice child.¡±

    When Jiang Hongfu heard this, he quickly informed her, ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s not that you don¡¯t know my situation. My teacher and Father have already made an arrangement for my mariage a long time ago.¡± His teacher wanted to marry his youngest daughter Min Qiongxu to him, and the two families had already agreed to discuss their marriage after his Metropolitan Examination[+]under the Ming-Qing civil service examination system, the examination for the selection of jinshi [ßMÊ¿] from juren [ÅeÈË], held triennially in the national capital next year.

    Old Madam Jiang was totally not satisfied with Min Qiongxu. Even when it was said that Min Qiongxu¡¯s appearance and temperament were first-ss, but since Min Qiongxu had very poor health where she could get sick five to six times a year, this certainly made her not a very good candidate for her grandson. ording to the Old Madam, a wife¡¯s duty was to manage the household and take care of her husband. But when her grandson married a sickly beauty, he would be the one who had to look after his sick wife instead. It was a pity that not only her grandson agreed to the marriage, but so did her son. When the Old Madam finally knew about this matter, it was already toote for her to do anything about it. Old Madam Jiang angrily said, ¡°I¡¯m not talking about you, I¡¯m talking about Hongjin.¡± Even if she was not satisfied with Min Qiongxu, since her son and grandson had agreed to the marriage arrangement, she couldn¡¯t ask them to go back on their words.

    Jiang Hongfu frowned and stated, ¡°Grandma, I have to apologise as I¡¯m going to say something unpleasant, Mother won¡¯t even look at Han Biaomei[+]younger female cousin from mother¡¯s side. Moreover, Jin Di[+]younger brother, short form for Didi¡¯s temper does not match with Han Biaomei[+]younger female cousin from mother¡¯s side¡¯s.¡± It had been Yu Shi¡¯s characteristics to look at people higher than the sky when it came to Jiang Hongjin¡¯s marriage. Where would she let Jiang Hongjin marry a girl whose background was lower than his father¡¯s position? As for Jiang Hongjin, he was also the type of person who looked higher than the crown of people¡¯s head[+]Chinese metaphor : considered everyone beneath him . Where would he be willing to marry a girl whose appearance and talents could not be considered as outstanding?

    No matter how dissatisfied Old Madam Jiang felt towards Yu Shi, she would not speak ill of her in front of her grandson. She immediately said, ¡°Since you say it is inappropriate, then just forget about it. But that child¡¯s temperament is really good.¡± Sigh, she may like Yuxi, but what was the point if Yu Shi and her grandson did not have the same view as her.

    Jiang Hongfu smiled at these words and inquired, ¡°Is Han Biaomei[+]younger female cousin from mother¡¯s side really as good as Grandma said?¡± However, his grandmother had only met with Yuxi this once, so how could she be so sure that Yuxi was good or not!

    Old Madam Jiangughed, ¡°Although we only met this once, it¡¯s already enough for me to see if there are any issues with her. That child has studied pharmacology, knows farming and has a considerate nature, a person whom you can¡¯t find even with antern[+]Chinese saying : hard toe by. Your meimei[+]younger sister is a far cry from her.¡± The Old Madam added, ¡°You can¡¯t eat a meal with all that zither and poetry stuff. It¡¯s only proper for a girl to learn how to do needlework, know how to cook and take care of the household!¡±

    Jiang Hongfu smiled at this, ¡°I heard that Han Biaomei[+]younger female cousin from mother¡¯s side is good at chess and painting, but I didn¡¯t expect her to know about medicine and farming also. That¡¯s indeed quite rare.¡±

    Old Madam Jiang proudly said, ¡°I told you this girl was very capable!¡± Yuxi was really good at everything!

    Jiang Hongfu smiled and coaxed Old Madam Jiang with a few more words, until he managed to make her eyebrows arched. Looking at the happy olddy, Jiang Hongfu felt even more guilty. He knew that his grandmother would stay in the capital for his sake, for fear that he would suffer another deadly blow from Yu Shi. Thus, Jiang Hongfu woulde back to stay with Old Madam Jiang whenever he could. It was just that, he was currently so busy with the preparation for his next year¡¯s Metropolitan Examination[+]under the Ming-Qing civil service examination system, the examination for the selection of jinshi [ßMÊ¿] from juren [ÅeÈË], held triennially in the national capital that he had very little time to spare. It was already rare for his grandmother to meet someone she could get along with, so he thought he should think of a way to get Han Biaomei[+]younger female cousin from mother¡¯s side toe over again and spend more time with her.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    While the grandparent and grandchild were being warm and happy, on Yuxi¡¯s side, the atmosphere was not so harmonious. Ever since Yuxi returned to the Master Courtyard, she has been subjected to Jiang Qi¡¯s scornful nce. Everyone else also received Jiang Qi¡¯s wink to exclude Yuxi from their group. However, Yuxi didn¡¯t even mind it. She already knew what Jiang Qi was like. She was willing toe to the Jiang residence this time around because she had something she need to confirm, and now that it was confirmed, she would note to the Jiang residence anymore.

    After lunch, Yuxi went back to their official residence with Wu Shi. Halfway there, she unexpectedly ran into Chen Ran.

    Chen Ran remembered Old Madam Jiang¡¯sments saying that Yuxi was good everywhere, especially the sentence that said her body was also very good. He took a serious look at Yuxi. Her skin was white and her face was ruddy. Right. People nearby were panting heavily when they walked, but Miss Han¡¯splexion was the same as usual. Her body indeed looked pretty good.

    It was difficult for Yuxi to ignore him when she was being looked at like this. In her heart, she continuously criticised him, but she did not show it on her face. She instead smiled and introduced him to Wu Shi, ¡°Mother, this is Second Young Master of Marquis Taining Residence. He and Hongfu Biaoge[+]older male cousin from mother¡¯s side are fellow apprentices.¡±

    After Chen Ran greeted Wu Shi, he took his paige and left. Yurong immediately asked, ready for any gossip, ¡°Is Si Jiejie[+]si=fourth, jiejie=older sister familiar with Second Young Master of Marquis Taining Residence?¡±

    Yuxi exined with a smile, ¡°Today was the second time we have met. Last year, we happened to run into each other in the garden when I attended Marquis Taining¡¯s banquet, and it was the Eldest Young Lady of Marquis Taining who introduced me to him.¡± Althoughrge families were very particr about the differences between men and women, a greeting when they met on the road would not be criticised.

    When Wu Shi caught sight of Yurong¡¯s manner, she urged, ¡°All right, let¡¯s hurry back.¡± When they got to the gate, Wu Shi directly asked Yuxi to share a carriage with Yurong, while she asked Qiu Yanfu to join her.

    Yuxi nced at Qiu Yanfu in surprise. Since they entered Jiang residence, Qiu Yanfu didn¡¯t speak much, as if she wanted to keep silent until the end of the visit. Though Yuxi didn¡¯t know why Qiu Yanfu acted like this.

    On the way back, inside the carriage was not as quiet as when they hade. Yurong had many questions that she wanted to ask Yuxi, ¡°Si Jie[+]si=fourth, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie, have you ever met Second Young Master Jiang before?¡±

    When Yuxi saw that Yurong was going to say something more, she asked, ¡°What about Second Young Master Jiang? What does he have to do with us?¡± She was not Yurong¡¯s close friend nor she was her trusted maid for Yurong to bber about an outside man with her. Yuxi didn¡¯t know what idea had struck Yurong that made her asked this question.

    Yurong was rendered speechless by Yuxi, but she quickly changed the subject, ¡°What did Si Jiejie[+]si=fourth, jiejie=older sister do in Old Madam Jiang¡¯s courtyard today?¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°I picked some vegetables in the backyard and apanied the Old Madam for a while. Then. Eldest Young Master Jiang and Second Young Master Chen came over. After I greeted them, I went back to Master Courtyard.¡±

    Yurong smiled and told Yuxi, ¡°I¡¯ve been told that Eldest Young Master Jiang has been betrothed to Miss Min, his teacher¡¯s daughter.¡±

    Yuxi nced at Yurong with a puzzled look, as she pointed out, ¡°We are not familiar with the Jiang family. Whether Young Master Jiang is already betrothed or not, what does it have to do with us?¡±

    Yurong was stifled once more, but then she smilingly switched to other topic, ¡°Si Jie[+]si=fourth, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie, I heard that Old Madam Jiang used to be a peasant girl and she married into the Jiang family because of an arranged ¡®warding-off¡¯ marriage[+]a wedding arranged for a young man who was dangerously ill, in the hope that the joyous asion would ward off imminent death¡­¡±

    Yuxi swept a nce at Yurong and asked with a cold face, ¡°What exactly do you want to say? Do you think that since Old Madam Jiang is from a lowly background that I am degrading myself by apanying her?¡±

    Yurong really had this idea in her heart, but she would not admit to Yuxi¡¯s usation, ¡°What nonsense is Si Jie[+]si=fourth, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie talking about? I never have this kind of idea.¡±

    Yuxi reminded her with a cold snort, ¡°It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t have. If you tell this matter to others, they may think you are mocking Old Madam Jiang¡¯s lowly background. If this word reaches the ears of the Jiang family, the two families may have to break off their rtionship, and when that timees, father will definitely not going to spare you.¡± It didn¡¯t matter what Old Madam Jiang¡¯s origins or how lucky she was, her son was now a Third Rank Official in the Imperial Court. Hence she was now a Third Rank Gaoming Furen[+]ady with an honorary title conferred by Imperial Mandate by virtue as the mother of her son.

    Yurong felt so aggrieved that tears came out of her eyes, ¡°I only wanted to gossip with Si Jiejie[+]si=fourth, jiejie=older sister, but what Si Jiejie[+]si=fourth, jiejie=older sister ever did is to pour a basin of dung over my head[+]disparage.¡±

    Yuxi responded coolly, ¡°Howe I don¡¯t realise it that way? When did you be so close to me that you even want to gossip with me like that?¡±

    This wordsing from Yuxi almost choked Yurong to death.

 Chapter 165 - Ye Shi Gave Birth (1)

    Chapter 165 : Ye Shi Gave Birth (1)

    Back at the State Residence, when the group got off the carriage, except for Yuxi, who looked normal, Wu Shi and Qiu Yanfu had dark expressions, while Yurong¡¯s eyes were red and swollen. It was obvious that she had been crying.

    When Wu Shi noticed Yurong¡¯s expression, her face turned dark even more. With so many people at the gate, added up with her already bad reputation in the State Residence, if she reprimanded Yuxi in front of so many maids and old women servants, it would stir another trouble for her. Moreover, Yuxi had the gift of the gab. If she reprimanded Yuxi, it was possible that Yurong¡¯s reputation would also be tarnished. Based on these thoughts, Wu Shi didn¡¯t say anything to Yuxi, but said to Yurong instead, ¡°Go back!¡±

    Yuxi returned to Taoran House with Zisu. This time, instead of immediately drilling herself into her study, Yuxi went into the clean room and after she had her bath, she immediately climbed into bed.

    Seeing that Yuxi had fallen asleep, Zisu quietly retreated. Yuxi had this habit of not liking people to be around her, no matter whether she was reading or sleeping.

    When Yuxi heard the door finally closed, she opened her eyes and looked at the top of the bed. Although she had no proof and her idea might be absurd, her sixth sense told her that Jiang Hongjin had married her because of Yuchen. It was because of his ill-intentions that he had ruined their marriage, in which it had made her suffer humiliation. Even her corpse ended up not looking properly intact.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    As Yuxi thought about the pain of being burnt by fire, as well as the despair and grief that she had felt, even if she lived another life, she would not be able to forget them. If she had the chance, she would definitely want to bring Jiang Hongjin down. If she didn¡¯t get the chance, then she would have to leave him alone. After all,pared to the grudges and grievances she had in her past life, to live well in the present world was still the most important thing for her.

    As she thought about this matter, she somehow fell asleep without even realising it.

    At this time, Wu Shi was asking Yurong, ¡°Did Yuxi bully you?¡±

    Yurong didn¡¯t nod or shake her head. ¡°I said something wrong and was taught a lesson by Si Jiejie[+]si=fourth, jiejie=older sister. Mother, what¡¯s wrong with you? I realise that your expression is not looking good.¡±

    Although Yu Shi did not like Wu Shi¡¯s conduct and bearing, she certainly did not show it on the surface, as that would be too degrading for her to do. What made Wu Shi ufortable was Qiu Yanfu. Madam Yang Shi, the wife of the new appointed Director of the Ministry of Revenue, whom she met earlier at the Jiang Residence, had implicitly stated that she had a nephew of the same age as Qiu Yanfu, who was also a bachelor.

    Wu Shi also wanted to solve the great event in Qiu Yanfu¡¯s life[+]usu. referring to marriage problem. After all, Qiu Yanfu was already sixteen this year and it was not a good idea to dy it any longer. Therefore, as soon as she saw the other party¡¯s intention, she had checked that Madam Yang¡¯s nephew had abandoned the official path and his family had a few assets, so she was a bit tempted. However, when Qiu Yanfu heard that the other party was now managing the prisons for the Ministry of Justice, she tly refused. She said that the so-called managing prison of the Ministry of Justice was just a jailer and she did not want to marry a jailer.[T/N]What¡¯s wrong of being a jailer? This girl¡­

    Yurong had been studying with her nursing momo[+]wet nurse for the past two years. Thus, she was no longer as innocent as she was before. She had long known that it was impossible for Qiu Yanfu to marry into an official family. ¡°Since biaojie[+]older female cousin from mother¡¯s side is unwilling, so what kind of family does she want?¡±

    Wu Shi shook her head and said, ¡°When I asked her, she wouldn¡¯t say anything. Who knows what she is looking for.¡± She now had some regrets. She shouldn¡¯t have promised to bring Qiu Yanfu here. Because of Qiu Yanfu, she didn¡¯t know how many faces she had lost.

    When Wu Shi saw that Yurong had something to say, she stopped her as she said, ¡°This is not something you should be worrying about. When you see Yuxi in the future, you should just let her go. She is just like a hedgehog. If you provoke her, it will be you who will be in pain.¡± As long as you don¡¯t provoke that damned girl, that damned girl wouldn¡¯t actively seek trouble with her, and then everyone could get along peacefully.

    Yurong nodded and assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± She had just wanted to gossip today, but she had not expected to be reprimanded by Yuxi instead. Her mother was right, Han Yuxi was just like a hedgehog. Anyone who touched her would surely be pricked. So it was better to stay away from her in the future.

    As the mother and daughter were talking, a maid came in and reported, ¡°My Lady, Fifth Miss, the Third Miss has returned from the pce.¡±

    Yurong felt ufortable in her heart. ¡°Shees back whenever she wants to. What¡¯s there to tell?¡± Now the whole State Residence only cared about Yuchen. While everyone else¡¯s matters had been thrown into the nooks and crannies.

    Wu Shi let the maid withdraw, and then spoke to Yurong,¡±Your San Jie[+]san=third, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie has a bright future. You should take this opportunity to visit her more. It will only do you good and no harm once you have built a good rtionship with her.¡± As far as Yuchen¡¯s appearance and talent were concerned, she was also loved by Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort and the Gongzhu[+]Princess. It was not impossible for Yuchen to be a Prince¡¯s Fei[+]Consort.

    It wasn¡¯t that Yurong didn¡¯t want to get close to Yuchen. But ever since the lying incident, Yuchen had always been indifferent to her. Even if she wanted to get close, she didn¡¯t have that thick skin to do so. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that San Jie[+]san=third, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie doesn¡¯t like us.¡±

    Wu Shi felt that her previous actions had been too unwise. She wondered if it was toote for her to remedy the current situation.[T/N]Yup, it¡¯s already toote, honey.

    After Yuchen returned to the State Residence, the first thing that she did was to go to Taoran House, bearing gifts. When she entered Taoran House, she heard that Yuxi was still sleeping and hadn¡¯t gotten up yet. Yuchen was very surprised. ¡°Howe Si Meimei[+]si=fourth, meimei=younger sister still asleep until now?¡± As far as Yuxi¡¯s diligence was concerned, she couldn¡¯t believe that Yuxi would sleep in. Did the sun juste out from the west?

    Zisu exined, ¡°Miss had gone to the Jiang family as a guest with my Lady this morning and she fell asleep immediately after she returned. Handmaiden reckons that Miss will wake up soon.¡± In fact, Zisu also found it strange. She had been following Yuxi throughout the day and nothing special had happened to Yuxi. Hence she didn¡¯t understand why Yuxi would be too tired. Also, she felt that it was not good of her to mention these kinds of things to Yuchen.

    Yuchen didn¡¯t go back either, so she waited in the parlour. When she started to get bored, she said to Zisu, ¡°Go to the study and bring me a book to read.¡±

    Zisu went into the study and looked for a travel note, ¡°Third Miss, will this one do for you?¡±

    Yuchen was only using it to pass the time, thus it didn¡¯t matter what type of book it was. She took the book, looked at it, and nodded a little. She then said, ¡°Yes.¡±

    After about a quarter of an hour, Yuxi finally woke up. When she heard that Yuchen hade to see her, she quickly got herself dressed up and walked out, while smilingly said, ¡°I thought San Jie[+]san=third, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie would stay in the pce for a while!¡±

    Yuchen answered with a smile, ¡°The Emperor has bestowed a wedding to the 9th Prince. Hence, Guifei Niangniang[+]addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine has begun to get busy with the 9th Prince¡¯s wedding. Therefore, it is not good for me to stay in the pce any longer.¡±

    Yuxi only knew that Yu Xiyu was the 9th Prince¡¯s Zheng Fei[+]Main Consort, but she really didn¡¯t know when the Emperor sanctioned the marriage. ¡°The Emperor bestowed a wedding to the 9th Prince? Is it to Xiyu Jiejie[+]older sister?¡±

    Yuchen nodded and replied with a smile, ¡°There have been rumours before, but now that the Imperial Edict has been issued, the matter has been nailed to the board with a nail[+]Chinese idiom : cannot be changed. The wedding date has also been set to the tenth lunar month next year. Now, the Imperial n Court has begun to get busy with the 9th Prince¡¯s big wedding arrangements.¡± There were so many things needed to be prepared for when a Prince or a Gongzhu[+]Princess got married. A period of a little more over a year could be said to be barely enough.

    When Yuxi waved her hand, all the servants inside the room withdrew, with Zisu considerately standing guard just outside the door. There were only two people left in the room before Yuxi said, ¡°San Jie[+]san=third, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie, what do you think the Emperor means? The Empress and the Crown Prince have been gone for six months already. Howe the Emperor hasn¡¯t made a single move yet?¡± The so-called no movement meant that the Emperor had not made Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort as the new Empress, nor had he made the 9th Prince as the Crown Prince. Of course, just by pulling one hair, the whole body would surely move[+]Chinese idiom : a slight change will affect everything else. If Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort had been installed as the new Empress, then the 9th Prince as the di[+]born from formal/legal wife eldest Prince would nail the board[+]Chinese idiom : can¡¯t be changed as the new Crown Prince.

    Yuchen also shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± After saying that, she smiled and asked, ¡°When did Si Mei[+]si=fourth, mei=younger sister be interested in national affairs?¡±

    Yuxi told her the reason that she had prepared, ¡°After the pce rebellion, some of thedies and girls I met during the banquet have be prisoners in the blink of an eye. So it¡¯s quite scary when I think about it. Therefore, I want to learn more about the affairs of the Imperial Court. At least in the future, I can be well informed and not be so helpless.¡± This was a very subtle statement, meaning that she was so sure that she would marry into an official family in the future. Hence, it was not good for her not to know matters that involved backyard affairs of the Imperial Court. If she was prepared now, she would not be caught unaware in the future.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuchen smiled, ¡°Si Meimei[+]si=fourth, meimei=younger sister is really thinking too far ahead. Meimei[+]younger sister don¡¯t have to worry. The Emperor favours Guifei Niangniang[+]addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine as always, and he also loves the 9th Prince.¡±

    Yuxi remembered thest time she was at the Liuli Pce, where she had been frightened by the 9th Prince¡¯s nce that her back sweat. It wasn¡¯t good to pick a fight with this man either. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    The two spoke for a while before Yuchen eventually went back.

    Zisu asked in a small voice, ¡°Miss, right now, it is being said outside that His Highness the 10th Prince has taken a liking to the Third Miss and wants to marry her as his Fei[+]Consort. Do you think this rumour is reliable?¡±

    Yuxi swept a nce at Zisu and said, ¡°Since the Imperial Edict for sanctioning such marriage has not yete, just consider the rumour as false. And don¡¯t speak about this matter anymore in the future.¡±

    Zisu nodded obediently.

    That night, as Yuxi was practicing her calligraphy in the study, she heard Zisu knocking on the door. She put down her writing brush and said, ¡°Come in!¡± Only when there was something urgent that she wouldn¡¯t let other people to know about, she usually wouldn¡¯t let others enter her study.

    Zisu wouldn¡¯t havee to bother Yuxi if she had nothing important to ry. She went into the study and reported, ¡°Miss, I just got the news. Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house is going to give birth.¡±

    Yuxi softly let out a ¡®oh¡¯ and asked, ¡°What else?¡± The matter regarding Ye Shi giving birth to her child has nothing to do with her. She could just go and have a look at her tomorrow morning.

    When Zisu saw Yuxi¡¯s calm attitude, she felt that she had just written a lengthy article on a small subject[+]Chinese idiom : make a big fuss over a minor issue. ¡°What do Miss want to eat tonight? I¡¯ll let the kitchen prepare it for you. ¡±

    Yuxi thought for a while and then said, ¡°Ask the kitchen to make a bowl of lotus root meatballs!¡± Now Yuxi felt that the lotuses in theke were really useful since all parts of the nts could be eaten.

    LOTUS ROOT MEATBALLS

    It was only when Zisu walked to the door that Yuxi added, ¡°Once Dasao[+]eldest sister-inw has given birth, let me know.¡± It was important to know whether the baby was a boy or a girl.

    Zisu thought Yuxi really didn¡¯t care. After listening to Yuxi¡¯s words, she smilingly said, ¡°Miss, it hasn¡¯t been long for Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house to start to feel she is going to give birth. She won¡¯t give birth that soon.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and started to practice her calligraphy once more.

    Even when Yuxi finally left her study, there was no news of Ye Shi¡¯s delivery being sessful. Yuxi muttered, ¡°It¡¯s not another difficult birth, is it?¡± Back then, Concubine Rong also had a difficult birth. Unfortunately, Concubine Rong¡¯s luck wasn¡¯t good. She had a difficult birth, where both mother and child ended up lost.

    Not knowing what Yuxi was thinking, Zisu said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. First child usually takes a little longer.¡±

    Yuxi suddenly asked, ¡°How is Er Jie[+]er=second, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie recently?¡±

    Zisu didn¡¯t know that Yuxi¡¯s thought would jump around like this. She just jumped from Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house¡¯s delivery to Second Miss in a matter of seconds. ¡°Recently, Second Miss has been staying in her own yard, and she doesn¡¯te out very much. Her specific situation though is not clear to us.¡± They didn¡¯t put any people in Yujing¡¯s yard.

    Yuxi went to bed with an ¡®oh¡¯. Before closing her eyes, she said to herself, ¡°I hope she will give birth to a son!¡± If Ye Shi gave birth to a son, there would be fewer disputes in the State Residence. If the child was a daughter, there would be too much trouble after that. It was already rare for Yuxi to live a few days of leisure. She hoped she could live such a quiet life all the time and didn¡¯t want any trouble toe on her way.

 Chapter 166 - Ye Shi Gave Birth (2)

    <strong>Chapter 166 : Ye Shi Gave Birth (2)</strong>

    The weather at the end of the ninth lunar month had turned a bit cold.

    Once Yuxi finished her morning exercise in the yard, she took a towel to wipe her sweat. She was in a very good mood as she looked at the red sun rising in the east.

    Her good mood didn¡¯tst long though. Her mood changed after she had her bath and changed her clothes. Especially after Zisu informed her on one matter, ¡°Miss, Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house had given birth to a sweet little girl around maoshi[+]5-7 a.m..¡±

    Yuxi sighed slightly and nodded, ¡°I see.¡± Although she had hoped that Ye Shi would have given birth to a son, the reality still couldn¡¯t help turn out like this. Troublesome matters would always be troublesome. As long as the current situation didn¡¯t fall into her previous life situation, it should not be bad for her.

    After breakfast, Yuxi took Zisu to the Master Courtyard. As soon as she entered the yard, she noticed that the atmosphere was not right. All the maids in the yard kept their heads down, and they even walked carefully.

    Liuyue happened to be standing at the door of the house. When she saw Yuxi, she came over and whispered, ¡°Miss, the Lady is really angry right now! You should go in a bitter!¡±

    Yuxi asked, ¡°What happened?¡± In fact, she knew roughly why Qiu Shi was currently angry. Presumably because Ye Shi could no longer hide the fact that she was unfit to conceive another child in the future.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Liuyue went closed to Yuxi¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°The physician said that it would be difficult for Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house to get pregnant again. Madam was very surprised at that time that she questioned why Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house would be unable to have another child when she obviously did not have any difficulty while giving birth. As a result, the physician let her know that Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house¡¯s constitution was already too cold. Thus it would be difficult for her to actually conceive a child. It was already fortunate that she managed to get pregnant with this child. When the Lady found out about this, she became very angry.¡±

    This made Yuxi hesitate to go in.

    Seeing Yuxi¡¯s reaction, Liuyue added, ¡°Lady is talking to Mama Li about something right now, so she won¡¯t be able to finish talking with her for a while. Why don¡¯t you go back first ande backter?¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter. After all, she was still young and it was no good to get mixed up in this kind of matter. After thinking for a while, Yuxi said, ¡°Okay then, I will go see Dasao[+]eldest sister-inw and my niece first.¡±

    Qiu Shi was currently furious. If Ye Shi was unable to have another child because she just had a difficult delivery, then Qiu Shi would have nothing to say. But Ye Shi herself already knew that she was unfit to conceive a child and could no longer give birth to another, which made Qiu Shi to be extremely angry. Ye Shi had kept such a big thing from her up until now. If she hadn¡¯t found out about it, was Ye Shi going to continue to hide it from her? ¡°You¡¯ve seen how I¡¯ve treated her these past few years. When she was continuously giving medication to the tongfang[+]lowest-ranking concubines from family of lower status or formal wife / one¡¯s own maid, I¡¯ve never said anything about it, and I did not even shove a maid to Ming-er. But what about her?¡± This feeling of being lied to was truly awful.

    Mama Li also didn¡¯t expect Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house to be so bold. While knowing that she herself was having a hard time conceiving, Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house still made the two tongfang[+]lowest-ranking concubines from family of lower status or formal wife / one¡¯s own maid keep on drinking the child prevention soup, ¡°My Lady, since things have alreadye to this, it won¡¯t help ease the matter even if you try to pursue what had happened before. Shouldn¡¯t we now be thinking about what¡¯s to be done hereafter?¡±

    It was really difficult for Qiu Shi to calm herself down, ¡°Let¡¯s see what Ming-er is going to say about this.¡±

    Mama Li remembered the look on Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family¡¯s face when he heard what the doctor said. She hesitantly spoke out, ¡°My Lady, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m overthinking it, but I have this feeling that Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family already knew about this.¡± If he didn¡¯t know, it was impossible for Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family to be that calm.

    When Qiu Shi remembered the look on her son¡¯s face, she also felt that something was wrong, ¡°Go and call Ming-er over.¡±

    Mama Li shook her head and said, ¡°My Lady, after Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house had given birth, the main steward came in to report on a matter, and Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family went out after that.¡±

    Qiu Shi thought for a moment before instructing, ¡°Then, let¡¯s go to the Main Courtyard.¡± Ye Shi had been chosen by the Old Lady, not by her. Now that Ye Shi had done such a thing, she had to let the Old Lady know. In passing, she would ask what the Old Lady had in mind over this matter.

    Yuxi was unaware of Qiu Shi¡¯s entanglement. She had just left the Master Courtyard when she saw Yuruing over. Since her betrothal, Yuru had exuded an aura of peace and tranquillity that had even surprised Yuxi. She had never seen such Yuru before. ¡°Dajie[+]eldest sister[+]eldest sister, Eldest Aunt is currently having a discussion. It may take a while.¡± It was only right to give Yuru a reminder, and it was up to Yuru to decide what she would do next.

    Yuru looked calm, as she asked, ¡°Where is Si Meimei[+]si=fourth, meimei=younger sisters going to?¡± When Yuxi told her that she was about to go to the Songxiang Courtyard, Yuru responded, ¡°Then I will go to the Songxiang Courtyard with Si Meimei[+]si=fourth, meimei=younger sisters!¡±

    After walking a few steps, Yuru whispered to Yuxi, ¡°Si Meimei[+]si=fourth, meimei=younger sisters, thank you for that day.¡±

    These inexplicable words made Yuxi puzzled, ¡°Thanking me for what?¡± She hadn¡¯t seen Yuru for a while, so why would she be thanking her?

    Yuru lowered her voice and said, ¡°I only learned a few days ago that Fourth Young Master Xiang¡¯s personal maid has gotten pregnant.¡± It was too unruly for a maid to get pregnant without getting married first.

    Yuxi felt it was odd. This matter didn¡¯t happen before. ¡°It seems like Fourth Young Master Xiang has not been betrothed to anyone yet? How could something like this happen? Also, how did Dajie[+]eldest sister know about this?¡± This kind of thing should have been hidden and kept under wraps, so how could it still manage to get out.

    Yuru shook her head as she exined, ¡°I heard that Madam Xiang gave that maid abortion pill which ended up killing her. The maid¡¯s family was a good citizen. It was only after they found out about her death that they made trouble with the Xiang family and the story got out.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t pay much attention to the Xiang family. During this time, she had been concentrating on her books and wasn¡¯t concerned with the gossip circting outside. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely for the Xiang family to be so bad in covering this matter up. Someone must have deliberately tried to stir up a big trouble out of it.¡±

    A smile appeared on Yuru¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t know about this. But I heard that Madam Xiang had asked Fourth Young Master Xiang to marry the young miss from Marquis of Changping residence a few days ago. Now it seems that the possible marriage will eventually fall through.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and stated, ¡°With the Xiang family¡¯s drama, the marriage is definitely out of the question. For the Fourth Young Master Xiang to be in such a condition, there is no way for him to marry into any families of equal rank after this incident.¡± Originally, the Xiang family could have married a shu[+]born from a concubine daughter from a family of equal rank. However, with this kind of incident, it was no longer possible for him to do so. Now, they had to look for a match from a much lower family status.

    Yuru was now very d that she had changed her mind and did not choose the Xiang family. If she hadn¡¯t, she would have died of frustration. ¡°With Fourth Young Master Xiang acting like this, whoever marries him will have bad luck.¡±

    Yuxi nodded, ¡°This is indeed true. He has no talent nor virtue. This kind of person is really not a good match. It is right for Dajie[+]eldest sister not to choose him that day.¡± After that, she added, ¡°It¡¯s good that Dajie[+]eldest sister has chosen Young Master Zeng.¡±

    A smile appeared on Yuru¡¯s face as she thought of Young Master Zeng. Ever since she had been betrothed to Young Master Zeng, he had frequently bought many things to be sent into the residence for her. This ttered and cheered up Yuru, who had always been the one pleasing others, ¡°Well, I¡¯m d of that now!¡±

    Yuxi nced behind her and saw Qingxuan at the back, before she whispered, ¡°Dajie[+]eldest sister, are you nning to take Qingxuan with you when you get married?¡±

    Yuru didn¡¯t understand what this question meant, ¡°I definitely want to bring Qingxuan with me when I get married.¡± Qingxuan was her most trusted person and her assistant, so she didn¡¯t feelfortable getting married without her.

    Yuxi thought that Qingxuan knew too much about Yuru, and she could also influence Yuru¡¯s decision. Such a maid could be an assistant to her master, but she definitely can¡¯t be her master¡¯s husband¡¯s concubine. ¡°Qingxuan is also eighteen this year. Dajie[+]eldest sister should marry her off. Then let her follow Dajie[+]eldest sister along as a young married woman.¡± If Qingxuan became her master¡¯s husband¡¯s concubine, it would be very unfavorable for Yuru

    Yuru smiled and said, ¡°Well, Qingxuan¡¯s marriage has already been settled, and the marriage will be held at the end of the year. After she marries, I will let her be the stewardess of my yard.¡±

    Yuxi was not interested in knowing who Qingxuan will be married to. As long as she knew that Qingxuan would not be Zeng Kezhou¡¯s concubine, that would be enough. ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡±

    The two of them soon arrived at Songxiang Courtyard, where they found out that Ye Shi had not yet woken up. It was Old Woman Servant Hua who was making the arrangements of the yard inside out.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    After seeing the crowd, Old Woman Servant Hua said with a smile, ¡°Eldest Miss and Fourth Miss are here.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t bother to be polite with Old Woman Servant Hua, as she directly said, ¡°We are here to see Eldest Girl.¡± The child was still young and had not yet been named. Hence for the time being she would be called the Eldest Girl.

    Old Woman Servant Hua led the two to a side room, ¡°Wait here, Miss. I¡¯ll go and bring out Eldest Girl.¡± Eldest Girl was now in the room next to Ye Shi¡¯s

    Ye Shi had suffered enough during her pregnancy and she had also experienced several pregnancyplications in between. Although she had given birth at full term, Yuxi was still worried about the child¡¯s possible poor health. It was normal to worry about the child¡¯s health, mainly because of what had happened to Concubine Rong in the past. However, when she looked at the child held out by Old Woman Servant Hua, a smile appeared on her face. ¡°She looks so good.¡± What Yuxi meant by looking so good was that the child looked healthy and not sickly.

    Yuru stated with great surprise, ¡°The child looks like a monkey. Where did you see she looks good?¡± The child¡¯s skin was wrinkled, like a little old man. Yuru really couldn¡¯t see what was so good about the child

    Old Woman Servant Hua was not angry either. She just smiled and exined, ¡°This is the case for newborns. She will be looking fine after a few more days.¡±

    After the two of them had seen the child, they left Songxiang Courtyard. Yuru went straight to her courtyard to continue embroidering her dowry, while Yuxi told Zisu, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Tingyun Pavilion.¡±

    From afar, Yuxi could hear a pleasant sound of flute. She asked Zisu with a look of surprise,¡±Could it be that San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie didn¡¯t know that Dasao[+]eldest sister-inw has just given birth?¡± Otherwise, Yuchen would have personally gone over and taken a look.

    Zisu looked at the sky speechlessly, ¡°Miss, even if you ask me, who am I going to ask?¡± It was already quite difficult to find out about things that happened inTingyun Pavilion. Therefore, Zisu never inquired anything about the affairs of Tingyun Pavilion.

    When Yuxi arrived at Tingyun Pavilion, she asked Yuchen, ¡°San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, Dasao[+]eldest sister-inw has just given birth to a baby girl.¡±

    Yuchen nodded and replied, ¡°I already know. I have known about it after I have done practicing my qin. But Dasao[+]eldest sister-inw hasn¡¯t woken up yet. I will go visit her when she finally wakes up. Has Si Mei[+]si=fourth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei been there?¡±

    Yuxi nodded as she answered, ¡°Yeah. I just came from Songxiang Courtyard.¡±

    Yuchen smilingly asked, ¡°If Si Mei[+]si=fourth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei is not in a hurry to go back, how about listening to me y a song? It seems like it has been a long time since Si Meimei[+]si=fourth, meimei=younger sisters has listened to me y the qin and flute.¡±

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°It is indeed a long time since I have heard San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie y with both of the instruments.¡± During this period of time, Yuchen had been extremely busy and she did not have free time either. Yuxi knew in her heart that there would be even fewer opportunities for her to listen to Yuchen y the qin and flute in the future.

    Now, many things were different from what Yuxi remembered. In herst life, Yuchen met the 10th Prince next year. When Yuchen was fifteen, she had been bestowed with marriage to the 10th Prince and they got married when she was sixteen. But now they both had met with each other. Since Yuchen often went to the pce, she and the 10th Prince must have frequently seen each other too. As for what other things that would change in the future, Yuxi couldn¡¯t say for sure. She could only hope that Yuchen would smoothly marry the 10th Prince and that nothing would go wrong in the end. As for herself, well, she hadn¡¯t thought about it that far yet.

    PS (Author) : O(¡É_¡É)O~, Ye Shi has given birth to a daughter. Did you guess right?

 Chapter 167 - Flute

    <strong>Chapter 167 : Flute</strong>

    After ying a song, Yuchen asked Yuxi, ¡°The day after tomorrow is your birthday, what do you want as a gift? San Jie[+]san=third, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie will give it to you.¡±

    Yuxi had forgotten about this, as she smilingly replied, ¡°I would have forgotten about it if not for San Jie[+]san=third, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie. I don¡¯t need anything, so San Jie[+]san=third, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie doesn¡¯t need to spend money on me.¡± Every gift Yuchen had sent to her were all worth several cities[+]Chinese idiom : priceless, so Yuxi was unwilling to ept more.

    Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°I knew you would say that.¡± After saying that, she got up, took a brocade box sitting on the shelf and handed it to Yuxi, while saying, ¡°This is my birthday present for you.¡±

    Yuxi opened it and saw the content of the brocade box turned out to be a jade flute. ¡°San Jie[+]san=third, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie, what do you give me the jade flute for? You know I can¡¯t y the flute.¡±

    Yuchen gave Yuxi a look and said, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t know how to y, don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t learn to y it. The flute is the easiest instrument to learn, and you can even start learning it today.¡±

    Yuxi told her that she did not want to learn, but Yuchen ignored her opinion and began to teach her how to y the flute earnestly. Faced with the passionate Yuchen, Yuxi was unable to resist and could only learn it seriously.

    When Qiu Shi arrived at the Main Courtyard, she told the Old Lady about Ye Shi¡¯s situation, ¡°Mother, Ye Shi is no longer able to conceive any more children. What should we do now?¡±

    The Old Lady¡¯splexion was not good either. Anyone who knew that their eldest granddaughter-inw couldn¡¯t have children any more would definitely not have good expressions, unless they were not their own grandson¡¯s real grandmother. ¡°Has her situation been determined?¡± She used to look at Ye Shi as a good wife candidate for her grandson, but she wasn¡¯t aware that Ye Shi would actually harbour evil intentions.

    Qiu Shi nodded and said, ¡°Imperial Physician Le told me about it himself. There should be no mistake.¡±

    The blue veins on the Old Lady¡¯s hand that was gripping the Buddha beads started to raise. Although both di[+]born from a formal wife grandson and shu[+]born from a concubine grandson were still their grandchildren, both the Old Lady and Qiu Shi had been wishing that their first grandson would be a di[+]born from a formal wife. But now that the matter hade to this, it was useless for them to be upset and angry. ¡°Since Imperial Physician Le has confirmed that she can¡¯t give birth to a child anymore, then you should let Ming-er marry a secondary wife.¡± Since Ye Shi could not have any more children, the Old Lady had no other choice but to let Ming-er have a secondary wife.

    Although Qiu Shi was very angry with Ye Shi, in the end she was still a soft-hearted person. When she thought that Ye Shi had just given birth to a child and then she, her mother-inw, was already nning to marry her son to a secondary wife, she requested, ¡°Mother, shouldn¡¯t we handle this matter slowly?¡±

    Knowing Qiu Shi¡¯s scruples, the olddy nodded and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s discuss this matter after Ye Shi¡¯s confinement! You can choose the second room candidate.¡±

    Qiu Shi still shook her head and said, ¡°Mother, I won¡¯t be able to find the time to handle it after her confinement since Miss Lu will be going through our door in the twelfth lunar month. Why don¡¯t we wait until after the New Year to discuss it more?¡± Since her eldest daughter-inw was unable to have more children, she could only rely on her second daughter-inw to give birth to her first di[+]born from a formal wife grandson.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    The Old Lady thought about it for a moment, and also felt there was no urgency matter needed to be dealt with in these few uing months, ¡°Then let¡¯s wait after the New Year! You have to handle Jianye¡¯s marriage properly.¡±

    Qiu Shi nodded, ¡°I will take good care of it.¡± Since Ye Shi was unable to give birth to another grandchild, thus she could only rely on Lu Xiu for her future grandson. As she thought of Lu Xiu¡¯s figure, she presumably would be able to hold her grandson soon enough.[T/N]Okay, author, I get it that Ye Shi can¡¯t have any children anymore. No need to shove it in my face for every dialog between these two mother-inw and daughter-inw.

    Yuxi had learned from Yuchen at Tingyun Pavilion for more than a sichen[+]2 hours, and when she finally left Tingyun Pavilion, she was still feeling dizzy. ¡°How did I get muddle-headed and learn to y the flute from San Jie[+]san=third, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie?¡± She had obviously refused at first, but why did shepromiseter on!

    Zisu happilyplimented, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t you always say you have no musical talent? Look, you¡¯ve only been learning for a sichen[+]2 hours or so, and you already know how to blow it like it should be.¡± Although her words seemed a bit exaggerated, the sound that Yuxi had blown out just now was no longer sounding so horrifying.

    Yuxi looked at Zisu who had a smile on her face that looked like a blooming chrysanthemum. She hesitated a little and asked, ¡°Do you also think I should learn how to y the flute?¡± She really thought it was useless to learn it!

    Zisu replied, ¡°Of course. You can just look at other young misses in the residence. Who hasn¡¯t learned to y a single piece of music? Only Miss who does not know how to y one. How humiliating it would be to talk about itter on!¡± She wanted Yuxi to learn a musical instrument, mainly for the sake of her Miss¡¯ face.

    Yuxi was still torn whether she should learn it or not.

    After Yuxi left, Momo[+]wet nurse Gui asked Yuchen in puzzlement, ¡°For what reason does Miss have to force Fourth Miss to learn musical instruments?¡± Whether Yuxi learned musical instruments or not, it had nothing to do with her own Miss.

    Yuchen didn¡¯t clear up Momo[+]wet nurse Gui¡¯s confusion, but said with a smile instead, ¡°Si Meimei[+]si=fourth, meimei=younger sister has always said that she has no musical talent. Today, what I saw was not that she didn¡¯t have any talent, but rather her mind had not been focusing on the instrument.¡±

    Instead of continuing this topic, Momo[+]wet nurse Gui instead informed her, ¡°Miss, I just heard some news.¡± She told Yuchen regarding Ye Shi¡¯s inability to give birth once more.

    Yuchen frowned for a moment, ¡°How dare Dasao[+]eldest sister-inw hide such a big thing?¡± An heir was the most important thing in a family, especially when Dage[+]eldest brother was the shizi[+]a heir of a noble family, and this was concerning the inheritance of the title. The Imperial Court had aw where the title of nobility had to be inherited by a di[+]born from a formal wife son. Ye Shi¡¯s behaviour had truly been very unduly.

    Momo[+]wet nurse Gui also thought that Ye Shi really had enough nerve to do it and she would have been cast away if her husband¡¯s family had acted more ruthless. However, since Master Ye was an important official with a massive military in hand, Ye Shi would definitely not be cast away, but there was a possibility that she would probably be detested by her husband and mother-inw.

    Back at Taoran House, Yuxi did not continue practising her flute, but went back to her study to read a book. It was not until lunch was served that Zisu managed to call her out of the study.

    Zisu muttered, ¡°Miss, you just learned how to y the flute today, so you have to practice more before you can properly y it.¡± There was an old saying that practice made perfect. She believed that as long as her Miss practiced more, she would surely be able to y the flute very well in the future.

    Yuxi smiled as she responded, ¡°Let¡¯s just wait and see.¡±

    Kufu quickly interjected, ¡°Miss, think about it. After you have mastered the flute, once you are tired of reading, you can y and tune it up. Won¡¯t that be good?¡±

    Yuxi still said the same thing, ¡°There¡¯s no rush.¡± She had one trait when learning things. If she didn¡¯t want to, she wouldn¡¯t learn it. If she wanted to, she would learn it well. Therefore, this matter must be treated with care.

    That afternoon, Qiu Shi called Yuxi over to the Master Courtyard.

    Xisan or giving a bath to a baby girl 3 days after his/her birth.

    T/N : The baby looked like he/she had a beard.

    Image Credit | To its rightful owner, (Chinese Baby Customs) via n The Perfect Baby Shower

    Yuxi was very surprised when she heard that Qiu Shi wanted to celebrate her birthday, ¡°Eldest Aunt, how can we celebrate my birthday when the day after tomorrow will be the day when Big Girl has her bath after three days of her birth (xisan)?¡± She didn¡¯t care at all about such things as birthdays. This was mainly due to the influence of her previous life as well.

    Qiu Shi was furious with Ye Shi, but she was not that furious to not celebrate the day her eldest di[+]born from a formal wife granddaughter had her first bath after three days of her birth, ¡°Her bath ceremony will be held in the morning, while your birthday celebration will be held in the afternoon, so there will be no conflict there.¡±

    Yuxi still thought that this was not a good idea, ¡°I better not. Big Girl¡¯s bath ceremony is a big deal. How can it be mixed with my birthday celebration? Moreover, I still have my whole life, so it is fine if I don¡¯t celebrate it this time.¡±

    After Yuxi¡¯s repeated excuses, Qiu Shi finally gave in to Yuxi¡¯s wishes, ¡°If you say you really don¡¯t want to, then we won¡¯t do it. You, this child, like to think too much over everything.¡± Qiu Shi always felt that Yuxi always liked to think too much about something, which for Qiu Shi was not a really good thing.

    Yuxi smiled as she asked, ¡°Eldest Aunt, has Big Girl been given a name yet?¡±

    Qiu Shi shook her head, ¡°Not yet. Let your Dage[+]eldest brother worry about it, I won¡¯t get involved.¡± The great event of naming a child was usually a man¡¯s business. And since they were also from different generations, she didn¡¯t want bother about it either.

    Yuxi looked at Qiu Shi¡¯s expression and carefully asked, ¡°Eldest Aunt, don¡¯t you like Big Girl?¡± Just by looking at Qiu Shi¡¯s appearance, she was afraid that her aunt wouldn¡¯t like the child because of her aunt¡¯s hate toward Ye Shi.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s face was a little unnatural. As long as she thought of Ye Shi¡¯s deception, she couldn¡¯t get herself close with that child. However, she could not tell the truth to Yuxi. For she knew deep in her heart that the child was innocent. ¡°There is no such thing. Well, let¡¯s not talk about that. I heard from the maid that you have started learning the flute?¡± In the past, Yuxi had always said that she had no talent for learning musical instruments.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi was embarrassed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what was going on with San Jie[+]san=third, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie today that she desperately dragged me to learn how to y it. I couldn¡¯t resist, so I learned from her for a little while and found out that it wasn¡¯t actually that difficult to learn it.¡±

    Qiu Shi patted Yuxi¡¯s hand and encouraged, ¡°If you think you can learn it, then learn it well.¡±

    Yuxi wondered why everyone wanted her to learn a musical instrument. ¡°Eldest Aunt, is it really that good to learn a musical instrument?¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s reasoning was much simpler, ¡°It¡¯s better to learn a musical instrument than to stay in the study all day long. If you go on like this, I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll be a bookworm.¡± After she had said that, she smiled and continued, ¡°Although this aunt of yours is not very knowledgeable, I have heard that learning a musical instrument can possibly make one engage in self-cultivation and cultivate a person¡¯s temperament. If you think you can learn it, then learn it!¡±[T/N]I just knew that the word ¡®bookworm¡¯ was once a derogatory term for a person who studied or read more than was usual. Sigh~

    Yuxi was a bit embarrassed, ¡°Eldest Aunt is exaggerating. How can that make me a bookworm?¡± She just liked to read books, so how could she be a bookworm?

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°Aunt has no objection to your love in reading books, but you can¡¯t just stay in the study and read all day. It¡¯s better for a girl to get together with everyone for a talk andugh.¡± Yuxi was too quiet, too quiet for a twelve year old girl.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t expect Qiu Shi was actually thinking that she was too quiet for a young girl. ¡°Since Eldest Aunt says it¡¯s good to learn an instrument, then I¡¯ll learn it!¡± The flute wasn¡¯t difficult to learn anyway, and everyone had been saying to her that it would be good for her to learn, so she might as well go for it!

    Yuxi had actually found out a long time ago that by listening to a piece of music, be it a qin piece or any other piece, when she was tired, it made her feel particrly rxed afterwards. This was also the reason why she did not object strongly when Yuchen asked her to learn to y the flute. Otherwise, even if Yuchen forced her to learn it and she really didn¡¯t want to, there was nothing Yuchen could do about it.

    Just then, a maid came in and informed Qiu Shi, ¡°My Lady, Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house is awake!¡± Ye Shi had fallen asleep immediately after giving birth and she had finally woken up.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s expression was lukewarm, ¡°I know.¡± Even when she already knew about it, she did not get up and say she was going to visit Ye Shi. With Ye Shi¡¯s previous deception, Qiu Shi now had a level of disgust for her.

    It was no good for Yuxi to advise her aunt on such matters, so she had to get up and say, ¡°Eldest Aunt, I¡¯ll go back then.¡± Since Ye Shi could not have any more children, sooner orter, the matter of her Dage[+]eldest brother marrying a secondary wife would have to be put on the agenda. She hoped this time it wouldn¡¯t be the same as before, where the fight between mother-inw and daughter-inw would be so bitter for both of them.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t stop Yuxi, but she did say one thing before Yuxi left, ¡°Your Er Ge[+]Er=second, ge=older brother, short form for Gege¡¯s wedding will be held in a few months, and it will be a busy time for the residence, so help me with the household chores.¡± The end of the year was already very busy for her, and with her son¡¯s wedding, she couldn¡¯t do everything alone.

    Naturally, Yuxi would not be so slow to react, ¡°Alright! As long as Eldest Aunt needs me, just give me an order. By the way, Eldest Aunt, has the wedding date for Dajie[+]da=eldest, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie been set?¡±

    Qiu Shi shook her head as she answered, ¡°The Zeng family hasn¡¯te to talk about it yet, but your Dajie is only 15 this year, so there¡¯s no rush. It¡¯s your Er Jie[+]er=second, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie¡¯s marriage is a big problem.¡± Now that Yuru was already engaged, it didn¡¯t matter if the wedding would be held a yearter. The most troublesome thing right now was Yujing, who already had a bad reputation outside. Those who hade to their door to propose marriage for her were not only to the Old Lady¡¯s dissatisfaction, but also to Qiu Shi¡¯s eyes. Even though she hated Concubine Rong, she had already passed away, so she had no hatred for her daughter. She just decided to ignore her. However, as a shu[+]born from a concubine daughter, for Yujing to be disregarded by her formal mother, she would surely not have a good time in the residence.

    In matters of other people¡¯s marriage, Yuxi would not interfere. ¡°Then, I will go back first, Eldest Aunt. If Aunt has anything want me to do, just have the maid call me over.¡±

    Qiu Shi gave her a little nod as a response.

 Chapter 168 - Giving A Baby A Bath On The Third Day After Birth (Xisan)

    Chapter 168 : Giving A Baby A Bath On The Third Day After Birth (Xisan)

    By ¤­¤Ä¤Í At February 11, 2021 14 Comments

    When Ye Shi woke up, she looked around and couldn¡¯t see her daughter anywhere. She asked Old Woman Hua, who had just walked in, ¡°Where is the child?¡±

    Old Woman Hua made up Ye Shi¡¯s quilt and softly replied, ¡°Big Girl is hungry, and she is currently being fed by the wet nurse!¡± After she had done speaking, she brought over the bird¡¯s nest porridge in her hand and fed it to Ye Shi.

    Ye Shi¡¯s whole body ached. As childbirth was physically demanding work, she had no strength left at all. So she had to let Old Woman Hua feed her. After eating a bowl of bird¡¯s nest congee, she asked, ¡°How is the baby¡¯s health? Is there anything wrong with her?¡± She was worried about her baby¡¯s health, as she had faced seven cmities and eight disasters[+]Chinese idiom : suffer from one ailment after another while being pregnant with this child.

    Old Woman Hua said with a smile, ¡°Big Sister is in good health. Her cries are particrly loud, so Nainai don¡¯t have to be so worried.¡± Before the child was born, Old Woman Hua was also extremely worried. After all, there was the precedent of Concubine Rong. But when she looked at the healthy child, she felt that the child had been blessed by the Bodhisattva.

    Only then did Ye Shi feel relieved. ¡°Did the Imperial Physician say anything?¡± These words might look like they didn¡¯t ask anything specific, but Old Woman Hua understood it.

    Old Woman Hua hesitated for a moment. When she saw Ye Shi staring at her, she could only tell Ye Shi the truth, ¡°The Lady already knew, and I¡¯m sure the Old Lady knows too.¡±

    Ye Shi felt a tightness in her chest, but she knew that it would happen sooner orter. ¡°I¡¯ve asked you to ask the Imperial Physician about the other thing. Did you ask him?¡± She wanted to raise the child personally, but this matter had to be asked to the Imperial Physician, to confirm if there was no problem with her body.

    Old Woman Hua nodded and replied, ¡°The Imperial Physician said that Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house can nurse Big Girl herself. But, Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, do you really want to do this?¡± In rich and influential families, usually the wet nurse would be the one nurturing the children, and basically none of mothers would nurture the children themselves. Old Woman Hua was worried that the Old Lady and the Lady would not agree to this matter.

    ¡£

    At this moment, the wet maid carried the child in.

    By this time, there was a little bit of strength in Ye Shi, thus she personally picked the child into her arms and let the wet nurse withdraw. Ye Shi looked down at the child in her arms, and softly said, ¡°This is the only child I have in my life.¡± If she could still give birth to another child, she would definitely not be going to nurture her by herself. But she had only this one child, and the wet nurse was equivalent to half a mother to the child, hence she would not divide and give her own children to others.

    Old Woman Hua said, ¡°Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, Imperial Physician Le only said that it was difficult for you to conceive. He didn¡¯t say that you couldn¡¯t have any more children. Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, if you take care of yourself for two years, you will still have a chance.¡± Unexpectedly, she was unwilling to give up.

    Ye Shi shook her head and stated, ¡°I¡¯m already satisfied to have Big Girl. I won¡¯t force myself to ask for more. Since the Imperial Physician says it¡¯s fine, then have the cook make me something to help me produce milk.¡±

    When Old Woman Hua saw this situation, she knew it was useless to persuade her any longer, ¡°Imperial Physician Le has prescribed a medication to help produce more milk. I¡¯ll go and decoct it for Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house to drink.¡±

    She did not see her mother-inw and husband even when it was already nightfall. It would be a lie to say that she was not sad about it. Despite the fact that she had given birth to a daughter, the child was still the flesh and blood of the Han family. How could she not be chilled by their attitude right now? ¡°Has Master Shizi[+]a heir to a noble family given a name to Big Sister?¡±

    Old Woman Hua shook her head and replied, ¡°Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, Master Shizi[+]a heir to a noble family has gone out on an errand and he has not yet returned.¡± Seeing that Ye Shi¡¯s expression was not looking good, Old Woman Hua smiled andforted, ¡°Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, Big Girl is Master Shizi[+]a heir to a noble family¡¯s first child. It¡¯s unlikely that he will dislike her.¡±

    Ye Shi didn¡¯t expect much. Her husband had been cold to her ever since he knew she might be carrying a girl, and she had little hope of him liking his own daughter. ¡°Even if he doesn¡¯t like her, Big Girl has me, her mother, who will love her.¡±[T/N]Han Jianming, I will be very disappointed and pissed with you if you treat your daughter the way your uncle had done to Yuxi. ?

    In the blink of an eye, it was already the day when Big Girl would have her bath after three days she was born. Those who were here in the State Residence today were all rtives. The State Residence had quite a few rtives, so there were many people who hade over.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Since it was the granddaughter¡¯s bath ceremony, originally the maternal grandmother would certainlye over. It was just that Madam Ye had fallen ill some days ago, and this time it was Grandmother Ye who hade in her ce.

    A baby with longevity lock

    It is believed that by wearing a long-life lock, a child will be able to draw on the good fortune of a hundred generations of his/her families and for his/her to avoid evil spirits, protect him/her against fear and evil spirits, and live a long life. The child will wear the lock when he/she reaches 12 years old or adulthood.

    Image Credit | Œ¤‰ôˆ@ (žéÊ²üNÒª½oŒšŒšÅå´÷éLÃüæi£¿¶¼ÓÐÄÄÐ©Öv¾¿, Feb 4th, 2019)

    Grandmother Ye looked at Ye Shi, who was looking well, and nodded inwardly, ¡°Your mother was not feeling well, so she was not able toe over. However, your mother had asked me to give this to Big Girl.¡± After saying this, she pulled out a very delicate lock of longevity from her sleeve and ced it in the child¡¯s swaddling clothes.

    Ye Shi was a little anxious, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Mother? She doesn¡¯t have a serious illness, does she?¡±

    Grandmother Ye shook her head and exined, ¡°It isn¡¯t anything serious. She only has a cold. The physician has prescribed her some medicine, and now she¡¯s almost healed. It¡¯s only because you¡¯re in your confinement that she doesn¡¯te over for cautious sake.¡±

    Ye Shi was relieved when she heard this.

    As the two were talking, Big Girl began to cry. Old Woman Hua hurriedly took the child over and handed it to Ye Shi, while saying, ¡°Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, the child is probably hungry?¡±

    Grandmother Ye was very surprised to learn that Ye Shi was feeding the baby herself, ¡°Eldest Girl, how can you feed the baby yourself? You have to hurry up and take care of your health right now, so you can have a son in the future!¡±

    Ye Shi said with a bitter smile, ¡°The Imperial Physician said that I had hurt my body and it would be very difficult for me to conceive again. I will probably only have this one child in my whole life, so I decided to feed her myself. My Grandmother-inw and Mother-inw didn¡¯t object to it.¡± The Old Lady and Qiu Shi didn¡¯t express any opinion on the fact that she wanted to raise the child herself.

    Grandmother Ye was shocked. ¡°How could this happen? Didn¡¯t the person who came to report the news say that the delivery was smooth? Did the Imperial Physician make a mistake?¡± Only difficult deliveries would usually cause such a situation. So, how could Eldest Girl not be able to give birth anymore for no good reason?

    Ye Shi did not intend to tell Grandmother Ye the specific situation. She simply shook her head and responded, ¡°It was Imperial Physician Le himself who said it.¡±

    Only after a while did Grandmother Ye open her mouth, and asked, ¡°Then, both Old Lady Han and Lady Han know about this?¡± Seeing Ye Shi nod her head, Grandmother Ye asked again, ¡°What are they going to do after this?¡±

    Ye Shi shook her head and answered, ¡°It¡¯s not clear yet. However, if I don¡¯t guess wrong, they are probably going to marry Master Shizi[+]a heir to a noble family to a secondary wife.¡±

    As soon as Grandmother Ye heard this, she said, ¡°No, we must not let Eldest grandson-inw marry a secondary wife. If he married a secondary wife, when the secondary wife gave birth to a son, there will be no more ce for you. Eldest Girl, you must notpromise on this matter. If you really want to have a son, it would be just as well to let Master Shizi[+]a heir to a noble family take a concubine from a good family with a clean background.¡±

    Ye Shi stroked her daughter¡¯s face and said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s wait until I¡¯m out of my confinement.¡± She still understood Qiu Shi¡¯s temperament. Qiu Shi would not mention the matter of marrying her son to a secondary wife until Ye Shi was out of her confinement. However, once Ye Shi had done with it, they would surely talk about it then.

    The wet nurse came in and announced, ¡°Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, the bath ceremony is about to begin. We have to take Big Girl out.¡± The wet nurse was actually feeling very depressed. Ever since Ye Shi had personally fed Big Girl milk, she had now be an idle person. Even if she hadn¡¯t been sent home by Da Nainai[+]da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of the house, as she hadn¡¯t fed Big Sister, she wouldn¡¯t get any favour from Big Sister in the future.

    Yuxi and Yuchen also participated in the bath ceremony, but the two were only there as spectators. Today, all that hade were adults and they didn¡¯t need to entertain them.

    After the bath ceremony waspleted, all the guests went back home one by one. Yuxi and Yuchen also returned to their respective yard. As they walked down the road, Yuchen asked, ¡°Si Meimei[+]si=fourth, meimei=younger sister, have you been practising your flute in the past few days?¡±

    Yuxi sarcastically said in her heart, ¡®It¡¯s not easy to hide from you out about my flute ying progress¡¯. She was being sarcastic in her heart, but on the surface, she said with a smile on her face, ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing it for the past few days. After learning it, I realised that it¡¯s not really that difficult.¡±

    Yuchen had an expression that she had long known about this. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that difficult in the first ce. It was you who didn¡¯t want to learn it before, so that¡¯s why you found it difficult. Just in time, let me see how well you have been practicing?¡±

    Since Yuxi had epted the matter with the flute in her mind, she could y simple minor tunes after practicing for the past few days, but it was only limited to this. When she arrived at Tingyun Pavilion, she took the flute handed by Yuchen, and she toughened her scalp[+]brace oneself as she yed the extraordinarily simple tune that she had learned.

    Yuchen nodded and praised, ¡°Not bad.¡± After saying that, she corrected the problems that urred during Yuxi¡¯s ying process and gave her a demonstration.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi listened carefully and yed the flute once more. This time, it felt much smoother than the time she did before. At that moment, she smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie.¡±

    At noon, Yuxi stayed at Tingyun Pavilion for lunch.

    After lunch, Yuxi proposed, ¡°San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, I¡¯ll go back to take a nap first ande backter.¡± Now that she had learned to y the flute, she should study hard and try to learn aplete repertoire as soon as possible.

    Yuchen vetoed Yuxi¡¯s proposal and said, ¡°Just rest in Tingyun Pavilion. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s no empty room here.¡±

    Yuxi agreed after a moment of thought. Staying at Tingyun Pavilion for her lunch break was not a big deal, and it would save her time on the round trip, ¡°Sure!¡±

    All afternoon, Yuxi spent her time learning how to y the flute. It was unknown if it was because Yuxi was being so serious or if she really had the talent, but she was able to y a simple song in one afternoon.

    Yuchen nodded and said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already started to master the basics, you should focus on practicing your fingering next.¡± After saying this, she gave Yuxi the notes she had made in her studies. Because of Yuxi¡¯s influence, Yuchen had also developed the habit of taking notes. It had to be said that this was a very good habit, and this notebook would be a convenient thing for Yuxi.

    Yuxi took the note, hesitated for a little and then she asked, ¡°San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, why did you suddenly want me to learn the flute?¡± If she didn¡¯t ask, she would not be at ease!

    Yuchen smilingly said, ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t ask.¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little, ¡°I can¡¯t hide words in my heart, and if I don¡¯t ask when I have doubts, I¡¯ll suffocate.¡± Yuxi felt that there was something strange about Yuchen¡¯s attitude towards hertely.

    Yuchen smiled, ¡°When you are upset or sad or even afraid, you can y the flute and mediate.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡± This was too big a jump in conversation that Yuxi was unable to pick up.

    Yuchen curbed the smile on her face and looked at Yuxi as she said, ¡°Si Mei[+]si=fourth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei, I don¡¯t know what exactly are you afraid of? I can¡¯t do anything else other than hoping that after you learn to y the flute, it will help you relieve your stress.¡± It was a lie to say that she didn¡¯t know about the thing that Yuxi was afraid of. Yuchen knew very well about it in her heart. Because of what happened to Yuxi as a child, Yuxi had been very insecure and had an instinctive defensiveness towards people in her own family. Yuchen knew why, but there was nothing she could do to solve the problem. Because the source was not from her, but from her grandmother and father.

    Yuxi was horrified, but she still smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie is talking about. I¡¯m doing well every day, so why would I be afraid?¡±

    Yuchen did not expect Yuxi to deny it until now, and without going round the curves and skirting the corners[+]Chinese idiom : beat about the bush/speak in a roundabout way, she directly said, ¡°If you are not afraid, why are you studying so hard? You even read history books and military books.¡± It wasn¡¯t really difficult to know what books Yuxi was reading, as long as she knew what books were avable on Han Jianye¡¯s side.

    After listening to this, Yuxi looked at Yuchen steadily. She didn¡¯t expect her every move would be under Yuchen¡¯s nose. She thought her Taoran House had been brought under her own control.

    Yuchen met Yuxi¡¯s gaze. She believed that she was doing Yuxi a favour and didn¡¯t feel she was doing anything wrong.

 Chapter 169 - State Of Affair

    Chapter 169 : State Of Affair

    By ¤­¤Ä¤Í At February 14, 2021 1 Comment

    The two girls¡¯ eyes met each other. The room was so quiet that one could even hear a pin being dropped.

    Crane Head Melon

    From the same family of gourd/squash. Does it look like a crane¡¯s head? I read that when the fruit is tender, it will taste sweet and juicy like watermelon.

    Image Credit | Crane Head Melon ¨C À¥Ã÷ÐÅÏ¢¸Û via Baidu (º×Ê×¹Ï), Red-crowned Crane ¨C China Considers Red-crowned Crane for National Bird via China.org

    Momo[+]wet nurse Gui stood at the door. She was originally listening to the two girls talking, but this time it was suddenly quiet inside. When she listened carefully, there was still no sounding from the room at all, so she felt a little uneasy. She quickly asked someone to bring a pot of fruit and then called out, ¡°Miss, the crane head melons have been cut. I¡¯m going to bring them in.¡±

    Momo[+]wet nurse Gui entered the room with the crane head melons and was puzzled to find that neither Yuxi nor Yuchen had spoken. Only when she heard Yuchen tell her to withdraw, she could not stay in the room any longer.

    Yuxi waited for Momo[+]wet nurse Gui to withdraw before a smile appeared on her face as she said, ¡°San Jie[+]san=third, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie is thinking too much. I just find history and the art of war books interesting.¡±

    Yuchen didn¡¯t go round the curves and skirting the corners[+]Chinese idiom : speak in a roundabout way and said to Yuxi like how one opened the door and saw the mountain[+]Chinese idiom :e straight to the point, ¡°Si Mei[+]si=fourth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei, it¡¯s fine to read history and the art of war books as light reading, but there are some things we shouldn¡¯t get involved in. Just because Grandmother and Father don¡¯t say anything, it doesn¡¯t mean that they don¡¯t know about this.¡± She did not object for Yuxi to read history books, as she herself had read them, but reading art of war books, that was a bit of a problem. Yuxi often went to Dage[+]eldest brother¡¯s courtyard after reading these books. What exactly she did there, her Grandmother and Father knew about it in their hearts. Only Yuxi thought she was being secretive about it.

    When their talk hade to this point, there was no point for Yuxi to pretend to be stupid anymore. Sheughed at herself and responded, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that just a few trips to Dage[+]eldest brother¡¯s ce could bring the attention of my Grandmother and Father towards me.¡± When she was still here, she really couldn¡¯t hide any secrets.

    Yuxi had never wanted to hide anything from the Old Lady and Han Jingyan, but today, Yuchen¡¯s words had reminded her. Her life and death were still in the hands of the Old Lady and Han Jingyan. Even if she had the backing of her Eldest Aunt and Dage[+]eldest brother, if they really wanted to do something to her, she could only suffer and had no way to resist. She had been living infort for so long that she had lost her sense of crisis.

    When Yuchen caught sight of the sneer on Yuxi¡¯s face, her heart felt a little depressed, ¡°Si Mei[+]si=fourth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei, I am doing this for your own good. There are some things that once you get tainted with, you can¡¯t get rid of them.¡± She didn¡¯t know exactly what Yuxi was doing over at Dage[+]eldest brother¡¯s ce, but it was certain that it wouldn¡¯t be good. At least it would not be good for Yuxi.

    Yuxi sincerely said, ¡°San Jie[+]san=third, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie, thank you.¡± For Yuchen to be able to talk to her like this today, and to teach her how to y the flute, was indeed genuinely for her own good. It was just that she was also clear thatpared to the Old Lady and Han Jingyan, she had to lean back in her rtionship with Yuchen. Also because of this, she would never open her heart to Yuchen. Plus, the two of them were not even sharing the same route in life.

    Yuchen didn¡¯t need Yuxi¡¯s gratitude, ¡°Si Mei[+]si=fourth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei, I hope you don¡¯t go to Dage[+]eldest brother¡¯s ce again. Dage[+]eldest brother is a man who does great things. What he does is not something we can get involved in.¡±

    Yuxi smiled, nodded a little bit and said, ¡°I know.¡± No matter what Yuchen did, it would always be good, and whatever she did would always be wrong and there would always be ulterior motives behind everything she did. Although she was helpless, this was the reality. She didn¡¯t want to exin any more because she felt it would be unnecessary.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Instead of staying in Tingyun Pavilion for dinner, Yuxi went back to Taoran House.

    At the time Momo[+]wet nurse Gui noticed Yuxi leave with a solemn expression, she went in and asked Yuchen, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong with the Fourth Miss?¡±

    Yuchen sighed slightly, ¡°I told her that she shouldn¡¯t go to Dage[+]eldest brother¡¯s side so often. Her heart might not be feelingfortable right now.¡± From the incident with Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang, it was clear that Dage[+]eldest brother had been acting too hastily, without even considering the consequences to others at all. If not, why would Jianjun and Jiancheng still be in bed even now? She was really worried that if Yuxi stayed with Dage[+]eldest brother for a long time, she would also be radical in her actions.

    Momo[+]wet nurse Gui was startled, ¡°Miss, how could you tell Fourth Miss about this? If you told her like this, won¡¯t Fourth Miss be furious?¡± Anyone who knew that their private secrets had been pried open would surely not be happy.

    Yuchen said with a wry smile, ¡°I also hope she won¡¯t go astray. Why was Fourth Sister unable to think properly? Dage[+]eldest brother is a shizi[+]an heir to a noble family. He can make mistakes and be able to correct them, but she doesn¡¯t have that ability! If people knew that she is learning political tactics from Dage[+]eldest brother, who will dare to marry her in the future.¡± She was shocked when she first heard Momo[+]wet nurse Gui¡¯s guess. She endured it for a long time, but in the end, she could not resist her worries andid her cards on the table[+]have a showdown with Yuxi.

    Momo[+]wet nurse Gui knew that Yuchen really treated Yuxi as her own sister. Otherwise, she would not have gone to such great lengths. ¡°I hope Fourth Miss will understand this painstaking effort on Miss¡¯ part.¡± She really felt that Yuxi did not know that her Miss was doing this for Yuxi¡¯s own sake.

    Coincidentally, Yuxi had just finished her dinner. Han Jianming sent someone over to call Yuxi to his study, saying he needed her help for something.

    Seeing that Yuxi¡¯s face was not right, Han Jianming was surprised that he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why is your face looking this bad? Are you not feeling well?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and told him, ¡°Today, San Jie[+]san=third, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie told me that Grandmother and Father already know that I am learning political tactics from Dage[+]eldest brother. She advised me not to learn these things from Dage[+]eldest brother anymore, since this will be harmful to me.¡± Yuchen¡¯s words were right. A woman who was too clever, and the kind that had her cleverness exposed, would indeed provoke suspicion and defensiveness from other people. It was an oversight on her part that she had not thought of before.

    Han Jianming smiled, ¡°What, scared? Want to back out?¡± It was true that Yuxi was learning about it, but she did not learn it from him, but practiced what she had learned from the books. Only this was something he hadn¡¯t told to anyone, not even to his Grandmother.

    Yuxi was silent for a moment before she confessed, ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to back out, but I don¡¯t want to stand out. I¡¯m a woman, not a man. If people know that I¡¯m studying these things, it will be harmful to me. Even to the extent that it will be hard for the family whom I¡¯m going to marry into in the future.¡± She could study it on her own withouting to Dage[+]eldest brother¡¯s ce which could attract other people¡¯s eyes. She was the one who hadn¡¯t thought it through before, and now, she hadn¡¯t expected she would end up with such a big problem.

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t say anything as he turned around and took out a brocade box from the shelf. Yuxi thought it was a rare treasure, but didn¡¯t expect that the brocade box contained a map.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi was unable to make head or tail[+]Chinese idiom : baffled of his action. What was he going to do with the map?

    Han Jianmingid the map out on the desk and pressed the four corners of the map with paperweights and inkstones. He drew a circle with his fingers and said, ¡°This is the region of Liaodong.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Han Jianming and wondered why he was telling her about Liaodong.

    Han Jianming pointed to the ce marked with the red dot, and said, ¡°This is Tong City, and outside of Tong City, there are Donghu people. In the past few years, because of the struggle for the throne, the Donghu continued to have an internal strife. Just over a month ago, the new king of Donghu had put down the civil strife. Because of this, there will be no more peace for Liaodong.¡±

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What does this have to do with me?¡±

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t respond to Yuxi¡¯s question, but withdrew his hand and circled another ce. Then he pointed to a red dot and said, ¡°This is the northwest border town, Yu City. Every year, in spring and autumn, the northern barbarians wille to the border town to burn and rob. And the battle there has been unsatisfactory as there have been countless deaths and injuries.¡±

    Yuxi understood his meaning. The so-called unsatisfactory was for their side to lose more and win less. As Han Jianming pointed to the southwest, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°It¡¯s not peaceful there either?¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head and exined, ¡°The Miao and Qiang Rong in the southwest have rebelled. The Imperial Court had sent 100,000 troops there, but instead of destroying the rebels, they all had been totally wiped out.¡±

    Yuxi opened her mouth, ¡°Is the Imperial Court¡¯s army so useless?¡± The Miao and Qiang Rong were both ethnic minorities with small poptions. Even if the 100,000-strong army could not destroy them, the army should not have been totally wiped out. How bad must these armies be, to end up in such a state?

    Han Jianming said, ¡°The court¡¯s taxes are getting less and less every year, while the expenses are getting more and more every year.¡± After a pause, he continued, ¡°The expenditure of the Emperor and the harem alone ounted for one-fifth of the annual tax.¡±

    Yuxi let out a long sigh. Even though she was not an official in the Imperial Court, she knew that the taxes from the state treasury should be spent on the army¡¯s pay, provisions and officials¡¯ sries. Furthermore, it should also be used for agriculture irrigation works. The Emperor and the harem already used up a fifth of it, so how would the rest of the money be enough for the Imperial Court? However, Yuxi simply ignored thetter part of her sentence, since it was useless to pay close attention to it. No one dared to disagree with the amount of money used by the Emperor anyway. ¡°Why is the tax getting less and less? Where have all the money gone?¡±

    Han Jianming answered, ¡°They all have been embezzled by corrupt officials.¡±

    Yuxi often read history books, where they had recorded past peasant uprisings. Which peasants could survive when the corrupted officials tax them by force and extort levies? To these peasants, since they had no way to survive, there was no doubt that raising to rebel would lead them a way out. Therefore, they all rose in rebellion. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the people revolt if they had no way to live?¡±

    Han Jianming felt that Yuxi¡¯s time spent on reading history books had not been in vain, ¡°A rebellion had sparked in Henan at the beginning of the year because of corrupt officials imposing excessive taxes, but those people had all been eliminated by the Imperial Army.¡±

    Yuxi was rather horrified. ¡°Howe I¡¯ve never even heard of such a big deal?¡± After saying that, she knew she had been foolish and let out a bitterugh. It was indeed a big deal, but because it was not something honourable to be mentioned, the news was suppressed and not allowed to be revealed. It was only natural that a girl from deep boudoir like her would not have heard of it.

    After listening to all this, Yuxi seemed to understand what Han Jianming was going to say to her, ¡°What Dage[+]eldest brother meant, the world is going to be in chaos?¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°Not yet. But if this goes on, the world will be in chaos sooner orter.¡± It was because he was worried about the future chaos that he wanted Han Jianye to marry the girl from the Lu family. When the world was in chaos, by holding the military power would he be able to save his family and himself.

    Yuxi thought for a moment and gave out her opinion, ¡°I have met the 9th Prince, and he is a very skillful person. If he seeds to the throne, he should be able to control the situation!¡±

    Han Jianming also knew that the 9th Prince was a very skilled person. ¡°No one knows the future. Whether the 9th Prince can sessfully ascend to the throne or not is still in a question.¡± At this point, he turned the conversation around as he asked, ¡°After listening to all of these, what do you think?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and stated, ¡°I don¡¯t have any thoughts on it. For the world to be in chaos, it is still too far away in the future for me. Even if it does happen this moment, it won¡¯t affect me for a while. But if I don¡¯t shy away from this topic, this will upset Grandmother and Father. And if I can¡¯t eat it all, I¡¯ll have to take it home[+]Chinese idiom : one will have to take the consequences. Dage[+]eldest brother, I can¡¯t oftene to your side anymore.¡± By avoiding upsetting the Old Lady and Han Jingyan was the best thing she should have done. Mainly because Yuxi was worried that if she was exposed, it would be difficult to talk about her future marriage. She had memorised medical books and studied the art of war just in case. However, deep down, she still hoped that she could marry into a good family and live the rest of her life with her future husband and children.

    As for the world being in chaos, it wasn¡¯t even in chaos when she died in herst life. Well, there were refugees everywhere, but the capital was still too peaceful.

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t force her andforted her with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you can¡¯te over.¡± After saying that, he handed a few books on the desk to Yuxi and said, ¡°Take these books back and read them. Once you¡¯re done, have someone inform me. I¡¯ll change them for you.¡±

    Yuxi took those few books with both hands and nodded without even looking at what they were, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll read them when I get back.¡±

    PS (Author) : O(¡É_¡É)O~, guess what book Dage[+]eldest brother has given to Yuxi?

    ¤­¤Ä¤Í : Well¡­another books on art of wars? It¡¯s not like he will be giving her books on romance, right? Wait¡­ isn¡¯t the book ¡®The Three Kingdoms¡¯ also about war and romance? Can it be¡­?

 Chapter 170 - Three Obediences And Four Virtues

    Chapter 170: Three Obediences And Four Virtues

    Yuxi walked to the door, then turned around and asked, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother, what actually did you want me toe over for?¡±

    Han Jianming felt that Yuxi was also confused at times, ¡°I just want to give you these books. The books are given to you, so read them carefully.¡±

    Commentary on the Water ssic

    Image Credit | ÉÆ±¾¹Å¼® (¡¶Ë®¾­×¢¡·£º¶ÁÍò¾íÊé£¬ÐÐÍòÀïÂ·, Aug 30th, 2017)

    Yuxi looked at the book in her hand, and the title big words ?Commentary on the Water ssic? came into view. She didn¡¯t know what kind of book it was, but by looking at the old pages, she knew it was an ancient book. Such books were very valuable, thus Yuxi sincerely said, ¡°Thank you, Dage[+]eldest brother.¡±

    Back in Taoran House, Yuxi looked at the books Han Jianming had given her. In addition to ?Commentary on the Water ssic?, the other two were ?Geological Map of the Great Zhou Dynasty? and ?Shoushi Li[+]lit. Emperor¡¯s issued official calendar record?¡±.

    Yuxi flipped open the book and looked at it carefully before expressing her utter speechlessness. The ?Commentary on the Water ssic? was mainly recording of rivers and mountains, natural geography, human geography and so on, where they were recorded in great detail. For example, the rivers were recorded from their origins to their entry into the sea, including main streams, tributaries, river valley widths, river bed depths, water volumes and seasonal changes in water levels.

    The ?Geological Map of the Great Zhou Dynasty? was mainly an introduction to all the states and counties of the Great Zhou Dynasty, describing the origins of these ces, as well as customs, character anecdotes and so on. As for ?Shoushi Li[+]lit. Emperor¡¯s issued official calendar record?, it was about astronomical knowledge, with so many forms that made Yuxi be dizzy after reading a few lines.

    Yuxi muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t know what Dage[+]eldest brother was thinking in giving me these books.¡± She could read the first two books, but thetter one was like a heavenly book, that she couldn¡¯t even understand one bit of it.

    Although it was impossible for Yuxi to understand what Han Jianming was doing, she still solemnly put these three books next to ?Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government?.

    Mr. Zhao, Han Jianming¡¯s aide, was also puzzled by his actions, ¡°Why did Master Shizi[+]an heir to a noble family give those books to the Fourth Miss?¡± For books on astronomy and geography, not to mention a girl in a boudoir, even most men were rarely interested in them, and well, only a few people could truly understand them.

    Han Jianming smiled and said, ¡°They were just sitting there anyway, and it won¡¯t hurt to show them to that girl.¡± Yuxi was a very earnest child. Since the books had been given to her, she would still read them even if she couldn¡¯t understand. Han Jianming had this notion because Yuxi had learned medical books by heart before this.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Mr. Zhao was puzzled, ¡°Master Shizi[+]an heir to a noble family, what are you doing by showing these things to the Fourth Miss?¡± His meaning was, even if Master Shizi[+]an heir to a noble family let Yuxi read those and somehow she understood them, it would not benefit them. If they educated her well, she would only be someone else¡¯s family memberter on, and it would not help the Han family much.

    Han Jianming smiled, and did not rify it for Mr. Zhao. If Yuxi was his younger brother, he would definitely work hard to cultivate her. However, Yuxi was the daughter of his family. He never thought of spending his energy and time to do so. But he felt it was a pity for such a good seed, so he decided to give her some guidance. As for whether Yuxi would need it in the future, he didn¡¯t think that far.[T/N]Oh, she will surely need it in the future. Thank you, Dage. ?

    What Yuxi didn¡¯t expect was for Han Jingyan to call her over to his study the next day. Han Jingyan¡¯s study was far away from Yuxi¡¯s Taoran House, and it would take three quarters of an hour just to go back and forth.

    Yuxi silently cursed in her heart. Fortunately, she had exercised daily. If it was Yuchen instead, she would probably have to be helped to get back.

    Han Jingyan looked at Yuxi who was standing earnestly, and asked, ¡°Did you go to your Dage[+]eldest brother¡¯s study again yesterday?¡±

    Yuxi nodded as she replied, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother had given me a few books. He told me to go over there and get them.¡± Seeing that Han Jingyan did not say anything, she continued, ¡°Dage[+]eldest brother gave me the ?Discourses of the States?, the ?Commentary on the Water ssic? and the ?Shoushi Li[+]lit. Emperor¡¯s issued official calendar record?. I can still understand the ?Discourses of the States?. However, I¡¯m amidst the clouds and mist[+]puzzled with the other two books, especially the ?Shoushi Li[+]lit. Emperor¡¯s issued official calendar record?, which seems to be about astronomy. I truly can¡¯t understand any of its contents.¡±

    After hearing this, Han Jingyan raised his head and questioned, ¡°I heard that you still read history books and art of war books. When did you start reading them?¡±

    Yuxi answered, ¡°Last time I went to borrow books from Erge[+]er=second, ge=older brother, short form for Gege, he told me that ?Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War and 36 Stratagems? and ?Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government? were all good books and by reading them would make me wise. Onlyter did I learn that it was Dage[+]eldest brother who had given them to him. But he didn¡¯t want to read them himself, so he stuffed them all to me.¡± The two books, ?The Book of Han? and ?The Records of the Grand Historian?, had been secretly bought and read, so the Old Lady and Han Jingyan would not know about them. This was something that Yuxi was really sure of.

    The expression on Han Jingyan¡¯s face was very light, so people couldn¡¯t see what he was actually thinking, ¡°What do you think after reading them?¡±

    A smile appeared on Yuxi¡¯s face, ¡°The book ?Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War and 36 Stratagems? is very interesting. The beauty trap, ruse of self-injury, sowing discord among enemies, and killing with a borrowed knife had made me neglect my sleep and forget about my food. Erge truly didn¡¯t bluff me. After reading ?Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War and 36 Stratagems?, I really feel like I was so foolish before.¡±

    Han Jingyan¡¯s expression was not looking very good when he said, ¡°These kinds of books should be read less in the future.¡± Why would a noble young miss be given a book on art of war to be read? Only that youngster Han Jianye would do such a muddle-headed thing.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Yuxi stole a nce at Han Jingyan, then cautiously requested, ¡°Father, can I keep the ?Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government?? San Jie[+]san=third, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie is also reading this book. It¡¯s supposed to be a good one!¡± What she meant was that the book that Yuchen could read, she should also be able to read.

    Han Jingyan swept a cold nce at Yuxi. This girl was ying with him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to return the books, but you don¡¯t have to read those books anymore and don¡¯t go to Jianming¡¯s ce. You are already twelve years old. There are some things that don¡¯t need me to personally teach you.¡± Men and women were different. Even if they were cousins, they still had to avoid doing anything that might arouse suspicion.

    After hearing this, in Yuxi¡¯s mind, she really wanted to spit blood, but on the surface, she respectfully answered, ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t go to Dage[+]eldest brother¡¯s study anymore.¡±

    Han Jingyan also gave Yuxi a few books. ¡°Take these books back and read them well.¡±

    Yuxi, who came empty-handed, went back with a few more books in her hands. With those books in hand, Yuxi had a decent smile on her face all the way. That was until she reached Taoran House, with only her trusted maids left in the room, where she threw the books onto the floor with a cold face and cursed, ¡°To hell with his Three Obediences and Four Virtues!¡± The three obediences were to obey one¡¯s father at home, one¡¯s husband after marriage, and one¡¯s son after the husband¡¯s death; the four virtues were a woman¡¯s moral character, rhetoric, manners, and skills. Han Jingyan gave these books to Yuxi in hope that she would remember a woman¡¯s proper role which was to follow the three obediences and the four virtues.

    Zisu rarely saw Yuxi get so angry that she asked her in a small voice, ¡°Miss, what is wrong with you? Did the Lord reprimand you again?¡±

    Kufu, on the other hand, lowered her head and picked up the books on the floor. These books were given to Miss by the Lord. If people found out that Miss had thrown away what the Lord had rewarded her, there would be another round of quarrel between the daughter and father.

    Yuxi coldly instructed, ¡°You all withdraw! I want to be left alone.¡± She had long ceased expecting anything from Han Jingyan, but Han Jingyan¡¯s behaviour this time really made her angry. In her previous life she was a puppet on a string, and in this life, he still wanted her to be a puppet on a string.

    Kufu wanted to put the books on the table, but Yuxi didn¡¯t want to see them. Thus she ordered, ¡°Put them on my bookshelf.¡± If it were not for some scruples, she would have just burned those books by now.

    After leaving the room, Zisu took the three books in Kufu¡¯s hand. After reading their titles, she finally understood why Yuxi had been so angry. The books were ?Lessons For Women?, ?Women Virtues?, ?Taming of Women? and ?The Book of Rites?.

    When Yuxi was angry, she could only hide and sulk in her room. After that, she had to go on with her life. In case Han Jingyan found fault with her again, Yuxi spent most of her time helping Qiu Shi with household chores instead of studying hard in her study.

    In the morning, Yuxi had to take care of the household chores, and in the afternoon, she had to learn and practice her flute. She didn¡¯t even have time to read her medical book. As she noticed that she was unable toplete the tasks she had set for herself, she couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it would be nice if there are 24 shichen[+]2 hours for a day?¡± 12 shichen was not enough for her!

    Zisuughed, ¡°Qingxuan said before that Eldest Missined that she didn¡¯t have enough time, and wished there were 24 shichen[+]2 hours for a day. I didn¡¯t expect that I could hear the same thinging from Miss.¡±

    Yuxi became speechless. ¡°How can that be the same?¡± Yuru said that way because she was already too tired that she wanted to rush in finishing her dowry; Yuxi felt that she was too busy to even have time to read. Thus, one mustn¡¯t speak of their reasons on the same day[+]Chinese idiom [originally lit. mustn¡¯t speak of two things on the same day] : too different topare.

    On this day, Yuxi received an invitation from Duan Xinrong, who had invited her to visit the Duan Residence. In fact, it was not really an important event. Duan Xinrong just wanted to get together with her best friends, to talk and gossip.

    Yuxi was afraid that Qiu Shi wouldn¡¯t be able to let her get away. But she really wanted to go. She had been cooped up at home all day and it was about time for her to go out and let off some steam.

    When Qiu Shi found out about the invitation, she waved her hand and urged, ¡°Go and have fun! You don¡¯t need to worry about the affairs of the residence.¡± She could manage without Yuxi, but she was just a little bit tired.

    Only then did Yuxi ept Duan Xinrong¡¯s invitation as she told Zisu, ¡°It has already been half a year since west got together at Zhou family residence.¡±

    Zisu muttered, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it because Miss had always been busy and didn¡¯t have time? Otherwise, you would have been able to get together nearly every day.¡± Duan Xinrong and Zhou Shiya were kinds of people who weren¡¯t busy. Only her Miss tended to bury herself in her study every day. Well, recently the phenomenon had somewhat taken a turn for the better. In addition to managing household chores, her Miss also yed the flute and embroidered. She was no longer burying her head in a book all the time.

    Jujube Red

    Image Credit | Jinyisoubu

    The day before Yuxi went to the Duan family, the sewing room sent over a new set of clothes for her. Yuxi looked at the new clothes that were delivered and asked in confusion, ¡°Why are they in jujube red colour¡­¡± Yuxi liked clothes in bright colours such as red, blue, green and orange. Dark colour like jujube red was not to Yuxi¡¯s liking.

    Zisu looked at the clothes and said, ¡°I think the sewing room has made a mistake, Miss. Let me take the clothes and change them!¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and instructed, ¡°Ask Bingmei to go!¡± Bingmei¡¯s old mother worked in the sewing room. If this rtionship was not used right now, it would have been wasted.

    Half an hourter, Bingmei returned with a set of bright pink clothes. Bingmei told Yuxi, ¡°A few new embroidereddies have arrived in the sewing room. They were not familiar with the residence situation that they had confused Miss¡¯ clothes with Fifth Miss¡¯.¡±

    By the end of the year, Han Jianye would be married and everyone in the residence had to wear new clothes from top to bottom. As a result, the sewing room had been overwhelmed and several new embroiderers had been hired.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t mind knowing the inside story, but she still said, ¡°Bingmei, tell your mother to have someone familiar with my clothes to deliver them over next time.¡±

    When Bingmei saw that Yuxi was not angry, she put her heart down, ¡°Don¡¯t worry Miss. My mother said that next time she will ask Xiaojuan to send the clothes over.¡± Xiaojuan was Bingmei¡¯s cousin and she worked in the sewing room.

    Yuxi was not angry, but Yurong was. It was because her clothes were made of ordinary satin, while Yuxi¡¯s clothes were made of tribute satin and gilt brocade, which could not be bought if you didn¡¯t have enough money. This made Yuxi several notches above her in terms of dressing. However, it was useless for Yurong to be angry, as the materials for Yuxi¡¯s clothes were taken out of Qiu Shi¡¯s private ount. Since it was Qiu Shi¡¯s private ount, it couldn¡¯t be said they were from public ount.

    Ps: o (¡É _ ¡É) o ~, Astronomy and geography PK (yer kill) Three Obediences and Four Virtues. Dage[+]eldest brother wins.

 Chapter 171 - Duan Family Met With Mishap (1)

    Chapter 171 : Duan Family Met With Mishap (1)

    ¤­¤Ä¤Í (kitsune): I¡¯m thinking of using a new style for the footnote. So I¡¯m using this chapter to test it. The new footnote has a dotted dashed (updated: 07.03.21) line under it, so just hover it. I want to see if it will be convenient for mobile readers also. Let me know which one you prefer by voting at the end of this chapter.

    As Yuxi rose early the next morning, she could hear the pattering sounds of rain from outside.

    When she pushed open the window, some raindrops drifted in. She groaned, ¡°Why is it raining today?¡± Whenever she decided to go out to socialise, she was most afraid of encountering rainy days, as her clothes could easily get wet in this weather.

    Hearing Yuxi¡¯s words, Zisuughed and replied, ¡°Miss, since God wants today to rain, no one can stop it.¡± It was good for her Miss to go to the Duan family as a guest and act a little more casually.

    Since it was just a gathering of a few girls of the same age, Yuxi dressed up much more informal. Apart from a few beaded flower decorations on her hair, she only wore a peacock hairpin and a pair of silver ear studs on her ears. She didn¡¯t wear any ne or bracelet.

    Zisu had no objection to this. It was just a gathering of a few friends, so there was no need for her Miss to dress up in a fancy way. ¡°Miss looks beautiful when dressed up like this.¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little, ¡°It¡¯s rare to hear a word of praise from your mouth. For today, just let Bingmei follow me.¡± Bingmei¡¯s position in her yard was special, thus it was not good to treat her coldly.

    Zisu nodded in acknowledgement, ¡°Bingmei is clever. I am relieved to have her around Miss.¡± This indirectly indicated that there was no estrangement between her and Bingmei.

    The rain finally stopped when Yuxi arrived at the Duan residence.

    When Zhou Shiya saw Yuxi, she grumbled, ¡°Every time we get together, you are always thest one to show up. Chiang Xin and I have already drunk two cups of tea.¡± It meant that they had arrived a long time ago.

    Chiang Xin added, ¡°And the most difficult to be invited. Yuxi, you can count on your own fingers, how long has it been since we¡¯ve all gotten together?¡±[T/N]It¡¯s nice to know that Chiang Xin is one of Yuxi¡¯s friends right now. She¡¯s a good girl.

    Yuxi responded cheerfully, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being too busy.¡±

    Zhou Shiya bristled, ¡°That¡¯s the excuse you use every time at any rate. Busy busy busy. You are even busier than my Father who is an officer in the yamen.¡± Her father at least had a few days off in a month, while Yuxi had been busy all year round.

    Bingmei interjected with a smile, ¡°My Miss is learning to y the flute these days, and she also has to help the First Lady with managing the household, so it wasn¡¯t easy for her to get away.¡±

    Chiang Xin and Zhou Shiya were both inws of the Han family, hence they knew that Yuxi was currently helping Qiu Shi¡¯s in managing the household, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re learning to y the flute? Have you learned it yet?¡±

    Duan Xinrong inquired with a smile, ¡°Yuxi, didn¡¯t you say that you didn¡¯t have the talent to learn musical instruments? Why are you thinking of learning to y the flute right now?¡±

    Yuxi answered with a helpless-looking face, ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of stimulus my San Jie had received that she had been so adamant to make me learn to y the flute. If I didn¡¯t learn it, I would be forced to stay at Tingyun Pavilion and listen to her y. Ah, I had no choice but reluctantly follow her lessons.¡±

    Zhou Shiya pinched Yuxi, ¡°You¡¯re still reluctant to do it? Don¡¯t you know how many people want to learn poetry and musical instruments from Chen Biaojie? It¡¯s a pity that they are not up to Biaojie¡¯s preference. You live in plenty without even appreciating it.¡± Those many people that had been mentioned also included Zhou Shiya.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    Chiang Xin was much more direct, ¡°Xinrong Jie, do you have a flute here? Let her y it for us to hear. We have to verify it ourselves.¡± The verification she was talking about was not to verify whether or not Yuxi had learned the flute, but rather to verify how good she was.

    Duan Xinrong smiled, ¡°There is. I¡¯ll ask my maid to fetch it.¡±

    As soon as the maid left, Zhou Shiya began to ask for a purse from Yuxi, ¡°You promised me a purse a year and a half ago. Shouldn¡¯t you honour your promise now?¡±

    Chiang Xin bantered, ¡°Yes, you can¡¯t put it off this time around. If you dy any longer, we won¡¯t be able to see your purse even when we get married.¡±

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°What? Is your marriage already fixed?¡± The three of them Zhou Shiya, Chiang Xin, and Yuxi were the same age. None of them had yet been betrothed.

    At the beginning of the year, Duan Xinrong had been betrothed to the son of one of Master Duan¡¯s colleagues, who was the second di son of Hong Daren, a prefectural magistrate.

    Chiang Xin said without changing the colour of her face, ¡°By the time you finish embroidering the purse, my marriage will definitely be fixed.¡± It was truly not an easy task to ask for a purse from Yuxi!

    Yuxi considered for a moment, then said with a smile, ¡°Like this, ah! Then, when you get married, I will give you the finished purse.¡±

    These words made Zhou Shiya¡¯s and Chiang Xin¡¯s eyes light up. Zhou Shiya pounced straight at Yuxi, ¡°You¡¯ve done embroidering the purses? Where are they?¡± As she screamed, she dug into Yuxi¡¯s sleeve, but unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t find anything.

    While on the other side, Chiang Xin had managed to get her hands on two purses. The two purses, one had been embroidered with peony flowers, whilst the other with wintersweet flowers.

    Zhou Shiya took the pouch embroidered with peony flowers and smilingly said, ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful. I¡¯ve been waiting for so long!¡±

    Duan Xinrong, who was two years older than the other two, acted much more calmly. She stood at the side and asked with a smile, ¡°Yuxi, how about my gift?¡±

    Yuxi begged for mercy, ¡°I have not yet finished embroidering Xinrong Jiejie¡¯s flower and bird folding fan.¡± She hadn¡¯t finished embroidering even half of it, and it would take at least another half a year to bepleted.

    When Zhou Shiya heard this, she quickly said, ¡°I want one too.¡±

    Chiang Xin also hurriedly stated that she also wanted a folding fan embroidered by Yuxi. When it was time to take the fan out, it would be an extremely high-esteem moment, and at the same time, it could help in hyping Yuxi.

    Yuxi shook her head and rejected, ¡°I don¡¯t have time to do any more embroidery work.¡± Seeing the two¡¯s disappointed faces, she added with a smile, ¡°However, when you¡¯re going to get married, I will fulfill your wishes.¡±

    Zhou Shiya shook her head, ¡°You¡¯re going to send us off with a pair of embroideries just because we¡¯re getting married? Ahem, how stingy you are!¡±

    While they talked, a maid brought a flute over. Since everyone was already so familiar with each other, Yuxi didn¡¯t feel embarrassed, so she started to y a simple tune right away. She had been learning this tune for more than a month now and was already very proficient in ying it.

    Duan Xinrong was the first to express her opinion, ¡°It¡¯s not bad that you can y a full tune after only learning it for such a short time.¡± Yuxi didn¡¯t y this piece very well, but the tones weren¡¯t wrong.

    The group joked andughed as time passed exceptionally quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was time for lunch, which was served in the garden pavilion.

    Duan Xinrong¡¯s marriage had been settled, and she would be married in two years, thus she would not be able to act sofortably and free once she went to another family. So Madam Duan didn¡¯t hold her back and let her rx.

    As they ate, it had been stressed to them to not converse when they were eating and to not speak when they were in bed. Even if the four of them knew each other well, they would not speak while they were eating.

    Before they could finish their meal, a maid ran over. Because she ran too fast, she fell down outside the pavilion. The maid quickly climbed up and called out, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s not good. The government troops havee and surrounded our residence, Miss.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Whoever¡¯s family had been surrounded, it was a prior indication of searching and confiscating possessions from the residence, as well as the extermination of an entire family. Thinking of this, Yuxi looked at Duan Xinrong and noticed that Duan Xinrong had already passed out.

    Philtrum

    Image Credit | Inka (ÃæÏà¿´ÈËÖÐÆ½Ì¹µÄÈËÓÐºÎÃüÔËÌØÕ÷)

    Yuxi hurriedly walked up and pinched Duan Xinsol¡¯s philtrum. Duan Xinrong soon woke up, but her face was as white as snow. After the pce rebellion, many top families had fallen to the 18th level of hell overnight. Duan Xinrong knew many young misses from those people¡¯s families.[T/N]I don¡¯t know that pinching someone else¡¯s philtrum will wake that person after he/she passed out. I should try it on my family members, friends, or colleagues when they pass out. ?

    At this time, both Zhou Shiya¡¯s and Chiang Xin¡¯s maids came forward and urged, ¡°Miss, let¡¯s hurry back!¡± The Duan family was obviously in trouble, and it was such a big matter. This was the right time for them to depart from the Duan family residence.

    Zhou Shiya and Chiang Xin were also terrified, but it was not right to just leave Duan Xinrong behind, so they were currently in a dilemma.

    Although Duan Xinrong was scared to death, when she still saw Zhou Shiya and Chiang Xin around, she urged, ¡°You guys hurry up and go back! Or else you¡¯ll also get involved.¡±

    Zhou Shiya and Chiang Xin looked at Yuxi.

    Yuxi spoke to the two of them, ¡°You guys go back first! I¡¯ll help Xinrong Jiejie return to her courtyard and see what¡¯s going on before I leave.¡± They were only guests here, not members of the Duan family. Even if the Duan family were to be raided and exterminated, it would be impossible to implicate her also.[+]This noob trantion was tranted by a noob trantor, ¤­¤Ä¤Í. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.

    At the urging of their maids, Zhou Shiya and Chiang Xin eventually left. Yuxi, on the other hand, together with Duan Xinrong went back to Duan Xinrong¡¯s courtyard. Luckily, her courtyard was close to the garden and they arrived there almost instantly.

    When they entered Duan Xinrong¡¯s room, Yuxi whispered to Xinrong¡¯s ear, ¡°Do you have any silver tickets in your hand? If you have any, give them all to me.¡± Silver tickets were easy to carry around, just like gold and silver jewellery.

    Duan Xinrong froze for three seconds, then quickly reacted and said with a bitter smile, ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any silver tickets in my hand. I only have two hundred taels of broken silver in my hand.¡± Duan Xinrong was not like Yuxi, who had her own property in her hands. All her expenses were prepared by Madam Duan, so she didn¡¯t have to bother with anything.

    Yuxi shook her head. The silver was too heavy for her to carry.

    Duan Xinrong¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°My Mother gave me two shops for me to practice on. The deeds are in my hands. Can I give these to you?¡± Before Yuxi could agree, Duan Xinrong immediately took them out.

    Yuxi did not reach out to take them, ¡°Xinrong Jiejie, the records of the shops are in the magistrate¡¯s office. Even if you give me the deeds to the shops, I won¡¯t be able to use it when something really happens.¡± Silver tickets did not need to be recorded, so it was the safest to be taken out. But Duan Xinrong did not have any silver ticket in hand.

    Bingmei was frightened at first, but when she saw that Yuxi did not look worried at all, she also calmed down and suggested, ¡°Miss, we can help Miss Xinrong take some valuable jewellery out. If anything happens, we can pawn these jewellery and still have money to use when the timees.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t think it was a good idea, but Duan Xinrong was already busy asking her maid to bring her jewellery for Yuxi to choose from.

    Duan Xinrong was the only daughter of Madam Duan, so she had purchased a considerable amount of jewellery for Duan Xinrong since she was a child. From these, Yuxi chose a pair of double happiness, double ruyi long hairpins, a particrly intricate and valuable ne, and a suede jade bracelet. These three pieces of jewellery were all valuable and also matched her dress and hairstyles.

    Bingmei also wanted to pick out some expensive jewellery to wear but was stopped by Yuxi. ¡°You can just pick out some gold jewellery.¡± If a maid was found wearing a jeweled hairpin or something like that, was not that show a clear indication to other people that there was something wrong with them?

    Just then, a maid¡¯s scream rang out from outside, ¡°What are you doing? This is my Miss¡¯ boudoir, you cannot enter.¡± Then came the sound of someone breaking down the door.

    Soon, more than a dozen men in the clothes of the Imperial Guard broke in. Yuxi knew they were the Imperial Guard because she had seen Han Jianye dressed in one. As soon as this group of people entered the house, their eyes were glowing green when they looked at the contents of the house.

    Duan Xinrong originally had a slight chance to escape, but looking at this group of people who looked like wolves and tigers, she knew that the Duan family would not be able to escape this time.

    Thinking of this, Duan Xinrong rolled her eyes and fainted again. At this time, the maids around her were all crying in fear, therefore they couldn¡¯t care less about her.

 Chapter 172 - Duan Family Met With Mishap (2)

    Chapter 172 : Duan Family Met With Mishap (2)

    By ¤­¤Ä¤Í At March 09, 2021 2 Comments

    ¤­¤Ä¤Í: The result for the poll in Chapter 171 is as follow :

    ??¡â? Thank you to those who have voted. Now, let¡¯s enjoy the new chapter with the new footnotes style.

    Yuxi looked at the fainted Duan Xinrong and sighed slightly. At this juncture, there was nothing else she could do. So she walked towards the man who was in the lead and said, ¡°I am Han Yuxi, the Fourth Young Miss of the Duke Han of the State Residence. I am here today as a guest of the Duan family. Please give way to me. I have to return.¡±

    Ancient Chinese necklet.

    I actually didn¡¯t know that necklet and ne are two different things. A necklet is much more rigid than a ne. ??¡â? Why am I such an ignorant person?

    Image Credit | The actual drama producer via ÕìÌ½Ó°×Ó (´÷è¬çóÏîÈ¦µÄ¹Å×°Å®×Ó£¬»¨æ³æÃ´ÓÈÝµ­ÑÅ¡¢Ñ¦±¦îÎÐ¦ÈÝÅ¯ÑóÑó, Sept 29, 2018) @ Sohu

    The man who was the leader of the group dropped his eyes to the necklet around Yuxi¡¯s neck, and then sized her up for a moment, before asking with some suspicion, ¡°You say you are the Fourth Young Miss of Duke of the State Residence. Do you have any proof?¡± If by any chance she was someone from the Duan family who had taken this opportunity to escape, then, he wouldnd himself in serious trouble.

    Yuxi responded with a cold face, ¡°You should have heard of my Er Ge, Han Jianye, who is also serving in the Imperial Guard. If you are suspicious, you can have someone call my Er Ge toe and pick me up.¡± Her Er Ge had been promoted two ranks in a row, so many people must have heard of him.

    All of them belonged to the Imperial Guard, and those present had naturally heard of Han Jianye. One of them walked up to the leader and whispered, ¡°Leader, I heard that Han Jianye has a particrly beloved sister, whom he always picks up good things to bring back for. Listening to this girl¡¯s tone, that sister should be her.¡± Otherwise, she would not dare to ask them to call Han Jianye over to pick her up.

    The Leader also did not want to make enemies with Han Jianye. After all, Han Jianye¡¯s backers were too hard for him to mess with. At that moment, he ordered two of the government troops, ¡°You two, take her to see Chen Daren.¡± He believed Chen Daren would know if she was the young miss of the State Residence or not.

    As soon as Yuxi walked out of the door, she heard a man shouted excitedly inside the room, ¡°Ya, such a gem is enough for us to eat and drink for several years.¡± No need to mention the man¡¯s excitement, afterwards there were more following in his wake by making rowdy jeering. Listening to their voice, they were all extremely excited.

    Bingmei shivered in fear, but Yuxi just walked forward with a cold face. One of the two government troops who escorted them out muttered, ¡°What bad luck.¡± Originally they could have gotten some good stuff from inside too, but instead, they had to send this silly little girl out.

    The other soldier told him off in a lowered voice, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± If she was really a young miss from the Duke of the State Residence, they could not afford to offend her.

    When the group arrived at the main gate, Yuxi soon saw this Chen Daren. As she gazed at the man in an official minister¡¯s robe in front of her, she froze. She had not expected this Chen Daren would be Marquis Taining¡¯s shizi, and also the 9th Prince¡¯s most trusted aid.[+]

    Chen Shizi had not seen Yuxi before and asked with a puzzled look on his face, ¡°You are the fourth young miss of the State Residence?¡±

    Yuxi nodded, ¡°Yes. I was a guest at Duan Residence today, but I didn¡¯t expect toe across such a situation. If Master Shizi doesn¡¯t believe me, you can have my carriage drivere over and certify it.¡±

    Chen Shizi was pretty sure he hadn¡¯t met Yuxi before, ¡°How did you know my identity?¡± This girl looked quite calm.

    Yuxi was not afraid of him as she tilted her head, ¡°I¡¯ve met the Second Young Master of the Chen family. The two of you, Master Shizi and Second Young Master Chen, look very much alike.¡± They were brothers, so it was normal for them to resemble each other.

    Chen Shizi nodded and asked one of the government troops to call Yuxi¡¯s carriage driver over. The carriage driver was Kufu¡¯s father, who rushed over when he caught sight of Yuxi. At the time he saw government troops entering the Duan Residence one by one, he noticed that both Zhou and Jiang family¡¯s young misses hade out, while his young miss didn¡¯t make a move for a long time. This made him scared to death.

    Chen Shizi nced at the mark of the carriage, where each mansion had put its mark. The mark on the carriage indeed belonged to the Han Residence. A man in armour next to Chen Shizi shouted, ¡°Take out everything in your sleeves. You are also required to allow us to check your purse.¡±

    Bingmei¡¯s heart was in her throat. Luckily, she had listened to her Miss. Otherwise, she would have been discovered if she had brought any jewellery out.

    Yuxiplied by pulling a handkerchief out from her sleeve and then shook her sleeve a little. It was the only thing she could hide inside her sleeve. As for Bingmei, she opened the purse she was wearing and shook out the contents in session.

    Chen Shizi waved his hand and said, ¡°You can go now.¡±

    Yuxi stepped on the stool and steadily got onto the carriage. When it was Bingmei¡¯s turn to step on the stool, it was estimated her legs suddenly got weak that she fell off the stool. But Bingmei quickly got up and climbed onto the carriage on all four without even patting the dust off her body.

    Chen Shizi nced at the carriage and found the scene quite interesting. The master wasn¡¯t even scared, but her maid was scared out of her mind.

    Kufu¡¯s father also hurriedly drove the carriage away from the Duan family residence. Only when he reached the corner, where it looked like they were quite far away from the Duan family¡¯s lot, did he face the inside of the carriage and asked, ¡°Are you all right, Miss?¡±

    Yuxi answered hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯m fine. You should drive carefully.¡± It would be false to say that she was not afraid, but what worried her more right now was that she didn¡¯t know what the Duan family¡¯s situation was.

    At this time, Bingmei finally took a breath of relief. She genuinely felt that she was unlucky since she just ran into such a thing when it was the first time she apanied her Miss out. What would you call this situation if not her being out of luck?

    Yuxi took off all Duan Xinrong¡¯s jewellery that she wore and then said to Bingmei, ¡°Use a handkerchief to wrap all these pieces of jewellery.¡± She hoped these pieces of jewellery woulde in handyter on.

    Once Bingmei heard this instruction, she immediately pulled out a handkerchief from her sleeve. Then, she took the jewellery handed over by Yuxi, and soon after she took off all the jewellery she was wearing as well. She put them all together inside the handkerchief. ¡°Miss, these pieces of jewellery should be worth quite a lot of silver, right?¡± This pearl ne alone cost several thousand taels. Once added up with the others, it would be a little over 10,000 taels.[+]

    Yuxi shook her head and chided, ¡°This much money is barely enough to fill your tooth gap!¡± The magistrate¡¯s office was so shady that no amount of money would be enough. However, this money should be enough to at least save Xinrong.

    When Bingmei heard this, she did not dare to say anything any more.

    After a while, Yuxi spoke out, ¡°Open the window. Let me take a breath of fresh air.¡± It suddenly felt suffocating to be inside this carriage.

    Before Bingmei pushed open the window, she shivered and advised, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s cold outside. You¡¯ll surely catch a cold if you are exposed to this kind of wind.¡± They did not wear manyyers of clothes either. It was okay if they were exposed to the wind for a little while. But they would definitely catch a cold if they were exposed to this chilly wind.

    Yuxi said indifferently, ¡°Just open it!¡± Her mind was currently in a mess. She needed a cold breeze to calm herself down right now.

    The window was opened and a cool, cold breeze blew into the carriage. Bingmei shivered again. Nheless, Yuxi was seemingly ignorant and unaware of the freezing breeze. She even squinted her eyes.

    After the carriage moved approximately about half a shichen, Yuxi realised they were approaching the State Residence, thus she instructed, ¡°Close the window. After you go back, don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡±

    Bingmei was unsure whether Yuxi was talking about what happened to the Duan family or about her requesting for the window to be opened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss, I won¡¯t tell anyone. Even if my mother asked about it, I wouldn¡¯t tell her.¡±

    When they finally arrived at the State Residence, the carriage sped straight inside and did not stop until it reached the second gate. When two old women servants saw this scene, they went over and asked Kufu¡¯s father, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Miss?¡± The carriage could be driven to the second gate, but that was only under special circumstances. Under normal circumstances, they would have to get off at the main gate and change to a sedan chair.

    Bingmei lifted the curtain of the carriage and said as if she was about to cry, ¡°Miss is frightened. You guys,e over and help her.¡±

    The two old women servants were startled when they saw Yuxi. Her face was as pale as paper, her lips were blue, and there was panic in her eyes. One of the old women servants asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong Miss? How did she get this frightened?¡±

    The other old woman servant rebuked, ¡°What¡¯s the point of you asking these questions? You should tell the First Lady and request for a physician toe quickly. I will carry Miss back.¡± With Yuxi¡¯s current condition, they couldn¡¯t even wait for the sedan chair toe. Hence, it was much faster to just carry Yuxi back to her yard.

    All the maids of Taoran House were also frightened at the moment they set their eyes on Yuxi¡¯s current appearance. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Miss?¡± She went out as a guest but returned looking like this. What had happened in the Duan family residence?

    Bingmei wiped her tears and retold, ¡°The Duan family was raided, and those government troops were just like robbers, rummaging through boxes and cupboards. Fortunately, Miss said that we were from the Duke¡¯s residence, and we were not Duan family members, so they let us go back.¡± After saying that, she added, ¡°Miss Xinrong fainted from fear at that time, and we don¡¯t know how she is currently doing.¡±

    Zisu had nothing to say to that. She could only admit that her Miss was down on her luck when she encountered such a thing. Who could imagine that when one went there as a guest, one would encounter the host¡¯s family residence to be raided!

    When Qiu Shi heard that Yuxi was frightened, she hurried over. As she looked at Yuxi, who had shrunk herself into a ball, Qiu Shi med herself a little, ¡°If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have let you go to the Duan family today.¡± On her way here, Qiu Shi already knew what had happened.

    Yuxi smiled bitterly, ¡°Who can imagine this would happen! Eldest Aunt, can you ask someone to find out what¡¯s going on with the Duan family? I wonder how Xinrong Jiejie is doing right now.¡±

    Qiu Shi readily agreed to her request, ¡°Don¡¯t worry,ter I¡¯ll have someone ask around and find out what exactly happened to the Duan family.¡± Speaking of which, it was fortunate that the marriage with the Duan family did not work out. Otherwise, she would have pushed her Jianye into a pit.

    Physician Bai came over and took Yuxi¡¯s pulse. He reported, ¡°Miss has a bit of cold. Just by having some ginger syrup will do.¡± Yuxi¡¯s body was in a very good condition that she didn¡¯t even need to drink any medicine when she caught a cold.

    A SIMPLE GINGER SYRUP

    Qiu Shi thought she had heard wrong, ¡°It¡¯s just a cold? That child was at Duan residence today and ran into government troops raiding the residence. She was so scared that her face turned blue.¡±

    Physician Bai was willing to ept other people¡¯s views as he said, ¡°I will prescribe a remedy to calm Fourth Miss¡¯s mind.¡± He was only responsible for prescribing the remedy. It was up to Yuxi whether she wanted to take the prescription or not. If Physician Bai had to say, since Yuxi even dared to kill a bandit, she wouldn¡¯t have been afraid of a few government troops raiding her friend¡¯s residence. However, this kind of talk only urred in his mind. He would never speak them out loud.

    Yuxi drank a big bowl of ginger syrup, but she didn¡¯t drink the prescription to calm the nerves. She learned pharmacology herself. How could she not know every medicine had its own side effect?

    Yuxi could not sleep when she was lying on the bed. She simply went into her study, but could not get herself to read the book. As for practising her writing, she was unable to concentrate. In the end, Yuxi took her flute and yed it in the yard. However, the tune was so messy that the melody went out of tune.

    The people of Taoran House were frowning when they heard the chaotic tune. That was not music, that was devilish sound! However, everyone knew that Yuxi was in a bad mood. Therefore, no one dared to point it out.

    After ying two pieces of music, Yuxi asked for the time. Afterwards, she continued asking about the time at least four to five times that afternoon, ¡°Howe it¡¯s only the beginning of youshi? Why is the time passing so slowly today?¡±

    Zisu turned speechless. In the past, her Miss always felt that time was too short and constantlyined about how a day would be gone in the blink of an eye. This was the first time she had grumbled that time was passing too slowly.

    Yuxi finally got the news about the Duan at nightfall, ¡°What? The Imperial Censor Duan is an aplice of thete Crown Prince? How is this possible? Didn¡¯t Imperial Censor Duan impeach thete Crown Prince several times?¡± It wasn¡¯t an impeachment of someone close to thete Crown Prince, but a direct impeachment towards thete Crown Prince. Of course, Imperial Censor Duan had integrity. Not only he impeached thete Crown Prince, but he also impeached the Song family¡¯s leading family members, Song Guifei and the 9th Prince.

    The person who went to inquire about the news reported, ¡°It is rumoured that the day the Imperial Censor Duan impeached the Crown Prince, it was actually to cover other people¡¯s eyes and ears.¡±

    Yuxi wanted to curse, but her upbringing prevented her from being rude in front of outsiders, ¡°You continue to inquire and tell me if you have any other news.¡±

    Zisu stuffed a hundred silver ticket to the visitor. Yuxi stated, ¡°If this is not enough, you should let me know.¡± Since she was not trying to find out hidden information, the amount of silver she needed to use would not be much. But if she wanted to bribe others for detailed inquiries, the amount of silver needed would be enormous.

    PS (Author): Sadly, I lost the draft I wrote yesterday because I forgot to save it. So I have to rewrite it again today. Tears are now streaming on my face¡­

 Chapter 173 - Duan Family Met With Mishap (3)

    <strong>Chapter 173 : Duan Family Met With Mishap (3)</strong>

    Yuxi had already gotten up at the first glimmer of dawn in the sky.

    Zisu was on night dutyst night. She knew that Yuxi had been tossing and turning in bed all night, not even sleeping at all. At that moment, she persuaded, ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t you sleep some more?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head as she replied, ¡°No, I can¡¯t sleep even when I¡¯m lying down.¡± She couldn¡¯t fall asleep, and she was feeling bored while lying down. So she might as well find something to do.

    On this day, Yuxi practised Wuqinxi twice and dove into her study soon after. By this time her mind was calm enough for her to practise her calligraphy.

    After breakfast, Yuxi got the news that the correspondences between Imperial Censor Duan and thete Crown Prince had been confiscated from the Duan family residence yesterday. The matter had been confirmed, and now it was up to the Emperor to decide on how to deal with it.

    Yuxi was not an ignorant little girl, as a sneer appeared on her face after hearing these words. Imperial Censor Duan wasn¡¯t a fool. Even if he was indeed the Crown Prince¡¯s aplice, after the Crown Princemitted suicide, all this so-called evidence would have beenpletely disposed of and the government troops would have still been looking for them. The reason for this sudden finding was that the evidence was 100% had been nted to frame him. ¡°Go ask them carefully regarding the location the Duan family members are currently being held.¡±

    At this moment, Yuchen¡¯s maid, Shiqin, came over. ¡°Fourth Miss, our Miss invites you toe over.¡± Seeing Yuxi frowning, not wanting to go, Shiqin walked two steps forward and whispered, ¡°Fourth Miss, my Miss is looking for you regarding the Duan family¡¯s matter.¡±

    Yuxi blinked and hurriedly nodded her head, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go there now.¡± Yuchen was better informed than she was, and she knew more than she did alone.

    Yuchen¡¯s news was indeed much better than Yuxi¡¯s. Yuxi knew what happened onlyst night, but Yuchen already knew what just happened this morning. Yuchen told Yuxi the bad news, ¡°Imperial Censor Duanmitted suicide in the prisonst night.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°How could Imperial Censor Duan kill himself?¡± Even if Duan Yushi didn¡¯t do it for himself, he should also think about his family. If hemitted suicide at this juncture, he would get free of the punishment, but the Emperor¡¯s anger would only be vented on the rest of the Duan family instead. That way, the Duan family had to die without a burial site.

    Yuchen answered, ¡°The information I have found said that Imperial Censor Duan didmit suicide. When the Emperor found out about it at the morning court assembly, he was furious and issued a decree that all the male members of the Duan family were to be beheaded and the female members were to be sent to the military camp in Liaodong.¡± The Duan womenfolk were sent to the military camp not to work as criminal ves, but rather as prostitutes in military brothels.

    When Yuxi heard this, her limbs went cold. ¡°How could¡­¡± She had thought that the worst situation for Duan Xinrong would be sold into a brothel. Last night, she was thinking that she would pawn Xinrong¡¯s jewellery in the next two days and add up with her savings, she would be able to get money to ransom her if Xinrong was indeed being sold into a brothel. However, she had never imagined that Xinrong would be transported and filled in a military camp in Liaodong.

    Yuchen knew that Yuxi had a very good rtionship with Duan Xinrong, but some things must be said to her, ¡°The Duan family¡¯s matters are too huge. Si Mei, even if you have a good rtionship with Duan Xinrong, you can¡¯t get involved in this matter, even if you only try to help by bribing the officers.¡± Since the Duan family had provoked the Emperor, at this time, whoever took the initiative to speak up on behalf of them would also be implicated. Yuchen was reminding Yuxi that she should not implicate the Duke of the State just because of her old feelings. [T/N]

    Yuxi smiled bitterly as she said, ¡°I know what San Jie meant. Don¡¯t worry, San Jie, I won¡¯t do anything that will implicate the family.¡±

    When Yuchen looked at Yuxi¡¯s smile, her heart suddenly seeped with fear, ¡°Si Mei, it¡¯s not that San Jie is trying to be cold-blooded and heartless, but this matter is too big for even us to help.¡± If the crime was not as big as this, it would be fine if they wanted to help for the sake of their friendship. But the Duan family¡¯s matter was too big for them to get involved with.

    When Yuxi walked out of Tingyun Pavilion, she was in a daze. For the Duan family womenfolk to be military prostitutes in a military barrack, the Emperor must have hated Imperial Censor Duan so much! No, he must have hated thete Crown Prince and Empress very much! Otherwise, there would not have been such an Imperial Decree.

    As Zisu looked at Yuxi acting like this, she became very worried, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t think about it. This matter is not your fault either. It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t want to help Miss Xinrong, you just can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±

    Yuxi muttered to herself, ¡°That¡¯s right! There¡¯s nothing you can do, nothing you can really do!¡±

    She returned from Tingyun Pavilion in a trance and instructed Zisu before entering her own house, ¡°Have our people outside ask around for news on how the Duan family is currently doing.¡± Since she couldn¡¯t help with the fight, it was still possible for her to ask for information.

    Zisu nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have someone inquire about it.¡± Seeing Yuxi walk towards her study, Zisu advised, ¡°Miss, you should take a break for the rest of the day. You should not read any more books.¡± Since Yuxi had not been sleeping for the whole night, herplexion had be very poor.

    Yuxi shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Not long after she entered the study, she ordered Zisu, who refused to leave her alone, ¡°Go and make me a cup of strong tea.¡± The strong tea had a refreshing effect. Right now, Yuxi was in low spirits, thus she needed strong tea to refresh her mind.

    Zisu persuaded, ¡°Miss, you should stop reading when you are tired. You should just go to sleep!¡± And there was no telling who her Miss was going to mess up with once she left!

    No matter how much Zisu tried to persuade, she was unable to persuade Yuxi. As a result, Zisu could only go out and make a cup of strong tea for her.

    After Yuxi finished with her tea, she continued reading the book, ?Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance?. Although Yuxi looked serious and focused, Zisu couldn¡¯t help but worry.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t take a nap after lunch. She casually took some of her lunch and then made her way to the study once more. The way she looked so desperate made Zisu almost cry.

    In the evening, Kufu learned about the follow-up on the Duan family from her father, ¡°Miss, all the menfolk in the Duan family are dead. For the womenfolk¡­¡± Kufu was hesitant when it came to this part.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Is sister Xinrong gone too?¡±

    Kufu lowered her head and said, ¡°Before he died, Second Young Master Duan wrote a letter of divorce, divorcing Second Young Mistress Duan; Madam Duan and Eldest Young Mistress Duanmitted suicide. Miss Duan alsomitted suicide, only to be saved by someone. Now, out of the dozen members of the Duan family, only Miss Duan remains.¡± After her mother had been cast away in divorce, Miss Duan was no longer a member of the Duan family. Second Young Master Duan had given her a way out by divorcing Second Young Mistress Duan.

    Yuxi muttered, ¡°She was saved, huh?¡± She had mixed feelings about this. Although it was said that it was better to have a bad life than a good death, Yuxi believed that Xinrong Jie would rather die than fall into a situation that was worse than death.

    Kufu asked cautiously, ¡°Miss, what shall we do now?¡±

    Yuxi remembered Yuchen¡¯s warning and smiled bitterly, ¡°Can you tell your father to find out when Xinrong Jiejie will leave for Liaodong?¡± Once she had done saying that, she waved everyone out and stayed in the study alone.[+]

    Kufu hurriedly nodded.

    Yuxi muttered to herself, ¡°It¡¯s only been a day since the incident took ce, and in just one day, the Duan family has all been destroyed. I wonder just how deep the mastermind¡¯s grudge against Imperial Censor Duan is.¡± After she had said this out loud, her face changed drastically, ¡°No, this is not right.¡± Not to mention that there were many doubts about Imperial Censor Duan, even if he was really the Crown Prince¡¯s aplice and had participated in the treason, he should have been tried by the Three Departments and then convicted by the Emperor. Instead, hemitted suicide on the night he was arrested, without leaving behind anyst words.

    Thinking of Chen Shizi who led the raid on the Duan family that day, Yuxi¡¯s look turned very ugly. Chen Shizi was the 9th Prince¡¯s aide, and it was likely that the 9th Prince had a hand in what had happened to the Duan family. However, Yuxi did not understand why the 9th Prince would do this. Even if Imperial Censor Duan had impeached him before, he shouldn¡¯t have used such a ruthless tactic.

    Soon, Kufu¡¯s father passed the news that he had inquired. Kufu informed Yuxi, ¡°Miss, my father said Miss Xinrong will set off the day after tomorrow.¡±

    Yuxi always felt that she should do something, otherwise she would feel uneasy. After thinking about it, she entered the study and wrote a letter, then stuffed three silver tickets in, and called Caidie over, ¡°Give this letter to Patrol Guard Lian, and wait until he replies before you return.¡±

    Patrol Guard Lian was a literate person. After reading the letter written by Yuxi, he hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Tell your Miss that I can take care of the yamen officials who are escorting Miss Duan so that she will suffer less on the road. The rest I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± If they didn¡¯t bribe them well, there were countless ways for these officials to torment people. If they did bribe them well, they would be able to travel safely to Liaodong.

    Knowing that Yuxi had taken out three thousand taels of silver, Mama Fang said, ¡°This time, to help the Duan girl, Miss has probably even emptied to her bottom.¡± Nowadays, the business was getting worse and worse, and the annual ie from the hamlet and the two shops was only two thousand taels. Miss spent a lot in the residence, so how could she save any more money?

    Lian Shan also felt that Yuxi was a generous person, ¡°This is also the kindness of the Fourth Miss.¡± In this world, many people liked to add flowers to the brocade, but few could send charcoal in snowy weather.

    Having received Lian Shan¡¯s reply, Yuxi¡¯s heart was still heavy as she asked Zisu, ¡°Do you think it is right or wrong for me to do this?¡± She always felt that it was wrong for her to do this, but this was all she could do for Xinrong.

    Zisu replied, ¡°Miss, the Duan family is now left with Miss Duan alone. If she dies too, the Duan family will be extinct. Heaven never seals off all the exits. As long as one lives, there is always a way out.¡±

    These words were the only Yuxi¡¯s sce.

    On the day that Duan Xinrong set off to Liaodong, Yuxi did not leave the house. It was not that someone had stopped her from doing so, but rather she didn¡¯t bring up this matter at all. She knew very well that even if she brought the matter up, she would not only be unable to get out, she might even be scolded by Han Jingyan. Everyone in the capital avoided the Duan family¡¯s affairs, so how could Han Jingyan let her get involved with them?[+]

    It was also on the day Duan Xinrong left that Yuxi had a dream that night. After waking up, Yuxi was in a daze and muttered to herself, ¡°How could this be? How could it be like this?¡±

    Zisu noticed Yuxi¡¯s appearance like she just lost her soul and dropped her spirit that Zisu shook her twice, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong with you? Please don¡¯t scare me! Wake up, Miss!¡±

    Yuxi came back to her senses. She was stunned for a while, and eximed, ¡°Stop screaming, I¡¯m fine.¡± When she spoke, her voice was hoarse. It was rather like she was in endless exhaustion.

    However, after this dream, Yuxi couldn¡¯t sleep any more. ¡°Go and make me a cup of strong tea.¡± After drinking the strong tea, she took her medical book and tried to read it. Unfortunately, she was unable to concentrate on reading. In her anger, she even threw the medical book to the floor.

    Zisu was so scared by Yuxi¡¯s abnormal behaviour that she went to see Qiu Shi at dawn to ask for a physician toe over and check on her Miss.

    Physician Bai came and checked on Yuxi¡¯s pulse. He diagnosed that there was nothing wrong with Yuxi¡¯s body. It was just that she was just having a depression in her heart. If this depression did not dissipate, it would not be good for her health.

    Qiu Shi looked at Yu Xi, who looked like she was more dead than alive. She hated iron for not bing steel as she scolded her, ¡°I know you feel bad for the Duan girl, but what¡¯s the use of being this sad? You didn¡¯t cause what happened to the Duan family. What else can you do other than being a disgrace to yourself?¡± Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t understand how someone who was usually so intelligent could have drilled herself into a bull¡¯s horn this time around.

    Yuxi kept her head down and said nothing. She couldn¡¯t tell anyone, that yesterday she had a dream about her past life. It was also this dream that made her recall that Chiang Jing had indeed been betrothed to someone else before he married Lin Furong. But then, something happened to the other party, so they withdrew from their marriage arrangement. The person Chiang Jing had withdrawn his marriage from was Duan Xinrong. In Yuxi¡¯s previous life, Duan Xinrong¡¯s family was ruined and she was exiled after Chiang¡¯s family withdrew from their marriage arrangement. In this life too, Duan Xinrong¡¯s family was also ruined and she was sent into exile in Liaodong after a broken engagement with the Hong family. Duan Xinrong repeated the fate of her previous life, then what about her? Was she also unable to change her fate and will she still die in the end?

 Chapter 174 - More Dead Than Alive

    Chapter 174 : More Dead Than Alive

    The 9th Prince heard Chen Shizi tell him that Yuxi had spent her money to bribe the yamen officers escorts. He questioned, ¡°Do you think that thing could be with that girl from the Han family?¡±

    Chen Shizi shook his head as he said, ¡°No. Han Yuxi was not the only guest of the Duan family. There were also the girls from the Marquis of Changping and the Marquis of Pingqing. I have also interrogated the maids around Duan Xinrong, and they all said that Han Yuxi did not have any contact with anyone else in the Duan family except Duan Xinrong that day. Moreover, the Han family was not that close to the Duan family. That thing was so important that it would not have been handed over unless it was to someone whom they extremely trusted.¡±

    The 9th Prince also knew this. He was just a little anxious. ¡°Everyone in the Duan family is dead except that girl. And that girl doesn¡¯t know about that stuff? Who do you think that old pipsqueak will give the thing to?¡±

    What Yuxi didn¡¯t realise was that she had just turned around from the gate of hell.

    Chen Shizi didn¡¯t answer the 9th Prince¡¯s question, as he had no answer for it, ¡°After the Duan family¡¯s incident, not a single person in the court interceded for the Duan family.¡± It was sad to say that, with so many students under Imperial Censor Duan and Eldest Master Duan, and countless friends of the Duan family by marriage, it was a twelve-year-old silly little girl who finally stepped forward to help.

    The 9th Prince calmly stated, ¡°That thing must be recovered. It must not fall into the hands of others.¡±

    Chen Shizi did not know exactly what that thing was, but the fact that the 9th Prince was so eager, that he even went so far as to kill Imperial Censor Duan, showed how important the thing was, ¡°I will try my best to track it down.¡± [T/N]

    Han Jianming was also aware that Yuxi had helped Duan Xinrong pay for bribing the yamen officers. When he got the news, he shook his head helplessly as he said, ¡°This girl, she¡¯s too bold.¡± For a matter that no one dared to get involved in, she dared to hide her act of using her private money to use as bribes from her family members. [T/N]

    Mr Zhao felt that Yuxi had done a good job in this matter, ¡°The Fourth Miss has used her private money to pay for it. Even if it was traced, it wouldn¡¯t involve the State Residence. I think Fourth Miss has thought things thoroughly before doing so.¡± Even if the matter was traced, it would be the Fourth Miss who would be helping out for old time¡¯s sake and this would not involve the Duke¡¯s family.

    On this point, Han Jianming nodded in agreement. Since Yuxi did note to ask him to help the Duan family, it could be seen that she had a sense of measure. ¡°I don¡¯t even know, in the end, what is the actual crime the Duan family hasmitted?¡±

    Mr Zhao pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Master Shizi, Imperial Censor Duan can¡¯t be an aplice of thete Crown Prince.¡±

    Han Jianming also nodded. When Imperial Censor Duan impeached the Crown Prince back then, he made the Emperor so furious that the Emperor almost abolished the Crown Prince. From that incident alone, it was enough to see that Imperial Censor Duan could not be the Crown Prince¡¯s man. ¡°It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t figure out why the 9th Prince would nt evidence to frame the Duan family? And he even used such drastic means. What kind of secrets did the Imperial Censor Duan hide?¡±

    Mr Zhao thought about it, but he also couldn¡¯t figure it out. This matter had temporarily reached a deadlock.

    Ever since Yuxi had that dream, she had been sickly, unable to concentrate on anything, and always in a daze.

    Qiu Shi was so anxious when she saw Yuxi looking like this. No matter how much she tried to persuade her, it was to no avail. Because of her anxiousness, she even asked the Imperial Physician toe over to check on her. The Imperial Physician told Qiu Shi, ¡± Her heart disease responds only to heartening news.¡± As for what had caused her to suffer heart disease, Qiu Shi was unable to say. So the Imperial Physician, in the end, said that he couldn¡¯t do anything about it.[+]

    When Yuchen entered Taoran House, she saw Yuxi, who always had great momentum, looking listless, ¡°Si Meimei, didn¡¯t you use to like cherries and pomegranates the most, I brought them for you. So get up and eat them.¡±

    Yuxi looked breathless, ¡°No appetite. Why don¡¯t you eat them yourself, San Jie?¡± She didn¡¯t even want to eat rice, so what was the point of eating cherries and pomegranates?

    After talking for a good half-day, it did not affect Yuxi at all. Yuchen couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Are you the one in charge of the Duan family¡¯s affairs? How long are you going to look more dead than alive like this?¡±

    Yuxi bowed her head and said, ¡°No one cares whether I am dead or alive.¡± That look of her was unspeakably helpless and sad.

    Hearing these words, Yuchen almost gave in to her anger. But looking at Yuxi¡¯s appearance, there were no words of me that could be said, ¡°Si Mei, what is wrong with you? What¡¯s going on in your heart? Just say it out loud and we¡¯ll figure it out together.¡±

    Still, with her head lowered, Yuxi responded, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with me.¡±

    When Yuchen looked at Yuxi who was still acting like this, her anger rose once more. Shiqin, who stood beside her, tugged at her and shook her head. Fourth Miss had drilled herself into the tip of a bull¡¯s horn, it was useless for her Miss to scold her.

    Yuxi continued to look like she was looking like this for several days. During this time, not only did the Old Ladye over to see her, even Han Jingyan came over too. Unfortunately, Yuxi was indifferent to them all. When she talked, she would tear up, but she didn¡¯t cry loudly either. She would just sit on the bed and wipe her tears. Her look couldn¡¯t have been more pitiful.

    The Old Lady left with a sigh, while Han Jingyan left the Taoran House in a huff. As for Wu Shi and Yurong, they were busy pping in high glee, so why would theye tofort Yuxi. [T/N]

    With both of her reds, Kufu asked, ¡°Zisu Jiejie, what do you think we should do about this? It¡¯s been five days. We can¡¯t just let Miss go on like this any longer.¡±

    Zisu was also looking haggard because of Yuxi¡¯s condition that she even thought of a solution that could not be treated as a solution, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go ask Miss Zhou and Miss Chiang toe and cheer up Miss?¡±

    They didn¡¯t know if this would work or not, but if they didn¡¯t give it a try, how would they know, right? When Qiu Shi heard Zisu¡¯s words she immediately posted invitations to Chiang Xin and Zhou Shiya.

    Once Zhou Shiya and Chiang Xin received the invitations, both of them came over the next day. The two of them said a bucketload offorting words to Yuxi, but unfortunately, they were still useless. The two eventually left the Han family residence with red eyes.

    Qiu Shi was almost dying of anxiety because of Yuxi¡¯s illness, ¡°The physician said that this girl is suffering heart disease, but what has caused her to have this heart disease?¡± They still needed to find a cure for Yuxi¡¯s heart disease, but the problem was that even she didn¡¯t know what the cause of this heart disease was!

    Mama Li thought for a moment and finally suggested, ¡°My Lady, do you think we should let Master Shizie and talk with Miss? Miss used to like to ask Master Shizi about things, so if we let Master Shizi speak to Miss, maybe Miss will finally be willing to talk?¡±

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t think this was a good idea, but at this point, it was already like giving medicine to a dead horse. Who knew, maybe her eldest son could help inforting this girl?

    Han Jianming thought that Yuxi was just feeling a bit unwell, but he didn¡¯t expect that she would be suffering from heart disease. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll go and see Si Meimei now.¡± Seeing Qiu Shi¡¯s face full of worry, heforted her, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry, she will be fine.¡±

    Qiu Shimented with a distressed expression, ¡°How can I not help myself from worry? That girl, when she loses her soul and drops her spirit, she looks like a different person.¡± Yuxi used to walk out with an air of energy, but now she looked so spiritless, it gave Qiu Shi a sense of panic. Qiu decided that if Han Jianming¡¯s persuasion was also useless, then¡­

    When Han Jianming entered Yuxi¡¯s room, Yuxi was lying on the bed in a daze, with a lifeless look. Han Jianming was stunned. He thought that Yuxi had just drilled herself into the tip of a bull¡¯s horn for a moment, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be this serious. This was not the Yuxi he knew. No wonder his mother was extremely anxious.[+]

    Yuxi¡¯s expression didn¡¯t even fluctuate. When she looked up and saw it was Han Jianming, she called out to her Dage in a low voice then lowered her head again.

    Sitting on a stool in front of the bed, Han Jianming looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°You, this girl, how did you get yourself into this state?¡±

    Yuxi remained the same as before, not speaking, and her head was still being lowered.

    Han Jianming asked, ¡°Yuxi, what exactly has scared you like this? I don¡¯t believe that the Duan family¡¯s matter could scare you into such a state. Tell me what¡¯s going on, and I¡¯ll help you out.¡± Han Jianming did not think that the Duan family¡¯s affair had frightened Yuxi. The Yuxi he knew, did not even turn pale in the face of bandits, and she even dared to kill one of them, so how could she be scared out of her wits just because she saw a few officers and soldiers raiding the Duan family¡¯s residence?

    When Yuxi heard his words, she raised her head and looked at Han Jianming. Seeing him nod his head at her, she bowed her head once more and told him, ¡°I had a dream a few days ago in which my father married me to Jiang Hongjin, but Jiang Hongjin didn¡¯t like me. He didn¡¯t even enter our bridal chamber. For six years he treated me as nothing, while everyone in the Jiang family continuously hated, humiliated and mocked me. Later, Madam Jiang ndered me for poisoning Jiang Hongjin¡¯s son and immediately drove me to a hamlet in the countryside. Then, natural disasters happened continuously and refugees came from every direction. Bandits came to kill and set fire to the hamlet after that. I fled to the gates of the capital, but the gatekeeper said that the Second Jiang Daughter-inw had passed away and her coffin had been ced in the nunnery. The gatekeepers wouldn¡¯t let me enter the capital, so I died of hunger and cold at the city gates. Those men, fearing that I had the gue, burned me along with the other dead bodies.¡±

    Han Jianming did not expect Yuxi to be frightened like this just because of a dream. ¡°It was just a dream. No need to take it seriously.¡±

    Yuxi cried, ¡°Dage, I still remember the feeling of being burned by the fire. It hurts so much that I shudder whenever I think about it. Dage, before, I also dreamed that bandits would enter our residence, and it turned out that bandits indeed entered. The nightmare I just had that day wille true too. Dage, I will be burned to deathter, and I will die without a ce of burial.¡± The reasons Yuxi spoke of these words, half was for her to vent and half was as a warning to Han Jianming. If the Jiang family really came to propose marriage, she was hoping that Han Jianming could help her block it.

    Han Jianming also thought the dream was a bit strange. There was even her groom in it that it couldn¡¯t feel more real. Putting aside those mixed thoughts, Han Jianming asked, ¡°Okay, even if your dream is true where you were really going to marry Jiang Hongjin, he didn¡¯t consummate your marriage even after six years, why do you have to let yourself suffer like that? You could just have asked for a divorced! Even if the Jiang family did not agree to the divorce and the Han family did note forward to back you up, you can go to the Shuntian Pce, and file a petition for a divorce. In your case, the government will surely award a divorce in the end. It is the Jiang family that would have to agree to the divorce for the sake of saving their face.¡± After saying that, Han Jianming nced at Yuxi and wondered in amazement, ¡°In the house, you controlled all the old servants for years and even Wu Shi has been so controlled by you that she no longer dares to provoke you. Howe in the dream you are the one who is on the receiving end? How could you put up with such a big grievance? And you put up with it for six years?¡±

    How could it be possible that Yuxi, with such an upromising nature, would be a victim when she arrived at the Jiang family? This dream was too unreal. Well, it could only be said that dreams were the opposite of reality.

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t believe that this dream would be a reality at all. Not to mention that Yuxi was not someone who could bear the grievance, even he would not allow the Jiang family to bully Yuxi like this.

    Yuxi was dumbfounded by Han Jianming¡¯s words, as she turned to a sudden realisation, ¡°Yes, I can submit a petition to the court and ask for a divorce!¡± How could she not know how to use this method in her previous life? Well, in herst life, she was just a baozi. She only knew how to cry when things went wrong, and if her crying and begging turned useless, she would have to resign herself to her fate. Where would she have the mind to think of another way!

    Han Jianming helplessly stated, ¡°You¡¯ve been looking more dead than alive for so many days because of such an inexplicable dream¡­It feels like what you¡¯ve been learning all these years have been for nothing.¡±

    Yuxiughed embarrassedly.

 Chapter 175 - Treason

    Chapter 175 : Treason

    With the knot in her heart that had been untied, Yuxi instantly came back to life as if she had been shot with fresh blood. She immediately exined to Han Jianming, ¡°It also happened that my nightmare dide truest time. When I had such a terrible dream this time, I was scared and lost my mind for a while.¡±

    Hearing this, Han Jianming asked curiously, ¡°How could you dream of marrying Jiang Hongjin? Have you seen him?¡± There could be no unexined dreams in this world. As the saying went, what one thought about in the day, one would dream of it at night. Could it be that this girl had taken a liking to this Jiang Hongjin?

    Yuxi nodded, ¡°I met him once, right at Qingyang Gongzhu¡¯s residence. That time he couldn¡¯t turn his eyes away when he saw San Jie. I evenughed at the time and told San Jie that she had another admirer.¡± She was determined to whitewash her rtionship with Jiang Hongjin.

    When Han Jianming heard this, he promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t let you marry into the Jiang family.¡±

    With this promise from Han Jianming, Yuxi felt that the knife that had been hanging over her head finally gone. Thinking of this matter, she added, ¡°Dage, if Eldest Aunt asks, you¡¯d better not tell her, to save her from being anxious.¡± If Qiu Shi knew, it meant that the Old Lady would know about it too. She didn¡¯t want to make a scene where everyone would know about it. It would certainly cause a lot of trouble when that time came.[+]

    Hearing this, Han Jianming looked at Yuxi and said with a wry smile, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t seen you lying in bed not looking like a person, I would have suspected that you were faking your illness.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s heart jumped, but on her face, she smiled bitterly, ¡°I was truly frightened at the time. That dream was too real, so real that it was as if I had experienced it.¡± Wasn¡¯t it exactly because she had experienced it that it had left such a big aftermath?

    Han Jianming also felt that her dream was indeed bizarre, but he did not take it seriously. ¡°That day you dreamed of bandits breaking into the residence, and when they really did break into the residence, didn¡¯t you also beat them away? Even if this dream you had now became reality, where Jiang Hongjin married you and dared to treat you badly, wouldn¡¯t you stir up trouble just to make his world turned upside down? If you had a bad time as his wife, just let them have no peaceful life either.¡± [T/N]

    Yuxi looked at Han Jianming with her eyes full of stars flying, ¡°Dage is so nice.¡± It felt good to have someone backing you up.

    Once Han Jianming saw Yuxi leapt and frisked about once more, he felt annoyed and amused at the same time, ¡°Hurry up and freshen yourself up. I¡¯ll wait for you in your study.¡± After saying that, he walked out and called Zisu in.

    Yuxi looked at Han Jianming¡¯s back and a smile spread across her face. When the truth mingled with the false and the false with the truth, it would give a hard time for people to differentiate the truth from the false. Speaking of which, her acting skills had climbed another storey higher. [T/N]

    When Yuxi saw Zisue in, she instructed, ¡°Bring in water, I want to freshen up.¡± Looking at her Dage¡¯s look, she guessed that he had something to discuss with her. If she had to guess correctly, it should be about the Duan family. As it happened, she also wanted to ask Han Jianming about them.

    Zisu looked at the refreshed Yuxi and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that Miss was alright. She would have been scared to death if her Miss continued to be like this again. Zisu hurriedly asked a maid to bring water over. Because of her poorplexion, Yuxi put some rouge on her face to make her look a bit more lively.

    When Yuxi had finished freshening herself up, Zisu brought a bowl of egg custard. ¡°Miss, eat this to pad your stomach first, and then eat something else when you¡¯ve finished discussing things with Master Shizi.¡±

    Yuxi finished off the bowl of egg custard in three, set five removed two, and then strode into her study, which she hadn¡¯t visited for days. It gave her a sense of familiarity after not being in there for days!

    Han Jianming looked at Zisu, who was following behind Yuxi, and ordered, ¡°Get everyone out, and don¡¯t leave anyone in this courtyard.¡±

    Zisu understood that there was something he wanted to discuss with her Miss. She did not dare to be ambiguous, so she called out Kufu, Bingmei and the others, who were doing their work, and told them to leave the yard. She, herself, stood guard at the gate, without allowing anyone to enter.¡±

    Yuxi waspletely back to normal by this time and asked with a grave expression, ¡°Dage, did you find out the reason why the Duan family was raided for?¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°The news has not yet been revealed. There are a lot of witnesses and physical evidence of the collusion between Imperial Censor Duan and the Crown Prince. They are all irrefutable evidence. The abolished Crown Prince is the Emperor¡¯s most taboo matter. Even in the past six months, whoever receives benefits from the abolished Crown Prince will be out of luck. ¡±

    The Emperor¡¯s bias towards his own Prince had already gone too far. When one thought of Han Jingyan, he was also biased to the extreme until Yuxi was no longer feeling anything about it. ¡°Can¡¯t you find out anything at all?¡±

    Han Jianming was silent for a moment and then revealed, ¡°The 9th Prince seems to be looking for something, though I¡¯m not sure exactly what he¡¯s looking for.¡± There were few Han family connections left, and those resources had to be used on a knife¡¯s edge. They should not be used on such matters that had nothing to do with the Han family.

    Yuxi hesitated for a moment, but she still asked the question that had been buried in her heart, ¡°Dage, I know that Imperial Censor Duan had been wronged. How could the officials in the Imperial Court not know that? And why has no one said a word for his justice?¡±

    Han Jianming replied, ¡°The 9th Prince has personallye forward to handle it severely. Who dares to disagree?¡± After a pause, he continued, ¡°The one who has the most say in the Imperial Court is Minister Yu. But, the 9th Prince is his grandson-inw. How can Minister Yu openly challenge the 9th Prince?¡±

    Yuxi understood what Han Jianming meant by his words, ¡°Could it be that the Imperial Court has be Minister Yu¡¯s single-word shop?¡± The so-called ¡®single-word shop¡¯ meant that the officials in the Imperial Court only listened to Minister Yu alone.

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°Minister Yu¡¯s disciples and former subordinates are all over the world, and half of the civil officials in the Imperial Court listen to him. Imperial Censor Duan had offended many people, and countless people wanted him dead. Plus the Emperor is furious. No one dares to get involved at this juncture and attract the Emperor¡¯s eyes.¡± After a pause, he looked at Yuxi and added, ¡°Except for you.¡±

    Yuxi responded somewhat sarcastically, ¡°I am an ignorant little girl. Even if the Emperor knows about it, I am not going to get implicated. Otherwise, how narrow-minded will he be!¡±

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t have the time to listen to Yuxi¡¯s nonsense. ¡°What do you have in mind regarding the Duan family?¡± Yuxi might be able to see the problem from a different angle that was unthinkable and could even surprise Han Jianming.

    Yuxi had been mulling over this matter for the past few days as well, and it had led her to think of a possibility. Together with what Han Jianming had just said, she felt that her guess might be true, ¡°Dage, I have an idea, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s right?¡±

    Han Jianming nodded, ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°The case of Imperial Censor Duan was personally handled by the 9th Prince, and in just one day, the Duan family¡¯s case was concluded, which is not in line withmon sense. I¡¯m wondering if Imperial Censor Duan had caught hold of the Song family¡¯s weakness, and a fatal one at that? Why else would the 9th Prince be so eager to have Imperial Censor Duan dead?¡±

    Han Jianming nodded, ¡±Your analysis makes sense, but it is not thorough enough. The 9th Prince has dealt this with raging means. This matter apparently rted to him. Otherwise, he will not have personally stepped forward. He even sent his own trusted subordinate to handle it.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s legs went weak and she sat straight down on the floor. Then she shook her head as she murmured, ¡°Impossible. How is this possible? How could the 9th Prince be involved in such a matter.¡±

    Han Jianming¡¯s eyes shone brightly. He and Mr Zhao had discussed it for half a day but could note up with a reason. If Yuxi could guess it, he could use this girl as one of his advisors afterwards.

    Yuxi was so limp that she couldn¡¯t even get up.

    Han Jianming helplessly walked over to help her up. Only when he touched Yuxi did he realise that she was shaking. With a sinking feeling in his heart, he helped her to the table, and after she had firmly seated down, Han Jianming asked, ¡°What did you guess on the thing Imperial Censor Duan had caught the Song family with?¡±

    Yuxi opened her mouth, but the words just wouldn¡¯te out. It took a while for her to calm down before she was able to slowly say, ¡°Dage, do you still remember how Marshal Yan died? It was because the spy had leaked Marshal Yan¡¯s route and the border city¡¯s defences that led to the death of Marshal Yan and tens of thousands of soldiers. At that time, a scapegoat was introduced, however, the real culprit was not caught. I guess that Imperial Censor Duan should have evidence of the Song family¡¯s coboration with the enemy and their treason in his hands.¡±

    When Han Jianming heard Yuxi¡¯s words, the doubts in his heart were instantly cleared up. No wonder the 9th Prince was so impatient. Since the 9th Prince was a highly valued Imperial Son, apart from forcing the Emperor to abdicate or plotting a rebellion, only a major crime like defecting to the enemy and betraying the country would send him into the abyss. After thinking about it, Han Jianming looked at Yuxi as if he was looking at a monster. After pondering with Mr Zhao for so many days, they were still no match for Yuxi, who had been cowering in the backyard.[+]

    It wasn¡¯t that Han Jianming and his staff were slow, but that no one in their right mind would have thought of it that way. Plus, the fact that seven years had passed since the Tongcheng incident, so they would have only let their personal grudges get the better of them. As for Yuxi, she was convinced that the Song family was behind the Tongcheng tragedy back then, since she was so impressed by Yun Qing and the fact that the 9th Prince had personally dealt with the Duan family. This made Yuxi think that the 9th Prince was doing this to shield the Song family before he came down hard on the Duan family. After all, the Song family was his mother¡¯s n, and if the Song family fell, it would be very bad for him.

    Yuxi looked nervous as she started to stammer, ¡°Dage, the tragedy in Tongcheng back then ended up not being resolved, but the evil deeds done will always leave traces. It is not surprising that people will find evidence of it. Imperial Censor Duan was notorious for being a righteous person in the Imperial Court, thus it¡¯s not a wonder that the evidence would have been sent to him.¡±

    Han Jianming nodded in agreement, ¡°Your spection makes sense.¡± He felt what Yuxi said was nine times out of ten the truth.

    Yuxi asked cautiously, ¡°Dage, the 9th Prince was only twelve years old back then. He shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with the Tongcheng Incident, right?¡± She was unwilling to believe that the 9th Prince, being an Imperial Son, would do something treasonous to the country. Just thinking about it gave her the chills.

    Han Jianming cast a nce at Yuxi before saying, ¡°Back then, Marshal Yan was very prestigious and he held 200,000 elite soldiers. With Marshal Yan around, even if the Emperor detested the Empress and the Crown Prince at that time, their position would not be shaken. If Song Guifei and the 9th Prince wanted to take the seat of honour, they would have to eliminate Marshal Yan first.¡±

    Yuxi felt her mouth went dry, ¡°Does Dage still think the 9th Prince is involved in this? But why? Does the 9th Prince not know that once this matter is discovered, not to mention his ascension to the throne, he will not even be able to maintain his life.¡± From what she had seen of the 9th Prince, he was smart and wise. He should not have been so short-sighted!

    Han Jianmingughed lightly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that the 9th Prince was only twelve years old back then and wouldn¡¯t be involved in this? In fact, on the contrary, it was precisely because he was only twelve years old back then that he would have gotten involved. If it were the current 9th Prince, he would definitely not have gotten involved.¡± At the age of twelve, one¡¯s mind was immature, hence one couldn¡¯t see things in the long run, and one could easily be swayed by others.

    After listening to Han Jianming¡¯s analysis, Yuxi asked, ¡°Dage, how sure are you on your guesses?¡±

    Han Jianming nced at Yuxi and answered, ¡°Ny-nine per cent. If this has nothing to do with the 9th Prince, he should be hiding behind the scenes and letting others deal with this matter. The fact that he is so eager to dispose of the Imperial Censor Duan means that he knows that once this matter leaks out, he will bepletely finished, with no possibility of freeing himself.¡± A country could not have a traitorous Crown Prince. Once this matter was revealed, even if the Emperor did not execute him, he would be ruined for life.

    PS (Author): ~~~~(>_<)~~~~ The truth is horrible.

 Chapter 176 - Yujingéˆ¥æªš Betrothal (1)

    Chapter 176 : Yujing¡¯s Betrothal (1)

    Before Han Jianming left, he looked at Yuxi and advised, ¡°Don¡¯t do this again. A few more of this, my Mother will be scared to death by you.¡±

    Yuxi listened rather sheepishly while feeling a twinge of guilt, ¡°I, I don¡¯t know how to tell Eldest Aunt. I¡¯m afraid that Eldest Aunt will believe it and I¡¯m also afraid that she won¡¯t.¡± If Qiu Shi believed it, she would only make a big deal out of it. After all, this matter was something unfounded, and it would not be good for Qiu Shi to stir big trouble over it. If Qiu Shi didn¡¯t believe it, it would only be a waste of time, so Yuxi simply didn¡¯t say anything to Qiu Shi.

    Han Jianming understood the meaning of Yuxi¡¯s words that he immediately said, ¡°If you have any problems in the future, juste to me directly. You ought to have confidence in me.¡±

    Yuxi nodded, ¡°Dage, there won¡¯t be the next time.¡± It looked like Dage could see that she was faking it. Cough, it seemed that her acting skills were still not good enough. It needed to be improved.[T/N]

    Seeing Yuxi¡¯s appearance, Han Jianming smiled and pointed out, ¡°If you were indeed so scared that you couldn¡¯t even sleep or eat, how could you still have the spirit to ponder about the Duan family¡¯s affairs.¡± In other words, it wasn¡¯t that Yuxi¡¯s acting skills were not good, but her performance just now had betrayed her somehow.[+]

    Yuxi blushed a little.

    Han Jianming did not me Yuxi for this. He knew that she had always been wary of his Grandmother and his San Shu. There were causes and consequences in this world. After all, the way his Grandmother and San Shu had treated Yuxi before, and there had been no changes in their treatments towards her even now, if Yuxi could still trust the two without any hard feelings, then she would have been purely a stupid person, ¡°You have been down for these few days. So you should go get some rest.¡± After saying that, he didn¡¯t let Yuxi see him off either. He just went back on his own.[T/N].

    Yuxi sat at the table, still thinking back on Han Jianming¡¯s words. She now believed what Han Jianming had said, that the 9th Prince had yed a part in the Tongcheng massacre that day. Just thinking about it made her feel cold all over. In order to achieve his own goals, he had put the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers andmon people at risk.

    Yuxiughed bitterly. In the eyes of the 9th Prince and the Song family, the generals and themon people were nothing more than mole cricket and ants. Who cared for the mere lives of mole cricket and ants, right? Yuxi muttered to herself, ¡°Fortunately, in hisst life, the 9th Prince was not the one who became the Emperor.¡± Otherwise, there would truly be chaos in the world. However, in this life, with Heshou Xianzhu as the variable, would the 9th Prince be able to escape that cmity by then, and thus ascend to the throne?

    With Heshou around, there were too many variables in the future. Just no matter how the future would change, Yuxi made up her mind not to get herself involve with them. She was just a little shrimp (fig. small fry). Once she entered those people¡¯s eyes, she wouldn¡¯t even know how she died. However, if Heshou came again to cause them physical suffering at that time, she could remind Yuchen secretly. Yuxi felt that it was no luck that Yuchen had be the ultimate winner in her previous life. Even if Heshou lived for another life, she still would not be able to beat Yuchen.

    With this in mind, Yuxi was not prepared to do much more. It was not for her to y with crafty plots and machinations that would kill people and even a whole lot of people.

    Only after Zisu saw Han Jianming leave did she enter the courtyard. When she walked into the study, she spotted Yuxi sitting in her chair, still deep in thought. She breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Miss didn¡¯t drill herself into the tip of the bull¡¯s horn, everything else was fine. She didn¡¯t disturb Yuxi and walked out gently. She asked the cook to prepare a sumptuous table of dishes, all of which Yuxi loved to eat.

    The fact that Yuxi had recovered from her illness was soon known to everyone in the residence. After receiving the news, Yuchen immediately rushed to Taoran House.

    When Yuxi saw Yuchen, she called out, ¡°San Jie, let¡¯s eat together!¡±

    Yuchen just came over to make sure that Yuxi was indeed had be well. ¡°I¡¯ve just eaten, take your time. After you finish eating, let¡¯s go out for a walk.¡± It was hard for Yuxi to untie the knot in her heart, so she should go out more and take a break.

    Yuxi had locked herself up in the house for the past few days since she had broken down, so she agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Yuchen turned her head and ordered Shiqin to bring over her flute to the garden. When Yuxi had finished her meal, she led Yuxi around the garden to look at the flowers.

    Yuxi looked at the very depressed garden and said, ¡°Thest time I went to the Jiang Residence, Old Madam Jiang¡¯s backyard was full of vegetables.¡± The backyard that was full of vegetables was much more vibrant than here.

    Yuchen couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°You can¡¯t even keep your herbs alive but now want to grow vegetables?¡± Even if the garden was bleak, it was not for growing vegetables, or else the residence would beughed at.

    Yuxi coughed with surprise by this sentence. ¡°San Jie, you are really scary.¡± She didn¡¯t expect Yuchen could tell jokes too.

    Yuchen and Yuxi talked about everything, but not about the Duan family. Yuchen was afraid that if she mentioned the Duan family again, it would cause Yuxi to feel sad once more and her old illness would recur.

    As they were talking, Shiqin brought Yuchen¡¯s flute over. She smiled as she asked, ¡°What song do you want to hear? I¡¯ll y it for you.¡±

    Yuxi was not picky, ¡°As long as it¡¯s cheerful and rxing, it¡¯s fine.¡± It didn¡¯t matter what the mood of the song was, as long as it was soothing to her ears.[+]

    Yuchen yed two particrly cheerful tunes.

    After hearing these, Yuxi swore, ¡°I must y the flute well from now on. When I am in a bad mood, I can just y the flute.¡±

    Yuchen smiled a little and suggested, ¡°Yuxi,e with me to see Grandmother! She has been worried because of your illness for these past few days.¡± The Old Lady was indeed a little worried. Although she did not like Yuxi, after so many years, eventually, she had developed a bit of affection towards Yuxi.

    On their way to the Main Courtyard, the two ran into Qiu Yanfu. Neither of them took a liking to Qiu Yanfu and they immediately left after greeting her.

    Qiu Yanfu¡¯s maid, Yanyu, said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Miss say that Fourth Miss was sick? In what way does Fourth Miss look even like a sick person?¡±

    Qiu Yanfu had no time to worry about Yuxi¡¯s affairs. She had been annoyed with her marriage recently. Her aunt had found another candidate for her, a sixth-ranked official who was in his thirties. His eldest son was fifteen years old this year. If she married such a man, what could she expect in the future? But her aunt was furious at her refusal. Her aunt even said she would no longer care for her because of this.

    Immediately upon seeing Qiu Yanfu¡¯s reaction like this, Yanyu did not dare to speak anymore.

    When Yuxi and Yuchen arrived at the Main Courtyard, the Old Lady looked at Yuxi, who was full of vitality, that she asked, ¡°You girl, what happened to Duan¡¯s family made you so scared?¡±

    Yuchen noticed that Yuxi did not look right. She was afraid that Yuxi would have second thoughts, so she hurriedly changed the subject, ¡°Grandmother, didn¡¯t you say that your legs hurt these past few days? Why don¡¯t you let Yuxi rub it for you?¡±

    When the Old Lady saw Yuxi stand up and ready to go forward, she shook her head and said, ¡°No, I might just as well let the maid help rub them. Your health has just gotten well. You should properly have a good rest at home for these few days.¡±

    Yuchen didn¡¯t quite agree with this as she said, ¡°Grandmother, yesterday, the Song family sent us an invitation to attend their banquet. Yuxi has been bored with being cooped up at home for the past few days, so it¡¯s right for her to go out for a walk.¡± Yuxi was sick at heart, not other illnesses, thus she should go out and walk more often.

    If they were to go to another family, Yuxi would still be interested, but she would rather not go to the Song family. When she thought of what the Song family had done, she was downright disgusted. ¡°I¡¯m not well enough yet. It would be bad if I passed my illness to someone else. So, it¡¯s better to wait until next time before I go out.¡±

    Hearing this, Yuchen nodded and said, ¡±Alright then! You shouldn¡¯t read these few days either. Just stay home and have a rest. If you¡¯re getting bored, juste over to find me.¡±

    Old Woman Luo said curiously, ¡°I don¡¯t know what Master Shizi said to the Fourth Miss that she was able to remove her heart disease at once.¡±

    The Old Lady shook her head, ¡°Even if I asked, I wouldn¡¯t be able to find anything.¡± Although Ming-er was brought up by her, she could no longer influence him as the child had grown up and had his own ideas.

    Old Woman Luo said, ¡°Then this old servant will go and ask around. Though I¡¯m not sure if I can find anything out.¡± In fact, it was Old Woman Luo herself who was a little curious and was eager to know how the Fourth Miss¡¯ heart ailment had been removed by Master Shizi.

    The Old Lady didn¡¯t stop Old Woman Luo from inquiring, ¡°You won¡¯t be able to find anything out even if you go ask.¡±

    Not only was Old Woman Luo, but even Momo Gui was also curious. She spoke with Yuchen, ¡°I also wonder how did Master Shizi untie the knot in Fourth Miss¡¯ heart?¡±

    Yuchen said, ¡°If Si Mei wanted to talk, she must have told me.¡± Obviously, Yuxi didn¡¯t intend to tell her. And Yuchen was also not the kind of person who wanted to get to the bottom of it.

    Momo Gui wondered, ¡°Fourth Miss¡¯ illness is very strange! That day when the bandits broke into the residence, she was able to fight them off with her maid, so how could that little matter of the Duan family frighten her?¡± She always felt that there was something else going on with Yuxi¡¯s illness.

    Yuchen thought Momo Gui was thinking too much, ¡°No matter what the reason is, Yuxi was sick. It¡¯s impossible to fake such things.¡±

    Momo Gui didn¡¯t think that Yuxi¡¯s illness was fake. She just thought it was odd. But when she saw that Yuchen didn¡¯t want her to talk about it, she had no choice but to keep her mouth shut.

    Yuchen looked at Momo Gui and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are treating Si Mei like a taboo. But I can assure you that Si Meimei won¡¯t harm me.¡± It was unlikely for Yuxi to harm her. Hence, if she was trying too hard to find out what Yuxi was doing, it would only hurt the sisterly feelings between them.

    Momo Gui said, ¡°Miss, it is too early to say that!¡± Who could say what would happen in the future! She had seen many precedents of sisters turning against each other in the pce, so she honestly believed that Yuchen¡¯s thought was too simple.

    Yuchen did not understand why Momo Gui treated Yuxi like a taboo, ¡°In the future, don¡¯t say anything bad about Yuxi in front of me. Even if Yuxi really does something against me in the future, that will be in the future. At least for now, she won¡¯t harm me.¡±

    Momo Gui didn¡¯t have any problem with Yuxi either. She just felt that Yuxi would be a threat to Yuchen in the future, and this feeling of hers was getting stronger over time. There was no reason for it, she just had this feeling. ¡°Since Miss doesn¡¯t want to hear it, then I won¡¯t say anything in the future.¡± As Yuchen had said, the current Yuxi would certainly not harm Yuchen. Even if it was because Yuxi didn¡¯t want to be med by the (Third) Lord or Wu Shi, it was still unlikely for Yuxi to harm her own Miss.

    Once Yuxi came out of the Main Courtyard, she did not go to the Master Courtyard, but went straight back to the Taoran House. She did not do anything else but catch up on her sleep. In these past few days, she hadn¡¯t eaten or slept well.

    At the time Qiu Shi came over, Yuxi had not yet woken up. When Qiu Shi heard Zisu say that Yuxi had gotten well, she put both her hands together and cried out ¡®Amitabha Buddha¡¯. Then she said, ¡°This child, her illness was so odd. The way it came and went was truly baffling.¡± She did ask her eldest son how he had unlocked Yuxi¡¯s heart, but he wouldn¡¯t say anything.

    Before Qiu Shi left, she told Zisu, ¡°When Yuxi wakes up, tell her, in a few days, I will take her to Lingshan Temple to offer incense.¡± She always felt that Yuxi¡¯s luck was a bit strange. First Yuxi was inexplicably haunted by that evil spirit Heshou Xianzhu, and then she ran into something like that when she went to the Duan family. Qiu Shi thought that it was time to go to the temple to worship the Buddha just to ease her mind.

    When Yuxi had been informed of it, she thought it was actually good for her to go to the temple to offer incense and pray for Xinrong.

    Unfortunately, Qiu Shi had to take Yujing to the Song family banquet, but she then became ill because of the trouble Yujing had made while they were there. As a result, her visit to the mountain temple to burn incense had to be cancelled.

 Chapter 177 - Yujings Betrothal (2)

    Chapter 177 : Yujing¡¯s Betrothal (2)

    Qiu Shi had brought Yujing to the Song family banquet as a guest to promote her. However, she did not expect that Yujing, who was originally in the backyard, had somehow managed to sneak into the front courtyard. Luckily, she fell into the pond and was saved by the Seventh Young Master Song. This incident was seen by many people at the time and it could be said that the Han family had lost all their face.

    When Yuxi found out about this, she said, ¡°It¡¯s silly to use such a self-defeating method.¡± It was true that Yujing had used this trick to find a good marriage, but using such an unorthodox method would not give her a good end even if she seeded in her n.

    Zisu, however, thought much further than Yuxi and at once let out an opinion on what she found worryingly, ¡°If Second Miss makes such a mess, it will implicate you too, Miss.¡± If Yujing acted like this, outsiders would definitely question the educational upbringing of the State Residence, and the rest of the young misses inside the residence would also be questioned.

    Yuxi took a set of aqua coloured clothes from the wardrobe and changed into them. Then she reacted to Zisu¡¯s worry, ¡°There is nothing I can do about being implicated. This matter is something that I can¡¯t solve.¡± This matter had to be resolved by the Old Lady. The only way to leave no loose ends was to settle the marriage between Yujing and Seventh Young Master Song.

    With these words, Yuxi went to the Master Courtyard.

    After what happened to Yujing, Qiu Shi didn¡¯t know how much ridicule she had received. She was so angry that she wished she could tear Yujing¡¯s heart apart as soon as they returned home even before the banquet was officially over.

    Yuxiforted her aunt, ¡°Eldest Aunt, don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s useless to be angry over something that has happened. What we should do now is to find a way to settle this.¡± The best solution was for the two families to settle the marriage between the two. Although the scenario was a disgrace, at least this solution can be used to cover it up.

    However, to Yuxi¡¯s surprise, the Fourth Madam Song had invited a matchmaker to the Han family the next day, saying that she wanted to take Yujing as her son¡¯s concubine.

    Yuxiughed in exasperation, ¡°Fourth Madam Song even dares to think like this.¡± The Fourth Master Song was a shuzi who didn¡¯t even hold any government official post. Thus the Fourth House of the Song family had to depend on the Main House to survive. Even if Yujing had behaved inappropriately, she was still a young miss of the State Residence. For Fourth Madam Song to even ask a matchmaker toe to their door and say that she wanted Yujing to be the Seventh Young Master¡¯s concubine was truly a brainless thing to do on the Song¡¯s side.

    Qiu Shi was currently so moody that she did not want to meet the matchmaker. Hence she left the task of receiving the matchmaker to Mama Li. Mama Li originally thought that the matchmaker hade to the house to talk about marriage, but she didn¡¯t expect the Song family¡¯s arrival to their residence was just to p them in the face. Mama Li asked with a sad face, ¡°The matchmaker is still in the main hall, Miss. What should we do now?¡± Mama Li did not dare to tell Qiu Shi about this, for fear that she would be so angry till she would vomit blood. So Mama Li came to find Yuxi to discuss the matter. This was also because Yuxi usually took care of the household management properly.

    Yuxi sneered, ¡°Beat this matchmaker out and then tell Grandmother about it. Let Grandmother sort it out.¡±.

    After thinking about it for a while, Yuxi went to Tingyun Pavilion to seek out Yuchen and inform her about it, ¡°San Jie, Fourth Madam Song is trying to push our Han family into a pit.¡± Not to mention the State Residence, even ordinary official families would not allow their daughters to be other family concubines. This was because, once their daughters were taken as concubines, their family would be lower in rank than others when they went out to socialise in the capital.

    Yuchen had followed Qiu Shi and the others to the Song family banquet, so she knew all that had happened there. But at that time, it was inappropriate for her to interfere in this matter, so she took the approach to just wait and see. But Yuchen didn¡¯t expect that the Fourth Madam Song woulde to make terms with them. ¡°Leave this matter to Grandmother and Dage to resolve!¡±.

    Yuxi asked while pretending to be worried, ¡°San Jie, what do you think will happen if Fourth Madam Song is unwilling to let Seventh Young Master Song marry Yujing?¡±.

    Yuchen had on an indifferent expression, ¡°It¡¯s not a hard thing to do. Just let her (Yujing) spend the rest of her life being a vegetarian and pray to Buddha to atone for her sins.¡± Yuchen was a person who always put her family reputation first. What Yujing had done hadpletely disgraced the entire Han family. Since she dared to do such a thing to damage the family, she had to be prepared to bear the consequences of being abandoned by the family.

    Yuxi nced at Yuchen. She used to think that Yuchen was a gentle and kind person. But now that she saw such a cold Yuchen, she realised, for Yuchen to be an Empress who was praised by everyone and at the same time, being favoured by the Emperor, how could she be a gentle and kind person? Rather than openly showed her shrewdness, Yuchen had it hidden very well.

    Yuchen didn¡¯t continue to talk about Yujing, since she didn¡¯t prefer to talk more about it, ¡°How is your flute ying? Have you been practising it these days?¡±.

    Yuxi smilingly answered, ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll y it for San Jie next time. Then you can point out the mistakes for me.¡±.

    Yuchen nodded her head and said, ¡°After learning the flute, you can learn how to y the guzheng too. In fact, the guzheng is not that difficult to learn.¡± Speaking of this, she remembered what happened back then and sighed, ¡°If you had learned guzheng with the teacher back then, you would have been able to y it very well by now.¡±.

    Yuxi smilingly responded, ¡°Just forget about the guzheng. I¡¯m already satisfied if I can learn the flute well.¡± ying the flute was just a way for her to rx and unwind. Thus, there was no need for her to learn the guzheng also.[+]

    When the Old Lady knew that the Fourth Madam Song had no intention of settling the marriage with the Han family, she told Mama Luo, ¡°Send Yujing to the family temple.¡± She originally had the same thought as Yuxi, thinking that it would be better if the two families settled the two¡¯s marriage as a cover-up for the matter, but she did not expect that the Fourth Madam Song would be so bold as to want Yujing to be a concubine for her son.

    Old Woman Luo was worried, ¡°This Second Miss¡¯ matter, will it also affect the Third Miss?¡±.

    Hearing these words, a stern look shed in the Old Lady¡¯s eyes, ¡°The older one was already a scourge, and the younger one is also a scourge. If I had known today, I would not have been softhearted and let her out in the first ce.¡± Both Song Guifei and Qinxin Gongzhu liked Yuchen. The 10th prince was also very fond of her. So if nothing went wrong, their marriage should be sanctioned next year. But with such a mess done by Yujing, things might have changed.

    Old Woman Luo pointed out, ¡°Old Lady, even if we send Second Miss to the family temple, the effect on the reputation of the State Residence will just be the same.¡± To be precise, it would have a great impact on the Third Miss and the Fourth Miss. After all, Eldest Miss had settled her future married much earlier and Fifth Miss was still young.

    The Old Lady sneered, ¡°The master of the Song family affair is not Chao Shi (Fourth Madam Song). What happened today was certainly Chao Shi¡¯s own idea.¡± Old Madam Song was not a muddle-headed one and she would not let the Song family be enemies with the Han family. The Song family already had many enemies, and there was no way they would want to add up one more.

    Old Woman Luo understood at that moment that the Song family would surely let Seventh Young Master Song marry the Second Miss, as now the Han family had put forth their stance on the matter.

    Yujing looked at the two big, burly old women servants who had barged into her room. They were holding ropes in their hands, so she immediately questioned, ¡°What are you doing?¡±.

    At this time, Old Woman Luo came in from the outside, saying, ¡°If Second Miss willing to obediently go out with this old servant, then this old servant won¡¯t have to be rough with Miss. If Miss resists, don¡¯t me this old servant for offending Miss.¡±.

    Yujing snapped, ¡°You dog ve, how dare you disrespect your superior?¡±.

    Old Woman Luo would no longer be polite to Yujing. She had the two big, burly old women servants tied Yujing up and gagged her with a handkerchief. She was then carried by one of the old women servants to the carriage outside, and she afterwards was sent to the family temple up on the hill. As for the maids around Yujing, several of her personal maids were sold out, and the second and third ss maids were all punished to varying degrees. However, all these things were done in private, hence the matter did note out in the open.

    Kufu said to Bingmei and a few other second ss maids, ¡°The many times Second Miss made mistakes over the years, that was how much the maids around her have been changed. It¡¯s miserable to be assigned to the Second Miss¡¯ side.¡± All the servants of the State Residence knew that Yujing was just like Wenshen, and those who followed her would 100% be implicated along. Those who had some connections would try their best not to be assigned to Yujing¡¯s side. Even if they were working as cleaning maids in the garden, they would not want to work in Yujing¡¯s courtyard. Therefore, those who ended up working for Yujing were either they had no other choice or those who had been bought from outside.

    Everyone agreed with these statements, ¡°It is good that we are assigned to Miss.¡±.

    Kufu repeatedly nodded her head, ¡°Yes! Miss never scolded us and she also gives us many rewards. When we reach the age of marriage, she will help us find someone to marry and give us a generous dowry. We are so lucky to be able to serve Miss.¡±.

    Zisu smiled as she watched the crowd around her, praising how good Miss was. This was good. Since everyone knew that Miss was good to those around her, the more they would do their best to serve her.

    Even though the Song family elders were still alive and well, neither of them had managed the family affairs that often. This time, even Wen Shi, the current family household manager, could do anything about the matter.

    When Old Lady Song heard what Chao Shi had done, she ordered in a cold voice, ¡°Go and call the Fourth Madam over.¡±.

    As soon as Chao Shi walked into the room, Old Lady Song scolded her head-on, ¡°How dare you ask a matchmaker to go to the Han family and said that Second Young Miss Han would be offered as Lil Seven¡¯s concubine? Are your head filled with tofu, huh?¡±.

    Chao Shi was dumbfounded by the scolding and said in a resigned voice, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know what happened yesterday? How can such a woman be allowed to marry Lil Seven?¡± Chao Shi was very afraid of Old Lady Song, her husband¡¯s dimu. It was really because Old Lady Song was too authoritative and fierce, and had overpowered her so much over the years that she did not dare to speak up.

    Old Lady Song snorted coldly and said, ¡°So many people saw what happened yesterday, so Lil Seven has to marry her. Unless you are trying to make the Song family have a feud with the Han family.¡±.

    Chao Shi didn¡¯t think much of the Han family. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have done something that pped the Han family on their face, ¡°If we end up being their enemy, so be it. Do we, the Song family, still need to be afraid of them¡­¡±.

    Without waiting for Chao Shi to finish her words, Old Madam Song grabbed the cup on the table next to her and threw it towards Chao Shi. The cup hit Chao Shi¡¯s forehead, making her dizzy and almost fainted.

    Old Madam Song rebuked, ¡°You¡¯re such a foolish thing.¡±.

    Chao Shi had been married to the Song family for so many years, and this was the first time she had seen the Old Lady so furious. Although her head hurt, she still knelt on the ground and begged, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t be angry. This daughter-inw won¡¯t dare to talk back again.¡±.

    Old Madam Song coldly said, ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know about the dirty things you do in private just because I¡¯m not involved with this household management. It¡¯s enough that you both can¡¯t help resolve Xi-er difficult situation and leave his worries behind, but you¡¯re still trying to hold him back while bringing trouble to our Song family.¡± Not only were Chao Shi and Fourth Master Song bing loan sharks outside, but they were also doing shady business with people that were detrimental to their morals. In short, the two couples dared to do anything as long as they were making money. It was a good coincidence that Old Madam Song found out about it two days ago.[+]

    If Yuxi was here, she would have said that if the upper beam was not straight, the lower beam would also be crooked. It was not umon for the rest of the Song family to do things that are detrimental to their virtue, since the head of the family could even collude with the enemy and betray the country.

    When First Madam Song Wen Shi saw this situation, she hurriedly said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t be angry. Anger will only hurt your body. Si Dimei is indeed at fault in this matter, but the Second Miss Han is not the only one hurt in this matter. It is only natural that Si Dimei does not want Lil Seven to marry her.¡±.

    Old Madam Song did not look kindly at the Fourth Madam, ¡°Tomorrow you will take the official matchmaker to the Han family to propose marriage in person. Also, stop all your shady businesses within two days. If I find out that you dare to go against thew, I will kick you out of the Song family.¡± When she was young, Old Madam Song was a violent person. However, over the years, she had cultivated herself and was able to restrain her temper. However, it was easier to change rivers and mountains but it was harder to change a person¡¯s nature, and when one lost one¡¯s temper, one¡¯s original identity would be fully revealed.

    How could Chao Shi dare to disagree, ¡°Yes, I will go and find a matchmaker now.¡±.

 Chapter 179 - Qiu Yanfu (1)

    <strong>Chapter 179 : Qiu Yanfu (1)</strong>

    When Yanxia entered the room, she saw Qiu Yanfu holding a hebao in her hand and was dazed. Yanxia walked over and asked, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong? Did you stab your hand?¡±

    Qiu Yanfu shook her head and asked in a low voice, ¡°No. Has the Second Miss been picked up yet?¡± She didn¡¯t expect Yujing to find such a good family in the end. The Song family, that was Song Guifei¡¯s maiden family. If the 9th Prince became the Emperor, the Song family would be the kinsman and rtives of the Emperor. Yujing, this time around, was lucky as usual. If Qiu Yanfu could marry into the Song family, she would wake upughing in her dreams.

    Yanxia shook her head as she answered, ¡°No. I heard that the Old Lady said that she would let Second Miss cultivate herself in the mountains and will only return a bitter.¡±

    Qiu Yanfumented, ¡°The Old Lady is angry, but she will definitely let Second Miss return before the end of the year.¡± She knew that the Old Lady was angry, but so what if she was angry again? She still had to marry Yujing to the Song family.

    Qiu Yanfu had hated more than once on why she was not a young miss of the State Residence. Even someone as stupid as Yujing could marry into the Song family, while she could only marry someone who was not up to her standard, or someone who was either in his 30s or 40s years old. Why was it like this?

    As she was depressed, she saw the old woman servant who served Wu Shie over, ¡°Miss Biao, my Lady is asking you toe over.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu put the hebao in her hand back into the embroidery basket, then took Yanxia with her to the Biteng Courtyard. This time, Wu Shi sought Qiu Yanfu regarding Qiu Yanfu¡¯s marriage. This time, Wu Shi had chosen the second di son of a Supervisor working under the Minister of Ceremonies Ministry.

    Wu Shi told Qiu Yanfu, ¡°Second Master Qiao is neen years old this year. His wife passed away at the beginning of the year, and he has no children with histe wife. I think these conditions are pretty good.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu inquired with some disbelief, ¡°How did Second Madam Qiao die?¡± When Qiu Yanfu heard that she had died of illness, she didn¡¯t think much more of it.

    Seeing that Qiu Yanfu was somewhat relieved, Wu Shi continued, ¡°Second Master Qiao became a jinshi three years ago and he is currently working as an upper seventh rank administrative clerk in the Ministry of Ceremonies.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu thinks this person was a good candidate. Even if she would be a jishi, there were no children left by thete wife before her, so this did not hinder her in any way.

    Wu Shi had been having headaches for a year because of Qiu Yanfu¡¯s marriage. Since Qiu Yanfu was not satisfied with all the candidates that she had chosen before, she could not force this matter on Qiu Yanfu. However, when she saw that Qiu Yanfu had a positive inclination to the current candidate, her heart felt relieved, ¡°The Supervisor of the Minister of Ceremonies Ministry is a colleague of your Uncle, and he has also seen this Second Master Qiao, whom he said was good in appearance and temperament, and was also a calm person. If you are okay with this person, I will agree to the Qiao family¡¯s marriage proposal.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu nodded as she responded, ¡°It¡¯s all up to Aunt.¡± There was definitely no problem with Uncle¡¯s vision. The most important thing was, the other party¡¯s conditions satisfied her. Because she trusted Han Jingyan, Qiu Yanfu did not even propose to look at the other party.[+]

    The two families quickly went through the procedures. After both families had passed the proposal and the wenming steps, the next thing to do was for the Qiao family to send the betrothal gifts to the Han family. After this procedure, the marriage had been thoroughly finalised. Of course, even without following this procedure, the marriage was also basically settled.

    THREE LETTERS & SIX ETIQUETTES IN CHINESE TRADITIONAL WEDDING

    Once this marriage was established, Wu Shi didn¡¯t hide it from others either and the news soon got out. Bingmei was quick to tell Yuxi about it.

    After hearing this, Yuxi wondered, ¡°Why would the Qiao family want a marriage with Qiu Yanfu when Second Master Qiao is in such a good position?¡± If one had to say, a marriage paid particr attention to how well-matched the families in terms of social status. If Qiu Yanfu was to be married to a juzi or a xiucai, Yuxi would not have been surprised. But Second Master Qiao was so well endowed that he could marry a shu daughter of the family that was well-matched with his family in social status. So why would he want to marry Qiu Yanfu?

    Bingmei said, ¡°I heard that this marriage was agreed between the Lord and Master Qiao. Perhaps, the Qiao family wants to tie the knot with the Han family through marriage!¡±

    Yuxi snickered, ¡°Qiu Yanfu is merely Wu Shi¡¯s niece, not a young miss of the Han family. What kind of marriage rtionship with the Han family is that?¡±

    Bingmei heard the dissatisfaction in Yuxi¡¯s words and lowered her head, not daring to speak any longer.

    Yuxi also felt that her tone was wrong just now and instructed, ¡°You should withdraw first!¡± Whether Qiu Yanfu married the Second Master Qiao or not, it had nothing to do with her.

    Bingmei asked cautiously, ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t I ask my brother to inquire about the Qiao family?¡± Looking at her Miss unhappy look, she guessed that Miss was angry about the Lord¡¯s partiality. It was iprehensible, to say the least, her own master was the Third Lord¡¯s own daughter, but the Third Lord was better to an outsider than to his own daughter.

    Yuxi shook her head, ¡°No need. It¡¯s not like it has anything to do with me whether the Qiao family is good or bad.¡± If the Qiao family was good, then it was Qiu Yanfu¡¯s luck. If the Qiao family had something to hide, then it was also Qiu Yanfu¡¯s bad luck. Either way, it had nothing to do with her.

    Apparently, Qiu Yanfu was not as lucky as Yujing. It was in the following setting, during the naji, that things went awry.

    Madam Qiao came to their door herself and said that the marriage was not going to work. Madam Qiao knew that her family was in the wrong that she kept apologising to Wu Shi.

    Wu Shi¡¯s face turned purple with anger, ¡°You were the ones who said you wanted to tie the knot that day, but what exactly do you mean by this now? If we don¡¯t make it clear today, we won¡¯t be able to settle this matter.¡± What kind of thing was it to withdraw from a marriage when it had been first agreed upon?

    Naturally, Madam Qiao could not tell Wu Shi the real reason and made a random excuse. Then she told a load of nice things to Wu Shi.

    Wu Shi was angry, but there was nothing she could do if the other side was unwilling to tie the knot. In the end, she returned the Second Master Qiao¡¯s gengtie and took back Qiu Yanfu¡¯s gengtie. Afterwards, she drove Madam Qiao away.

    Qiu Yanfu was happily starting to embroider her dowry when she heard the news and felt that the sky was spinning, while the earth went round. She ran to Biteng Courtyard and wailed at Wu Shi, ¡°Aunt, they¡¯re making a fuss over nothing. For the Qiao family to withdraw the marriage for no reason, where are they putting me?¡± If people wanted to cancel a marriage engagement, it was not good to immediately agree to it, for that would make people look down on them. But Qiu Yanfu just had to be clear on the reason for the cancetion. If of course, the Han family hadn¡¯t said yes, in the beginning, it would have been fine, but both families had already made their decision, and then the Qiao family came up with such a stunt.

    Qiu Yanfu had no feelings for Second Master Qiao. She couldn¡¯t have feelings for him when she had never even seen him yet. She just thought that Second Master Qiao¡¯s conditions and other aspects were good, so she agreed. Now that she had been humiliated by the Qiao family in this way, how could she just swallow this anger?

    The State Residence couldn¡¯t hide the matter, especially when Madam Qiao leaves the State Residence dejectedly. The discerning eyes could see that something was wrong.

    When Yuxi knew that the Qiao family had withdrawn from the marriage, she found it quite interesting. ¡°The Qiao family doesn¡¯t know which immortal they¡¯ve hooked up with, that they¡¯re tantly feuding with my Father.¡± It wasn¡¯t exactly a feud with the Han family, but the marriage had been arranged by Han Jingyan. However, since the Qiao family had withdrawn from the marriage, it was the same as stepping on Han Jingyan¡¯s face. This was tantamount to saying that the Qiao family had made enemies with their Third Han House.[+]

    Bingmei thought that Yuxi would be happy, but she didn¡¯t expect her Miss to do what she just had done, which was, didn¡¯t take the matter to her heart. But Bingmei was well-informed about it and told Yuxi what she had heard from home, ¡°Miss, after the Qiao family withdrew from Miss Biao¡¯s marriage, they settled for the Third Young Miss from the Minister of Personnel¡¯s family.¡±

    Yuxi had some knowledge of the situation of the most famous families in the capital. ¡°The Third Young Miss is favoured dearly by Minister Wang of the Ministry of Personnel!¡± To be exact, it was the concubine mother of the Third Young Miss who was very favoured by Minister Wang.

    Bingmei was a bit confused. ¡°Miss, as far as the Third Young Miss Wang is concerned, she can easily marry someone better than the Second Master Qiao. So why does she have to steal from Miss Biao?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°There must be something fishy here.¡± As for what had made the matter look fishy, Yuxi wouldn¡¯t take her time and money to check on it. She would just watch on the sidelines and wait for news toe out by itself.

    The next evening, Yuchen asked her maid to invite Yuxi to Tingyun Pavilion.

    When Yuxi arrived at Tingyun Courtyard, she noticed Yuchen¡¯s face looked so ugly that she asked, ¡°San Jie, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Yuchen exined, ¡°The Second Master Qiao had an affair with the Third Young Miss Wang. This affair had been discovered by Madam Wang, and she also got the evidence of it.¡± As for how Madam Wang had found out, there was no need for Yuchen to exin this. She had her own sources of information.

    Shiqin brought Yuxi a te of cherries.

    After Yuxi waved her hand to ask Shiqin to withdraw, she then said, ¡°I have never met the young misses of the Wang family, and I don¡¯t know much about their nature. Can San Jie tell me about them specifically?¡±

    Yuchen told Yuxi what she had inquired, ¡°The Third Young Miss Wang inherited her mother¡¯s beauty and heart, and Madam Wang has never personally taken advantage of the mother and daughter.¡± After a pause, she continued, ¡°Madam Wang is actually a jishi, not a zhengshi.¡±

    Yuxi was a bit puzzled and asked another question, ¡°I was wondering before, why the Qiao family would let Second Master Qiao marry Qiu Yanfu? It¡¯s not that I think lowly of Qiu Yanfu because of her condition. Even if she lived in our State Residence for the past two years, she¡¯s a merchant¡¯s daughter after all. She¡¯s not even qualified to be a jishi for Second Master Qiao.¡±

    Yuchen said, ¡°Second Master Qiao had a favoured maid. I heard that Second Madam Qiao had fallen sick of anger over this at the time, and then somehow she suddenly passed away. It¡¯s just that the Qiao family hid this matter so well that Father didn¡¯t get the news at that time.¡± The bad thing about this was the Qiao family¡¯s target for matchmaking was Qiu Yanfu. Han Jingyan, a real man, would certainly not have paid attention to the affairs of the inner courtyard. While Wu Shi rarely went out to socialise and was unaware of what was going on outside. As for the rest of the Han family, they all had the same attitude as Yuxi, which was feeling unconcerned about it and just let the matter rest.

    Yuxi looked at Yuchen in disbelief. There was a contradiction between the two statements! If he had a favoured maid, then how did he have an affair with the Third Young Miss Wang?

    Yuchen looked at Yuxi and exined, ¡°The maid favoured by Second Master Qiao has eyebrows very much like the Third Young Miss Wang.¡± [T/N]

    Hearing this, Yuxi asked, ¡°How did Madam Wang find out that Second Master Qiao was having an affair with the Third Young Miss Wang? Third Young Miss Wang is only sixteen this year!¡± Qiu Yanfu was also sixteen. Both were sixteen years old, but the difference in their age was not that big.

    Yuchen replied, ¡°Madam Wang has found evidence on the matter, and the Third Young Miss Wang¡¯s personal maid has also confessed.¡± This meant that there was human and material evidence regarding the affair between Third Young Miss Wang and Second master Qiao.

    Yuxi smiled a little, ¡°What does San Jie think?¡±

    Yuchen frowned as she said, ¡°The Qiao family is bullying people too much, but if this matter is publicized, then it will offend Master Wang.¡± The Minister of Justice was not someone Han Jingyan could afford to offend.

    Yuxiughed a little and said, ¡°San Jie should have noticed that something is wrong too, right? Young Miss Wang is only sixteen this year. She has both beauty and intelligence. Even if she is going to have an illicit affair with someone, it should be a young man from a family that was well-matched in terms of social status with her family or a royal son or children of nobility. How could she possibly see the Second Master Qiao.¡± If she hadn¡¯t guessed right, it would have been the Second Master Qiao had unrequited love for Third Young Miss Wang.

    Yuchen nodded and said, ¡°I have thought the same thing.¡± She also thought that it was a bit unbelievable that the Third Young Miss Wang was having an affair with the Second Master Qiao. After discussing it with Momo Gui, she felt that the matter must have been nted by Madam Wang and that Third Young Miss Wang had probably been framed.

 Chapter 180 - Qiu Yanfu (2)

    Chapter 180 : Qiu Yanfu (2)

    Yuchen asked for Yuxi to discuss a way to keep the Han family out of this matter but at the same time to be able to vent out their family grievances.

    Yuxi did not want to get involved in such a matter, ¡°San Jie, this is not something we can interfere with. Let¡¯s just leave it to Father and Mother.¡± She had made up her mind to just watch the fun on the sidelines and wasn¡¯t interested to give out any suggestions.[T/N]

    Yuchen looked at Yuxi who had an unconcerned look on her. With a frown on her pretty brow, she pointed out, ¡°Si Mei, you are also a part of the family. You can¡¯t be this indifferent when something like this happens to us.¡±

    Yuxi felt it odd that she said, ¡°San Jie, although Father didn¡¯t check first before agreeing to this marriage with the Qiao family, Qiu Yanfu is not a member of the Han family. Even when the marriage was eventually withdrawn, we will not be implicated. If Father feels embarrassed over this, he should just send Qiu Yanfu back to Hebei. As for the Qiao family, if Third Young Miss Wang really marries into the Qiao family, she will certainly be full of resentment. By then, the Qiao family will be like chickens flying and dogs jumping.¡± The meaning was that even without their help, when the time came, Third Young Miss Wang would be able to torment the people of the Qiao family to death.

    Yuchen shook his head as she said, ¡°You still don¡¯t know what kind of temper our Father has? After such an incident, Father will not send Qiu Yanfu back.¡± After suffering this humiliation, if he sent Qiu Yanfu back, wouldn¡¯t that cause people to see as him being somewhat shallow?

    Yuxi wished very much to spit out, how could she know what kind of temper Han Jingyan had? Ever since she was a child, the time she had spent with Han Jingyan had not exceeded twelve shichen even when she added with the time she had with him in her previous life. So how could Yuchen expect her to know about it? ¡°Then there is nothing else we can do.¡± Since their Father was unwilling to send Qiu Yanfu back, then he could continue to suffer mental suffering over it. Though it seemed like only Qiu Yanfu would suffer since she was the one who experienced the mishap and no one was willing to send her away.

    Yuchen was not very satisfied with Yuxi¡¯s answer, ¡°The Qiao family are bullying us so much. If we put up with it, anyone can step on us in the future.¡± She did not care about Qiu Yanfu¡¯s broken engagement. She did not like Qiu Yanfu either, but she did feel that the Qiao family was stepping on her father¡¯s face to the ground.

    Yuxi spread her hands with a helpless look, ¡°San Jie, you should trust Father and Mother to handle this matter well. Even if they can¡¯t, there¡¯s still Grandmother!¡±

    When Yuchen saw Yuxi reacting like this, she felt very ufortable. They were all part of the family. Once one became glorious, all would be glorious. If one was harmed, all would be harmed. Somehow, Yuxi had turned out with this indifferent attitude.

    How could Yuxi not see that Yuchen was displeased with her? At that moment she tactfully said, ¡°San Jie, I still have something to do, so I will go back first.¡±

    Yuchen didn¡¯t stop Yuxi. She had her maid sent Yuxi out, before she spoke with Momo Gui, ¡°Si Mei, she really stands by with folded arms.¡± She had asked Yuxi toe here because she thought that Yuxi had learned political tactics from Han Jianming. Thus, from this meeting, she wished she could discuss this matter properly with Yuxi. Momo Gui knew what Yuchen wanted to do but she did tell her that Yuxi wouldn¡¯t lend her hand and would prefer to stand by with folded arms.

    Momo Gui said, ¡°The Fourth Miss has been on guard against the Lord and the Old Lady. Moreover, this incident doesn¡¯t involve her. So how could she possiblye up with any idea?¡±

    Yuchen wondered, ¡°Even if Grandmother and Father were negligent towards her in the past, they have been remedying the situation over the years. Howe she still has so much resentment with the two of them?¡±

    Momo Gui thought it was because of Yuxi¡¯s temperament, ¡°From the fact that Fourth Miss has repeatedly confronted the Third Lady and Qiu Yanfu, we know that she is someone who can¡¯t take any loss and has no room for something irritating to her eyes. She must have always remembered what the Old Lady and the Lord had done to her.¡±

    Yuchen was in aplicated mood as she said, ¡°Even if Father did not act thoughtfully in the beginning, he is still our Father,pared to Eldest Aunt and Dage, who are just our rtives.¡± There was no such thing as parents who always did things right. Yuchen felt that even if their father had not treated Yuxi well at first, she should not have been so cold and unfilial to him. Now that Yuxi was acting like this, how could Father expect Yuxi to help her maiden family when she finally married out?

    Momo Gui wouldn¡¯t tell her any tales of Yuxi at this time either. It would be too clumsy. She only said, ¡°Everyone has different ideas.¡± Fourth Miss had observed and analysed the current situation and estimated the changes in it. In those days when Momo Gui first came here, Fourth Miss was a poor thing. But ever since Fourth Miss got the favour of First Lady and Master Shizi, her attitude has changed and at the same time, she became particrly powerful.

    Although Yuxi didn¡¯te up with any ideas to deal with the Qiao family, she would still pay some attention to this matter, ¡°Bingmei, did you find out anything in the past two days? Tell me about it. The more details the better.¡±

    Bingmei told her the general news, some of which ovepped with what Yuchen had said before, but there were also additions, such as the difference in age of two months between the Third and Fourth Young Misses Wang. The other difference was that the Third Young Miss was a shu, while the Fourth Young Miss was a di.[+]

    Yuxi thought for a moment and then she asked, ¡°Both of them are sixteen years old this year? Why aren¡¯t they engaged yet?¡± This was very strange!

    Bingmei shook her head and exined, ¡°The one who is not engaged yet is the Third Young Miss, but the Fourth Young Miss is already betrothed to Meng Yao, the di son of Grand Secretary Meng. It¡¯s just that since the Third Young Miss is not married yet, it¡¯s hard to say when the Fourth Young Miss¡¯ marriage will be.¡± If the Fourth Young Miss was married off before the Third Young Miss girl, their family would be criticised.

    When good fortune came, the mind worked well. Zisu, who was standing by the side, offered her opinion, ¡°Miss, do you think it could be because the Third Young Miss is getting in the way of the Fourth Young Miss, so Madam Wang used such a method?¡± She had listened to the discussion between Yuxi and Yuchen just now. Naturally, she knew that the so-called secret affair was a false charge.

    Yuxi shook her head, ¡°Even if you want to get the Third Young Miss out of the house early, you shouldn¡¯t go to such great lengths. I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s a hidden agenda here.¡±

    After a pause, recalling what Zisu said about getting in the way, Yuxi had a vague guess in her mind, ¡°What kind of person is Meng Yao?¡±

    Bingmei looked at Yuxi with a stunned expression as she asked, ¡°Miss has not even heard of Eldest Young Master Meng?¡± Her Miss often went out to socialise, so how could she not have heard of such a famous name such as Eldest Young Master Meng.

    Yuxi felt she was somewhat umon, ¡°Even if Eldest Young Master Meng is famous, I am still a woman in a boudoir. Who would talk about him in front of me for no good reason?¡± Who would talk about a young man in front of her unless they were particrly close? But Yuxi hadn¡¯t heard of this Eldest Young Master Meng from Zhou Shiya or the other girls.

    Bingmei blushed a little when she heard this.

    Hearing Bingmei¡¯s introduction to Eldest Young Master Meng, Yuxi¡¯s face was somewhat expressionless. ¡°What¡¯s with this man having a good family background, fine literary talents, good looks, good temper, and good rtionship with other people? Nine times out of ten these things are just bragging about himself. He may be just a filthy thing wrapped in human skin!¡± She had some suspicions that this Meng Yao was the one having an illicit affair with the Third Young Miss Wang. The reason for this was simple: the Third Young Miss Wang rarely went out. So she had very few opportunities to meet outside men. As well as, the Third Young Miss was both beautiful and intelligent. She belonged to the type of proud and arrogant people, thus she did not look at ordinary people. Suddenly this so-called young man with five good attributes caught her eye. Of course, there was a reason why Yuxi thought it would be like this. The reasonid with Madam Wang. Bingmei froze when she heard all this. She did not understand what Yuxi meant. What did her Miss mean by ¡®filthy things wrapped in human skin¡¯?

    Zisu was more attentive and she immediately asked after she instructed Bingmei to withdraw, ¡°Has Miss guessed something?¡±

    Yuxi nodded as sheid out her guess, ¡°Third Concubine Wang is particrly favoured, but Madam Wang, the continuing wife, still holds the inner courtyard and has raised several children of her own, which proves that Madam Wang is also an extremely skilful person. If she was a wise woman, she would not have failed to realise that she was killing a thousand enemies but damaging eight hundred of her own. But what could have made Madam Wang so angry that made her lose her sense?¡±

    Zisu was not stupid and she understood the matter at once, ¡°Does Miss mean that the Eldest Young Master Meng is the one who is having an affair with Third Young Miss Wang?¡±

    Yuxi nodded, ¡°There is a half probability.¡± In fact, this was a conservative estimate, but the truth should have been more than half probability.

    The matter of Qiu Yanfu¡¯s broken engagement did not affect the Han family too much. It was just a cousin who had been living in the Han family for over a year. Therefore, apart from ridiculing Qiu Yanfu, Qiu Shi didn¡¯t care about it at all. As for the Old Lady, she also kept quiet.

    Not three dayster, Kufu informed Yuxi, ¡°Miss, now rumours are going around outside saying that the Third Young Miss Wang family did not have an illicit affair with the Second Master Qiao, but rather the Second Master Qiao is like the toad that wants to eat swan meat.¡± The Third Young Miss Wang was a shu daughter, but she was still a young miss from a government minister residence. Although the Second Master Qiao was also a government official, he was going to marry for a second time, making him have a bad reputation outside. Hence he was not even like a toad that wanted to eat swan meat.

    Yuxi muttered to herself, ¡°This is a good method.¡± This method, which did not involve the Han family, but also made the Qiao family be enemies with Minister Wang. She just did not know whether this method was thought up by Yuchen or the Old Lady.[+]

    Kufu asked, ¡°Miss, do you think the Wang family will withdraw from the marriage?¡± The two families were also going through the wedding formal process, and it seemed like they hadn¡¯t reached the betrothed stage yet.

    Yuxi was also unclear, ¡°That will depend on Third Young Miss Wang¡¯s skills.¡±

    This matter was actually quite lively to follow. First, the Third Young Miss Wang family withdrew her marriage with the Second Master Qiao, and then the Fourth Young Miss Wang broke off her engagement with Eldest Young Master Meng. The people in the capital were all very smart, so when they heard that the two sisters had withdrawn from their marriage back to back, they were able to figure out what was going on. When the gossip was flying around, Madam Wang just took the Fourth Young Miss back home with her.

    When Kufu finished telling Yuxi the news, she stated, ¡°It¡¯s very inappropriate for Madam Wang to take the Fourth Young Miss Wang back to her old home at this time!¡±

    Yuxiughed, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? A lot of the Wang family children have gotten married and had children of their own, and Madam Wang¡¯s position is so strong that even if she returns to her hometown, her position will not be shaken. This time she will take her daughter back to her hometown so that she can lie low until something else blows over and also find a marriage for the Fourth Young Miss Wang there.¡± Knowing the situation of the Wang family, Yuxi had a favourable impression of Madam Wang. Although Madam Wang was a jishi and had her own two sons and a daughter, she was still very kind to the children left behind by the First Wife. She was genuinely kind and not the type of person who was nice on the surface but used dirty tricks behind the scenes. This was confirmed by the fact that the Eldest Young Master Wang and the Eldest Young Miss Wang respect Madam Wang like she was their birth mother.

    From the fact that Madam Wang had taken her daughter back home, Yuxi guessed that Madam Wang had made up her mind to withdraw from the Meng family before, but she didn¡¯t want to let Third Young Miss Wang off lightly, which was why this incident hade about.

    Zisu looked at Yuxi and said, ¡°Miss can even calcte.¡± Even before this news came out, her Miss had spected that the Third Young Miss Wang had an affair with the Eldest Young Master Meng which average people couldn¡¯t even think of.

    Yuxiughed a little, ¡°It¡¯s just a blind guess. I just don¡¯t know if Grandmother will let Father send Qiu Yanfu away after this incident.¡± Han Jingyan would not send Qiu Yanfu away, but the Old Lady might have this idea.

    Zisu knew that Yuxi particrly hated Qiu Yanfu. For Yuxi, this was probably what people called hated the house and its crow, ¡°Miss, we can ask the First Lady for help in this matter. If the First Lady mentions it to the Old Lady, she may agree.¡±

    Traditional Chinese Spinning Top / Tuoluo, ÍÓÂÝ

    Image Credit | Helen Dai ( Traditional Chinese Spinning Top Toys, June 9th, 2018)

    Yuxi rejected this proposal as she exined, ¡°My aunt has been busy just like a spinning top with Er Ge¡¯s¡¯s marriage recently. So how can I give her additional trouble at this juncture!¡± Although her Eldest Aunt was the mistress in charge, it was not good for her aunt to interfere in the matter regarding the Third House.

 Chapter 181 - Mass Illness

    <strong>Chapter 181 : Mass Illness</strong>

    The ground was covered with a thick white frost. From time to time, a few yellow leaves would float down from the tree, which gave the impression that winter had finally arrived.

    After her morning exercises, Yuxi would read her medical books in the study. The study was twice bigger than the one in the Rose Courtyard, and even now, in the eleventh lunar month, the light was still particrly good. She did not just sit in the study either but stood directly at the window.

    After breakfast, Yuxi took her maids to the Main Courtyard. Today was the first day of the month, a day to pay respects to the Old Lady and Wu Shi.

    When Yuxi arrived, Yuchen was already there. Yuxi walked up and gave a courtesy, ¡°Good day, Grandmother.¡±

    The Old Lady¡¯s attitude towards Yuxi was now much kinder than before. She waved her hand for Yuxi to sit down and inquired, ¡°The weather has cooled down recently, so have all the charcoals on your side been burnt?¡±

    Yuxi answered with a smile, ¡°The charcoal fire has already burned, and the floor dragon will burnter since it is not so cold now.¡± Charcoal had not been burnt in Yuxi¡¯s bedroom yet, only her study did.

    The jacket worn by the model is called a short close-fitting jacket or xiao ao.

    Image Credit | ÆìÅÛ¹«¹Ý (Éí¸ß²»×ã160µÄÅ®Éú£¬¶¬Ìì½¨Òé¡°ÖÐÊ½Ð¡°À+°ëÈ¹¡±£¬ÃÀµÃ¾ªÑÞÊ±¹â£¡, Dec 13)

    Now, Yuxi¡¯s body was already very good. If it was in herst life, she would have been burning up the floor dragon at this time, and if she went out without being wrapped in a thick overcoat like a dumpling, she would definitely catch a cold. At present, all she had to wear was a short close-fitting jacket and she would still be fine.

    The Old Lady never worried that there would be a shortage of things for Yuxi. In the past, Qiu Shi¡¯s stewardess would make sure Yuxi would not becking anything. Now, Yuxi herself will help Qiu Shi¡¯s with managing the household. Those old women servants and the stewardess mama would obey her and only give her the best. How would they dare to deduct anything from her? ¡°Your clothes are too thin. Wear two more when you go out, or you will easily catch a cold.¡±

    Yuxi smiled as a reply.

    When Yuxi and Yuchen came out of the courtyard, they went to the Biteng courtyard together. On the way, Yuchen asked, ¡°Si Mei, how is the progress of your flute learning?¡± After theirst conversation, the two of them had not spoken for several days. Eh, to be precise, they hadn¡¯t really gotten in touch with each other.

    Yuxi smilingly replied, ¡°I can already y several pieces, and Zisu says I¡¯m ying quite well now.¡± The maids did not know music theory, but it was still easy for them to tell if the sound was good or not. When Zisu and the few maids around her all said it sounded good, Yuxi would learn the next song.[+]

    Yuchen still wanted Yuxi to learn the guzheng.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I can¡¯t learn it, I don¡¯t have the time.¡± She didn¡¯t have enough time every day now. She had to stay up at night if she had to learn the guzheng.

    Yuchen frowned as she said, ¡°Yuxi, don¡¯t spend too much time on the history books when you are free.¡± History books and even military books could be read, but they were said to be light readings, instead of spending so much time studying them like Yuxi.

    Yuxi smiled and answered, ¡°I¡¯m not reading history books, I¡¯m reading medical books. Other times, I just embroider or learn cooking from the cook.¡±

    Yuchen couldn¡¯t say anything else at this point.

    When they arrived at the Biteng courtyard, the maids inside treated them with respect. Even Wu Shi¡¯s personal maids did not dare to treat them with disrespect.

    Wu Shi was lying in bed and began to cough when she saw the two of them. Old Woman Chen brought in a bowl of something dark from outside and handed it to Wu Shi.

    Yuxi was fine since she often worked with herbs and would asionally boil her own medicine. But Yuchen was frowning. It was clear that the smell of the medicine was making her ufortable.

    Wu Shi stopped coughing after she finished drinking it andid down again. She spoke to the two of them, ¡°The weather is turning cold, so you should also take care not to catch a cold.¡±

    Yuxi replied with a smile, ¡°Thank you for your concern Mother, but San Jie and I have always been in good health. We will not fall ill that easily.¡±

    After hearing this, Wu Shi started coughing once more, which made the people standing next to her feel ufortable.

    Old Woman Chen walked up and patted Wu Shi¡¯s back. Then she looked at Yuxi who didn¡¯t look even the least bit worried and let out a faint sigh. Her Lady was even sick, and the Fourth Miss hadn¡¯t even forgotten to jab at her. This was really too much. It was just that there was no ce for her to speak here either.

    One must not say too much, or one would suffer. In this case, Yuxi was a little sick that night because she had told Wu Shi that she would not get sick. The next morning she woke up to find herself with a fever, and not only that, but her body was also aching and weak. Her nose was stuffy and she had trouble breathing. Her voice was even hoarse when she spoke.

    Yuxi said, ¡°I will write out a prescription,ter have someone prepare and boil it. Everyone in the courtyard will drink a bowl, as a precaution.¡±

    Zisu didn¡¯t hesitate because Yuxi had fed them such a prescription before, so she had nothing to fear. Then she told the people to take the prescription to be prepared. Afterwards, she went to the kitchen and instructed, ¡°Once the medicine has been prepared, boil them. Make sure everyone in the yard drinks it.¡±

    After a while, a little maid came over and said a few words to Zisu. Zisu¡¯s face didn¡¯t look very good. She went into the room and informed Yuxi, ¡°I just got the news. Third Miss is also sick. Her symptoms are the same as Miss.¡±

    Yuxi let out her surprise, ¡°It¡¯s my fault for implicating San Jie into this.¡± At that time, she should not have dragged Yuchen in by saying that Yuchen couldn¡¯t easily get sick. Thinking of this, Yuxi felt a little guilty.

    Zisu said, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®implicating¡¯¡±? I think it¡¯s 100% because the Lady has passed on her sickness to you.¡± Yesterday, her Miss was fine, but she got sick after a trip to the Biteng courtyard. Nine times out of ten, her Miss had been infected by Wu Shi.

    A certain momo was also thinking the same thing as Zisu. When Momo Gui heard Yuxi was ill, she said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m afraid when Miss went to visit the Lady yesterday, she had passed her illness to both of you.¡± Momo Gui was also very clear with the condition of Yuxi¡¯s body, which was much better than Yuchen¡¯s. Even Yuxi had been infected, which showed the lethality of the disease.

    Yuchen thought that it was very possible. ¡°When will the physiciane?¡± If the physician came early, she would suffer less.

    Yuxi waited for a long time for the physician to arrive, so she couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Why is the physician so slow ining today?¡± Normally, the physician would arrive in less than a shichen. It was almost noon and the physician hadn¡¯te yet. If the physician didn¡¯te, she wanted to write her own prescription since she was getting very ufortable.

    Zisu said, ¡°The Imperial Physician has alreadye and is currently seeing the Third Miss at Tingyun Pavilion. He will be hereter.¡± Fearing that Yuxi was feeling ufortable in her heart, Zisu added, ¡°The Imperial Physician¡¯s medical skills are better than Physician Bai¡¯s, so we can wait a little longer.¡±

    Yuxi really didn¡¯t have the strength to spit out. Who said that the Imperial Physician¡¯s medical skills were necessarily better than those of the folk physicians? There were folk physicians who were more skilled than Imperial Physicians, but these people didn¡¯t like to be restricted, so they didn¡¯t want to go to the Imperial Medicine Academy.[+]

    By lunchtime, the physician had not yete. Yuxi could not bear it any longer that she ordered Bingmei, ¡°Go and see what is going on?¡±

    Bingmei soon returned and reported, ¡°After the Imperial Physician finished seeing the Third Miss, he was originally going toe over here. But Old Woman Chen went to Tingyun Pavilion to invite the Imperial Physician to Biteng Courtyard.¡±

    When Yuxi heard this, she didn¡¯t even know how to spit it out, ¡°How dare she grab the Imperial Physician from me? It¡¯s really¡­¡­¡± For Wu Shi to actually grab the Imperial Physician from her, she really wasn¡¯t afraid of losing her face.

    Zisu was a bit annoyed, ¡°The Third Lady already saw a physician yesterday and he also had prescribed medicine for her. Even if she wanted the Imperial Physician to see her, she should have waited until after he had checked up on Miss. What¡¯s up with that?¡±

    Yuxiughed lightly, ¡°Maybe Mother is so ufortable that she doesn¡¯t want to wait any longer. Well, I also feel very ufortable and don¡¯t want to wait either. I will say the prescription out loud and you will write it down.¡±

    Zisu looked at Yuxi in horror and argued, ¡°Miss, this is absolutely impossible.¡±

    No matter what Yuxi said, Zisu was still unwilling, and Yuxi herself was too weak to move her hands, so she could only wait for the physician toe.

    It was not until the end of wushi that the Imperial Physician eventually came over. As soon as he walked into the Taoran House, the Imperial Physician could smell some medicine and question with an unpleasant expression on his face, ¡°If you have already hired a physician, why do you want me toe here again?¡±

    Bingmei, who was leading the way, answered while feeling puzzled, ¡°Imperial Physician Zhang, our Miss has all along been waiting for you. She hasn¡¯t requested another physician!¡±

    Hearing this, Imperial Physician Zhang looked even more wrong as he asked, ¡°If no other physician has been invited, why is there the smell of medicine in the courtyard?¡±

    Bingmei smiled when she heard this, ¡°This medicine is for us to drink. It¡¯s to prevent us from getting infected too.¡± After she said this, Bingmei hurriedly exined some more, ¡°This prescription was prescribed by my Miss. She used to learn about medicine from a momo. So today, as soon as she fell ill, she had someone prepared the medicine and boiled it for us to drink.¡±

    Imperial Physician Zhang¡¯s look was getting even worse. How could one drink this medicine casually? ¡°You people let her fool around. What if someone died after drinking it?¡±

    Bingmei replied with a smile, ¡°We did ask the physician at the herbal medicine shop and the physician there said the prescription was fine before we prepared it.¡± Zisu was also afraid that there was something wrong with the prescription prescribed by Yuxi that she would ask the physician to look at it first before preparing it in case something went wrong.

    It was only then that Imperial Physician Zhang did not speak anymore. When he entered the room, he looked at Yuxi¡¯s delicate face as sheid on the bed, his heart became heavy again. If not for what Bingmei had said back then, he would have lectured Yuxi.

    Yuxi looked at the Imperial Physician¡¯s stern face. She next looked bafflingly at Zisu and Bingmei. Seeing Bingmei shake her head towards her with a bitter face, Yuxi also had the sense not to say much.

    As Imperial Doctor Zhang got up, he looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°After reading a few medical books, you think you already know the art of medicine, so you can write prescriptions randomly? Do you know that this can get people killed?¡±

    Now Yuxi knew why Imperial Physician Zhang had shown a straight face at her as if she owed him a debt. She did not argue with him, as this would leave a very bad impression. She just weakly said, ¡°This prescription was left behind by my Momo and it has been used before. If the Imperial Physician feels that it is not good, then Imperial Physician, please have a look at it.¡± Chinese medicine had this advantage, even if it didn¡¯t cure a disease, it wouldn¡¯t kill anyone just by eating it. Of course, if poisonous herbs had been used then that would be a different story.

    After reading the prescription, he looked at Yuxi with someplicated eyes. He put down the prescription, nodded gently and said, ¡°There is no problem with this prescription.¡± After saying that, he walked out and wrote the prescription for Yuxi outside.

    What Yuxi didn¡¯t expect was that her Eldest Aunt had also fallen sick, with the same illness as Yuxi¡¯s. Yuxi said depressingly, ¡°I told my Eldest Aunt not toe near me, but she still got infected by it.¡± The good thing was that this was just an ordinary fever and would be cured with a few medicines. Like her now, she felt much lighter after taking the medicine and would be cured in a few days, so she was not worried.

    If it was in modern times, everyone would know that this condition was influenza. Yuxi did not know that it was influenza, but she had instructed all old women servants and maids at Taoran House to drink a bowl of medicinal soup every morning and evening. Of course, the effect was remarkable, as all the other courtyards had people who were sick at one time or another, but everyone in Taoran House was fine except for Yuxi.

    Ps (Author): I remember back in August when I was so happy saying how good it was that I hadn¡¯t had a cold for a year. As a result, I got a cold the next day. o(¨s¡õ¨t)o

 Chapter 182 - Wicked Trick (1)

    <strong>Chapter 182 : Wicked Trick (1)</strong>

    Sickness came like andslide but went slowly like spinning silk. This did not quite apply to Yuxi though. After taking a patch of medicine, she did three rounds of wuqinxi the next morning which made her sweat all over and feel rxed. When she did another three rounds of wuqinxi in the evening, the illness was almost over and she did not drink the rest of the medicine. But Yuchen and Qiu Shi were not well yet. Both of them were still lying limply, resting in bed!

    When Qiu Shi was ill, the household duties were left to Ye Shi, who was just out of her birth confinement. People mostly spent a month in birth confinement, while Ye Shi had to spend two months. However, the effect was remarkable. Once she was out of her confinement, she looked more energetic than before.

    Bingmei served Yuxi a bowl of lean pork congee with American ginseng and dendrobium.

    After Yuxi finished eating, she stood up and went out. She didn¡¯t go out of the house but took a walk inside her study instead. The cold wind blowing in through the doorway makes it unbearable to walk outside without a coat to cover one with.

    Kufu came into the study with a small basket and added charcoal to the copper basin, saying, ¡°Miss, we are almost out of charcoals, and the charcoal room hasn¡¯t delivered new ones to us yet.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t think much of it and instructed, ¡°If the people over there haven¡¯t delivered anything yet, then have someone go and rush them. Would they dare to skimp my things?¡± It wasn¡¯t Yuxi being too confident of herself, but who out of the old women servants in the residence had the guts to withhold her things. As for Ye Shi, it was even more unlikely for her to do so.

    Kufu nced at Yuxi and said after a moment of hesitation, ¡°Miss, Da Nainai has already changed three stewardess mama in the past two days. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s because of this confusion, it has caused the charcoal delivery to be dyed.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t ask much about the affairs of the residence for the past two days because she didn¡¯t feel the need to do so. ¡°What did all the stewardess mama do wrong?¡±

    Kufu answered, ¡°It¡¯s not really a grave mistake. They only drank some wine at night to warm their body. Miss also knows how cold it is at night, so it should not be a problem for them to have some wine.¡±

    Yuxi gave Kufu a sidelong nce and said, ¡°Not only did they drink some wine, but they also gambled, didn¡¯t they? How much money did those mama stuff onto you toe to my side to beg for leniency?¡± If they had only been drinking wine to warm themselves up, Ye Shi would not have ordered for their disposal.

    When Kufu looked at Yuxi¡¯s cold expression, her heart trembled. She knelt on the ground and begged for mercy, ¡°Miss, this handmaiden would never have the guts to do so.¡±

    Yuxi coldly warned, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, remember your duty. If there is another time like this, I won¡¯t keep you here anymore.¡± Kufu put so much weight on her selfish motives, but she was still her personal maid. So Kufu could not be expelled if she had not done anything wrong. But if she repeatedly did something like this, Yuxi would never dare to keep such a person beside her.[+]

    Kufu¡¯s legs went soft.

    When Zisu noticed Kufu¡¯s reaction, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Kufu shook her head and replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She did not dare to say that her older sister-inw had received benefits from a few mama and she wanted her to beg her Miss to intercede with Da Nainai. She knew her weight. She originally wanted to mention it politely, but she didn¡¯t think that before she said anything, Miss seemed to be able to read her mind and saw right through her intentions.

    Naturally, Yuxi could not read minds, but rather, Bingmei had long ago told her what had happened in the residence. Yuxi had asked for Bingmei from Qiu Shi that day in order to share the power with Kufu.

    Zisu also frowned at Yuxi¡¯s words just now, ¡°Miss, Kufu is fifteen years old this year. Isn¡¯t it time to release her?¡±

    Yuxi replied, ¡°Wait until next year. For the time being, train up Caidie. That girl is good.¡± She had watched Caidie with unbiased eyes. That girl had acted in a measured manner. She had never acted proud or impatient.

    Zisu nodded and responded, ¡°I will. By the way Miss, I heard that someone from the Qiu family in Hebei ising over here, though I don¡¯t know what it is about?¡±

    When Yuxi heard that it was not Qiu Yanfu¡¯s parents who would being, but Qiu Yanfu¡¯s siblings instead, she didn¡¯t even want to care about it.

    The next day was the fifteenth day, the day to pay daily respects to Wu Shi. After breakfast, Yuxi went to Tingun Pavilion and went with Yuchen to Biteng Courtyard.

    On the way, Yuxi smilingly inquired, ¡°San Jie, I heard that a member of the Qiu family ising over, but I don¡¯t know what this person will be doing here. Do you think this persones to pick Qiu Yanfu up?¡±

    Yuchen swept a nce at Yuxi and said, ¡°How did you be dumb after being cured of your illness?¡± The Qiu family had allowed Qiu Yanfu toe to the capital because they wanted her to marry high, so how could they possibly take her away.

    Yuxi smiled a little, ¡°Qiu Yanfu will be seventeen years old next year. If she isn¡¯t getting betrothed soon, it will be even harder for her to get married.¡±

    After hearing this, Yuchen asked, ¡°Once the year turns over, Si Mei will be thirteen years old. What are your ns for the future?¡± Yuchen¡¯s words were subtle. Her meaning was to ask what Yuxi wanted from her future husband¡¯s family.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t feel embarrassed either and smiled at Yuchen¡¯s words, ¡°I wish the other person is a hardworking one from a family with good family values and for me to get along well with my future mother-inw.¡±

    Yuchen found Yuxi¡¯s requirements were easier said than done. ¡°You should go out more and meet more people from now on. Don¡¯t stay locked up in the study all day long.¡± Yuxi should go out more so that moredies and grandmothers would know her, and her husband selection pool would be wider.

    Yuxi responded crisply, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go out more in the future.¡±

    Soon, the two of them walked through the entrance of the Biteng Courtyard. At this time, a man happened toe along with Mama Chen.

    Yuxi looked at the other man and saw that his face was four or five times simr to Qiu Yanfu. She knew that this man was Qiu Yanfu¡¯s elder brother, Qiu Lirong. However, this man was twice the size of Qiu Yanfu. [T/N]

    When Qiu Lirong saw Yuchen, he was so dumbfounded that he couldn¡¯t even walk. He just stood still, not daring to blink. My God, there is such beauty in the world. Even the lead prostitute of Piaoxiang House was not even worthy enough to carry the shoes of the beauty in front of him! If Yuchen knew that she was beingpared to a prostitute, she would have flipped out on the spot.

    Yuchen¡¯splexion was unusually ugly. Many people would have stared in awe when they first met her. However, this was the first time they had looked at her in such a lustful manner.

    Yuxi tugged at Yuchen and urged, ¡°San Jie, let¡¯s go in!¡±

    Seeing the beauty walk away, Qiu Lilong unexpectedly followed after her. Feeling bad, Mama Chen lowered her voice and blocked him, ¡°Young Master Biao, please wait before you go in!¡± Despite Fourth Miss being the one who usually kicked up a row, Mama Chen felt that the worst person to deal with was Yuchen. It was just that Yuchen highly treasured her reputation. Otherwise, she would have joined Fourth Miss in dealing with her own Lady and Mama Chen afraid that her Lady¡¯s would have been gone by now.

    Qiu Lirong couldn¡¯t even hear Mama Chen¡¯s words as he was unable to control himself from following Yuchen.

    After Yuchen had finished giving her greeting to Wu Shi, she felt scorching attention towards her. Before she could turn around, she heard a voice that sounded like a duck quacking, ¡°This is Yuchen Biaomei, isn¡¯t it?¡± Qiu Lirong had heard of Yuchen¡¯s reputation for being a beauty but he had never expected her to be so stunningly beautiful.

    Qiu Lirong inquired as he walked towards Yuchen. Shiqin and the others¡¯ reactions were quite slow, mainly because no one thought there would be such a bold person there.

    Influenced by her regr practice of wuqinxi, Yuxi had be very much sharp. She turned around and saw Qiu Lirong walking towards them while looking at Yuchen with a particrly lecherous look. Yuxi stood in front of Yuchen, as she asked, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    Yuchen also turned around and saw the way Qiu Lilong looked at her as if he wanted to swallow her in one bite. Ayer of frost seemed to form on her face. Yuchen turned towards Wu Shi and said, ¡°Mother, I have things to do in my courtyard, so I will have to go back first.¡± She didn¡¯t want to stay here for a second longer.

    When Wu Shi heard this, her face turned a little ugly. However, looking at Yuchen¡¯s appearance, she also knew that if she dared to stop her, she was afraid that Yuchen would just simply leave, and then she would lose even more face, ¡°Alright, you girls go back first!¡± Despite how Yuchen would usually be respectful towards her, Wu Shi knew in her heart that Yuchen didn¡¯t look up to her either.

    After Yuchen and Yuxi had left, Wu Shi¡¯s face sank as she looked at Qiu Lilong and reprimanded, ¡°Have you never seen a woman in your life?¡±

    Qiu Lirong didn¡¯t know that he was being scolded since his mind had been filled with the beauty¡¯s figure only.

    Yuxi looked at Yuchen¡¯s gloomy look andforted, ¡°San Jie, don¡¯t be angry. If we had known that we woulde across such a disgusting creature, we wouldn¡¯t have gone over today.¡± As far as Yuchen¡¯s looks were concerned, any man would not be able to look away when he saw her. It was just that Qiu Lilong was so unrestrained that he looked at Yuchen as if he could just strip her of her clothes right there and then. For Yuchen, who had always been proud and arrogant, would be so nauseated with this act that she would be unable to eat for the whole day.[+]

    Yuchen did not say anything. Her face was still looking as ugly as ever. It was obvious this incident had made her furious.

    Back at Taoran House, Yuxi instructed Bingmei, ¡°Find a way to reveal what happened today to the maids around Grandmother.¡± The maids around the Old Lady probably had known, but the Old Lady probably not.

    This incidentpletely annoyed the Old Lady. She then called Wu Shi over and said, ¡°Miss Fu has been with us for two years, so it is not appropriate for her to stay here any longer. It¡¯s just as well that her brother is here, so let her go back with him!¡±

    Wu Shi was dumbfounded.

    The Old Lady was not that unreasonable as she continued, ¡°It¡¯s not a good time to travel in the eleventh lunar month, so let them all go back when spring starts next year!¡± If it weren¡¯t a matter of their face, she would have thrown these people out, so they wouldn¡¯t ruin the family principles of their State Residence.

    Wu Shi, herself, wanted to insist on keeping Qiu Yanfu here, but she couldn¡¯t bear to be disliked by the Old Lady, so she said, ¡°Because of what happened to the Qiao family, the Lord promised to find a good family for Yanfu.¡±

    The Old Lady coldly said, ¡°I will speak to Yan-er about this.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for Qiu Yanfu, there was no need for them to offend the Qiao family. Although the Han family did not fear the Qiao family, it was naturally better to have one less enemy if they could.

    This matter was not a secret, and soon it spread out. Now, not only Qiu Yanfu was being despised, even Wu Shi was looked down on by the servants of the residence.

    After Yuxi found out about this, she just stayed silent, which made Zisu puzzled. Zisu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Miss, the Old Lady reprimanded Wu Shi and tried to get rid of Qiu Yanfu. This is a good thing, but why does Miss look a little unhappy?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not unhappy. Just thinking about things.¡± There was no such thing happening in herst life. Because of her, a lot of things had changed.

 Chapter 183 - Wicked Trick (2)

    <strong>Chapter 183 : Wicked Trick (2)</strong>

    Ever since Qiu Lilong had seen Yuchen, he could never forget her, and he even dreamed of her. But he could no longer enter the inner courtyard. Since the Old Lady had scolded her, Wu Shi would not dare to let him into the inner courtyard. So, Qiu Lilong could not enter the inner courtyard even if he wanted to see Wu Shi and Qiu Yanfu. For this reason, Qiu Lilong was so anxious that he could not sneak into the backyard in the middle of the night. However, since the night of the Pce Rebellion, the security of the State Residence had be much tighter than before, so the chance for him to sneak in was zero.

    Yuxi knew that Qiu Lilong had been inquiring about all kinds of news about Yuchen in the residence, and he even tried to pry into Yuchen¡¯s whereabouts that Yuxi couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°What a lustful mind.¡± Not to mention that Yuchen was someone the 10th Prince liked; even if there was no 10th Prince, she was not some goods Qiu Lilong could easily covet.

    Zisu said, ¡°Miss, I heard that this Qiu Lilong is here to do business. Such a person also want to do business in the capital?¡± For such a lustful person, he wouldn¡¯t even know if he was extremely cheated.

    Yuxi remembered Yuchen¡¯s anger at that time, and her mouth shed a smile. Yuchen was much better informed than she was; thus, Yuchen should have known what Qiu Lilong had done. Being so disgusted by him, Yuchen should not be able to remain indifferent. These years have been too smooth for Yuchen that she had never made a move on anyone. Eh, the rumours about the Qiao family should be counted as once. This time, Yuchen would definitely make her move too.

    What happened to the Qiao familyst time showed Yuxi that once Yuchen made her move, then it would be one that wouldn¡¯t leave even a way out for the target person. Yuxi was very much looking forward to what would happen to Qiu Lilong. When the time came, Wu Shi¡¯s face must have looked very good.

    It was the end of the eleventh lunar month, and the weather was getting even colder, so floor dragon had been burned in Yuxi¡¯s bedroom and the study. The temperature difference between inside and outside was so great that she would shiver every time she stepped outside.

    Returning from the Master Courtyard, Yuxi stamped her feet and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s so cold today. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to snow.¡± The weather would drop a lot before it snowed.

    Zisu didn¡¯t understand it either: ¡°Since Miss feels this cold, Miss should not go out again.¡± Qiu Shi had already recovered from her illness, and with Ye Shi¡¯s help in taking care of her, there was no need for Yuxi to help out any more.

    Yuxi nodded for a moment, then she called Bingmei over and asked, ¡°Has Qiu Lilong made any move?¡± Qiu Lilong had befriended the eldest young master of the Wang family, an imperial merchant family, half a month ago, and they were currently very thick with each other.

    Bingmei shook her head and answered, ¡°Not yet.¡±

    Yuxi nodded a little, ¡°Let me know if you have any news.¡± She just wondered how deep the hole that Yuchen had dug for Qiu Lilong. Unknowingly, it would take a long time before she knew about it.[+]

    Just then, Caidie came in and reported, ¡°Miss, the winter clothes have been delivered.¡± The so-called winter clothes were new clothes for New Year, which Qiu Shi had made extra for Yuxi.

    Yuxi looked at the dress and smiled. The material was the finest tribute satin, and the flowers were very well embroidered. It was clear that a lot of effort and thought had gone into the clothes, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. This dress will be worn on Er Ge¡¯s wedding day.¡±

    Bingmei suggested, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s better to wear it during the New Year! Otherwise, it won¡¯t be good if you wear it and steal the limelight from Er Shaonainai.¡±

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t help smiling, ¡°I heard that your mouth is sweet before, but today I know that it is indeed true.¡± That was a beautifulpliment. But Yuxi¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t be changed by just one person.

    That evening, Yuxi read a book in the room when she heard Zisuughing outside and calling her out, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s snowing. It¡¯s really snowing.¡± Her Miss had a miracle foresight that she could even know that it would be snowing today.

    Hearing this, Yuxi put down her book and walked out. The snow was small, so small that no trace could be found when it fell on the ground. Looking at the snowkes that were not very visible in the sky, she muttered, ¡°It¡¯s only pretty when there is a big heavy snowfall.¡± The big heavy snowfall was gorgeous.

    Image Credit | ÉÂÎ÷ÐÂ¶«·½Åëâ¿Ñ§Ð£ (Î÷°²ÖÕÓÚÏÂÑ©ÁË£¬»¹ÊÇ¶ìÃ«´óÑ©£¬ÄÇÐ©ÄãÏë´ò¿¨¹ÛÑ©µÄÊ¥µØ¶¼ÔÚÕâÀï, Dec 27th, 2018)

    Kufu was more realistic as she suggested, ¡°Miss, do you want to add a pot of charcoal to your room at night?¡± A pot of charcoal was ced in Yuxi¡¯s study, but there was none in her bedroom.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°No need. The room has floor dragons, so there is no need to put burning charcoal in. If you feel cold in your room, you can add a pot there.¡± There was floor dragons in her room and a thick quilt on the bed, so there was no need to burn any charcoal. But the maids¡¯ room did not have floor dragons, only a hot kang. So it would be warmer if there was a pot of charcoal in their room.

    After that, Yuxi remembered something Momo Quan told her, and she mentioned it to Kufu, ¡°When you add burning charcoal to your room, make sure you leave some gaps in the windows at night.¡± Momo Quan told her that when all the doors and windows were closed too tight, and too many coals were lit in the room, it could make people ufortable, and in a serious case, it could make people unconscious. Momo Quan didn¡¯t know that it was called carbon monoxide poisoning. She knew this from her personal experience.

    Zisu said, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s sote already. So stop reading and go to bed!¡± Other people¡¯s Miss all went to bed early, but her Miss, on the other hand, did not go to bed until the end of haishi.

    When Yuxi looked that the time was near, she no longer went to her study but instead went to the west wing. One of the two rooms in the west wing had been dedicated for her to practice wuqinxi.

    After a full set of wuqinxi, she had a rest for a bit before she took a bath and then she went to bed, where she slept until dawn.

    Han Jianye¡¯s wedding date was set on the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, and now the State Residence was busy preparing for Han Jianye¡¯s wedding. Even though it was snowing today, the servants in residence were stilling and going. Compared to them, Yuxi¡¯s day was particrly rxing, and she had the pleasure of going to the garden to watch the snow.

    When she arrived at the garden, she met Yuchen, collecting snow from the plum blossoms. Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°On such a cold day, San Jie is not afraid of freezing her hands.¡±

    Yuchen shook her head and responded, ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. Once I return, I¡¯ll just put some medicine on them.¡±

    The two of them chatted while collecting snow water. When the snow water hadpletely been collected, Yuchen offered an invite, ¡°When you have time,e to Tingyun Pavilion.¡± It had been a long time since she had chatted with Yuxi.

    Yuxi smiled and nodded in response, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve heard the sound of San Jie¡¯s flute. I miss it. I¡¯ll go there tomorrow.¡±

    Pelt Outercoat

    Image Credit | PCLADY via KKnews (¹Å´úµÄ°®ÂíÊË£¬Ô­À´ÕâÃ´¹ó, Feb 9th, 2018)

    When Yuxi returned from Tingyun Court in a good mood the next day, she noticed that Zisu¡¯s expression did not look quite right. She took off her heavy long-haired pelt outercoat and passed them to Kufu, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Zisu said, ¡°Miss, let¡¯s talk in the study!¡± There were too many people around, and some things were not easy for her to say.

    Walking into the study, Yuxi stood in the middle of the room and asked, ¡°What is it, exactly? Now you can speak.¡± Looking at Zisu¡¯s face, the matter was obviously not good.

    Zi Su said, ¡°Xiao Tong sent me word that Qiu Yanfu¡¯s personal maid, Yanyu, is in frequent contact with Ah Zhao, Second Master¡¯s attendant.¡± Ah Zhao¡¯s mother was from Hangzhou, and so was Yanyu, so the two of them were half fellow-townsmen and had been in contact for the past two years. But before that, the two would only meet once in three or five months, but ording to Xiao Tong, they had already met several times in the past few days.[+]

    Yuxi had a hunch that there was something wrong on Qiu Lilong¡¯s side, but Bingmei didn¡¯t get any news about him. Well, to put it bluntly, her strength was too weak even to pry out a message, ¡°You let Xiao Tong pay close attention to the behaviour of Qiu Yanfu and Yanyu, and don¡¯t interfere with the rest.¡± Yuxi was ready to use a quiet approach.

    Zisu remembered the previous rumours and said, ¡°Miss, perhaps Qiu Yanfu is truly going to scheme on the Second Master. The Second Master is about to get married, so there can¡¯t be any wicked tricks happening.¡±

    Yuxi looked down and pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Just have someone keep a close eye on Qiu Yanfu.¡± After saying this, Yuxi felt that something was wrong, ¡°The rules in residence have always been stringent, so how did Yanyu and Ah Zhao meet each other so often?¡± Ah Zhao lived in the front courtyard, but Yanyu lived in the inner courtyard; hence it was surprising that they could see each other so often, which showed how loose the residence security was.

    Zisu wasn¡¯t quite sure and said, ¡°The First Lady has been busy with the Second Master¡¯s marriage, and the house¡¯s internal affairs are all handled by Da Nainai. It¡¯s not like Da Nainai hasn¡¯t managed the household before, so by rights, there shouldn¡¯t be such an oversight.¡± If it was the first time she had handled so many household chores, it was normal for oversights to ur, but this situation didn¡¯t look right.

    When Yuxi heard this, there was a sh of cold light in her eyes, and her face looked ugly as she said, ¡°Ye Shi. This is intentional.¡±

    Zisu cried out, ¡°Da Nainai did it on purpose? Why would she do that? It¡¯s not like there¡¯s any benefit to Da Nainai for Qiu Yanfu to scheme on the Second Master.¡± There was no benefit for her; on the contrary, this matter would only make the First Lady dislike her if it was exposed.

    Yuxi sighed slightly and exined, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Miss Lu used to be Second Master Ye¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Dasao is doing this to make Miss Lu feel disgusted.¡± Yuxi had known for a long time that Ye Shi was the kind of person with a strong personality. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have gone toe to toe with her Eldest Aunt in herst life and ended up causing the entire Han family to be in turmoil. The matter of Lu Xiu must have been like a fishbone that had stuck in her throat. This time, when Qiu Yanfu wants to set up a scheme against her Er Ge, she lent a hand by pushing the wave and adding to the billows from behind the scenes. By that time, even if it was found out that she wasn¡¯t directly involved with the matter, the most that could be said was that she was a bitx in managing the household.

    Hearing this, Zisu urged, ¡°Miss, we must hurry and tell the First Lady about this. If we are toote, we might let Qiu Yanfu get her hands on him!¡±

    Yuxi was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Let me think about it.¡±

    Zisu said anxiously, ¡°Miss, what else do you need to think about? You can¡¯t let Qiu Yanfu calcte the Second Master. He is about to get married. If anything happens before that, the wedding won¡¯t look good by then.¡±

    Yuxi looked at the extremely worried Zisu with some surprise and inquired and wondered, ¡°Why are you so anxious? I just need time to think about it, and I didn¡¯t say that I don¡¯t care about it.¡±

    Zisu¡¯s heart jumped, but she kept herposure on the surface, ¡°Second Master has always loved Miss like her own sister. Now someone is trying to set up the Second Master. Miss can¡¯t just stand by and watch.¡±

    Although Yuxi was a little surprised at Zisu¡¯s attitude, she didn¡¯t think much of it and just said, ¡°Just because Er Ge loves me as if I were his blood sister, I have to be even more cautious.¡± She had to imagine how to solve this matter in the best way possible.

    After talking with Zisu, Yuxi went into the study and picked up the book ?Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War and the 36 Stratagems? to read over. When she was tired of reading, she leaned back in her chair and looked up at the wooden beams on the roof. Only after a long time did she let out a long breath.

 Chapter 184 - Wicked Trick (3)

    <strong>Chapter 184 : Wicked Trick (3)</strong>

    Outside, the cold wind was blowing. No floor dragon was being burned in the Shuixiang courtyard. Only a pot of charcoal had been burned inside the bedroom. The charcoal was not even the most refined, but second-rate charcoal with smoke.

    Yanxia looked at Qiu Yanfu, who continued to embroider the handkerchief even though her eyes were smoky with tears, and she advised her in a low voice, ¡°Miss, stop embroidering. It¡¯s only going to hurt your eyes.¡±

    Tears fell from Qiu Yanfu¡¯s eyes as she said, ¡°Even if I were blind, who would care?¡± She felt that she had suffered a great deal.

    Yanxia whispered, ¡°Miss, maybe things are not as bad as we think. Your Eldest Aunt won¡¯t let you be someone else¡¯s concubine.¡± Recently, Qiu Yanfu had asked Yanyu to have frequent contact with Ah Zhao because Qiu Lilong wanted to give her to the Eldest Young Master Wang as his concubine. Of course, only she and her personal maids knew about this, for the time being, no one else, not even Wu Shi.

    Qiu Yanfu shook her head and said, ¡°Dage is now obsessed. He thinks by following the young master of the Wang family will make him earn a lot of money, and thus he wants to befriend him. Even Aunt and Uncle can¡¯t stop him.¡± After all, her aunt and uncle were only outsiders. If her Dage insisted on giving her to the said young master, her aunt and uncle would eventuallypromise.

    Yanxia had been in the State Residence for so long and knew some of the rules, so she said at once, ¡°Miss, you go and tell Eldest Master that if Miss bes a concubine, the Han family will lose its face.¡± Miss had lived in the State Residence for so long. If Miss went to the Wang family as a concubine, the Han family would be very humiliated. At that time, the Han would indeed sever their rtionship with the Qiu family.

    Qiu Yanfu wiped her tears and said, ¡°I did tell him, but he was dazzled by the riches in the capital and was lured out of his senses by the young master of the Wang family, thinking that he could make a lot of money by following him. I tried hard to persuade him, but no amount of persuasion worked, and I don¡¯t even know why Father asked Dage toe.¡± If Father hade himself, Dage would not have caused such a mess.

    Yanxia hesitated, then said, ¡°Miss, the Wangs are imperial merchants. I heard that there are millions of money in that family. People in this capital all have their eyes on the top of their heads; how can he suddenly give Eldest Master a special treatment?¡± She felt something strange about it.

    Qiu Yanfu was also shocked by Yanxia¡¯s words, ¡°You suspect that this Eldest Young Master Wang is a fake?¡± After saying that, Qiu Yanfu shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s impossible. Dage brought Eldest Young Master Wang into the State Residence. If he was an impostor, there is no way that the people of the State Residence would not know about it.¡± The State Residence had been in the capital for over two hundred years. Even though it was not the same now as before, many people in the capital still recognise them.

    Yanxia was still not at ease, ¡°Miss, let¡¯s check it out!¡± Liars were everywhere. If Eldest Master were cheated, it would also implicate her own Miss.

    Qiu Yanfu was also rmed by Yanxia¡¯s words. After thinking about it, she thought it would be better to tell Wu Shi. It would be more convenient for Wu Shi to investigate this Eldest Young Master Wang.

    Even if Wu Shi was not happy with Qiu Lilong, she did not want to see him being cheated. Immediately, she had someone check out this Eldest Young Master Wang¡¯s background. As it turned out, Qiu Yanfu and Yanxia were overthinking things. Eldest Young Master Wang was also a famous person in the capital. When he went out, a lot of people would recognise him. There was no way one could impersonate him.

    When Qiu Yanfu returned, Wu Shi pressed her temples and muttered, ¡°If I had known there would be so much trouble, I would not have brought her here that day.¡± From the beginning of this month, Yuchen had not yete to pay her respects. Yuchen¡¯s reason for noting was simple: she was afraid of running into something dirty again.

    When Wu Shi heard what Yuchen¡¯s maid said, her face turned blue with anger. She didn¡¯t dare to get angry at Yuchen and could only treat Yuxi, who hade alone to pay her respects with a not very good-looking expression. It was a pity that Yuxi didn¡¯t take her seriously at all, as she immediately went back after greeted Wu Shi.

    Remembering what had happened at the gate that day, Old Woman Chen said to Wu Shi, ¡°Didn¡¯t the Old Lady send word that she would let them go back when springes? My Lady, please bear with it. It will only take three months before they finally leave.¡± Miss Biao was still good since she was in the inner courtyard. The most that they could do was make some effort to find her a household to marry. But this Young Master Biao was bing more and more unlikeable. That day, he looked like a lecherous reincarnation of a lecher. He didn¡¯t even look at his own status. The Third Miss was not something he could easily defile.[+]

    Yuxi asked someone to check on Qiu Lilong, but they couldn¡¯t find out anything. So she just left the matter alone. She went to the storehouse, picked out a few things and asked Caidie to send them to the Lian family.

    Caidie originally wanted to return after putting down the annual gift, but Mama Fang stopped her. Mama Fang stated, ¡°My husband said that if you came over, he asked you to wait for him to return. He has a message for you to bring to Miss.¡±

    Caidie gathered herposure and asked, ¡°Mama, what is it?¡± The atmosphere at the Taoran House was strange these days, and she had felt it for a long time. It was just that she had remembered her mother¡¯s words, should not ask what she should not ask, should pretend not to know what she should not know and should forget all the secrets she had heard. These were the only way for her to be safe and secure.

    Mama Fang shook her head and responded, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I only know it¡¯s about Miss Xinrong. You¡¯ll know when my husband returns.¡± Lian Shan didn¡¯t tell Mama Fang in detail about this matter, only that it was rted to Duan Xinrong, and he didn¡¯t tell her anything more specific. Mama Fang was not one to ask questions, so she did not ask even when Lian Shan did not say anything. As long as he wasn¡¯t hiding a woman or something, it didn¡¯t matter if she didn¡¯t know anything else.

    Caidie came to Lian¡¯s house so often that she was already very familiar with it. After Mama Fang had sent a message to Lian Shan, she dragged Caidie to the kitchen and made cloud cake with her. As they worked, she chatted with Caidie until Lian Shan returned.

    CLOUD CAKE

    Lian Shan asked Mama Fang to go to the front door and guard it so that no one would enter the house, and then said something to Caidie. He didn¡¯t care how unsightly Caidie¡¯s reaction was towards what he just said, while he continued, ¡°Tell the Fourth Miss that this is not a simple matter, so she should be careful.¡±

    Caidie went back with a pale face.

    When Caidie had left, Mama Fang was also a bit nervous as she grabbed Lian Shan¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°Husband, what¡¯s going on? What happened to the Duan girl that made Caidie scared like that when she heard it?¡±

    Lian Shan avoided saying the important one and dwelled on the trivial, ¡°Miss Duan has escaped, and her whereabouts are unknown. Because the Fourth Miss paid for the bribe in the first ce, I am worried that they will trace it back to Miss, so I have to give her a warning.¡± Seeing Mama Fang turned pale, he said with a smile, ¡°This matter has nothing to do with Miss. Even if it is traced to her, with preparation, she will not be afraid, so you do not need to worry.¡± Lian Shan knew that Mama Fang was timid, so he was reluctant to tell her about this matter.

    Mama Fang said with great anxiety, ¡°Is it true Miss will not be implicated?¡± If she had known that something like this would happen, she should have stopped it that day and not let her husband go and help out.

    Lian Shan smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s true. You should set your mind at ease!¡± The Fourth Miss Han would surely be fine. He was worried that something would happen to him instead. Lian Shan had purposely told Yuxi about this matter because he hoped that when this implicated him, Yuxi would protect him.

    Seeing Lian Shan speak with such certainty, Mama Fang put her heart down. At that moment, she changed the subject by asking, ¡°Husband, what do you think of that child, Caidie?¡±

    Lian Shan nodded his head and said, ¡°That child is very good. What¡¯s wrong?¡± With what he had just said, that little girl only went pale, but she was still rtively calm.

    Mama Fang exined, ¡°That child has a good temperament, and I like her very much. What do you think about giving her to Dng?¡± It would give her peace of mind to have a daughter-inw who knew her roots. Mama Fang was not as absent-minded as Yuxi thought. After doing business outside these years, her mind had be much more flexible that she could even think far ahead.

    Lian Shan said with a smile, ¡°It would be a blessing for Dng if he could marry this girl. But I wonder if Fourth Miss and the girl will agree to it?¡± It was no use for the Fourth Miss to agree, but the girl had to agree to it herself.

    Mother Fang said confidently, ¡°There will be no problem on Miss¡¯s side. I will work on Caidie¡¯s side. If she is also interested, we will settle this marriage and married them off in a few years when Caidie is old enough. However, I still have to ask for Dng¡¯s opinion.¡±

    Lian Shan smilingly said, ¡°That girl looks like a capable one, and she is also good looking, so my son will certainly like her.¡± If the other party agreed, it couldn¡¯t be better.

    Caidie¡¯s psychological mind was pretty good as she adjusted herself on her way back. When she got off the carriage, she carried a small basket back to the Taoran House as usual, and on the way, she greeted a few old women servants she knew well so that no one could see anything different with her.[+]

    When Zisu saw Caidie return, she asked, ¡°How is Mama Fang¡¯s health? Is she well?¡± If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Yuxi had ulterior motives when asking Caidie to go to Lian¡¯s house, she would have wanted to go and see Mama Fang herself. Because she had this in mind, Zisu did not ask much about Caidie¡¯ste return.

    Caidie said with a smile, ¡°Mama Fang is quite well. She even asked me to bring Miss¡¯s favourite cloud cake! Zisu Jiejie, is Miss in her study? I¡¯ll bring it in for her.¡±

    Zisu shook her head with a smile and said, ¡°No, Miss has gone to Tingyun Pavilion and has not returned yet! Take the cloud cake to the kitchen to warm it up, or it will get cold.¡± There was a charcoal fire underneath the food box, but that day had been so cold that it wasn¡¯t even warm anymore.

    Caidie went off in response.

    Zisu nced at Caidie, who had been under her guidance for several years. She had been focusing on Caidie during this time, so she knew her well. Although this girl was calm on the surface, Zisu could be sure that she had something on her mind. But Caidie didn¡¯t say anything of her own ord, so she didn¡¯t ask anyone to call Yuxi back.

    Yuxi had her evening meal at Tingyun Pavilion before returning. When she entered the house, she began to rub her hands, ¡°It¡¯s too cold.¡± It was even cold enough to leave the house, and she didn¡¯t know how hard it had been for the people working in residence. She wondered why they had to pick the twelfth lunar month to get married? The tenth lunar month would have been a good time where the temperature was not too cold and not too hot. It would have been better for everyone. If they set it at the end of the twelfth lunar month, everyone would suffer, and if it snowed, it would be like killing people.

    Zisu came over and whispered to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, Caidie doesn¡¯t look right. She knows you¡¯re going to Tingyun Pavilion, and yet, she keeps on looking at the door. This girl is quite capable of hiding things. I asked her politely several times, but she didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Zisu didn¡¯t take any offence, though. On the contrary, she felt relieved. Even though she was Miss¡¯s trusted maid, Caidie¡¯s real master was Miss, not her. She was satisfied that Caidie had such a sense of propriety.

    Yuxi frowned for a moment, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with the Lian family?¡± It couldn¡¯t be that something had happened to Mama Fang. Thinking of this, Yuxi immediately asked Zisu to go and call Caidie to her study.

 Chapter 185 - Wicked Trick (4)

    <strong>Chapter 185 : Wicked Trick (4)</strong>

    The charcoal in the study was always burning and would not go out just because Yuxi was not there. So, as soon as Yuxi walked into the study, a burst of heat came over her.

    Yuxi removed the silvery coloured long pelt outercoat she was wearing to a side chair and sat down on a stool behind the desk.

    When Zisu saw Caidieing in, she smiled towards her and went out.

    After waiting for Zisu to leave, Caidie walked over and closed the door behind her. She then turned around and walked over to speak to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, Patrol Guard Lian told me today that Miss Duan Xinrong had been rescued.¡±

    Yuxi stood up from her stool. Her words trembled a little as she asked, ¡°What did you say? Xinrong have been rescued? By whom.¡±

    ¡°The yamen officials who were escorting her were all killed. Patrol Guard Lian said that the matter was veryplicated. Miss had to be careful, as these people would probably be harmful to Miss.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s right hand was resting on a white paper as she was firmly pressing down her hand on it. She didn¡¯t expect Xinrong to be saved. That was to say, this had confirmed her suspicion. Otherwise, no one would have risked their lives to save Xinrong. It was only after a long time that Yuxi asked, ¡°What else did Patrol Guard Lian say?¡± [T/N]

    Caidie shook her head and said, ¡°The Imperial Court has already sent people to hunt down Miss Duan, nothing else.¡± Her Miss had been kind for a moment, but she hadn¡¯t expected that it would lead to disaster.

    Yuxi lowered her eyes. She didn¡¯t regret spending money to bribe the yamen officials at that time. It was just that she should have handled this matter properly. While Caidie didn¡¯t understand, Yuxi understood what Patrol Guard Lian was saying. If someone wanted to trace the issue, they would trace it back to Patrol Guard Lian. After all, he was the one who had made the arrangements that day. But when the time came, as long as she admitted that she was the one who had asked Patrol Guard Lian to do it, he would not face any problem.

    Yuxi looked outside. It was not toote. After thinking for a while, she had to find Han Jianming for his help, ¡°Is Dage inside the residence?¡±

    Zisu nodded and said, ¡°Master Shizi returned at sunset.¡±

    Yuxi nodded for a moment, then went to the front courtyard to look for Han Jianming. Although Han Jianming lived in the front yard, Yuxi¡¯s courtyard was not far from Han Jianming¡¯s.

    Han Jianming was in his study, discussing with Mr Zhao. He was a little surprised to hear Yuxi hade over, ¡°What is it?¡± It was not long ago did he permit her toe to his study. So this time, she must havee for something.

    Yuxi told him the matter regarding Duan Xinrong. ¡°Dage, do you know about this?¡±

    Han Jianming nodded, ¡°I knew about it a little over half a month ago.¡± His news was much more well-informed than that of Lian Shan, but at that time, he felt that it was unnecessary to tell Yuxi about it.

    Yuxi looked at Han Jianming with some frustration. It was too much to keep such a big thing from her. Well, she had no position to use Han Jianming, by the way. ¡°Dage, I had asked for the help of Patrol Guard Lian, the husband of my former stewardess mama, to take care of bribing the yamen officials. Now that they have been killed, do you think this will implicate both Patrol Guard Lian and me?¡±

    Han Jianming stood up, put his hands behind his back and crossed them, ¡°Scared?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and stated, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I just don¡¯t want Patrol Guard Lian to be implicated because of me. I only asked for his help to bribe and nothing else. I¡¯ve heard that when the yamenes across something like this, and they can¡¯t find the culprit, they will just find a scapegoat. I¡¯m worried that they¡¯ll make Patrol Guard Lian and me the scapegoat.¡±

    Han Jianmingughed a little, ¡°Making you a scapegoat? Why don¡¯t you just say that those people are trying to use the State Residence as a scapegoat?¡± The other party had killed six yamen officials and prevented the government from tracing them, so there must be a considerable force behind them. Thus, Yuxi was not qualified to be a scapegoat.

    Yuxi was a little anxious. ¡°Will it also involve the State Residence?

    Han Jianming watched as Yuxi became truly anxious and shook his head, ¡°No, I have already taken care of it. This matter will not involve you, nor will it involve the patrol guard. However, this matter is veryplicated. A month or so before the murder of the Imperial Censor Duan, a child from their residence had died of illness. The yamen went to dig up the grave after Duan Xinrong escaped, and there was no child body inside it. This child was presumed to have died by fraud, and someone has hidden him.¡±

    Yuxi knew Duan Xinrong well, so she naturally knew the news of the Duan family. ¡°That child was the infant son of the Second Master Duan¡¯s family, who fell ill with a fever at the end of the seventh lunar month and lost his life in the early eighth lunar month. Xinrong was still very sad at that time. Perhaps, Imperial Censor Duan knew that the Duan family would suffer a disaster, so he made preparations to hide the child in advance, leaving a lineage for his family?¡± Other people were not good at taking deaths, but children are too young and always in poor health. In many cases, they would die young because of it. So it was not conspicuous that the Duan family¡¯s child would fall ill and die young.

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi and said, ¡°If your guess is true, it is understandable that Imperial Censor Duan did this.¡± The 9th Prince now had the support of the Song family and Minister Yu. As long as they got a little wind of it, it was easy to kill Imperial Censor Duan.[+]

    Yuxi had mixed feelings and a hard time epting them. Was it wrong to say what Imperial Censor Duan did was wrong? He was doing it for the greater good, for the sake of the world and the people. But was it correct to say that Imperial Censor Duan had done the right thing? Because of his actions, he had ruined the Duan family, and Xinrong was nowhere to be found.

    Unaware of Yuxi¡¯s entanglement, Han Jianming added, ¡°The truth is that you had already fallen into a certain person¡¯s eyes when you offered money for Lian Shan to bribe the yamen officials. It is also because of the certainty that you are not involved with the Duan family that you are safe and sound these days. Otherwise¡­¡­¡± He did not continue his sentence. He believed Yuxi could understand it herself.

    Yuxi shivered. Who else could this certain person be other than the 9th Prince? ¡°Dage, I won¡¯t pry into the Duan family¡¯s affairs anymore. In the future, I will also act with caution.¡±

    After talking about Duan Xinrong, Han Jianming talked to Yuxi about Qiu Lilong. ¡°What have you been poking around Qiu Lilong fortely? Are you nning to use him against Wu Shi?¡± Yuxi did not have any interest in dealing with Qiu Lilong, so Han Jianming thought Yuxi wanted to use Qiu Lilong against the Wu Shi.

    Yuxi was not surprised that Han Jianming knew what she was doing. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to deal with Wu Shi. I am worried that this person will bring trouble to the residence. ¡±

    Han Jianming said with a wry smile, ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± He couldn¡¯t believe this statement wasing from Yuxi. It was true that Yuxi had feelings for the Main House, but she didn¡¯t have any feelings for the people in the Third House. Well, that wasn¡¯t entirely true; Yuxi and Yuchen were still on good terms.

    Yuxi calmly replied without a blush on her face, ¡°Yes. I have heard that this man has been getting very close to Eldest Young Master Wang recently. Eldest Young Master Wang is an Imperial merchant and has business all over the north and south of the country. So how could this man possibly look up to Qiu Lilong? I¡¯m afraid that Qiu Lilong will be calcted up by him, thus affecting the State Residence.¡±

    Han Jianming smiled and stated, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That Eldest Young Master Wang won¡¯t harm the State Residence.¡±

    Yuxi looked puzzled, ¡°Why?¡±

    Han Jianming let out augh, ¡°It¡¯s simple. The Wang family is under the 9th Prince.¡± The 9th Prince and the 10th Prince had a deep brotherly love. With the 10th Prince around, Eldest Young Master Wang would not dare to do anything that would harm the State Residence.

    Yuxi instantly understood, ¡°So, Eldest Young Master Wang is so enthusiastic about Qiu Lilong because he is under the order of the 10th Prince?¡± After saying that, Yuxi muttered, ¡°Killing a chicken with a ughtering knife. Just for one Qiu Lilong, he has to trouble the Wang family. This is giving too much face for Qiu Lilong.¡±

    Han Jianming couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°This matter is not as simple as satiating your starvation for a little revenge. But I heard that Qiu Lilong wanted to give his sister to Eldest Young Master Wang as a concubine.¡± There was so much involved in this that he couldn¡¯t say for a moment. In addition, this matter had nothing to do with the State Residence. Hence, Han Jianming did not want to spend this time exining it to Yuxi.

    Yuxi suddenly realised, the reason Qiu Yanfu had asked Yanyu to make frequent contact with Ah Zhao in the past few days turned out to be like this. ¡°Dage, Qiu Yanfu is living in our residence. If she went to be a concubine, at that time, will it also implicate San Jie and me?¡±

    Han Jianming smiled, ¡°Well if there is a person that will be implicated, it will only implicate Yurong, not you and Yuchen. The 10th Prince has a genuine interest in Yuchen and will not let her reputation be tarnished.¡± The Qiu family has taken many wrong turns with the State Residence. If she were to be a concubine, they would simply announce that they were breaking off the rtionship, so there was no need to bother stopping her. However, Yurong was Qiu Yanfu¡¯s direct biaomei. She would be significantly affected if Qiu Yanfu became a concubine.

    Yuxi said with an envious look on her face, ¡°Well, I truly envy San Jie! There is such a person to protect her.¡± Yuchen was someone who was favoured by the heavens. She had been born well, gifted, and outstanding in appearance. Everyone doted on her, and now she was adored by the 10th Prince. Apart from the fact that her mother died early, she lived so happy that her happiness could even make others jealous.

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t see any envy from Yuxi¡¯s eyes, ¡°You will be thirteen next year. What sort of person are you nning to find?¡±

    Yuxi answered, ¡°Good family background, the mother-inw is easy to get along with, hard-working, not greedy and lustful.¡± After a pause, Yuxi added, ¡°If I could be like San Jie, where the other party could like me, it would be great.¡±

    Han Jianming couldn¡¯t help but cough when he heard thest sentence. This girl was without any reserve and so broad-minded that most people couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should go back.¡± Seeing that Yuxi was not moving, he helplessly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will help you look around.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t look shy as she responded crisply, ¡°Thank you, Dage. Dage, if there is any news about Xinrong, you must tell me!¡±

    Han Jianming nodded his head a little.

    When it was time for Yuxi to go back, it was already very dark. Han Jianming asked the two maids in the study to carrynterns for Yuxi and send her back to the backyard.[+]

    A hand warmer

    Yuxi¡¯s one had flowers gilded from silver. The size usually varies. Sometimes as small as this one, or much bigger than this one.

    Image Credit | Çà³ÁÆì½¢µê via Taobao

    As soon as Yuxi entered Taoran House, Zisu handed her an enamel coloured hand warmer with thousands of silver gilded flower patterns, ¡°Warm your hands, Miss!¡±

    When one went out in this cold weather, the part of one¡¯s body that could easily get cold would be the face and hands. Even if one hid them in a thick pocket, they would still be cold, ¡°Next time I go out, I¡¯ll take a hand warmer with me.¡± Hand warmers were not good, but gloves could be a good idea. But when she thought of what had happened to Heshou Xianzhu, she pushed the thought down. [T/N]

    Only when Yuxi walked into the study did Zisu speak up, ¡°Miss, it has been checked out. Da Nainai is indeed pushing the wave and adding to the billows from behind the scenes.¡±

    Yuxi had taken advantage of her position as a household manager to gather a lot of people. Therefore, she was not well informed about the outside world, but as long as the news from the inner courtyard was not of a private matter, she would soon know, ¡°What¡¯s going on with Qiu Yanfu?¡±

    Zisu said, ¡°If they want to calcte the Second Master, I am afraid it will be within these days.¡±

    Yuxi nodded her head and said, ¡°I know.¡± After saying this, she took down the thick copy of the ?Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government? from the shelf and prepared to read the book.

 Chapter 186 - Wicked Trick (5)

    <strong>Chapter 186 : Wicked Trick (5)</strong>

    Zisu looked at Yuxi¡¯s indifferent look and urged, ¡°Miss, Qiu Yanfu is going to do it within the next few days. We should stop her!¡±

    Yuxi looked up at Zisu, ¡°I have my own way of handling this matter, so don¡¯t say any more about this.¡± In the past few days, she had been considering whether she should interfere in this matter. But after meeting her Dage, she had her answer, and that was she could not interfere with it.

    Zisu has been with Yuxi for so many years, so how could she not see that Yuxi was not nning to intervene. ¡°Miss, if we let Qiu Yanfu have her way, what should we do if the Lu family withdraws from the marriage?¡±

    Yuxi nced at Zisu. Last time she felt that something was strange with Zisu. This time she had a bad prediction in her heart as she looked at Zisu¡¯s behaviour. ¡°Why are you so concerned about Er Ge¡¯s affairs? Could it be that¡­¡­¡±

    Zisu blushed as she replied, ¡°Miss, please be clear that I have no improper thoughts towards the Second Master.¡±

    Yuxi was just trying to bluff, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be as she had guessed. ¡°Do you know what you call this? You call this putting up a sign telling others that you didn¡¯t hide the 300 taels of silver here.¡± Yuxi had never dreamed that Zisu would have any thoughts on her Er Ge.

    Zisu kneeled on the ground and said, ¡°Miss, I do think that the Second Master is a true man who can support both heaven and earth, but I definitely do not have any improper thoughts. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can swear that if I truly have any improper thoughts, I will be struck by thunder, and after death, I¡¯ll be sent down to the eighteenyers¡­¡­¡±

    The fierce oath was interrupted by Yuxi before Zisu could finish it, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything about you. What are you doing with such a fierce oath? Stand up and speak.¡± Even if Zisu had a soft spot in her heart for her Er Ge, she would never harbour any other thoughts. Zisu had been by her side for so many years, so Yuxi could still believe her words.

    Zisu got up from the ground and dared not look at Yuxi with her head down.

    Yuxi also knew that Zisu must feel awkward and embarrassed at this time, and she was too. ¡°You withdraw first! I¡¯m not interfering in this matter for Er Ge¡¯s own good, so don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡±

    Zisu looked up, not understanding what Yuxi meant by this, ¡°Why is that, Miss?¡±

    Yuxi wasn¡¯t prepared to exin to Zisu, ¡°I won¡¯t harm Er Ge. As for yourment that the Lu family will withdraw from the marriage after Qiu Yanfu set up Er Ge, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. The Lu family will not withdraw their marriage.¡± Again, both fiances were being schemed, but the essence was different. Second Master Ye liked Ke Minjie and wanted to marry her, so the two families got into an unbearable mess before they withdrew from the marriage. But her Er Ge did not like Qiu Yanfu. Even if he was schemed by Qiu Yanfu, it was not a big deal, and if the Lu family found out about it, they would only think that her Er Ge was just too stupid and cowardly to be schemed by a woman.

    Zisu¡¯s heart was slightly relieved by Yu Xi¡¯s words, but she had another worry, ¡°But if the Second Master was schemed by Qiu Yanfu, wouldn¡¯t she have to be his noble concubine?¡± Qiu Yanfu was a young miss from a pure family and Third Lady¡¯s niece, so she must be a noble concubine at any rate.

    Yuxiughed lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Qiu Yanfu will not be Er Ge¡¯s noble concubine.¡± If Qiu Yanfu were to be Er Ge¡¯s concubine, the people who would be most affected would be Wu Shi and Yurong. If Wu Shi¡¯s niece became her nephew¡¯s concubine, she would not have any face left as the Third Lady. As for Yurong, if her blood biaojie became a concubine for her tangge, it would be like her face had been trampled to the ground.

    Zisu¡¯s heart was slightly at ease.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Hurry up and put that little mind of yours away. I can¡¯t keep you if people find out.¡± Zisu couldn¡¯t be Han Jianye¡¯s concubine, not to mention that her Eldest Aunt would not allow it, even she wouldn¡¯t allow it. She could not afford to lose face as the meimei who gave her personal maid to be her gege¡¯s concubine.

    Zisu nodded in agreement, and this time it was because she was in a hurry to end the talk as Yuxi had already noticed the clues to her heart.[+]

    However, Yuxi did not feel at ease. The sooner this matter regarding Zisu¡¯s feeling was resolved, the better. ¡°You are seventeen this year, and you will be eighteen in a year. I¡¯ll find you a candidate and choose well. I¡¯ll have to marry you off by the end of next year at thetest.¡± When Zisu finally married, this little thought would naturally go away.

    Zisu nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    When Yuxi saw that Zisu had agreed to do so, the worry in her heart went away. ¡°Zisu, don¡¯t me me for not being merciful. I am also doing it for your own good.¡± The reason was that she believed that Zisu was not the kind of person who wanted to climb up the branch for the sake of glory, splendour, wealth and rank. Otherwise, she would have immediately gotten Zisu out of the residence if she ever had thought of such a thing.

    Zisu also felt a little guilty as she said in a low voice, ¡°Miss, actually, I just thought that the Second Master was a good man, a true man of character. Other than that, I didn¡¯t think about anything else.¡± Simply put, Zisu just had some favourable impressions for Han Jianye and hoped he had a good life.

    Yuxi nodded and responded, ¡°If I didn¡¯t believe you, do you think you would still be standing here right now?¡± After saying that, she waved her hand and said, ¡°You can withdraw.¡±

    After Zisu went out, Yuxi muttered to herself, ¡°Her sight is also odd enough.¡± How could Zisu fall for her Er Ge¡¯s awful look? Did she have a good look?

    Once she murmured that out, she shook her head, looked down and went back to her book.

    Ye Shi knew that Qiu Yanfu intended to work on her n in just two days.

    Old Woman Hua was a little hesitant as she questioned, ¡°Da Nainai, do you really want to do this? Once this matter is discovered, the Lady will take it out on you at that time.¡± Da Nainai was already unable to have children, and if she offended her mother-inw again, how could she live in the future.

    Ye Shi responded, ¡°I won¡¯t be implicated.¡± The people Qiu Yanfu had bribed were all from her mother-inw¡¯s side, and it had nothing to do with her. But she had to manage the household and help her mother-inw in preparing for her brother-inw¡¯s wedding. So she was too busy till she couldn¡¯t keep her feet on the ground, so it was normal for her to have a slip-up.

    Old Woman Hua always felt that this was inappropriate. ¡°Da Nainai, why don¡¯t we just forget about it? If we let Qiu Yanfu seed in climbing into the Second Master¡¯s bed, and the Lu family will not withdraw from the marriage, Lu Xiu will still marry over. Why do we have to be such an evil person?¡±

    Ye Shi said, ¡°What does it matter to us what Qiu Yanfu wants to do? It¡¯s not like we arranged for it. I just don¡¯t care about this matter anymore. Moreover, if my brother-inw is indeed righteous and has no such intention, it is useless even if Qiu Yanfu has the intention to calcte.¡± She didn¡¯t feel she was at fault. She was just standing by. She was neither the mastermind nor the party involved, so what did it matter to her?

    When Old Woman Hua saw that she could not persuade Ye Shi no matter what she said, she gave up.

    The next day, after Han Jianye finished with his job, he ran into Qiu Lilong on his way back. Han Jianye could not shirk away from him, so he went with Qiu Lilong to a restaurant.

    Han Jianye¡¯s drinking capacity was trained by Master Yang. While Qiu Lilong was as drunk as a dead pig, Han Jianye managed to stand up peacefully and said to his attendant Han Yi, who was beside him, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Han Jianye was apanied by his two personal attendants, Han Yi and Han Zhao, his family servants¡¯ sons. However, Han Jianye trusted Han Yi more and Han Zhao a little less.

    Seeing Han Jianye in such a state, Han Yi did not dare to let him ride a horse, as it would not be fun if he fell off the horse. He hired a sedan chair on the street to carry Han Jianye back.

    When they arrived at the residence, Han Yi helped Han Jianye out of the sedan chair. By this time, Han Jianye was already a little drunk. Looking up at the front, he muttered, ¡°Why does the sky keep on spinning?¡±

    Han Yi said with a smile, ¡°Second Master, you¡¯re drunk.¡± Although Qiu Lilong was desperately trying to pour wine into Han Jianye, Han Yi didn¡¯t think much of it. No matter what, Qiu Lilong was also a rtive of the Han family. Although he was a bit farther apart, he was still a rtive, wasn¡¯t he?

    Han Jianye was a good drinker. Except for muttering a few words, he didn¡¯t curse, nor did he break things when he was crazy drunk. Han Yi helped him to rest in Han Jianye¡¯s study in the front yard, mainly because the Lady would be worried if Han Jianye was sent back to the yard in this state.[+]

    After Han Yi had settled in Han Jianye, he sought out Ah Zhao and said, ¡°The Second Master is drunk. Go to the kitchte and get some sober soup.¡± Originally, Han Jianye had two personal maids, one serving in the study and the other in the courtyard. But at the beginning of the month, the First Lady had sent them away because they were his tongfang. As the daughter-inw was about to enter the house, the two tongfang maids were put on the family hamlet first and then brought back when the daughter-inw became pregnant. This act of sending one¡¯s tongfang away wasmon amongrge families, and thus, Han Jianye had no objection. However, he refused Qiu Shi¡¯s request to send two more maids over to serve him. As for a reason for his refusal, Han Jianye did not say, and Qiu Shi did not pursue the matter. Therefore, Han Yi and Han Zhao were the only people currently serving in Han Jianye¡¯s study.

    Han Yi waited for a long time, but Han Zhao did note over. He muttered in his heart, ¡°Why is this kid bing even slower in doing things?¡±

    As he was muttering, Han Zhao ran in, not carrying the sober soup in his hand either. He turned towards Han Yi and said, ¡°Ah Yi, your little brother has broken his leg, go back and take a look!¡±

    Han Yi¡¯s little brother was only six years old this year, and he usually loved this brother very much. ¡°What did you say? My brother broke his leg? What happened?¡±

    Han Zhao shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. You should go back and take a look! The Second Master will be in my care, so don¡¯t worry!¡±

    Han Yi didn¡¯t think much of it and hurried back.

    Looking at Qiu Yanfu, who was holding the sober soup in her hand, Yanxia whispered, ¡°Miss, once you¡¯ve shot the arrow, there¡¯s no getting it back. It¡¯s not toote for you to turn back now, though. Eldest Master is unreliable. So we can only beg the Lady Aunt. If not, we will go beg¡­¡­¡±

    Qiu Yanfu shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s no use. It¡¯s no use to beg anyone. My aunt has already made up her mind to send me back to Hebei when next spring begins.¡±

    Yanxia was still making ast-ditch effort, ¡°Miss, there must still be a way out. Miss, I¡¯m sure there will still be a way out.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu looked sad as she said, ¡°There is no way out. If there were, I wouldn¡¯t have gone down this road.¡± In the past few days, she had spent a lot of money to find out that there were seven to eight concubines around Eldest Young Master Wang. All of them were beautiful, but they came from different backgrounds, including brothel girls, young miss from official families who had been sold, poor girls, and his maids. In addition to this, Eldest Young Master Wang liked to give away his concubines. How could she trust her life to a man like this? Instead of being a concubine to such a man who saw women as ythings, it would be better to be with Second Master Han. At least, Second Master Han was now a fifth-ranking officer, and with her status, she would also be his noble concubine.

    Seeing her Miss¡¯s reaction, Yanxia knew that it was useless for her to continue to persuade.

 Chapter 187 - Wicked Trick (6)

    <strong>Chapter 187 : Wicked Trick (6)</strong>

    Qiu Yanfu¡¯s behaviour naturally could not escape Yuxi¡¯s eyes.

    Zisu reported, ¡°Miss, Qiu Yanfu is already on her way to the Second Master¡¯s study.¡± This time, Zisu had already stabilised her mood, and others would no longer see her previous eagerness.

    Yuxi carelessly said, ¡°Just let her go. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± It was just that she let her Er Ge sleep with a woman, so what was the point of her getting angry?

    Zisu still had one more concern in her heart, ¡°What if Qiu Yanfu bes the Second Master¡¯s noble concubine? When that happens, it will affect the rtionship between the Second Master and Er Nainai.¡±

    Yuxi nced at Zisu and said with a smile, ¡°You think too highly of Qiu Yanfu. To Er Sao, she will just be another concubine or a concubine that Er Ge loathes to the core. Even if she bes a noble concubine, do you think Er Sao will find her a threat?¡± If Lu Xiu were a soft person, there would be some concern, but it was clear that she was not that kind of person. Lu Xiu belonged to a type of woman who was soft on the outside but firm inside. Yuxi also felt that this Er Sao that Dage had helped Er Ge find was excellent.

    Zisu was still not at ease.

    Yuxiughed a little and said, ¡°Besides, you seem to have forgotten about Eldest Aunt.¡± With the things she had done before, Eldest Aunt had be disgusted with Qiu Yanfu to the extreme. Even if Qiu Yanfu did be Second Brother¡¯s concubine, she would not have a good time.

    In fact, Yuxi was a little confused as to what was going on in Qiu Yanfu¡¯s head. Most of the people in residence knew that her Dasao (eldest sister-inw) could no longer give birth, so there was no way Qiu Yanfu did not know. Even if Qiu Yanfu wanted to climb into someone else¡¯s bed, she should climb into her Dage¡¯s bed. The future Duke Han was her Dage. Since her Dasao was unable to give birth, if Qiu Yanfu climbed into her Dage bed, she might have a bright future once she gave birth to a son. But what end could she have if she crawled into her Er Ge¡¯s bed? There was no future at all.[+]

    What Yuxi did not know was that it wasn¡¯t Qiu Yanfu had never considered Han Jianming. Regrettably, not to mention bribing the people around Han Jianming, she couldn¡¯t evene into contact with them. So she had to settle for Han Jianye.

    It was also on this night that Ye Shi¡¯s people discovered that Yuxi was spying on Qiu Yanfu. Old Woman Hua said anxiously, ¡°Da Nainai, Xiaotong of Shuixiang Courtyard is the Fourth Miss¡¯s people. Do you think Fourth Miss also knows that Da Nainai is making things easier for Qiu Yanfu from behind the scenes?¡±

    Ye Shi¡¯splexion changed. ¡°How did the Fourth Miss get involved in this?¡± She was not too afraid of Qiu Shi because Qiu Shi was not shrewd; nor was she afraid of the Old Lady, who was too old to keep up with her energy, but she avoided Yuxi, not only for her intelligence but also her powerful methods.

    Old Woman Hua answered, ¡°Fourth Miss has always hated Miss Qiu. It¡¯s not strange to find an opportunity to put someone by Qiu Yanfu¡¯s side. Thus, Qiu Yanfu¡¯s movements can¡¯t escape the Fourth Miss¡¯ eyes, but howe Fourth Miss hasn¡¯t made any move at all?¡±

    Ye Shi instructed, ¡°Have someone keep an eye on this and tell me immediately if there¡¯s anything unusual.¡± Ye Shi thought that Yuxi might wait until Qiu Yanfu arrived at Han Jianye¡¯s courtyard before she made her move. But what Ye Shi didn¡¯t expect was that even after Qiu Yanfu had been in Han Jianye¡¯s yard for a long time, there was still no movementing from Yuxi¡¯s side.

    Ye Shi frowned, ¡°What is that girl, Yuxi, up to?¡±

    Old Woman Hua said with her heart trusting her luck, ¡°The Second Master loves the Fourth Miss so much. If she knew that the Second Master was being schemed, she would not have been indifferent. Fourth Miss should not know about Qiu Yanfu¡¯s scheme.¡±

    Ye Shi shook her head. ¡°Impossible. Qiu Yanfu has been restless these days. If one has a mind, one can guess what she is up to. That girl (Yuxi) is as smart as a whip, and she¡¯s even got her people in the Shuixiang courtyard. So how could she not know that Qiu Yanfu is trying to set up the Second Master? As for why she didn¡¯t stop it, I can¡¯t figure it out. She acts in a way that ordinary people can¡¯t understand.¡±

    Old Woman Hua uttered, ¡°What then? If she tells the Lady about this, it will be terrible for you, Da Nainai.¡±

    Ye Shi shook her head and stated, ¡°No, she didn¡¯t even stop it herself. How dare she go and expose me.¡± Her brother-inw loved Yuxi just like his real sister, and yet Yuxi had only stood by and watched. Thus who was she to expose her? It was just that Ye Shi felt that this girl was acting out of character and was afraid that she had other ns for noting forward. But she could not guess what exactly it was.

    Once Yuxi finished her morning practice, she walked out of the practice room. The falling snowkes were like flying Banruo (Prajna), fluttering down like silk, and as light as goose feathers. The snow drifted down from the sky one by one. Yuxi reached her hand out, and a few snowkes fell into it. The feeling was icy-cold to the bone.

    Bingmei came over anxiously and told her, ¡°Miss, something big has happened.¡±

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°What can happen? Could the sky be falling? Take your time. There¡¯s no rush.¡± Yuxi felt surprised. It was just Qiu Yanfu climbing into someone else¡¯s bed. Why did everyone feel as if the sky was copsing over such a small matter? The people in residence acted too precariously.

    Bingmei could not help but be more anxious, ¡°Miss, the Second Master and Qiu Yanfu were sleeping together. Both of them were naked when others found them.¡± When she was telling Yuxi this part, her face became red.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t show any special surprise. After listening to Bingmei, she asked, ¡°Then what?¡±

    When Bingmei looked at Yuxi¡¯s calm attitude, her eyes widened, ¡°Miss, Qiu Yanfu climbed into the Second Master¡¯s bed. Are you not anxious, Miss?¡± What Bingmei truly wanted to ask, why aren¡¯t you surprised at all, Miss!

    Yuxi took a towel and wiped the fine sweat from her forehead while saying, ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? Qiu Yanfu¡¯s desire to climb into Second Brother¡¯s bed hasn¡¯t just been a day or two.¡± She had purposely put out all the previous rumours!

    After saying these, Yuxi went to her study. It would be a lie to say that this matter did not affect her at all. Because of it, Yuxi had turned away from memorising her medical books and started practising her calligraphy, which she did all morning.

    After eating breakfast, Yuxi said to Bingmei, ¡°Follow me to the Master Courtyard.¡±

    When Yuxi arrived at the Master Courtyard, she found the room there empty.

    When Liuyue saw Yuxi, she greeted her and said, ¡°The First Lady has taken that slut to the Third Lady¡¯s ce. This time, my Lady and Third Lady are in the Main Courtyard.¡± That slut was referring to Qiu Yanfu. Er Nainai was about to marry into the family, and since something like this had happened, there was no telling what the Lu family would think! If the Lady were having a hard time, the maids on her side would not have a good time either.

    Yuxi said, ¡°I heard Bingmei talk about Er Ge this morning. Liuyue, did Eldest Aunt give Qiu Yanfu the child-avoidance soup?¡± Usually, concubines would be given child-avoidance soup after this kind of incident.

    Liuyue¡¯s bright eyes were about to pop out, ¡°No.¡± When she got the news in the morning, the First Lady was furious as hell. First, she dragged Qiu Yanfu out, and then together with Mama Li, they pressured Qiu Yanfu to go to Biteng Courtyard and made a scene there. In the end, the Old Lady knew about it and had them taken to the Main Courtyard.

    Yuxi had given up hope for Qiu Shi¡¯s ability to deal with crisis incidents. When a normal mistress encountered such a thing, she would try to hide the news and solve it privately. In contrast, her aunt was afraid that the world wouldn¡¯t know about it, that she even forgot the most crucial child-avoidance medicine. What else could you count on her to do? ¡°What are you still doing? Hurry up and boil the child-avoidance soup, then send it to the Main Courtyard. Do you still want to let her give birth to her child before Er Sao? ¡± If they made Qiu Yanfu abort the child after she became pregnant, it would hurt their feminine virtue. Thus, it was better to put an end to it from the source.

    Liuyue said with a long face, ¡°We don¡¯t have any child-avoidance soup here in the courtyard.¡±

    Yuxi spit out words filled with annoyance, ¡°If you don¡¯t have it here, don¡¯t tell me that Mama Hao¡¯s ce doesn¡¯t have one too? Are you not going to go and ask for two packs from Hao¡¯s mother? Remember, ask for two packs, and prepare two bowls just in case.¡± Mama Hao was the one in charge of Han Jianming¡¯s concubines, so she definitely had the soup in her hands if no one else did.

    Liuyue repeatedly nodded, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m on my way.¡±

    Yuxi watched as Liuyue disappeared in a sh. Her speed was rtively low but fast. Yuxi was not happy because Liuyue acted quickly; on the contrary, she had be very speechless. It was true that when there was a kind of master, there would be the same kind of maid. These were the type of people who couldn¡¯t keep their calm when encountering big things.

    Bingmei cautiously suggested, ¡°Miss, should we go to the upper courtyard now?¡± She did not want to go to the Main Courtyard since it must be in an extreme uproar.

    Yuxi thought Bingmei asked a foolish question. ¡°Can I get involved in this kind of thing? Let¡¯s go back!¡± This kind of immorality was not something that she, a girl, could get involved in.

    When she returned to the Taoran House, Zisu greeted and informed her, ¡°Miss, the Third Lord also went to the Old Lady¡¯s courtyard just now.¡±

    Yuxi felt that no one had told her the key point. ¡°Where are Er Ge and Qiu Yanfu right now?¡± These two were the ones in question, but no one had told her how they were doing.

    Zisu said, ¡°The Second Master has a severe headache and is still asleep in his study. Qiu Yanfu has been sent back to Shuixiang Courtyard by the Old Lady.¡± After saying that, Zisu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Miss, if this matter bes a big deal, will it affect the Second Master¡¯s marriage?¡±

    Yuxi swept a nce at Zisu and coldly said, ¡°This is not something you should care about.¡± After saying that, she went into her study again and picked up the book ?Geological Map of the Great Zhou Dynasty?. When Yuxi read books, she developed a habit of taking notes, and this time, it was no exception.[+]

    As she looked at her book, she heard Zisu calling from outside, ¡°Miss, the Third Miss is here.¡±

    Yuxi first opened the medical book next to her and then put the book in her hand back on the shelf before walking over to open the door, ¡°San Jie, what brings you here on such a cold day?¡±

    Looking at the bemused Yuxi, Yuchen felt a little odd. With such a significant matter happening, Yuxi was surprisingly not anxious at all. ¡°Si Mei, do you know about the matter that happened in residence?¡± After saying that, she added, ¡°It¡¯s what happened between Er Tangge and Qiu Yanfu.¡±

    Yuxi asked Zisu to make tea and called Yuchen to sit down, ¡°I know! I heard about it from Bingmei during breakfast, so I went to the Master Courtyard, but Eldest Aunt went to Grandmother¡¯s ce. This matter is not something I can intervene in, so I came back. ¡±

    Looking at Yuxi¡¯s calm face, Yuchen asked, ¡°Yuxi, you¡¯re not angry?¡±

    Yuxi looked at Yuchen strangely and asked, ¡°Why should I be angry? Qiu Yanfu has always wanted to climb the high branches. Now that she couldn¡¯t, and she knows that Grandmother is preparing to let her go back to Hebei next year, it¡¯s not surprising that she made her move in her desperation.¡±

    Yuchen asked, ¡°Si Mei already knew?¡±

    Yuxi looked up and asked, ¡°Know about what? About Qiu Yanfu climbing onto Er Ge¡¯s bed? San Jie, what are you thinking? If I had known earlier, could I not stop her? ¡±

    Yuchen also felt that her reaction just now was wrong and a bit over the top. ¡°Si Mei, don¡¯t be offended. I also heard something just now, and that¡¯s why I lost control a bit.¡±

    Yuxi had a gossipy look on her face, ¡°What is it? Is it about Qiu Yanfu?¡±

    Yuchen looked at Yuxi and did not suspect anything. She nodded her head and said, ¡°I only learned before I came to Taoran House that Qiu Lilong was going to give Qiu Yanfu to the Eldest Young Master Wang as his ninth concubine. I think she didn¡¯t want to be his concubine. That¡¯s why she schemed against Er Tangge.¡± Yuchen called Han Jianye Er Tangge, while Yuxi directly called him Er Ge, which showed the difference between their closeness and distant rtionship with Han Jianye.

    Yuxi became interested, ¡°Is there something like that? San Jie, tell me in detail why Qiu Lilong sent Qiu Yanfu to that yboy of the Wang family?¡± That Eldest Young Master Wang was a yboy who liked the new and tired of the old. He already had more than a dozen concubines and tongfang in his family, and yet he still wanted to hang around in brothels. However, this person still had a little moral. That was, he would not rob nor force a person. If a girl were unwilling, he wouldn¡¯t force her, so everyone thought he was romantic and not indecent.

 Chapter 188 - Wicked Trick (7)

    Chapter 188 : Wicked Trick (7)

    Yuchen felt that she was also responsible for Qiu Yanfu¡¯s climbing into Han Jianye¡¯s bed, so she immediately told Yuxi what she did and the consequences.

    The matter was actually quite simple. That was, the Eldest Young Master Wang had been ordered by someone to screw Qiu Lilong. So he acted like he was impressed with Qiu Lilong and invited him to do business. Qiu Lilong was a bit of a womaniser, but he was not a fool. Otherwise, his father would not have sent him to the capital. But the Eldest Young Master Wang was so skilled that he managed to fool Qiu Lilong and made Qiu Lilong hold him in high esteem. When Qiu Lilong saw that Eldest Young Master Wang loved beauty and thinking that his sister was also a beauty, he wanted to get closer with Eldest Young Master Wang to exchange for more benefits.

    Yuxi pretended to look as if she had a sudden realisation. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. San Jie thinks that because of you, Qiu Yanfu became desperate and had no choice but to use this method in the end?¡± For Yuchen, it was so simple! But was Yuchen really that simple? The answer was clearly, no. She was not that simple, and she deliberately told her about this matter to test her attitude.

    Yuchen nodded a little, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Yuxiughed. ¡°San Jie, you are overthinking on this matter. Even without you, Qiu Yanfu would still be calcting on Er Ge all the same. She¡¯s unwilling to go back to Hebei.¡±

    Yuchen looked at Yuxi seriously for a moment and asked the doubt that she had in her heart, ¡°Why are you not worried at all?¡±

    Yuxiughed. ¡°Worried about what? Worried that Er Ge has lost his innocence?¡± She was ridiculing Qiu Yanfu with these words. When a woman slept with a man, he would be thought of having a lot of good fortune in love affairs in the eyes of outsiders, so there was no such thing as him losing his innocence.

    Seeing this kind of attitudeing from Yuxi, Yuchen was confused about what Yuxi was thinking. ¡°What if the Lu family withdraws from the marriage because of this matter?¡±

    Yuxi chuckled, ¡°San Jie, you are so smart. There¡¯s no way you will not know that the Lu family won¡¯t back out of the marriage. Alright, San Jie, you don¡¯t need to go round the curves and skirt the corners. You can just ask me directly if there is anything you want to know.¡±

    Yuchen didn¡¯t expect Yuxi to ask her straightforwardly, so she stopped being polite and asked, ¡°As far as I know, you should have known that Qiu Yanfu was going to scheme against your Er Ge, so why didn¡¯t you stop it?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I do know, but why should I stop it?¡± After saying that, Yuxi asked rhetorically, ¡°If I¡¯m right, San Jie should have noticed it too, so why didn¡¯t San Jie stop it?¡±

    Yuchen couldn¡¯t say anything. There was no way she could answer back. Should she say, I thought you would stop it, so I just stood by and watched? Only for Yuxi to act in a way she hadn¡¯t expected by not even bothering to stop it. If these words came out, the Third House would lose its face.

    This time, Zisu brought in drinks. She gave a cup of Biluochun to Yuchen and a cup of freshly extracted fruit juice to Yuxi.

    Yuxi turned towards Zisu and instructed, ¡°You should withdraw. Don¡¯te in without me telling you to do so.¡±

    Yuchen looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°Si Mei, what exactly are you thinking? Will our reputation be better when Qiu Yanfu loses her face, which at the same time makes Mother lose her face?¡±

    Yuxi looked at Yuchen silently and said, ¡°San Jie, you¡¯re thinking about this too much. What does Qiu Yanfu have to do with us?¡± As for Wu Shi¡¯s face, it was Wu Shi¡¯s business, and it had nothing to do with her.[+]

    When Yuchen looked at Yuxi acting like this, she was furious. ¡°Yuxi, I told you that you are also a part of the Third House. If something happens to the Third House, you won¡¯t be able to escape.¡± Qiu Yanfu¡¯s matter was a small matter, but Yuxi¡¯s attitude was a big issue.

    Now that things hade to this point, Yuxi was no longer ying dumb and said with a sneer, ¡°Then what does San Jie think I should do to make things right? No matter what I did or said in the past two years, I was always wrong, and I was either beaten or reprimanded by Father. Even when I was only asking my Dage some questions, he would take the opportunity to reprimand me, and that was not all. He even said that men and women are different, and even if my Dage and I are paternal cousins, we have to avoid suspicion. What a joke. Dage is my blood brother. We share the same blood. What¡¯s there to avoid suspicion?¡± Even if he was her Tangge, he was still her paternal blood rtive. In this case, not to mention that it would make peopleugh once they knew about it, even Yuxi felt it was ridiculous.

    Yuchen¡¯s face went white. She didn¡¯t know that Father would say such things to Yuxi.

    Yuxi¡¯s face was as frosty as ice as she continued, ¡°Whatever I do or say is wrong anyway, so why should I bother meddling? San Jie says I am a member of the Third House? Then let me ask San Jie, who do you think takes me seriously in the Third House? I know. I know that many people think that I am attached to the Main House and clinging to my Eldest Aunt and Dage¡¯s thighs to the death. Perhaps in San Jie¡¯s heart, San Jie is thinking the same thing.¡± After a pause, Yuxi added, ¡°San Jie, I¡¯m not like you. You have the love from Grandmother and Father, with powerful outside rtives backing you up. You have never had to worry about anything since you were born, and even if something happens, someone will help you out. If it weren¡¯t for my aunt¡¯s shelter, I would have frozen to death, starved to death or even died of disease. Without my Eldest Aunt, I would have turned into a pile of yellow earth.¡± It meant that she was hugging Qiu Shi¡¯s thighs for a reason, too.

    The meaning of Yuxi¡¯s words was unmistakable. She was currying favour with the Main House for a reason and not because Qiu Shi was the current State Residence Mistress, or Han Jianming was the shizi.

    Yuchen couldn¡¯t say a word at this time. What could she say? She couldn¡¯t say anything. It was because what Yuxi had been saying was the truth.

    Yuxi spat out all the bad feelings she had in her heart, then she slowly said, ¡°San Jie, there are some things we just need to understand in our hearts, no need to pick it out. Trying to poke through thatyer of window paper won¡¯t do anyone any good.¡±

    Yuchen asked with difficulty, ¡°Si Mei, do you hate Grandmother and Father?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t hate them. I really don¡¯t hate them at all. Without Father, there would be no me.¡± As for the Old Lady, except for the incident when she had smallpox and when the Old Lady had not been kind to her all these years, she had not been treating her that bad either.

    Yuchen understood what Yuxi meant by this statement. Han Jingyan was her father, and she would do what his children should do, and no more.

    Yuxi looked at Yuchen¡¯s expression and stated, ¡°San Jie, I am sorry for not being able to meet your expectations.¡± Over the years, Yuchen had been very kind to her, and she was grateful for that. But she also knew that Yuchen had been kind to her not because they were sisters but because she was as outstanding as her. If she were still a puddle of mud like she was before, Yuchen would not even look at her. Otherwise, she would not have ended up in such a miserable situation in her previous life if only Yuchen the Empress, favoured by the Emperor, cared even a bit about her.

    Of course, Yuxi did not me Yuchen. She only had herself to me for being so useless. But it was also her experience that made her realise that Yuchen was the same as the Old Lady and Han Jingyan at heart. That was, Yuchen would look at those who were useful to her, but she would not look at those who were no use to her. Because of this, she never got close with Yuchen.

    Yuchen shook her head and said, ¡°It was me who had insisted on it. Alright, I¡¯m going back. Read well!¡± Yuxi was rereading a medical book, and Yuchen still wondered what was good for Yuxi to read it.

    After sending Yuchen away, Yuxi stood in the doorway for a while before returning to her study. Holding her medical book in her hand, Yuxi said to herself, ¡°In fact, there¡¯s no one that I can rely on. The only one I can rely on is myself.¡± It was impossible to rely on others for the rest of her life. There was no one she could depend on for life, and she did not want to depend on others forever.

    When they arrived at Tingyun Pavilion, Momo Gui asked, ¡°Miss, what did Fourth Miss say?¡± Just now, she, like Zisu, had been standing outside and waited.

    Yuchen answered, ¡°Si Meimei said that she deliberately did not want to be concerned about it.¡± She did not believe this at all. If it was a matter of the Third House, Yuxi might not care, but how could she not care about the affairs of the Main House? Especially Er Tangge¡¯s affairs? Only she did not know what exactly Yuxi was nning.[+]

    Momo Gui asked, ¡°Did Fourth Miss say why she didn¡¯t stop it?¡±

    Yuchenughed bitterly, ¡°She did. She said it was not like Er Tangge had anything to lose. Even if she let Qiu Yanfu have her way, the Lu family will not withdraw from the marriage. Since Er Tangge had nothing to lose, she washed her hands off the matter.¡±

    Momo Gui also had to admit that Yuxi¡¯s reason seemed very reasonable, but she still believed it was all superficial. She thought the Fourth Miss just wanted to take this opportunity to punish Wu Shi, so she would not hesitate to let the Third House lose its reputation.

    Yuchen knew what Momo Gui was thinking, but she shook her head and said, ¡°Momo Gui, this matter is not that simple. I think Yuxi has other ns, and as to what they are, I can¡¯t guess yet.¡± There was no telling what Dage had taught Yuxi that made it difficult to guess Yuxi¡¯s mind.

    Momo Gui thought for a moment but shook her head and said, ¡°I also can¡¯t imagine what the Fourth Miss is nning. Although the Lu family will not withdraw from the marriage after such an incident, there will certainly be a lump in their hearts. No one will gain anything good out of what has happened.¡± It was equivalent to saying that everyone was a loser and there were no winners.

    Naturally, Yuchen could have thought of these things. It was also because she did not understand that she went to Taoran House to seek Yuxi out, wanting her to tell her the reason herself. Unfortunately, Yuxi did not trust her and almost wound her up instead.

    Thinking of this, Yuchen asked Momo Gui, ¡°Yuxi said that thest time Father sought her out, he forbade her to go over to Dage¡¯s side to avoid suspicion. What do you think? How true is that?¡± Yuchen couldn¡¯t ask Han Jingyan himself, but deep down, Yuchen hoped that Yuxi was lying to her.

    When Momo Gui heard this, she froze for two seconds, then spoke, ¡°The Fourth Miss is already a big girl, and it is indeed not proper for her to always be in Master Shizi¡¯s study and to even stay there for an hour or two at a time.¡±

    Yuchen gave a bitter smile and said nothing more. Although it was said that men and women were different, it wasn¡¯t so taboo when it came to brothers and sisters, not to mention that Father said the words himself. How hurtful those words had been. Yuxi originally had a deep knot in her heart towards Father, and these words from him only added insult to injury.

    Momo Gui guessed what was on Yuchen¡¯s mind and immediately said, ¡°Miss, pardon me for what I¡¯m going to say. It is not wrong for Miss wanting to ease the rtionship between the Fourth Miss and the Lord, but neither the Lord nor the Fourth Miss has this intention, so it is useless for Miss to do more.¡± The Third Lord did not think he was wrong to treat the Fourth Miss this way, and the Fourth Miss had long ceased to expect anything from her biological father. Under such circumstances, Yuchen would just die of exhaustion, and there was no way she could make the two of them ease and rejoice in their rtionship.

    Yuchen¡¯s face was bitter. ¡°I know, and I won¡¯t be bothered with this matter anymore in the future.¡± Today, it was already apparent from Yuxi¡¯s attitude. If Yuchen persuaded this issue any further, she would only be bringing contempt upon herself.

 Chapter 189 - Wicked Trick (8)

    <strong>Chapter 189 : Wicked Trick (8)</strong>

    The Old Lady twirled the Buddhist beads in her hand and did not speak. None of the other three people in the room spoke either, and the room was deadly silent.

    Finally, it was Han Jingyan who spoke first. He looked at Qiu Shi, whose eyes were red and swollen, and asked, ¡°Dasao, what are you going to do about this matter?¡±

    Qiu Shi was furious. ¡°What else do you think can be done? There are still more than ten days before Jianye¡¯s wedding, and when something like this happens at this juncture, what do you want the Lu family to think?¡±

    If Yuxi were there, she would have been speechless once again. Now in this circumstance, it was time for them to think about solving the problem, not venting one¡¯s anger.

    The Old Lady stopped turning the Buddhist beads and asked, ¡°Tell me, Eldest Daughter-inw! What do you want to do? Let it out so we can hear it.¡±

    Qiu Shi wiped a handful of non-existent tears and said, ¡°*Mother, what do you think we should do?¡±

    The Old Lady did not tell her the method she had thought of. She asked Wu Shi instead, ¡°What do you think?¡± Had she known that rumours were circting in the residence that Qiu Yanfu had other thoughts about Jianye, she would have sent her away. If she had sent her away, this matter would not have happened.

    Wu Shi had been humiliated today. Her niece had climbed into the bed of her soon-to-be-married nephew, and there was nothing more humiliating than this. ¡°It¡¯s up to **Mother.¡±

    Han Jingyan¡¯s eyes went cold when he heard the way Wu Shi called his *Mother. Dasao called her *Mother, but Wu Shi called her **Mother, no wonder *Mother didn¡¯t like her. One could tell what was in a person¡¯s heart from the way they called a person.

    When the Old Lady heard this, she didn¡¯t know why she suddenly felt angry. ¡°I already have one foot in the coffin, and yet, you¡¯re still pushing the matters onto me. Can¡¯t you solve these yourselves? What¡¯s going to happen when I die?¡±

    It was the first time Qiu Shi had ever seen the Old Lady angry, so she stood up and said, ¡°*Mother, I don¡¯t want to make you angry either. But this is too special. If it were a maid in the residence who did such a thing, I would have killed her and not bothered *Mother. But this slut is San Dimei¡¯s niece, so I don¡¯t know what to do with her.¡± Qiu Yanfu was Wu Shi¡¯s niece, a girl from a respectable family, so she had to be dealt with properly, not too light and not too heavy either.

    The Old Lady thought Qiu Shi¡¯s words were reasonable. Seeing Wu Shi¡¯s bowed head, the Old Lady knew it was useless to ask her again. Thus she directly asked Han Jingyan, ¡°How do you think we should handle this matter?¡±

    Han Jingyan¡¯s answer was simple, ¡°Send her back to Hebei, and in addition, give somepensation to the Qiu family.¡± This answer of his was the most straightforward and least troublesome method.

    The Old Lady also thought this method was suitable, but there were consequences to it. If the Qiu family disagreed and made a scene, it would not be good for Jianye¡¯s reputation when the time came.

    Han Jingyan shook his head and said, ¡°No. As long as they are given enough benefits, the Qiu family will not cause any trouble.¡± Business people were keen on profits. So long as they were given enough benefits, not to mention one daughter, they didn¡¯t even mind losing all their daughters.

    Wu Shi¡¯s face was frighteningly white.

    Just at this time, there was amotion outside. The Old Lady looked ugly and asked the servants who were outside, ¡°Who is making noise outside?¡± Nowadays, the Old Lady couldn¡¯t use the people around her to her advantage. The main reason was that there was too much of a disconnect between her and them. Plus, the people she liked had all lost their lives on the night of the pce rebellion.[+]

    Old Woman Luo walked in and said, ¡°It¡¯s Liuyue, First Lady¡¯s maid. She said that Miss Biao Qiu had not been given child-avoidance soup. Thus she came over to ask the First Lady if she should give it.¡±

    Qiu Shi instantly jolted awake. She was so focused on venting her anger that she had forgotten such an important matter. ¡°Hurry up. Hurry up and give that slut the child-avoidance soup.¡±

    The Old Lady didn¡¯t know what kind of mood she was in now. When things went wrong, Qiu Shi knew how to vent her anger, but how could she forget such a significant matter? When the Old Lady was 100 years old, could she feelfortable leaving this family to Qiu Shi? The answer was obviously no. ¡°This matter is settled. We will send that girl away in the next two days.¡±

    Qiu Shi looked at Han Jingyan with some hesitation and asked, ¡°Can you guarantee that the Qiu family won¡¯t make a scene about this matter, San Di? If thises out, it will affect Jianye¡¯s career.¡±

    Han Jingyan promised, ¡°I can guarantee that the Qiu family won¡¯t cause any problem.¡±

    Qiu Shi still couldn¡¯t make up her mind and said, ¡°I have to ask Jianming about this matter.¡± She could not trust Han Jingyan, and she had to ask her eldest son, who was the backbone of the family before she could feel at ease.

    The Old Lady also had some hesitation. Jianye looked like he had a promising career ahead of him. If Jianye were to be ruined just because of this matter, it would be uneptable. ¡°Let¡¯s ask Jianming and Jianye for their opinion on this matter!¡±

    Han Jingyan¡¯s face was hideous, but he still gave a face to his mother¡¯s decision, ¡°Then let¡¯s ask for Jianming¡¯s opinion on this!¡±

    As for the Wu Shi, she was simply being ignored by everyone.

    Mama Li took Liuyue to Shuixiang Courtyard. Yanxia and Yanyu tried to pull her out but were kicked to the ground by Mama Li¡¯s people, and then they went into the bedroom.

    Qiu Yanfu was also a practical person. Since she knew she could not escape, she honestly finished both bowls of the child-avoidance soups. Amid Mama Li¡¯s cold stare, she closed her eyes again and went back to bed. The hangover soup she had sentst night had medicine in it. Since Han Jianye¡¯s health was so good, she had been tossed around by him for most of the night. Then, she had been ripped apart by Qiu Shi early that morning. Now she had no strength left.

    Mama Li coldly snorted and took Liuyue out. After leaving Shuixiang Courtyard, Mama Li asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with the child-avoidance soup?¡± She did not believe that Liuyue would be this meticulous.

    Liuyue also did not hide it. She answered with a low voice, ¡°It was the Fourth Miss who had reminded this handmaiden. Only then did this handmaiden remember that slut had not been given with child-avoidance soup.¡±

    Mama Li had always been calm, but this time she was furious. She had raised the Second Master together with the First Lady and felt no less affectionate towards him than her son. Now that Second Master¡¯s marriage was just around the corner, unexpectedly, a wicked trick like this had happened. Back then, she was all set to rip off Qiu Yanfu¡¯s heart. It was also because she lost hermon sense that led to such a huge oversight.

    Hearing this, Mama Li warned, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this. Even if you are being asked, you have to bite the bullet and say that you suddenly thought of it, understand?¡±

    Liuyue wondered, ¡°Why, Mama?¡±

    Mama Li exined, ¡°The Third House has lost so much face that the Third Lord was so angry that his face has turned blue. If he knows that the Fourth Miss had reminded you the matter regarding the child-avoidance soup, it is not possible that he will take out his anger on her.¡± This was not the first time that such a thing had happened.

    Liuyue didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Mama, Fourth Miss is a filial and understanding person. How can the Third Lord treat the Fourth Miss like this?¡± She wholeheartedly felt enraged at the injustice done to Yuxi. How could there be such a biased father!

    Mama Li had followed Qiu Shi when Qiu Shi married into the family. Thus she knew more about the matter and exined, ¡°The Fourth Miss had suffered a lot because of thete Lady Ning Shi.¡± Ning Shi¡¯s dishonourable entrance had disgusted the Third Lord to the core, causing him not to have any good face for the Fourth Miss either.

    Because Han Jingyan wanted to send Qiu Yanfu back to Hebei, although they had not decided on the matter, Qiu Shi¡¯s anger had eased a lot. When she returned to the Master Courtyard, she didn¡¯t look so ugly any longer.[+]

    Ye Shi looked suspiciously at her and asked, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve heard about Er Di¡¯s matter. What will the Lu family think if such a thinges out at this juncture?¡±

    Qiu Shi did not even detect that Ye Shi sounded her out. ¡°In a few days, that person will be sent away, and the Lu family will know nothing about this.¡±

    Ye Shi was surprised. ¡°Send away? Mother, do you want to send Qiu Yanfu back to Hebei? But won¡¯t sending Qiu Yanfu back to Hebei be detrimental to Er Di¡¯s reputation? Er Di is going to be a career man in the future. By carrying a reputation of being irresponsible will be a hindrance to his career.¡± She wasn¡¯t just saying frightening words to scare people. As soon as this matter went out, Han Jianye would suffer a great impact. On the contrary, if he took Qiu Yanfu as his concubine, it would not affect him much.

    Mama Li was sharper than Qiu Shi. She always felt that Da Nainai harbour malicious intentions, so she said, ¡°Da Nainai is mistaken. My Lady wants to send Qiu Yanfu to the family hamlet first and then hand her over to the Er Nainai for disposal after she has married into the family.¡±

    Ye Shi gave out a cry, ¡°Then that¡¯s my mistake.¡±

    After the end of the matter, Ye Shi left the Master Courtyard with her maids. Halfway through, she muttered a few words towards her personal maid and then went back to Songxiang Courtyard.

    After all themotion, it was time for lunch. The kitchen also did not withhold any food from Qiu Yanfu. She had been sent the usual food, where all had been freshly made on the same day, and they did not send her any rancid rice and dishes.

    The person who delivered the food was a young maid. After bringing out the food from the food box, she muttered a few words to Yanxia and then went back with an empty food box.

    Yanxia¡¯s face changed greatly. She trotted into the bedroom and told Qiu Yanfu, ¡°Miss, this is bad. The First Lady Han said she wanted to send Miss back to Hebei.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu was lying on the bed when she heard this piece of news. She opened her eyes and looked at Yanxia before asking, ¡°Who did you get this news from?¡±

    Yanxia told her that she heard it from a young maid. [T/N]

    Qiu Yanyu asked softly, ¡°I told you how things went so well with my matter. Do you know who it was?¡± She had already noticed that someone was helping her from behind the scenes.

    Yanxia shook her head.

    Qiu Yanfu leaned back on the pillow and thought for a while. Only a few people were in power in the residence, and those who could know about this so quickly could be counted with a few fingers. Qiu Yanfu¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up brightly. ¡°It¡¯s Da Nainai.¡± She could immediately rule out the Old Lady and Qiu Shi. In addition, Yuchen and Yuxi would certainly not help her, which left only Ye Shi.

    Yanxia also found this deduction usible. ¡°Why would Da Nainai want to help Miss?¡±

    Qiu Yanfu exined, ¡°It should be because of Lu Shi. Lu Shi was originally going to marry into the Ye family, and now that she¡¯s going to marry into the Han family, Da Nainai must be disgusted with this matter.¡± Since Da Nainai hated Lu Shi, she would feel nauseated every time she thought of Lu Shi, which was good for Qiu Yanfu.

    ¡°Miss, what shall we do now?¡± asked Yanxia.

    Qiu Yanfu thought of Han Jianye. ording to the news she had heard in the past two years, Han Jianye was a man with a remarkable sense of loyalty and responsibility. Even if she had schemed against him, in the end, she had given her innocence to him. With his temperament, he certainly wouldn¡¯t let her go back to Hebei. As she thought this way, Qiu Yanfu suddenly had an idea and muttered a few words in Yanxia¡¯s ear.

    After hearing her Miss¡¯s words, Yanxia immediately walked out.

 Chapter 190 - Wicked Trick (9)

    <strong>Chapter 190 : Wicked Trick (9)</strong>

    While the situation in the State Residence was like chickens flying and dog jumping, Yuxi was calmly reading her book. After some time, she rxed her stiff muscles and went out for her lunch.

    After lunch, she paced around in her room to help with digestion. After walking for nearly a quarter of an hour, she climbed into bed and went to sleep. Her calmness made the maids around her feel that she didn¡¯t even care one bit about the incident of Qiu Yanfu climbing onto Second Master¡¯s bed.

    An afternoon nap should be for two-quarters of an hour or half an hour in modern times. This time was set by Momo Quan. Hence, Yuxi carried it out unswervingly.

    It had be Yuxi¡¯s habit to wake up on her own without being called. She wouldn¡¯tze around in bed too. When she awoke, she would immediately get out of bed.

    As Yuxi rinsed her mouth and washed her face, Zisu informed her, ¡°Miss, Qiu Yanfumitted suicide. When the Second Master got the news, he ran over there and saved her.¡±

    Yuxi rinsed her mouth and took a towel to dry her face. After washing her face, she walked over to the dressing table and patted some moisturiser on her face. It was too dry in winter, and this aloe vera moisturiser water that Heshou hade up with was pretty good.

    Yuxi gathered herself up then said with a smile, ¡°Did Er Ge immediately go to Grandmother and Eldest Aunt and say that he wanted to take Qiu Yanfu as his concubine after saving her? Well, let me make another guess. Er Ge must have also said that he, as a man, couldn¡¯t be an irresponsible person.¡±

    Zisu sighed in amazement. ¡°Miss, if I didn¡¯t know you had been in the courtyard all this time, I would have wondered if someone had told you in advance. That¡¯s exactly what the Second Master had told the Old Lady and the First Lady. He said that he was the one who had ruined Qiu Yanfu¡¯s innocence, and even though he could not take her as his wife, he would at least take her as his concubine.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head helplessly. How could she be able to predict the future? These were all things that had happened in her previous life. At that time, the difference was that Er Ge said he had ruined Qiu Yanfu¡¯s innocence, so he had to marry her. In this life, since he had a fianc¨¦e, he could only take Qiu Yanfu as his concubine.

    Zisu whispered, ¡°The First Lady is furious, and the Old Lady has scolded the Second Master for it. But the Second Master was stubborn as he continued to kneel, saying that if the Old Lady and the First Lady disagreed, he wouldn¡¯t get up. And he also said he couldn¡¯t be such a person who had no emotion or sense of justice.¡±

    This incident had repeated, and Yuxi still could not help but shake her head as she said, ¡°Eldest Aunt must still be angry.¡± The Old Lady had a higher sense of self-restraint and would only sulk at most, but her Eldest Aunt was impatient and had always doted on Er Ge, so she would surely faint from anger when she heard this.

    Zisu nodded, ¡°Yes! The First Lady was so angry that she has fainted. By now, a servant has been sent to fetch a physician. While the Second Master is still kneeling in the Master Courtyard!¡±

    Yuxi let out a long sigh and said, ¡°To kneel in the courtyard on this cold day, even those who have bodies made of iron will freeze to death! Bring that long pelt outercoat of mine over. I¡¯ll go and have a look.¡± No matter how bad the situation was, they must solve it in the end. But if one broke one¡¯s body because of it, it wouldn¡¯t be worthwhile.

    Zisu was relieved. It was good that her Miss was willing to step in. Zisu had an inexplicable trust in Yuxi. It seemed that whatever her Miss was willing to do, there must be no problem.

    When Yuxi reached the Master Courtyard, she saw Han Jianye, who was kneeling straight. He was wearing arge fur coat and thick leather trousers underneath, with a leather hat on his head, and was kneeling there fully armed. Yuxi nced at his face that didn¡¯t even turn white. Without saying anything to him, she went straight into the house.

    Han Jianye was depressed. He thought Yuxi wouldfort him, but he didn¡¯t expect that Yuxi didn¡¯t even look at him. Was his action that bad?

    As Yuxi walked into the room, she saw Qiu Shi lying on the bed, looking very ugly.

    When Qiu Shi noticed Yuxi, she urged, ¡°You, this girl, what are you doing here? Hurry back.¡± This matter was too humiliating, and as Yuxi was still young, she did not want her to interfere.

    Yuxi sat on the edge of the bed and asked with a smile, ¡°Eldest Aunt must not have any lunch yet, right?¡± With what had happened today, it would be strange for Qiu Shi to have any appetite!

    Qiu Shi shook her head and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t feel like eating.¡± From this morning until now, she had no appetite at all. She was so full of anger that she did not have any mood to eat.

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°If you don¡¯t eat, you will be starving, and if Imperial Censor finds out about this, he will directly censure Er Ge for disobedience and unfilial piety. Eldest Aunt should know what will happen if he is indeed charged, right?¡± Once the Imperial Censor brought these kinds of charges against you, you would not be able to continue to be an officer.

    Qiu Shi was startled, but when she looked at Yuxi¡¯s smiling face, she scolded with augh, ¡°This is not the time for you still in the mood to joke with your aunt.¡±

    Yuxi winked at Mama Li, hinting that she should ask someone to bring in the food. Mama Li was not stupid. Seeing Yuxi act like this, how could she not understand? She immediately went down to make the preparations. No amount of persuasion on her part could persuade her Master, unlike Fourth Miss¡¯s clever words. [+]

    After Mama Li left, Yuxi smiled and squeezed Qiu Shi¡¯s quilt. ¡°Eldest Aunt, isn¡¯t it just Qiu Yanfu climbing into his bed? It¡¯s not even a big deal, so why do you need to be so angry? Er Ge wants to take Qiu Yanfu as his concubine, then just let him.¡±

    Qiu Shi anxiously said as she saw how Yuxi treat the matter like the clouds were pale and a light breeze was blowing, ¡°Do you know how big an argument will we have with the Lu family if they find out about this?¡±

    Yuxi answered with a smile, ¡°Let Dage take Er Ge to the Lu family to exin the situation properly. Then, promise them that they will not take Qiu Yanfu back to the residence until Lu Xiu has given birth to her firstborn son. I think the Lu family will have no objection to this suggestion. After all, Er Ge is also a victim in this matter.¡±

    Qiu Shi felt that Yuxi was taking this matter too simply. ¡°Qiu Yanfu is not a maid. If she were to be a concubine for your Er Ge, she would at least be titled a noble concubine. Where would the Lu family agree to that? He has received so many favours from the Lu family. I feel sorry for them if she truly bes his noble concubine.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head. ¡°Eldest Aunt, she will be a noble concubine who only serves as a decoration. The Lu family won¡¯t mind.¡±

    Qiu Shi said hesitantly, ¡°Qiu Yanfu¡¯s tricks are so high that now she can even encourage your Er Ge to mess up with me. If he takes her as a concubine, when she cries and makes a fuss, your Er Ge will be soft-hearted, so how can he still treat her as a decoration? With this woman in the house, I am worried that it will affect their husband and wife rtionship in the future.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and pointed out, ¡°In order not to affect Er Ge¡¯s career, he is bound to take Qiu Yanfu as his concubine.¡±

    Qiu Shi asked, ¡°Yuxi, your Father said he would send Qiu Yanfu back to her hometown. What do you think of this?¡±

    Yuxi answered with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s not good. The consequences are too great. When the timees, someone will attack Er Ge over this matter, and it will be a hindrance to Er Ge¡¯s future.¡±

    Qiu Shi was very hesitant. On the one hand, was her son¡¯s future, and on the other was his lifelong happiness. It was a difficult choice for her to make.

    Seeing Qiu Shi¡¯s hesitant look, Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°Eldest Aunt, if you trust me, let me handle this matter. Well, even if Eldest Aunt doesn¡¯t trust me, doesn¡¯t Eldest Aunt still trust Dage? With me working with Dage to persuade Er Ge, there will be no problem.¡±

    Qiu Shi still had confidence in her eldest son. ¡°Then it¡¯s done. Leave this matter to your Dage, and you should not interfere. You just tell your Dage your method in private. Otherwise, your Father will be angry with you again.¡±

    Yuxi arched her eyebrows and said with a smile, ¡°Alright!¡±

    Handled food box made of Chinese rosewood, Qing Dynasty

    Image Credit| The real image owner (¡°Bento boxes¡± in ancient China, April 14, 2021)

    At this time, Mama Li came in with a food box. When she opened the box, a fragrance came to Yuxi¡¯s nose. Yuxi rubbed her stomach and suggested with a smile, ¡°Smelling that fragrance makes me a little hungry. Why don¡¯t I apany Eldest Aunt eating?¡±

    Qiu Shi disagreed. ¡°No. If you eat with me now, you won¡¯t be able to eat much at night. You still have to eat three meals regrly; it¡¯s only good for your body.¡±

    With Yuxi teasing her, Qiu Shi at least ate a bowl of rice and most of the dishes. This portion was about right.

    Yuxi waited for Qiu Shi to finish her meal and stood up with a smile, ¡°Eldest Aunt, let Er Ge go back first! It¡¯s a cold day. It will still be Eldest Aunt who will end up being heartbroken if he freezes.¡±

    Naturally, Qiu Shi was distressed. If she hadn¡¯t been so angry, she wouldn¡¯t have wanted her son to suffer like this. ¡°I¡¯ll go and call him in right now.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and suggested, ¡°Eldest Aunt, you don¡¯t need to go out. Let me speak to him.¡± Seeing Qiu Shi¡¯s eyes looking at her, Yuxi exined, ¡°If Eldest Aunt doesn¡¯t go out, it will be much easier to convince Er Ge when he knows you¡¯re still angry with him.¡±

    Qiu Shi nodded and said, ¡°Alright, then do as you say.¡± After saying that, she hurriedly added, ¡°When he returns, tell your Er Ge to immediately drink ginger soup and take a hot bath so that he can get rid of the cold from his body.¡±

    Yuxi answered with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Eldest Aunt, I will tell Er Ge.¡±

    Qiu Shi watched as Yuxi walked out and went to the window herself, watching with bated breath. Nothing was as touching as parents¡¯ love towards their child.

    Walking out of the house, Yuxi came up to Han Jianye and looked at him. ¡°Eldest Aunt has agreed to let you take Qiu Yanfu as your concubine, so get up!¡±

    Han Jianye felt humiliated. It was fine if anyone else told him that, but when it came out from Yuxi¡¯s mouth, he felt particrly humiliated for some reason. [+]

    When Yuxi saw that Han Jianye still did not get up, sheughed lightly and said, ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? If you don¡¯t, then I¡¯ll ask Mama Li toe out and tell you.¡±

    Han Jianye lowered his head and asked softly, ¡°How is Mother? Is she alright?¡±

    Yuxi looked at Han Jianye¡¯s appearance and could only sigh in his heart. That was why people said it was easier to change mountains and rivers than to alter one¡¯s character. She had made so many efforts, but she still couldn¡¯t adjust Han Jianye¡¯s temperament. She only hoped that through this incident, he could get a profound lesson. ¡°I had advised her for a long time, and I could at least get Eldest Aunt to eat even for a bit. She¡¯s currently lying on the bed, resting. Don¡¯t go in and annoy her anymore. When Eldest Aunt¡¯s anger subsides,e and apologise to her.¡±

    Han Jianye quickly nodded and said, ¡°Okay, thank you, Si Mei.¡±

    Yuxi actually disdained Han Jianye¡¯s thanks. ¡°Just now, when I went out, Eldest Aunt specially told me to remind you to drink ginger soup and take a hot bath when you return to your yard. Otherwise, you¡¯ll catch a cold and have a fever. Remember to do as Eldest Aunt said as soon as you arrive at your yard.¡±

    Han Jianye¡¯s head immediately lowered. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m unfilial.¡± He had made his mother angry like that, and she was still worried about his health. At this time, guilt and regret filled his heart.

    Yuxi stepped forward and helped Han Jianye up. ¡°Your body is as cold as ice. Er Ge, you should hurry back and take a hot bath.¡±

    Han Jianye whispered, ¡°Okay.¡± After kneeling for half an hour, his legs were numb, and his body was chilly, so he had to take a hot bath immediately. He was going to get married soon. So he couldn¡¯t fall ill. It would be inauspicious if he did.

    Yuxi nodded a little and inquired, ¡°Er Ge, are you going to find Dageter?¡± Seeing Han Jianye nod, Yuxi said, ¡°Then, have someone give me a message, and I¡¯ll go over there too.¡±

    Han Jianye¡¯splexion changed. ¡°What are you going to do over there? You should not interfere in this matter.¡± Although Yuxi was intelligent, she was, in the end, an unmarried youngdy, so how could she get involved in such a matter.

    Yuxi smiled a little, ¡°I have something I want to talk to you and Dage about.¡±

    Han Jianye said with a stern face, ¡°No, we¡¯ll talk about itter. You are not allowed to interfere in this.¡± If Yuxi was allowed to interfere, what would it look like if words got out?

    When Han Jianye heard no response from Yuxi, he decided not to call her when he went to his Dage¡¯s ceter.

 Chapter 191 - Wicked Trick (10)

    <strong>Chapter 191 : Wicked Trick (10)</strong>

    After the incident, Han Jianming had nevere forward. He just waited for Han Jianye toe over to him. After Yuxi¡¯s reminderst time, Han Jianming realised that he had been too overprotective of his didi, so he let Han Jianye sort out many things independently. Even if things had been messed up by Han Jianye himself, he still would not step in.

    Hearing that Han Jianye had gone back to his courtyard, Han Jianming instructed his attendant, ¡°If the Second Masteres over, have him wait for me in the study.¡± After saying this, Han Jianming went back to Songxiang Courtyard.

    When Han Jianming arrived at Songxiang Courtyard, Ye Shi was ying with the child in her arms. The child did not have a name until now, but only a nickname, Qiqi. It wasn¡¯t that Han Jianming didn¡¯t care about his eldest daughter, but the child was still too young, and he was going to wait until she was one year old before giving her a name.

    When Ye Shi saw Han Jianminging, she smiled, ¡°Master is back.¡± Then waving the hand of the child in her arms, she said with a smile, ¡°Qiqi, look, it¡¯s your Father.¡±

    As Han Jianming looked at his daughter, his expression softened a lot. However, he hade to see Ye Shi for something, not specifically to see the child. He gestured for Old Woman Hua to carry the child out, then looked at Ye Shi and asked, ¡°During this time, have you not noticed anything unusual about Qiu Yanfu?¡± As the manager of the household, she should have known everything about the affairs of the residence. Of course, if it was his mother, there might still be omissions. But since it was Ye Shi, there was absolutely no question of negligence. Han Jianming¡¯s question was the same as asking why she had stood by knowing that Qiu Yanfu was plotting against Han Jianye.

    Ye Shi also frankly said, ¡°At that time, I did think there was something wrong with Qiu Yanfu, but when I found out that her maid Xiaotong was one of Si Mei¡¯s people, I didn¡¯t investigate any further. Si Mei and Qiu Yanfu don¡¯t get along, and since she had put someone by Qiu Yanfu¡¯s side, what Qiu Yanfu wanted to do, Si Mei should have known.¡± This statement meant that Yuxi had known that Qiu Yanfu wanted to set up Han Jianye, but she did not stop it herself.

    Looking at Han Jianming¡¯s expressionless face, Ye Shi toughened her scalp to exin, ¡°Master, at that time, there were too many things going on in the residence. I had to take care of the household and the child while also helping Mother arrange for Second Brother¡¯s marriage. I was truly distracted. So when I saw that Si Mei had someone by Qiu Yanfu¡¯s side, I left it at that. If I had known that such a thing would happen, I would have stopped it then.¡± Although she didn¡¯t say it directly, her meaning was clear that the primary responsibilityy with Yuxi, and she was only responsible for negligence. [+]

    Ever since this incident happened, Han Jianming has been suspicious of Ye Shi. To confirm his doubts, he had Ah Zhao and several others interrogated. The result was obvious, Ye Shi did know something was wrong with Qiuy Yanfu, but she just abstained from acting. Han Jianming thought that Ye Shi¡¯s inaction was intentional, and her purpose was to make Lu Xiu have a difficult life here. If this were the case, he would have to change his attitude towards Ye Shi. After all, Ye Shi would be the mistress of the Han family. If she was so short-sighted and narrow-minded, he had to prepare in advance. Han Jianming calmly inquired, ¡°Are you sure Yuxi has her people around Qiu Yanfu?¡± If this matter was allowed by Yuxi, he must talk to her and see what that girl was thinking.

    He believed both Ye Shi and Yuxi had a different stance in this matter. If Ye Shi just left this matter alone, Han Jianming would think she had bad intentions. Whereas if Yuxi let this happen, Han Jianming felt that she had ulterior motives. It was because he believed that Yuxi would never harm Han Jianye.

    Ye Shi nodded and said, ¡°Xiaotong was specially ced in Shuixiang Courtyard by Si Mei. Apart from Xiaotong, there are other two maids. But Xiaotong is the one who takes care of Qiu Yanfu personally and is also more trusted by her.¡± In fact, Qiu Yanfu trusted the two maids she had brought from Hebei the most, but having two maids was not enough. Hence she had to use the people assigned to her by the State Residence. Xiaotong was more honest in her work, and Qiu Yanfu had been observing her for half a year before she found her to be useful and brought her around.

    Yuxi had long ago instructed Xiaotong that she did not need to deliver messages unless it was a significant matter. So it was not until this incident that Xiaotong was finally exposed.

    When Han Jianming heard this, he nodded his head a little. He asked Ye Shi some more things before leaving Songxiang Courtyard.

    Looking at Han Jianming¡¯s back, Ye Shi let out a soft sigh. It was the first time she had lied to him. It was good that there was Yuxi in front of her to cover the pit, or else she could not settle this matter.

    Before he could enter the study, his attendant Han Hao came out and informed him, ¡°Master Shizi, the Second Master hase and is currently waiting for you inside.¡±

    Han Jianming nodded for a moment and said towards Han Hao, ¡°Go and invite the Fourth Miss over. Tell her I have something to seek her for, so she muste over.¡±

    Han Hao responded, ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way.¡±

    As he went into the study and noticed the lowered head of his didi, Han Jianming gently shook his head. When he was a child, he was so busy with his studies and making friends to broaden his contacts that he didn¡¯t have much time to focus on his didi. When he wanted to pay attention to him, he found that his mother had developed Jianye into such a temperament. ¡°It¡¯s just a woman who has climbed into your bed, and you¡¯re already looking like this. Just look at yourself.¡±

    Han Jianye thought Han Jianming would scold him, but he didn¡¯t expect Han Jianming to take the matter like it was just the clouds were pale, and a light breeze was blowing. ¡°Dage, I just, Qiu Yanfu¡¯s innocence was ruined by me after all¡­¡­¡±

    Han Jianmingughed. ¡°ording to you, in case you identally slept with any innocent brothel prostitute, you¡¯ll have to nab her home too?¡± In Han Jianming¡¯s mind, a woman from the brothel was slightly better than Qiu Yanfu. At least sleeping with a woman from there would only cost you money, but Qiu Yanfu was just trying to catch a man by sleeping with him.

    Han Jianye shook his head and said, ¡°Dage, where are you thinking? Qiu Yanfu is San Shen¡¯s niece. If I don¡¯t take her as a concubine, it won¡¯t be good if this matter spreads out.¡±

    Han Jianming¡¯s fingers were on the desk, making tapping sounds. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you can¡¯t take Qiu Yanfu as your concubine. I was just talking about your performance in handling this matter. Qiu Yanfu is a woman from a respectable family. Even if she calcted you, her innocence has been destroyed. If you let hermit suicide, it will be bad for your reputation and affect your career. Therefore, it is imperative to ept her as a concubine. But can¡¯t you tell these truths to Mother properly? Once Mother listened to your exnation, would she still object? Or do you think Mother will ignore your future?¡±

    Han Jianye lowered his head and dared not speak. ¡°It¡¯s because I mishandled these things.¡± He didn¡¯t know what had happened at the time. When he saw Qiu Yanfu hanging herself and then looking at his mother¡¯s indifferent attitude, they made his head boil. In retrospect, he was also too much of a jerk. [+]

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t scold, let alone reprimand him. He just said, ¡°Jianye, you¡¯re 17 this year, and you¡¯re about to start a family. You may also be a father next year. But with the way you are right now, can you shoulder the responsibility of being a husband and a father?¡±

    Han Jianye answered confidently, ¡°I can.¡±

    Han Jianming smiled gently. ¡°Er D, you can¡¯t shoulder these two responsibilities right now. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have handled the matter the way it is currently. Tell me, how will you exin this to the Lu family? What do you think will happen if you go there right now and tell them that you¡¯re going to take San Shen¡¯s niece as your concubine?¡±

    Han Jianye¡¯s heart sank at these words. ¡°Dage, I can¡¯t think of any other ideas. I just don¡¯t want her to die or die because of me.¡±

    Han Jianming¡¯s fingers tapped on the desk again. ¡°I¡¯m your Dage. I¡¯ll for sure forgive you even if you¡¯ve done something wrong. But the Lu family is different. They are willing to marry their daughter to you because they think you can be good to Lu Xiu. But if they knew that you could even disobey your mother for the sake of a woman, especially a woman who had counted on you, what do you think they would think?¡± After saying this, Han Jianming stabbed another knife in Han Jianye¡¯s heart, ¡°Think, is there any difference between your behaviour and Second Master Ye?¡±

    Han Jianye was dumbfounded. It was only after a while did he finally confess, ¡°Dage, I didn¡¯t have any thoughts about Qiu Yanfu at all. I didn¡¯t want her to die because of me. Since I¡¯ve ruined her innocence, I will take her as my concubine, and I didn¡¯t think much about the rest.¡±

    Just at this time, Han Hao raised his voice from outside and announced, ¡°Master Shizi, Second Master, the Fourth Miss is here.¡±

    Han Jianye looked up and asked Han Jianming, ¡°Dage, why did you ask Si Mei toe over?¡± He had purposely not let anyone tell Yuxi when he came here.

    Han Jianming lightly said, ¡°I call Si Mei to let you know how foolish you are.¡± It was too hard for him to hold back, and Han Jianming finally scolded him. It was too hard to face such a foolish and unbearable didi.

    As soon as Yuxi entered the study, she greeted the two men first. She handed the small heater in her hand to Han Jianye, who was beside her and untied the bluish-green, silver fox leather with patterned brocade cloak she was wearing and draped it on the back of the chair. After that, she took back the hand stove that she had ced in Han Jianye¡¯s hand. Even if Han Jianming hadn¡¯t sent someone to call her, she was already prepared toe over.

    Han Jianming¡¯s mouth held a smile at the corners, but he quickly suppressed it and asked expressionlessly, ¡°I heard that Xiaotong, Qiu Yanfu¡¯s personal maid, is one of your people?¡±

    Yuxi nodded, ¡°Yes! I arranged for them to go in when Father and Mother returnedst year. Together with Xiaotong, I arranged for a total of four people to go in. But only Xiaotong is personally close to Qiu Yanfu.¡± There were only eight maids around Qiu Yanfu, but she had put four in there. Those who didn¡¯t know would think that the two of them have a deep hatred for each other.

    Han Jianye looked at Yuxi with some confusion in his eyes.

    Han Jianming then directly asked, ¡°Since this girl is one of your people, did she notice that Qiu Yanfu was trying to set up your Er Ge? Did she tell you?¡±

    Yuxi replied very briskly, ¡°I knew everything from the time Qiu Yanfu got her heart set on it to the time she carried the sour plum soup with aphrodisiacs to Er Ge¡¯s courtyard.¡±

    Hearing this, Han Jianye asked, as if he didn¡¯t know Yuxi, ¡°Yuxi, if you knew, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± If Yuxi had told him, there would have been no incidentst night. But Yuxi hadn¡¯t told him a word.

    Han Jianming gazed at Yuxi and questioned, ¡°Tell us why you didn¡¯t inform us about this.¡±

    Before Yuxi spoke, Han Jianye looked at Yuxi with profound disappointment. ¡°Si Mei, why didn¡¯t you tell me such a big thing? Even if you don¡¯t tell me, you can tell Mother. But how can you watch me helplessly¡­¡± Before he could speak out his following words, he swallowed them under his Dage¡¯s cold eyes. It was not that he was timid, but his Dage¡¯s eyes were just too scary.

 Chapter 192 - Wicked Trick (11)

    <strong>Chapter 192 : Wicked Trick (11)</strong>

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi and calmly said, ¡°Yuxi, I am sure that you must have your reasons for not stopping it from happening.¡±

    How could Yuxi not know what Han Jianye¡¯s nature was? Thus, she was not going to get angry over his outburst. She just looked at Han Jianye and coldly questioned, ¡°Er Ge, from the time the maid beside Qiu Yanfu, Yan Yanyu, started to contact your personal attendant, Ah Zhao, it added up to more than ten days. For the maids in the backyard to frequently contact those around you, Er Ge, tell me, did you notice this? Or rather, did someone close to you tell you?¡±

    Han Jianye didn¡¯t know why Yuxi suddenly mentioned this, but he still nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Ah Yi mentioned it to me. I even asked Ah Zhao about it, but Ah Zhao said they were from the same vige, so he has to take care of her more. When I heard his exnation, I ignored it. Is there any problem with that?¡±

    Yuxi chuckled. ¡°If my personal maid frequentlyes into contact with men in the outer courtyard, even if I don¡¯t beat her to death, I will send her out of the residence immediately.¡±

    Han Jianye countered, ¡°Ah Zhao has grown up with me since we were children, and he only has contact with a maid. If we have to kick him out just because of this little thing, wouldn¡¯t that be too cold?¡±

    Yuxi directly rolled her eyes. Howe she hadn¡¯t noticed before that her Er Ge was so stupid? Well, if he were smart, he wouldn¡¯t have married Qiu Yanfu in his previous life, so she shouldn¡¯t have expected too much from him.

    Han Jianming was about to die of anger. ¡°What your Si Mei means is that Qiu Yanfu has long wanted to plot against you, so she has the maids around her in close contact with your personal attendant.¡± After saying this, Han Jianming looked at Yuxi and told her, ¡°If you have something to say, say them directly. Don¡¯t be tactful; he won¡¯t understand.¡±

    Han Jianye felt that he had lost all of his faces.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Er Ge, do you know why Qiu Yanfu is scheming against you at this time?¡± Seeing Han Jianye¡¯s face torn between saying and not saying, Yuxi snorted. ¡°Er Ge, did Qiu Yanfu told you that she genuinely loves you, thinking that you¡¯re going to get married, she couldn¡¯t help herself for a while, and that¡¯s why she did that¡­¡­¡± These words were not something that Yuxi made up. Qiu Yanfu said the same things to Han Jianye in the previous life.

    Han Jianye looked at Yuxi in amazement and blurted out, ¡°How did you know that? Could it be that your maid was outside eavesdropping at the time?¡±

    Han Jianming felt his teeth hurt a little. Why did he have such a stupid didi? This feeling of his was really unlike the usual depression.

    Instead of arguing with Han Jianye, Yuxi spoke to Han Jianming, ¡°Dage told me more than half a month ago that Qiu Lilong wanted to send Qiu Yanfu to Eldest Young Master Wang as his concubine. Dage, didn¡¯t you tell me this yourself?¡±

    Han Jianming nodded as he added, ¡°Qiu Lilong has already decided to send Qiu Yanfu to the Wang family in a few more days.¡± After saying that, he also kindly gave Han Jianye a little bit of information about the Eldest Young Master Wang. To sum up, this Eldest Young Master Wang was an unreliable financial backer. If a financial backer could casually give away his concubines at will, how reliable could he be?

    Even if Han Jianye was a bit stupid, he knew this time that what Qiu Yanfu had said about being unable to help herself was a lie. At this moment, Han Jianye truly felt that he waspletely stupid.

    Yuxi said, ¡°You don¡¯t care about something as big as your personal attendant Han Zhao¡¯s frequent contact with the maids in the inner courtyard. That¡¯s the first problem. The second problem is that you said that Han Zhao grew up with you, and you treated him like a brother. But what about him? Just because of a woman, he has sold you, his master, out.¡±

    Han Jianye wanted to defend Ah Zhao, but under Han Jianming¡¯s cold re, he didn¡¯t have the guts to do so.

    Yuxi ignored the interaction between the two brothers as she went on to say, ¡°Why did Han Zhao dare to do this? The reason is simple. He was sure that Er Ge wouldn¡¯t chastise him for it. Since that¡¯s the case, what does he have to worry about?¡±

    Han Jianming stared at Han Jianye with the feeling of hating iron for not bing steel.

    Yuxi continued, ¡°The third problem is that when Qiu Yanfu arrived at your study. It was as if she had entered like it was nobody¡¯s business. It was that easy. Er Ge, there were not only two personal attendants in your yard but also five to six servants waiting for you. Where were the others at the time of the incident? I heard the maid say that Han Zhao sent everyone out at that time. Er Ge, do you know what this means?¡± At that time, Han Jianye was drunk and needed to be taken care of, but Han Zhao sent everybody out. Anyone with a clear eye would have noticed that something was wrong. However, none pursued the matter and just left the courtyard, leaving Han Zhao to do as he pleased.

    The more Han Jianming listened, the more his face sank. ¡°This means that Han Zhao can be the master of your Er Ge.¡± What did it mean that a servant could give orders like a master? This showed that Han Jianye wasn¡¯t only unable to control his servant, but rather, a servant could easily coax him. [+]

    Yuxi nodded in agreement with Han Jianming and added, ¡°There is also the fact that they hold the same mindset as Han Zhao. Even if something happens to Er Ge, Er Ge won¡¯t punish them.¡± Being too loose with the people who worked for them made those people feel that even if they did something wrong, it didn¡¯t matter as they wouldn¡¯t be punished. They even felt that even if something happened, the people in front of them would bear it.

    Seeing that Han Jianye did not say anything, Yuxi continued to speak on her own. ¡°Dage is the shizi and the future Duke of the State, while Dasao may not be able to have any more children. Logically, Qiu Yanfu will get more benefits by scheming on Dage. But do you know why Qiu Yanfu doesn¡¯t scheme on Dage but you?¡±

    Han Jianming bluntly said, ¡°Am I someone she can calcte on just because she wants to? If the people around me dare to betray their master, I will let them die a horrible death.¡±

    When analysed by Yuxi like this, Han Jianye felt like a fool. Aplete and utter joke.

    Yuxi swept a nce at Han Jianye and continued, ¡°Now let¡¯s talk about Qiu Yanfu¡¯s hanging. If she wanted to die, why did she wait until lunchtime to do so? Why didn¡¯t she kill herself when Eldest Aunt found her sleeping in your bed? It was she who ran to your study on her own, not Er Ge, who forced her to do so. Under such circumstances, how could Er Ge still believe that she wanted to kill herself?¡±

    Han Jianming felt that Yuxi was still speaking too euphemistically, but looking at Han Jianye, he didn¡¯t interject anymore at this time.

    Han Jianye didn¡¯t know what his mood was right now.

    Yuxi turned her head, looked straight at Han Jianye and said, ¡°Er Ge, you said you wanted to be an ever-victorious general in the future. You can¡¯t even manage the few subordinates who follow you. Do you think you can lead soldiers well in the future? Can you win any battles? To put it bluntly, a woman who evencks the strength to truss a chicken can quickly enter your courtyard and sleep with you. Has it ever urred to Er Ge that when you do lead an army, even without you going into battle, the enemy will just buy your personal guards to sneak into your tent and assassinate you, and the war will already end?¡± With themander-in-chief dead, the rest no longer needed to be feared.

    At this point, no one cared that Yuxi was speaking rudely either.

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi, and his eyebrows twitched. He knew that Yuxi had another reason for not stopping this from happening. The original focus was here. There was no denying the fact that Yuxi¡¯s words also shocked him.

    Han Jianye¡¯s heart sank to the bottom of the sea.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s humiliating enough to be set up by a woman, but you even pity this woman. You even go so far as to disobey Eldest Aunt for her. While the people you grew up with betrayed you so easily, and none of your subordinates is loyal enough to be of use. In the army, themander-in-chief is the soul of the army. If themander is partial to his personal feelings and rewards and punishments are unclear, do you think this team can win the war?¡±

    Han Jianming added a sentence in due course, ¡°This kind of army is the life of cannon fodder.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Han Jianye, who had aplicated and torn expression. She said, ¡°Er Ge, you asked me why I didn¡¯t stop Qiu Yanfu. In my eyes, Qiu Yanfu is not a problem at all. The issues revealed by her scheme against you made me extremely worried. I thought that after this incident, Er Ge would be aware of such problems, but the result¡­¡­¡± After a pause, with a highly disappointed look, she then continued, ¡°Er Ge, you have to know that the people outside are not Qiu Yanfu. If you let those who are intent on harming you sessfully calcte you, then you will lose your job, your life, and even your family.¡±

    Han Jianye was truly ashamed at this time.

    Han Jianming did not expect that Yuxi raised such a profound question through this incident, ¡°Er Di, what do you think after listening to Yuxi¡¯s words?¡±

    Han Jianye didn¡¯t think about it that much. ¡°I¡­¡­¡± He didn¡¯t know what to say, as if everything he said would be wrong.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Er Ge, I heard from Dage that there are many factions in the army. These people are always fighting for military power by any schemes and tricks. If this incident doesn¡¯t make you realise your shorings and you learn nothing from it, I don¡¯t think you are fit to lead the army into battle. Otherwise, not only will you put yourself in danger, but you will also bring disaster to your family.¡± What was the use to be good at martial arts and fighting when the time came, a random ploy would just get him killed as easy as that?

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know precisely how Han Jianye died in his previous life. Still, she only vaguely heard that it seemed that Han Jianye shouldn¡¯t have been the one who led his troops to fight in that lousy battle, but was calcted to do so, which meant that Han Jianye was schemed to die in his previous life.

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t even expect Yuxi to have such a long-term vision. In this respect, he was not even as good as Yuxi! Han Jianming advised, ¡°Er Di, you have been counted on so easily. If you still don¡¯t raise your guard and correct your shorings, you aren¡¯t fit to lead an army into battle.¡± Seeing that Han Jianye looked like he had something to say, Han Jianming waved his hand and urged, ¡°Go back and think about it yourself. Think about what Yuxi said.¡±

    Han Jianye nodded heavily, then said to Yuxi, ¡°Yuxi, Er Ge was wrong just now. Er Ge shouldn¡¯t have yelled at you.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Er Ge, I know by saying this will make you ufortable. But I would rather you hate me or even ignore me in the future than wish you ill. I hope that you can realise your dreams smoothly and be a great hero.¡± In hisst life, Han Jianye failed to realise his ideal life.

    Han Jianye said sincerely, ¡°Yuxi, Er Ge thank you.¡± His mind couldn¡¯t turn that fast, but he knew that Yuxi was genuinely looking out for his good. At least before, he hadn¡¯t realised the problems that Yuxi was talking about. [+]

    After Han Jianye went out, Han Jianming smiled and asked, ¡°Is there something else you want to tell me?¡± He pondered away in his heart; could it be that he, too, had done something wrong?

    Yuxi answered, ¡°Dage, I do have one thing to tell you.¡±

    Han Jianming put away his smile and looked grave, ¡°Tell me.¡±

    Yuxi put the already no longer warm small hand stove on the table. ¡°Dage, while Qiu Yanfu was scheming against Er Ge, Dasao was pushing the wave and adding to the billows from behind the scenes. If it weren¡¯t for Dasao opening the floodgates wide, it would be impossible for Qiu Yanfu¡¯s maid to meet with Han Zhao that frequently.¡±

    Han Jianming¡¯s face sank, ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    Yuxi nodded slightly. ¡°I won¡¯t falsely use Dasao without sufficient evidence.¡± Ye Shi was acting behind the scenes this time, and when Lu Xiu passed through the gate, the two sisters-inw would not be able to get along peacefully. Yuxi did not want the discord between the two women to affect the brotherhood between Dage and Er Ge.

    Han Jianming pped the desk. Ye Shi, how dare she lie to him.

 Chapter 193 - Wicked Trick (12)

    <strong>Chapter 193 : Wicked Trick (12)</strong>

    After regaining hisposure, Han Jianming said to Yuxi with a cold face, ¡°Yuxi, I will take care of this matter properly.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t nod or shake her head but asked Han Jianming another question, ¡°Dage, there is one thing I didn¡¯t want to ask. But this time, I think I should ask. ¡±

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°Ask away.¡± As long as it wasn¡¯t confidential, he would answer it.

    Yuxi was going to ask about Han Jianming marrying a second room. ¡°Dage, you know it¡¯s hard for Dasao to conceive again. Are you nning to marry a second room?¡±

    Han Jianming nced at Yuxi in surprise before finally nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to marry a second room.¡± The word used was ¡®marry¡¯, not ¡®take¡¯.

    Yuxi just wanted to remind Han Jianming that it was not her decision whether he married or not. ¡°Dage, Ye Shi can¡¯t even tolerate Lu Xiu. Do you think she can tolerate a second room? Or a second room that will give birth to the heir to the State Residence?¡± Initially, Yuxi did not want to get involved in this matter, but through the incident with her Er Ge, she felt that Ye Shi was too narrow-minded. To avoid getting involved in a mother-inw/daughter-inw battle in the future, she thought that she had to let her Dage deal with this matter on his own.

    Han Jianming asked, ¡°So what do you think?¡±

    Yuxi wouldn¡¯t worry about Han Jianming. Worrying about an intelligent person would only be looking for abuse on herself. ¡°Dage, Dasao is smart but too selfish. In future, Dage might as well spend a little time in the backyard! Otherwise, when you marry the second room, the State Residence will be like flying chickens and jumping dogs.¡±

    Han Jianming nodded. ¡°I will take care of this matter.¡±

    Yuxi jumped on the previous topic again, ¡°Dage, you need to find a calm, reliable aide who is also good at strategy for Er Ge. It¡¯s fine for him to be like this in the capital. I just don¡¯t feelfortable if he goes out of here.¡± It was easier to change mountains and rivers than to alter one¡¯s character. Even if Han Jianye learned a lesson from this incident, it would be difficult to turn him into a vignt and calcting person. Since she could not change Han Jianye, she could only seek help for him.

    Han Jianmingughed bitterly, ¡°Reliable and resourceful aides are not so easy to find. People like this have long been taken away by others. Unfortunately, if you are a man, you can be Jianye¡¯s aide.¡± Darn, why was it getting depressing that Yuxi was not a man! If Yuxi were a man, she would be a real asset to the brothers!

    Yuxi said, ¡°When the timees for the metropolitan examination next year, you should have someone pay attention to it. There might be a useful talent!¡±

    Han Jianming nodded. ¡°Yuxi, you can oftene here when you have time in the future.¡± He could discuss some iprehensible things with Yuxi.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I can¡¯t. My Father said that I am already old enough to start avoiding suspicion. If I alwayse to your study, Dage, people will gossip.¡±

    When Han Jianming heard this, he first felt disbelief. He asked in a low voice, ¡°San Shu said such things to you?¡± He was Yuxi¡¯s dage. Even if she frequently came to his study, some outsiders would only think that she hade to learn something, which should not be enough for people in the residence to spread gossip.

    Yuxi revealed a mocking expression. ¡°Last time he called me to his study, in addition to reprimanding me, he also gave me several books such as ?Lessons For Women?, ?Women Virtues?, and ?The Book of Rites?. He told me to study them well, carefully figure them out, copy and transcribe them more often when I have nothing to do. Of course, if Dage didn¡¯t believe me, there was nothing I could do. If this hadn¡¯t happened to me, I wouldn¡¯t believe it either.¡± Now Yuxi believed the idiom ¡®hating the house and its crow¡¯. No matter what she did or how many things she did to please Han Jingyan, it was useless. As it was, she wouldn¡¯t waste her efforts in the future.

    Han Jianming¡¯s face twisted, and after a while, he finally said, ¡°It has been hard for you. I¡¯ll go to your side if there¡¯s something in the future. There¡¯s no need for you toe over.¡± Although he was the head of the State Residence, he had no right to interfere with the Third House¡¯s internal affairs. Plus, San Shu was his elder. There were things he could not do anything about.

    Yuxi nodded in agreement, ¡°Okay.¡±

    After Yuxi had gone out, Han Jianming sighed. Many parents were entric. For example, his mother was also partial to his Er Di, but she also cared for him. But to be biased like his San Shu was a bit unimaginable.

    When Yuxi returned to Taoran House, it was already dark. Zisu greeted her, looked at the hand stove in Yuxi¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Miss, is this hand stove still hot?¡± When she reached out, it was already ice-cold. [+]

    Zisu hurriedly took the hand stove off and gave Yuxi a recement.

    Yuxi took the recement hand stove and asked, ¡°Is there any hot soup left? Bring it to me.¡± She wondered why she was not tired from chatting with Yuchen and the girls, but every time she finished talking to her Dage, she would be hungry and tired?

    Pork Belly Wrapped Pigeon

    Image Credit | Ï§Ê±ÕÀ·ÅµÄèÙ×Ó»¨¨q? (Öí¶Ç°üÈé¸ëÌÀ) via Xiachufang

    Zisu replied with a smile, ¡°The kitchen has prepared pork belly wrapped pigeon for the Miss tonight. I will bring it over to Miss right now.¡± This was the best thing about her Miss. She didn¡¯t mind eating meat and vegetables aste-night snacks every day. But no matter how much she ate, she wouldn¡¯t gain weight, which made them all envious!

    After eating it, Yuxi said, ¡°This is a good stew. We¡¯ll stew another one in a couple of days.¡± Yuxi¡¯s standard of living had been quite good, and because of this, she was now more than a head taller than she was before.

    Zisu asked, ¡°Miss, what did Master Shizi call you over for? Is it about the Second Master?¡± She had heard that the Second Master was also in Han Jianming¡¯s study.

    Yuxi nodded a little and said, ¡°Er Ge was also in Dage¡¯s study.¡± Seeing Zisu¡¯s expression of wanting to know, Yuxi was in no mood to solve her doubts. ¡°Dage and Er Ge will take care of this matter.¡± Now there was only one problem left, and that was how to exin this matter to the Lu family. But in this case, Yuxi felt that it was not for her to step forth anyhow.

    Against all expectations, Han Jianye came over early the following day. At this time, Yuxi was just finishing her shadow boxing and was about to enter her study to read a book. Seeing Han Jianye, Yuxi asked, ¡°Er Ge, are you here for something?¡±

    Han Jianye nodded and said, ¡°Well, I thought hard all night about what you said yesterday. Yuxi, you¡¯re right about everything. With just the way I am now, how can I lead an army into battle? But I won¡¯t make such a foolish mistake again.¡±

    Yuxi had never doubted Han Jianye¡¯s ability to lead troops into battle. After all, that was what he had learned from Master Yang. It was just that even if he was good at fighting, he couldn¡¯t fight other people¡¯s schemes. ¡°I believe that Er Ge can do it.¡± She had to admire Han Jianye¡¯s toughness. If it were her, she would have to think for at least three days and three nights to recover. But, in one night, Han Jianye had be as energetic as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

    Han Jianye scratched his head. ¡°Yuxi, I¡¯m going to the Lu family today to talk to them about this matter. Yuxi, what do you think is the best thing for me to say?¡±

    Yuxi did not know whether tough or cry. So he came over early in the morning for this matter. At the same time, Yuxi was a bit speechless. Afterst night¡¯s incident, Er Ge had taken her as his personal aide. However, in the face of Han Jianye¡¯s pleading, she could not refuse. ¡°You have to tell the Lu family the truth about this matter. Do not avoid it. Admit your mistakes to them, and finally, tell the Lu family what you have prepared to do about this matter. By the way, Er Ge, how are you going to arrange Qiu Yanfu?¡± As long as Han Jianye had a good attitude, the Lu family was unlikely to withdraw from the marriage.

    Han Jianye thought about it all nightst night, and this question naturally came to his mind. ¡°Qiu Yanfu has lost her innocence, so I have to take her as a concubine. However, I will only treat her as a decoration in the future.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said: ¡°Well, this is a good idea. However, it would be better to let Qiu Yanfu, like Xiao Qian and the others, stay at the hamlet until Er Sao gives birth to her firstborn son! I think that there will be no more objections to such a decision from the Lu family.¡± Xiao Qian was Han Jianye¡¯s tongfang, and she had been sent to the family hamlet.

    Han Jianye thought Yuxi¡¯s idea was quite good.

    Yuxi advised, ¡°Er Ge, although I do not have much contact with the outside world, a human heart is unpredictable. Er Ge, in the future, try to think before doing things. Do not rely on your passion before taking action. Otherwise, it is easy for you to end disastrously.¡±

    Han Jianye nodded and said, ¡°Well, I listen to you.¡±

    Yuxi was embarrassed. What do you mean you listen to me? ¡°No, listen to me. If what I said makes sense, then you can just stop. Er Ge, in the future, it is better to ask Dage more when things go wrong!¡± In fact, for so long, Yuxi felt that there was something wrong with the way Han Jianming handled certain problems. Otherwise, the Han family wouldn¡¯t have been in that mess in the previous life. But Han Jianming¡¯s only problem was that he ignored the inner courtyard matter, so it wasn¡¯t that big of a problem.

    Han Jianye smiled, ¡°Well, in the future, I¡¯ll go and ask Dage if I have some problems.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°If there¡¯s anything I don¡¯t understand in the future, I can alsoe over and ask you.¡±

    Yuxi wanted to roll her eyes again, but to give Han Jianye face, she held back and reminded him again about the many things he needed to be aware of when he went to the Lu family. [+]

    After sending Han Jianye away, Yuxi shook her head slightly. The family was still too partial to her Er Ge, not allowing him to worry about anything and to prepare everything for him, so how could he mature? To protect a child too well was harmful, which couldn¡¯t be considered love for the child.

    Yuchen had his breakfast and went to the qin room to y the qin.

    Momo Gui walked in and reported, ¡°Miss, the Second Master went to the Lu family, with only Han Yi by his side. I heard the gatekeeper say that the Second Master looked rtively rxed when he went out.¡±

    Yuchen plucked the strings and said, ¡°Yuxi stayed in Dage¡¯s study for almost half an hour yesterday. She talked with Dage and Er Ge for so long, and today Er Tangge went to Taoran House early in the morning to look for Yuxi. Momo, what do you think Yuxi talked to them about?¡± Yuchen thought for half a day but could not figure out what Yuxi was up to.

    Momo Gui replied, ¡°It should be about Qiu Yanfu.¡±

    Yuchen shook her head and said, ¡°You think too highly of Qiu Yanfu. Don¡¯t look at Yuxi¡¯s constant targeting at her. Yuxi doesn¡¯t even put her in her eyes.¡± If Yuxi hated Qiu Yanfu, she would not have targeted her on a small scale.

    Momo Gui also thought for a moment and said, ¡°I can¡¯t guess. But, Miss, the Second Master is definitely going to take Qiu Yanfu as his concubine. Isn¡¯t it time for Qiu Lilong to be settled too?¡±

    Hearing that name, Yuchen seemed to hear something dirty. ¡°In any case, there¡¯s nothing wrong so far. It will settle in these two days!¡±

    Momo Gui watched Yuchen sitting there for a little while with her pretty eyebrows still frowning. She said, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t think about it anymore. If Miss really wants to know, I do have an idea.¡±

    Yuchen did want to know exactly what Yuxi had learned from Dage and the oue. Yuchen was used to having everything under her control, and this kind of thing that she knew nothing about made her feel quite bad. ¡°What¡¯s the idea?¡±

    Momo Gui¡¯s idea was to reveal this to Qiu Shi so that she could ask Yuxi about it. Qiu Shi was a person who couldn¡¯t keep secrets, so they would find out about it when the timees.

    Yuchen thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°You can give it a try, but don¡¯t let Yuxi notice.¡± Although she wanted to know all the ins and outs of Yuxi, she didn¡¯t want to have a bad rtionship with her.

    PS (the author): o(¨s¡õ¨t)o, I saw some readers questioning the appearance of things like shaved ice, so let me exin. A crossover girl appeared in the previous life, and she made stuff like shaved ice and juice. Heshou had eaten them before, and now she has copied them. However, there will not be a crossover girl in this book.

 Chapter 194 - The Matter Settled Down

    <strong>Chapter 194 : The Matter Settled Down</strong>

    Han Jianye went to the Lu family with a feeling of uneasiness. When he watched Qiu Yanfu try to take her life before, he thought this incident was solely his fault. So now that he was standing outside the Lu family¡¯s main gate, he had a guilty conscience that made him didn¡¯t dare to walk in.

    When the gatekeeper saw Han Jianye, he smiled and greeted, ¡°It¡¯s Si Guye! Si Guye, the Second Lord and the others have all gone on duty.¡±

    Han Jianye handed the horse in his hand to Han Yi, who was behind him. He then stated, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Er Bomu.¡± After he said this, he took a giant stride and walked in.

    The gatekeeper rubbed his hands together and then shrank back, telling another gatekeeper, ¡°There are still more than ten days to go before the wedding, but Si Guye doesn¡¯t have a smile on his face. This doesn¡¯t look right!¡± Thest time when Second Master Ye came to withdraw from the marriage, his face didn¡¯t look right either.

    The other gatekeeper kicked him. ¡°No ivory wille from a dog¡¯s mouth. Couldn¡¯t you say something auspicious? Indeed. Perhaps something is going on!¡± It seemed that Second Master Han was not the kind of person who couldn¡¯t think and see clearly!

    When Second Lady Lu heard that Han Jianye hade to look for her, she was a bit puzzled and at the same time had some uneasiness in her heart. There was nothing wrong with it again, was there? She couldn¡¯t help it. She was afraid something that had happened to Second Master Ye urred again.

    The result was, the thing she was afraid of really came true. When she heard what Han Jianye said, the blood in Second Lady Lu¡¯s whole body flowed backwards.

    After Han Jianye finished telling her, he said with tremendous guilt, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Bomu. I didn¡¯t expect this to happen. I know it¡¯s unfair to Ah Xiu, but I can¡¯t help it. I have to do it.¡± Han Jianye did not realise that this sentence would cause various interpretations.

    Second Lady Lu suddenly felt that the world was whirling. What sin did her daughter have done in her previous life! It was enough that she had met a bastard once, and now another one hade. Wasn¡¯t this the same as taking her daughter¡¯s life!

    Old Woman Jian, who stood beside Second Lady Lu, was much calmer. She looked at Han Jianye and noticed that it didn¡¯t seem like he hade to withdraw from the marriage. ¡°Is Second Master Han here to withdraw from the marriage?¡±

    Han Jianye panicked and hurriedly shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not here to withdraw from the marriage. I just came to tell you about this. Since Qiu Yanfu is my San Shen¡¯s niece, after such an incident, I have to take her as a concubine. I know it¡¯s not right for me to take a concubine before my big wedding with Ah Xiu. But it¡¯s already happened, and this is the only way to settle it.¡±

    Only when Second Lady Lu heard this did she feel alive again. Although it was better than withdrawing from the marriage, it was disgusting enough to have such a noble concubine around. But Second Lady Lu was the sensible type. Whether she had schemed him or not, Han Jianye would have to take the other party as his concubine. It was something inevitable, and she was unable to stop it. ¡°There are still more than ten days to go before the big wedding, and you¡¯re running over here now saying you¡¯re going to take a concubine. How do you want Ah Xiu to deal with this?¡±

    Han Jianye bowed his head and said, ¡°I am sorry for Ah Xiu, as she has been wronged even before she married me.¡±

    Second Lady Lu snorted and coldly asked, ¡°Then tell me, what are you going to do with this concubine?¡±

    Han Jianye told her his intentions. ¡°If Bomu agrees, I will go back and write down the paperwork for taking her as my concubine. Then, I¡¯ll send her to a hamlet in the countryside. Until Ah Xiu gives birth to our firstborn son, she will not be taken back to the residence.¡±

    Second Lady Lu asked, ¡°Was this your idea or your mother¡¯s?¡±

    Han Jianye bowed his head and answered, ¡°It was my idea. My Mother originally wanted to send her back to Hebei, but since she has lost her innocence, it would be bad for my reputation if she was indeed sent back to Hebei.¡±

    When Second Lady Lu heard his words, she felt much morefortable. From these words, she could see that Han Jianye did not have even a bit of feeling for this Qiu Yanfu, and then again, Lady Han was also disgusted with this woman. [+]

    When Han Jianye saw the cold expression on Second Lady Lu¡¯s face, he remembered what Yuxi had specifically told him. ¡°Originally, my Mother was going to bring me over to make amends, but she was so angry about yesterday¡¯s incident that she is still unwell; plus, I didn¡¯t want Ah Xiu to know about it before the wedding. If I let my Mothere, it would be a big issue, and it would be hard to hide it from Ah Xiu. So I didn¡¯t let my Mothere. Bomu, I know it¡¯s my fault for being such a jerk, and I¡¯m genuinely sorry for Ah Xiu. But please don¡¯t worry, I will treat Ah Xiu well in the future.¡±

    Once Second Lady Lu heard his assurance, her heart lost a lot of its turbidity, and she immediately said, ¡°Since it has already happened, there is no point in saying more. Since you have already made up your mind, I don¡¯t have anything more to say.¡± There were still more than ten days to go before the wedding, so it was impossible to withdraw from the marriage. Moreover, her daughter had already withdrawn from her marriage once. If she had to do it one more time, she would have to be an oilmp before the statue of Buddha for life.

    Han Jianye had to humble himself down. There was no way around it. He was the one who was in the wrong, so it was necessary to put himself down a bit. However, things went much more smoothly than he had imagined.

    Walking out of the Lu family¡¯s gate, Han Jianye was in a trance. Had things been settled just like that? Not to mention that he had not been hit with a big stick; he was not even being scolded. Han Jianye always felt that it was unreal. He didn¡¯t even think that if the Lu beat him so severely until he couldn¡¯t get up from bed before he was about to get married, it would be the Lu family that would lose face. Moreover, when Second Master Ye came to their house to break his engagement, he was about to rip open their face anyway; thus, they might as well beat him up. However, the Lu family had no intention of withdrawing from the Han family marriage, and their daughter would continue her marriage with the Han family. If they made things difficult for Han Jianye right now, Lu Xiu would be the one who suffered.

    After Han Jianye had left, Second Lady Lu said with a sad face, ¡°You say, what is this all about? Ah!¡± This marriage was about to take ce soon, but such a mishap suddenly happened.

    Old Woman Jianforted her, ¡°My Lady, you need to rx. At least, Guye didn¡¯t set his heart to that woman. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have said that he would send her to a hamlet in the countryside.¡±

    Second Lady Lu was still uneasy. ¡°What is the status of this Miss Qiu? Tell me about her.¡± If Lu Xiu were to marry into the Han family, the Lu family would naturally need to understand the Han family¡¯s situation. This way, Lu Xiu would not be in the dark when she married. It was only that the Second Lady Lu had not taken this person seriously before; so, she had never expected such a mishap to ur.

    Old Woman Jian gave a general ount of Qiu Yanfu¡¯s situation. ¡°Who would have thought that after the Qiao family¡¯s marriage withdrawal, she would be thinking of plotting against Guye?¡±

    Second Lady Lu was no fool. After hearing what Old Woman Jian said, shemented, ¡°If this slut can scheme on Jianye, nine times out of ten, someone is ying a dirty trick from behind.¡± Second Lady Lu had also assisted the Eldest Lady Lu in managing the household affairs. If there were no one to help her, Qiu Yanfu would not have schemed against Han Jianye that easily.

    Old Woman Jian¡¯s eyelids twitched as she questioned, ¡°What my Lady means is, the real mastermind was Ye Shi?¡±

    Second Lady Lu responded, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if she was behind this, but there¡¯s definitely her handwriting in it. Otherwise, how could Qiu Yanfu, a cousin who lives in the Han family whom the Han family dislikes, be able to scheme against Guye?¡± Qiu Yanfu¡¯s situation waspletely different from Ke Minjie¡¯s. Ke Minjie was loved by Madam Ye and had lived in the Ye family for several years. So she had her own inner connections. Hence, it was easy for her to trick Second Master Ye. But Qiu Yanfu was an unpleasant presence in the Han family. If not, why would everyone try to chase her out like she was a rat? In her case, how could she possibly buy off the servants of the State Residence?

    As Second Lady Lu thought of this, it tied her intestines into knots. How could one live with such a troublesome older sister-inw even when one had not yet entered the family?

    Second Lady Lu had some regret right now. She should not have agreed to the Han family¡¯s marriage proposal at that time. Otherwise, such a thing would not have happened. [+]

    Old Woman Jian saidfortingly, ¡°My Lady, let¡¯s look on the bright side. At least Lady Han and the future Guye are both looking out for our girl. Even if Ye Shi is difficult, she is only a sister-inw, not a mother-inw.¡± A mother-inw could crush her daughter-inw as hard as she liked, but if she was a sister-inw, one should just see her less often if one didn¡¯t get along with her.

    Second Lady Lu sighed, ¡°What¡¯s up with all this?¡±

    Old Woman Jian also thought that her family Miss was really unlucky. Her Miss was just about to forget Ke Minjie when another one, Qiu Yanfu, came. It was good that the current Guye was clear-headed and could not be fooled by that woman. If he were blinded with love just like the one from the Ye family, there would be no ce for her Miss to cry.

    Since it hade to this, it was useless for them to be upset, and they could only move forward. Second Lady Lu said, ¡°We must not let Ah Xiu know about this. Just let her live out thesest ten days in peace and be happy to get married.¡± Getting married was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Second Lady Lu did not want her daughter to marry into the Han family with a gloomy mood.

    Old Woman Jian nodded a little. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my Lady, I won¡¯t let Miss get wind of it.¡± If her Miss knew about it, it wouldn¡¯t do any good for her Miss, except to affect her mood.

    Second Lady Lu was in a bad mood, and Qiu Shi was equally so. It was because Mama Li just told her that Yuxi had long known about Qiu Yanfu¡¯s scheme against Han Jianye.

    Qiu Shi shook her head and argued, ¡°No way. Someone must have framed her. If Yuxi knew about it, how could she not stop it?¡°

    Mama Li also made sure it was correct before she informed Qiu Shi. ¡°My Lady, it is true. But I think there may be something hidden in this matter, so why don¡¯t my Lady ask the Fourth Miss yourself.¡± Seeing Qiu Shi¡¯s torn face, she reminded, ¡°The person who revealed this news has bad intentions. This person is trying to use this incident to drive a wedge between my Lady and Fourth Miss. My Lady, we can¡¯t fall into this person¡¯s trap!¡±

    When Mama Li first got the news, she also hesitated to tell Qiu Shi about it. After thinking for a while, she thought it would be better for her to say so. Since the person behind the scenes had revealed this matter, people would know about it sooner orter. It would be better for her to say it personally rather than having someone else tell the First Lady.

    Qiu Shi asked hesitantly, ¡°What if Yuxi doesn¡¯t want to tell me anything?¡± She was sure that Yuxi had failed to report what she knew about the incident to her in her heart. It was not that Qiu Shi did not have confidence in Yuxi, but the evidence was too overwhelming.

    Mama Li shook her head, ¡°No. I believe that as long as my Lady asks, Miss will talk. My Lady, I have seen how Miss has treated the Second Master all these years. She treats the Second Master as her own brother. Therefore, I do not believe that the Fourth Miss would let something happen to the Second Master.¡± On top of that, a person as intelligent as the Fourth Miss could not possibly do such a thing and handed the sword hilt to someone else. So Mama Li decided that there must be a hidden agenda here.

    Qiu looked down for a moment and nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll go ask her myself.¡± She would feel uneasy until she resolved this matter. Instead of specting, it would be more appropriate to ask Yuxi directly. If Yuxi couldn¡¯t tell her the truth, she could wait until next time!

 Chapter 195 - Sending Away

    <strong>Chapter 195 : Sending Away</strong>

    Yuxi was still practising her writing in the study when she heard Zisu informing her that Qiu Shi wasing over. She had just put down her pen when Qiu Shi walked in, forgetting even the most basic etiquette.

    Looking at her aunt¡¯s eager face, Yuxi sighed leisurely. She finally knew why the Second Master could easily lose his cool and always acted reckless and impulsive. Er Ge was simply a replica of her aunt. Yuxi asked with a smile, ¡°Eldest Aunt, why did youe over? Just have the maid call me if there¡¯s something you need me for.¡±

    Qiu Shi looked at Yuxi¡¯s appearance and remembering what Mama Li had just told her, the fire in her heart rushed up once more.

    Mama Li knew Qiu Shi well enough to see that something was wrong and immediately said, ¡°Fourth Miss, my Lady came over to ask you something.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, if you have anything to ask, then just ask away.¡± She usually only had her three personal maids in her private yard. Bingmei had gone out as it happened, and Kufu was still tidying things up in the wing-room. As for Zisu, she knew everything she needed to know anyway. [+]

    Qiu Shi asked in an exasperated voice, ¡°Yuxi, tell me honestly, have you long known about Qiu Yanfu¡¯s plot against your Er Ge?¡±

    Yuxi nodded as she answered, ¡°Yes, from the first moment Yanyu made contact with Han Zhao, I had guessed that Qiu Yanfu was going to calcte Er Ge.¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s eyes were red with anger. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you stop it? If you had stopped it, what happened yesterday would not have happened, and your Er Ge would not have be the joke of the residence.¡± Looking at the bemused Yuxi, Qiu Shi¡¯s anger grew even greater. ¡°Your Er Ge loves you so much that he will buy you a copy of anything he sees outside. He was always afraid that you would suffer in the residence and had asked me to love and think about you more. Your Er Ge loves you like his own sister. Is this how you repay your Er Ge? You¡­¡­¡±

    Mama Li sensed that Qiu Shi was going to say something unpleasant and hurriedly pulled her sleeve. Seeing that Qiu Shi stopped talking, she hurriedly asked, ¡°Fourth Miss, my Lady just wants to know, why did you not stop Qiu Yanfu when you knew she was going to plot against the Second Master?¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t exin but instead said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, the reason why I didn¡¯t stop Qiu Yanfu, I had already told Dage and Er Gest night.¡±

    Qiu Shi looked at Yuxi and inquired, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±

    Yuxi looked very calm as she replied, ¡°Eldest Aunt, in this world, my closest rtive is my Er Ge, so I will never do anything to harm him.¡±

    Mama Li understood and said for confirmation, ¡°Miss means that you can only tell the reason to Master Shizi and the Second Master, but not to the Lady?¡±

    Yuxi nodded a little and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t trust Eldest Aunt, but I think this is something I don¡¯t think Eldest Aunt needs to know.¡±

    How could Mama Li not understand what Yuxi was implying? She clearly knew her Lady¡¯s shoring. Her Lady was not the type who could hide things at all. Suppose Fourth Miss told her Lady why, she could then tell the Old Lady in the blink of an eye. In other words, the Fourth Miss was not defending herself against the Lady, but the Old Lady.

    Mama Li tried to reason with Qiu Shi, ¡°My Lady, when Miss found something was not right on the night of the pce rebellion, she didn¡¯t even care about her own safety and the first person she thought of was my Lady. Furthermore, Miss grew up under your watch, and you still don¡¯t know what temper she has? How could Miss do something that would harm the Second Master.¡± Seeing Qiu Shi¡¯s look of relief, she added, ¡°My Lady, the fact that Miss could personally tell Master Shizi and the Second Master about this is proof that Miss has a clear conscience.¡±

    Thetter statementpletely hit Qiu Shi¡¯s soft spot, but she also had her own worries. ¡°Yuxi, I believe you will not harm Ye-er. But have you thought about the consequences of this matter? What if the Lu family backs out of the marriage in a fit of anger?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Eldest Aunt. The Lu family won¡¯t withdraw from this marriage, and they won¡¯t even scold Er Ge. After all, he was also a victim in this matter.¡± Seeing Qiu Shi¡¯s face of disbelief, Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°Er Ge went to the Lu family early in the morning. If Eldest doesn¡¯t believe me, then when Er Ge returns, you can ask him yourself.¡±

    Mama Li still believed in Yuxi¡¯s ability. A person as cautious as Yuxi would not have said so much if she was not very sure.

    Qiu Shi left Taoran House with mixed feelings and instructed Mama Li, ¡°When the Second Master returns, tell him toe and see me immediately.¡±

    Mama Li didn¡¯t know what Qiu was thinking. ¡°My Lady, this old servant has to say something that this old servant shouldn¡¯t say. It¡¯s not that the Fourth Miss doesn¡¯t trust you, but she rather knows that my Lady is a straightforward person and not good at those twists and turns methods. So when the time for you to be wound up, you¡¯ll definitely let out all the tucked-away secrets.¡± She was close to saying that you couldn¡¯t hide secrets in your heart, so the Fourth Miss didn¡¯t dare to tell you.

    Even though Qiu Shi had a forgiving heart, she still felt ufortable. Hearing Mama Li words, she scolded, ¡°What benefits did that girl has given you? For you to even speak for her behalf?¡±

    Mama Li had been with Qiu Shi for over twenty years, and she was the only one who dared to say these kinds of words. ¡°This old servant is only helping the Fourth Miss because this old servant knows that she is true and sincere to my Lady and the Second Master.¡±

    Qiu Shi sighed softly. ¡°Say, that girl, what exactly is the reason for her not to stop it from happening?¡± All people have curiosity, and Qiu Shi was no exception, but that girl wouldn¡¯t say anything to her.

    Mama Li immediately changed the subject by saying, ¡°In ten days or so, it will be the Second Master¡¯s big wedding. With something like this happening, we¡¯ll have to be more attentive this time.¡±

    Qiu Shi was worried again, ¡°I don¡¯t know how Jianye will be doing.¡± She was distraught, thinking her son had been beaten up till he spat out blood, just like Second Master Ye!

    It turned out that Qiu Shi had been overthinking. Soon, she was looking at the intact Han Jianye. She hurriedly asked, ¡°What did the Lu family say?¡±

    Han Jianye told her about his visit to the Lu family.

    Hearing that the Lu family did not mention withdrawing from marriage and that the Second Lady was not angry, Qiu Shi¡¯s worry subsided. ¡°The Lu family is so reasonable. You should treat their girl well in the future.¡±

    Han Jianye nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I will treat Ah Xiu well in the future.¡± If he didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t be able to live with his conscience.

    After the discussion between mother and son had been concluded, Qiu Shi said, ¡°Don¡¯t interfere with this matter. Let Mother handle it.¡±

    With that scolding from his Dage and Yuxi earlier, Han Jianye couldn¡¯t wait to shake his hands off. As the saying went, it was better he did not do anything at all.

    Qiu Shi immediately went to the Third House to approach Wu Shi regarding the concubinage document for Qiu Yanfu. Only with the concubinage document could she send Qiu Yanfu away. If she did not establish the paperwork, Qiu Yanfu would still be a member of the Qiu family, and she had no qualification to dispose of her.

    Although Wu Shi didn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter, she couldn¡¯t ignore it either. ¡°Dasao, I¡¯ve already been added to the Han family. So I¡¯m a member of the Han family. I can¡¯t represent the Qiu family. You need my nephew to sign this document.¡±

    Qiu Shi immediately had someone seek out Qiu Lilong.

    Qiu Lilong was furious when he learned about Qiu Yanfu climbing onto Han Jianye¡¯s bed yesterday. He had already agreed with Eldest Young Master Wang that he would send Qiu Yanfu over in a couple of days, but now she was caught in such an uproar. He didn¡¯t know how to exin to Eldest Young Master Wang anymore. [+]

    It was no use getting angry any longer. Qiu Yanfu was no longer innocent anyway. Thus, she had to be Han Jianye¡¯s concubine. Qiu Lilong hated it so much that when Qiu Shi brought him the document and asked him to sign it, he readily agreed.

    After Qiu Lilong had signed with his seal, Qiu Shi asked Wu Shi to put her handprint on the middle column. Wu Shi didn¡¯t want to. But when she met with Qiu Shi¡¯s oppressive eyes, she had no choice but to do so.

    Qiu Yanfu was from a respectable family, so the paperwork for her concubinage had to be processed by a feudal official. Qiu Shi assigned someone to go through the procedure with the feudal official.

    When all of these was done, Qiu Shi was ready to send Qiu Yanfu to her dowry hamlet, where the head of the hamlet was her most reliable people. She was not worried that Qiu Yanfu would do any wicked trick if she were sent there.

    When Qiu Yanfu saw that the head old woman servant was fierce-looking, she asked Yanxia to give the woman arge red envelope.

    The woman squeezed the purse and found that it was pretty substantial, so she tucked it into her sleeve. ¡°The Lady is already kind enough to give you two-quarters of an hour to pack up your things. After two-quarters, we¡¯ll escort Concubine out.¡±

    As soon as Qiu Yanfu heard the word concubine, her face felt hot. Still, hearing the word send, she immediately inquired, ¡°Where is the Lady going to send me?¡±

    Since the old woman servant had received the benefit, her face no longer looked fierce. ¡°It is the rule of the State Residence that all concubines will be sent to the family hamlet before the big wedding.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu¡¯s heart went cold. If Qiu Shi sent her to the hamlet, who knew if she would return when it was in the year of the monkey and the month of the horse? She heard that Miss Lu was as pretty as flowers, and the Second Master would not remember who Qiu Yanfu was once he had such a beautiful woman. Qiu Yanfu shoved the twisted gold bangle from her wrist into the old woman¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Mama, do I have to go to the hamlet? Is there no other way?¡±

    This old woman servant who received the benefit from her coldly said, ¡°This is the residence rule. I advise Concubine Qiu not to bother about it and pack your things as fast as possible. The paperwork for the concubinage has already been done and reported to the yamen. If Concubine makes any unusual moves, Concubine will not receive any more mercy from the Lady.¡±

    Qiu Yanfu secretly hated that she hadn¡¯t gotten any useful information from the old woman servant after getting so much from her. But at this time, she also knew that she could not oppose her. She ordered her maids, Yanxia and Yanyu, to pack up her things, including gold, silver, silver tickets and clothes. There was a lot of stuff. Even half an hour was not enough for them to pack.

    Qiu Yanfu looked at her stuff and instructed, ¡°Just take the important ones.¡± She had so many things that even half a day would not be enough to pack them all. She would only take the important ones and put the rest away for now. She believed that it wouldn¡¯t take long for her to return.

    Two-quarters of an hourter, Mama Li herself came over. She took a nce around and found out there were more than a dozen boxes. Mama Li sneered and said nothing but, ¡°The carriage is ready. It¡¯s time for Concubine to leave!¡±

    Looking at the dark blue oilcloth carriage, a sh of embarrassment appeared in Qiu Yanfu¡¯s eyes; when she had gone out with the others before, she had always ridden in the best carriage. But this time, the carriage she rode in was not even as good as the one she had at home. Before she got into the carriage, Qiu Yanfu turned her head to look at the big words of the Duke of Han Official Residence and silently promised,

 Chapter 196 - Getting Screwed

    <strong>Chapter 196 : Getting Screwed</strong>

    The day after Qiu Yanfu had been sent away, Qiu Lilong rushed to beg to see Wu Shi with a sullen look.

    When Wu Shi heard the maid¡¯s report, she instructed, ¡°Tell Young Master Biao that I am not feeling well enough to see any guests.¡± Qiu Yanfu had made her lose all her face. She now regards the Qiu family as severe floods and fierce beasts whom she was unwilling to get involved with any longer.

    When Qiu Lilong heard that Wu Shi didn¡¯t want to see him, he toughened his scalp to find Han Jingyan. Now, only this uncle could save him.

    Qiu Lilong¡¯s personal page reported, ¡°Young Master, the Third Lord has gone to the yamen and is not at the residence. We can¡¯t go to the yamen office to look for him, can we? ¡±

    Qiu Lilong gritted his teeth and ordered, ¡°Then, let¡¯s go to the yamen.¡±

    When Han Jingyan heard at the yamen that someone was looking for him and that person was his nephew, he thought of Qiu Lilong. His face immediately became rather unpleasant. If it were before, he would not have minded. But with what happened to Qiu Yanfu, he felt disgusted with the Qiu family to the core.

    When Qiu Lilong saw Han Jingyan, he was pretty calm. But when the two walked to a nearby teahouse and were inside a private room, Qiu Lilong cried and begged, ¡°Uncle, you must save me. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll be dead.¡±

    Disgust shed across Han Jingyan¡¯s eyes as he asked coldly, ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±

    The matter was straightforward. The Eldest Young Master Wang had screwed Qiu Lilong. The two had agreed on a deal, and to achieve his goal, Qiu Lilong not only took out the 100,000 capital he brought with him but also went to a private bank to borrow 50,000 of usury. And just today, Eldest Young Master Wang flipped out, saying that he cancelled the deal and that Qiu Lilong would not get back any of the money he had invested.

    Han Jingyan, who mixed with official circles, could hear that there was something wrong at first hearing, ¡°What deal have you made with Wang Shaoqi?¡±

    Qiu Lilong began to stammer, but when he saw Han Jingyan throwing up his hands and preparing to leave, he became anxious. ¡°Eldest Young Master Wang said he could help me by providing the salt certificate.¡± Salt certificates were a lucrative business. If he could get a salt certificate, in less than three years, their family would be the richest in Hebei, and it was this temptation that made Qiu Lilong lose his usual mind.

    Han Jingyan looked coldly at Qiu Lilong and asked, ¡°How much value of the salt certificate did Eldest Young Master Wang promise you?¡±

    Qiu Lilong felt so weak from Han Jingyan¡¯s stare that he toughened his scalp and replied in a low voice, ¡°Half a million.¡±This amount is not particrlyrge, but it is not tiny either.

    Han Jingyan let out augh. ¡°When you took so much money to bribe him, you didn¡¯t expect this day toe?¡± Salt trading was a profitable business, and without a strong background, one could not get a salt certificate. But this guy was so greedy that he wanted a piece of the action.

    When Qiu Lilong saw his uncleugh, his heart seeped with fear. ¡°Uncle, if I don¡¯t pay back the money, the people of the private bank will beat me to death. Uncle, you can¡¯t just leave me to die!¡± He didn¡¯t have many rtives in the capital, and the only ones he could rely on were Han Jingyan and Wu Shi.

    Han Jingyan frowned and said, ¡°Wait until I get off work. You go back and wait first.¡± If this matter were left unattended, it would be unsightly if Qiu Lilong really died in the capital.

    Qiu Lilong could not see that Han Jingyan wasn¡¯t just making an excuse, so he hurriedly suggested, ¡°Uncle, can you lend me the money first? When I return to Hebei, I will immediately return your money. Uncle, I beg you. You are the only family I have left in the capital. If you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll have to die here in the capital.¡± Today, two fierce debt collectors stopped him and told him to pay back the money. When they heard that he had no money, they beat him up and said that if he didn¡¯t pay within three days, they would take off his arm, and if he didn¡¯t pay within ten days, he would be thrown into the moat.

    Qiu Lilong was afraid of dying. Life was so beautiful, and he hadn¡¯t had the chance to enjoy it yet, so how could he be willing to die? But if Han Jingyan were to wash his hands of him, he would only have one road that led to his death.

    Han Jingyan still said, ¡°I will give you an answer to this matter after I have discussed it with your aunt when I am off my duty.¡± After saying that, he went back to the yamen.

    Qiu Lilong went back to the State Residence and tried to see Wu Shi, but she did not want to see him. So he could only worry in his own room.

    No matter how long her hands were, Yuxi was unable to reach out to the front yard. But Yuchen was much better than she was, and someone soon told her about Qiu Lilong¡¯s unusualness. [+]

    Yuchen sneered. ¡°Such a greedy thing.¡± Was the salt certificate so easy to get? Without any diamond cutter, one didn¡¯t have to try to mend porcin wares.

    Momo Gui inquired, ¡°Miss, this Qiu Lilong has gone to seek the Lord. Do you think the Lord will go and seek out the Wang family?¡±

    Yuchen shook her head and said, ¡°Unlikely.¡± The Qiu family was just a merchant family. There was no way her father would go and sell his face for Qiu Lilong.

    When Momo Gui heard this, she said nothing more.

    That evening, when Han Jingyan returned to the State Residence, he went to seek out Wu Shi directly to tell her about Qiu Lilong.

    Wu Shi¡¯s hatred was so intense that she was gnashing her teeth. Each of her niece and nephew hade to disgrace her. She should have never let Qiu Yanfu apany her to the capital. ¡°My Lord, what do you think should be done about this?¡±

    Han Jingyan¡¯s solution was simple. They would step in to help Qiu Lilong pay off the usury and then let him go back to his hometown to get the money to pay off his debt. Han Jingyan was not worried that the Qiu family would renege on the debt.

    It was not that Han Jingyan couldn¡¯t go to Wang Shaoqi to get back the money Qiu Lilong had put in. Even if he didn¡¯t get back half of it, he could always ask for it. Obviously, it was a pit, but Qiu Lilong had been confused by the huge profit. But, as Yuchen had predicted, Han Jingyan was reluctant toe forward because he felt ashamed. Besides, he had nothing to gain from this. Thus, he was unwilling to sell this favour.

    Wu Shi shook her head as she asked, ¡°My Lord, where are we going to gather so much silver?¡±

    Han Jingyan already had an idea. ¡°As much as we can scrape together and borrow from the private bank if we don¡¯t have enough.¡± Han Jingyan was not talking about borrowing usury but about taking out a loan in the usual way. But, of course, he would not be the one to borrow the money.

    Wu Shi actually wanted to shake it off, but Han Jingyan threw the matter to her, so she couldn¡¯t even shake it off even if she wanted to. ¡°Then let¡¯s put it all together.¡±

    Han Jingyan was still more generous. ¡°I¡¯ll send 15,000 taels of silver overter.¡± He meant that Wu Shi could raise as much as she could, and if she didn¡¯t have enough, she could borrow from the private bank. As for the interest, it was natural for the Qiu family to pay for it.

    With Han Jingyan¡¯s 15,000 taels and Qiu¡¯s own 10,000 taels, 25,000 taels were raised, leaving a shortfall of 45,000 taels, with the extra 10,000 taels being the interest.

    The next day, Wu Shi took Qiu Lilong to the private bank to borrow money. Wu Shi was the Third Lady of the State Residence. Thus, the people of the private bank were not worried about her not having the money to pay them back. So with Wu Shi as the guarantor, the process of borrowing money went smoothly.

    The moment Qiu Lilong got the money, he paid off the private bank soon after. Then, despite the cold winter months, he left the capital directly with his page. As for whether he would return to Hebei safely among the wind and snow, that was still unknown.

    When Qiu Lilong left, the matter also broke out. When Qiu Shi heard this, she resentfully said, ¡°Serves you right.¡± There was not a single good one in the Qiu family. The more bad luck for them, the better!

    Mama Li, on the other hand, felt that something was wrong. ¡°My Lady, why would the Eldest Young Master Wang family cause Qiu Lilong to get into a pit? Is there some kind of conspiracy happening here?¡±

    The way Qiu Shi thought of things was straightforward. ¡°Maybe he was too shy, so people couldn¡¯t stand to see him and wanted to teach him a lesson. I guess if it weren¡¯t for the signboard of the State Residence, his corpse would have been gone. In any case, it¡¯s good for him to leave finally so as not to be heard and an eyesore.¡± She had been thinking for the past two days about what excuse she could find to kick this Qiu Lilong out. Well, now that he had gone, there was no need for her to think of any more excuses.

    The only one who knew the truth was Yuxi. Hearing the news that Qiu Lilong had left, Yuxi smiled. This method was neither better nor worse.

    Zisu eximed, ¡°I thought the Third Miss would make this Qiu Lilong suffer skin and flesh!¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°The Qiu family is rich in Hebei. I guess they have a fortune of 230,000 taels tops. This matter will cause them to lose 170,000 to 180,000 silver, which will definitely break their bones.¡± Even though the Qiu family would be breaking their bones, it wouldn¡¯t hurt the Third House¡¯s interests. [T/N]

    Qiu Lilong¡¯s affair was like a pebble falling into the water, where it made a small ssh and soon drowned.

    The time for Han Jianye¡¯s wedding was getting closer and closer, and with the wedding and New Yearing up, the State Residence was getting even busier. Hence, Qiu Shi simply asked Ye Shi to get busy preparing for the New Year, while she asked Yuxi to take care of Han Jianye¡¯s wedding together.

    Looking at Qiu Shi, who was busy, Yuxi was pleased. In her previous life, when her Er Ge had to marry Qiu Yanfu, the wedding had been held coldly and quietly, with only a few rtives being invited symbolically to have a drink. And throughout the wedding, her aunt was in tears. People who didn¡¯t know thought it was a funeral service! But now, it was different. When Er Ge got married, the residence was decorated with lights and decorations, and Qiu Shi had sent out invitations to all friends and rtives a month ago. Her aunt had been busy for more than two months. Although there was a look of exhaustion in her eyes, she always smiled. [+]

    Sensing that Yuxi was looking at her, Qiu Shi smiled and asked, ¡°What, do I have something dirty on my face?¡± This period could make her extremely tired. But she was still relieved to think that once her youngest son got married, he would be a real adult from now on. Of course, the most important thing was that Lu Xiu was going to enter their gate, and it would not be long before she could hold her grandson. She had been looking forward to her grandson since Ye Shi joined the family, but she was still unsure where he was, so she was very anxious. The good news was that her youngest daughter-inw would soon enter the family and her grandson was just around the corner.

    Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, you look tired. You¡¯d better have a rest. Don¡¯t get yourself too tired!¡± The wedding had a fixed procedure, and they had done everything that should be prepared. The remaining days were mainly for checking. If there was any mistake, they could quickly make up for it.

    Qiu Shi shook her head and responded, ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± She felt like she had more energy than she could usually muster!

 Chapter 197 - Han Jianyes Wedding (1)

    <strong>Chapter 197 : Han Jianye¡¯s Wedding (1)</strong>

    A big wedding could make a person distraught as one had to get up before dawn. But this was Han Jianye¡¯s wedding, so the feeling of distraught was for him and his bride, not for Yuxi.

    Yuxi got up on time, walked to the main hall, saw the weather outside, and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be sunny today.¡± In the depths of winter, it was even hard to see the sun out.

    Zisu smiled and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going to be sunny, but as long as it doesn¡¯t rain, it¡¯s good.¡± By all means, if it were going to rain, then it would be troublesome.

    Yuxi looked at the genuine smile on Zisu¡¯s face, nodded a little, and went to the wing room for her morning exercise. Ever since she had experienced the benefits of it, she never fell behind in practising it anymore.

    After her morning exercise, Yuxi began to freshen up. Her task today was to entertain guests. So naturally, the guests that Yuxi would be entertaining were of her own age.

    After breakfast, Yuxi went to Tingyun Pavilion. Seeing Yuchen wearing a cerise coloured dress, she smiled, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen San Jie wearing a red dress!¡± A beauty looked good in any kind of dress, and she could wear any clothing to bring out her unique charm.

    Yuchen smiled a little, ¡°You¡¯re not bad either. Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go to Grandmother¡¯s ce.¡±

    Of the five young misses in the State Residence, all four except Second Miss, Yujing, hade out to greet the guests.

    When Zhou Shiya had her free time, she asked Yuxi, ¡°I heard that your Wu Mei¡¯s biaojie climbed into your Er Biaoge¡¯s bed. Is this true?¡± It was quite a big deal at the time. Since there was no control over the news, it got out the next day. [T/N]

    Yuxi nodded and replied, ¡°Well, there is such a thing. But that person has been sent to the hamlet in the countryside.¡±

    When Zhou Shiya heard this, she whispered, ¡°When my mother heard about this, she guarded against my two biaojie who were lodged in our residence as if they were thieves, for fear that they would hit on my Gege.¡±

    Yuxi was not very familiar with the Mao sisters and was not in any position to give ament. ¡°Anyway, this is already in the past. So don¡¯t mention it again.¡±

    Zhou Shiya nodded a little, then said with a smile, ¡°I have heard that Er Biaoge¡¯s wife is lovely and especially liked by Eldest Aunt. Have you met her?¡± She had heard about it from her mother and was somewhat curious about this future Er Biaoge¡¯s wife.

    Yuxi smilingly answered, ¡°I¡¯ve seen her. She¡¯s gorgeous. Especially her nicely curve figure.¡± After saying that, she whispered the words ¡®good for bearing children¡¯ to Zhou Shiya¡¯s ear. After she had told her that, she looked at Zhou Shiya¡¯s plump body and stared at her with deep meaning.

    Zhou Shiyaughed and whacked Yuxi twice. ¡°That¡¯s an obscene look in your eyes.¡± She had always felt that she was a bit fat, but her mother said she was just right. She hadn¡¯t understood this before, but today she finally did. As she thought about what Yuxi had just said, she was somewhat bashful but a little bit depressed.

    Yuxi asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look like you have a heavy heart?¡±

    Zhou Shiya said, ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t exin it for now. Let¡¯s get together after the New Year and have a nice talk.¡± Since the incident with Duan Xinrong, the three of them had never got together again. Because if they did, they would always think of Xinrong, who was nowhere to be found.

    Yuxi was about to speak when she saw a beautiful girl approaching her. There was confusion in her eyes. She didn¡¯t know this girl and whose family she was from.

    When the maid leading the way saw Yuxi, she curtsied and introduced, ¡°Fourth Miss, this is Miss Ye Yin of the Ye family. She came with Madam Ye.¡±

    Yuxi took a look at this Ye Yin, who had curved willow eyebrows with watery almond eyes, standard melon face, fair and delicate skin. She was a beauty. Just by looking at this girl¡¯s appearance, Yuxi knew that the Ye family had prepared this Ye Yin to be Dage¡¯s second room.

    Yuxi greeted her with a smile.

    Ye Yin returned with courtesy, but she did it messily. Ye Yin herself sensed that something was wrong, and her face turned a little red.

    BOWING, THE WAY THE CHINESE CURTSY.

    Yuxi watched her mouth move but didn¡¯t hear what she said, so she asked, ¡°What did you just say? Can you speak louder? I can¡¯t hear you.¡± Even mosquitoes sounded louder than she was!

    Ye Yin had no idea what to do with her hands and feet when she heard Yuxi¡¯s words.

    Yuxi¡¯s good mood waspletely gone when she saw Ye Yin acting like this. This woman was a baozi. Uh-huh, to be precise, this woman was a tool sent by the Ye family to give birth to a son.

    Yuxi was not interested in entertaining Ye Yin, so she made a random excuse to leave. Halfway through the door, she turned back and saw Ye Yin whispering something to the maid. Although Ke Minjie had left, it seemed like the battle between mother-inw and daughter-inw was inevitable. [+]

    At noon, the couple performed their bowing ceremony. After the ceremony, the bride was sent into the bridal chamber. Han Jianye stood at the head of the bed, and his hand was shivering a little as he held the steelyard. However, his action made the few women presentugh.

    Han Jianye lifted the red cover and looked at the bride, forgetting to blink his eyes. Lu Xiu did not look beautiful as threeyers of powder covered her face. The white powder did make her face white, but the whiteness was not natural at all. But, to Han Jianye, Lu Xiu was as beautiful as a fairy ascending down from heaven.

    Lu Xiu ducked her head in shame at such a fiery stare.

    The xiniang alsoughed and made fun of the couple. ¡°My Goodness, the groom is looking foolishly at the bride!¡± As soon as these words were said, another burst of good-naturedughter filled the bridal room.

    After going through the process, Han Jianye was pushed out to entertain the guests. Still, as he left, he did not forget to turn around and loudly say, ¡°Ah Xiu, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    At those words, the room erupted with another round ofughter. It was unknown who the speaker was as this personughingly said, ¡°The groom is really in a hurry to have a wedding night.¡±

    Lu Xiu blushed as red as an apple.

    After lunch, Zhou Shiya followed her mother back. Before she left, she said to Yuxi, ¡°As promised,e to my house after New Year. I will wait for you at home then.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Alright. I will be there that day.¡±

    After seeing off the guests, Yuxi also returned to Taoran House. She was so tired that she took off her coat and went straight to bed. Seeing Zisu walk in, she instantly asked, ¡°Did the wedding go well?¡±

    Zisu¡¯s face was a little ugly as she replied, ¡°It didn¡¯t go well. The wedding candles fell over in the bridal chamber.¡± A fallen wedding candle means bad luck.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Did a maid knock it over?¡±

    Zisu shook her head and retold, ¡°No, it¡¯s the Da Nainai. I don¡¯t know how she walked that she could even hit the table. She somehow knocked down the wedding candle.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°Then it was an ident. Dasao is not a fool. She couldn¡¯t have done it intentionally under the eyes of so many people.¡±

    Zisu was unsure whether this incident was an ident or not. She instead urged, ¡°It has been a long day. Miss must have been tired, so go take a break!¡± For better or for worse, this incident was still considered unlucky.

    Yuxi nodded her head a little and finally was able to sleep in peace for a while. Otherwise, she would have been exhausted. She didn¡¯t know how her Eldest Aunt could be so energetic.

    After a good nap, Yuxi went back to the Master Courtyard. The guests were gone, but there were still many things to be dealt with afterwards. For example, the dishes and wedding decorations had to be gathered up and the matters in the kitchen. All of which needed to be disposed of.

    It took another busy afternoon until it was almost dark to put all the main things in order. On the way back, Yuxi told Zisu, ¡°Getting married is truly a pain!¡± There were even more people at the time of her Dage¡¯s wedding than there are now, but at that time, she was not in charge and just watching the fun. But when she took care of things rted to the wedding herself, she realised that preparing for one was incredibly tiring.

    Zisu said with a smile, ¡°Getting married is a very tiring thing, even so for the groom and the bride. But the Second Master is in good health, and he doesn¡¯t look any different at all.¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little as she said, ¡°We get to rest early today.¡± The past few days had been exhausting for her too, and she had to rest.

    Zisu suggested, ¡°Miss should rest for these few days!¡± There was no need for Yuxi to do anything for the next few days anyway.

    Unfortunately, when Yuxi returned to the Taoran House and climbed into bed after bathing, she kept on tossing and turning, unable to sleep. She eventually picked up a book and read it while lying down on the bed until she was so tired that she fell asleep.

    The next day, the couple would have a greeting ceremony with the family, so Yuxi started to wash and dress after her morning exercises. After she had tidied herself up, she went to the front yard in her thick overcoat.

    When Yuxi arrived, everyone else was already there except for the groom and the bride. However, she didn¡¯t feel embarrassed to be thest one as she bowed towards the crowd. [+]

    Han Jingyan frowned and was just about to speak when he heard a coughing fit from the Old Lady. The Old Lady said, ¡°Go see if the young couple hase yet?¡± Today was the day the new couple would be greeting the groom¡¯s family, and it would be embarrassing if Old Third reprimanded Yuxi in front of everyone.

    As soon as the Old Lady uttered this question, a maid came in to inform, ¡°Old Lady, Second Master and Er Nainai have arrived at the gate.¡±

    The couple walked in holding hands. Lu Xiu tried to break away, but Han Jianye simply tugged her hand and wouldn¡¯t let go. Only after they had walked into the room did they let go. At this time, Lu Xiu¡¯s face was as red as a boiled shrimp.

    Holding hands, though affectionate, was somewhat undignified. Fortunately, Qiu Shi was so anxious to have a grandson, and when she looked at their show of affection, she could only be happy and not overthink it. Sheughed to help the couple out of embarrassment. ¡°That child, honestly, doesn¡¯t know how to be considerate.¡±

    The Old Lady had never seen Lu Xiu before. She only heard about her from Qiu Shi. This time, she was very pleased with Lu Xiu¡¯s figure. With Ye Shi as an example, the Old Lady¡¯s requirements for her granddaughter-inw now were that she had to be fit and able to give birth. It was evident that Lu Xiu looked like she would be able to bear children. At that moment, she smiled and said, ¡°Bring tea to the Second Master and Er Nainai.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Han Jianye, who kept on cracking a smile that she smiled along. This blockhead. Surprisingly, he had be a silly person after he got married.

    When Yuchen saw Yuxiugh, she asked, ¡°What is Si Mei smiling at?¡±

    Yuxi smilingly answered, ¡°I¡¯m just happy. Er Sao is gorgeous and looks very gentle. Er Ge will be blessed in the future.¡±

    Yuchen took a serious look at Lu Xiu, then nodded andplimented, ¡°She¡¯s pretty.¡± Her looks were superior, her figure was good, and her words and behaviour were perfect.

    Yuxi smiled slightly. Lu Xiu was a beautiful woman. But with Yuchen here, no matter how beautiful Lu Xiu was, she would only be a foil.

 Chapter 198 - Han Jianyes Wedding (2)

    <strong>Chapter 198 : Han Jianye¡¯s Wedding (2)</strong>

    The maid fetched two cushions and ced them on the floor. Han Jianye and Lu Xiu both held the tea in their hands and handed it to the Old Lady.

    The Old Lady epted it, took a couple of sips and gave a pair of mandarin duck jade pendant as a gift. The jade pendant was emerald green and of perfect colour, but they were more than a notch below the one given to Ye Shi that day.

    Yuxi nced at the jade pendant and quickly bowed her head. She knew that the Old Lady did not mean to take such things as a gift. Because of the Pce Rebellion night, the Old Lady had suffered heavy losses, and now her treasury was still empty.

    Duke Han was a strange man. He didn¡¯t even want toe to his own son¡¯s wedding. It was Han Jianming who personally went to the other courtyard to invite him. But he had gone to the other yard again yesterday, so naturally, he was not there for this morning¡¯s acknowledgement of marriage. In this regard, everybody was unusually calm. He was good enough to attend the wedding yesterday, so it didn¡¯t matter if he wasn¡¯t there today.

    Qiu Shi drank the cup of her daughter-inw¡¯s tea and gave her own gift for meeting herÒ»a pair of double happiness ruyi mutton fade jade hairpins. Not particrly impressive, but not too shabby either.

    Yuxi understood. Perhaps Eldest Aunt didn¡¯t want to overstep the Old Lady. That was why she gave such a first meeting gift.

    The elders were the ones to give the first meeting gifts, while they, the juniors, were the ones to receive the first meeting gifts from the bride. The gift that Lu Xiu gave to the juniors was a lotus bag embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns. As for what was inside the purse, only the receiver would know.

    Yuxi took the purse and said with a smile, ¡°Thank you, Er Sao.¡±

    Lu Xiu had known their meeting at Lingshan Mountain that day was not a chance encounter as she answered with a smile, ¡°Si Meimei is too polite.¡± She had heard from her mother that both her mother-inw and her husband were very fond of Yuxi. Her mother even asked her to get along well with Yuxi after she married. Hence, in the future, she would have someone to help her in the residence.

    After the greeting ceremony, it was time for breakfast. At breakfast, everyone sat down except Ye Shi and Lu Xiu. Both of them would mainly serve the Old Lady and Qiu Shi, but not the others.

    The Old Lady had lost her special cook, and the newly hired cook was not nearly as good as the original cook.

    After eating breakfast, the crowd dispersed. When going out, looking at Er Ge, who was still outside the house, Yuxi smiled. ¡°Er Ge, I will go back first.¡± Needless to say, she also knew that Er Ge must be waiting for his wife.

    Han Jianye responded absentmindedly. His eyes were still on the door curtain. Yuxi felt that it was thanks to the fact that his Eldest Aunt was a forgiving person. If it was other people¡¯s mothers, who wouldn¡¯t know how unhappy they would be if they saw their sons being so clingy to their newly married daughters-inw!

    Back at Taoran House, Zisu opened the purse. Inside the purse were two precious stones and two diamonds. She was shocked. ¡°Miss, this is a generous gift from Er Nainai!¡±

    Kufu was also amazed. ¡°I heard that the Lu family property wasrge, but I didn¡¯t think that Er Nainai would be such a big spender.¡± If Miss added up all of these, how much would it cost!

    East Pearl

    They are produced in Songhua River Basin. Ites in 3 coloursÒ»white, ck and yellow, and have lines on it. They were precious during the Qing Dynasty. Only Royal Family could wear them. If other people wore them other than the Royal Family, they would be punished.

    Image Credit | ¶ÀÁ¢¹Û²ìÔ± (¶«ÖéµÄÈýÖÖÑÕÉ«£º°×É«¡¢ºÚÉ«ºÍ½ðÉ«, Feb 19, 2019)

    Yuxi said to her three maids, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this. If anyone asks, just say that there were six East Pearls in it.¡± Although the East Pearls were valuable, they were no better than these things.

    The three maids were not stupid and immediately understood. ¡°What Miss means is that this gift was the only one?¡± If that was the case, then they could not tell the matter to others.

    Yuxi exined, ¡°Even if they were generous people, they couldn¡¯t each give us such thick gifts.¡± Why would Lu Xiu send such a generous first gift to her? It certainly wouldn¡¯t be because they had met before. Nine out of ten, it was because the Lu family had inquired about their family circumstances and knew that Er Ge doted on her, so they gave her such a generous gift.

    Kufu and Bingmei nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± These things added up to thousands of taels of silver. No matter how rich Er Nainai was, she wouldn¡¯t spend it like this.

    While on the Master Courtyard side, as Lu Xiu came out, she was slightly embarrassed to see Han Jianye. Han Jianye took a big stride over and said, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll take Ah Xiu back first.¡±

    Qiu Shi responded with a smile, ¡°You guys should go back!¡± It was a rule for new daughters-inw to serve meals to their inws on the first day of their marriage, and it was not a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for the daughters-inw.

    Lu Xiu answered with a red face.

    Walking out of the Master Courtyard, Han Jianye wanted to take Lu Xiu¡¯s hand, but Lu Xiu was reluctant. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. There are so many people around. Don¡¯t you know how embarrassing it will be?¡±

    Han Jianye smilingly said, ¡°What is there to be embarrassed about? I am holding my own wife¡¯s hand, not someone else¡¯s. When they see it, they will only be envious.¡± After saying this, he still held Lu Xiu¡¯s small hand in his palm. [+]

    Qiu Shi looked at the young couple in love and said with a smile, ¡°It seems that I will be able to hold a grandson soon.¡±

    Mama Li looked at Ye Shi, who seemed to have an unnatural expression next to her. She immediately changed the subject by saying, ¡°My Lady, now that the Second Master is already married, you will be able to enjoy the blessings of your children and grandchildren in peace from now on.¡± She knew that as long as Han Jianye had not gotten married, Qiu Shi would not be able to rest in peace. Now that Han Jianye finally became a family man, a heavy burden had finally been relieved from her Lady.

    Qiu Shi shook her head and said, ¡°How can I enjoy my children and grandchildren in peace? Yuxi will be thirteen in a year, so she needs to start looking for her future husband. I can¡¯t truly rest until I find a good home for Yuxi.¡± Yuru and Yu Jing¡¯s marriage had already been decided, and it was not her responsibility to worry about Yuchen¡¯s marriage. The only one she had to worry about was Yuxi. There was no one else in the residence who worried about Yuxi¡¯s marriage except for her.

    Mama Li said with a smile, ¡°Our Fourth Miss is pretty and smart. She will surely find her own ideal husband.¡± She thought that Yuxi was good in every way, except for one thing, that was, she had a strong temperament. Generally speaking, mothers-inw did not like a daughter-inw who had this kind of temperament.

    Qiu Shi smilingly replied, ¡°That¡¯s true, but it¡¯s not that easy to find someone who is good in every way. The good thing is that Yuxi is only going to be thirteen years old, so she can take her time to find one.¡± Qiu Shi decided that after the New Year, she would take Yuxi out for more social engagements so that the marriage could be finalised before Yuxi reached maturity.

    When Ye Shi returned to Songxiang Courtyard, her face was not looking very good.

    Upon seeing Ye Shi¡¯s face, Old Woman Hua asked, ¡°Da Nainai, what¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?¡±

    Ye Shi waved her hand as she said, ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired. I¡¯ll be fine after a rest.¡± Seeing how precious Lu Xiu was to Han Jianye, she was in a bad mood. Master Shizi had never treated her that well.

    Old Woman Hua cautiously suggested, ¡°Da Nainai, how about you lie down on the bed for a while?¡± During this period, Da Nainai had been extremely busy, so she must have been exhausted.

    Ye Shi shook her head and said, ¡°There are still a bunch of things to take care of! By the way, yesterday Mother brought Ye Yin over. What do you think of her?¡± Last night Han Jianming hade to Songxiang Courtyard for the night, but the two of them hadn¡¯t had the time to talk about it.

    Old Woman Hua hesitated for a moment beforementing, ¡°Da Nainai, Ye Yin is indeed good looking, but her temperament is not eptable. The Lady and Master Shizi, nine out of ten, will find her unsuitable.¡±

    Ye Shi said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of being so good-natured, as long as you can have a son?¡± If she was going to have a capable and beautiful second room, wouldn¡¯t she have to fight with her?

    Old Woman Hua said, ¡°That¡¯s true, but the matter still needs to be approved by the Lady and Master Shizi. Grandma, if you have the time, you can ask Master Shizi first. Then, if he agrees, it will be easier to speak with the Lady.¡± The First Lady had hardly objected to the decision made by Master Shizi.

    Ye Shi was a little annoyed as she spoke, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this matter after the New Year.¡± If they talked about the second room right now and there was no agreement on it, they would be facing a rough year.

    When Old Woman Hua saw Ye Shi¡¯s reaction, she changed the subject, ¡°Da Nainai, do you think we should have someone reveal what happened to Qiu Yanfu to someone close to Er Nainai?¡±

    Ye Shi shook her head after a moment¡¯s thought and said, ¡°No need, put down the brother-inw¡¯s matter aside for a while.¡± Although she hated Lu Xiu, she was only her sister-inw, and they had no direct conflict of interest. If she kept making small moves, sooner orter, her mother-inw would know about it, and it would not be worth it to make her mother-inw unhappy with her for such things. The most important thing was to settle the matter of the second room, which was a matter of great concern to her.

    Qiu Shi had already prepared the gifts for the couple¡¯s visit to the bride¡¯s home. Thus, all Han Jianye had to do was just brought them over when he went to his wife¡¯s parents¡¯ house.

    When the couple arrived at the Lu family, Han Jianye was called to the study by the Second Lord Lu. As he left, he couldn¡¯t help but nce at Lu Xiu.

    Seeing this situation, Second Lady Lu was delighted and pulled Lu Xiu into the room and asked, ¡°Ah Xiu, is Guye treating you good? Do you get along well with the Han family?¡±

    Lu Xiu blushed and said, ¡°Husband is quite good to me, and so is everyone else. Especially my mother-inw. She even said that I should only pay respect to her on the 15th day of the first lunar month, and I don¡¯t need to go there early at other times.¡± As for Qiu Sho¡¯s words about giving her a big, fat grandson soon, Lu Xiu did not have the nerve to say them out loud.

    After listening to this, Second Lady Lu became even more satisfied. ¡°Although your mother-inw has a straightforward temperament, she is a very easy person to get along with. I also agreed to this marriage because of this.¡±

    Lu Xiu smiled a little. ¡°Yes, my mother-inw is very nice.¡±

    Second Lady Lu nodded slightly and said, ¡°There is something that I have kept from you because I was worried that it would affect your mood. However, now that you have already married, there is no need to hide this matter from you anymore.¡±

    Lu Xiu¡¯s gut told her that it wasn¡¯t going to be good. ¡°Mother, what is it? It can¡¯t be ¡­¡­¡± She wanted to say if something had happened to her Dage and Er Ge, but she soon realised that these words were ominous, so she swallowed them back.

    Second Lady Lu told her about Qiu Yanfu. ¡°Mother specifically told you about this because Mother you to be on guard against Ye Shi. She must have something to do with Concubine Fu¡¯s affair.¡±

    Lu Xiu was dumbfounded. She did not know that her husband just had a noble concubine before she was even married to him. Lu Xiu felt both aggrieved and sad. ¡°Mother, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier¡­¡­¡±

    Second Lady Lu could not tell what Lu Xiu was thinking as she argued, ¡°What¡¯s the point of telling you this? At that time, the wedding was only ten days away, and it would only add to your sadness if you knew about it. Moreover, Guye was not prepared for this matter to happen. So you can¡¯t me it on him, and the way he dealt with it afterwards was entirely appropriate.¡±

    Lu Xiu felt so aggrieved that tears fell from her eyes.

    The Second Lady Lu was also sad to see her daughter in tears. How could anyone feelfortable with the sudden appearance of a concubine after their marriage? Yet, she had to persuade her daughter. ¡°I know you are upset, but you can only swallow this grievance. Fortunately, Guye is not muddle-headed, and your mother-inw is also sensible. Both have promised not to bring her back until you give birth to your firstborn son.¡±

    Lu Xiu wiped her tears and retorted, ¡°Mother, when Second Master Ye came to our door and muttered about withdrawing from the marriage, we finally withdrew the marriage only after it became unbearable. So why should she me it on me? And to even do such disgusting things?¡± If it were the Lu family who had first gone to withdraw the marriage, Ye Shi¡¯s annoyance at her would have been justified. But she was the primary victim in this matter, so why should Ye Shi take out her anger on her?

    Second Lady Lu said, ¡°This is also what I was concerned about at first. But even if Ye Shi is malicious, she is only your Dasao. So at most, she will make things difficult behind your back, but she will not dare to make things difficult for you on the surface. So just watch out for yourself.¡± How could any marriage be perfect? What was more, her daughter had withdrawn from marriage once, which made it even harder to find an alternative that was good at everything. If she could say, the Han family was a pretty good match.

    Lu Xiu was a person who could easily be bullied either as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother, I won¡¯t let her bully me. If she dares to mess with me, I won¡¯t let her get away with it either.¡±

    Second Lady Lu shook her head and said, ¡°The most urgent thing is to have a son quickly. Once you have a son, you will have a firm foothold in the Han family. Even Ye Shi can¡¯t even make amotion in front of you.¡± The fact that Ye Shi would have difficulty to conceive was not a secret, and one could find out about it with a bit of inquiry.

    Lu Xiu blushed again. ¡°Mother, we have to let nature take its course.¡±

    Second Lady Lu said, ¡°Your health has been good since you were a child, and I have asked someone to take good care of you during this time. As long as you and your husband love each other, you will soon have good news.¡± Her daughter was like herself, who had been in good health since she was a child. If there were no error, she would probably have a big fat grandchild next year.

    The young couple didn¡¯t go back until they finished their lunch at the Lu Residence. On their way back, Lu Xiu kept her head down and didn¡¯t speak a word which worried Han Jianye. He stopped riding his horse and went straight into the carriage.

    Han Jianye noticed Lu Xiu¡¯s red eyes that he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying? Did mother-inw say something?¡±

    When Lu Xiu heard his questions, her tears fell again. Han Jianye was so anxious. He feared nothing in heaven or on earth, but he was afraid of women¡¯s tears. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Tell me, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Lu Xiu choked back a sob. ¡°Mother told me that you had taken a noble concubine before you were married. Why did you hide it from me? If my mother hadn¡¯t told me, did you intend to keep it from me all along?¡±

    Han Jianye stiffened and then said modestly, ¡°You know?¡± Seeing Lu Xiu¡¯s tears fallen down once more, Han Jianye hurriedly exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you. I just wanted to get married soon. You know how bad this matter was! I was going to wait until after the New Year to tell you, but I didn¡¯t expect mother-inw would tell you first.¡±

    Lu Xiu stared at him with her tear-stained face and asked, ¡°Then what¡¯s going on with Concubine Fu? My mother said something vague that I didn¡¯t understand. How did she set you up? And why did she set you up?¡±

    Han Jianye poured it all out like a peapod at that moment. He told her everything except for Yuxi¡¯s involvement in it. He left out the part about Yuxi because he had promised her that he would not tell anyone about her. Han Jianyecked in other areas, but he was remarkably tight-lipped on this. [+]

    When Lu Xiu heard that Qiu Yanfu had set Han Jianye up because she didn¡¯t want to be Wang Shaoqi¡¯s concubine, she was furious. But although she was angry, she hadn¡¯t lost her senses. The reason why this Concubine Fu had schemed against her husband must have been because she was sure that he was a responsible person. ¡°If you send her to the hamlet, you can¡¯t just leave her there forever, can you? When do you n to bring her back?¡±

    Han Jianye looked at Lu Xiu, who still had tear marks on her face, and said, ¡°I was previously prepared to wait until we had a son before letting her return to the residence. But if you don¡¯t like her, then let her stay at the hamlet all the time.¡± Qiu Yanfu was nowhere as important as his wife.

    Lu Xiu thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Then we should wait until I have my firstborn son before bringing her back. In any case, she is San Shen¡¯s niece. It¡¯s inappropriate just to leave her in the hamlet, right?¡± Then surely someone would say she was jealous if they did.

    Han Jianye nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s up to you to decide.¡± He had received the most orthodox education. For them, the male would dominate the outside, while the female would dominate the inside. Men worked hard outside, and women dealt with all matters in the inner courtyard.

    After listening to his answer, the knot in Lu Xiu¡¯s heart was utterly untied.

 Chapter 199 - Gossip

    <strong>Chapter 199 : Gossip</strong>

    On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, Yujing was brought back to the residence.

    Yuxi had just finished her evening meal when she found out the news. ¡°Er Jie is back?¡± She had thought that the Old Lady would not let Yujinge back for the New Year!

    Bingmei nodded and said, ¡°I have just returned to the residence not long ago. I heard an old woman servant say that Second Miss has lost a lot of weight and is not in good spirits.¡±

    Yuxi did not take joy in cmity and delight in the disaster that had urred to Yujing, but she did not feel pity for her either. The path Yujing had chosen for herself had brought about evil consequences that she, herself, naturally had to swallow. ¡°This is just the beginning.¡± Rejected by her family and hated by her husband¡¯s family. What situation Yujing would fall into in the end could be known just by referring to Yuxi¡¯s own previous life. But, of course, Yujing should be better than her because she was not a baozi.

    New Year was a busy time for adults, while children just joined in the fun and then received red envelopes. So the next day, the Old Lady, Qiu Shi and others of rank went to the Imperial Pce early in the morning, and Yuxi was just getting up to prepare for her morning exercises.

    Yuxi met Yujing at the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner. Yujing was a lot thinner, but she looks a lot calmer. Yuxi was a little surprised. She had never thought that having Yujing read the scriptures would be of any use.

    Yujing also noticed that Yuxi was looking at her, so she smiled and greeted, ¡°Si Mei.¡± Circumstances were more powerful than people. Thus, she had to lower her posture for now.

    Yuxi smiled and called out, ¡°Er Jie.¡± When Yuru took the initiative to befriend her, Yuxi did not push her out. It was better to have one more ally than one more enemy. But for Yujing, there was no possibility of her befriending Yujing, as Yuxi was partly to me for Concubine Rong¡¯s death. Still, Yuxi had no regrets. Concubine Rong wanted to put her in a deathtrap, so how could she possibly let her go!

    In one night, Yuxi had harvested several more red packets. Among them, Qiu Shi and Lu Xiu gave her the thickest ones.

    The ies from her baozi shop, grocery shop and hamlet were simr tost year. But the earnings she got from the shop and the fertile farnd given by Qiu Shi were very generous. With these properties, Yuxi would not have to worry about food and drink anymore.

    In the blink of an eye, it was the third day of the Lunar New Year, and today was the day for the Han family to pay a visit to the Zhou family. Since Yuxi had already made an appointment with Zhou Shiya, naturally, she had to follow along.

    When Zhou Shiya saw Yuxi, she was overjoyed. ¡°Finally. I¡¯ve long wished for you toe here.¡± Zhou Shiya was quite lonely in the Zhou family. Although she had many sisters, they all had their own minds, and she did not dare to get too close with them, or she would be used by them instead if she was not careful.

    Yuxi looked at the flesh on Zhou Shiya¡¯s face and deliberately teased with a smile, ¡°Why have you gained weight again? If you keep putting on weight like this, be careful, or others won¡¯t be able to see your eyes.¡± Zhou Shiya was not truly fat. She just had a bit of baby fat.

    Zhou Shiya pinched her face and said with a long face, ¡°There is so much delicious food that I can¡¯t help myself after looking at them.¡±

    There were many ways to lose weight. The Second Lady Zhou had searched for quite a few, and Yuxi had given quite a lot of advice. There were many more ways, but Zhou Shiya herself loved eating good food, especially dishes with meat. It was already pretty good if she could keep her current figure. [+]

    Yuxi said, ¡°Just bear with it! You¡¯re looking okay now. But, if you wait until you¡¯re married, have children and still eat uncontrobly, it will be difficult for you to lose weight. ¡± All of these, Yuxi had learned from Momo Quan.

    Zhou Shiya looked enviously at Yuxi¡¯s slender figure. ¡°Still, you¡¯re looking good. How can you eat delicious food without gaining weight?¡± She knew that Yuxi ate four meals every day.

    Yuxiughed. ¡°How can I not be fat? I¡¯ve been keeping it under control.¡± If she had meat as her evening snack, she worked out longer, and it would consume what she had eaten, so naturally, she didn¡¯t gain weight.

    Zhou Shiya naturally knew that Yuxi practised wuqinxi every day and shook her head, ¡°Forget it, that wuqinxi is too unsightly, and my mother won¡¯t let me learn it.¡±

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°Is it your mother who really won¡¯t let you learn? It¡¯s obvious that you just can¡¯t bear the hardship and don¡¯t want to learn it yourself, then you me it on your mother.¡±

    As they were talking, Zhou Shiya¡¯s maid brought in two tes of strawberries. Apart from that, there were also a lot of pastries and dried fruits. Zhou Shiya said with a smile, ¡°Knowing that you like fruit, this is what I have specially prepared for you.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t particrly like fruit either, but Momo Quan said they were good for women¡¯s skin, so she got into the habit of eating them daily.

    After a few words, Zhou Shiya sent everyone out and spoke to Yuxi in private. ¡°Yuxi, now that we¡¯re thirteen, my mother has already started making arrangements for me! So what do you say?¡± Yuxi¡¯s marriage was a little bleak since she had an uncaring stepmother and a father who didn¡¯t even care about her.

    Yuxi shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no rush.¡±

    Zhou Shiya questioned, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in a rush? A youngdy¡¯s apricot blossom onlysts in these two to three years. So if we don¡¯t pick the good ones while we have the time, they will all be picked out by then.¡± These statements were something that Second Lady Zhou often told to Zhou Shiya. As a matter of fact, Zhou Shiya was also affected by these.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°My San Jie is still a year older than me, so my family can only arrange my marriage after her marriage is already settled.¡±

    Zhou Shiya frowned and said, ¡°I heard that Song Guifei likes Yuchen Biaojie very much and intends to match your San Jie to His Highness Jing Wang.¡± Jing Wang was the 10th Prince¡¯s title.

    Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°That¡¯s quite right. Once San Jie¡¯s marriage is set, then it will be easier to find a match for my marriage!¡± Her father was only a fourth-ranking official now, which was nothing in the capital. But if Yuchen¡¯s marriage had been decreed, Yuchen would be the future Jing Wangfei.

    Zhou Shiya instantly understood. ¡°Yes, how could I have forgotten about this!¡± If Yuchen was decreed to marry Jing Wang, then Yuchen had nailed the nails to the title of Jing Wangfei. Moreover, since it was not a secret in the upper-ss circles that Yuxi was close to Yuchen, Zhou Shiya was afraid that no matchmakers wouldn¡¯te to Yuxi¡¯s door to ask for her hand in marriage.

    Yuxi had also considered thisyer, so she knew that her family could not fix her marriage until Yuchen¡¯s marriage had been settled. ¡°What about you? Is there any news?¡± The two of them could speak about anything because they knew each other so well that there were no taboos between them.

    Zhou Shiya shook her head and said, ¡°No, there¡¯s not even a single word yet! But my mother has taken a fancy to Chen Ran, the Second Master of Marquis Taining Residence.¡±

    The Four Levels In Ancient Imperial Examination

    The lowest level (the bottom one) was called children examination or called county level during the Ming Dynasty or could also be called the entrance level for Imperial Examination. Students needed to pass this level before being promoted to a higher level, which would provide more benefits to their lives. The students who passed this level were called Xiucai. While the number 1 student from this level would be called Jingxue.

    Image Credit | mark1993m (×Ó½Ì°¸ µÚ8ÕÂ Ê¿¼Éç•þÅcÊüÃñÎÄ»¯, Apr 30th, 2010)

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°Your mother has a good eye. If this marriage is said to be sessful, you will only need to wait to enjoy your life in ease andfort.¡± The Marquis Taining¡¯s family had good family practice where there had never been a case of a concubine riding on the head of the main wife of the family for the past few decades. Thus, the young masters of the Marquis Taining¡¯s family were all in high demand. First, Chen Ran was the most sought-after because his father was the Marquis Taining. Secondly, Lady Taining was a very tolerant and generous person and had an outstanding reputation in the capital. Thirdly, the most important one, Chen Ran¡¯s own conditions were excellent, havinge first in the children¡¯s examination.

    Zhou Shiya curled her lips as she said, ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. The Marquis Taining¡¯s family trait is good, and they¡¯re wealthy. Even Chen Ran himself is so well endowed that he has almost broken the threshold of his family¡¯s doorstep with his marriage proposal. Yuxi, I don¡¯t mean to be unduly humble, but with my qualifications, nine times out of ten, I¡¯m out of luck. If it were you, it would still be possible.¡± In Zhou Shiya¡¯s eyes, Yuxi was an all-rounder where there was nothing Yuxi couldn¡¯t do.

    Yuxiughed. ¡°If it¡¯s not possible for you, it¡¯s even less likely for me.¡± It was not that Yuxi had an inferiorityplex, but this was based on her own conditions. Her mother had died young, her father disliked her, and her reputation outside the home was not bad but not very good either. So how could the sought-after Second Master Chen be hers?

    When Zhou Shiya heard this, she felt that she and Yuxi were both too unambitious. She grabbed a strawberry and took a hard bite on it while saying, ¡°We can¡¯t let others¡¯ ambition spoil our own. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve met this Second Master Chen. We don¡¯t even know if he¡¯s round or t. So it¡¯s not possible that he¡¯s just a guy who¡¯s only being ttered outside, but is, in fact, a guy who only has a gilded exterior but is shabby and ruined on the inside!¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°That¡¯s a real shame. Second Master Chen doesn¡¯t like what you said.¡±

    Zhou Shiya¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°You¡¯ve met Second Master Chen?¡± The people outside held Chen Ran up like a celestial youth from heaven, but hardly anyone had met this man. Of course, when Zhou Shiya said that not many people had seen Chen Ran, she referred to the girls in the boudoir.

    Yuxi nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him. I¡¯ve seen him twice.¡±

    Zhou Shiya got so excited that she grabbed Yuxi¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Tell me, tell me, where did you meet him? What did he look like? Did you talk to him? What did you two talk about?¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at Zhou Shiya¡¯s look, but she still told her the story of how she and Chen Ran had met twice. ¡°It just happened that we ran into each other.¡± Even when they bumped into each other twice, they didn¡¯t even speak with each other. [+]

    Zhou Shiya was disappointed to see that neither of them had spoken to each other, ¡°What a pity. How wonderful it would have been if Second Master Chen had taken a fancy to you!¡±

    Yuxi pushed Zhou Shiya¡¯s forehead lightly and scolded with a smile, ¡°What are you talking about? Marriage is a matter of parents¡¯ orders and matchmaker¡¯s words.¡±

    Zhou Shiya shook her head and said, ¡°Yuxi, there is a reason for me to say this. Second Master Chen Ran¡¯s situation is rather special. He must give his own consent to the marriage, and it would be useless for the Lady Taining takes a fancy on someone when he doesn¡¯t.¡± It was also because Second Lady Zhou liked Chen Ran too much, so she dug around to search for information on Chen Ran.

    Yuxi was a little taken aback. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Zhou Shiya told Yuxi the news she had heard from Second Lady Zhou. ¡°Second Master Chen was kidnapped when he was five years old and only came back more than half a monthter. I heard my mother say that Second Master Chen did not even look like a human when they rescued him. It took most of a year for him to get well, but Second Master Chen has spoken less since then. Thus, Marquis Taining and his wife have always felt guilty about him.¡± Because of the guilt in their hearts, they would not force him to do many things, including marriage matters. After all, Chen Ran was the second son, not the eldest and did not need to carry the family¡¯s responsibility.

    Yuxi had never heard of these things. ¡°If so, then it will be tough. I noticed that Second Master Chen was a bit cold. Thus, it won¡¯t be easy for others to get into his eyes.¡± Yuxi could also understand why Chen Ran was so calm when he saw Yuchen. People who had experienced life and death were indifferent to many things.

    Zhou Shiya spread her hands and said, ¡°That¡¯s why I said I don¡¯t have a chance! But my mother is so excited, so I just let her be. I guess she will cooldown on her own in a few days.¡±

    The two of them chatted all morning. When Yuxi was going to leave, Zhou Shiya was still reluctant to let her leave and said, ¡°In a couple of days, I will go to your house, and we will talk again.¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°Okay!¡±

 Chapter 200 - Lu Xiu Is Pregnant

    <strong>Chapter 200 : Lu Xiu Is Pregnant</strong>

    After the first lunar month, the weather started to warm up.

    Yuxi was reading a book in her study when Zisu announced from outside, ¡°Miss, Er Nainai hase to see you.¡±

    Yuxi put down the book in her hand and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll be right out.¡± If she had to say, her family had made the right decision to marry this Er Sao.

    Ever since Lu Xiu married into the family, she talked and chatted with Qiu Shi every day, making Qiu Shi happy. Moreover, several times when Yuxi went to the Master Courtyard, she heard Qiu Shi¡¯s cheerfulughter. In this regard, Yuxi expressed that it was also a skill to coax people to be happy. At least she had no such talent. And Lu Xiu was not only filial to Qiu Shi as if she were her mother, but she was also kind to Yuxi. Of course, Yuxi knew that Lu Xiu was kind to her for Han Jianye¡¯s sake, but as long as she was sincere, Yuxi epted this kindness.

    Yuxi walked out the door and looked at the maid beside Lu Xiu, Yon, holding a small basket in her hand. She smiled and said, ¡°Er Sao, if you want toe over, then juste. No need to bring things too.¡±

    Lu Xiu said with a smile, ¡°My mother sent some oranges. I know that you like to eat fruits, so I picked some and sent them to you.¡±

    Yuxi said with some embarrassment, ¡°Er Sao, don¡¯t send anything over again. I don¡¯t even dare to eat them now.¡± She had only been to Han Jianye¡¯s yard once because she was rather busy. Lu Xiu, on the contrary, hade over twice, plus this time it was three times. Every time she came over, her hand was never empty.

    Lu Xiu responded with a smile, ¡°What does it matter? I¡¯m just idling around in the courtyard anyway, so I¡¯ll just walk around more. Er Sao didn¡¯t disturb you from reading, did she?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and shook her head, saying, ¡°No, no. Er Sao,e in and sit down!¡±

    Types Of Oranges

    ¤­¤Ä¤Í: I don¡¯t know that they are many types of oranges.

    Image Credit | OnlyFoods (13 of the Popr Types of Sweet and Bitter Oranges)

    Lu Xiu didn¡¯t stay long either, leaving after a quarter of an hour or so. Yuxi personally escorted her out the door. Then she turned to look at the mandarin oranges on the table and smiled. ¡°Peel one and bring it to the study.¡±

    On the way back, Yon said, ¡°I heard that the Third Miss and the Fourth Miss study from morning to evening every day. Er Nainai, what do you think they study every day? It¡¯s not like they have to take the exam to be zhuangyuan. So what¡¯s the point of them studying so much.¡± Not only was Yuxi very busy, but Yuchen was also very busy. And because there was a Yuchen at the front, Yuxi did not look so conspicuous.

    Lu Xiu smiled a little and said, ¡°It¡¯s always good to learn something.¡± In fact, she couldn¡¯t understand it either, but it wasn¡¯t her ce to ask about such things. [+]

    That very afternoon, Zhou Shiya came over.

    Yuxi was shocked to see Zhou Shiya¡¯s red eyes. ¡°What happened? Who bullied you?¡±

    Zhou Shiya curled her lips and replied, ¡°No one bullied me. The marriage fell through. My mother is not happy, so I cried on purpose and then ran to you to hide and rx. ¡±

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Lady Taining didn¡¯t like you? Is it?¡± Zhou Shiya¡¯s figure, coupled with her generous nature, made her the favourite of thedies in charge of their households.

    Zhou Shiya waved her hand and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s because Second Master Chen didn¡¯t like me. It¡¯s a good thing he didn¡¯t. Otherwise, if I married him, what¡¯s our life have been like?¡±

    Hearing this, Yuxi smiled and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Zhou Shiya took a mandarin orange, plucked it open and ate half of it before saying, ¡°Apart from a greeting at the beginning, afterwards, he didn¡¯t speak a single word for more than half an hour. If I married such a person, and he did not say a word to me for three to five days, I would go crazy!¡±

    Zhou Shiya was the type of person who enjoyed eating, being overactive and yful. Once people started to chat with her, she could talk all day long with that small mouth of hers. It would be unbearable for her if she were being put up with a person with a few words.

    Yuxiughed a little as she advised, ¡°You¡¯ll have to tell your mother what you want too! That way, your mother won¡¯t choose one that¡¯s not to your liking.¡±

    Zhou Shiya continued to eat the mandarin oranges. ¡°These are so sweet. Where did you get them?¡± She knew that such things would usually be given away and could not be bought outside.

    Yuxi said, ¡°It¡¯s from my Er Sao¡¯s family. She brought six for me. If you like it, take some backter.¡±

    Zhou Shiya said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m nning to stay with you for a few days, and now you want to kick me out!¡±

    Yuxi responded with amusement, ¡°I have no problem with that, but will your mother let you stay with me for a few days?¡± How could Second Lady Zhou be willing to let her daughter stay overnight with her here?

    Sure enough, at ten that evening, Second Lady Zhou¡¯s trusted old woman servant came to pick Zhou Shiya up, and Zhou Shiya reluctantly went back.

    Yuxi sent Zhou Shiya away and returned to Taoran House. When she saw Bingmei look so happy, she smiled and inquired, ¡°What¡¯s the happy event?¡±

    Bingmei told her, ¡°Er Nainai is pregnant for more than a month. The Lady is so happy that she has just sent a maid over to inform Miss.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face was also full of smiles. Lu Xiu had only been married for over a month, and she was already pregnant for that long. She probably conceived the child on the day of the wedding. Uh-huh, Eldest Aunt did have a good eye. Er Sao was indeed a person who could easily bear children.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s face was smiling like a blossoming chrysanthemum as she called Mama Li and instructed, ¡°Go to the storehouse and send the new boxes of bird¡¯s nest and other tonic products I have to Ah Xiu.¡± She didn¡¯t have to wait for next year anymore since she would have a big fat grandson this year.

    When Yuxi came over, she saw Qiu Shi asking her maid to go through the fabric in the box, saying that she wanted to make tiny clothes and hats for the baby. Yuxi spoke with amusement, ¡°Eldest Aunt, the unborn child is only a month old! There¡¯s still a long way to go before the baby is born. So there¡¯s no hurry. We¡¯ll take our time in preparing the things.¡±

    Qiu Shi countered, ¡°You don¡¯t know that. You have to prepare the baby¡¯s things early. Otherwise, it will be toote when it¡¯s time to give birth.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Qiu Shi¡¯s cheerful nature. It was the first time that Yuxi had seen her so happy. So she did not persuade her and just let her get busy while she went to Xiuchun Courtyard.

    When Ye Shi returned to Songxiang Courtyard, sheined to Old Woman Hua, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I see her that happy when I was pregnant with Qiqi?¡± She couldn¡¯t even see any sign of soft fabric for shoes and hats from her mother-inw.

    Ye Shi didn¡¯t even take time to think clearly about it. At that time, her foetus was unstable, and she could miscarry at any time. So, how could Qiu Shi be in any mood to make clothes, hats and other things for her baby? Moreover, when her baby was finally stable, Qiu Shi had to face the Pce Rebellion, where she was in a constant state of anxiety after that. Hence, how could Qiu Shi be in the mood to think about these things?

    Old Woman Hua also felt that Lu Xiu¡¯s body was too good that she could have gotten pregnant after a month or so. She had defeated Da Nainai in this aspect. ¡°Da Nainai, have you told the Lady about Ye Yin?¡± Lu Xiu was already pregnant, and the matter of the second room would soon be on the agenda. Rather than waiting for the Lady to bring the issue forward to Master Shizi, it would be better for Da Nainai to mention it herself. At least she could take the initiative. [+]

    Ye Shi also knew that she could not dy this matter and stated, ¡°I will talk to Mother (Qiu Shi) about this tomorrow.¡± When Lu Xiu beat her this once, Ye Shi was unwilling to ept. But it was useless since her body was not up to the task.

    When Han Jianye came back from his work, he was informed that he would be a father. He was so happy that he rushed back to Xiuchun Courtyard. When he saw Lu Xiu, he asked loudly, ¡°Ah Xiu, I¡¯m going to be a father? Is this true?¡±

    Lu Xiu gently nodded.

    Han Jianye happily picked up Lu Xiu and spun her around in circles, scaring Mama Jian and the maids around so much that they nearly lost their souls. When he finally knew that he couldn¡¯t hold his wife in a circle, he put Lu Xiu down. Han Jianye then circled Lu Xiu while saying to himself, I¡¯m going to be a father. Ah Xiu, we¡¯re going to be a father and a mother.

    Lu Xiu was very patient. When Han Jianye said something, she would respond gently. As for Mama Jian and the other maids, they had long since retreated outside of the room.

    When Ye Shi went to pay her respects to Qiu Shi the following day, she brought up the second room matter. ¡°Mother, Dimei has now gotten pregnant. Since my body fails to live up to the expectations, Master Shizi only has Qiqi in his lineage. So I would like to take a second room for Master Shizi.¡±

    Qiu Shi also had this matter in her mind, and she was about to mention it to Ye Shi. ¡°My idea is not to look for someone from an official family, but from an ordinary family. As long as they are respectable and honest.¡± Of course, the most important thing was that this person could bear children.

    Ye Shi¡¯s face stiffened. Qiu Shi¡¯s words did not precisely deny Ye Yin. So, Ye Shi politely stated that she wanted to choose one of the Ye family¡¯s side branches to be Han Jianming¡¯s second room.

    Qiu Shi advised, ¡°Eldest Daughter-inw, find a girl who is not high-born and honest to be Ming-er¡¯s second room, then there will be fewer disputes in the future. Then, when she gives birth to a son, he will be put under your name, and you will adopt the child. Although the child is not your own, you will be the one who brought him up, and he will be close to you. What¡¯s wrong with that? Why must you choose from the side branches of the Ye family?¡±

    Ye Shi didn¡¯t change her mind. Her attitude was clear: she wanted one of the Ye family¡¯s side branches to be Han Jianming¡¯s second room.

    Although Qiu Shi was a little upset, she could understand Ye Shi¡¯s mind. If the second room was from the Ye family¡¯s side branch, there was no fear of the other side causing trouble. After thinking for a while, Qiu Shi said, ¡°Let¡¯s ask Ming-er what he wants to do. If Ming-er agrees, then I¡¯ll see her first.¡± If the person was a good one, then there was no big problem.

    Regarding Han Jianming getting a second room, Yuxi soon learned about it. When she heard that Ye Shi wanted to pick someone from the side branch of the Ye family and her aunt disagreed, the two got into an argument, and in the end, it was Eldest Aunt who had made concessions.

    Yuxi shook her head gently. She felt that her Eldest Aunt was already very generous. Like other people¡¯s mothers-inw, if they knew that their daughters-inw could not have children, they would make them suffer. Not only did her Eldest Aunt doesn¡¯t make Ye Shi suffer, she even understood and looked out for her. Unfortunately, Ye Shi did not appreciate her good fortune.

    Zisu felt that it was very strange that she asked, ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t understand why Da Nainai doesn¡¯t want Master Shizi to take a woman from a respectable family as a concubine? Must he choose from the side branches of the Ye family?¡±

    Bingmei gave her opinion, ¡°Da Nainai should want a child with the Ye family bloodline!¡± A child with the bloodline of the Ye family would feel a little more affectionate.

    Yuxi did not understand Ye Shi¡¯s thinking in her previous life, and she did not understand it in this life either. ¡°Who knows about that?¡± If Ye Shi had wanted a child with the Ye family bloodline, she would not have allowed Ke Minjie to be the second room for her Dage in her previous life.

    Why did Zisu think she could even ask her Miss about this?

    Yuxi didn¡¯t say anything more when she noticed Zisu¡¯s expression. Perhaps in Ye Shi¡¯s mind, she only wanted to pick a puppet to give birth to her husband¡¯s children. Since this person would be a puppet, she should have no ideas of her own, and Ye Shi would be the main priority in everything. Ye Shi should have thought that Ke Minjie was easy to control in her previous life, but the oue was she had made an error in judgment. So, neither Ke Minjie nor Ye Shi was an oil savingmp. It was just the unlucky Eldest Aunt who somehow got involved in their fight.

 Chapter 201 - Meeting Again

    <strong>Chapter 201 : Meeting Again</strong>

    When Han Jianming heard Ye Shi wanted to select a candidate from the Ye family side branch as his second room, he asked, ¡°What was Mother¡¯s idea on this?¡±

    Ye Shi¡¯s face stiffened. Why did he need to know what his mother¡¯s idea was? Now they were talking as a couple. What was the point of bringing up her mother-inw? ¡°Mother¡¯s idea was to find a girl from amon family, with a stainless family background.¡±

    Han Jianming initially thought that his mother¡¯s idea would be a good one, but thinking about Lu Xiu, if he found a girl from amon family, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to survive long if she married into the State Residence. After a moment¡¯s thought, Han Jianming said, ¡°Let¡¯s put this aside for a while.¡± He wanted to choose his own candidate for the second room. She didn¡¯t need to be pretty but must be smart and calm.

    Ye Shi couldn¡¯t understand Han Jianming¡¯s thoughts, and she asked tentatively, ¡°Master Shizi, Er Dimei is already pregnant. However, Master only has Qiqi as your bloodline right now, so I¡¯m anxious.¡±

    Han Jianming smiled a little. ¡°No matter how anxious you are, there is no hurry. Speaking of which, Er Dimei¡¯s pregnancy is a great joy for our family, so you, as her Dasao, should take care of her more.¡±

    Ye Shi¡¯s eyelids jumped. Master Shizi never gossiped. What he said must have connotations within it. She pressed down the strange feeling in her heart and said with a smile, ¡°Look at what Master is saying. I will surely take good care of my Dimei without the need for Master to remind me.¡±

    Han Jianming whispered, ¡°I always feel at ease when you do things.¡± Then he squinted his eyes and let out an even breathing sound after a while.

    When Ye Shi saw Han Jianming sleeping, she thought that recently Master Shizi had not been as trusting of her as he had been in the past. Her heart became like a well in which she drew up seven buckets and dropped down eight buckets. It was just that it was useless for her to think about it anymore. Han Jianming was not only her husband but also the one in charge of the family. What he said could not be refuted even by her mother-inw, not to mention her.

    Qiu Shi typically leaned towards her oldest son. Hence, when she heard Han Jianming say to let the matter go for now, without even asking why, she just nodded and said, ¡°Since Ming-er said to let it aside, then set it aside!¡± There must be a reason for her son to do so, so she, as the mother, would not add to her son¡¯s troubles.

    With Han Jianming¡¯s words, the matter of taking a noble concubine was put on hold. Apart from the mother-inw and daughter-inw, no one else knew about it, including Yuxi. However, Yuxi did not like to get to the root of things unrted to her. As no one mentioned it, she was happy to have a quiet time at the residence.

    When Qiu Shi was finally free, she remembered that there was still one thing she hadn¡¯t done. She immediately looked for Yuxi and said, ¡°When you were sickst year, I said that I would take you to Lingshan to offer incense when you got well. This has never been fulfilled, so I would like to pick a time to go to the Lingshan Temple one of these days to fulfil this wish.¡±

    Yuxi had lived a new life, and that had made her in awe of Bodhisattvas and supernatural beings. So, after hearing Qiu Shi¡¯s words, she nodded and said, ¡°All right. Carefully setting an auspicious date does not beat seizing an opportunity. Let¡¯s do it tomorrow!¡± These days, Qiu Shi had been somewhat idle. But in a few days, she would have to start preparing for Yuru¡¯s marriage, and there would be no more time after that.

    Qiu Shi was dumbfounded andughed. ¡°You, this girl. If you don¡¯t mind me telling you, it seems like you¡¯re more anxious about this than I do! If you think tomorrow is a good day, then tomorrow it will be. I think tomorrow will be a good day.¡±

    The following morning, the sky was cloudless, and it looked like a beautiful sunny day.

    Yuxi started to freshen up after her morning exercise. Since she was going to the mountains to offer incense, she did not need to dress up in a fancy way, as long as she looked presentable. Yuxi chose a moon-white dress and wore a pair of crystal lotus hairpins on her head and a white jade bracelet on her wrist.

    After she had freshened up, Yuxi looked in the mirror and smiled a little. She used to like to wear bright coloured clothes, which made her look particrly energetic and vibrant. It was the first time she was groomed in such a in outfit, yet she felt good.

    Zisu looked at Yuxi carefully and praised, ¡°Miss is looking so pretty like this.¡±

    Yuxiughed a little and said, ¡°Go ahead and praise me as much as you can! Be careful. If one day you praise me so much until I float in the air and can¡¯te down, then it would be terrible.¡±

    Zisu didn¡¯t have this worry as she said, ¡°I wish Miss would be happy because of my praise!¡± The problem was, no matter how much praise the maids around Yuxi praised her, she seemed like she never heard any of it. She always looked so calm, as if she couldn¡¯t even see it herself.

    Yuxi smiled a little and said, ¡°Bingmei, let¡¯s go to the Master Courtyard.¡± Recently, Yuxi had been taking Bingmei with her whenever she went out. Yuxi had kept on taking Bingmei out recently. Firstly, she wanted to show that she had put her in an important position, and secondly, she also wanted to exercise Bingmei¡¯s abilities. [+]

    When they reached the Master Courtyard, Qiu Shi looked at Yuxi and praised her with a smile, ¡°Even when you¡¯re wearing something like this, you look pretty too.¡± So people said that at the age of a flower, one would look good in anything.

    After breakfast, the two of them went to Lingshan Temple. Along the way, Qiu Shi told Yuxi quite a few stories about the legend of the temple. The truth was, Yuxi had heard many of these stories, but she still made a show of listening to each of her aunt¡¯s words, which satisfied Qiu Shi¡¯s desire to tell her.

    After riding for a shichen and a half, they finally got to the mountain. When they got out of the carriage, Yuxi let out aint, ¡°It would be better if the road could be repaired a bit smoother.¡±

    Qiu Shi quickly stopped Yuxi and said, ¡°You must refrain from speaking like that before Buddha. You¡¯re only tired from riding in a carriage, while others have to walk from the bottom of the mountain to go up!¡±

    Yuxi was surprised that she asked, ¡°Who is it? How can they even walk on this kind of road?¡± A shichen wouldn¡¯t be enough to walk from the foot of the mountain to the temple. Moreover, the mountain road was so rough and uneven. For them to walk this far, their feet must have hurt badly.

    Qiu Shi coughed and said, ¡°Anyway, as long as you know that they are people who have to do it, so let¡¯s go and offer incense. When you get in front of Bodhisattvater, you can¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±

    Yuxi was speechless. She was onlyining about the mountain path. When did she talk nonsense! Fine, I¡¯ll make sure I won¡¯t say half a word when I get into the main hallter.

    After bowing and offering incense to the Bodhisattvas and worshipping all of them, it was already time for lunch. The vegetarian food at Lingshan Temple was good but much inferior to that of the Huangzhi Temple, famous for its ingredients. Of course, Yuxi had never eaten vegetarian food at the Huangzhi Temple, not in her previous life, and she probably wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity to do so in this life. She had already made up her mind not to go to that temple. Ever since Monk Liao Tong gave false testimony for Heshou Xianzhu, Yuxi had been disgusted with the Huangzhi Temple.

    After lunch, Qiu Shi was very tired. ¡°I¡¯ll take a rest first. If you want to walk around a bit, make sure youe back in half a shichen. We are going back at that time.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and smiled, ¡°San Jie asked me to fetch her a jug of spring water for her to make tea. Half a shichen is enough for a round trip.¡±

    Qiu Shi wasn¡¯t fussy either as she said, ¡°Then go and return quickly.¡±

    ¡®Clear Spring Water Pond¡¯ was a well-known spring in the capital. Not only Lu Xiu¡¯s grandmother, who often came here to fetch and bring the water home but so did other families.

    Yuxi filled a jug of the spring water and walked up when she saw a young man walking towards her. When she saw him, she was a little embarrassed. She was embarrassed not because she had met Chen Ran once more but because Chen Ran was also wearing a deep moon-white brocade robe. Thest time they met, she and Chen Ran were wearing the same colour clothes, and this time they were wearing the same colour clothes again.

    When Chen Ran saw Yuxi, he was also a bit surprised. Who wouldn¡¯t be surprised? This had been the third time they met. If it were another woman, he would have thought that she had inquired about his whereabouts for a coincidental encounter, but when it was Yuxi, he had no such doubts. It was because Yuxi looked too open, and she seemed a bit disgusted when she saw him. [T/N]

    Yuxi silently cursed in her heart, but she didn¡¯t dare to show half of them on her face. ¡°Greetings, Second Master Chen. I¡¯ll leave you alone for you to fetch the water.¡± The Chen family was simply closed to the Emperor¡¯s heart with Marquis Chen reinstated by the Emperor, and Master Shizi Chen was the 9th Prince¡¯s confidant. For the Han family, they were nowhere near as good as the Chens were. Therefore, they must not offend the Chen family.

    Yuxi, who wanted to get away from Second Master Chen much earlier, obviously did not notice that her expression of dying to flee was looking rather amusing to Second Master Chen. [+]

    Chen Ran asked, ¡°I heard that Fourth Miss had learned the flute. Is this true?¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know why Chen Ran would ask her that, but she still nodded honestly and replied, ¡°Yes, I have learnt the flute. Why?¡±

    Chen Ran smiled and said, ¡°I have also learnt the flute for a few days. If Fourth Miss doesn¡¯t mind, I would like to exchange with Fourth Miss.¡± He had heard that Fourth Miss Han was very good at painting and chess. She was also good at embroidery, so she must not be bad at musical instruments either.

    Chen Ran¡¯s personal servant, Ah Li, was astonished. When had his young master been so talkative? What was more, he was talking to a girl.

    Yuxi¡¯s face darkened as she said, ¡°Second Master Chen has found the wrong person. Although I have learnt the flute, I have only learnt it for a few days. I have not evenpletely learnt the basics of it.¡± After a pause, she continued, ¡°Second Master Chen, if there is nothing else, I have to return.¡±

    When Chen Ran listened to Yuxi¡¯s unkind words, he came to his senses and realised that his words just now were a bit rash. The two of them had only met each other twice, and they were not even acquaintances. So how could a girl agree to share her experience of ying the flute with him? At once, he apologised to Yuxi, ¡°I was abrupt just now, please forgive me.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s mouth twitched. She by no means believed that Chen Ran was unintentional. This guy might be teasing her on purpose! Thinking of this, Yuxi spoke a little rudely, ¡°Uh-huh, I hope you won¡¯t stop a girl next time you meet her and say something about exchanging flutes.¡± Fancy that, she used to think Chen Ran was nice. It seemed that she was also judging people by their appearance. It seemed like this Chen Ran indeed had a gilded exterior but was shabby and ruined on the inside. Fortunately, the Second Lady Zhou¡¯s calctions did note true, or Zhou Shiya would have been out of luck.

    Chen Ran looked at Yuxi, who was walking away andughed lightly. ¡°That was interesting.¡±

    Ah Li sadly said, ¡°Second Master, I hope there won¡¯t be the next time. Otherwise, it would be as bad as being treated like Deng Tuzi.¡± If the Second Master were treated like Deng Tuzi, Ah Li didn¡¯t know if he would get beaten up. He didn¡¯t want to go back and get himself a beating. More importantly, if he ruined the Second Master¡¯s reputation, he would suffer along with him.

    Chen Ran smiled and said, ¡°You are overthinking the matter.¡± The person whom Old Lady Jiang had strongly praised must have had his or her merits. How could he just turn that person away with a single word?

    Huanglian

    It was said that it tasted really bitter but good for diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal fullness, jaundice, high fevera, toothache, diabetes and eczema. It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

    Image Caption: °ÙÎÊÖÐÎÄ (»ÆÁ¬µÄ×÷ÓÃºÍ¹¦Ð§, Jan 7th, 2017)

    Ah Li did not know what his master was thinking. When he saw Chen Ran smile, he was as worried as if he had eaten a huanglian, where he had a belly full of bitterness with no way to pour it out.

    Once they went to another ce, Bingmei looked at Yuxi with a surprised face and asked, ¡°Is Miss saying that the handsome young man just now is Second Master Chen?¡±

    Yuxi was a little surprised. ¡°You¡¯ve also heard of him?¡±

    Bingmei didn¡¯t understand why Yuxi was asking her about this. ¡°Miss, many people know about Second Master Chen. All the mama in residence knows about him!¡±

    Yuxi shook her head a little. ¡°The rumours don¡¯t match the reality.¡± Chen Ran¡¯s talent might be good, but she would not give an opinion on his character.

    Bingmei said with a smile, ¡°Miss, I heard that Second Master Chen ys the flute so well that even the musicians in the pce are not as good as him!¡±

    Seeing that Bingmei had something else to say, Yuxi hurriedly urged, ¡°Let¡¯s go now, Eldest Aunt is probably already awake and waiting for us!¡± If she let Bingmei continue to talk, she might speak continuously from the temple to the residence.

 Chapter 202 - Mother And Son

    Chapter 202 : Mother And Son

    While Yuxi and Bingmei were talking, they suddenly heard a leisurely sound of a flute.

    Yuxi¡¯s steps unconsciously slowed down, and atst, she stopped where she was, listening attentively to the beautiful, melodic sound of the flute.

    The flute had ended for a while before Bingmei could whisper, ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful.¡± She couldn¡¯t say what it was, but she thought it sounded good, ten times better than when her Miss was ying.

    Yuxi muttered, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s nice to hear. This song, ?Spring Day?, is one that even San Jie can¡¯t y.¡± The difficulty of this piece was so high that ordinary people could not blow it well. Yuchen was still practising, and if she wanted to reach the level of Chen Ran, she would not be able to reach it without a few years of work.

    Bingmei thought what she said had upset Yuxi and immediately remedied the situation, ¡°Miss will certainly y it better than the Second Master Chen in the future.¡±

    The corners of Yuxi¡¯s mouth twitched a little. Nine times out of ten, one could learn the flute as long as one worked hard. But just to learn and mastering were two different concepts. It was easy to understand. As long as one had perseverance and persistence, nine times out of ten, one would be able to learn. But to master it, one must be extraordinarily perceptive and gifted. Since shecked that talent, they expected her to y better than Chen Ran? It was impossible in this life. She might as well try in the next life!

    Ah Li took Chen Ran¡¯s flute in both hands and asked carefully, ¡°Second Master, why do you suddenly want to y the flute?¡± Could it be to get the attention of Miss Han from earlier? But Ah Li quickly shook off this thought. His master could attract many girls¡¯ attention just by standing there, without the need to please them.

    Chen Ran said indifferently, ¡°You can y it if you want.¡± After saying that, he walked over to fetch some water while ignoring the torn-faced Ah Li.

    When Yuxi returned to the guest courtyard, Qiu Shi just woke up.

    When Qiu Shi got up, she said to Yuxi, ¡°I¡¯m getting old. My back is already aching even after just this little walk.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, you still need to stretch your legs every day. Always staying inside the house is not good for your health. ¡±

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t like to visit other people and even didn¡¯t like to go out to socialise. ¡°I have to walk for a quarter of an hour after dinner. I¡¯ll remember what you said.¡±

    After they cleaned themselves up and were ready to go back, they saw the Lady of Taining with her maids and old women servantsing over. The Lady of Taining said with a smile, ¡°I just found out that my Qingjia Mu had alsoe to offer incense. Otherwise, I would havee over to have a chat with you.¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s smile was a little forced as she responded, ¡°How could I dare to bother Lady Chen!¡±

    It was the Lady of Taining who arranged the marriage between Han Jianming and Ye Qing, so Qiu Shi had a grudge against Lady Chen. Who knew if the Lady of Taining already realised about Ye Qing¡¯s health that day. Although Qiu Shi said she wanted to let go, discontentment still filled her heart. She could not help but let it out when she spoke.

    The Lady of Taining felt that Qiu Shi¡¯s attitude was strange, but she was an incredibly slick person. Even if she sensed something was wrong, she wouldn¡¯t show it. Instead, she smiled and asked, ¡°Why did Qingjia Mu bring the Fourth Girl? Why didn¡¯t Qingjia Mu take Qing-er along?¡±

    Qiu Shi answered, ¡°She has to nurse the baby at home and can¡¯t get away.¡±

    Lady of Taining knew that Ye Qing might not be able to give birth again before she decided to nurse the baby herself. Looking at Qiu Shi¡¯s manner, she also felt a little suffocated in her heart. Even if Ye Qing could not have another baby, she had injured her body because of giving birth to Qiqi. Qiu Shi¡¯s way of doing this was very unkind to Ye Qing. She was unhappy, but her face didn¡¯t show any of her real feelings, as she said with a smile, ¡°Qing-er, this child really is! Which mistress of a great family will nurse the baby herself? It¡¯s because of Qingjia Mu¡¯s leniency that she¡¯s able to fool around like this.¡±

    Many people knew that it was difficult for Ye Qing to conceive again, but everyone thought she could not do so because she had injured her body during childbirth. Few people knew that Ye Qing originally had difficulty conceiving. The Han family did not exin this to the public because they had many scruples. And Ye Qing and the Ye family couldn¡¯t tell the Lady of Taining about such a secretive matter.

    When Qiu Shi heard this, her heart was very calm. ¡°I didn¡¯t like it either then. I even selected four wet nurses for her to choose from, but she said she would nurse the baby herself. I also thought that she was going to have Qiqi as her only child all her life. That¡¯s why I gave her permission to do so.¡±

    Lady of Taining didn¡¯t even move her eyebrows as she smilingly said, ¡°Yes! That¡¯s why Qing-er is such a lucky child to have met a good nature Qingjia Mu as her mother-inw.¡±

    Yuxi stood behind Qiu Shi as she listened to the Lady of Taining change her Eldest Aunt¡¯s attitude towards her with just a few words. She sighed in her heart. This was a skill she had to learn. [+]

    After a while, a young maid walked over and said, ¡°My Lady, the Second Master has returned. He sent this handmaiden over to ask when my Lady will go back?¡±

    When Qiu Shi heard that Chen Ran had alsoe, her face showed delight. Chen Ran¡¯s reputation was so great that no one in the capital didn¡¯t know about him, and it was lucky to meet him here. With a feeling of delight, she looked at Yuxi. Chen Ran was two years older than Yuxi and was just the right age. Qiu Shi said with a smile, ¡°As it turns out, the Second Young Master has also followed you here. I remember thest time I saw him was when Qing-er married into the Han family!¡±

    The Lady of Taining was a very outstanding person, and Qiu Shi was not someone who could hide her emotions. When she caught sight of Qiu Shi¡¯s appearance, how could she not understand? Thus, she said with a smile, ¡°Qingjia Mu, I will go back first. We will have a good chat next time we have the chance.¡± After saying that, she even seamlessly nced at Yuxi, who stood next to Qiu Shi. She noticed that Yuxi was standing there very calmly, with a decent smile on her face.

    When Qiu Shi heard this, she smiled and said, ¡°We are going back, too. Why don¡¯t we go together!¡± Qiu Shi wanted to let Yuxi meet Chen Ran. If Yuxi thought Chen Ran was good, she could try to win him over.

    The Lady of Taining politely declined. When she left, she took a look at Yuxi and saw that she still had that decent smile on her face. She had a good idea in her mind. Qiu Shi was a woman who couldn¡¯t hide things in her heart, but this girl had a mind that was hard to understand.

    After sending off the Lady of Taining, Qiu Shi felt that it was a pity.

    How could Yuxi not know what Qiu Shi was thinking? She immediately spoke as if it was unintentional, ¡°Eldest Aunt, I met the Second Master Chen when I went to the back mountain to get water.¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s eyes lit up as she asked, ¡°How do you feel after meeting him?¡±

    Naturally, Yuxi would not say that she found Chen Ran was good, and neither would she say Chen Ran was terrible. Putting on a strange face, she exined, ¡°People outside are praising Second Master Chen as an immortal descended from heaven, but I see that he is just like any other person, with two eyes, a nose and a mouth, nothing unusual.¡± What Yuxi meant was that she didn¡¯t think Chen Ran was that extraordinary.

    Qiu Shiughed at this. ¡°If he didn¡¯t have two eyes, a nose and a mouth, wouldn¡¯t that make him a monster?¡±

    Yuxi stated, ¡°The reason why Second Master Chen is so famous is that he is the second di son of Marquis Taining. Otherwise, he would be no more than an ordinary person.¡± Yuxi¡¯s words were not to cken Chen Ran but what was hidden in her heart. If Chen Ran were not the second di son of Marquis Taining, without his father backing, he would only be a slightly talented young man, not much more than that.

    When Qiu Shi saw Yuxi saying something like this, she smiled and said, ¡°There must be something he excels in.¡± But since Yuxi felt that the other party was average, the thoughts surfaced in her mind regarding Chen Ran faded away.

    Although the Lady of Taining felt that Yuxi¡¯s mind was a bit deep, she did not think too much about it. For it was none of her business, even if Yuxi had a deep mind. But when she heard Ah Lie and say that Chen Ran had spoken with Han Yuxi for a while today, she was no longer calm. At once, she asked Ah Li, ¡°Did you remember clearly? Was it really the Second Master who took the initiative to speak with the Fourth Miss Han at that time?¡±

    Ah Li said, ¡°My Lady, it was the Second Master who took the initiative to greet the Fourth Miss Han.¡±

    When the Lady of Taining heard this, she somehow felt that it was somewhat wrong. How did her son know Fourth Miss Han? When did he meet her? Where did he meet her? Why had she not heard any rumours about this?

    Ah Li was clear about this matter. He told her about the meeting between the two people at Marquis Taining and the Jiang Residences, respectively. [+]

    When the Lady of Taining heard that they had met each other three times, she became even more restless. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me much earlier?¡±

    Ah Li screamed in his heart: ¡°My Lady, the two times before, the Second Master and the Fourth Miss Han family met by chance and didn¡¯t even say a word. Moreover, there was nothing unusual about the Second Master at that time, so this young one didn¡¯t take it seriously. But this time, there is something abnormal about the Second Master.¡±

    Hearing this, the Lady of Taining pondered for a moment before instructing, ¡°If there is any further unusual movement from the Second Master¡¯s side, you must report back in time.¡±

    Ah Li nodded as he replied, ¡°Yes.¡±

    The Lady of Taining asked her trusted old woman servant, ¡°You don¡¯t think Xiao Ran has a crush on that Han girl, do you?¡± The Lady of Taining didn¡¯t like Yuxi. That girl had a very deep mind, her reputation was not good, and she was motherless. With the Chen family¡¯s condition, what kind of daughter-inw that she could not pick? Was it worth the trouble to choose this kind of person?

    Her trusted old woman servant reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my Lady, the Second Master may just be impulsive. He may forget about it in a couple of days.¡±

    The Lady of Taining gave out a bitterugh but did not say anything more. If that were indeed the case, then she did not need to worry so much. Let alone the need to let Ah Li keep herself informed of her son¡¯s condition. Her youngest son had been cold to the family since he was rescued, including towards her, his mother. Over the years, no matter how hard she tried, her son¡¯s attitude towards her had always been lukewarm and never changed. She knew that what happened back then had caused much damage to her son, and he had resentment towards them for it. But there was nothing they could do, and they had been making amends all these years. Only, unfortunately, with little sess.

    A Portion of Zhang Xu¡¯s Heart Sutra in Cursive Script

    Image Credit | The rightful owner via Baidu

    When Ah Li returned to the courtyard, Chen Ran was practising his calligraphy. He was practising Zhang Xu¡¯s ?Heart Sutra in Cursive Script?, which was one of the most difficult cursive scripts to practise.

    Ah Li walked into the study and reported with his head bowed, ¡°Second Master, except for the matter of the Second Master ying the flute, I have told the Lady what you¡¯ve ordered me to say.¡±

    When Chen Ran heard this, he did not even move a single one of his eyebrows while saying indifferently, ¡°You can withdraw!¡± He had long been used to Lady of Taining¡¯s behaviour. His mother, always in the name of caring for him, had been controlling his every move. Back then, he had been angry about this and had reced all his personal servants and those who had served him for this reason. But after he saw nothing change despite the three changes he had made, he didn¡¯t bother to change them anymore. Instead of recing them, he would rather take the young male servant under his wing and let him say what he wanted him to say.

 Chapter 203 - Yuru Got Married

    <strong>Chapter 203 : Yuru Got Married</strong>

    On the third lunar month, the breeze blew lightly with light rain dripping down from the sky without cause, and the soft willow fluttered amid the wind and rain, which was exceptionally beautiful.

    Bingmei looked at the rain outside and said, ¡°Fortunately, it didn¡¯t rain when we went to the mountain yesterday.¡± If it had rained, it would be difficult for them to walk.

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°If it did rain, I wouldn¡¯t have gone to the mountain.¡± The mountain road was rugged. It was difficult to walk when it rained. It would be even dangerous to take the carriage.

    The two of them were talking when they heard Yuruing over. Yuxi smiled and went out to wee her in. But, of course, one didn¡¯t visit a temple without a cause. Yuru, the bride to be, had been very busytely, so she must havee over for something.

    Yuru dide over to request something. ¡°Si Mei, the hebao made by my maids are not as good as they should be. So I would like to ask Miss Kufu, who is with Si Mei, to help me make some of them. I wonder if it is possible?¡±

    Yuxi answered with a smile, ¡°Of course, but who are they for? Are they first meeting gifts for the seven junior members of the Zeng family, or is it for the stewardess mama and maids of the Zeng family?¡± A new bride not only needed to give gifts to her husband¡¯s juniors, but she also had to give red envelopes to the old woman servants and maids who were closely serving her husband. This would require arge amount of hebao.

    Yuru replied, ¡°It¡¯s for the seven junior members of the Zeng¡¯s family. I¡¯ll let the maids in my yard do the rest.¡± As long as the hebao was packed, no one would care if it was made inferior.

    Yuxi asked Kufu, ¡°With only fifteen days left, can you finish embroidering seven hebao?¡± Kufu¡¯s needlework was exquisite, but it didn¡¯t have such a fast speed.

    Kufu said, ¡°Can you let Bingmei and Caidie embroider them with me? It won¡¯t take more than ten days to finish when we do them together.¡± By doing them alone, she certainly could not have embroidered seven beautiful hebao.

    Yuxi agreed to Kufu¡¯s request. ¡°Then, for the next ten days, the three of you will concentrate on embroidering the hebao as much as you can.¡±

    Yuru thanked her and said a few more words before she went back. As the bride to be, she had a lot to do that she could not stay long at Taoran House.

    Zisu said, ¡°Miss, for Eldest Miss to specially ask Kufu to embroider the hebao was most probably a lie. She actually wanted you to help her with the embroidery.¡± She felt that Eldest Miss didn¡¯t need toe to beg just for a few hebao.

    Yuxi nced at Zisu and said, ¡°Asking me to embroider? You¡¯re just overthinking it.¡± At this speed, she would probably only be able to embroider one hebao by the end of the year.

    Zisu sincerely said, ¡°Miss, it is not that you are embroidering too slowly. You simply don¡¯t have time to do embroidery work at all.¡± Did Miss think she didn¡¯t know that her Miss had spent only three shichen of embroidery a month? With this speed, how could Miss do any good embroidery? Moreover, Miss used these few hours only to exercise her hand for fear that they would get rusty.

    Hearing this, Yuxi said helplessly, ¡°I truly don¡¯t have time!¡± She was so busy until she didn¡¯t have time to do embroidery. Besides, not to boast, her embroidery skills were already at the top level, so she didn¡¯t need to spend time on it anymore.

    Zisu would like to say, if you read fewer books, you will have time. However, she only dared to say these words in her heart. She did not have the courage to mutter them in front of Yuxi¡¯s face.

    Yuxi instructed, ¡°Go and see what has happened to Yuru¡¯s side. By all rights, the purse should have been prepared a long time ago, so how did she end up here asking for our help?¡± The time it took to prepare for the wedding was more than enough, and it was unlikely that the hebao had not yet finished by now.

    When Zisu told Yuxi what she had inquired about, Yuxi felt a little embarrassed. Surprisingly, mice had chewed through a box that happened to hold the hebao.

    Yuxi was a little dumbfounded. ¡°How could there be mice in Dajie¡¯s yard?¡± Just like her yard, not to mention mice, even cockroaches couldn¡¯t be seen. [+]

    Zisu shook her head and said, ¡°That¡¯s not clear. It¡¯s good that it only bit the hebao. If it had bitten the wedding dress, it would have been bad.¡±

    Yuxi nodded in agreement. ¡°What you said is very true.¡± If she had to say, it would be genuinely unlucky if it bit the wedding dress.

    In an instant, it was two days before Yuru¡¯s wedding. These two days were the days to replenish her dowry, where friends and family woulde over to add some into it.

    Yuxi took the twelve hebao that Kufu and the others had made, also the gifts she had prepared for Yuru and went to Yuru¡¯s side.

    Yuru took the pair of pure gold double happiness ruyi hairpins that Yuxi gave her and said with a smile, ¡°Thank you, Si Mei.¡± Just now, Yuchen had alsoe over to add to her dowry, giving her a pair of suede jade hairpins. Her gift scale, however, was not as much as what Yuxi had prepared.

    As the two of them were talking, Yujing came over as well. She has been back for three months and has never gone out, as she had been busily working on her dowry in the courtyard. However, it was probably because of the excellent food she ate in the past three months that she had gained a lot of weight.

    Yuxi stood up and said, ¡°Dajie, Er Jie, you guys continue to talk. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Yuxi and the two were four years apart and had never had much inmon.

    On the way back, Zisu said to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, the Lady has prepared sixty-four dowries for Eldest Miss. I guess the Second Miss probably won¡¯t have that many.¡±

    Yuxi was a little surprised and turned her head to inquire, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! The wedding silver from the public ount is all the same. Eldest Aunt can¡¯t withhold Er Jie¡¯s wedding silver.¡± The marriage silvers for the Duke Han family had been standardised. Therefore, Qiu Shi should not have acted recklessly just because she disliked Yujing.

    Zisu shook her head. ¡°No, it was the Song family who sent less betrothal gifts. The Zeng family sent thirty-two, but the Song family only sent sixteen.¡± The Song family had wealth that spoke louder than others, but their betrothal gifts were only half of the Zeng family.

    Yuxi snorted, ¡°With such a mother-inw who only acts ording to her own preference without considering anything else, Yujing will surely suffer in the future. However, Yujing¡¯s dowries will definitely be sixty-four as well.¡± Fourth Madam Song was also an odd one. She only had one son, Seventh Young Master Song, and it was she, herself, who had been disgraced by sending such small betrothal gifts. However, since the Han family had already given up on Yujing, they couldn¡¯t argue with the Fourth Madam Song over it, so the matter was hidden from the public. However, since Yuru¡¯s dowries were sixty-four, Yujing¡¯s should be just as many. However, despite the same amount, the value must be different.

    When it came to weddings and banquets, the rain was the biggest worry to everyone. Unfortunately, it happened to be raining when Yuru was getting married. Luckily, it was already ate third lunar month and not that cold. If it had been raining while they were still in winter, it would have been a disaster.

    When the groom entered the gate, Yuxi could hear the sound of firecrackers ringing in the bridal chamber. Then, when the groom came to pick up the bride, it was even more lively. Yuxi¡¯s ears were buzzing with the noise at that time.

    Once the groom had picked up the bride, the mansion soon quietened down. Yuxi couldn¡¯t help butment, ¡°When Er Ge married, it was crazily lively until into the night. When Dajie married, it was cold and quiet once she left the house.¡±

    Zisu said in reply, ¡°Marrying a daughter-inw is to increase the family poption while marrying out a daughter is to increase the poption for other families. So, naturally, it is different. Therefore, the world likes to have sons. ¡± If she were a son, her mother wouldn¡¯t be forced to death by her father and that slut, and she wouldn¡¯t end up being sold into a brothel. Fortunately, she had met Miss. Otherwise, she would have turned to dust by now.

    Yuxi nced at Zisu and said, ¡°Your words are too one-sided.¡± Seeing that Zisu lowered her head and did not say anything, she knew that Zisu had remembered something sad. Yuxi paused for a moment and said, ¡°Actually, there is one thing I have never told you.¡±

    Zisu looked puzzled. ¡°What is it, Miss?¡±

    When Yuxi bought Zisu, she had someone go to Zisu¡¯s hometown to check her background. Only after making sure that there was no problem with Zisu¡¯s background, Yuxi had decided to bring her along to her side inside the residence. Yuxi said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it back at the courtyard.¡± It was inconvenient to talk about this while they were in public.

    As soon as they returned to Taoran House, they entered the study. Zisu eagerly asked, ¡°Miss, did something wrong happen to my didi?¡± Although Zisu hated her wicked stepmother, her didi had the same father as her. Thus, the two of them had the same bloodline.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Your didi has always been fine. But after your stepmother sold you, she took your didi with her and remarried.¡±

    Zisu looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°What else then?¡± If she had just said that her stepmother had taken her brother and remarried, Miss would certainly not have kept it from her.

    Yuxi initially did not want to tell Zisu about this matter because she thought it would be hard for Zisu to take once she knew about it. ¡°That boy should not be your father¡¯s real son.¡± Yuxi heard from her informant that Zisu¡¯s didi looked like his stepfather, and that person also said that Zisu¡¯s stepmother and the man had hooked up while her stepmother was still married to Counsellor Ling. So, in all probability, the child did not belong to Counselor Ling but that man. [+]

    Zisu¡¯s face was as colourful as if it had been dyed with paint. ¡°Who is that male adulterer?¡±

    Yuxi was silent for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s your stepmother¡¯s neighbour, who works in a gambling house. I thought your father¡¯s death was not an ident. So I asked people to check it out. Fortunately, your father did die of illness, not man-made.¡±

    Zisu clenched her fist and asked, ¡°Then, did she take our Ling family¡¯s properties and remarried?¡± This slut, she must make her life worse than death.

    Yuxi shook her head and told her, ¡°She only took away half of them, and the other half was taken away by the Ling family n.¡± It should be that the two parties had reached some kind of agreement.

    Zisu had a look of sadness and hatred on her face. ¡°After that slut gave birth to her son, my father was so happy that he was unable to tell which way was the north and threw me away beyond the nine heavens. If he knew that this child was not his, I wonder if he would crawl out of his coffin.¡± For the sake of that slut and the child in her belly, her father had forced her mother to death. He even turned a blind eye to the despicable woman¡¯s abuse of her. He had never dreamed that his precious child would not be his but rather a bastard.

    It was hard for Yuxi toment on such things.

    After Zisu calmed down, she asked, ¡°Miss, what happened to that slut in the end?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head as she replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. If you really want to know, I¡¯ll request someone to ask around.¡± Back then, she was too young to do many things conveniently, but now it was different.

    Zisu nodded and said, ¡°Miss, I want to know what happened to that slut.¡± If that slut got hereuppance, she could just forget about it. However, if that slut didn¡¯t, she would not let her get away with it. As for that didi, since they were not rted by blood, she could simply ignore him.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Yes, I will find a reliable person to ask around.¡± Zisu¡¯s old home was rtively in a small town, so there was no need to worry about finding out about the news.

    Zisu loosened her clenched fist and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

 Chapter 204 - Stewardess

    Chapter 204 : Stewardess

    Once the third lunar month ended, Lu Xiu¡¯s pregnancy finally reached three months. The matter of having a tongfang in the courtyard was also on the agenda.

    Qiu Shi told Lu Xiu to bring back Han Jianye¡¯s two tongfang. It was not that she intentionally made things difficult for Lu Xiu, but Lu Xiu was now pregnant and could not serve Han Jianye. ¡°I hand-picked these two maids, so I can guarantee that they are both honest and proper people.¡± Meaning that they would not cause Lu Xiu any trouble. As for Qiu Yanfu, Qiu Shi had selectively forgotten about her.

    Lu Xiu blushed a little stiffly and answered with a reluctant smile, ¡°Okay.¡± Although she knew that this was the rule, her heart inevitably felt a little unhappy.

    Old Woman Jian persuaded, ¡°Miss, the Lady is already very generous. You can¡¯t have a knot in your heart towards her.¡± Usually, when a mother-inw knew that her daughter-inw was pregnant and did not arrange for a concubine for her son, she would insert someone herself instead. Inparison, Qiu Shi had waited until her Miss¡¯ pregnancy to be firmly stable before she mentioned it, which was already a very generous act of her.

    Old Woman Jian was originally Second Lady Lu¡¯s confidant. However, Second Lady Lu always felt uneasy since she knew Ye Shi harboured ill intentions towards Lu Xiu. Therefore, she gave Old Woman Jian to Lu Xiu to watch over her. Only then did she feel rest assured.

    Lu Xiu smiled reluctantly. ¡°I know. I don¡¯t me my mother-inw.¡± She just felt a little sad in her heart.

    Old Woman Jian also understood. If the wife didn¡¯t feel anything wrong in pushing her husband towards another woman, it was a sign that she did not feel anything for her husband.

    After seeing Lu Xiu, Han Jianye felt that she had something on her mind. After asking a few questions to Lu Xiu, he still couldn¡¯t get anything out of her, so he specifically inquired about the matter from Old Woman Jian.

    Old Woman Jian didn¡¯t hide it as she subtly told him. ording to Old Woman Jian, Miss was supposed to select a good maid to serve Guye while pregnant. However, Miss was unable to ept this road that she kept on postponing it. As a result, she was told to bring back the two maids who served Guye before. Also, ording to Old Woman Jian¡¯s words, since the two maids were born in residence, they surely had a different kind of rtionship with the Second Master. Frankly speaking, this matter made Lu Xiu don¡¯t feel any relief.

    Han Jianye thought it would be no big deal to bring back his two tongfang, but looking at Lu Xiu¡¯s sullenness, he was a little anxious. Not only was he worried about Lu Xiu¡¯s health, but he was also worried for his son. At first, Han Jianye wanted to go and ask Qiu Shi not to bring back the two maids. When he was halfway there, he remembered that Yuxi had told him to think more when anything cropped up. So he made a detour to Taoran House. [T/N]

    When Lu Xiu came out of the house, she didn¡¯t see Han Jianye and asked, ¡°Where did the Second Master go?¡± Since she was pregnant, Lu Xiu had also set up a small kitchen in the courtyard to make it convenient for her to eat anything. Most of the time, Han Jianye would stay with her for their evening meal unless he could not return from a social function.

    Old Woman Jian whispered, ¡°Second Master has gone out. He was originally going in the direction of the Master Courtyard butter turned to Taoran House.¡± Initially, Old Woman Jian was troubled that the Second Master would go to the Lady to talk about the tongfang. Later on, when she learned that the Second Master had gone to Taoran House, she was relieved.

    Lu Xiu was a bit taken aback. ¡°What is he going to do at Taoran House?¡±

    Old Woman Jian shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that either.¡± She knew that Han Jianye attached great importance to the Fourth Miss, but it didn¡¯t feel right to go looking for her in this situation.

    Lu Xiu, whose spirits were a little weak because of her pregnancy, instructed, ¡°Let me know once the Second Master returns. I will wait for him for our evening meal together.¡±

    When Han Jianye arrived at Taoran House, Yuxi was having her dinner.

    Yuxi was so surprised to see Han Jianye walk in. ¡°Er Ge, did something happen?¡± Yuxi asked this because it must be something important for Han Jianye toe over at mealtime. [+]

    Only then did Han Jianye realise that he hade at the wrong time and said somewhat awkwardly, ¡°There are some things I want to ask you.¡± Seeing Yuxi stand up, he hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s not toote for you to finish your meal first.¡±

    Yuxi was a little suspicious. For him to let her finish her evening meal before he could talk indicated that the issue was not that urgent. But even so, Yuxi couldn¡¯t truly make Han Jianye wait. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the study and talk!¡±

    Han Jianye was stammering as he told Yuxi the purpose of his arrival, ¡°Originally, I wanted to tell Mother not to bring those two people back first. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s not the right time yet. Yuxi, you think about things thoroughly. Do you think I should tell Mother about this?¡± Han Jianye felt that he was not as thorough as Yuxi, so he thought it would be better to ask her first.

    Yuxi did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°Ge, why are you asking me about such things? I¡¯m your meimei, not your stewardess. If people found out, they wouldugh their heads off.¡± It was a wonder that Han Jianye could even think of asking his meimei about his bedroom matters. She had always felt that this Er Ge of hers was unreliable, but she had never imagined that he would be so unreliable.

    Han Jianyeughed embarrassingly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to think about things thoroughly? That¡¯s why I came over to ask! Yuxi, do you think I should go and tell Mother?¡±

    Yuxi was really defeated by Han Jianye. In order to get back to her dinner early, she said, ¡°It¡¯s good to know that you love your wife, but there are ways to do it. If you were to go and talk to Eldest Aunt about it so boldly, she would be upset.¡±

    Han Jianye hastily said, ¡°But Ah Xiu is in a bad mood. I¡¯m worried that it will not be good for her and the baby!¡± This situation was a real dilemma.

    Yuxi advised, ¡°You can go tell Eldest Aunt. But you have to pay attention to the way you¡¯re going to say to her. For example, if you are worried that Er Sao¡¯s terrible mood will affect your child, tell her that you¡¯re concerned for your child. Also, you can inform her that you will bring them back once Er Sao gives birth. This way, Eldest Aunt will not take any offence.¡± After a pause, Yuxi asked, ¡°Er Ge, since you married Er Sao, how many times have you had meals with Eldest Aunt? Luckily, Eldest Aunt has a good temper. If she were reced by another mother-inw, she would have been unhappy for a long time. She would also do her utmost to give her daughter-inw tight shoes for her to wear. But look at Eldest Aunt. How well she treats Er Sao. Er Ge, you can¡¯t marry your wife and just forget your mother. You have to spend more time with Eldest Aunt in the future. ¡± Dage was too busy even to get away from his work. Thus, it was impossible to expect him to spend more time with Eldest Aunt. While Han Jianye, inparison, was much more at leisure.

    Han Jianye blushed and said nervously, ¡°I¡¯ll correct itter.¡±

    Yuxi knew that Han Jianye was just careless, not unfilial. ¡°In the future, you should spend more time with Eldest Aunt and coax her more so that she will always be happy. When she can hold her grandson in the future, she will surely not bother you and your wife¡¯s affairs anymore.¡± People made the rules. As long as her aunt didn¡¯t care about it, what did it matter if her aunt broke the rules? No one else has the right to peck her on this matter anyway.

    Han Jianye said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I came over to ask your opinion.¡± If he had gone over and bber to his mother that he wouldn¡¯t pick up his two maids back, just the way he always did, his mother would have been unhappy.

    Yuxi suggested with a smile, ¡°Er Ge, from now on, don¡¯te over to ask me about matters regarding your inner chamber. If it¡¯s something outside, and you can¡¯t decide and don¡¯t want to ask Dage, I can help you with it.¡± It was not like a meimei should be in charge of her gege¡¯s bedroom matters. Moreover, if Er Sao knew about this, her mood would undoubtedly be ufortable.

    Han Jianye smiled. ¡°Alright. Then I won¡¯t bother you with your meal. I¡¯ll go to the Master Courtyard right now.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t want to keep him there any longer either. ¡°Then go! I guess Eldest Aunt is still having dinner at this time, so you can go over and apany her. By the way, don¡¯t forget to have someone tell Er Sao.¡± Han Jianye had many faults, and carelessness was one of them.

    Han Jianye said with a smile, ¡°Yuxi, whoever marries you in the future, it will unquestionably be a blessing for him.¡± Such a gentle, considerate and understanding sister, he really couldn¡¯t bear to let her get married.

    Yuxi smilingly urged, ¡°Hurry up, I have to eat.¡± If she didn¡¯t eat as soon as possible, it was estimated that the food would turn cold.

    Zisu was about to take the food to be warmed up when she saw Yuxi walking over and asked with a smile, ¡°What did Second Master want with Miss?¡±

    Yuxi bristled, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about him. Let¡¯s eat.¡± This matter was something that could not be told to others. She had already instructed Han Jianye not to tell anyone about this, including Eldest Aunt and Er Sao. Otherwise, Han Jianye himself would lose face, and she would have to lose her face along with him.

    It was unbeknownst to Yuxi that Han Jianye was now so convinced by her that he was obedient to every single word she said. Since that day, Han Jianye has divided his time at home by spending half of it with his wife. While another half with his mother.

    Han Jianye wasn¡¯t a good coaxer, but Qiu Shi wanted her son to care for her more. Hence, it didn¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t have any ability to coax her. Therefore, as her son often came over to keep herpany, she turned a blind eye to Han Jianye¡¯sment about not allowing the two maids toe back for now.

    Naturally, Lu Xiu was not displeased, as it was only natural for children to be filial to their parents. In this way, the young couple spent arge part of their evening meal in the Master Courtyard. The rtionship between mother and son, mother-inw and daughter-inw, was as harmonious as it had ever been. Even Yuxi was surprised by this.

    At the beginning of the fourth lunar month, the person whom Yuxi had sent out to inquire about Zisu¡¯s stepmother came back. Naturally, that person could not enter the inner courtyard to report his findings, but he could only send in the information he had inquired about. [+]

    Yuxi was very surprised to see what was brought in and told Zisu, ¡°That stepmother of yours, she has been sold by her new husband.¡±

    Zisu didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Sold?¡± Only when one was a ve could one be sold at will, and a woman from a respectable family couldn¡¯t be treated the same way. Otherwise, one would get into trouble with thew.

    Yuxi nodded her head a little. ¡°Uh-huh, sold.¡± He Shi¡¯s new husband resented her old age and had hooked up with a young and attractive widow. When He Shi found out about it, she felt that the man was unreliable and held on tight to her property. When the man could not get the money, he noticed something was wrong and tried to coax He Shi. He took advantage of her when she was off guard to tie her up and sell her to some nook and cranny unknown to most people. While the man, himself, exchanged He Shi¡¯s property for money and ran away with the little widow.

    The man was working in a ce like the gambling house. How could he make a living in that kind of chaos if he wasn¡¯t ruthless? He Shi, what a way to get yourself killed.

    Zisu said viciously, ¡°This is what you call evil will be rewarded with evil. Heavens still have eyes. What about the male adulterer? Have you found him yet?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head, ¡°No. This matter is not easy to check. But it¡¯s pitiful that they have left that child behind. He¡¯s reduced to begging now.¡±

    Zisu asked nervously, ¡°Miss, isn¡¯t he the son of that thing? Why didn¡¯t he take him away?¡±

    Yuxi smiled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s the man¡¯s son, not the little widow¡¯s son.¡± The little widow wouldn¡¯t want such a drag. And this child, because he looked too much like that man, the Ling family decided that he was not their flesh and blood, so it was natural that they didn¡¯t care about him.

    Zisu was in aplicated mood. It was quite a while before she said something, ¡°Miss, if you can, it would be better to send him to the orphanage!¡± The orphanage was specialised in taking fatherless, motherless and homeless children.

    Yuxi nodded. ¡°I will have this matter taken care of.¡±

 Chapter 205 - Scared (1)

    <strong>Chapter 205 : Scared (1)</strong>

    In the middle of the fourth lunar month, the results for the Imperial Examination were released.

    When Yuxi heard Jiang Hongfu had won the title tanhua, she muttered to herself, ¡°The Jiang family has indeed produced a lot of talents!¡± Putting aside her grudge against Jiang Hongjin, there was one thing that she had to admit. Jiang Hongjin was very intelligent and good at studying. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have be the youngest zhuangyuan of the Great Zhou.

    Bingmei told Yuxi with a smile, ¡°Miss, I heard that the Emperor originally wanted Eldest Master Jiang to hold the title zhuangyuan, but because the second and third ces were too old, he named Eldest Master Jiang as the tanhua instead.¡± There was an unwritten rule in the Imperial Examination that the one who held the title tanhua had to be good in both talent and appearance.

    Yuxi broke intoughter. ¡°If so, it¡¯s a pity that Eldest Master Jiang lost out on the top prize because of his outstanding looks.¡± However, because of this incident, Yuxi remembered that Jiang Hongjin was also lucky because Chen Ran was also in his year. Chen Ran¡¯s looks were better than Jiang Hongjin. It was because Chen Ran was given the title tanhua, Jiang Hongjin became the zhuangyuan.

    Thinking of Chen Ran, Yuxi inadvertently recalled what had happened at Lingshan Temple. Therefore, if she had to say, all the rumours about him were false and could not be trusted.

    Bingmei cheerfully said, ¡°Who says it isn¡¯t? However, being titled as tanhua is also very good. ¡± To win the top three was already very impressive.

    Since Jiang Hongfu had earned the title tanhua, the Jiang family naturally had to give a big banquet for such a big joyous event. Han Jingyan also received an invitation to the banquet.

    Looking at the big red invitation, Han Jingyan had mixed feelings. He had four sons, but none of them was good at studying, and none of them even had the talent to practice martial arts. Not to mention their possibility of winning any of the top three spots of the Imperial Examination; ording to their current performance, he would be burning incense if they could get the rank of erjia.

    When Han Jingyan¡¯s attendant saw that his Master¡¯s look was not right, he suggested, ¡°My Lord, if you don¡¯t want to go, let¡¯s just go back!¡± His attendant knew best what was wrong with his Master¡¯s heart. The Third and Fourth Misses were outstanding, while the young masters had mediocre qualifications, with the Fifth and Sixth Masters hadn¡¯t even passed their county-level examination.

    Han Jingyan said, ¡°How can I not go?¡± It was unquestionably necessary for him to go, as there was still a need for more interaction between his colleagues. But when he thought about Wu Shi, the blue veins on Han Jingyan¡¯s forehead kept rising. He didn¡¯t need the Old Lady to remind him. He had already regretted it. Since he had married such a foolish woman, even if he had several children with her, none of them was smart enough.

    On the day of the Jiang family banquet, Yuxi excused herself from going on the grounds that she was not feeling well. Thest time she went was to check whether Jiang Hongjin had other thoughts about Yuchen. Since she already knew the result, there was no need to go to the Jiang family residence again.

    Yuchen decided not to go. At the same time, Yuxi imed to be sick and excused herself. In the end, Wu Shi could only take Yurong alone to the Jiang family residence.

    After Yuxi woke up from her afternoon nap, she heard Bingmei say that Wu Shi had returned. Bingmei reported, ¡°Miss, the Third Lady didn¡¯t look very good when she came back.¡±

    Yuxi was a little surprised. ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    Bingmei replied, ¡°It seems that the Fifth Miss had a conflict with a young miss from the Yu family, but I didn¡¯t find out the details.¡±

    Once she heard that it was a minor conflict among girls, Yuxi didn¡¯t take it to heart. A variety of people had different temperaments, and it was inevitable that there would be some conflict. Of course, a conflict in someone else¡¯s home would be bad for their family¡¯s reputation, that was for sure.

    When Bingmei saw that Yuxi was not interested in this matter, she talked about another issue, ¡°I heard that the Eldest Master Jiang¡¯s marriage has already been settled. He is set to marry his teacher¡¯s youngest daughter, Bai Ning.¡± Bingmei said that she had never heard of Bai Ning.

    Yuxiughed lightly. ¡°Bai Ning doesn¡¯t need to make a name for herself in the capital. It¡¯s enough for people to know that she is Old Teacher Bai¡¯s youngest daughter.¡± Old Teacher Bai was a famous Confucian schr in the world and had countless students under his tutge. That was why he didn¡¯t have any worry regarding his daughter¡¯s marriage.

    Bingmei didn¡¯t quite understand. If one didn¡¯t need to make a name for oneself, why did the Third Miss try so hard to make a name for herself? It was just that she didn¡¯t ask this question out loud. ¡°I heard that the Second Master Jiang is just as talented, and this time, thosedies who went to the banquet, many of them have set their minds on him.¡±

    Yuxi was not surprised by this situation. Jiang Hongjin was outstanding in all aspects of appearances and qualifications. Of course, that was in his previous life. However, in this one, there seemed to be a discrepancy. In herst life, she remembered that Jiang Hongjin had already be famous in the capital at this time. But now, Jiang Hongjin¡¯s fame was not so obvious. Yuxi guessed that it was because of the presence of Jiang Hongfu.

    Yuxi¡¯s guess was correct. In this life, because Jiang Hongfu¡¯s qualifications and abilities were not inferior to Jiang Hongjin, Jiang Wenrui naturally pinned his hopes on his eldest son. Not only did he pave the way for Jiang Hongfu, but he also spent most of his energy on teaching him. Although for a child to be excellent because of their own qualifications was necessary, their elders¡¯ guidance was equally as important. Jiang Hongfu had direction from his father, Jiang Wenrui, and Schr Bai, his father-inw-to-be, which was in no wayparable to the Jiang Hongjin of today. [+]

    When Jiang Hongfu was awarded the title of tanhua, Jiang Wenrui and Old Teacher Bai were the happiest, while Madam Jiang, Yu Shi, was the most annoyed. Since the incident, Jiang Hongfu had treated her like a stranger, almost to the point of tearing her face off. Even the Master treated her coldly afterwards.

    After sending all the guests away, Yu Shi finally lost the smile on her face. She was tired after a long day of forced smiles. After taking a break, she asked, ¡°Where is Jin-er?¡±

    Her old woman servant told her, ¡°Second Master is studying in his study.¡± The Second Master was an undoubtedly hard-working and diligent person.

    Yu Shi¡¯s face showed her distress. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t this child cherish his own body!¡± It was a good thing for her son to work hard, but if he worked too hard, she would feel distressed instead.

    The old woman servant smilingly said, ¡°Second Master is making progress in his study. Madam should be happy for him.¡±

    How could Yu Shi be happy? Jiang Hongfu was now in such a good position and would soon marry Old Bai¡¯s daughter, where she no longer could suppress him. She was worried that Jiang Hongfu would oppress her son for the rest of his life. As Yu Shi thought of this matter, she immensely hated the person who had meddled in his affairs back then. ¡°It¡¯s been so many years, and we haven¡¯t found out the person who had saved his life in the first ce.¡± If someone hadn¡¯t saved him back then, Jiang Hongfu would have died a long time ago, and how would there be such troublesome matters like what had happened to her nowadays?

    The old woman servant shook her head and said, ¡°The Eldest Master¡¯s side didn¡¯t leave a single trace of clue on this matter. Madam, this matter has passed for so many years, so you should just let it go!¡± Only Eldest Master knew the person who had helped him that day. If he did not reveal anything about him, there was no way for them to find out.

    Yu Shi did not know that she could never discover anything on this matter, no matter what she did. ¡°Not only the eldest child has won the title tianhua, but he is also going to marry Old Teacher Bai¡¯s youngest daughter. If my son doesn¡¯t want to be suppressed by him for the rest of his life, he will have to marry a girl with a better family background than Bai Ning.¡± But it was not that easy to find such a girl unless she was from a royal family.

    While Yu Shi was nning to marry Jiang Hongjin, Old Lady Jiang also told Jiang Wenrui, ¡°Fu-er will be getting married next month, so when he gets married, this matter that has been bothering my heart will be over.¡± With her heart settled, Old Madam Jiang was ready to go back to Jiangnan. It had been a pain in the neck for her to be living here in the capital!

    Jiang Wenrui also knew that his mother was not used to staying this long in the capital. If it wasn¡¯t for the uneasiness she felt for Hongfu¡¯s future, she would not have remained here. ¡°Mother, it is this son who is unfilial, making you worry at such an old age.¡±

    Old Madam Jiang waved her hand and said, ¡°When you raise a child for a hundred years, you will have to worry about him for 99 years. Although the girl from the Bai family is a bit weak, she is a smart child. Furthermore, she and Fu-er have been friends since they were children. But what are your ns for Jin-er¡¯s marriage? I notice that Yu Shi is going to find a highly valued marriage for him.¡±

    Jiang Wenrui immediately assured his mother, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let her interfere in Jin-er¡¯s marriage.¡± Yu Shi¡¯s desire to marry her youngest son into a highly valued marriage was an apparent attempt to overpower his eldest son. The respect for seniority had been set since ancient times. If seniority between siblings weren¡¯t distinguished, it would be the bane and bring ruin to one¡¯s family.

    Hearing this assurance, Old Madam Jiang nodded gently. ¡°Jin-er is fourteen years old this year. So it¡¯s about time to settle on his marriage. Do you have someone in mind?¡±

    Jiang Wenrui shook his head as he replied, ¡°No. Mother, do you have a candidate?¡± Jiang Wenrui still had trust in his mother¡¯s eye for people. The wives his mother had chosen for the three of them siblings were all perfect. It was a pity that his first wife had died during childbirth. Otherwise, they would have been happy and harmonious. Thinking of his first wife¡¯s untimely death, Jiang Wenrui felt a little sad.

    Old Madam Jiang said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen many girls today, but none of them is as good as the Fourth Miss Han, the girl I sawst time.¡±

    When Jiang Wenrui heard his mother¡¯s words, he immediately asked, ¡°Mother, what is so unique about that Fourth Miss Han that you still can¡¯t get her out of your mind?¡± Thest time Fourth Miss Han came was when Yu Shi had her birthday, and it had been more than half a year since then. [+]

    Old Madam Jiang told Jiang Wenrui what happened that day. ¡°That child is not arrogant, not impatient, and has a calm and steady nature, which is very rare for a capital girl. I¡¯ve heard a lot about her in the past six months. Not only that child can write and draw, but she¡¯s also an excellent cook.¡±

    Jiang Wenrui said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of the Third Miss Han who is proficient in the four arts,posing poems, and so gifted in brewing fragrant tea. But I don¡¯t remember much about this Fourth Miss Han.¡± He was a grown-up man. Thus, why in the world would he pay attention to the affairs of other people¡¯s inner courtyard? Moreover, Yuchen¡¯s name was already famous. It was hard for him not to know about her.

    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s so rare about that child,¡± Old Madam Jiang pointed out. ¡°Just think about it. She is very outstanding. But because she has a gloriously dazzling jiejie, she is overshadowed. That child is not only unaffected by this but has developed an open-minded nature instead, which is not an easy thing to achieve.¡±

    Hearing these words from his mother, Jiang Wenrui said in agreement, ¡°If it is as Mother said, she is indeed a match for Jin-er.¡± He could see that his youngest son was under a lot of pressure because of his eldest son¡¯s excellence. If his younger son¡¯s wife was open-minded, she could also relieve his younger son¡¯s stress.

    Old Madam Jiang was affirming him, ¡°That child is excellent. She is a good match for Jin-er.¡±

    Jiang Wenrui nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s fine then. I¡¯ll talk to Jingyan xiongdi about this in the next few days.¡± Since his mother was so optimistic about this girl, it would be better to settle this marriage earlier.

    Old Madam Jiang gave a hmph and added, ¡°How about Yu Shi over there?¡± Old Madam Jiang was disgusted with Yu Shi. Her eldest grandson had been awarded the title of tanhua, which was a great joy for the family. Yu Shi was even good enough to put on a forced smile while entertaining the guests during the banquet. Did Yu Sji think all the guests were all fools and couldn¡¯t see what she was thinking?

    Jiang Wenrui said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, Mother. It¡¯s no secret that His Highness King Jing has taken a liking to the Third Miss Han. I guess it won¡¯t be long before the decree for their marriage to be sanctioned, and Yu Shi will not object when she finds out about this.¡± Yuxi¡¯s status as a close di meimei of a wangfei was already enough to convince Yu Shi.

    The Old Madam Jiang was a bit worried when she heard this. ¡°With that child going to be in such good condition, I¡¯m afraid the Han family may disagree! Jin-er is not bad, but he is still young and has no merit yet.¡±

    Jiang Wenrui still has confidence in his youngest son. ¡°We don¡¯t need to settle it right now. We should first notify Jingyan xiongdi and then settle the marriage after Jin-er has obtained his academic title.¡± Like his eldest son¡¯s situation, the two families had informed each other in private for the marriage to be settled after the examination. At this time, Jin-er was merely a xiuchai, so the Han family would find him not up to their preference. But the good news was that the Fourth Miss Han was still young, and the family was in no hurry.

    Old Madam Jiang nodded. ¡°Then that is appropriate.¡±

 Chapter 206 - Scared (2)

    <strong>Chapter 206 : Scared (2)</strong>

    ¤­¤Ä¤ÍJune 30, 2021

    Han Jingyan froze for a moment when he heard Jiang Wenrui say that he wanted to ask for his youngest son, Jiang Hongjin, to marry his Yuxi. But Han Jingyan quickly reacted and said with a smile, ¡°My Mother has raised my two children since they were young. So on such a big matter, I must ask her first before I can reply to Jiang Xiong.¡±

    Han Jingyan didn¡¯t agree immediately because Jiang Hongjin had only obtained the title of xiuchai. His future was still unknown. Secondly, although Yuxi¡¯s looks and talents were not as good as Yuchen¡¯s, she was the best among her peers in the capital. Thirdly, Yuchen would soon be sanctioned for marriage. By then, Yuxi¡¯s value would have risen, and he would not have to worry about finding a good inw.

    Jiang Wenrui said with a smile, ¡°All right. Then, I¡¯ll wait for good news from Jingyan Xiong.¡±

    On his way back home, Han Jingyan was particrly curious. As far as he knew, Yuxi hadn¡¯t even gone to the Jiang family¡¯s banquet two days before. So how could the Jiang family¡¯s people have taken a fancy to Yuxi? However, now was not the time to pursue this matter.

    When he returned to the State Residence, Han Jingyan told the Old Lady about Jiang Wenrui¡¯s proposal to marry Yuxi to his youngest son. ¡°Mother, I said that I needed your consent for this and did not immediately agree to it.¡±

    The Old Lady nodded and said, ¡°The elder son of the Jiang family has made a name for himself, but the younger son is not even a juren at the moment. So it is not quite right to settle a marriage for now.¡± The Han family had carefully groomed their young misses for marriage that would bring benefits to the family. Jiang Hongjin was still too young even to have a prospect. If Jiang Hongfu was unsessful in bing a jinshi, would they still have chosen Yuxi?

    Han Jingyan also felt that it was not good to set up a marriage right now, but it would not also be good if he refused. ¡°Jiang Daren¡¯s future is just right. If we shrug it off, it will not be a good idea for us to offend him.¡± In the official world, it was better to have one more friend than one more enemy.

    Old Lady Han felt that Han Jingyan¡¯s concerns were proper, but if the Jiangs wanted a reason, it was also readily avable. ¡°Just tell the Jiangs that the respect for seniority was established a long time ago. Since Yuchen¡¯s marriage has not yet been decided, Yuxi, as meimei, must not be ahead of her jiejie.¡± King Jing¡¯s heart for Yuchen was clear to everyone, and Song Guifei was happy to see it happen. So as soon as the decree for the marriage was issued, Yuchen would be the prospective wangfei. Jiang Wenrui was so cunning that he wouldn¡¯t cross them just because the proposed marriage hadn¡¯t been achieved.

    Han Jingyan thinks this was a good reason. Not only did it not offend anyone, but it also gave them a buffer time. Of course, it was not impossible to promise Yuxi to Jiang Hongjin, provided that Jiang Hongjin was a promising man and not a hopeless case.

    Jiang Wenrui was a little disappointed to hear such a reply, but the good news was that the Han family did not want to settle the marriage now. Jiang Wenrui just wanted to get the word out first so that they could talk about the marriageter. As long as his son became a promising man, it was impossible for the Han family to push away the marriage proposal.

    In response to Jiang Wenrui¡¯s reaction, Han Jingyan didn¡¯t say that they were utterly declining. He just smilingly said that he would wait until after Yuchen¡¯s marriage was set. Han Jingyan¡¯s response left room for them to manoeuvre in the future.

    This was not even a verbal agreement between the two families. It could only say that the Jiang family had the intention, while the Han family was holding the wait-and-see approach. The Old Lady and Han Jingyan were tight-lipped on the Han family side, so naturally, no news would get out. But on the Jiang family¡¯s side, Madam Jiang, Yu Shi, was the madam who managed the household. Thus, it was impossible to keep such a significant matter from her.

    When Yu Shi heard the news from the maid she nted in the Old Madam¡¯s courtyard, she froze. ¡°What? Are they trying to match Fourth Miss Han to my Jin-er? Is this news reliable?¡± Let alone that she had no impression of this Fourth Miss Han, even Han Jingyan¡¯s official rank was lower than his husband¡¯s. How could she let her son marry such a girl? If she allowed this, her son would be pressured by Jiang Hongfu for the rest of his life, and she would never let such a thing happen. [+]

    Old Woman Yue, Yu Shi¡¯s trusted subordinate, said, ¡°It¡¯s reliable. If it were not confirmed, the news would not have been revealed. Madam, what should we do now?¡±

    Yu Shi gritted her teeth as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the Master myself when he returns.¡±

    Old Woman Yue thought a little further ahead. ¡°Let¡¯s go and inquire about this Fourth Miss Han. It will be much easier to convince the Masterter.¡±

    Yu Shi was not familiar with Yuxi. She had only met her oncest year, but she had forgotten what Han Yuxi even looked like. However, she did remember some of what Han Yuxi had done that day. ¡°Go and get Qi-er toe over. I want to ask her personally!¡±

    When Jiang Wenrui returned in the evening, Yu Shi had her trusted old woman servant invite him over. As soon as Yu Shi saw Jiang Wenrui, she asked, ¡°Master, are you going to match Fourth Miss Han with Jin-er?¡±

    Jiang Wenrui didn¡¯t expect Yu Shi would know about it, and he didn¡¯t have the intention to hide it from her. ¡°Yes. Mother thinks that the Fourth Miss Han family is perfect, and she is very suitable for Jin-er.¡±

    Yu Shi¡¯s voice rose abruptly, ¡°What¡¯s appropriate? What is suitable? That girl is a spiteful and entric person, disobedient and unfilial to her elders, indifferent to her sisters and brothers. How can such a person be worthy of our Jin-er?¡±

    His wife¡¯s words werepletely different from those of his mother. But it was clear that Jiang Wenrui believed his mother more and not Yu Shi. ¡°Mother said that the child was open-minded and cheerful, a very good girl. How did that be the caseing from your mouth?¡±

    Yu Shi was not stupid. How could she not know that she and Old Lady Jiang have different weights in her husband¡¯s heart? ¡°What good girl? Will a good girl suppress her stepmother? Master, Jin-er is my son, and I will never allow him to marry such a woman.¡± Yu Shi heard from Jiang Qi that Han Yuxi was such an outstanding person, which made her despise Yuxi even more. [T/N]

    Jiang Wenrui was extremely annoyed. ¡°Where did you hear all this nonsense? Jin-er is also my son. How could I intentionally harm him?¡±

    Yu Shi said, ¡°That¡¯s not the point. The point is that such a woman would disturb our family spirit if she married him. Master, there is no way I will let my son marry her.¡±

    Jiang Wenruiughed in anger and said, ¡°You don¡¯t want him to marry that girl, while that other family won¡¯t want their daughter to marry your son.¡±

    Yu Shi could despise Han Yuxi, but the Han family had no right to dislike her son. ¡°The Han family is just as superficial as the light on the donkey¡¯s dung. Who are they to despise my Hong Jin?¡± Yu Shi was a shu daughter. She didn¡¯t study much, and in her anger, she blurted out foulnguage. (Oh, you can despise Han Yuxi, but the Hans can¡¯t dislike your son? ? Where did you get that logic, ¡®Auntie¡¯? And who gives you the merit to despise Yuxi? It¡¯s not like the Han family begged your family to marry their daughter. It¡¯s your family who has been asking for Yuxi to marry your son. Ceh~! She¡¯s pissing me off. ?)

    Jiang Wenrui said, ¡°Once the Imperial Decree for the sanctioned marriage has been issued, the Third Miss Han will nail the title Jing Wangfei, so what¡¯s the point for the Han family worrying about their Fourth Miss¡¯ marriage? On the other hand, what does Hongjin have besides the rank xiuchai? What does he have that can make the Han family take a fancy to him?¡± Jiang Wenrui had to humble himself down.

    If she hadn¡¯t heard Jiang Qi¡¯s words, she might have been a little tempted by the prospect of marrying Hongjin to the younger sister of a prospective wangfei. But after hearing Jiang Qi¡¯sments about Yuxi, she just couldn¡¯t stand Yuxi. ¡°Not to mention the fact that the Han family hasn¡¯t produced a wangfei yet. Even if they did, I wouldn¡¯t let my son marry Han Yuxi.¡± A wangfei was nothing. It was not like Yuxi would be the younger sister of an Empress. Moreover, Han Yuxi and Han Yuchen were not sisters from the same mother. [+]

    Seeing that Yu Shi could not be persuaded, Jiang Wenrui left the Master Courtyard in a rage. [T/N]

    When the couple quarrelled, they quarrelled so fiercely that it was difficult for the people in the courtyard not to know about it. As a result, all the subordinates of the Jiang family knew that their Master and Madam had quarrelled over the Second Master¡¯s marriage. And this, too, fell into the eyes of those who had their eyes on them.

    A few dayster, Yuxi also got the news. When she read the information in her hand, her eyes went big as copper bells as she muttered to herself, ¡°How, how could this happen¡­¡­¡± Old Madam Jiang had taken a fancy to her and wanted to match her with Jiang Hongjin.

    At this time, Yuxi felt so regretful that she wished to bang her head against the wall. She must have been out of her mind at that time. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been so nice to Old Madam Jiang. If she had misbehaved, Old Madam Jiang would not have looked at her favourably. But at this point, it would be unnecessary for her to feel regret. There was no pill for regret in this world. The most important thing was to get this matter settled.

    After leaving the study, Yuxi immediately called for Zisu and instructed, ¡°Have someone go see if Dage is in the front yard? If he is not there, have someone inform me when he returns. I have something to look for Dage.¡±

    Zisu noticed the gloomy look on Yuxi¡¯s face, and her heart beat so hard. Hence, she hurriedly answered, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll go now.¡± It looked like something big was going on.

    Han Jianming was not at the residence and did not return until it was almost dark in the evening. When he heard that Yuxi had something to seek him, he was a little surprised and said, ¡°Go and get the Fourth Miss toe over.¡±

    Yuxi sprinted to Han Jianming¡¯s courtyard.

    It was the first time Han Jianming had seen Yuxi so anxious that he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What has made you look so scared like this?¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°Dage, the Jiang family has talked to my father about my marriage and wants to betroth me to Jiang Hongjin. Dage, you must help me stop this.¡±

    Han Jianmingughed despite himself as he inquired, ¡°I haven¡¯t even heard of such a big thing. Where did you hear this news?¡± He felt that the aftermath of that nightmare was still very huge to Yuxi.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Dage, I¡¯m not lying to you. It¡¯s true. I guess Grandmother must have also known about this. Dage, you promised me that you would help me block the Jiang family¡¯s marriage. Dage, you can¡¯t go back on your words.¡± The Jiang family was the one that Yuxi was most afraid of right now. If she were to marry into the Jiang family, she would rather be a nun.

    Looking at Yuxi¡¯s attitude, Han Jianming put away the smile on his face and asked, ¡°Where did you get the information from?¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°The news came from the Jiang family. If my guess is correct, Master Jiang should have already mentioned this to Father. Given Father¡¯s nature, he would have asked Grandmother.¡± After all, she had grown up under the Old Lady¡¯s watch, so he would undoubtedly have asked her about the marriage.

    Han Jianming had a smiling look on his face. ¡°You have a very long hand. You have even reached out to the Jiang family. Tell me, when did you nt the people there.¡±

    She would not tell him that she had put someone in the Jiang family seven years ago. She said, ¡°It¡¯s just that after the nightmare I hadst time, I couldn¡¯t have peace in mind that I spent a lot of money to bribe some of the Jiang family¡¯s servants. At this time, it doese in handy.¡±

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t believe Yuxi¡¯s words. It was simple. No matter whose family was talking about marriage, they wouldn¡¯t say it aloud if the marriage didn¡¯t work out. Therefore, the Jiang family¡¯s underlings couldn¡¯t hear such secret information. Only those who were close to them would get such confidential information. However, despite his suspicions, Han Jianming did not ask. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. I will help you solve this matter.¡± (Erm, Dage. This matter is already huge in the Jiang Residence. You can even try to ask the guard who guards the gate. I bet even he knows of this news.)[T/N]

    Yuxi was half relieved to hear this assurance. For the rest, she would have to wait for a definite answer before she could finally feel at ease.

 Chapter 207 - Scared (3)

    <strong>Chapter 207 : Scared (3)</strong>

    Han Jianming looked at the motionless Yuxi and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going back yet?¡±

    Yuxi asked anxiously, ¡°Dage, don¡¯t you go ask Grandmother right now?¡± She hated it if this matter wasn¡¯t solved right away. Otherwise, she would not be at ease.

    Han Jianming felt that Yuxi was still notposed enough. ¡°You want me to go ask her now? If I tell Grandmother first, in the next moment, she¡¯ll know that it¡¯s you who has told me about this. How will you exin it then? Say you¡¯ve nted someone in the Jiang family because of a nightmare?¡± When that time came, there was no telling how much trouble it would cause.

    Yuxi lowered her head and asked, ¡°Dage, how long will it take then?¡±

    Looking at Yuxi¡¯s troubled face, Han Jianming walked over and patted her shoulder while saying, ¡°There are plenty of ways to break up a marriage. Even if your father already agreed, it can still be broken just the same. So you don¡¯t need to worry at all.¡± There were so many factors to consider in tying a marriage, and it was also more troublesome. However, to break it was as simple as raising a finger.

    Yuxi was slightly relieved to hear this assurance. ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll wait for news from Dage.¡± No one couldn¡¯t me her for not being calm. It was just that the aftermath was too great for her to bear.

    Han Jianming advised, ¡°In the future, don¡¯t make a fuss over the slightest thing youe across. You have to make sure your face doesn¡¯t change colour even if Mount Tai copsed in front of you.¡±

    Fine. Momo Quan had told her so, and so did Dage. Yuxi broke down and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s not that easy.¡± If it was not her own business, she could naturally hide it well. But when ites to her future happiness, no one could be that calm.

    Han Jianming said, ¡°You stillck experience.¡± Her theoretical knowledge was sufficient, but she had not gone through so much experience after all. Her mind was unable to be calm; hence, she could not act steadily enough.

    Yuxi muttered in her mind. If she was as slick as Dage, wouldn¡¯t that be odd?

    Han Jianming kept to hisposure and did not act for the next ten days or so. Although Yuxi was anxious, she didn¡¯t reveal it on her face.

    It was nearly half a monthter when Han Jianming approached the Old Lady and asked, ¡°Grandmother, did the Jiang familye to our door to talk about marriage?¡±

    Even the Old Lady was surprised that she asked, ¡°How did you know that?¡±

    Han Jianming answered with a smile, ¡°I knew it by ident.¡±

    The Old Lady did not suspect much. Han Jianming was not Yuxi as he had his sources of information. So it was not strange that he would know something about this. ¡°Did you get the information from the Jiang family?¡± Only she and her youngest son knew about it. Thus, it wouldn¡¯t have leaked. The only way her eldest grandson could hear about it was through the Jiang family.

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°Madam Jiang must not have liked Yuxi. Otherwise, she will not have been busy looking at young misses of the right age recently.¡±

    The Old Lady didn¡¯t know about this. When she heard this, herplexion turned bad as she asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Yu Shi is already looking for another girl?¡±

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s why I feel that it was a bit strange and have purposelye here to ask Grandmother. Did Grandmother and San Shu turn down the Jiang family¡¯s marriage proposal?¡±

    The Old Lady¡¯s face was looking a little unpleasant. The Jiangs told them that they were interested in asking for Yuxi¡¯s hand in marriage, and somehow, they were also busy looking at girls of the right age. The Jiangs indeed yed them like monkeys. ¡°We didn¡¯t say agree, nor did we say no either. Yuxi is too young, so we want to keep her for at least two more years.¡±

    Han Jianming is not stupid, so how could he not know the meaning of this statement. ¡°Does Grandmother have any ns for Yuxi¡¯s marriage? If Jiang Hongjin does well in the provincial exams at the end of the year, will we agree to this marriage?¡± It was true that the Jiang family was pretty good. Many of the Jiang family members had be officials in the Imperial Court, as they had given birth to talented people from generation to generation. However, the only problem was, Jiang Hongjin was not Jiang Wenrui¡¯s eldest son.

    The Old Lady hesitated for a while before asking, ¡°Do you have any other candidate?¡±

    Han Jianming had an idea. ¡°With all her qualifications, Yuxi is more than capable of marrying the eldest di son of an appropriate family. For the second di son, we don¡¯t even have to consider.¡± The difference between the eldest di son and the second di son was not just a tiny bit.

    The Old Lady felt that these words were too absolute. ¡°If the second di sons are good in every way, they can still be considered.¡± As long as the other party could benefit the family, it didn¡¯t matter if he was a first son or a second son. [+]

    Han Jianming would not argue with the Old Lady about meaningless matters and said, ¡°If it is excellent in all aspects, it is possible to consider it. But forget about the Jiang family. The Jiang family has no sincerity at all in doing things. It would be easy for our Yuxi to find a family better than the Jiang family.¡±

    The Old Lady nodded, ¡°Yu Shi has already started looking at another candidate for her son, so naturally, we shouldn¡¯t also be in a hurry. By the way, what did Yuxi do the other day when she went to look for you in your study? This girl always goes to you. Will it affect you?¡±

    Han Jianmingughed in spite of himself. ¡°What impact can it have? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going for the Imperial Examinations. Si Mei merely had some things she didn¡¯t understand and had purposelye over to ask me.¡±

    After listening to what Han Jianming said, the Old Lady stopped dwelling on this topic. ¡°Jianye is going to be a father soon. What about you? What are your ns?¡± [T/N]

    To others, Han Jianming might still be able to make up some excuses. Even when facing his mother, he would not say anything. Of course, Qiu Shi would not ask him about these things. He could only say, ¡°I¡¯m going to wait until the Imperial Decree for the sanctioned marriage is released, then I¡¯ll talk about the second room.¡±

    The Old Lady was a little surprised and asked, ¡°Why is that?¡± A sanctioned marriage for Yuchen would influence Yuxi and Yurong¡¯s wedding, but it had little to do with Han Jianming.

    Han Jianming replied, ¡°I want to find a girl from an official family. If I find a girl from an ordinary family, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t live long if I marry her.¡±

    The Old Lady was shocked and asked, ¡°Why are you saying it this way?¡± She was getting old and had limited energy. Thus, she initially didn¡¯t want to ask too much about many things.

    Han Jianming exined to her what happened on that day. ¡°Based on this, Ye Shi should not be able to tolerate a noble concubine who has given birth to a son. And I, for one, don¡¯t want the child to be motherless as soon as it is born.¡± The more important point he did not say was that with such a high rate of premature death of children, there was no guarantee that his eldest son would live to inherit the title in peace and security. If he had a few more sons, it would never be a problem.

    No one knew that because of Concubine Rong, Han Jianming particrly hated concubines brought up from the children of family servants. Because of this, he had always been indifferent to the two concubine maids given to him by the Old Lady.

    The Old Lady had a guilty look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m to me for this. I made an error in judgement.¡± Who would have known Ye Shi¡¯s health would not have been good.

    Han Jianming responded with a smile, ¡°Who could have known about this? Grandmother doesn¡¯t need to overthink about it. Things have already happened. Now it¡¯s time to think about how to solve it.¡±

    The Old Lady pondered for a moment and said, ¡°It is too difficult to find someone who is intelligent and responsible.¡± Maybe this second room would do her duty when she came into the residence. But when she had a son, how could she share it? This backyard would not be going to be quiet in the future.

    Han Jianye also knew that people¡¯s hearts were unpredictable and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this in the future!¡± The fight between women was a minor matter. The key was the heir to the State Residence. As long as his heir was intelligent, nothing else mattered.

    ¤­¤Ä¤Í: Wow, really, Han Jianming?

    Yuxi soon learned that Han Jianye had gone to the Main Courtyard, and the two had talked for nearly half a shichen or so in the main room. Yuxi asked, ¡°When Dage came out, how did he look?¡±

    Bingmei said, ¡°When Master Shizi came out, he looked the same as he was before. There was no difference.¡± Han Jianming hadpletely refrained his emotions, which was difficult for ordinary people to see him through.

    Yuxi muttered to herself, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Walking out without any expression was the same as saying that Dage had everything under control. It also meant he had lifted the Jiang family¡¯s crisis from her.

    Han Jianming did not call Yuxi over but proceeded to have his sidekick, Han Hao, mention a couple of things as he sent fruits over to Yuxi. [+]

    When Yuxi heard Han Hao say that the matter was ¡®done¡¯, her whole body rxed. It was good that the issue hade to an end. [T/N]

    When she finally calmed down, Yuxi also felt that she had been overly nervous this time. Given the nature of her father and the Old Lady, there was no way she could be promised to Jiang Hongjin at this point. The reason was that Jiang Wenrui was not yet the Minister for the Ministry of Personnel, and Jiang Hongjin was not the youngest zhuangyuan. The current situation was not that she wasn¡¯t good enough for Jiang Hongjin, but Jiang Hongjin was not good enough for her.

    As Yuxi thought of this, her whole body could finally rx. The knife that had been hanging over her head was finally gone.

    When Zisu saw Yuxi, she froze for a moment. She felt that Miss looked different somewhere. But she couldn¡¯t tell what was different. So she asked Kufu, ¡°Did you feel any different about Miss?¡±

    Kufu nodded and said, ¡°She does look different. Now Miss looks much more rxed.¡± Before, their Miss had always looked preupied. But now, she was clearly rxed. As for why there was this change, it was something only Miss, herself, knew.

    Two dayster, Zhou Shiya came to the Han residence to y. Even though she told others that she came here to y, she actually came to roast someone. Zhou Shiya bitterly said, ¡°Yuxi, my mother has taken a fancy on Jiang Hongjin of Minister Jiang¡¯s family. I¡¯ve told her that Madam Jiang has a kind face but a bitter heart, and Jiang Qi is also full of bad things, but my mother just won¡¯t listen,ining that I don¡¯t have an eye for people.¡± Zhou Shiya would think that Madam Jiang was terrible because of something Yuxi had unintentionally said to her before. There was no getting around the fact that Yu Shi has a good image out there and Jiang Qi was good at pretending. Not to mention that Second Lady Zhou didn¡¯t see any difference with them or that no one else could see it.

    Yuxi eximed, ¡°That Yu Shi is a bad one, and Jiang Qi is also small-minded, so it¡¯s better to forget about such a family.¡± Second Lady Zhou¡¯s search for a son-inw was too high. She was just aiming for young talents with great potential.

    Zhou Shiya nodded her head, ¡°That¡¯s right! But my mother¡¯s heart is as muddled asrd and won¡¯t listen to me. What¡¯s even more annoying is that Madam Jiang¡¯s attitude is ambiguous.¡± What annoyed Zhou Shiya the most was Madam Jiang¡¯s attitude. If she agreed, she should just say yes. If she disagreed, she should have said no. What was the point of being ambiguous? She was not a cabbage for Madam Jiang to just pick and choose.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t even know how to evaluate the Second Lady Zhou. ¡°It¡¯s right for your mother to want to find a good husband for you, but her vision is¡­¡­has your mother never asked for your opinion?¡± Although the Zhou familycked wealth, Second Lady Zhou¡¯s maiden¡¯s family was strong. Plus, the Second Master Zhou was a third rank official. Although it was a sinecure position, he was still a third rank official. It was just that Yuxi felt that the Second Lady Zhou set her vision too high.

    Zhou Shiya said annoyingly, ¡°It¡¯s useless to talk about this. I¡¯m sick of it. Enough, let¡¯s not talk about that and talk about something happy.¡±

    Seeing this situation, Yuxi spoke to Zhou Shiya about some of the more exciting things recently. These were all the outside gossip that Zisu, Bingmei and the others had told her in their spare time.

    Zhou Shiya also shared with Yuxi the interesting things she had heard recently.

 Chapter 208 - Bestowing Marriage (1)

    <strong>Chapter 208 : Bestowing Marriage (1)</strong>

    The sky was grey and overcast.

    Zisu looked at the sky covered with dark clouds and said, ¡°If it¡¯s going to rain heavily on this big day, then it will be too much¡­.¡± Today was the Second Miss¡¯ wedding day. Zisu didn¡¯t expect to see dark clouds this early in the morning.

    Yuxi said, ¡°If it rains heavily, it will be better.¡± If it rained heavily, it would stop soon and would not affect the wedding.

    Before the guests had finished their breakfast, it started to rain outside. The rain was not heavy. It was like an ink painting, deep and light, and like silver threads scattered all over heaven and earth. Nearby scenes were covered in a veil, like a fairy¡¯s skirt, and distant ones were hazy, like in a fairy mist.

    When Yuxi looked at the weather, she realised that the rain would not stop for a while today. She wondered why it was raining for both Yuru and Yujing¡¯s wedding.

    Qiu Shi had never bothered with Yujing¡¯s marriage. She left everything for Ye Shi to handle while bing an arm-flinging shopkeeper herself. Only today, she could be seen entertaining guests.

    Half-past shishi, the groom came over to collect the bride. No one from the State Residence made things difficult for Seventh Young Master Song. They just allowed him to pick up the bride and go on very smoothly.

    After sending Yujing away, Qiu Shi breathed a long sigh of relief. ¡°Finally, this scourge has been married off.¡± There was no need to look at this eyesore anymore.

    Those around her who heard what she had spoken bowed their heads, treating themselves as if they were deaf.

    After the wedding, there were many follow-up matters to be dealt with. Qiu Shi didn¡¯t care with them either as she threw these matters to Ye Shi.

    Since Qiu Shi had ignored these matters, it was even less likely that Yuxi would even be bothered with them. All this time, she had been peacefully reading in her courtyard.

    When Yujing returned to the house on the third day after her wedding, Yuxi, her meimei, had to go and greet her. Not only Yuxi but so did Yuchen and Yurong, who had arrived at the Main Courtyard.

    Not long after they waited, Yujing brought her new husband to the residence. Today, Yujing dressed luxuriously in a splendid red dress with aplete set of jewellery iid with gems. The ne she wore on her neck had an emerald in the middle, the size of an egg. Such Yujing was threateningly wealthy to the people of the State Residence.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t wrong for a married girl to dress in such a rich way as this was the only way to tell her maiden¡¯s family that she had a good life. But the smugness on Yujing¡¯s face made the people present feel a little speechless.

    They were the young misses of the State Residence, not ordinary people. Although they were now a bit down on their luck, they had seen many good things. The few people present, not to mention Yuchen, had no idea how many good things they had in their hands and who among the others did not have a set of jewellery with precious stones in their hands. By doing so, Yujing had truly fallen into the lower ss. It was the Seventh Young Master Song that surprised Yuxi a little. He was very ordinary-looking, but he looked and felt like a nice person to get along with. Yuxi muttered in her heart; this was the only lucky part about Yujing¡¯s marriage. [+]

    When Yujing entered the parlour, she didn¡¯t see Duke Han nor Qiu Shi, and her face turned a little ugly. When she returned home, her parents did not even show up. How could she tolerate this?

    Duke Han was at home that day, but he was not interested in greeting the Seventh Young Master Song, who was just a brat to him. He had asked Master Shizi, Han Jianming, to take care of the matter for him. As for Qiu Shi, she was so disgusted with Yujing that she didn¡¯t care whether Yujing was looking good or not.

    Old Lady Han was not like Qiu Shi, who would act ording to her temper. However, she was ufortable seeing such a dazzling look on Yujing¡¯s face. After Yujing had given her gifts to everyone, she then asked a few questions and excused herself of being tired, leaving the follow-up matter to Ye Shi.

    Since Ye Shi was a married woman, she could only entertain Yujing if she had to. Therefore, the Seventh Young Master Song Dynasty could only be hosted by Han Jianming.

    When Yuxi saw this situation, she immediately left the scene.

    Yuchen then came out and invited Yuxi to go to Tingyun Pavilion. ¡°Si Meimei, I¡¯ve just received spring water from Lingshan Temple this morning. Do you have time to taste the tea together?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and nodded in response. ¡°Okay!¡± Yuchen knew very well that she wasn¡¯t even a big tea drinker. For Yuchen to invite her to go and taste some tea, it was because she just wanted to talk to her. Yuxi wondered why Yuchen liked to talk to her so much?

    There was a reason for Yuchen to go looking for Yuxi. This matter was also rted to Yuxi. ¡°Si Mei, Lady of Taining has been secretly inquiring about your news recently.¡± If the Lady of Taining inquired about Yuxi openly, Yuchen would not have especially told Yuxi about it. However, the Lady of Taining asked for Yuxi¡¯s information from top to bottom, making people feel very strange.

    Yuxi let out an ahh and asked, ¡°What is she doing asking about me?¡± This was really puzzling. She didn¡¯t have any intersection with Marquis Taining, let alone offend anyone from Lady of Taining¡¯s residence.

    Yuchen was also surprised when she got this news. ¡°Think about it again. Did you have any contact with the Second Master Chen?¡± Apart from this reason, Yuchen could not find another exnation.

    Yuxi found it unimaginable. ¡°I did meet with the Second Master Chen before, but those were all coincidental. The first two, we just greeted each other. Only on the third meeting did he tell me that he wanted to exchange experience in ying the flute with me.¡± After saying that, she exined the situation where their three meetings urred to Yuchen.

    Yuchen was also surprised and told Yuxi, ¡°As far as I know, not to mention people who are unfamiliar to him, even those who are particrly close to him will say that Second Master Chen speaks very little. Even at home, he doesn¡¯t talk much.¡± Hence, it was bizarre that such a person would take the initiative to speak to Yuxi. No wonder Lady of Taining had someone prying into Yuxi¡¯s news.

    Yuxi wondered, ¡°Even so, the Lady of Taining shouldn¡¯t be prying into my news in private.¡± It was fine to pry them openly and honestly instead. Such behaviour made Yuxi feel ufortable.

    Yuchen asked softly, ¡°Did you know that the Second Master Chen had been kidnapped back then?¡± Yuxi was not very well-informed of the outside world, which was why Yuchen asked her this question.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°I heard Shiya talk about it, but she was not clear how it happened.¡±

    Yuchen retold the exact process to Yuxi. Chen Ran¡¯s kidnapper back then was not genuinely aiming for the Chen family¡¯s money, but because the Marquis Taining had captured his parents. The other party demanded that the Marquis Taining let his family go, and he would release Chen Ran. As a result, Marquis Taining used a trick to capture this man, but he did not expect the man to kill himself upon being arrested. Naturally, no one knew where the man had hidden Chen Ran.

    Yuxi did not expect there would be such a story. ¡°Then, how was Chen Ran rescued afterwards?¡± What the Marquis Taining had done could not be said to be wrong; it was natural to treat enemies by cutting the weeds and eliminating the roots. If not, there might be others who would be harmed in the future.

    Yuchen said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t the people of the Chen family who saved him. He escaped on his own. As for how he escaped, no one knew. At that time, everyone in the Chen family thought he was dead. I heard that when he came back at that time, there was not a single piece of good flesh on his body which made him too horrible to look at.¡±

    This Yuxi did hear Zhou Shiya mention. ¡°Shiya told me that Chen Ran had not spoken much ever since he returned to his home.¡±

    Yuchen nodded and said, ¡°Yes. Not only did he not speak to them, but he was also cold to everyone in the Chen family. It is to this day that he is rtively treating everyone in the Chen family indifferently as well.¡±

    Yuximented, ¡°I think the situation back then must have been veryplicated.¡± As for the truth, only Chen Ran and the people of Marquis Taining residence knew about it.

    Yuchen was not interested in finding the truth about the kidnapping. She wondered, ¡°Chen Ran is very cold in nature, so it¡¯s strange that he would take the initiative to talk to you.¡± After saying that, she nced at Yuxi thoughtfully, wondering if Chen Ran had fallen for Yuxi. It was not impossible. Yuxi¡¯s appearance and talent were all good enough. Thus, it was not impossible for Chen Ran to have a crush on her.

    Yucheni¡¯s eyes made Yuxi¡¯s heart shiver. ¡°San Jie, what kind of eyes are you giving me? I¡¯ve met Chen Ran three times in total. I¡¯m not a pretty girl, so how could he have taken a fancy to me? Moreover, the first time I met him in the back garden of the Marquis Taining¡¯s residence, Chen Ran didn¡¯t even look at me directly. How could he have taken a liking to me, right?¡±

    Yuchen asked, ¡°Si Mei, in case Chen Ran actually likes you, what are you going to do?¡± Chen Ran was known for his cold nature in the capital, but he was so impressed with Yuxi that Yuchen did not believe Yuxi when she said he did not have that kind of intention. [+]

    Yuxi looked at Yuchen with some surprise and said, ¡°San Jie, marriage is a matter of parents¡¯ orders and matchmakers¡¯ words. If Chen Ran has a crush on me, his parents must have invited the official matchmaker to propose to me. However, this is impossible. I think Chen Ran was just in a bad mood at that time and was only teasing me!¡± Yuxi said this on the surface, but she didn¡¯t think so in her heart. It was impossible to say that Chen Ran had taken a fancy to her. It wasn¡¯t that she had an inferiorityplex, but she just knew. If he did, he would have asked a matchmaker toe to her door to propose marriage.

    Yuchenughed a little and did not continue to speak about this topic anymore. She instead talked to Yuxi about the tea ceremony. Yuxi didn¡¯t have a deep understanding of the tea ceremony, except for the things she learned from Teacher Song that day. But Yuchen wasn¡¯t looking for guidance either. She just wanted an audience. There was no way around it. Geniuses could be lonely, isted and need a ce to vent. Moreover, Yuxi was a good listener.

    A few dayster, on this day, Yuxi was reading in her study. Kufu suddenly called out loudly from outside the door, ¡°Come out quickly, Miss. There is great joy in the residence.¡±

    Yuxi put down the ?Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government? in her hand and walked out, asking, ¡°What is the great joy?¡± For Kufu to be this excited, this happy event must not be small.

    Kufu blushed as she happily informed Yuxi, ¡°Miss, my Lord has been promoted to two levels in a row, and now he is a third upper-rank assistant minister.¡±

    Yuxi was a bit surprised. How could he be promoted two levels in a row without any good reason? When Er Ge had been promoted two ranks in a row, he had made an outstanding achievement. But a civil official was not like a military official. It was not umon for a military official to be promoted two ranks in a row if he had achieved enough merit. Civilian officials, on the other hand, were all ranked ording to seniority. Unless they were of an amazing calibre, they could jump through the ranks. Han Jingyan was unquestionably not one of these talents. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been a fourth-ranking official until now.

    After thinking about it for a while, Yuxi could guess why Han Jingyan had been promoted two ranks in a row. It wasn¡¯t that Han Jingyan had a good record in politics but that he had taken advantage of Yuchen¡¯s light. The Emperor would probably bestow Yuchen a marriage, but Han Jingyan¡¯s official position was too low. It would not look good for a fourth-ranking official¡¯s di daughter to be a prince¡¯s fei. To save face, the Emperor gave Han Jingyan the promotions.

    There was a reason why Yuxi thought so; in her previous life, Han Jingyan had also been promoted to an official position before Yuchen¡¯s sanctioned marriage. But then he was promoted to one rank, not two, and the official position was not very good. There was no telling why this life would be different. What Yuxi didn¡¯t know was, it would be just as well that the assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel was feeling unwell and had retired to his hometown, leaving his position vacant. Thus, the Emperor had given Han Jingyan this favour for the sake of his son. Yuchen was given a year to be married in her previous life. By then, the vacancy had already been filled. So naturally, there was no good position to give to Han Jingyan.

 Chapter 209 - Bestowing Marriage (2)

    <strong>Chapter 209: Bestowing Marriage (2)</strong>

    Han Jingyan had been promoted to a higher rank, and it was also two ranks in a row. The Han family should have held a big banquet attended by many guests for such a big happy event. However, they didn¡¯t do so because of the deeper meaning behind this promotion.

    Qiu Shi told Yuxi happily, ¡°Your father is now an assistant minister in the Ministry of Personnel, and your future marriage will be a lot smoother.¡± The di daughter of a third-ranking official was very marketable. It had only been a few days, but there were already many people asking her about Yuxi.

    Yuxi muttered in her heart, ¡°My marriage will be a lot smoother when the decree for the marriage is issued.¡± In her previous life, Yurong was blessed by Yuchen and married into a good family. At the same time, she could even marry into the Jiang family because of Yuchen¡¯s blessing. Of course, it was a blessing that she did not want to receive.

    As the two were talking, they heard the sound of hurried footstepsing from outside. The old woman servant trotted in and reported, ¡°My Lady, my Lady, an Imperial Decree has arrived. A eunuch hase to announce the Imperial Decree.¡±

    Qiu Shi was unable to calm herself down this time. When one received the Imperial Decree, all those with rank had to adorn themselves. Thus Qiu Shi had to freshen herself up and wear her formal court attire.

    What thedies wore at the beginning of the video are how a formal court attire for rankeddies looked like, from head to toe.

    Yuxi guessed that this was the Imperial Decree for the sanctioned marriage. ¡°Eldest Aunt, I will go back to the Taoran House first.¡± It was not her job to receive the decree.

    As Yuxi had expected, it was indeed the Imperial Decree that sanctioned marriage between Yuchen and the 10th Prince. Once the decree was issued, the entire State Residence was overflowing with joy.

    Zisu looked at Yuxi¡¯s indifferent expression and carefully asked, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s going on?¡± With her Miss¡¯ attitude like this, Zisu could not feel whether her Miss was happy or unhappy.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t even raise her head as she said, ¡°When I finish practising my calligraphy, I¡¯ll go and congrats my San Jie.¡± There was nothing for her to be happy about. Since she had experienced it once, it did not make any waves to her emotion after it was repeated. Of course, the most important thing was that she was not the one to whom the marriage was given, so there was nothing for her to be cheerful about.

    Yuxi was thest person to arrive at the Main Courtyard. At this moment, Qiu Shi, Wu Shi, Ye Shi, and the others were all sitting there with their faces looking joyous. The Duke of the State¡¯s Residence had been quiet for so many years, and now there would be a Prince¡¯s Feiing out from the residence. It was a great joy to the family!

    Yuxi entered the room and said to Yuchen, ¡°Congrattions, San Jie.¡±

    Looking at Yuxi, who had a decent smile on her face, Yuchen said with a smile, ¡°Si Mei, sit on my side.¡± Yuchen had saved a vacant seat next to her, which she had specially prepared for Yuxi.

    Seeing this, Wu Shi said, ¡°Yuxi, why are you sote?¡± She deliberately pointed it out to let everyone know that Yuxi had a grudge against Yuchen for having a sanctioned marriage. Otherwise, why would Yuxiete for such a big event?

    Yuxi didn¡¯t lie either and said with a smile, ¡°I was practising my calligraphy in the study just now, and my maid didn¡¯t tell me about this happy event until I finished practising.¡±

    The Old Lady looked at Yuxi¡¯s face. She couldn¡¯t see any surprise there, nor did she see any jealousy or resentment. Yuxi¡¯s expression was very ordinary. ¡°There will be a banquet held at the residence in the next few days. You should apany Yuchen in entertaining the guests properly then.¡± This girl¡¯s mind was bing even more elusive.

    Yuxi answered with a smile, ¡°Okay!¡±

    When everyone finished talking, they went back to their own ces.

    When Yuxi returned to Taoran House, she went to her study again and waited until she had her evening meal beforeing out. Bingmei waited for Yuxi to eat before asking, ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t you go to Tingyun Pavilion to have a chat with Third Miss?¡± It was unbelievable her opportunistic Miss would rather stay in the study and read a book. [T/N]

    Yuxi felt a little strange that she asked, ¡°Why should I go and chat with my San Jie?¡±

    Bingmei said cautiously, ¡°Miss, the times are different now. Third Miss is already a prospective wangfei. If you don¡¯t make good rtions with her while you are at the residence, it will be tooteter on.¡± The Fifth Miss was still at Tingyun Pavilion with the Third Miss! The future wangfei was not someone whom you could easily curry favour with.

    Yuxi nced at Bingmei and said, ¡°I have my business to do. Likewise, San Jie also has her business to do. If somethinges up, she will have someone call me over.¡± If she kept sticking to Yuchen in Tingyun Pavilion, she would instead be in Yuchen¡¯s way. Moreover, she didn¡¯t need to curry favour with Yuchen. She hadn¡¯t done all that work before for nothing.

    When one spoke of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao would arrive. The two of them were just talking about Yuchen when Yuchen¡¯s maid, Shiqin, came over. She came to invite Yuxi to Tingyun Pavilion.

    Yuchen asked Yuxi toe to Tingyun Pavilion because she wanted to give Yuxi gifts. Since the Imperial Pce had sanctioned marriage for her, it came with arge number of rewards. There were so many things that Yuchen simply asked Yuxi toe and pick them out herself.

    Yuxi was now very much the jiejie. When she looked at Yurong, whose eyes were glowing green, she ushered, ¡°Wu Meimei, you pick first!¡± This time, all the gifts were valuable and exquisite.

    Yurong chose a set of pearl headdresses made of pure gold and dotted with emeralds. The Imperial Household Department had exceptionally made the headdresses, and it could not be bought on the market. [+]

    Yuxi looked at the pile of things on the table, took two random items, handed them to Zisu, and then smiled at Yuchen. ¡°Thank you, San Jie.¡±

    Yuchen smiled a little and said, ¡°Si Mei, no more hiding at this banquet. You should show all your skills.¡± The subtext of these words was, ¡®Now that you have me as your backer, you don¡¯t have to worry anymore and show off your speciality.¡¯ Other people didn¡¯t know, but Yuchen knew what Yuxi was capable of. Yuxi was half as good at painting as Yuchen was at chess, but Yuxi was extremely good at calligraphy and chess, especially at embroidery, which no ordinary embroiderer could match.

    Thinking of this, Yuchen added, ¡°Yuxi, do you have any double-sided embroidered work?¡± Seeing that Yuxi nodded, Yuchen said, ¡°You can take it out then.¡±

    Yuxi was embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ve embroidered a fan. It¡¯s not hot right now, so it will be embarrassing if I bring it out!¡± She had only embroidered one fan, and it was the only one she had finished in the past few years. And it was the only thing inside her box!

    For the first time, Yuchen felt that Yuxi was particrly sincere that she said, smilingly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to bring it. Just send it over, and I¡¯ll disy it inside the room.¡± When that time came, she could also take the opportunity to publicise the fact that Yuxi could embroider double-sided embroidery, which would undoubtedly give Yuxi a lot of extra points.

    It was a fan that Yuxi had worked so hard to embroider that she couldn¡¯t even use it herself. Thus, she really couldn¡¯t bear to give it to Yuchen. However, Yuxi was not a person who did not know how to distinguish good from the bad. She knew that Yuchen was trying to build up the momentum for her. She also knew that Yuchen wanted to find a good family for her, so she would not refuse even if she couldn¡¯t bear to. Yuxi nodded her head and agreed, ¡°Okay!¡±

    When she returned, Yuxi had Kufu sent over her embroidered fan.

    Yuchen had seen a lot of good things, but when she looked at the fan embroidered by Yuxi, she loved it right away. The fan was embroidered with two little white kittens pouncing on a butterfly. One kitten had rolled itself into a ball and somehow got covered in mud. It looked like it had missed the butterfly and tumbled itself. At the same time, the other kitten was looking at the butterflynding on the rosebush with its wings stirring. The embroidery was so vivid that it looked real!

    Even Momo Gui, who had always been wary of Yuxi, could not help but give words of praise after looking at the fan. ¡°Fourth Miss¡¯ embroidery work isparable to those of the top embroiderers in the Imperial Household Department.¡±

    Yuchen shook her head and said, ¡°This embroidery is full of spirit that even the embroiderers in the Imperial Household Department cannot match.¡± Yuchen had always known that Yuxi¡¯s embroidery skill was outstanding, but she had never expected that it would reach this level of perfection.

    No one could me Yuchen on this matter. Yuxi had done some embroidery over the years, but she had note up with any double-sided embroidery work. So it led to many people muttering in their hearts whether Yuxi could embroider double-sided embroidery or not, only that no one dared to ask this query out loud.

    Momo Gui nodded and said, ¡°It is indeed full of spirit. Fourth Miss indeed has a unique talent for needlework. Such embroidery will be sure to cause a sensation when it¡¯s being taken out. It¡¯s just a pity¡­¡­¡± Unfortunately, Yuxi was too busy to embroider another work, and it would take another few years for Momo Gui to see another kind of this fan.

    Yuchen looked at the naive and cute kittens on the fan, smiled a little andmented, ¡°Things are valuable when they are rare. The rarer something is, the more valuable it is.¡±

    The banquet was held the third day after the Imperial Decree for the sanctioned marriage was issued. Most people who received the invitation came, and on this day, the State Residence was bustling with activity. Although the 10th Prince was not as popr as the 9th prince, he was still the Emperor¡¯s favourite son. Plus, the 9th Prince had always been very kind to his didi. In the future, when the 9th Prince had been crowned Emperor, it was inevitable for the 10th Prince to be given the title Qinwang.

    Under Yuchen¡¯s careful arrangement, the news that Yuxi could embroider double-sided embroidery naturally spread. Some people were sceptical. After all, double-sided embroidery was not an everyday product, and since they had not been told anything about it, it was only natural that people were doubtful. However, as Yuchen had released it, no one questioned it to her face.

    In terms of receiving people, Yuxi has been well-trained over the years, so she didn¡¯t make any mistakes in the course of the whole morning. [+]

    Only after lunch and the guests had been sent away that Zhou Shiya had a chance to talk to Yuxi alone. Sheined to Yuxi, ¡°Everyone now knows that you know how to do double-sided embroidery, and they alle to ask me. I helped you say that you do, but I haven¡¯t got any of your double-sided embroideries yet! When the timees where they want to see the embroidery, what then?¡±

    How could Yuxi still not know what Zhou Shiya had in mind? Hence, she shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been so busytely that I don¡¯t have time to embroider anything.¡± She didn¡¯t even have enough time to read, so how could she spare any more time for embroidery?

    Seeing Zhou Shiya¡¯s unhappy face, Yuxi hurriedly added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Once you¡¯re going to get married, I will embroider a good pair of embroideries for you. However, that embroidery will be considered as additional dowry for you.¡±

    Zhou Shiya said discontentedly, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone as stingy as you. When I¡¯m getting married, you want to send me off with a pair of embroideries only.¡±

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t stop herself fromughing. ¡°Someone whose fianc¨¦ is not even in the picture yet is thinking of adding her dowry.¡± Zhou Shiya had been influenced by the Second Lady Zhou that she was not at all shy about the matter of marriage.

    Zhou Shiya said, ¡°Talking about a fianc¨¦, you don¡¯t know that my mother has been frightened recently.¡±

    Yuxi felt a little strange. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your mother?¡±

    Zhou Shiya asked with great surprise, ¡°You didn¡¯t know that Marquis Taining¡¯s Eldest Miss has been scared sick? My mother said that she would never find me a martial family, but a literary family instead.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s heart beat wildly. It couldn¡¯t be that Yun Qing had ughtered a city, could it? When she thought till here, she shook her head, thinking that it couldn¡¯t be. Yun Qing¡¯s act of massacring a city would only take ce a few yearster.

    Zhou Shiya said helplessly, ¡°What else do you know besides being in the boring study all day long! A few days ago, a victory report came from the border, and Yun Qing¡¯s name was mentioned in the war report. I heard that he was the one who took the most credit. Only then did everyone know that Yun Qing had not gone to Liaodong, but the northwest.¡±

    Yuxi was a little surprised. ¡°Even if Yun Qing had gone to the northwest, now that he has achieved sess on the battlefield, shouldn¡¯t the Eldest Miss Chen be happy?

    Zhou Shiya lowered her voice and said, ¡°The problem is that people outside say that Yun Qing kills without blinking an eye. He can kill anyone around him if they disagree with him. The guards around him have all died.¡±

    Yuxi lost her smile. ¡°Nonsense. If Yun Qing could even kill those around him, who would dare to follow him? If no one followed him, how could he still fight? I don¡¯t know who¡¯s making up this kind of nonsense.¡± ording to this trend, the fact that Yun Qing killed without blinking was probably just a rumour.

    Zhou Shiya said, ¡°No wind wille out of an empty cave. There must be a reason for this rumour toe out. It¡¯s just that Eldest Miss Chen is unlucky enough to marry such a horrible man.¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little, and then she changed the subject.

 Chapter 210 - Having A Bad Fate (1)

    <strong>Chapter 210 : Having A Bad Fate (1)</strong>

    With Yuchen¡¯s marriage set in stone, Yuxi¡¯s marriage was also on the agenda. With the publicity that Yuchen had helped to spread, many people came to inquire about Yuxi. One family, in particr, pleased Qiu Shi: Yu Chunhao, the second di son of the Yu family¡¯s Second House.

    Qiu Shi told Yuxi about this, ¡°The Second Madam Yu is a Bodhisattva-like person whom you can get along with pretty well. The Sixth Master Yu family has a good nature and talent. At the age of sixteen, he already earned the title juren, so he will definitely be on the list of sessful candidates at the next Imperial Examination.¡±

    When Yuxi heard that it was the Yu family, she was three times more than willing. No other than the Yu family¡¯s custom was exceptionally good, even better than that of the Jiang family. In addition, the Second Madam Yu was an easy person to get along with, while the Sixth Master Yu was good-natured and talented. So there should be no problem with the marriage. As for the Sixth Master Yu being three years older than her, that was fine. He had to prepare for the Imperial Examination in three years, and it would be a good time for them to get married after three years.

    Thinking of this, Yuxi inquired, ¡°Was it the Second Madam Yu who revealed this to Eldest Aunt?¡± It was rather unexpected that Yuchen¡¯s campaign for her would be so effective.

    Qiu Shi smiled and nodded, ¡°Yes! Who in the capital today doesn¡¯t know that my Yuxi is deft and can embroider double-sided embroidery at such a young age.¡± Together with her ability to paint a drawing, Yuxi¡¯s reputation was now very high.

    Yuxi hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what Grandmother and Father will think?¡± In this matter, the Old Lady and Han Jingyan had to give their approval in the end.

    Qiu said with a smile, ¡°For such a good marriage, your father will certainly not object.¡± Old Man Yu was still the Grand Chancellor, and if he could tie the knot with the Grand Chancellor¡¯s family, Old Third would certainly not refuse.

    As Qiu Shi had expected, the Old Lady and Han Jingyan had no problem with the marriage. The only one who had an opinion was Han Jianming.

    Han Jianming approached the Old Lady and said, ¡°Grandmother, this marriage is not appropriate.¡± After receiving the news, Han Jianming had someone check out the details of this Yu Chunhao, and he was not very happy with the man.

    The Old Lady asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Han Jianming exined, ¡°The Sixth Master Yu is a bit weak and somewhat ignorant of worldly affairs, so he is unsuitable for officialdom. Even if he bes an official, he will not have any great prospects.¡± The Yu family was good, and the Sixth Master had some talent himself, but he was not destined to reach a high position with his nature. For a child as intelligent as Yuxi to marry the Sixth Master Yu, her talents would just be wasted.

    A deep gaze shed across the Old Lady¡¯s eyes as she asked, ¡°What kind of person do you think Yuxi should marry?¡± She guessed this grandson of hers had nned it for a long time.

    Han Jianming said, ¡°Yuxi is only thirteen this year, so it¡¯s not toote to wait until she reaches marriageable age before looking for someone else.¡± The current Yuxi was still too young. [+]

    The Old Lady was not Qiu Shi, who was so easily fooled. ¡°Tell me, what exactly is your n? If you don¡¯t tell me, there¡¯s no way I can convince your San Shu.¡±

    Seeing this situation, Han Jianming did not hide his intentions from the Old Lady and told her. ording to Han Jianming, he wanted to marry Yuxi to a military officer who held military power. ¡°With chaos already set in the world, by marrying her to the rising star of a military officer¡¯s family who holds military power, the Duke of the State¡¯s Residence will be able to reap the greatest benefits.¡±

    The Old Lady¡¯s pupils shrank, and her voice trembled a little, ¡°What do you mean by the chaos already set in? What is the basis for this statement?¡±

    After pondering for a moment, Han Jianming told the Old Lady about the 9th Prince¡¯s collusion with the Song family to betray the Yan family¡¯s army. ¡°Now that the Emperor doesn¡¯t seem to care, the court is basically under the Song and Yu families. With these two families in power, the 9th Prince will undoubtedly be the next Emperor. But once the bad deed the 9th Prince had done back then is exposed, there will certainly be great chaos in the world.¡±

    Unlike Yuxi, the Old Lady had enough experience listening to Han Jianming to immediately ask, ¡°Who was the person who handed over the evidence to Imperial Censor Duan?¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°I can¡¯t find out.¡± He had found some traces, but he did not dare to investigate further since his mole had been exposed. He feared being targeted by the 9th Prince. However, based on the traces he found, Han Jianming guessed that the person who had handed over the evidence to Imperial Censor Duan in the first ce should be someone from the Yan family. The Yan family had not beenpletely exterminated. There was still someone who managed to escape, and this person, nine times out of ten, was Yan Wushuang, who had an excellent reputation back then.

    The Old Lady was not that easy to fool and said, ¡°Who exactly is it? Speak.¡±

    Han Jianming was silent for a moment and said, ¡°It should be someone from the Yan family. The Yan family has been holding Liaodong for more than fifty years, and their forces are so intertwined that they are not that easy to be eliminated.¡±

    The Old Lady understood Han Jianming¡¯s concern. ¡°Are you saying that the Yan family will rebel since they are not treated fairly? And once Liaodong is in turmoil, the Donghu people will take advantage of the chaos to move north, and then the world will be in chaos.¡±

    Han Jianming nodded his head and said, ¡°That¡¯s the worst possible oue.¡±

    The Old Lady did not look at Han Jianming and said, ¡°You want to marry her to someone who holds military power. Do you have a candidate?¡± There was nothing wrong with Han Jianming¡¯s idea. The most reliable person in troubled times was the one who held military power. The idea was good, but the implementation was difficult. The rising stars of a martial arts family were not that easy to find. Moreover, if Yuchen married the 10th Prince, it would not be suitable to match Yuxi to a family with heavy military power, in case it would attract the jealousy of the 9th Prince.

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°Not yet, but Yuxi is still young, so she can still take her time.¡± There were still more than two years to go before she reached marriageable age, so there was plenty of time to look around.

    The Old Lady shook her head and said, ¡°Ming-er, you are only talking about the worst possible oue. Perhaps, things are not as bad as you think. What¡¯s more, what do you think Yuxi, a girl, can change even if she marries into a military family?¡±

    Han Jianming was about to open his mouth. His Grandmother was not such a short-sighted person. After thinking for a moment, he asked, ¡°Grandmother, are you saying that you can¡¯t convince San Shu?¡±

    The Old Lady nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t help it, but these things can¡¯t be told to your San Shu.¡± There was another thing she did not say. Even if she told this to Han Jingyan, he would not believe it. Taking a step back, even if her younger son believed her, he would not think that marrying Yuxi into a military house would change anything. At least by marrying her into the Yu family, her younger son could benefit directly.

    Seeing this reaction, Han Jianming knew that the Old Lady didn¡¯t want to help him convince his San Shu. ¡°Since Grandmother thinks the Yu family is good, then just forget it.¡± It was the Old Lady and Han Jingyan who could decide on Yuxi¡¯s marriage. He was only a cousin and could not interfere with Yuxi¡¯s marriage. What¡¯s more, Han Jianming had learned from Qiu Shi¡¯s side that Yuxi herself felt that the marriage was a good one. Since this was the case, he would not want to be an evil person.

    Since both families were interested, the wedding was soon on the agenda. After the marriage proposal and the birthday matching, the next step was presenting the betrothal gifts. After presenting, the betrothal gifts would be given. Once the betrothal gifts were given, the marriage would be finalised.

    It was at this point that things went awry.

    When Yuxi arrived at the Master Courtyard, she saw that Qiu Shi¡¯s face did not look very good. Yuxi walked over and asked, ¡°Eldest Aunt, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Qiu Shi replied with a stern face, ¡°The Yu family said that yours and Sixth Master Yu¡¯s eight characters are ipatible, so the marriage is not going to work. Saying that you two eight characters are ipatible is just an excuse.¡±

    When Yuxi heard this, her face also turned a bit ugly. ¡°Does Eldest Aunt know the reason?¡± It didn¡¯t matter if the marriage didn¡¯t work out, but they had to know why! If the other party just said a discrepancy between the eight characters, they would be ying them like monkeys! [+]

    Qiu Shi shook her head and said, ¡°The Yu family didn¡¯t say anything. I¡¯m also having people inquire about it! This is also Aunt¡¯s fault for misjudging her. If I had known that Second Madam Yu was the kind of person whose words are not dependable, I would not have agreed that day.¡±

    Yuxi thought differently. ¡°Eldest Aunt, it¡¯s better to find out why first!¡± Yuxi had met the Second Madam Yu, and she indeed had a generous nature. Yuxi also had the opportunity to meet the Sixth Master Yu family before the marriage proposal, and he was also, as Qiu Shi had said, a man of a gentle nature. With such a nature, the two, mother and son, would not do such things that would make people criticise them if they did not have any particr circumstances.

    Qiu Shi thought about it for a while and also felt that Yuxi had a point. ¡°I did ask, but the Second Madam Yu family wouldn¡¯t say anything. However, I must find out about this.¡±

    When Yuxi went out of the Master Courtyard and after thinking for a while, she didn¡¯t return to Taoran House but went to Tingyun Pavilion to find Yuchen instead. She requested, ¡°San Jie, you have a wide range of people. Please help me find out what is going on?¡± Yuxi had no feelings for the Sixth Master Yu, but this matter was so strange that she could not just let it go unexined.

    Yuchen didn¡¯t know about this yet, and after hearing Yuxi¡¯s words, she agreed, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have someone inquire about it. Si Mei, don¡¯t be anxious. It¡¯s just a matter of you two eight characters being ipatible. If this one doesn¡¯t work, there¡¯s another one.¡± Yuxi was good at everything, and if she didn¡¯t have the Yu family, there were still others.

    However, when Yuchen¡¯s people informed her of the news they had inquired about, her expression changed at once. Yuchen muttered to herself, ¡°How could this be?¡±

    Momo Gui asked from the side, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong?¡± After receiving the paper in Yuchen¡¯s hand and reading it, Momo Gui¡¯s face also changed colour. ¡°What should we do now?¡±

    Yuchen was silent for a long time before she instructed Shiqin, ¡°Go and call the Fourth Miss here.¡± This matter could not be hidden from Yuxi. Moreover, it could not be concealed even if she wanted to.

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t help butugh after hearing what Yuchen said, ¡°Qinxin Gongzhu told Yu Xiyu that I have a bad fate?¡±

    Yuchen shook her head and said, ¡°It was actually Monk Liao Tong who said that. Qinxin identally told Eldest Miss Yu about this.¡± When Qinxin Gongzhu told Yu Xiyu about it, the Second Madam Yu naturally became unwilling to marry her son to Yuxi after discovering it. Even a generous person would not dare to marry her son to a woman with a bad fate. The Second Madam Yu family was still a charitable person for not spreading it. She just politely refused the marriage on the grounds that the Yuxi and her son¡¯s eight characters were ipatible with each other.

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°San Jie, do you think that old bald donkey¡¯s words can be trusted? Wasn¡¯t he the one who said that Heshou Xianzhu had opened her all-knowing mind? Because of him, Heshou is currently at Wutai Mountain!¡±

    Yuchen sighed slightly. ¡°Yuxi, now it¡¯s not a matter of whether I believe it or not. It¡¯s the Second Madam Yu who believes it. Fortunately, she did not publicise this matter. But I¡¯m worried that this won¡¯t stay hidden for so long.¡± Good deeds did not go beyond the gate; evil deeds spread a thousand miles. This matter could not be hidden. Not to mention that when Qinxin Gongzhu told Yu Xiyu about it, she was apanied by pce maids and Yu Xiyu¡¯s maid.

    Yuxi looked at Yuchen and asked, ¡°San Jie, let me ask you. Do you believe me?¡±

    Yuchen shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it.¡± But it was useless when she didn¡¯t believe it. The monk¡¯s reputation was too great, and since it came from Qinxin Gongzhu¡¯s mouth, once these words got out, it was not a question of whether it would be difficult for Yuxi to get married in the future, but rather, she had no possibility to get married. No one would dare to marry a woman with a bad fate.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°As long as San Jie doesn¡¯t believe it.¡±

 Chapter 211 - Having A Bad Fate (2)

    <strong>Chapter 211 : Having A Bad Fate (2)</strong>

    When Yuxi returned to Taoran House, she entered the study after instructing Zisu, ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone in without my orders.¡±

    Zisu looked at Yuxi¡¯s gloomy face and felt a little uneasy. She could see that something terrible had happened. ¡°If there is something wrong, Miss, just call me. I will be at the door.¡±

    Yuxi leaned back in her chair, with her eyes staring listlessly at the beams of the room. She didn¡¯t understand why it was difficult for her to marry a good family and live an ordinary, stable life. Once word of this rumour got out, she would never marry again in her life. She had died without leaving a corpse in her previous life. But in this life, she was going to be alone for the rest of her life?

    When she thought of all the hardships and efforts she had made over the years and how her wish had not been fulfilled, but her life hade to such an end, Yuxi¡¯s eyes went wet. In the end, however, the tears did not stay long, as she forced them back into her eyes. She had already shed enough tears in her previous life, and she learned that tears were the most useless thing.

    Second Madam Yu was generous enough for not revealing the fact that Yuxi had a bad fate. But this did not mean that others would not reveal it. In less than three days, almost all the upper circles in the capital knew about Yuxi¡¯s bad fate.

    When Qiu Shi heard this rumour, she pped her hand on the table. ¡°Which bastard has created this rumour? How much of a grudge does our family have against them to ruin Yuxi like this?¡±

    Mama Li told her softly, ¡°The words came from Qinxin Gongzhu.¡± Seeing Qiu Shi¡¯s face as if she had seen a ghost, Mama Li continued, ¡°My Lady, on that day, when Song Guifei summoned the Third and Fourth Miss to the pce, she happened to meet Monk Liao Tong, who came to the pce to exin the scriptures. The monk said that the Third Miss had a rich destiny, while the Fourth Miss had an unfortunate one.¡± Since Qinxin Gongzhu blurted it out nine times out of ten, this news must be trustworthy.

    Qiu Shi was dejected. ¡°How could this happen?¡± With Qinxin Gongzhu and Song Guifei involved, they were unable to argue even if they wanted to.

    Mama Li said, ¡°My Lady, we should think of a way. Otherwise, the rumours will continue to spread, and the Fourth Miss will be ruined.¡± A girl who could not get married would be ruined for life.

    Qiu Shi was not a person who could handle emergency affairs. She was in a hurry now, so she couldn¡¯t think of a single way.

    Seeing this situation, Mama Li suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask the Old Lady?¡± Mama Li also didn¡¯t have any good ideas.

    Qiu Shi nodded hastily and said, ¡°Yes, yes, yes, ask the Old Lady. Let¡¯s go at once.¡± The Old Lady always had a lot of ideas. She should have a way.

    The Old Lady¡¯s face also looked a little ugly when she heard Qiu Shi¡¯s words. But she was much stronger mentally than Qiu Shi as she instructed her maid, ¡°Go and call the Third Miss and the Fourth Miss here.¡±

    When the two of them arrived at the Main Courtyard, the Old Lady told them about the rumours outside. Yuchen nced at Yuxi, who looked the same as ever, and asked, ¡°Grandmother, what needs to be done now?¡± Yuchen knew that Yuxi had not left the Taoran House for the past few days, and she thought that Yuxi had been in grief. But now, it seemed like it wasn¡¯t the case.

    The Old Lady looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°Yuxi, what do you think should be done?¡±

    Yuxi answered with a bitter smile, ¡°What else can I do? The matter was brought up by Qinxin Gongzhu, so it was a foregone conclusion. If we want to turn it around, we must find a monk who is more famous than Monk Liao Tong.¡± Yuxi had no idea about any other ces, but the only person in the capital who was more famous than Monk Liao Tong was another sage monk of Huangzhi Temple, Great Master Huineng. But that Great Master was so dedicated to practising Buddhism that even the Emperor had a hard time meeting him, and it was difficult for a nobody like her to get him to speak for her.

    The Old Lady said, ¡°You can take your birthdate to the Board of Astronomy. As long as the supervisor there said that there is no problem with your birthdate, then there is still room for us to turn things around.¡±

    Yuxi said bluntly, ¡°Even if the officer there said my birthdate was very good, only very few people would believe it.¡± Many people would rather believe in something with credibility than not believe it, so it was not generally difficult to turn things around.

    Qiu Shi spoke up and scolded, ¡°You, this child, what kind of silly things are you saying.¡± It was better than nothing. At least it could be used as a rebuttal in the future.

    Yuxi¡¯s face did not show too much expression. In fact, she did not have high expectations on the Board of Astronomy. Both Song Guifei and Qinxin Gongzhu had said that she had a bad fate, so could the Qintian Supervisor give her a rich fate?

    The Old Lady didn¡¯t understand Yuxi¡¯s concern. But if they didn¡¯t do anything, should they just sit and wait for death? ¡°Just send your eight characters to the Board of Astronomy first, and wait for the official response.¡±

    Yuxi asked bluntly, ¡°Grandmother, what should I do if the Board of Astronomy also says I have a bad fate?¡± In the past few days, she had also been thinking about what she should do if the Han family could not tolerate her anymore. When she thought about it, she felt that there was nothing for her to be afraid of. Even if she were abandoned by the Han family again, she would not be reduced to the situation in herst life because she could still live well even in the outside world.

    The Old Lady¡¯s face was a little unsightly as she questioned, ¡°You, yourself, believe the rumours outside?¡±

    Yuxi lowered her head and answered after quite a while, ¡°Grandmother, I have asked myself for so many years if I have ever brought harm to anyone?¡± Her question was also equivalent to replying to the Old Lady¡¯s question.

    The Old Lady¡¯s expression eased a little, just as long as Yuxi did not get confused herself. At that moment, she said, ¡°Since you don¡¯t believe it, don¡¯t think about it. Do what you have to do.¡±

    At that moment, the Old Lady sent Yuxi¡¯s birthdate and eight characters to the Board of Astronomy.

    In less than half a day, everyone in residence had also heard the rumours outside. When Zisu saw Yuxiing out of the study, her eyes burst into tears. ¡°Miss, what can we do now?¡± Having a bad fate was simr to saying that the said person was a bearer of bad luck. With such a reputation, what should her Miss do in the future? [+]

    Yuxi asked indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s there to do? How have I lived before is how I¡¯m going to live now, right?¡± Originally, she wanted to go outside to get some air, but when Zisu asked her this way, her heart got moody again. She simply turned around and went back to her study to continue reading.

    Kufu quietly asked, ¡°Zisu Jiejie, why isn¡¯t Miss looking worried at all?¡± If other people were to encounter this kind of thing, they would still be crying to their death.

    Zisu wiped a handful of tears from her eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s useless for her to worry. Let¡¯s see what the Old Lady and the Third Lord will do with this matter! I hope the rumours outside can be put to rest soon.¡±

    Unfortunately, instead of calming down, the rumour grew fiercer and fiercer. It was even rumoured that Yuxi¡¯s fate didn¡¯t bring those around her down because Yuchen¡¯s fortune was precious, which had suppressed Yuxi¡¯s bad luck. If not, the rest of the Han family would have been out of luck. If Yuchen married in the future, no one would be able to suppress Yuxi¡¯s fate, and by then, everyone in the Han family would be down on their luck.

    Because of this rumour, the Taoran residence was shrouded in shadow. Yuxi, on the other hand, had been silent since the beginning of her engagement, and she had stayed in her study from morning till night. Zisu and the others did not dare disturb Yuxi, let alone tell her about the rumours.

    The Board of Astronomy measured and calcted Yuxi¡¯s birthdate, and the results were sent to the Old Lady. After reading them, the Old Lady looked a littleplicated.

    Mama Luo asked, ¡°Old Lady, what¡¯s wrong? Was the result not good?¡± The rumours outside were getting stronger and stronger. It almost said that the Fourth Miss was the reincarnated bearer of bad luck.

    The Old Lady shook her head and said, ¡°The Board of Astronomy¡¯s response is neither good nor bad.¡± It didn¡¯t say that Yuxi¡¯s fate was terrible, but it didn¡¯t say that she had it good either. It only said that Yuxi¡¯s fatecked water. It was like saying that Yuxi¡¯s destiny was not good or bad, just mediocre.

    Mama Luo thought that the Board of Astronomy would have calcted that Yuxi¡¯s fate was terrible through her birthdate, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be neither good nor bad. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why did Master Liao Tong say that the Fourth Miss¡¯ fate was bad?¡±

    The Old Lady also had doubts in her mind. Master Liao Tong did not have Yuxi¡¯s birthdate in his hands, so he could only tell her fortune through her face. Yuxi¡¯s face did not look like a person with bad luck, though.

    Mama Luo asked, ¡°What can we do then?¡±

    The Old Lady folded up the paper in her hand and instructed softly, ¡°Let this matter out! As for whether outsiders believe it or not, let them be!¡±

    Remembering Yuxi¡¯s recent behaviour, Mother Luo said, ¡°Fourth Miss has been staying in the study and noting outtely.¡± Without crying orining of grievances, Yuxi stayed in her courtyard and continuously read her books. This kind of behaviour made Mama Luo puzzled.

    The Old Ladymented, ¡°It¡¯s good to polish her.¡± That girl¡¯s temperament is too sharp. Hence, it would be better for that girl to encounter more things and polish her temperament.

    Mama Luo hesitantly said, ¡°Then, about the rumours out there¡­¡­¡±

    The Old Lady didn¡¯t n to suppress the rumours outside. She thought that whatever the news was, it would always pass and, naturally, would cool down after a while. As for Yuxi¡¯s marriage, it was clearly impossible to talk about it now, and it would not be toote to discuss it in a couple of years. The rumours would undoubtedly have an impact, but not so much that she would not be able to marry. [+]

    The Old Lady had a good idea, but others did not share her thoughts.

    Han Jingyan sought out the Old Lady and said, ¡°Mother, because of the rumours that have been buzzing around recently, I¡¯m thinking of sending Yuxi to live in the family hamlet for a while.¡± Rather than asking Yuxi to go and live in the hamlet, he wished Yuxi to move out.

    The Old Lady asked coldly, ¡°Do you believe the rumours outside? You believe that Yuxi will affect your fortune?¡±

    Naturally, Han Jingyan would not admit it and said, ¡°I just think that there are already enough things going on in the residence. So it would be better to let Yuxi go out for a while.¡±

    The Old Lady took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Do you know that by doing this, you are confirming the rumours out there?¡± Even her own father believed Yuxi had a bad fate. Thus, it went without saying what others would think.

    Han Jingyan argued, ¡°I¡¯m doing it for her own good and the good of my family.¡±

    The Old Lady stared at Han Jingyan and said half a secondter, ¡°Yan-er, I know you don¡¯t like Yuxi, but no matter what, she is still your daughter. Even a tiger does not eat its own cubs. You can¡¯t just push her to the dead-end!¡± She didn¡¯t like Yuxi either, but she had been with her for more than ten years, so she still had some feelings for her. If it was for the sake of the family, so be it, but just because of an outside story, Yuxi¡¯s life was ruined. The Old Lady couldn¡¯t bear it.

    Han Jingyan did not change his mind because of the Old Lady¡¯s words and said, ¡°Mother, after the rumours outside have subsided, I will bring her back.¡±

    Looking at her son, the Old Lady knew her persuasion was useless. She suddenly felt a little tired as she said, ¡°Yuxi is your daughter. Since you have made a decision, I can¡¯t stop you. Do whatever you want! ¡°

 Chapter 212 - Having A Bad Fate (3)

    <strong>Chapter 212 : Having A Bad Fate (3)</strong>

    ¤­¤Ä¤Í: In this chapter, two Chinese terms for the word ¡®father¡¯ will be used, which are µù (die [di-ye]) and ¸¸Ç× (fuqin [fu-chin]). For the informal one, I italic and bold the word. While for the formal one, I just bold it.

    If I had known Yuxi would change the way she addresses her father, I would have changed the word to pinyin from the start. ???¡â? To change from the beginning will be time-consuming for me. Sorry for that. ???¡â?

    Han Jingyan wanted to send Yuxi to a hamlet in the countryside and soon became known to Qiu Shi. She went to seek out Han Jingyan at once and asked, ¡°You¡¯re sending Yuxi to the hamlet?¡±

    Han Jingyan had always disliked Qiu Shi. He felt that this Dasao was too rude without any shred of a well-breddy manner. However, since he had to respect her as an elder, he couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I¡¯m just letting her go to the hamlet so she could lie low until the rumour blows over. After a while, I¡¯ll bring her back.¡±

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t have a very excellent temper in the first ce and wasn¡¯t good at restraining herself. So when she heard his talk, she could not help but burst out swear words. ¡°To lie low until the rumour blows, my fart. You are forcing Yuxi to go to the dead end. Do you think there is a father like you in the world? Aren¡¯t you acting just as cruel as a stepfather?¡±

    Han Jingyan could not bear it any longer as he said, ¡°Yuxi is my daughter. What I do with her is my business. It has nothing to do with Dasao. I have to request Dasao to go back.¡±

    Qiu Shi came out of Han Jingyan¡¯s courtyard furiously and went straight to the Taoran House. She told Yuxi, ¡°Yuxi, don¡¯t go to the hamlet. With your aunt around, let¡¯s see who dares to drive you out of the house.¡± There had never been such a father who treated everything for himself and selfish profit to the extreme.

    Yuxi said with an expressionless face, ¡°Eldest Aunt, there is no need to bother yourself about this thing. Since Father wants me to go to the hamlet, then I have to go.¡± Even a little maid looked at her sympathetically. She was actually being sympathised with by a little maid. Yuxi felt that it was ridiculous and pathetic.

    Qiu Shi became even angrier and put her arm around Yuxi as she said, ¡°What silly words are you saying? With your aunt here, no one can bully you.¡± Even if that person was her younger brother-inw.

    Yuxi was not going to argue with Qiu Shi. There was no point in arguing since Han Jingyan had already made up his mind to send her away. Even the Old Lady was unable to stop him. Therefore, no one could prevent this from happening.

    After sending Qiu Shi away, Yuxi went to the Main Courtyard to seek out the Old Lady, expressing her desire to go to her own hamlet. Suppose Han Jingyan had been left to his own devices who knew where she would have been sent. Yuxi told her that she wanted to go to the estate she had bought herself, the Red Date Hamlet.

    The Old Lady looked at Yuxi with her usual unchanged expression and asked, ¡°What would you do if I don¡¯t agree?¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°If Grandmother does not agree, Yuxi will naturally follow Father¡¯s arrangement.¡± There was no need to call him Father any longer at this juncture. She would simply address him as Father.

    The Old Lady¡¯s hand holding the Buddhist beads paused for a moment as she said, ¡°I will persuade your Father about this. You can go back and properly pack your things. After a while, I¡¯ll have someone to bring you back.¡±

    Yuxi stood up and bowed towards the Old Lady, with a decent smile still appearing on her face. ¡°Thank you, Grandmother.¡± She did not expect the Old Lady would be so amodating.

    Mama Luo looked at Yuxi, who calmly walked out of the room and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Old Lady, I thought the Fourth Miss hade over toin about her grievances?¡± The Fourth Miss was too calm, so calm that she could not put up with it any longer. The Fourth Miss was about to be driven out of the house. Not only did she not cry, but she also didn¡¯t even have any grievances on her face.

    The Old Lady had a tired look on her face. ¡°That is because she knows that it is useless toin about her grievances.¡± That girl was so perceptive that she knew it was useless to seek her mercy, so she simply did not ask for it and only fought for what was best for herself.

    Hearing these words, Mama Luo stopped talking.

    The Old Lady re-twisted the Buddhist beads in her hand. After this incident, there would not be anything left of the affection between father and daughter. [T/N]

    Zisu knew that her Miss was unable to get through to the Old Lady. They still had to go to the hamlet. Hence, Zisu immediately burst into tears. ¡°Miss, what can we do now? How can they let us go to the hamlet?¡± Wouldn¡¯t it only confirm the rumours by sending her Miss to the hamlet? Miss¡¯ life was going to be ruined for a lifetime. [+]

    Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°I¡¯m not dead yet. There¡¯s no need to mourn for me. Call all the people in the courtyard in. I have something to say to them.¡± She definitely could not bring so many people with her when she went to the hamlet. In that case, she had to make arrangements for the people who would serve her. The other people in the courtyard could be disposed of, and the maids could stay to guard the yard. But the maids who served around her had to be arranged.

    When everyone had arrived, Yuxi said, ¡°I¡¯m going to the hamlet in a few days. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be back from this trip, and I won¡¯t be able to take many people with me. If you have any ns, you can tell me, and I will try to make arrangements for you.¡±

    Several maids in the room paled at these words. Caidie stood out and said, ¡°Miss, I want to follow you along to the hamlet.¡± As a servant, the most important thing was loyalty. If they were not loyal, they would not be used by the other masters even if they stayed behind.

    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Kufu also stepped forward and said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll go with you to the hamlet!¡±

    At these words, two more maids stepped forward.

    Yuxi looked at the torn crowd and said, ¡°You guys go back and think about it. I¡¯ll grant you anything within my ability.¡± Those beyond her ability, then there was no way out.

    After several maids withdrew, Zisu asked with red eyes, ¡°Miss, is there no room for turning back?¡±

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong in lying low until the rumour blows over.¡± If she went to the countryside, she would not be scolded by Han Jingyan for no reason. On her farm, she was in charge of everything. She would no longer live in other¡¯s favour and need to please them.

    Zisu looked at Yuxi¡¯s expression and finally sighed as she said, ¡°Miss, if you are going to the hamlet, you will have to start packing your things.¡± This trip was not going to be for a day or two, but a year or two. Everything that could be used had to be packed and taken away.

    Yuxi instructed, ¡°You should watch them packing my things.¡± All the books on the bookshelf and everything that could be used should be taken since they didn¡¯t even have time to buy them.

    The people of the Taoran House began to get busy. All heads were down, and none of them spoke. Apart from hearing the asional bumping of things, not even a cough could be heard.

    As this side was getting themselves busy, Yuchen came over. She looked at everyone actively tidying up, and her eyes dimmed. She asked one of the little maids, ¡°Where is your Miss?¡±

    The little maid respectfully answered, ¡°Miss is in the study!¡±

    Yuxi put down the medical book in her hand and said towards Zisu, ¡°Make a cup of Biluochun.¡± Yuchen¡¯s favourite was the Da Hong Pao, but the best tea on Yuxi¡¯s side was Biluochun, not the Da Hong Pao.

    Yuchen looked at Yuxi¡¯s expression and asked, ¡°Si Mei, do you have to go to the hamlet?¡± She thought that with Yuxi¡¯s intelligence, she would definitely find a way out if she didn¡¯t want to go to the hamlet. But to her surprise, Yuxi did not do anything and was obediently ready to go. It made Yuchen ufortable.

    Yuxi found this to be amusing. ¡°San Jie, it was Father who wanted me to go to the hamlet. I can¡¯t disobey Father¡¯s orders.¡± In Yuchen¡¯s mind, Han Jingyan was the best father in the world. Whatever Han Jingyan did, it was for a reason.

    Yuchen looked gloomy. ¡°Si Mei, when the rumour has passed, I will persuade Father to take you back.¡± She didn¡¯t know why Father insisted on sending Yuxi out of the house.

    Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°I hope so!¡± Her parents were not her choice. What could she do when she ran into such a father who loathed her so much? She could only me herself for her bad luck.

    Yuxi was not in the mood to talk to Yuchen. Yuchen was not stupid, so of course, she could see that. After saying a few more words, she left.

    Looking at Yuchen¡¯s back, Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°Blessed people don¡¯t need to rush around, and those who don¡¯t have the blessing run away heartbroken.¡± Yuchen was a blessed person, so she didn¡¯t have to do anything to be favoured by everyone while enjoying wealth and glory in peace. She, on the other hand, even if she worked hard, bad things woulde one after another, and she would even end up alone in the future. But it was better to end up alone than to end up without any remains. At this point in her life, Yuxi has reached the lowest point of her expectations.

    Han Hao came over in the evening and said, ¡°Fourth Miss, Master Shizi invites you over.¡± Han Jianming had been waiting for Yuxi to ask for his help. Unfortunately, while he was waiting until today, he heard that she was preparing to go to the hamlet in the countryside. [+]

    When she reached the study, Yuxi saw that Han Jianye was also there and called out with a smile, ¡°Dage, Er Ge.¡±

    Han Jianye sulked and said, ¡°You, this girl, how can you just agree to leave the residence?¡± He was deeply disgusted by the rumours outside, but after he had consulted with Han Jianming, he knew that he could not make a fuss about it. The more he made a fuss, the worse it would be for Yuxi. So he could only hold his temper. What he hadn¡¯t expected was for Yuxi to be expelled from the house.

    Yuxi let out a bitter smile. ¡°So what if I disagree? If he wants me to leave, how can I stay at the residence? He is my father. So he can decide on my affairs.¡±

    Han Jianming nced deeply at Yuxi and asked, ¡°What are your ns for the future?¡± He did not believe that Yuxi was the kind of person to sit around and wait for death.

    Yuxi said with a faint expression, ¡°First, go and live in the hamlet. Other things, let¡¯s talk about itter!¡± If it were possible, Yuxi would like to take her private properties and take Zisu, Zijin out of the capital to settle down and live elsewhere. Only Yuxi knew that her idea was a fantasy story. If she wanted to leave the capital, she had to have a travel permit, and she couldn¡¯t get one without a connection. And there was no way that her Dage and Er Ge could help her get one.

    Han Jianming¡¯s low voice rang out, ¡°That¡¯s not like your usual manner to do that.¡± It was not Yuxi¡¯s style to not fight back when she was bullied.

    A sneer crossed Yuxi¡¯s face. ¡°It was Qinxin Gongzhu who let it slip that I had a bad fate. As for moving me out of the residence, it was my Father¡¯s words. Dage, what do you think I should do? How should I fight back?¡± If she fought back, she would either have to die or be charged with being unfilial. She didn¡¯t want to get either of these two things.

    Han Jianming was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°If there is anything you want us to do, just ask.¡± The trickiest part of this matter was that Yuxi belonged to the Second Branch, and he was merely a tangge. Thus it was not suitable for him to intervene. Moreover, San Shu might not want him to interfere.

    Yuxi said, ¡°There is nothing else I can ask for. I just hope that if my Father matches me to a messy family, Dage and Er Ge can help stop it. If it can¡¯t be prevented, I will like to ask you to help me.¡± This ¡®help¡¯ was to assist her in escaping from the capital. Of course, this could not be said right now.

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t know what Yuxi was thinking. He just nodded and agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Han Jianye said in a loud voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Er Ge will help you choose a good family.¡± If San Shu wanted to marry Yuxi off to a messy family, he would speak with San Shu regardless of seniority.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Dage and Er Ge.¡±

 Chapter 213 - Chen Xues Death

    <strong>Chapter 213 : Chen Xue¡¯s Death</strong>

    After three days in a row of cloudy weather, it finally rained, and it rained heavily. The rain pelted the floor with a ssh of rain.

    Yuxi had lived in the countryside for over a year in her previous life, so she quickly adapted to her new surroundings. It was the few maids around her who had not yet adjusted to it.

    Standing under the eaves, Yuxi looked out and smiled. ¡°Standing here, you can smell the smell of wild herbs and mud.¡±

    When Zisu saw that there were more smiles on Yuxi¡¯s face ever since she came to the countryside than at the State Residence, the trace of resentment in her heart fell away. Zisu said, ¡°Miss, I heard that there are mushrooms on the mountain after it rains. I will talk to the hamlet headter and ask him to get someone to go to the mountains tomorrow to collect some mushrooms. At that time, let¡¯s ask Guo Daniang to make chicken stew with mushrooms for Miss.¡± Although Yuxi hade to the countryside, it had not lowered her food standards at all. It was also fortunate that the hamlet was right next to the public road, giving them easy ess to go in and out. Plus, it was close to the capital, so it was convenient for them to sell anything. If it had been left to Han Jingyan, who knew in which ravine would he have sent them to?

    Of course, in addition to the proximity to the capital and the convenience of buying things, the other great advantage was that the power holder in the hamlet was Yuxi. No matter what she wanted to do, all she had to do was give the order, and the hamlet head wouldn¡¯t dare to say a word back.

    The rain was good, but for it to rain three days in a row was unbearable. Yuxi called the head of the hamlet and asked, ¡°After so many days of rain, will the harvest be poor?¡± Yuxi herself was not worried about her food and clothing, but since she lived in the hamlet, she certainly wanted the people there to be well-fed and warm. Of course, since she had bought the ce, the life of the tenants was much better than before.

    The hamlet head nodded his head heavily and answered, ¡°With all the rain, the rice will fall in the fields. Once the fallen rice sprout, the loss will be great.¡± He only hoped that the rain would quickly stop so they could immediately harvest their crops and reduce the losses.

    Yuxi was not familiar with this piece of information on farming and said, ¡°You know better on this matter than me. If you face anything difficult, you can just tell me.¡±

    The head of the hamlet walked away sullenly.

    That evening, Yuxi was inside the house reading a book. In the countryside, there were not that many things for her to do. Thus, she used a small room in her bedroom as a study.

    As she was reading her book, Yuxi heard a knock at the door. She was a bit surprised, as people in the countryside never went to bedte, so who would be knocking at the door thiste at night?

    After a while, the old woman servant who was guarding the door of the second courtyard came in and said, ¡°Miss, the young master of the next hamlet has a fever and needs to be sent to the capital. But their carriage is stuck in the mud, so they want to borrow our carriage.¡± Whether to borrow or not, it was up to Yuxi to decide.

    Saving a life was better than building a seven-storey pagoda, so she must help with this kind of thing. Yuxi replied, ¡°Lend it to them! Also, let Han Ji go along. Maybe he can take care of a few things for them.¡± If the other party were a woman, Yuxi would have gone to see her. She had memorised medical books for so many years and had no practice but had a good knowledge of its theory. But since it was a man, there was nothing she could do.

    Yuxi also did not take the matter to heart until Han Ji returned the following afternoon. That was when she learned that the one with the fever was actually the Second Master Chen.

    Yuxi asked in surprise, ¡°The hamlet next to us is the Chen family¡¯s property?¡± Previously, she originally wanted to buy all the fields and mountains next to her hamlet. Butter, when she knew the other party did not have such an intention, she gave up.

    Han Ji shook his head and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s the dowry estate of the Lady of Taining.¡± Being outside was not like being at home, where many trivial matters had to be taken care of, and it was inconvenient for Yuxi, an unmarried young woman, to handle them. So Han Jianming picked Han Ji for Yuxi and let him manage all the outside matters.

    Yuxi was a little surprised. ¡°It¡¯s already the middle of the sixth lunar month, and it¡¯s almost time for the autumn exams in the eighth lunar month. What is Second Master Chen doing there at this time of year instead of preparing properly for the exams in the capital?¡±

    Han Ji exined, ¡°Something has happened at the Marquis Taining¡¯s residence, and the Second Master Chen probably doesn¡¯t have the heart for it.¡±

    Yuxi was a little suspicious as she asked, ¡°What happened?¡± In the past few days since she came to the hamlet since she did not want to hear rumours from outside, she did not ask anyone to inquire about any of it.

    Han Ji said, ¡°Eldest Miss Chen had died of illness and was buried in that hamlet.¡± An unmarried youngdy could not be buried in her ancestral grave but had to be buried elsewhere. The feng shui was good in their hamlet, so the Chen family buried her there.

    Yuxi was a little surprised. ¡°Eldest Miss Chen family has died of illness? When did this happen?¡± Howe she hadn¡¯t heard any news at all. Well, she had been in a terrible mood herselftely, not knowing where her future wouldy. She even thought of fleeing the capital. So how could she have the heart to care about what was going on outside?

    Han Ji said, ¡°It happened five days ago, and she was buried two days ago.¡± At that time, the coffin was still passing through the public road. But Yuxi had been staying inside the house and did note out. Moreover, no one would tell her about such things. After all, it was unlucky for the Eldest Miss Chen to lose her life when she was only eighteen years old.

    Remembering the rumours from back then, Yuxi couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Han Ji, was Eldest Miss Chen really scared to death?¡± At this time, Yun Qing was not as ferocious as the rumours had suggested. He was now at most a little more short-tempered and had a murderous look. The Eldest Miss Chen came from a family of martial artists. For her to be scared to death just because the other side had killed a few more people made Yuxi find this matter a bit strange.

    Han Ji wondered why Yuxi suddenly came out with such a statement and asked, ¡°Who said she died of fright? Miss Chen died of illness.¡±

    Yuxi was somewhat embarrassed. ¡°I heard someone say earlier that Miss Chen was so scared till she fell ill because she heard that Yun Qing was cutting men down as if he was cutting hempen stalks.¡± [+]

    Han Ji didn¡¯t know from whom Yuxi had heard this rumour, but he exined earnestly, ¡°Miss, Marquis Chen knew that Yun Qing was in the northwest and wanted to marry the Eldest Miss to the northwest. Thus, Eldest Miss Chen fell ill when she heard this news. I heard that the Second Master Chen wanted the Marquis to withdraw from the marriage, but the Marquis disagreed. Therefore, the father and son had a falling out because of this.¡±

    Yuxi said with some surprise, ¡°Do you mean that the Eldest Miss Chen did not want to marry to the northwest, so she died of depression? That¡¯s not right. It¡¯s only been less than two months.¡± The northwest was a sandy ce, so it was understandable that she did not want to marry there. But to die because of this, and in less than two months, showed that Eldest Miss Chen was too fragile.

    Han Ji hesitated a bit and said, ¡°The Chen family thought that Yun Qing was dead, so they were looking for someone else for Eldest Miss Chen at the beginning of the year.¡± There was no ground for others to me the Chen family for doing this since Yun Qing had been missing for eight years without a word. So they couldn¡¯t just let their daughter wait for him for the rest of her life!

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know about this. ¡°Did the Chen family find a good candidate?¡±

    Han Ji nodded and said, ¡°They did. He was Lin Shao, the di grandson of General Lin, a long-time family friend of the Chen family. The Lin family was preparing for betrothal gifts when, at that time, a piece of news came back to the capital, saying that Yun Qing was still alive.¡±

    Yuxi muttered this Chen Xue was genuinely unlucky. If the news hade back sometimeter, the two families would have settled the betrothal gifts. Even if there were news that Yun Qing was alive, it wouldn¡¯t have changed anything. It was truly hateful for Yun Qing toe up at this time. She then asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Chen family negotiating a marriage? Why didn¡¯t they simply break off the engagement with Yun Qing?¡± The marriage had already been renegotiated, and if Chen Xue were allowed to marry Yun Qing again, Yun Qing would have a knot in his heart. It would be strange for a woman to live well with a man who had doubts in his heart. Moreover, no one would be willing to marry in a ce like the northwest.

    Han Ji said, ¡°Other people think it is best to break off the engagement with Yun Qing, but the Duke of Chen refused to do so.¡±

    Yuxi asked curiously, ¡°Why is Marquis Chen unwilling? Yun Qing himself has disappeared for eight years without a trace, and he is in no position to me the Chen family for finding another marriage for their daughter.¡± After all, Chen Xue was eighteen years old this year, and it was already too old to discuss marriage at that age.

    Han Ji said, ¡°It was not Yun Qing¡¯s problem. It was Marquis Chen¡¯s unwillingness to destroy the arranged marriage and his insistence that Chen Xue be married off to the northwest.¡±

    Hearing this, Yux understood. ¡°Marquis Chen felt that Yun Qing had a future, so he was unwilling to give up this son-inw who had great potential.¡± Men and women saw things differently. What men valued most was still the man¡¯s family and his prospects. Thinking of this, Yuxi asked, ¡°That Lin Shao, was he not very brilliant?¡± For them to discuss marriage when Chen Xue was already old, even if she were the di daughter of the Chen family, the union would not be particrly desirable. Otherwise, with Chen Xue¡¯s status, she could be a Prince¡¯s fei.

    Han Ji wasn¡¯t surprised that Yuxi would say that. All of them knew about Fourth Miss¡¯s frequent visits to Master Shizi¡¯s study. ¡°Although Lin Shao is now a sixth-ranked military officer and has some abilities, he is much inferior to Yun Qing. Yun Qing¡¯s current official position is the fifth rank, which he earned entirely through his military achievements.¡± The fifth rank might not be high, but the potential was unlimited. After all, Yun Qing was only eighteen years old!

    Yuxi understood that it was not Yun Qing who had made Chen Xue die, but Marquis Chen. ¡°How did you know about all this?¡±

    Han Ji didn¡¯t hide it from Yuxi as he said, ¡°These are all the information we got from the residence.¡± It was equivalent to saying that he could share the information from the State Residence with Yuxi. [+]

    Yuxi was not very pleased with the news. It was not like there was much use in sharing the information with her, and it was not like she could get a travel permit with it. ¡°You can tell me anything that happens in the capital or the residence in the future!¡± This meant there was no need to wait for her to ask before saying anything.

    Han Ji nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Yuxi sighed quietly. Rumours really could not be trusted. There was no telling what kind of person had thrown dirty water on Yun Qing, describing him in such a horrible way.

    Zisu winced, knowing that Chen Xue was buried in a nearby hamlet. ¡°Miss, this is too ominous.¡±

    Yuxi gave her a nk look. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. The ce where Miss Chen was buried is miles away from here. Then again, there are many graves in the hills of Red Date Hamlet.¡±

    Zisu was dumbfounded. ¡°Miss, how can this be the same?¡±

    Yuxi countered in amusement, ¡°Then tell me what¡¯s the difference. Those buried on this mountain are not always older people who have lived to the end of their lives. There are also children who died young and men and women who died before they were married.¡± In herst life, she had also fallen into the category of early death.

    Zisu was worried about Yuxi. Miss Chen was also a youngdy from a noble family, yet she ended up in this dire situation. She did not know what would happen to her Miss in the future. However, she did not dare to say this to Yuxi. She knew that although Miss¡¯ face looked like the clouds were pale, and a light breeze was blowing, her heart had always been troubled.

 Chapter 214 - Scandal (1)

    <strong>Chapter 214 : Scandal (1)</strong>

    On this day, a group of people came to the Red Date Vi. There were quite many people, with attendants crowding around.

    Zisu hurriedly entered the house and informed Yuxi, who was reading a book, ¡°Miss, Lady Shizi of Marquis Taining Residence hase over and brought a lot of things.¡±

    Yuxi put the drawer back inside her study and instructed, ¡°Fetch me that cerise coloured garment.¡± It was natural for her to greet the guest.

    Mao Shi, the wife of the Marquis of Tai Ning, had been instructed by Ye Shi toe over to express their gratitude. As she walked along the rugged, stone-paved road, the old woman servant beside her said, ¡°Da Nainai, I heard that this is the private property of the Fourth Miss Han. It¡¯s not far from the capital and has mountains, its own water supplies and the scenery is nice. This property is worth a lot of silver!¡± [T/N]

    Mao Shiughed lightly: So what if it¡¯s worth quite a bit of silver. ¡°She is still a poor person who had been thrown out of her family¡¯s home by her father.¡± Speaking of which, there were still rumours of Yuxi in the capital! [T/N]

    The house that Yuxi lived in was a two-entrance residence that the previous hamlet head¡¯s family used to live in. It was notparable to the Taoran House, but it was still much wider than Yuxi¡¯s previous Rose Courtyard.

    Caidie guided Mao Shi into the parlour, where a maid brought in tea and cakes. In addition, she also brought over fruits. Because of their many varieties, they filled the table¡¯s surface when they wereid on the table.

    The tea was poured in zed cups, through which one could clearly see the roses in the water, slowly blooming in a very beautiful way. Mao Shi couldn¡¯t help but pick it up and take a sip, nodding her head in praise after drinking, ¡°This scented tea has a unique taste.¡±

    ROSE TEA

    Caidie smiled and said, ¡°This is my Miss¡¯ own rose tea, which she drinks regrly.¡± Yuxi would asionally drink scented tea, and the ones bought outside were not quite to her liking, so she would sometimes make some scented tea for herself, though the amount was minimal.

    Mao Shi smiled. ¡°Your Fourth Miss is really handy.¡± It was just a pity that Yuxi¡¯s life was doomed to be unlucky with a reputation like that.

    Yuxi was walking into the room just in time to hear Mao Shi¡¯s words. After greeting Mao Shi, she smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Da Nainai Chen, for the appreciation.¡±

    Mao Shi looked at Yuxi with astonishment on her face that she was unable to hide. In her imagination, Yuxi should have been sad, even if she was not in tears. But in front of her, Yuxi looked so alive and didn¡¯t even look like she had been exiled.

    Mao Shi quickly realised that she had lost herposure and said with a smile, ¡°We were thankful for Fourth Miss¡¯s help two days ago.¡±

    Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°Da Nainai is too polite. It was just as easy as lifting my finger. There is no need for Da Nainai to make a personal trip here.¡±

    Mao Shi also felt that her mother-inw was making a big deal out of it. She should have asked her stewardess to send Yuxi the gratitude token personally. However, she could only say this in her heart but did not show it on her face. ¡°If it were not for Fourth Miss, the treatment for my younger brother-inw might have been dyed. The physician said it was fortunate that it was delivered in time. Otherwise¡­¡­¡± Otherwise, he would have burnt himself silly was not a good word for her to say. Too ominous.

    Yuxi smiled a little and chatted with Mao Shi. After talking for a while, she said, ¡°If Da Nainai doesn¡¯t mind the shabbiness and simplicity of my ce, please stay for lunch, Da Nainai!¡± At this hour, it was almost time for lunch.

    Mao Shi politely declined. ¡°Our hamlet is nearby, just a few steps away, so I won¡¯t be a chatter some and bother Fourth Miss any longer.¡± Since Yuxi was currently at her hamlet, they hade over without cing an invitation in advance. It was a bit rude for them to bring gifts to her door like this.

    Yuxi was just being polite. She didn¡¯t mean to keep Mao Shi for lunch. She didn¡¯t know Mao Shi well anyway. Mao Shi just happened to borrow her carriage for a while. Even if it wasn¡¯t Chen Ran, but someone else hade asking to borrow it, she still wouldn¡¯t have refused.

    After seeing Mao Shi off, she returned to the table as the noon meal had been served. Although Yuxi had been sent to the hamlet, her quality of life had not decreased at all. This time, she brought her cook along with her.

    Yuxi thought that when Mao Shi had sent her gratitude tokens, that was the end of the matter. But two dayster, Chen Ran came over in person. When Chen Ran came, Yuxi happened to be walking in the woods. Well, she was outside watching the sunset, to be exact. [+]

    Yuxi looked at Chen Ran with great surprise. Chen Ran was wearing a cyan coloured changshan, simr to the colour of a bamboo pole, and looked particrly thin. Compared to the time she had met him at Lingshan Temple before, not only had he lost a lot of weight, his look also seemed very poor. [T/N]

    Chen Ran looked at Yuxi and was stunned for a moment. It wasn¡¯t like anyone in the upper circles of the capital did not know why Yuxi was out of the State Residence. However, in front of him, Yuxi was wearing a lotus-coloured dress, and shebed her hair back in a zhuima bun, with a single jade hairpin between her bun. Her face was smooth and soft, her skin was white like snow, and her face emitted a lustrous glow. He couldn¡¯t tell how beautiful she was. [T/N]

    ZHUIMA BUN

    It was the first time that Yuxi had been eyed by a male and felt ufortable all over. ¡°Second Master Chen, I wonder what you are doing on my estate?¡±

    Chen Ran didn¡¯t notice that he was being rude at all and said, ¡°I¡¯vee to thank you.¡±

    Yuxi thought that the people of Marquis Tai Ning Residence were really funny. ¡°Lady Shizi has alreadye to express her thanks and has sent a lot of gratitude tokens.¡± What Yuxi meant was that there was no need toe again when they had already given their thanks.

    Chen Ran said, ¡°They are them, and I am me.¡±

    Yuxi was embarrassed. Aren¡¯t you also a member of the Marquis Taining¡¯s household? ¡°Second Master Chen, I have received your thanks. Please go back!¡± Although many old women servants and maids were around her, Yuxi didn¡¯t want to stay too long with Chen Ran. There were already enough to talk about her, and she didn¡¯t want to add anotheryer to it.

    Chen Ran still spoke as if he had not heard Yuxi¡¯s words, ¡°I want to have a word with you alone.¡± Seeing that Yuxi¡¯s face did not look right, he added, ¡°Just have a word with you alone here.¡±

    If it wasn¡¯t for the sake of her image, Yuxi truly wanted to spray Chen Ran¡¯s face with blood. If people who didn¡¯t know the details of the situation heard this, they would have thought that they were having an affair! Yuxi coldly said, ¡°Just say what you have to say! If you don¡¯t say anything, I will go back.¡±

    Seeing this, Chen Ran said, ¡°Did you know that my Dajie died?¡±

    Yuxi felt that there was something wrong with this Chen Ran. She did sympathise with him for the loss of the Eldest Miss Chen. But to purposelye here to say this kind of thing, she found that amusing. ¡°I heard about it, and please ept my condolences.¡±

    Chen Ran next spoke about something else that baffled Yuxi. ¡°My Dajie is not as strong as you.¡± If his Dajie had been as strong as Yuxi, she would not have died. Yuxi had a reputation of having a bad fate and being thrown out of her home because of it, but she still lived a good life, while Dajie had only suffered a slight setback and died of depression. His Dajie was a far cry from Yuxi.

    Yuxi genuinely wanted to swear, but in order to keep up her image, she could only suppress the way she spoke, ¡°Second Master Chen, the deceased are still the greatest.¡± Darn it,paring her to a dead person was hatefully bad luck.

    Yuxi indeed felt that she had a bad fate. First, she was targeted by Heshou Xianzhu for no reason, causing an unwarranted disaster. Then, she was stabbed by Qinxin, and her good marriage fell through, and now she had been provoked by this odd Chen Ran. What other reason for all of these other than her having a stroke of bad luck?

    Chen Ran said to himself, ¡°If it were you instead, you certainly wouldn¡¯t take the matter into your heart.¡± Old Lady Jiang was right. Fourth Miss Han was broad-minded. Those who were broad-minded did not get tired of living.

    Zisu¡¯s face paled at these words. ¡°Second Master Chen, even if the Marquis Taining Residence is powerful, you can¡¯t bully us like this.¡±

    Yuxi was toozy to bother with words and said, ¡°Don¡¯t pay any attention to him. It is estimated that he has burned his brain and be insane. Let¡¯s just go back.¡±

    Seeing that Yuxi was ready to leave, Chen Ran said, ¡°Fourth Miss Han, I honestly have some words to say to you alone. If you don¡¯t mind, then I¡¯ll say them in front of everyone.¡±

    She had been a bit of a baozi in her previous life, but she hadn¡¯t met so many inexplicable people. But she had her scruples. She could see that Chen Ran was acting very differently from the average person. He had been hiding it well, or rather, the people in the Marquis Taining¡¯s household helped to hide it well enough that not even a word got out.

    Yuxi sighed and said towards the two maids, two old women servants and her two personal attendants beside her, ¡°Back off ten steps away.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she was afraid of Chen Ran, but she couldn¡¯t argue with such a person who had a very different brain.

    Chen Ran said, ¡°Tell them to withdraw fifty paces away.¡±

    Yuxi sneered, ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell them that.¡± He genuinely thought she was afraid of him? She would let her attendants beat him up if he made her angry.

    When the person beside them had been pushed back, Yuxi looked at Chen Ran and asked, ¡°What do you want to say?¡± She wanted to see what this man had to say to her. [+]

    Chen Ran said, ¡°Please don¡¯t take what I said just now to heart. I just thought that if my Jie could be like you and think about everything, she would not have passed away so early. I didn¡¯t mean anything else, so please don¡¯t think too much of it.¡±

    Alright, he finally spoke in human words. Yuxi looked a little more rxed and said, ¡°The dead have passed away, but the living has to continue to live. Take care of yourself! There is still a month to go before the autumn exams. How can you take it in this state?¡± The exams were also physically exhausting.

    Chen Ran looked at Yuxi and spoke from the bottom of his heart, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°In fact, you don¡¯t need to me yourself. The responsibility for this matter does not lie with you.¡± No one could be med for what happened to Chen Xue, not even Chen Ran.

    Chen Ran smiled bitterly, ¡°I know, I just feel so useless. There was nothing I could do but watch her life fade away little by little.¡± This was the second time he experienced this feeling of helplessness.

    Yuxi was silent. In fact, Marquis Taining was only half responsible for Chen Xue¡¯s death, and Chen Xue, herself, also held half of the responsibility for it. Even the lowly cricket and ant clung to their life, let alone a human being. If one didn¡¯t cherish one¡¯s own life, how could one expect others to do so? Besides, in this connection, one could see Eldest Miss Chen¡¯s true temperament from the way she couldn¡¯t think straight when she encountered this single unsatisfactory situation. She was the type of person who could not withstand any ups and downs. But in this life, one could never have smooth sailing!

    Chen Ran looked up at the calm-looking Yuxi and said half-heartedly, ¡°You are absolutely different from ordinary people.¡± It was not without reason that Old Madam Jiang had spoken so highly of Yuxi that day.

    The sympathy that had just surfaced was instantly suppressed, as Yuxi said indifferently, ¡°If Second Master Chen has nothing else to say, I am going back.¡± After saying that, without waiting for Chen Ran¡¯s reply, she turned around and left.

    Once Yuxi reached Zisu¡¯s side, she cast a nce at Chen Ran¡¯s personal page and then say to Chen Ran, ¡°I won¡¯t argue with you this time around because you are the Second Master of Marquis Taining Residence. If there is such a thing next time, don¡¯t me me for being rude.¡± These words were not for Chen Ran but his page. She believed that this would soon reach the Lady of Taining¡¯s ears. If the Lady of Taining couldn¡¯t be restrained, then, Yuxi would let her entourage beat him the next time they met out of the resentment she had in her heart.

    Chen Ran said, ¡°I believe that you will not argue with me next time.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s heart jumped at his words, and she always felt that something was wrong. But she couldn¡¯t tell what was wrong. She couldn¡¯t ask him for information. In the end, she could only watch as Chen Ran left with his page.

 Chapter 215 - Scandal (2)

    <strong>Chapter 215: Scandal (2)</strong>

    When Chen Ran returned to the residence, he went to seek out the Lady of Taining and told her about his desire to marry Yuxi.

    The Lady of Taining¡¯s eyes were about to pop out. ¡°What did you say? Have you taken a liking to that Miss Han?¡± The thing she feared most had finally happened.

    Chen Ran responded frankly, ¡°Yes!¡± It would be a shame to miss out on such a woman with a steadfast heart and broad-mindedness.

    The Lady of Taining spoke without even thinking, ¡°No, that girl has a bad fate. No one can marry her.¡± She could not let that girl bring trouble to her son.

    Chen Ran sneered as he said, ¡°Didn¡¯t the State Residence already release the words that, based on the Board of Astronomy¡¯s calction on Fourth Miss Han¡¯s eight characters that her fortunecked water, but everything else was good? I remember that my fortune iscking gold, so it justplements each other.¡± What was up with this Master Liao Tong? Such a nonsense Great Master. In the beginning, he said that the scourge Heshou had opened her all-knowing mind, but looked at what had happened? As a result, she had run off in disgrace to eat just like a monk on Wutai Mountain.

    The Lady of Taining said, ¡°I¡¯d rather believe in such things than not.¡± If Han Yuxi were to get her son involved, there would be no ce for them to cry.

    Chen Ran sneered, ¡°If you are worried about her getting you guys involved, it¡¯s quite manageable. When I marry her, we will live separately. If we don¡¯t live together, we naturally won¡¯t be able to involve you.¡± He did not care about parents who would sacrifice their children¡¯s lives for the sake of benefits.

    The Lady of Taining was furious. ¡°Was I afraid she would drag me down with her? I am afraid she will bring you down with her. She has a bad fate. Won¡¯t she affect your future luck?¡±

    Chen Ran carelessly said, ¡°This matter about one having a bad date or not is just someone¡¯s evil trick to fool people. I don¡¯t believe in these words at all.¡±

    The Lady of Taining still uttered the same word, ¡°No.¡±

    Chen Ran stated expressionlessly, ¡°I have already said the things I want to say. If Mother is unwilling to do things that I¡¯ve spoken about, then, at that time, I will personally ask the official matchmaker to propose marriage to the Han family.¡±

    The blue veins on the Lady of Tainingpletely burst.

    Upon seeing this situation, the olddy servant next to the Lady of Taining saw that something was wrong and said, ¡°Second Master, the Eldest Miss has just passed away. If you have to talk about marriage now and if word about this gets out, it will not be good for your reputation, Second Master.¡± She felt that it was better to calm Chen Ran first. If not, ording to this Master¡¯s nature, he might immediately ask a matchmaker to go to the State Residence to ask for a marriage. If that happened, then they would be the greatestughing stock.

    The Lady of Tai Ning quickly joined in, ¡°Even if you want me to talk about marriage, you have to give me time. Your Jiejie¡¯s seventh seven has not even passed yet, so if you want to talk about marriage, you should at least wait until her seventh seven has passed.¡±

    Chen Ran sneered. He only said that he wanted to marry Han Yuxi. He did not say that he was going to propose marriage right now. However, he did not bother to argue about this minor point and said, ¡°Then we will send the matchmaker to their house after the seventh seven.¡± After a pause, Chen Ran added, ¡°I hope mother won¡¯t do any devious trick.¡± Chen Ran knew very well what his mother¡¯s nature was, and she had many tricks up her sleeve which she would do behind his back.

    Hearing the words that followed, the Lady of Taining almost fell over in anger. ¡°What kind of sin have I done to give birth to such an unfilial thing?¡±

    Chen Ran did not even bother to look at the grief-stricken look of the Lady of Taining as he lifted his feet and walked out. After walking out of the courtyard, Chen Ran looked up at the sky, suppressing all the grief and bitterness in his heart, and after regaining hisposure, he took his page back to his own courtyard. [+]

    It was natural for the Lady of Taining to tell her husband about such a significant matter. She said, ¡°My Lord, what should we do? We can¡¯t let Ran-er marry that girl from the Han family!¡±

    Marquis Taining asked with a straight face, ¡°How did Old Second fall for that girl from the Han family?¡± Chen Ran could not have rushed to marry her just because she let him borrow a carriage.

    At this time, the Lady of Taining didn¡¯t dare to hide it from the Marquis Taining, so she immediately told him what she had found out before, ¡°I have seen the Fourth Miss Han. She is average looking and has a bad temperament. She is also a person with a bad fate. How can such a person marry into our family?¡± If Han Yuxi were as beautiful as Han Yuchen, she would have understood if her son had taken a liking to her. But this girl had no looks and no talent, so how could her son have fallen for her? [T/N]

    The Marquis Taining questioned, ¡°Did Old Second fall for her himself? Not the Han girl who seduced him?¡±

    The Lady of Taining really couldn¡¯t say that Han Yuxi seduced him. That girl had been so cold to her son, and to say that she seduced him was too shameful for the Lady of Taining to say. ¡°No, it was Ran-er himself who fell for her.¡± She didn¡¯t know why her son¡¯s eyes were this frustrating. She had helped him choose so many good girls in the past two years, but he couldn¡¯t even see any of them. The one he did take a liking to was not outstanding in any way and also had a bad fate.

    Hearing that it was Chen Ran who had taken a fancy to that girl, the Marquis Taining pondered for a moment before requesting, ¡°Tell me about this Fourth Miss Han.¡±

    After hearing what his wife said, the Marquis Taining ordered a maid, ¡°Hold on to this first.¡± His wife¡¯s words were too one-sided to beprehensive. He had to inquire more about this Fourth Miss Han.

    A dayter, both father and son were in the study, and the atmosphere in the study was oppressive. The Marquis Taining spoke first, ¡°So, it is true that you want to marry the Fourth Miss Han.¡±

    Chen Ran said expressionlessly, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±

    The Marquis Taining questioned, ¡°Must you marry? Even if your mother and I object, you still want to marry her?¡± For this son, the Marquis Taining had very low expectations. As long as he did not do anything to harm the family¡¯s interests, he would obey him in everything else. Rather than guilt, it was better to say that he had no expectations for him. For a son with a great deal of resentment in his heart, he did not dare to nurture him. He was afraid this son of his would bury the whole family alive with him in the future.

    Chen Ran did not say anything, but the look on his face was clear that he would not change his mind just because others disagreed.

    Knowing what Chen Ran meant, the Marquis Taining said very directly, ¡°If you can win the title jieyuan in this autumn examination, I will let your mother go to the Han family to propose a marriage.¡± The goal was for Chen Ran to win the first prize in the examination. This was a challenging goal, as there were thousands of candidates in the capital, and it was not easy to get the first ce. But with Chen Ran¡¯s qualifications, as long as he had the will, getting the jieyuan was still very possible.

    Chen Ran did not respond.

    The Marquis Taining added, ¡°Marriage is an important event where it is made from parents¡¯ orders and matchmakers¡¯ words. If you ask your mother to propose to the Han family, the marriage will definitely be sessful. If you ask someone to propose the marriage yourself, the Han family will most likely refuse the marriage.¡±

    Chen Ran¡¯s face was a little ugly. In his heart, he knew that if he did not let his mother go to propose the marriage, even if the Han family agreed, Han Yuxi would not agree. Although Han Jingyan did not like Han Yuxi, he believed Han Yuxi could ruin the marriage herself.

    The Marquis Taining looked at his son¡¯s expression and continued, ¡°Since you value that girl, you should give her the respect she deserves.¡±

    Chen Ran was silent for half a second before he said, ¡°The top three.¡± Even if he was gifted and learned well, he was not sure that he would win first ce. This was because it didn¡¯t solely depend on the essay, but one also had to have luck. If it were the top three, he would be 100 per cent sure.

    When the Marquis Taining saw his son backing down, joy shed across his face. It was the first time in years that his son had given in before him. ¡°Fine. As long as you win the top three ces, I will let your mother go to Duke Han¡¯s residence to propose a marriage.¡± If his son could back down once for the Han girl, he could back down a second and third time. This was a good start for him as his father.

    Chen Ran walked out of the Marquis Taining¡¯s study with a loathsome expression. [+]

    A smile appeared on the Marquis of Taining¡¯s face. It was good to have a breakthrough. For so many years, he had scolded his son, but he had never taken his words to heart, so much so that he eventually gave up. He had never thought a woman would be the mountain road that twisted around each new peak that changed his son¡¯s attitude.

    When the Lady of Taining heard that her husband had agreed to the marriage, she could feel there was thunder from a clear sky. ¡°My Lord, how can you agree with him? That girl has a bad fate. If my son marries her, won¡¯t he be unlucky for the rest of his life?¡± Even if her son was cold-hearted and heartless, he was her own flesh. How could she bear to let her son marry such a wife?

    The Marquis Taining said, ¡°Regarding her bad fate, it is nothing more but a malicious nder.¡±

    The Lady of Taining was stunned. ¡°My Lord, where did this informatione from?¡±

    Marquis Taining replied, ¡°If she truly had a bad fate, she would have had a bad life, and no one around her would have been living well. But the Fourth Miss Han family has been well-clothed and well-fed all these years, and she has a high position in the State Residence. Plus, Han Jianye, who is closest to her, has a good official career.¡± If Han Yuxi really had a bad fate, where would she be treated so well? Even though rumours about her were springing up from everywhere, she was still living a good life in her hamlet.

    After hearing what Marquis Taining had said, the Lady of Taining calmed down and felt some truth to it. ¡°When my Lord said that, I did remember that the Third Lady Han seems to have been in bad luck since she entered the capital.¡± To be precise, the Third Lady Han family had been having bad luck ever since she entered the capital.

    The Marquis Taining did not speak. Through the information he had found out, he was sure of one thing. The Fourth Miss Han was a very intelligent person.

    The Lady of Taining hesitated. ¡°You can¡¯t help but believe what the Great Master Liao Tong said.¡±

    Hearing this, the Marquis Taining sneered as he said, ¡°The real eminent monk who has attained salvation of the Huangzhi Temple is Great Master Huineng.¡± While that nonsense Great Master Liao Tong was just a nasty person who loved to smooth somebody¡¯s beard and pat his horse¡¯s hindquarters as he pandered to the rich and powerful.

    The head of Marquis Taining Residence was Marquis Taining. Therefore, when the Marquis Taining had made his decision, even if the Lady of Taining was torn, she could onlyply with it.

    The people on Marquis Taining¡¯s side were tight-lipped, and not a word had gotten out. However, the same could not be said for Yuxi¡¯s side. The people around Yuxi could be relied upon, but with the size of Red Jujube Hamlet, and for it to happen outside that day, it was normal for people to pay much more attention.

    Wu Shi knew that Chen Ran had gone to the mountain vi to look for Yuxi and a cold smile crossed her face; this time, she would make sure that Han Yuxi would be sent to hell and never have a room for her to turn around. [T/N]

    Soon, rumours spread in the capital that the Fourth Miss Han had an affair with the Second Master Chen. Even the story of the two had a date at the Red Jujube Hamlet was told like they had their noses and eyes on the matter, making it hard for people not to believe. The Marquis Taining Residence had moulded Chen Ran¡¯s image as a very good person. So when this rumour came out, it was almost lopsided with all words scolding Yuxi.

    Wu Shi¡¯s purpose in putting out this rumour was Han Jingyan. Having been husband and wife for so many years, she asked herself if she still knew Han Jingyan. With such a scandal, Han Jingyan would surely not spare Han Yuxi.

 Chapter 216 - Father And Daughter Quarreled (1)

    <strong>Chapter 216 : Father And Daughter Quarreled (1)</strong>

    The rumour in the capital was immediately made known to Yuxi.

    With fire in her eyes, Yuxi looked at Han Ji and asked, ¡°Has Dage found out who released this rumour?¡±

    Han Ji shook his head as he replied, ¡°Not yet. Master Shizi said it would be best to start from the hamlet.¡± It would be very difficult to investigate from outside, but it would be quicker to start from the Red Jujube Hamlet.

    Yuxi thought for a moment and said, ¡°This matter is not easy to check openly. You can only check it secretly.¡± It was easy to make people panic by asking them in such a big way. Moreover, Yuxi also suspected that the Lady of Taining deliberately released the news to tell her not to have any idea about Chen Ran. It was no wonder that she thought so, mainly because the Lady of Taining had secretly investigated her before. This incident made Yuxi feel that the Lady of Taining was not acting openly and honestly enough.

    Han Ji nodded in agreement. ¡°Miss¡¯ concern is right. I will secretly find out who leaked the information.¡± This matter was easy to find out. If people from the hamlet had to buy things, they would always go to the nearby bazaar, and only a few of them would go to the capital. He should just check those who had entered the capital in the past few days, and he could find out who passed on the news. He could also find out the mastermind behind it.

    Before the informer could be found, Han Jingyan came over first.

    At that time, Yuxi was carrying a basket to pick vegetables in the backyard, all of which were grown by hamlet head¡¯s own family. There were eggnts, beans, pumpkins and peppers, a very wide variety. Yuxi was not good at growing herbs, but ever since she took over this vegetable garden, she had satisfying results instead, and there were no major deaths among the nted nts.

    Just after Yuxi had finished picking the vegetables, she saw Caidie walk in with an anxious face. Caidie informed Yuxi, ¡°Miss, the Third Lord is here. His face is looking very ugly, Miss.¡±

    Handing the vegetable basket in her hand to Kufu beside her, Yuxi said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t take time for him toe. What¡¯s the rush?¡± For Han Jingyan toe here, it was one hundred per cent because of the rumours outside. She didn¡¯t know what he was nning to do this time.

    Yuxi had just walked into the main hall when she noticed Han Jingyan¡¯s livid face. She gave Han Jingyan an expressionless greeting and asked, ¡°I wonder why Father hase to my hamlet?¡±

    Han Jingyan said coldly, ¡°Hurry up and pack your things up. I¡¯ll send you away.¡±

    Yuxi nced at Han Jingyan and said, ¡°Send me away? Where to? Back to the residence?¡± Looking at Han Jingyan¡¯s appearance, how could he possibly send her back to the residence? Nine times out of ten, he was going to throw her into a secluded ce. Just like the Jiang family did in her previous life, throwing her into a remote area where she would not be able to scream. It was the kind of day she didn¡¯t want to go through again.

    Han Jingyan said, ¡°What with all this talk? Hurry up, pack your things and go.¡± He had no more patience for Yuxi. [+]

    Yuxi smiled lightly. ¡°I¡¯ve been living well in the hamlet, so I don¡¯t want to go anywhere else.¡±

    Han Jingyan didn¡¯t expect Yuxi to respond in that way. Although Yuxi did not take him seriously in the past, she was still more respectful on the surface. But now, she even dared to speak to him in such a tone. ¡°You have to go even if you don¡¯t want to.¡±

    At this point, Yuxi no longer had the patience to pretend anymore. At that moment, she sneered. ¡°I have already left the State Residence, and I no longer hinder your eyes. So what more do you want from me?¡±

    When Han Jingyan heard Yuxi¡¯s words, he was furious. ¡°Have you learned the three rules () and five constant virtues in a dog¡¯s belly? How dare you talk to me like that?¡±

    Yuxiughed lightly and asked, ¡°Then how do you think I should talk to you? Beg you on my knees? Begging you not to send me to one of those nooks and crannies where there are no people? I¡¯d beg you, but would you say yes?¡±

    As soon as those words fell, Yuxi received a heavy p to her face, which caused blood toe out from the corner of her mouth. This showed how hard the p had been.

    After the beating, Han Jingyan even cursed angrily at her, ¡°You¡¯re such an evil beast!¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t even wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth. She just retreated to the side of the table and sneered. ¡°I am an evil beast, but you are even worse than a beast.¡± A tiger, though cruel, would not devour its cubs, but Han Jingyan was even worse than a mere beast.

    Han Jingyan was so angry that he wanted to strangle Yuxi to death, but fortunately, his sanity was still intact. He could kill this girl in many ways, but he could not do it himself, or else the Imperial Censor¡¯s saliva was enough to drown him. ¡°Men, tie this evil beast up for me.¡± As these words fell, the cadre of people brought by Han Jingyan poured in. Since the soft way wouldn¡¯t work, let¡¯s do it the hard way.

    Zisu, along with Kufu and Caidie, also followed the men in. Looking at the blood on the corner of Yuxi¡¯s mouth, Zisu cried out, ¡°Miss, what happened to you?¡±

    Yuxi looked at the few big and burly men pouring into the room and said with a cold smile, ¡°If any of you dare to touch me, I will not only let you die without a body, I will not spare any of your family members either.¡± Since she had torn her face, she did not want to pretend anymore.

    This side of Yuxi scared everyone silly.

    Looking at the hostile Yuxi, Han Jingyan¡¯s desire to kill her aroused. If he kept this scourge, sooner orter, she would bring disaster to his family.

    As Han Jingyan prepared to tie Yuxi himself, Han Ji came in. Looking at the smoke from guns filled the room, he opened his mouth, ¡°Third Lord, I have something to say.¡±

    Han Ji was one of Han Jianming¡¯s people. This was something Han Jingyan knew very well. Even if he didn¡¯t put Han Ji in his eyes, he would still give Han Jianming a little of his face. ¡°Keeping her here is ruining the Han family¡¯s reputation. I¡¯m going to send her away. You tell that to Jianming.¡±

    Yuxi sneered. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like me and hate having me as your daughter, but there is no need to throw such dirty water on me. I¡¯ve done the right thing. I¡¯m clean.¡±

    Han Ji looked at Yuxi¡¯s appearance and felt pity for her. Other parents loved and cared for their children, while the Third Lord tended to pour stool on his own daughter¡¯s head without asking any questions before using her of doing anything wrong. Han Ji exined, ¡°Third Lord, Fourth Miss has always been disciplined here and has not done anything out of line. As for the recent rumours in the capital, they were malicious nders. Miss has stayed in the courtyard and not gone out when she is in the manor. Thest time Second Master Chen came over, he was thanking Miss for saving his life, and it wasn¡¯t anything personal.¡±

    Han Jingyan was stunned and asked, ¡°What life-saving favour?¡± He had never cared about Yuxi, so how could he know that she had helped Chen Ran.

    Han Ji spoke about the borrowed carriage for a while. ¡°Third Lord, Second Master Chen simply came over to say thank you and left after only a few words. Speaking of which, I wonder what kind of person is so malicious as to ruin the Fourth Miss¡¯ reputation?¡± Toe over and condemn without distinguishing red-green or ck-white and immediately wanted to send someone far away, was this how a real father should act? She was treated like a personal enemy by the Third Lord.

    Han Jingyan stared at Yuxi and asked, ¡°Is this true?¡± [T/N]

    Han Ji looked at Yuxi¡¯s face full of anger. Fearing that she would say something unpleasant again, he quickly said, ¡°Third Lord, this is true. This little one does not dare lie to you. If you don¡¯t believe me, my Lord can go to the Marquis Tai Ning¡¯s residence for proof.¡±

    Han Jingyan said, ¡°Whether it¡¯s true or not, you can¡¯t stay here anymore. Pack your things and leave with me.¡± Han Jingyan had already made up his mind to send Yuxi away, far, far away. He would not want her to cause trouble again. [+]

    Yuxi responded, ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. I¡¯m staying here.¡± As if she felt that the fire was not big enough, she added another handful and said, ¡°If you want to take me by force, then just take my corpse away!¡±

    Han Jingyan became angry once more. He sneered, ¡°Did I give birth to this good daughter who dares to threaten me with her death?¡± If the upper beam were not right, the lower beam would be crooked. He had long known that Ning Shi could not produce anything good. Sure enough, an evil beast had been born. [T/N]

    Han Ji felt his head could explode, as he did not know what exactly Yuxi was thinking. He could only toughen his scalp by saying, ¡°Fourth Miss, you shouldn¡¯t say these angry words. The Third Lord is your father, and he is also anxious for you because of the rumours outside, right?¡±

    Yuxi chuckled. ¡°Anxious for me? You overthink it. He wouldn¡¯t even blink an eye even if I were to die here right now. On the contrary, I think it¡¯s good to die so that he doesn¡¯t have to worry about me tarnishing his reputation after I¡¯m dead.¡±

    Han Ji¡¯s heart secretly cries out in anguish. The Fourth Miss is usually quite intelligent. Howe she has be confused today!

    Han Jingyan no longer wanted to say any more nonsense. ¡°Someone, tie up the Fourth Miss for me.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know when she had a knife in her hand. Just like a sword, she put it on her neck. She warned, ¡°No one shoulde over. If you dare toe over, I will cut my neck right away.¡±

    Zisu was scared out of her wits when she saw the chilling dagger around Yuxi¡¯s neck. ¡°Miss, Miss, can you not do anything stupid?¡±

    Both Kufu and Caidie also fell to their knees in fear.

    Han Jingyan said with a cold face. ¡°Oh, you want to die? If you have the guts, you can die for me now.¡± Such a sinful daughter. It was better not to have her around anymore.

    Han Ji was frightened to death. He didn¡¯t expect Yuxi to do such a thing. She was really relentless. ¡°Fourth Miss, don¡¯t be so angry! You¡¯re still young, and your life has just begun. You can¡¯t be so thoughtless.¡± How could the Fourth Miss be so stubborn when it came to the Third Lord?

    Yuxi replied in a cold voice, ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t think. It¡¯s that he won¡¯t give me a chance to live. Without asking any questions, he forced me to die just because of a little gossip outside. For me to have such a father, it¡¯s my fault for having sinned in my past life.¡±

    Han Ji turned his head to look at Han Jingyan and begged, ¡°Third Lord, the Fourth Miss has a strong temperament, so she can¡¯t be forced. Third Lord, you should tell them all to withdraw! Leave this matter to this little one.¡± Seeing that Han Jingyan was unmoved, Han Ji added, ¡°Third Lord, if something were to happen to the Fourth Miss, not only the First Lady and Master Shizi but also the Old Lady would be devastated. She is already too old, and the physician did say that she could not withstand any simtion!¡±

    Han Jingyan remembered thest time he had sent Yuxi out of the residence, Qiu Shi had sought him out and made a scene. If Yuxi actually died in front of him, Qiu Shi would be fighting with him at all costs. But it was impossible to make him admit defeat. Especially since this evil beast had no regard for him as her father in her words just now. If he were to give in this time, the sky would turn upside down. And he would no longer be able to suppress this evil beast.

    When Han Ji looked at Han Jingyan, he saw that he was still unmoved. Han Ji felt that Han Jingyan was too cold-blooded and heartless. The Fourth Miss was truly unlucky to meet such a father. Hai, the Fourth Miss was a good person, but she was harshly treated by life!

 Chapter 217 - Father And Daughter Quarreled (2)

    <strong>Chapter 217 : Father And Daughter Quarreled (2)</strong>

    Han Jingyan did not move, and Yuxi did not say anything either. Father and daughter were confronting each other, with neither of them giving up a step. Han Jingyan did not want to lose his authority as a father; thus, he disagreed with him being the one to give in first. While Yuxi knew that if she surrendered, she would right away be sent to the nook and cranny by Han Jingyan.

    Han Ji had to toughen his scalp as he said, ¡°Third Lord, if something were to happen to the Fourth Miss, Third Lord will have to bear the reputation of forcing her to die. This would be greatly detrimental to Third Lord¡¯s career.¡± These words were, in fact, a threat to Han Jingyan, indicating that he would not keep this matter hidden by spreading it.

    Han Jingyan didn¡¯t expect a dogckey to dare to threaten him. ¡°Good! My nephew has trained a very goodckey. ¡± For a ve to threaten his master, wasn¡¯t it the same as rebelling against the residence?

    Han Ji put on a long face and said, ¡°Third Lord, Master Shizi asked me toe over and take care of the Fourth Miss. If anything happens to her, this little one won¡¯t be able to live.¡± It meant that there was nothing he could do. As for what would happen if the Third Lord sought out Master Shizi, Han Ji wasn¡¯t worried at all. Although Han Jingyan was an elder, he could not lord over Master Shizi.

    Han Jingyan stared at Yuxi and asked, ¡°Are youing with me or not?¡± Seeing Yuxi¡¯s expressionless face, he added, ¡°If you don¡¯te with me today, from now on, I won¡¯t have you as my daughter.¡± These words were a threat to Yuxi. If she did note with him, he would break off his rtionship with her, and she could no longer be the young miss of the Han family. A woman expelled from her family would only have one way. That was the path to her ruin.

    Yuxi answered coldly, ¡°Suit yourself.¡± She was no longer a fool who only knew how to cry when things went wrong, as she did in her previous life. This time, she could just take Zijin and Zisu to settle in Jiangnan with her. Even if she didn¡¯t have any money, she wasn¡¯t afraid that she wouldn¡¯t be able to support just a few people with what she had learned. With Zijin around, Yuxi would not be fearful of being bullied in the future. Previously, she had been patient because she was not yet capable enough. But now, she could live without the Han family. She was no longer willing to put up with it. If she endured any longer, she would either be suffocated or killed by Han Jingyan himself.

    Han Jingyan sneered. ¡°Very well. I only hope you won¡¯t regret itter.¡± After saying this, he left the Red Jujube Vi furiously with a dozen of his entourage.

    Zisu rushed up and took the knife out of Yuxi¡¯s hand. She then hugged her and cried bitterly, ¡°Miss, what can we do from now on?¡± For the Third Master to put down such words, this was like forcing her Miss to die. She had never seen such a cruel and heartless father.

    Yuxi pushed Zisu away and said, ¡°There will always be a way for us to live.¡±

    Back in her room, Yuxi began to grind ink. She shed tears repeatedly while grinding, and her tears fell drop by drop into the inkstone. Although Han Yuxi had no expectations for her father, she still felt sad to be forced like this.

    When Zisu came in with the medicine and saw Yuxi crying, tears also fell from her eyes. How could her Miss¡¯ fate be this cruel? She had already been sent to the hamlet and now, being driven to her death.

    Yuxi had injured the skin of her neck. Since the wound was so small, she was not worried that she would have a scar. After Zisu rubbed the medicine onto her injury, Zisu withdrew.

    Once the ink was finally developed, Yuxi¡¯s mood calmed down. She took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, wiped her tears, and then put her writing brush onto paper as she wrote a letter. After writing it, she called for Zisu and said, ¡°Have someone send this to Zijin.¡± She did not want to disturb Zijin¡¯s martial arts training considering that the opportunity for Zijin to be able to do so was rare after all. Ever since Zijin had gone to the mountain, Yuxi did not allow her to return except to get some food and clothing. But now, she couldn¡¯t help but ask Zijin toe back. Only when Zijin was by her side would Yuxi feel at ease.

    After the letter was sent away, Yuxi walked out of her bedroom and spoke to Han Ji, who was waiting in the parlour, ¡°You heard what he said just now. He is trying to break off his father-daughter rtionship with me and wants to expel me from the family.¡± Only great treason or a significant mistake would lead to expulsion from the family; Han Jingyan simply did not have enough reason to remove her from the n. Still, Yuxi prepared for the worst.

    Han Ji looked at Yuxi, whose face was as normal as ever, and his heart went pit-a-pat. He could tell that there was something strange about what had just happened, but now it seemed that the Fourth Miss had done it on purpose. ¡°What does Miss want from this little one?¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°If I¡¯m truly driven out of the Han family, there will be no ce for me in the capital. I hope Dage will help me with my household registration and travel permit to Jiangnan. Jiangnan is my mother¡¯s hometown. I want to go there to see the ce.¡± Ning Shi¡¯s hometown was in Jiangnan, but Yuxi was using it as an excuse. Jiangnan was rich, but a few yearster, there would be a great disaster there. Of course, going to Jiangnan was the next best thing. It was better not to go, though. After all, it was too hard to survive without family protection.

    Han Ji¡¯s eyelids jumped. He lowered his head and said, ¡°I will have someone tell Master Shizi about this.¡± Unexpectedly, Miss had even thought of a ce to go.

    For Han Jingyan, wanting to expel Yuxi from the Han family wasn¡¯t a matter that he could just do because he wanted to. Not only would Han Jianming and Qiu Shi go against it, but even the Old Lady would also disagree. [+]

    The Old Lady asked, ¡°What treacherous things the Fourth Girl did that she should be expelled from the Han family?¡± Even if Monk Liao Tong said that Yuxi¡¯s fate carried bad luck, she should not be kicked out just because of this. How would outsiders look at the Han family then?

    Han Jingyan told her about the rumours outside. ¡°Mother, this girl will only be a curse if she stays. I will pretend that I never had this daughter.¡±

    The Old Lady was not that easy to be fooled that she asked, ¡°What is going on? If you don¡¯t tell me clearly, I will never allow you to do so.¡± Although that girl was not very good-natured, she had grown up under her watch. Yuxi might be arrogant, but she would never do anything like that. There must be a misunderstanding here.

    Han Jingyan informed her what had happened on the Red Jujube Hamlet. Not in great detail, but just briefly described the process. ¡°I merely wanted to send her away from the capital, but she dared to force herself to death and made impertinent remarks. We should have never kept such an evil beast.¡±

    When the Old Lady heard this, she asked sternly, ¡°Where do you intend to send Yuxi?¡±

    Han Jingyan was silent for a moment and said, ¡°A hamlet far away from the capital.¡± Han Jingyan wanted to send Yuxi to an uninhabited mountain vige. That mountain vige was used to send out people who had made big mistakes. But at this time, he wouldn¡¯t make it that clear to the Old Lady.

    The Old Lady stared at Han Jingyan, watching the fire of hatred in her son¡¯s eyes, and sighed quietly. After quite a while, she finally spoke, ¡°Yan-er, since you hate the Fourth Girl so much, just pass her on to the Main House!¡± Jianming cherished Yuxi. Not to mention that Yuxi had not done anything wrong to the family so far. Even if Yuxi did, as long as it was not something major, Jianming would not let his son throw Yuxi out. The uncle and nephew would surely sh, and no matter who prevailed in the end, it was not something the Old Lady wanted to see.

    Han Jingyan didn¡¯t expect the Old Lady¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Mother, I disagree. This girl can¡¯t stay here. If she stays, she will only harm the Han family.¡±

    The Old Lady looked at Han Jingyan and said, ¡°Old Third, you have lost your calmness when ites to Yuxi. Although she is a bit contrary, she has been brought up by me, and I know very well how she is. But you brought people to her hamlet without distinguishing red-green or ck-white first and just told her that you would send her away. How could it not chill her heart?¡±

    Han Jingyan said, ¡°I just want to get her out of that ce that is rife with trouble.¡±

    The Old Lady didn¡¯t want to listen to her son¡¯s prevarication, nor did she wish to dilly-dally any longer, as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll speak to your Dasao. She, Jianming and Jianye have always been fond of that girl, and they will certainly not object to this.¡± Anyway, Yuxi had always been cold towards the Third House but had always been very kind to the Main House. By passing her on to the Main House, Yuxi would have a greater sense of belonging to the State Residence.

    Han Jingyan was reluctant. Such a disobedient and unfilial thing could not be taken back to the residence even if he didn¡¯t manage to drive her out of the Han family.

    Even though the Old Lady did not have deep feelings for Yuxi, she was still a little upset to see her son behaving like this. She did not want to see trouble arise behind the screen walls of the home, and she had to settle the matter quickly while Qiu Shi and Jianming did not know about it yet. Otherwise, this conflict would be inevitable. [+]

    The Old Lady said in a tone that allowed for no doubt, ¡°You can¡¯t object. This matter is settled.¡± Father and daughter had already be enemies. She would not let Jianming have a falling-out with her son next.

    Han Jingyan did not dare to disobey the Old Lady, so he could only reluctantly agree.

    Qiu Shi was delighted to hear the Old Lady say that she wanted Yuxi to be passed on to her as her daughter. Soon, however, she became worried again as she asked, ¡°Mother, will brother-inw agree?¡±

    The Old Lady nodded a little and said, ¡°He has agreed. Now it is up to you to decide. If you also agree, we will choose a good day to do it.¡± By passing Yuxi on to Qiu Shi¡¯s name, would also raise her status. After all, Qiu Shi was the wife of the Duke of the State.

    Qiu Shi had no objection to this. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone pick a good date, and when this is settled, I¡¯ll bring Yuxi back.¡±

    When the Old Lady looked at Qiu Shi¡¯s overjoyed look, her heart became even more flustered. She said, ¡°It¡¯s enough for us in the family to know about this. Don¡¯t announce it to the public for now! Yuxi should not be brought back either. Just let here back during the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡±

    Qiu Shi was a little hesitant, but she thought that it was only a month or so before the Mid-Autumn Festival, and then it would soon be over. At that moment, she nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± These days, she had wanted to go to the hamlet to see Yuxi, but the Old Lady had stopped her. The thought of Yuxi suffering outside was difficult for her heart to bear. Now that Yuxi would be put under her name as her daughter, she would never let Yuxi suffer again.

    The Old Lady nodded and said, ¡°Then that¡¯s good.¡±

    After Han Jianming learned of the Old Lady¡¯s decision, he was also satisfied and said, ¡°This is indeed a way to have the best of both worlds.¡± He was certain that he would not let Yuxi out of the family, which would definitely cause conflict between him and his San Shu. Now it was good that Grandmother had settled the matter, and he didn¡¯t have to worry about the follow-up issues. So it was true that ginger got spicier as it got older (Chinese idiom: the older, the wiser). Of course, it was also because of the Old Lady¡¯s status in the family. If it were anyone else, his San Shu would not havepromised.

    Han Hao asked, ¡°Master Shizi, should we send the letter to the hamlet now?¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°No, I¡¯ll go there myself tomorrow.¡± He still had to talk to that girl. She must havee out with the n when she made such a fuss today.

    Han Hao inquired, ¡°Master Shizi, do you think that if the Third Lord managed to kick the Fourth Miss out of the n, would she actually go to Jiangnan? The Fourth Miss has always been intelligent. Doesn¡¯t she know how dangerous it is for a single woman to be out there all alone? If she strayed outside without the help of her n, she wouldn¡¯t even know how she would die.¡±

    Han Jianmingughed a little. ¡°That girl has a tricky mind! Saying she¡¯s going to Jiangnan is just a test. She knows I won¡¯t let her go to Jiangnan.¡± He didn¡¯t know if the drama today was deliberate on that girl¡¯s part.

 Chapter 218 - Adoption (1)

    <strong>Chapter 218 : Adoption (1)</strong>

    In the seventh lunar month, when the sun came out, it was sweltering. When it was near noon, it was as hot as a stove. The twigs of weeping willows on the side of the road were motionless, with their shadows shrunk into a ball, and their leaves, covered with ayer of dust, were curled up.

    Han Jianming went to the hamlet. He looked at the lush mountains and the people working in the fields. There were mountains and water here, which was a perfect ce.

    Yuxi wasn¡¯t surprised to hear that Han Jianming hade; something like what happened yesterday always had to be dealt with. Even if not for sentimental reasons, from the point of benefit, Dage would not let her out of the n.

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi as she looked normal and did not look scared in any way. He said with a smile, ¡°You, this girl, are good at enjoying yourself. You have such a nice ce. You don¡¯t even know to ask your Dage toe and stay here for a few days.¡± This ce was much cooler than the capital.

    Yuxiughed. ¡°Dage, I was driven out. I didn¡¯te here for a holiday.¡± As she spoke, she weed Han Jianming to the parlour.

    Zisu brought a cup of water over, and Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°Dage, this is spring water from the mountain. It¡¯s very sweet. Dage, try it. I use this mountain spring water to make fragrant tea, and it tastes especially good.¡±

    Han Jianming waved his hand and told everyone to withdraw. Only when everyone had left did he say, ¡°Seeing you like this, you are not worried about the future at all.¡±

    Yuxi picked up the chrysanthemum tea she had just brewed, took two sips and put it down, saying, ¡°Dage is here, so what do I have to worry about. Don¡¯t you think so? Dage?¡± The fact that Han Jianming could show up here already indicated an attitude that he wouldn¡¯t let her out of the n.

    Han Jianming couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°You¡¯re so broad-minded. Grandmother has intervened in this matter. Grandmother intends to let the Main House adopt you. What do you think?¡±

    Yuxi froze and asked, ¡°He agreed?¡± She was now even unwilling to call Han Jingyan her father. Her affection for him had long gone anyway. She didn¡¯t even want to keep up with that facade.

    Han Jianming nodded. ¡°San Shu and my Mother have agreed. There¡¯s no problem on my Father¡¯s side either. My Mother has already asked someone to choose a prosperous date, and this will probably be done within a month.¡±

    Yuxi revealed a relieved look and said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡± By being adopted to the Main House, she no longer had to face Han Jingyan¡¯s hypocritical face, nor did she have to worry about Han Jingyan using her as a punching bag if he didn¡¯t get his way with her.

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°If San Shu throws you out of the Han family, will you truly go to Jiangnan?¡±

    Yuxi was silent for a moment and said, ¡°If I really drive out of the Han family, I can only take one step at a time. I have always heard that Su Hang is picturesque. I want to see the beauty there when I go to Jiangnan. I don¡¯t know if I will settle in Jiangnan.¡±

    Su Hang = SUzhou and HANGzhou

    Her words were somewhat sad. Han Jianming quickly jumped over them and said, ¡°Grandmother intends to keep the adoption quiet for the time being and wait until some time has passed. Therefore, you¡¯ll have to stay at the hamlet for a while.¡±

    Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°It¡¯s quite good for me to live here.¡± She was free to do whatever she wanted without worrying about this or that, and no one was bothering her. [+]

    Han Jianming responded, ¡°I can tell by the way you look that you¡¯re doing well here.¡± She was rather like a bird that had been released from its cage.

    Zisu announced from outside, ¡°Master Shizi, Miss, the food is ready. It¡¯s time to eat.¡± With the words that Han Jingyan had put out, Zisu had been up all night. It wasn¡¯t until Han Jianming came over that she was slightly more at ease.

    Lunch was vibrant, with eight dishes and one soup. Yuxi smiled and pointed to the minced eggnt on the dining table and said, ¡°Dage, I nted this eggnt. Try it. It tastes delicious.¡±

    Han Jianming said with amusement, ¡°You¡¯ve only been at the farm for a few days, and you¡¯ve already nted eggnts?¡±

    After lunch, Han Ji came over and told Han Jianming and Yuxi that the person who spread the rumour had been found. ¡°It was Steward Chen¡¯s eldest daughter-inw, and she passed the news to the Third Lady.¡± The hamlet head¡¯s eldest daughter-inw felt that since Yuxi had been thrown out of the residence because of Yuxi¡¯s bad reputation, it would undoubtedly be difficult for Yuxi to turn over a new leaf in the future. So Wu Shi¡¯s people approached her and asked her to help keep an eye on Yuxi, and she agreed to do so.

    Han Jianming said, ¡°You should dispose of the hamlet head¡¯s daughter-inw. For the Third Lady, leave it to the Old Lady!¡± As for Wu Shi, Han Jianming would not give hisment.

    Yuxi nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±

    Han Jianming had many things to do and did not have time to rest for two days on the hamlet. When the sun was close to setting, he went back with his entourage. Before he left, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone bring you back after the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡± Since the matter of adoption could not be made public, it could only be settled in private. So, whether Yuxi was present or not, was not a problem.

    After sending Han Jianming away, Yuxi turned to Han Ji and instructed, ¡°Go and bring Steward Chen¡¯s family over.¡± Yuxi thought it was one of the tenant farmers who had revealed the news. Thus, she never thought it would be Steward Chen¡¯s daughter-inw.

    Steward Chen¡¯s eldest daughter-inw, Gu Shi, was still a little delighted when she heard the Third Lord hade over to make a scenest night. After all, she had betrayed Yuxi, and she would only be safe if Yuxi did not end up well. But before she could be happy, she heard that Master Shizi hade over and was having lunch on the farm, so she was in a state of panic. She thought that the Han family had abandoned Yuxi, so she dared to betray her. If the Han family had abandoned the Fourth Miss, why would Master Shizie over?

    Steward Chen was a little surprised to hear that Yuxi had asked him to bring his whole family over. What was the point of calling his family when she could just ask him if there was something she needed to know? Steward Chen was a down-to-earth kind of man. So he didn¡¯t overthink about it. He just called his whole family over, even his eight-month-old granddaughter, as instructed.

    Steward Chen had three sons. Before, when his family was so poor, his sons were unable to marry. When he came here and got more prosperous, his two sons managed to marry girls from the tenant families on the farm. Now he had six grandsons and four granddaughters. Therefore, it could be considered that his family was currently flourishing.

    Yuxi looked at the Chen family kneeling on the ground and asked expressionlessly, ¡°Do you know why I called you all here?¡±

    Steward Chen shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m requesting Miss to please reveal it to me.¡± Steward Chen did not know what was going on. He was so busy with the affairs of the hamlet every day that he could barely get over it. So how could he have the energy to manage the affairs of his family? And besides, he could not handle it even if he was asked to do so.

    Yuxi said, ¡°A rumour spread in the capital two days ago that I was having an affair with the Second Master Chen, and we had a private meeting right at the manor. Steward Chen, do you know about this?¡±

    Steward Chen was not that well-informed and shook his head. ¡°Miss, this is something that this old servant has not heard of.¡± He had been anxious and angry the other day because of the rain. Thus he had been busy in the fields all day. He didn¡¯t even have time to chat with his son, so how could he know what rumours were going around in the capital?

    Gu Shi¡¯s whole body trembled when she heard this.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t say anything. She just looked at the pale-faced Gu Shi. There was no need for Yuxi to say anything, as the others understood what was going on when they saw Gu Shi¡¯s face. Steward Chen¡¯s eldest son pped her across the face and asked sternly, ¡°Say, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Gu Shi also knew that it was useless to clench her jaw and resist. At that moment, she told them all about Wu Shi¡¯s people who had approached her with the promise of arge sum of money. When Gu Shi finished, she kowtowed towards Yuxi and begged for mercy, ¡°Miss, I only said that the Second Master Chen family hade over to look for Miss, but I didn¡¯t say anything else.¡±

    What Yuxi detests most was this kind of crawling high by stepping on the low stuff.

    When everyone heard this statement, Steward Chen¡¯s eldest son pped Gu Shi to the ground, ¡°You wicked woman, you are trying to get our whole family killed.¡± Gu Shi¡¯s behaviour was precisely betraying her master. This kind of behaviour would make one most hated by one¡¯s master.

    The Chen family¡¯s second daughter-inw begged, ¡°Miss, we didn¡¯t know about this. Please spare our lives.¡± If they were to be sold out, they didn¡¯t know what was in store for them.

    Yuxi sneered. ¡°How can you live under the same roof and not know anything about such a big matter? Do you think I would believe that?¡± If you did something like this, you would show traces of it. As long as one had a heart, one would know.

    As soon as Yuxi said these words, the faces of the rest of the Chen family changed. Steward Chen burst into tears and kowtowed, ¡°Miss, this old servant didn¡¯t know. If this old servant had known that Gu Shi had dared to betray her master, this old servant would not have tolerated it.¡± If it were a family dispute, he would have passed it with a blind eye. But if she betrayed her master, the whole family would be implicated. [+]

    The reason why Yuxi could call Steward Chen over was that he had been conscientiously taking care of the estate for the past few years. He never cheated by shirking away from his responsibility, and his ounts were crystal clear. This time, when she was rushed to the estate, Steward Chen treated her with respect and dignity, without a trace of perfunctory treatment. No matter what she ordered, Steward Chen did an excellent job of it. If not, with what Gu Shi had done, there would be no need to bring them all here, and it would not be too much for her just to sell the entire Chen family.

    Just at this time, Han Ji walked in and reported to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, the search has beenpleted. These are all found from the Chen family house.¡±

    Han Ji exined what he had found. From Steward Chen¡¯s house, he found five hundred taels of silver notes and sixty taels of broken silver, as well as a pair of gold earrings and two gold rings. But Steward Chen¡¯s five hundred taels was not a whole sheet. It was made up of ten or twenty taels added together. They could see that Steward Chen had saved these up day by day and month by month. On the other hand, what was recovered from Gu Shi¡¯s side were two silver cheques of five hundred taels, a gold bracelet and a gold hairpin, while the golden jewelled hairpin looked exceptionally bright. In addition to this, a gold bracelet and some pieces of silver were also found in the Chen family¡¯s second daughter-inw¡¯s house.

    Yuxi looked at the pattern of the two gold bracelets and knew without asking that they were originally a pair. She looked at the Chen family¡¯s second daughter-inw and asked with a smile, ¡°You know nothing about it? Then tell me, where did this gold bracelete from?¡±

    Chen¡¯s second daughter-inw¡¯s face turned pale.

    The result was simple: Gu Shi was bundled up and sent to the State Residence, not to be handed over to Qiu Shi for disposal, but Gu Shi had to act as a witness to prove that it was she who had passed the news to Wu Shi that day. As for the Chen family¡¯s second daughter-inw, since she was from a respectable family, Yuxi did not dispose of her either. She left her to the Chen family on how to handle her.

    When Steward Chen saw that his family was not implicated and Miss had returned to him the silver tickets and scraps of silver she had found in his house, he felt grateful and guilty.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t say much. She only said, ¡°You¡¯ll have to work harder on managing the affairs of the hamlet in the future.¡± Steward Chen received no less than a hundred taels of silver every month, but he had only saved about five hundred taels of silver in more than seven years, which showed how clean he was.

    Steward Chen choked back a sob and promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. I will make sure that the hamlet is properly taken care of so that Miss doesn¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±

    Yuxi nodded her head and said, ¡°You guys can go back!¡±

    When the Chen family returned to their home, several people felt that they had returned from the gate of hell. If it weren¡¯t for Miss¡¯ generosity, they estimated that the family would have been ruined right now.

 Chapter 219 - Adoption (2)

    <strong>Chapter 219 : Adoption (2)</strong>

    After Han Jianming returned to the State Residence, he had people investigate. It was not enough just to have Gu Shi as a witness. The evidence had to be sufficient.

    After Han Jianming gatheredplete evidence, he went to the Main Courtyard to tell the Old Lady about it. He was from the younger generation. Thus, he could not be the one to dispose of Wu Shi. The Old Lady, on the other hand, was the most suitable person for the job.

    Green fire emerged from the Old Lady¡¯s eyes as she turned towards Han Jianming and said, ¡°You should leave this matter alone. I will take care of it.¡± She didn¡¯t know what kind of vision her youngest son had to marry such a thing. It was okay for Wu Shi to be stupid at home before, but the Old Lady had never thought Wu Shi would do such a thing. Didn¡¯t this fool know that if this rumour ruined Yuxi¡¯s reputation, it would also implicate other unmarried girls in residence?

    Mama Luo cursed in her heart. Wu Shi herself sought her own death, and somehow she had to drag others down with her.

    The Old Lady did not immediately ask Wu Shi toe over for questioning but waited until Han Jingyan returned to the residence and paid respects to her before she spoke about this matter. ¡°The evidence isplete, Yan- er. What are you going to do about it?¡± It didn¡¯t matter if a person was stupid, but if they were stupid enough to harm the Han family, then it was not okay.

    Han Jingyan knew the Old Lady¡¯s nature. She would not say such things without sufficient evidence. After a half-hearted pause, Han Jingyan said, ¡°Mother, I will deal with this matter myself.¡±

    The Old Lady nodded and said, ¡°Good, then you can do it yourself. Your Dasao has already chosen the date today. The eighth day of the seventh lunar month is good. When the timees, just open the n shrine, put Yuxi under Qiu Shi¡¯s name, and nothing else needs to be done.¡± Initially, when adoption was made, one had to inform friends and rtives. Then, they would invite everyone to a meal or something. Nowadays, all of those had to be omitted.

    Han Jingyan was in a bad mood and didn¡¯t have the right state of mind to talk about it. He said, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s up to you.¡± The adoption was decided by his mother anyway.

    The Old Lady was not in a good mood when she saw her son in this state. What a sin, marrying such a jinx. ¡°You don¡¯t need to think too much. Just go back and get some rest first. We¡¯ll talk about other thingster.¡± There was no hurry to deal with Wu Shi at this moment.

    Han Jingyan walked out and stood outside the door for a short while before heading towards Tingyun Pavilion. Before he reached there, he heard pleasant music.

    When Yuchen saw Han Jingyan¡¯s badplexion, she asked with a worried look on her face, ¡°Father, what¡¯s wrong with you? You look so bad. Are you not feeling well?¡±

    Hearing this, Han Jingyan was in a better mood and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m just a little tired. I¡¯ll be fine after a rest.¡±

    When Yuchen saw that Han Jingyan didn¡¯t want to say more, she stopped asking. She just said, ¡°Father, let¡¯s have dinner here today!¡±

    His wife¡¯s foolishness and his second di daughter¡¯s disobedience and unfilial made him feel very frustrated. But looking at Yuchen, these frustrations immediately dissipated. Han Jingyan nodded his head and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± [T/N]

    After finishing his evening meal, Han Jingyan stayed at Tingyun Pavilion for another two-quarters of an hour before leaving. After sending Han Jingyan away, Yuchen immediately ordered, ¡°Go and find out what happened.¡± If her father was so upset, it was certainly not a trivial matter. [+]

    The following day, Momo Gui told Yuchen the news she had found out, ¡°Miss, the rumours outside about the Fourth Miss were put out by Wu Shi. That day, when the rumours of Fourth Miss having a bad fate were circting outside, Wu Shi also stuck her foot in.¡±

    Yuchen was furious. She had always known that Wu Shi was stupid, but she had never imagined that she would be this stupid. Yuchen asked, ¡°What will Grandmother and Father do with her?¡±

    Momo Gui shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but the Lord will certainly not be able to forgive Wu Shi for doing such a thing. Miss, it is not appropriate for you to interfere in this matter.¡±

    Yuchen would certainly not intervene with the matter herself, or she would be ridiculed for it.

    Momo Gui told Yuchen another thing, ¡°Miss, I heard from Mama Luo that the Third Lord went to Red Jujube Hamlet a few days ago and had a row with Fourth Miss, which was said to have been very violent.¡± This matter was revealed by Mama Luo. The few attendants who had followed Han Jingyan there that day had all been sternly warned. So, no one dared to reveal a single word. Mama Luo dared to disclose it to Yuchen because of Yuchen¡¯s special status. Plus, she knew that Yuchen would not do anything out of the ordinary.

    When Yuchen heard these words, her face looked worried. ¡°I don¡¯t know why Father doesn¡¯t like Si Mei so much?¡± Without anyone exining why Han Jingyan went to Red Jujube Vige that day, Yuchen knew in her heart. Under such circumstances, it was impossible for father and daughter not to make any noise.

    Momo Gui had another concern. ¡°Miss, for the Fourth Miss dares to make trouble with the Lord, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s ready to risk everything.¡± Before, with filial piety weighing Fourth Miss down, she had been peaceful and quiet. But now, no one knew what she would do. The Fourth Miss was not Wu Shi. If she set her mind to scheming, something big would definitely happen at that time.

    Yuchen was silent for half a second before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Main Courtyard.¡± There were so many things going on in the residencetely, one after another, without a pause, and there was no telling when it would calm down.

    After hearing what Yuchen was worried about, the Old Lady exined, ¡°Your father has promised to pass Yuxi on to the Main House.¡± By adopting Yuxi to another house, father and daughter would no longer have to look at each other in disgust.

    Yuchen did not expect the Old Lady to do this, but when she thought about it, the most appropriate way was to pass Yuxi for adoption. ¡°Grandmother, has the date been set?¡±

    The Old Lady nodded and informed her of the adoption date. ¡°It¡¯s not a glorious event. We will just open the ancestral hall, amend the genealogy when the timees, and then notify friends and rtives after some time has passed.¡± What she meant was that she was not going to make a big event of this matter.

    Yuchen responded, ¡°This is good.¡± Although it would somewhat affect her Father, the effect would not be too significant. It would also avoid any further conflict between Father and Yuxi in the future.

    On the eighth day of the seventh lunar month, Han Jianming and Han Jingyan invited some n elders to open the ancestral hall together. Han Jianming took out the family tree, crossed out Yuxi¡¯s name from the Third House and put it under Qiu Shi¡¯s name. With ck and white writing as physical evidence and several n elders as human witnesses, the adoption was settled.

    Qiu Shi wanted to visit Yuxi in Red Jujube Hamlet the following day but was stopped by Han Jianming. ¡°Mother, let¡¯s see Yuxi some other day! There is no hurry. ¡±

    Qiu Shi was reluctant. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen that child for so many days. I don¡¯t know how thin she has be. No, I must go to see that child tomorrow. ¡±

    Han Jianming felt a bit helpless. He had told his mother that Yuxi was fine and there was nothing wrong with her, but his mother didn¡¯t believe him. She thought that Yuxi must be suffering since she couldn¡¯t eat or sleep in the countryside. ¡°Didn¡¯t Mother always want to see Great Teacher Pu Yuan? In just two days, Mother can take Yuxi to Lingshan Temple to meet Great Teacher Pu Yuan.¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s eyes lit up as she asked, ¡°Great Teacher Pu Yuan has agreed to see Yuxi and me?¡±

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°It has been agreed. The date is set for the day after tomorrow.¡± Great Teacher Pu Yuan was very famous in the capital, but like Great Master Huineng, she was not involved in the mundane world and concentrated on her spiritual training at Lingshan Temple. Thus, there were very few opportunities to see her. Of course, inparison, it was easier to ask to see Great Teacher Pu Yuan than to ask to see Great Master Huineng. Great Master Huineng was someone who even the Emperor and Song Guifei could not see. Therefore, citizens like them would have even less chance to see him.

    Ever since Yuxi¡¯s bad fate rumour came out, Qiu Shi has thought of asking Great Teacher Pu Yuan to set Yuxi¡¯s name straight. She was unable to do so herself, so she forced Han Jianming to think of a way. It took Han Jianming a lot of effort to get the opportunity to meet her. Whether she would rectify Yuxi¡¯s name, they would have to wait and see after the meeting.

    When Yuxi heard that her name was already written under Qiu Shi¡¯s name, the stone hanging in her heart fell away. From now on, she would have nothing to do with the Third House and would no longer be under Han Jingyan¡¯s control. Yuxi was in a good mood at the thought of not having to act carefully in the future.

    What¡¯s in Yuxi¡¯s mind.

    When Zisu found out about this, she excitedly took Yuxi¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Miss, really? Have you been adopted to the Main House?¡± Since Yuxi came to the Red Jujube Vi, Zisu could not eat or sleep well since she always worried about their future. But to her surprise, now the willow trees made shade for them, and the flowers gave them light, as the Main House had adopted her Miss. With how much the First Lady doted on Miss, the future would certainly not be bad.

    Yuxi was also in a good mood. ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s true. We can go back to the residence after the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡± By being adopted to the Main House, she would no longer have to be careful in her actions and do whatever she wanted.

    Zisu wept with joy.

    The messenger waited for Yuxi to calm down before he added, ¡°Miss, the First Lady is going to the Lingshan Temple to offer incense the day after tomorrow. My Lady asked me to tell you that she would like you to go to the Lingshan Temple with her as well.¡±

    Yuxi smilingly answered, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Zisu waited for the messenger to leave before she happily said, ¡°Miss, let¡¯s add more dishes for lunch today!¡± On such a big happy asion, there must be some indication.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate. We should not publicise this matter for the time being.¡± Now that the timber had already been turned into a boat, it didn¡¯t matter if they publicised it. However, Yuxi was afraid that the Old Lady would not be pleased, so she thought it would be better to keep a low profile. After all, the Old Lady was the one who had a say in the State Residence. [+]

    When the day of the appointment arrived, Yuxi dressed up a bit. Qiu Shi must have been worried about her all these days. Hence, she had to look her best when she met her.

    Qiu Shi was waiting for Yuxi halfway down the road. When she saw Yuxi, she touched her rosy pink face and said with teary eyes, ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight, and you don¡¯t look well. Poor child. you must have suffered a lot these days!¡± [T/N]

    Yuxi was a little embarrassed. She ate and drank so well in the hamlet, and she had gained some weight. ¡°Eldest Aunt, I am doing fine in the hamlet, and I have not suffered any hardships. Eldest Aunt doesn¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    Mama Li smiled and said, ¡°Fourth Miss, it¡¯s time to change the way you call the Lady.¡± Now that Yuxi had been ced under Qiu Shi¡¯s name, it was time for her to change the way she addressed Qiu Shi.

    Yuxi had always treated Qiu Shi as her own mother in her heart, so she didn¡¯t squirm a bit about changing the way she called her, and she immediately called out, ¡°Mother.¡±

    Qiu Shi answered happily, then said, ¡°From now on, Mother will never let you suffer again.¡± She had always wanted a daughter, but unfortunately, she could not get what she wanted. Now that Yuxi had truly be her daughter, it was a feeling that she could not describe in just a few words.

    The rtionship between Yuxi and Qiu Shi had always been simr to that of mother and daughter. Now that they had gone through the adoption, they only had to change how they addressed each other and still got along no differently than before.

    Qiu Shi took Yuxi¡¯s hand and asked how Yuxi¡¯s life on the hamlet these days.

    Yuxi smiled and told her, ¡°At the vi, it¡¯s the same as at home.¡± All the things she usually did in the vi were the same as what she did at the State Residence.

    Zisu took pleasure in saying, ¡°How can it be the same? My Lady doesn¡¯t know that the backyard is taken care of by Miss and all the vegetables are growing very well. The vegetables she eats every day are all picked from there! When Master Shizi came over two days ago, he also ate them and praised them for tasting very good.¡±

    Yuxi blushed, red at Zisu and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. The vegetables were all left behind by Steward Chen. I do not nt them.¡±

    Qiu Shi responded with a smile, ¡°Somehow, you also have taken care of them. Wait for a few more days. I will alsoe to taste them, to see if they taste as good as Zisu has said?¡±

 Chapter 220 - Wu Shis Death (1)

    <strong>Chapter 220 : Wu Shi¡¯s Death (1)</strong>

    With people to talk to, the journey was not dull, and time passed quickly. Soon the group arrived at Lingshan Temple.

    Qiu Shi used toe to Lingshan Temple to offer incense. In the past, she always went to worship the Bodhisattva first, then went back to the courtyard for lunch and rested before returning. But this time, Qiu Shi didn¡¯t rush to pay her respects to the Bodhisattva but took Yuxi to see the Great Teacher Pu Yuan, whom they had made an appointment with.

    Seeing that the more they walked, the more remote the ce became, and Yuxi felt that something was wrong. She asked in a low voice, ¡°Eldest Aunt, where are we going?¡± She couldn¡¯t help it. She had been calling Qiu Shi her Eldest Aunt for almost forty years in her two lives that she couldn¡¯t help herself.

    When Qiu Shi saw that Yuxi had made a slip of the tongue, she did not get angry but said with a smile instead, ¡°I¡¯m taking you to see Great Teacher Pu Yuan. If Great Teacher Pu Yuan justifies your name, no one will say you have a bad fate in the future.¡± Once Great Teacher Pu Yuan had justified Yuxi¡¯s name, it would not be difficult for Yuxi to get married.

    Great Teacher Pu Yuan¡¯s ce was very remote, and there was no one around, so it seemed extraordinarily secluded. Such a ce was an excellent ce to escape the summer heat. But when you live in an area like this in winter, it could be freezing.

    Qiu Shi took Yuxi into the house, looked at Great Teacher Pu Yuan, put her hands together, and said very piously, ¡°I have seen Great Teacher Pu Yuan.¡±

    Yuxi followed her example, then she looked up at Great Teacher Pu Yuan and saw that she was just like those carved Bodhisattvas, with a charitable and gentle face. When one saw her, one could not help but want to be close to her.

    Great Teacher Pu Yuan was sitting on a praying mat and initially looked very calm. But after reading Yuxi¡¯s face, there was a slight change in her expression. Of course, these could not be seen by outsiders. Only the young nun who served her noticed it.

    Great Teacher Pu Yuan looked at Qiu Shi and asked, ¡°Have you brought her Ba Zi?¡±

    Qiu Shi nodded her head and said, ¡°I brought it here.¡± After saying this, she pulled out Yuxi¡¯s Ba Zi from her sleeve and handed them to Great Teacher Pu Yuan with both hands.

    Great Teacher Pu Yuan took Yuxi¡¯s Ba Zi and told the two people, ¡°Wait outside for a moment.¡± She was not used to having people around when she was calcting their Ba Zi.

    The waiting time was the most torturous. Not only was Qiu Shi anxious, but even Yuxi could not stay calm. She didn¡¯t believe Monk Liao Tong¡¯s words, but she was worried that Great Teacher Pu Yuan would see something unimaginable like the fact that she had been reborn.

    When Qiu Shi looked at Yuxi¡¯s pale face, she thought that Yuxi was worried that Great Teacher Pu Yuan would say the same thing as Monk Liao Tong. So she held Yuxi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it will be fine.¡± Yuxi was such a good child. She definitely did not have a bad fate like that bald donkey Liao Tong had said.

    After about an hour, the two heard Great Teacher Pu Yuan say, ¡°Come in!¡± Her voice, to Qiu Shi and Yuxi, was like heavenly music.

    When they entered the room, Great Teacher Pu Yuan looked at Yuxi and said, ¡°This poor nun¡¯s method is too shallow to read Miss¡¯ fate.¡± This girl¡¯s Ba Zi was ordinary, nothing strange, but Yuxi¡¯s face seemed to be hidden by a cloud of mist, making it impossible for her to see.

    Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t understand it, so she asked very bluntly, ¡°Great Teacher, what does this mean?¡± If it was good, say it good. If it was bad, tell them it was bad. Howe one couldn¡¯t see it through!

    Great Teacher Pu Yuan looked at Yuxi and said, ¡°Miss Han has a quite peculiar destiny. This poor nun is unable to see it through because of her shallow method.¡±

    Qiu Shi was anxious. ¡°Great Teacher, someone said before that my daughter¡¯s fate was bad. If my daughter has such a reputation, it will ruin her life. Please have mercy and help my daughter to have a good look!¡±

    Great Teacher Pu Yuan shook her head and said, ¡°Since she cannot read this Miss¡¯ destiny, this poor nun cannot make any presumptions.¡± She couldn¡¯t read Yuxi¡¯s fortune. Thus she couldn¡¯t give anyment on it.

    Qiu Shi came full of expectations but returned with disappointment.

    Yuxi looked at Qiu Shi and said with a smile, ¡°Mother, Great Teacher Pu Yuan did not say that I have a bad fate, but only that I have a quite peculiar one. This can also be considered good news!¡± After saying that, in order to enlighten Qiu Shi, she smilingly continued, ¡°It¡¯s not possible that I may have a fortune of great wealth and prosperity. It was just that even the Great Teacher couldn¡¯t see through it!¡±

    Qiu Shi felt that what Yuxi said made sense. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s possible that the old bald donkey was talking nonsense because he couldn¡¯t read your fortune! If people ask, we¡¯ll tell them directly that Great Teacher Pu Yuan didn¡¯t say that you have a bad fate.¡± Great Teacher Pu Yuan was not as famous as Great Master Huineng, but she had a much higher reputation than Monk Liao Tong. Her influence among the female family members was also a little deeper. [+]

    Yuxi said, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not good to tell other people about this. We just need to know about it ourselves.¡± The fewer people knew about this, the better.

    Although Qiu Shi didn¡¯t know how to go round the curves and skirt the corners, she knew what to be careful about. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell other people about this.¡± These other people did not include the Old Lady.

    The young nun beside Great Teacher Pu Yuan asked, ¡°Great Teacher, is this Patron Han¡¯s destiny really that peculiar that even you, Shifu, cannot see through it?¡±

    After eximing a ¡®merciful Buddha¡¯, Great Teacher Pu Yuan said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡± There was only one exnation for the discrepancy between the Ba Zi with that girl¡¯s face: there had been a change in that girl¡¯s destiny. Great Teacher Pu Yuan had no desire to look deeper into what had changed.

    When Qiu Shi returned to the State Residence, the Old Lady was very surprised to hear Qiu Shi¡¯s words. ¡°What did you say? Great Teacher Pu Yuan can¡¯t see through Yuxi¡¯s destiny? How can she not see through Yuxi¡¯s destiny?¡±

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°She didn¡¯t say exactly, but it¡¯s true. Mother, it must be because that old bald donkey, Liao Tong, is not well versed in his art and cannot read Yuxi¡¯s fate, so he is talking nonsense.¡± Ever since she found out the rumour about Yuxi¡¯s bad fortune had spread, Qiu Shi had been calling Liao Tong an old bald donkey.

    The Old Lady had many questions, but no one could give her answers, nor could she find anyone to give her answers. ¡°Only you and I know this matter. Don¡¯t tell anyone else. Not even Jianming or Jianye.¡± She was afraid that Qiu Shi would not know the importance of the matter and warned her, ¡°If the news of Yuxi¡¯s bad fortune spreads, people will just avoid her, and it will be difficult for her to get married in the future. But if word gets out that Yuxi has a strange fate, not only will it bring trouble to the State Residence, but Yuxi will also have no peaceful days.¡± The Old Lady had a long view of things. In ancient times, people with strange fortunes would either turn out very rich or very wicked. She did not know whether Yuxi would be good or bad in the future, but for now, Yuxi was just a child with some ws.

    Qiu Shi was busy nodding her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I won¡¯t tell anyone else.¡± With the Old Lady¡¯s caution, Qiu Shi did not tell anyone else about this matter. Since Qiu Shi and the Old Lady wouldn¡¯t talk about it, plus Yuxi wouldn¡¯t say anything, the issue became hidden.

    In thete seventh lunar month, when Yuxi received the news that Wu Shi was seriously ill, her heart sank, but she didn¡¯t look concerned about it as she said, ¡°She was fine when I left the house. Howe she suddenly became seriously ill?¡±

    Kufu said, ¡°The Third Lady got sick at the beginning of the month. At first, she only thought it was cold, but she didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. But it became even more serious, and she couldn¡¯t get up now. My father just told me that if she can¡¯t get better, I am afraid that her life will be in danger.¡±

    Yuxi thought that day Wu Shi would be sent to their family temple, but she never thought Han Jingyan would want Wu Shi¡¯s life. But considering that Han Jingyan even tried to kill her, it was not umon for him to kill Wu Shi. Yuxi¡¯s heart was heavy. What kind of father had she been born to? What else would he not dare to kill?

    Seeing that Yuxi had fallen into deep thought, Kufu asked in a low voice, ¡°Miss, Miss, what are you thinking about?¡± Kufu thought that Yuxi would be happy to hear this news. After all, Yuxi and Wu Shi had always been at odds. But now, it seemed that this was not the case.

    Yuxi came back to her senses and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. If anything happens at the residence, have your brother and the others immediately send the news over.¡± The news from Han Ji¡¯s side was mainly about what was happening in the capital. The information that came from Kufu¡¯s side were all things that urred within the Duke of the State¡¯s residence. Whether it was news from outside or inside the residence, there was nothing wrong with her knowing more.

    Kufu nodded and then asked, ¡°Miss, if something happens to the Third Lady, would you want to go back to mourn?¡± Kufu was actually a little worried about her prospects. After all, there was not a worthy family in the countryside for her to marry into. [+]

    Yuxi could not see through Kufu¡¯s mind and said, ¡°I will not go back. When that timees, it will be the same to observe mourning in the vi.¡± Wu Shi was not her nominal mother now, so she did not need to observe three years of mourning. But there was a problem: if Wu Shi died during this time, she wouldn¡¯t be able to return to the State Residence in mid-autumn.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t feel much about not being able to go back to the State Residence. It was good to stay in the countryside, where she could live freely and easily. When she returned to the State Residence, she felt like a bird in a cage, not free to do anything.

    Kufu looked at Yuxi with an unpleasant expression on her face and dared not say anything else.

    Wu Shi¡¯s condition got worse over time, and by the beginning of the eighth lunar month, she began to fall into aa. As time went on, the longer theasted, and the less time she spent awake.

    That day Wu Shi passed out again. After Physician Bai finished checking her pulse, his expression did not look good. He walked out and told Han Jingyan, ¡°Third Lord, the Third Lady doesn¡¯t have much time left, so it¡¯s time to prepare for her funeral arrangements.¡±

    Han Jingyan nodded sadly and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Whether his heart was genuinely grieving or not, only he knew for sure. Han Jingyan¡¯s two previous wives had died, and if Wu Shi also died, he would not be able to escape the reputation of being a jinx to his wife.

    Physician Bai walked in the front, with his young apprentice followed from behind. After leaving the State Residence, his young apprentice asked in wonder, ¡°Shifu, the Third Lady just has a small wind chill. Even if she is seriously ill, she won¡¯t lose her life, right?¡±

    Physician Bai said coldly, ¡°Even though she has a small wind chill, one still has to pay attention to it. Otherwise, it can also take a person¡¯s life.¡± He had been practising medicine for so many years. How could he not see that Wu Shi¡¯s illness was strange? At the beginning of her illness, she would have been cured within three days if she had followed his prescription. But now she was dying, clearly because she hadn¡¯t used the medicine he had prescribed. Physician Bai knew that there was a lot of secrecy in prominent families, so he did not want to get involved. Whether the Han family had given medicine to the Third Lady ording to the prescription or not, that was not his business.

    The young apprentice¡¯s heart gave a jolt, and his head shrank. He still had to learn more from his master!

 Chapter 221 - Wu Shis Death (2)

    <strong>Chapter 221 : Wu Shi¡¯s Death (2)</strong>

    Yurong had been waiting upon Wu Shi since she fell ill. After serving her for most of the month, Yurong had lost as much weight as a piece of paper. When she saw Wu Shi wake up, Yurong wiped her tears and asked, ¡°Mother, are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?¡±

    Wu Shi shook her head and said, ¡°Mother is not hungry. Come sit and talk with Mother.¡±

    Yurong noticed that Wu Shi¡¯splexion was looking much better than before. A wave of hope welled up in her heart as she said, ¡°Mother, there will be plenty of opportunities to talkter. Let¡¯s have something to eat first.¡±

    As soon as these words came out of her mouth, Old Woman Chen brought a bowl of bird¡¯s nest congee. Yurong took it in her hand and fed it to Wu Shi one bite at a time.

    After eating, Wu Shi¡¯s spirits were noticeably better, and she turned towards Old Woman Chen and said, ¡°Go and bring over the mahogany box that I keep in the cupboard.¡±

    Old Woman Chen answered lowly and wiped her tears after she walked out of the house. Yurong didn¡¯t know, but Old Woman Chen could see that her Lady was having her final radiance of the setting sun.

    Wu Shi stretched out her thin, bony hand and caressed Yurong¡¯s face while saying in a low voice, ¡°My child, you¡¯re the one who worries me the most.¡±

    Yurong¡¯s heart paused for a beat as she forced out a smile. ¡°Mother, what are you talking about? The physician said that your illness isn¡¯t that serious, and you will be fine soon.¡±

    Wu Shi didn¡¯t hold onto Yurong¡¯s words. She knew her health well. She couldn¡¯t hold on much longer. ¡°Rong-er, your father is unreliable. You still have to rely on the Old Lady and your San Jie for your future. When Mother is gone, you should be good to the Old Lady and do good to your San Jie.¡± Wu Shi was not worried about her two sons, as her husband would certainly take care of them in the future. But her daughter, however, she was not all that sure.

    Yurong was only eleven years old, so how could she bear such a thing? Hearing this, she cried out, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t say such things. You¡¯ll be fine. Mother, you will be fine.¡±

    Old Woman Chen carried the box over, knelt on the ground and said, ¡°My Lady, I have brought the thing over.¡± What¡¯s inside the box was Wu Shi¡¯s properties that Wu Shi had umted over a long time.

    Wu Shi¡¯s words were unsteady, ¡°Open it! Read it aloud to the girl.¡±

    Old Woman Chen opened the box, took out the contents, read them one by one until she was on thest one, and whispered, ¡°My Lady, I have finished reading them.¡±

    Wu Shi looked at Yurong and said, ¡°Rong-er, this is Mother¡¯s dowry. I give them all to you. Yuchen and Yuxi started to take care of their properties when they were seven or eight years old. I believe you can also take care of these properties. In the future, when your siblings are older, you will divide these things into three parts. One for each of you. In addition, all of Mother¡¯s jewellery will be yours.¡±

    Hearing what sounded like an ount of Wu Shi¡¯sst words, the grief in Yurong¡¯s heart could no longer be described in words. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t say anything anymore. Just get well soon.¡±

    Wu Shi felt so tired that she couldn¡¯t speak much more. But she still held herself together and said, ¡°Rong-er, remember Mother¡¯s words. Make sure you are filial to the Old Lady and gain good favours from the Third Miss.¡± Although the Old Lady had mistreated her, Yurong was her di granddaughter, and it was unlikely the Old Lady would not care for her. Yuchen is the future Jing Wangfei. Therefore, if Yurong got along well with Yuchen, Wu Shi wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Yurong¡¯s marriage in the future. If she became the future Jing Wangfei¡¯s sister, her marriage could not have been any worse.

    Yurong¡¯s tears gushed out. ¡°Mother, I remember. I will be good to my Grandmother and get along well with my San Jiejie. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Wu Shi looked at Old Woman Chen and said, ¡°Mama Chen, help me take good care of Yurong.¡±

    Knowing that Wu Shi was entrusting her with her only daughter, Old Woman Chen solemnly nodded as she said, ¡°My Lady, don¡¯t worry. This old servant will take care of Miss and will not let her suffer a single bit.¡±

    After all this talk, Wu Shi couldn¡¯t hold on anymore and fell asleep again. And this time, she never woke up again. Wu Shi passed away in her sleep.

    It was Old Woman Chen who first discovered Wu Shi¡¯s death. When Old Woman Chen noticed Wu Shi didn¡¯t breathe any longer, she knelt on the ground and burst into tears. ¡°My Lady, my Lady, why did you leave us!¡±

    Hearing this shout, Yurong touched her mother¡¯s cold body and called out, ¡°Mother.¡± Since she was too stimted, she fainted after calling out to Wu Shi.

    Qiu Shi was eating a chilled watermelon when she heard that Wu Shi had passed away. After reciting ¡®may Buddha preserve us¡¯, she asked someone to call Ye Shi over and told her when she arrived, ¡°Your San Shen has passed away. So, we have to make arrangements for her funeral.¡± Qiu Shi didn¡¯t feel much when Wu Shi died. The rtionship between the two sisters-inw was already bad, and because of what happened to Qiu Yanfu that day, she was highly annoyed with Wu Shi.

    Ye Shi looked surprised and asked, ¡°Mother, San Shen has always been in good health. Why did she suddenly die of a small wind chill?¡± There was something fishy about this! [+]

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t think much of it and said, ¡°No one can stop King Yan from collecting people¡¯s lives. Let alone those who suffer wind chill, even a good healthy person can suddenly be gone just like that.¡± Qiu Shi didn¡¯t know what Wu Shi had done. And she was not the kind of person who liked to ask questions.

    When Ye Shi saw no unnecessary expression on Qiu Shi¡¯s face, she thought she might be overthinking things. If there was something not right in San Shen¡¯s death, her mother-inw could not have been so calm. ¡°Mother, isn¡¯t it time to bring Si Mei back. Since San Shen has passed away, Si Mei had toe back to attend the funeral.¡±

    Qiu Shi waved her hand, a sign of disagreement. ¡°No need. Just let Yuxi stay at the hamlet in peace! We¡¯ll bring her back when the New Yeares.¡±

    Ye Shi felt that Qiu Shi¡¯s attitude was bizarre, but she didn¡¯t think much about it. She just said, ¡°It¡¯s always a good idea to have someone inform her of such a big thing.¡±

    Qiu Shi thought for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone tell Yuxiter.¡±

    That evening Yuxi learned that Wu Shi had passed away. When she heard the news, she was silent for a long time. Many things had changed. She remembered in herst life when she was sent to the hamlet by the Jiang family, Wu Shi was still alive and had been living well! Little did she know that Wu Shi was now gone.

    Zisu could see that Yuxi was in a bad mood. Hence, she reminded softly, ¡°Miss, shouldn¡¯t we put away all the brightly coloured things?¡± If they didn¡¯t put them right away, it would be another pretext for gossip.

    Yuxi nodded and instructed, ¡°Put them away!¡±

    Wu Shi¡¯s passing had little effect on Yuxi. Her days at the hamlet were as peaceful as ever.

    Zisu smiled and said, ¡°Miss, Miss Zhou has sent you a letter.¡±

    Since the rumour of her bad fortune had spread, Zhou Shiya had never contacted her. She knew Zhou Shiya well enough to know that she was not one to go after her for profit and shun her when she was in trouble. So, in all likelihood, Second Lady Zhou had stopped and forbidden them from seeing each other.

    When she opened the letter, she saw Zhou Shiyaining that she had always wanted to visit Yuxi, but her mother had forbidden her. She could not even send her a letter. Only a few days ago, her mother had suddenly opened up and allowed her to write. She then wrote that she was worried about Yuxi.

    After reading the letter, Yuxi wrote to her back. Yuxi was a person who reported good news but not her sorrow. All the things she mentioned in her letter were good, none of them about bad things.

    The letter arrived in Zhou Shiya¡¯s hands the following evening. Naturally, this matter could not escape the eyes of the Second Lady Zhou.

    The old woman servant beside Second Lady Zhou asked, ¡°My Lady, can the words of First Lady Han be trusted?¡± Second Lady Zhou had permitted Zhou Shiya to correspond with Yuxi because Qiu Shi had revealed that Great Teacher Pu Yuan had said that Yuxi¡¯s fate was onlycking in water, not that her fate was bad. This was not a false statement. After all, Great Teacher Pu Yuan indeed did not say that Yuxi¡¯s fate was bad. [T/N]

    Second Lady Zhou said, ¡°There should be no mistake. Otherwise, my Eldest Biaosao wouldn¡¯t have agreed to adopt Yuxi and put her under her name.¡± Taking the opportunity of Wu Shi¡¯s funeral, Qiu Shi revealed the Yuxi¡¯s adoption to the Main House to several close rtives, including the Qiu and Zhou families.

    With Second Lady Zhou¡¯s tacit approval, Yuxi and Zhou Shiya resumed their contact with each other.

    In the blink of an eye, it was time for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Two days before the festival, Qiu Shi had sent arge cart of food and four sets of new clothes to Yuxi. It was as if it was already the New Year.

    As soon as everything was ced in order, Han Ji came in and informed Yuxi, ¡°Miss, the Chen family hase and brought a holiday gift for Miss.¡±

    Yuxi said with a frown, ¡°Return the gift.¡± The help she had given that day was something she could do just by lifting her finger. Later on, Lady Shizi of the Chen family hade to her door to express their gratitude, and she had given her a generous reward. Therefore, the matter was all settled.

    Yuxi really did not want to have any more dealings with anyone from the Marquis Taining¡¯s Residence. No matter how good the people outside had spoken regarding the Lady of Taining¡¯s reputation and how outstanding Chen Ran was, Yuxi was unwilling to have anything to do with this mother and son. Just because the rumours were good did not mean that they were actually good people. Yuxi¡¯s reputation was also excellent in her previous life, and Jiang Hongjin was also a man who was endowed with both beauty and talent. The result? He ended up ruining her whole life. [+]

    The gift was not sent by the Marquis Taining but by Chen Ran. When Yuxi returned it, Chen Ran was not angry. He only told his page beside him, ¡°Take back the things and divide them up!¡± These were not valuable items. They were just edible items.

    What Chen Ran had done could not be hidden from the Lady of Taining. Knowing that Chen Ran had sent something to Yuxi, but she had returned it instead, made the Lady of Taining had mixed feelings.

    The Lady of Taining was relieved when she heard the news of Wu Shi¡¯s death. After all, with Wu Shi¡¯s death, Yuxi had to observe mourning for three years, and the Lady of Taining thought that maybe there would be a change of fortune after those three years. She hadn¡¯t expected to be happy for two days before she got the news that the Han Main House had adopted Yuxi.

    The Lady of Taining really couldn¡¯t figure it out and asked Old Woman Lin beside her. ¡°You say, how many good girls have I shown him in the past two years, but he has to fall for that Han girl.¡± She didn¡¯t know what kind of eyes her son had. How could he have fallen for Han Yuxi? She still couldn¡¯t figure it out.

    Old Woman Lin was also stunned when she learned that Chen Ran wanted to marry Han Yuxi. Hearing this, she said, ¡°My Lady, there is no need to worry. Even if Fourth Miss Han has been adopted to the Main House, she still has to observe mourning for three months. During these three months, we can still think of a way.¡±

    The Lady of Tainingughed bitterly. ¡°If there were a way, I wouldn¡¯t have to fret so much.¡± If it was three years, they might have a chance to turn it around. But three months? There was no way for them to stop it from happening! With her youngest son, she could not beat or scold him. She did not know what else she could do with him.

    Old Woman Lin hesitantly asked, ¡°Will the Second Master go to the Han family to ask for her hand in marriage after winning the top three? The Fourth Miss Han is not good enough for the Second Master, no matter how you look at her.¡±

    Lady of Taining said, ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know the temper of that second child of mine is. If we don¡¯t keep our promise, he will make the whole family feel unsettled.¡± It was a small matter that the whole family would be in chaos. But what she was most afraid of was that her son would be a monk.

    When Chen Ran was ten years old, Marquis Taining Hou had pped him in anger. As a result, Chen Ran ran away on the same day, and they had to search for more than half a month before they found him in a temple. When they arrived at the temple, the Chen family knew that Chen Ran ran to the temple and wanted to be a monk. Fortunately, bing a monk required the consent of his family. Therefore, the monks in the temple disagreed with his request. So Chen Ran failed in bing a monk. It was this thing that scared Marquis Taining and his wife to death. This was also the real reason why they didn¡¯t dare to beat and scold Chen Ran. Guilt or something like that was just a lie given to outsiders.

 Chapter 222 - Jieyuan

    <strong>Chapter 222 : Jieyuan</strong>

    The Mid-Autumn Festival was a time for family reunions. On this day, Guo Daniang cooked a big table of delicious food, but Yuxi did not have much appetite. Even if there were many delicious foods, they would not taste good if eaten alone.

    Not long after dinner, Zisu and the others moved two tables out of the room. There were mooncakes and various kinds of fruits on the table, which were very plentiful.

    Everyone looked at the moon in the yard, and when the red candle burned more than half, they began to worship the moon. After worshipping the moon, Yuxi looked at the full moon in the sky and said with a smile, ¡°People said that the moon would turn perfectly round on the day after mid-autumn day, but today¡¯s, the moon is extraordinarily full!¡±

    Zisu looked at Yuxi. Although Yuxi was smiling, she couldn¡¯t hide the loneliness in her eyes. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s windy. Let¡¯s go inside!¡±

    Yuxi nodded and instructed, ¡°Move everything into the house!¡±

    Just as the words left her mouth, a gust of wind blew out the red candle that was burning brightly. Zisu wanted to go up and light the red candle, but Yuxi stopped her and said, ¡°No need to light it. Just leave it like that.¡±

    Not long after the Mid-Autumn Festival, the results of the autumn examinations came out, and Chen Ran won the first prize, titled as jieyuan of this year¡¯s examinations. When this came out, it caused a sensation.

    Now, even First Madam Yu was very moved and had spoken out about her desire to be inws with the Chen family. The Lady of Taining was both happy and sad to hear this news. She was pleased that her son was so good that even the Yu family had taken the initiative to propose marriage. After all, the girls of the Yu family have never been worried about marrying. The sad thing was that the Chen family would miss a friend at arm¡¯s length.

    It was also because the Yu family¡¯s reputation was so excellent, and the girls in the Yu family had an outstanding reputation that when the Lady of Taining thought about it, she could not shove the proposal off. She vaguely said she would have to return home and ask Marquis Taining first.

    In the evening, the Lady of Taining told the Marquis Taining about the matter. ¡°First Madam Yu wants to give her second di daughter to Ran-er. I have seen that girl, and she is exceptional in every way. She is many times better than the Fourth Miss Han.¡± If it were before, she would have agreed without even thinking about it.

    The Marquis Taining looked at his wife for a moment and said, ¡°You don¡¯t know what kind of nature Ran-er has? If you go back on your word, aren¡¯t you afraid that he will lose his temper?¡± If Chen Ran got angry, he would not be like a three-year-old child. He would be ruthless. If he did, both of them would be unable to cope with it.

    The Lady of Taining responded with a stiff face, ¡°I am also doing him a favour.¡± Minister Yu was very powerful in the Imperial Court. If her son could marry the 9th Prince¡¯s Wangfei¡¯s blood younger sister, it would be a great help for him in the future. Moreover, Yu Xixian was a genuine well-breddy. Her looks, talents, manners and behaviour were all to the Lady of Taining¡¯s liking. The Yu family had a very good upbringing, and if her younger son married a girl from the Yu family, he would not have to worry about the rtionship between his mother and daughter-inw and sisters-inw. On the contrary, if her son married Han Yuxi, the mother-inw and daughter-inw would not be harmonious, and the sisters-inw would surely not get along with each other.

    The Marquis Taining was not stupid. He knew that it was better for his son to marry a girl from the Yu family, but the problem was, his son did not want to, and despite being his father, he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. ¡°You better go along with his wishes! Otherwise, if you decide on his marriage without his consent, he will go to the temple and say he wants to be a monk. By then, the marriage with the Yu family will not work out, and we will be enemies instead. At that time, you will truly give your enemy a wife and lose your soldiers to your enemy as well.¡±

    The Lady of Taining¡¯s eyes reddened when she remembered her son¡¯s cold look. ¡°Say, how did I give birth to such an evil creature?¡± What happened back then was not their intention. However, they did not expect that because of that year¡¯s incident, their son would have such a big knot in his heart towards them and would not forgive them even now. He would frequently find a way to threaten his family.

    Marquis Taining was more open-minded. ¡°Your children and grandchildren have their own children and grandchildren¡¯s blessings. Ran-er has fallen in love with that Han girl. So it¡¯s better to obey him. Perhaps when he marries and has children of his own, his temperament will be straightened.¡± When Chen Ran got married, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about him bing a monk.

    The Lady of Taining wiped her tears and said, ¡°That girl from the Han family does not have a good temper. I am worried that if Ran-er marries her, he will be even more distant from us in the future.¡± If she were to choose herself, she would never have selected Han Yuxi. She did not know that Yuxi did not care for Chen Ran either.

    Chen Ran went to Red Date Vi the same day he passed the exam and won the title jieyuan. But this time, he wasn¡¯t as lucky asst time and didn¡¯t run into Yuxi.

    When Yuxi heard that Chen Ran hade again, she coldly said, ¡°Drive him away. If you can¡¯t drive him away, tie him up and throw him onto the road.¡± Yuxi was the least bit unwilling to be polite to such a person who had damaged her reputation. He should be d that she didn¡¯t immediately beat him up.

    Han Ji looked bitter as he said, ¡°Miss, that¡¯s the son of Marquis Taining. If we tie him up, won¡¯t we make enemies with Marquis Taining?¡±

    Yuxi sneered and said, ¡°What kind of feud will there be? Then, no need to throw him on the road either. Just send him to the Marquis Taining¡¯s residence and tell the Marquis and his wife to keep their son under control. If hees back next time, he won¡¯t be tied up anymore. But don¡¯t me me for not reminding them when he¡¯s missing an arm or a leg.¡±

    Han Ji groaned inwardly. He wondered if it was because the Third Lord had irritated Miss so much thest time he came and made her transform into such a tigress. [+]

    Han Ji got Yuxi¡¯s instructions and went out to inform Chen Ran, ¡°Second Master Chen, please go back. My Miss said that it is inappropriate for a lone man and a woman to meet. Otherwise, there will be another rumour that will tarnish my Miss¡¯ reputation again. So, please be considerate, Second Master Chen.¡±

    Chen Ran said with an apologetic face, ¡°I have been studying hard at home behind closed doors before today. So I did not know about the rumours outside. This time, I am here to apologise to your Miss.¡± Chen Ran did not know that there would be rumours after exchanging a few words with Yuxi. It was only today that his page told him. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have known about it until now!

    Hearing that Chen Ran came to apologise, Han Ji felt morefortable. ¡°Second Master Chen, my Miss lives here alone. It¡¯s truly not convenient for her to see you.¡± The mouths of those people outside were like knives. It was fortunate that the Fourth Miss could bear it well, or else, she would have hidden under the nket and cried.

    Chen Ran was kind enough to go back, but before that, he left a message, ¡°Tell your Miss that I will be responsible for what had happened before.¡±

    Han Ji¡¯s eyes jumped at these words. Responsible? Responsible for what? It must not be like what he thought. However, if it were, the Lady and Master Shizi would be thrilled.

    This was no small matter, and Han Ji felt dissatisfied with just concealing it that he immediately went back and ryed it to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, it seems that Second Master Chen has some intentions for Miss!¡±

    Yuxi did not think that Chen Ran had fallen in love with her and thus wanted to marry her. Her first feeling was that Chen Ran must be up to something. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!¡±

    Han Ji had his own ideas, and although Yuxi was annoyed, he still had to say what needed to be said. ¡°Miss, hearing this from Second Master Chen, it should mean that he wants the Lady of Taining toe to our home and propose marriage. Miss, shouldn¡¯t we say something to Master Shizi about this?¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°I will write to Dage right now.¡± She wouldn¡¯t prohibit the benevolence and strict Lady of Taining from looking at her. Based on the two previous meetings, Yuxi had seen that Chen Ran¡¯s brain circuit was very different from others. It was not impossible for him to persuade the Lady of Taining to go to the Han family to ask for her hand in marriage. If that was the case, she might as well give her Dage a heads up and ask him to reject the Chen family¡¯s marriage proposal when that time came.

    Perhaps the Lady of Taining was indeed generous, but even the most generous people could be very mean to someone they didn¡¯t like. Also, Chen Ran acted differently from the average person. Such a person was really challenging to get along with because you didn¡¯t know what he was actually thinking or doing. Now, Yuxi could only hope that her guesses were wrong, and Chen Ran was only acting on a whim. She also hoped that the Marquis Taining Residence could restrain Chen Ran and not be talked into it by him. As long as the Lady of Taining did note to act as a matchmaker, the marriage could not be permissible.

    When Chen Ran returned to the Marquis Taining Residence, he was called by the Lady of Taining.

    The Lady of Taining wanted to talk to Chen Ran about all the good things regarding Yu Xixian and hoped that he would go and meet her. When the Lady of Taining thought about it, she was unwilling to give up and wanted to make onest attempt.

    Chen Ran said expressionlessly, ¡°Not interested.¡± Every one of the girls his mother had picked out for him was beautiful and obedient as if they were from the same mould. What he wanted was a wife whom he wanted to spend his life with, not a puppet.

    The Lady of Taining choked for a moment. ¡°Then, what¡¯s so good about that Han girl?¡± She couldn¡¯t see what was so good about Han Yuxi. Putting aside her bad fate, she was also from a humble family, without any of the dignity and gentleness that a well-bred girl should have. [T/N]

    Chen Ran looked at his mother and said with a chuckle, ¡°I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s good or not. I just like her. Mother talked too much about this. Want to go back on your own words? You don¡¯t want to keep your promise?¡±

    The Lady of Taining opened her mouth several times, but no words came out. Old Woman Lin, beside her, spoke in the end, ¡°Second Master, my Lady is also thinking of Second Master. Miss Xixian is one of the best girls.¡± The girl that everyone else wanted to marry, how could she be bad?

    Hearing this argument, Chen Ran snorted and said, ¡°If you guys want to go back on your words, then just do it!¡± After saying that, he was ready to go out.

    The Lady of Taining¡¯s heart was about to jump out of her chest when she saw her son in this state. If Chen Ran had continued to argue with her, she wouldn¡¯t have been afraid, but this current action of his was what scared her the most. No one knew what he was thinking or what he would do next. ¡°Stop right there.¡±

    Chen Ran turned his head back and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with you not liking that Han girl and not wanting to propose marriage. What else does Mother want me to do? If you like that Yu girl and think she is good, that¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t matter whether I look at her or not.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°If she is pretty and obedient, and you like her, it would be good to marry her and just put her in the house.¡±

    The Lady of Taining breathed heavily. If he married the Yu girl just for show, it would genuinely make the two families be enemies by then. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    Chen Ran was amused. ¡°You don¡¯t like what I like, and you want me to marry the one you like. I don¡¯t even have any objection to that. Mother, what exactly do you want from me?¡±

    The Lady of Taining was furious. ¡°What¡¯s so good about the Han girl? Why are you so dead set on her?¡± She couldn¡¯t tell him, ¡®people will look down on you for it¡¯.

    Chen Ran looked straight at his mother and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how good that Han girl is, but I know that if she were in a difficult situation, she would only think of how to ovee it, not seek death and a way to ruin herself.¡± If his Dajie had been half as good as Han Yuxi, she would not have chosen death as the way out. [+]

    The Lady of Taining froze for a moment and finally spoke in a hoarse voice, ¡°The Third Lady Han family has just passed away. So it is inappropriate for the matchmaker toe to their door at this time.¡±

    Chen Ran looked like he didn¡¯t care. ¡°Mother can do it as Mother sees fit!¡± He looked as if the great event in his life was just a game to him.

    The Lady of Taining stroked her heart and sat down on a chair, feeling angry and annoyed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what sins I did in myst life to give birth to such a debt collector.¡± Other people have sons who were filial to their parents, but it was the other way round on her side. She was afraid of provoking that brat and making him do something he wasn¡¯t supposed to do.

    Old Woman Lin saidfortingly, ¡°My Lady, when the Second Master gets married and bes a parent himself, he will know how hard you and the Marquis have worked for him.¡± It was fortunate that he was her Master¡¯s real son and that the mother and son had no overnight feud. Otherwise, her Lady would have to throw up her heart for him.

    The Lady of Taining felt as bitter as if she had eaten a huanglian, ¡°Han Yuxi contradicted her biological father and ignored her formal mother. I don¡¯t feelfortable letting her marry Ran-er for the hundredth time.¡± She was really worried that Yuxi would lead her son astray.

    The Second Master¡¯s entric nature was not something that many people could stand. If the girl he married had little tolerance, she would probably not live long. The Han girl had been through a lot of things and had a strong capacity to bear it, so the Second Master¡¯s vision was kind of unique. This was the only thing that Old Woman Lin could say in her heart.

    After a while, the Lady of Taining muttered to herself, ¡°Forget it, there¡¯s no need to wait for three months. Let¡¯s just have someone deliver a message to Lady Han after seventh seven.¡± If they decided on the matter earlier, there would be no room for her to break her promise, and she would no longer have to think about it.

    When Han Jianming received Yuxi¡¯s letter, a smile appeared on his face after reading it. This boy from the Chen family had a good eye, to think he had fallen for Yuxi. However, it wasn¡¯t that easy to marry her.

    When Qiu Shi heard Han Jianming¡¯s words, she was shocked, ¡°Are you saying that Chen Ran, the second di son of the Marquis Taining, has taken a fancy to Yuxi?¡± She had also heard of the previous rumours, but the rumours had dissipated because the Marquis Taining Residence had quickly stepped in to rify them.

    Han Jianming nodded.

    When Qiu Shi saw him nodding, she asked, ¡°Will the Lady of Taininge to propose marriage?¡±

    Han Jianming was not sure but said, ¡°If they don¡¯te, then it¡¯s good. If by any chance the Marquis Taining¡¯s familyes to propose marriage, you will have to refuse them then.¡±

    Qiu Shi refused to listen to Han Jianming this time as she argued, ¡°What do you mean I should refuse? You know how good the Chen family is. Don¡¯t you know how many people havee to the Chen family to ask for their hand in marriage? If Lady Chenes to our door to propose marriage, wouldn¡¯t I be stupid if I didn¡¯t agree to it?¡±

    Han Jianming had expected such an attitude from Qiu Shi and said, ¡°Yuxi has to give her consent to the marriage. No matter whoes to propose before Yuxi returns to the residence, we cannot agree to it.¡± Han Jianming also thought the Chen family was very good, but a forcibly picked melon was not sweet. If Yuxi, herself, did not fancy Chen Ran, no matter how good the Chens were, the two couldn¡¯t be together.

    Qiu Shi looked at Han Jianming and said with amusement, ¡°This is just an unfounded matter, but you are already worried about it. Don¡¯t worry. Even if the Chen family wants to propose marriage, they won¡¯te right away. At least, not until three months have passed.¡± Qiu Shi did not believe the Chen family woulde to her door to propose marriage. It wasn¡¯t that Yuxi was bad, but Chen Ran was just too good.

    Han Jianming thought for a moment and said no more. Three monthster, Yuxi would already be back to the residence. So he would just let Yuxi herself settle this problem by then.

 Chapter 223 - Marriage Talk (1)

    Chapter 223 : Marriage Talk (1)

    The Lady of Taining was a person of action. As soon as Wu Shi¡¯s seventh seven was over, she asked for First Lady Zhou¡¯s help in sending word to Qiu Shi that she wanted to tie the knot with the Han family.

    When Qiu Shi heard First Lady Zhou¡¯s words, she almost agreed. Still, she thought of her son¡¯s reminder. She steadied herself and said, ¡°The Chen family is naturally a very good family. It¡¯s just that Yuxi¡¯s San Shen has only passed away less than three months, so it is not appropriate to talk about her marriage right now.¡±

    First Lady Zhou didn¡¯t expect Qiu Shi to give this kind of answer. ¡°That child, Chen Ran, I don¡¯t even need to tell Dimei that there are many people in the capital who have set their eyes on him! It¡¯s a blessing that the Chen family is interested in that child, Yuxi. What are you still hesitating about?¡± She implied Qiu Shi not to act unreasonably and just say yes!

    Qiu Shi responded with a bitter smile, ¡°Biaosao, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to agree, it¡¯s just that it doesn¡¯t make sense! Although Yuxi has been adopted under my name, it has not been announced to the public. If we quietly settle the marriage now, it will be bad for Yuxi¡¯s reputation if word gets out.¡±

    First Lady Zhou felt that Qiu Shi¡¯s honesty was too much and said, ¡°The Lady of Taining only asked me to find out your opinion on this matter. She didn¡¯t say that the marriage has to be settled right away. As long as you agree, the two families will at least have an idea in their hearts. When your family is out of mourning period, it will not be toote to discuss their marriage.¡±

    Qiu Shi was very moved, but she kept remembering Han Jianming¡¯s words, making her sway left and right in making her decision.

    Seeing Qiu Shi¡¯s silence, the First Lady Zhou added, ¡°Dimei, I heard that the Eldest Madam Yu wanted to betroth her youngest daughter to Jieyuan Chen. But the Lady of Taining thought Yuxi was a kind and warm-hearted girl because she had saved the life of the Second Master Chen. So she wanted to take her as her daughter-inw and politely refused the Yu family. Dimei, you already know what kind of daughter-inw the Chen family is unable to marry? But if Yuxi misses out on the Chen family, it will be difficult for her to find such a good family in the future.¡±

    Lady of Taining naturally wouldn¡¯t say that her son had a crush on Yuxi. She only said that she, herself, had taken a liking to Yuxi. From the way First Lady Zhou spoke, Yuxi seemed to get herself some dumb luck. Otherwise, why wasn¡¯t it someone else who had saved Chen Ran? Of all things, he had to bump into her.

    When Qiu Shi heard this, she immediately took her stand as she said, ¡°It is Yuxi¡¯s good fortune to marry into the Chen family. It¡¯s just that, my Mother who had personally brought up Yuxi, so I still have to ask her about Yuxi¡¯s marriage.¡± From Qiu Shi¡¯s words, she indicated that she agreed to the marriage. But she was not the one who could decide to beat time with ppers. With these words, she had retained a leeway for the proposal.

    The First Lady Zhou smilingly said, ¡°It is enough to have your words.¡± Her Gugu was not senile, so how could she not agree to such a good marriage. This marriage could be said to have been finalised.

    After sending off the First Lady Zhou, Qiu Shi immediately went to the Main Courtyard and told the Old Lady about it. ¡°Mother, the Chen family manners are good, and Chen Ran is also a progressive man. This marriage is perfect.¡± If the Old Lady agreed, the marriage would be a done deal.

    The Old Lady was much calmer than Qiu Shi. She was not so happy that she lost her senses, just because the Chen family hade to her door to propose marriage. She asked, ¡°Why did the Chen familye to propose marriage?¡± If this had been before the ident, it would not have been surprising that Lady Chen would have taken a fancy to Yuxi. However, it was strange that the Chen family woulde to the door to propose marriage when Yuxi had such a terrible reputation for having a bad fate.

    Without hesitation, Qiu Shi ryed what Han Jianming had told her that day. ¡°That child Yuxi was somewhat resistant because of the previous rumours and specifically asked Jianming to tell me that if the Chen family came to propose marriage, I should refuse the marriage.¡±

    The Old Lady looked thoughtful and said after a while, ¡°When Wu Shi¡¯s 100th day has passed, you will release the news that you have long since adopted Yuxi. At that time, we will discuss the marriage with the Chen family. For now, let¡¯s just put it aside.¡± The Second Master Chen was not yet old, but his tactics were not that low, as he could get the Lady of Taining topromise and act as his matchmaker. Without talking about anything else, for that reason alone, she was willing to marry Yuxi off to Chen Ran.

    Remembering Han Jianming¡¯s words, Qiu Shi asked, ¡°Mother, Yuxi has a stubborn temper. She has misunderstandings about Second Master Chen. What should I do if she is determined to disagree?¡± Qiu Shi meant that she hoped the Old Lady would step in to convince Yuxi when that time came. Qiu Shi, herself, was not sure she could persuade Yuxi, but she had great confidence in the Old Lady.

    The Old Lady nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about this. I will make Yuxi agree when that timees.¡± Since Yuxi had a reputation like that, if it weren¡¯t for Chen Ran¡¯s skillfulness, the Lady of Taining would not have agreed to such a marriage. If Yuxi missed this opportunity, she would not have this kind of marriage proposal again. Yuxi was not a fool. No matter what the misunderstanding was, as long as she understood this, she would agree. [+]

    A smile appeared on Qiu Shi¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    The Old Lady warned, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone else about this for now. Jianming can¡¯t be told either. Everything has to wait until after Wu Shi¡¯s 100th day.¡± If word regarding this matter got out, it would be detrimental to Yuxi¡¯s reputation.

    The Lady of Tai Ning was not surprised to hear that Qiu Shi had agreed. Her son was outstanding in every way, and he was the jieyuan in this year¡¯s provincial autumn examinations. She had personally asked someone to be the middleman, so how could the Han family refuse?

    As soon as this matter settled, the Lady of Taining immediately sought out Chen Ran and told him about it. ¡°The First Lady Han has already agreed to the marriage. But since the Third Lady Han has just passed away, it is not good to discuss the marriage. When the Third Mistress has passed her hundredth day, the wedding can be fixed.¡±

    Chen Ran asked curiously, ¡°Third Lady Han has passed away. Why is it possible to discuss marriage in three months? Shouldn¡¯t one observe mourning for three years? Is there something that I don¡¯t know about this?¡±

    The Lady of Taining spoke about Yuxi¡¯s adoption to the Main House. ¡°The Fourth Girl is not a member of the Third House right now. She only needs to observe the mourning for a full hundred days.¡±

    Chen Ran smiled lightly. Han Yuxi was much more capable than he had imagined. If she weren¡¯t capable, she wouldn¡¯t have been adopted into the Main House. As far as Chen Ran knew, a few people in the Main House dotted Yuxi.

    Looking at the smile that appeared on her son¡¯s face, the sullen anger that the Lady of Taining had been holding back dispersed a lot. No matter how many ws Han Yuxi had, her son liked her sincerely and genuinely, and not for the sake of making his mother angry. Since this was the case, it was time for her to adjust her attitude.

    The Lady of Taining advised, ¡°Ran-er, when you¡¯re married to the Han girl, you will be an adult. From now on, you have to think twice about what you do in the future and not do whatever you want to do.¡± The words ¡®run away and be a monk¡¯ were not something the Lady of Taining dared to say on his face.

    Chen Ran had been thinking about getting his parents to agree to the marriage, but now that they relented to his wish, he remembered that Yuxi seemed to be very repulsed by him. If Han Yuxi disagreed, she would definitely mess up this marriage using her intelligence. This meant that it was still unknown whether the marriage would work or not. ¡°Mother, there is not even the first stroke of the character b¨¡ (°Ë (eight)) yet. It¡¯s still too early for you to speak about this!¡±

    The Lady of Taining did not know what Chen Ran was thinking. She only thought that her son was embarrassed and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. After 100 days, I will ask a matchmaker to propose marriage so that the marriage will be concluded as soon as possible.¡±

    Chen Ran only said, ¡°Mother should do as Mother sees fit!¡± However, what he said this time was not as cynical asst time. Even his look had eased a lot.

    The Han and Chen families did not make a sound about this matter, but with a mediator, it would have been impossible to keep it a secret. During a conversation with Second Lady Zhou, First Lady Zhou inadvertently let it slip through her lips.

    Second Lady Zhou asked incredulously, ¡°Is it true what Dasao just said? Lady Chen wants to match Yuxi for her youngest son?¡± How could the Chen family take fancy on Yuxi? Even if Yuxi had saved Chen Ran¡¯s life, there was no way they would let her marry him just because of that! [+]

    The First Lady Zhou said with a smile, ¡°This is not official yet, and I was entrusted with keeping it a secret. Dimei, the Han family is still in mourning. So it is not advisable to publicise this matter for the time being.¡±

    Second Lady Zhou didn¡¯t even know how she went back to her yard. She couldn¡¯t figure out how Lady Chen could have chosen Yuxi in the end. She couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it. She couldn¡¯t help but talk about it with the Old Woman Min beside her. ¡°Why do you think Lady Chen chose Yuxi?¡±

    The person on the spot was baffled, while the onlooker saw it clearly. Old Woman Min did not think it was Lady Chen who had taken a fancy to Yuxi. ¡°My Lady, if I have to guess, it would have been the Second Master Chen himself who had taken a fancy to Miss Han. The Lady of Taining does not even look at Miss Han.¡± What mother would give her son a daughter-inw with a bad fate unless she was his stepmother?

    The Second Lady Zhou suddenly realised. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s because Yuxi saved his life that he wants to marry her?¡±

    Old Woman Min replied, ¡°It is possible.¡± Although it was said that the Fourth Miss Han was excellent in the art of needlework, cooking, and so on, it was not as if the Second Master Chen had never seen anything even better.

    As they were talking, Zhou Shiya came over. When she entered the room, she felt that the atmosphere was not right. She asked curiously, ¡°Mother, what are you two doing?¡±

    Second Lady Zhou asked with a smile on her face instead, ¡°Don¡¯t you always want to visit Yuxi in Red Jujube Hamlet?¡±

    The surprise came so quickly that Zhou Shiya couldn¡¯t believe it: ¡°Mother, do you mean you agree with me going to see Yuxi? Mother, you¡¯re not bluffing me, are you?¡±

    Second Lady Zhou felt both amused and annoyed. ¡°When did Mother ever bluff you? You can go if you want to, but you have to return on the same day.¡±

    Zhou Shiya straight out responded, ¡°Then I will go to see Yuxi tomorrow.¡± It was enough if she could go to see Yuxi. If she hoped she could stay overnight at the hamlet, her mother would surely disagree.

    When Yuxi saw Zhou Shiya, she could no longer describe it as a mere coincidence. ¡°Shiya, what brings you here?¡±

    When Zhou Shiya saw Yuxi, she hugged her and shouted, ¡°I thought you were suffering in the country. I didn¡¯t expect you to enjoy yourself here. It has been a long time since Ist saw you, and to my surprise, you¡¯ve grown this tall and fat.¡± She had been so worried!

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I¡¯m fine here?¡± Yuxi had a good rtionship with Chiang Xin. However, after Duan Xinrong¡¯s incident, the two had be somewhat estranged. And since she was rumoured to have a bad fate, the two hadn¡¯t been in touch since. So, by now, Yuxi only had one best friend, Zhou Shiya.

    Zhou Shiya muttered and said, ¡°I don¡¯t trust you no matter how well you say it.¡± If her mother hadn¡¯t disagreed, she would have wanted toe out to see Yuxi much earlier.

    Yuxi asked with a smile as she pulled Zhou Shiya¡¯s hand towards the house, ¡°Are you relieved now?¡± She was even morefortable at the hamlet than she was at the State Residence.

    Zhou Shiya said discontentedly, ¡°Relieved? How can I not be worried! If you stay here any longer, you¡¯ll be fatter than me.¡± Being scared for Yuxi, she could not eat or sleep well and had lost a lot of weight in the past few months. Of course, such an effect was a surprise.

    Yuxi chuckled.

 Chapter 224 - Marriage Talk (2)

    <strong>Chapter 224 : Marriage Talk (2)</strong>

    When Zhou Shiya entered the house, she looked at the living room and frowned. ¡°This ce is too humble.¡± It was called a parlour, but there was nothing but a few tables.

    Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°We rarely used this area.¡± Even though she lived here, apart from her Dage and Er Ge, who woulde over asionally, no one else would step their feet here all year round.

    Zhou Shiya said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go see your bedroom. It must be used every day, right?¡± It was the ce for Yuxi to sleep. So there was no way she wouldn¡¯t use it every day.

    Landscape Screen

    Image Credit | As stated in the picture

    Yuxi¡¯s bedroom was also straightforward, with only two wardrobes and a dressing table, in addition to the bed. To the right, there was a small space, separated by andscape screen, in which a small desk with a pen, ink, paper, inkstone and books was ced. To the left of the desk was a bench where Yuxi put a blue and white fishbowl with two small fish on top.

    Zhou Shiya looked at the furniture in the house. Yes, they were new, but they didn¡¯t have any coherent patterns. At a nce, they looked cheap. Zhou Shiya¡¯s face turned ugly as she asked, ¡°What are these made of?¡±

    Yuxi answered with a smile, ¡°These woods are self-produced in my mountain, and it is more convenient to get materials from there.¡± Although Steward Chen¡¯s family owned this courtyard, the furniture in it had been re-purchased. Because of the urgency and Yuxi¡¯s requirements were not high, the wood on the mountain was directly used to make the pieces of furniture.

    Zhou Shiya¡¯s eyes were a little sour. Even a ce that was worse than the ce of her underlings was called good. Indeed, Yuxi was the type of person who reported good news but not bad. ¡°You talk all day about how good life is in the hamlet. If I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes, I would have believed your words.¡± Living in this ravine, how could it really be good? She was the only one foolish enough to believe it.

    Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°There is no difference between furniture made of ordinary wood and furniture made of rosewood and huanghuali wood. They are both used the same way. I used to live in the Rose Courtyard, which was not much better than here, and it was not even as spacious as this ce!¡±

    Zhou Shiya said, ¡°Then have you thought about how to spend the winter? It¡¯s not like this ce is paved with floor dragons, so what will you do when the cold winteres?¡± It was not a problem now, but it would be hard for Yuxi to move even an inch during winter.

    Yuxi smiled as she replied, ¡°I¡¯m preparing to build a kang. It¡¯s warm to sleep on in winter.¡± Speaking of it£¬this solution was still a problem for her. If there were no floor dragon but a charcoal fire in winter, it would be problematic to read her books.

    Zhou Shiya said in a not-so-good mood, ¡°You can even try to look on the bright side of things.¡± She was frustrated that she could not do anything to help Yuxi.

    Yuxi pulled her out of the bedroom and brought her to the backyard, ¡°Let¡¯s go and see the vegetables I nted.¡± Nowadays, most of the vegetables in the backyard were nted by Yuxi herself. Not to mention, with someone¡¯s guidance, all the vegetables that Yuxi nted grew well.

    Zhou Shiya looked at a few plots and asked with some surprise, ¡°Did you truly nt all these?¡± Cucumbers, green beans and eggnts had already sprouted, and now on the ground, cabbages, radishes and celery began to appear.

    Yuxi took the vegetable basket handed over by Kufu and said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s pick some small cabbages and stir fry themter. They taste delicious.¡±

    Zhou Shiya was reluctant to go into the vegetable garden and said, ¡°If you walk in there, won¡¯t you be afraid of getting your clothes dirty?¡± It would be a big loss if the soiled clothes couldn¡¯t be washed clean.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Just be careful, and you won¡¯t get your clothes dirty.¡± After saying that, she went to a plot ofnd and squatted down to pluck a small cabbage, shook the soil off it, nipped its roots and put it in the basket. She did all these movements in one go.

    Watching Yuxi¡¯s skilled movements, Zhou Shiya didn¡¯t even know what to say. ¡°Go ahead and continue picking. I¡¯ll just watch.¡± Just because Yuxi didn¡¯t get muddy from picking vegetables didn¡¯t mean she wouldn¡¯t also. If she got her clothes dirty, her mother might not let here here next time.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t force Zho Shiya and asked for Kufu and Caidie to help her. The three of them moved quickly, and almost in the blink of an eye, they had picked half a basket of small cabbages.

    As soon as Yuxi returned to the house, Zisu brought over a pair of shoes for Yuxi to change into, and a young maid brought a basin of water to clean her hands.

    Zhou Shiya looked at the small cabbages inside the basket and asked, ¡°Yuxi, you will do the cooking yourself for lunch?¡± Zhou Shiya knew that Yuxi was a good cook, but she had only eaten her pastries but never tried the dishes cooked by Yuxi.

    Yuxi chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to the cook! I¡¯ll cook it myself when youe over next time.¡± It was almost time for lunch. If she were to do it, the lunch would have to be postponed.

    Zhou Shiya responded with some bitterness, ¡°I don¡¯t know when the next time will be?¡± She wanted to stay overnight here, but unfortunately, her mother disagreed. [+]

    Yuxi also had doubts in her heart. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say before that your mother forbade you froming over here? Why did your mother suddenly agree to let youe see me this time?¡±

    Zhou Shiya shook her head and responded, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Yesterday, when I went to pay my respects to my Mother, she suddenly agreed to let mee over to see you. I think it must be because my Mother hase across something good.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s heart jumped. Second Lady Zhou was the kind of person who would go after profitable people and avoid those who would cause trouble for her. There was no way she would agree to let Zhou Shiya visit her without any reason. Yuxi just smiled and said, ¡°Maybe your mother is in a good mood and will let youe again in a couple of days! But next time youe, stay overnight here, and I¡¯ll take you to collect chestnuts.¡± All the jujube had been harvested, but there were still quite a few chestnuts left on the mountain.

    Zhou Shiya shook her head and said, ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ve heard that there is miasma in the mountains and people with bad health will get sick. I don¡¯t want to go back and take medicine.¡± Not only were there many insects on the mountain, but she also worried that there were rats and spiders there. Thus it was scary when she thought about it.

    Zisu gave a faintly invisible frown.

    Yuxiughed a little. ¡°What you said is also true. It¡¯s myck of consideration.¡± Zhou Shiya wasn¡¯t her. Zhou Shiya was a realdy. She obviously wasn¡¯t going to climb the mountain. Furthermore, the mountain was indeed full of bugs. In case they bit her and gave her red bumps, Second Lady Zhou would definitely me Yuxi. In the past, Yuxi did not feel it. However, this time, she felt that there was indeed a big gap between her and Zhou Shiya.

    Their lunch was not too generous. It only had six dishes and one soup, namely eight treasures diced rabbit, jade shrimps, lion¡¯s head cooked sweet and sour, steamed fish, stir-fried cabbage, mapo tofu, and chicken soup with dangshen and wolfberry.

    After eating, Zhou Shiya asked, ¡°Did you bring your cook from home?¡± She had eaten in Yuxi¡¯s yard before, and the taste was the same as at that time.

    Yuxi smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m already used to Guo Daniang¡¯s cooking. If she were to change with other people, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t be used to it. So I brought her over.¡±

    Zhou Shiya frowned and asked, ¡°Yuxi, you can¡¯t stay in the countryside all the time. Did Grandaunt tell you when you will return to the capital?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head. ¡°Not really. But it¡¯s nice to continue living in the hamlet. I feel uninhibited and free.¡± Most importantly, the tranquillity she felt here.

    Zhou Shiya said worriedly, ¡°Yuxi, you¡¯ll be fourteen next year. You can¡¯t stay here all the time.¡± If you stay here all the time, your marriage will be a big problem.

    Yuxiughed bitterly. ¡°In my current situation, who would dare to marry me? Forget about me, let¡¯s talk about you? Who is your mother¡¯s solution for your marriage?¡±

    Zhou Shiya was silent for a moment and said, ¡°My Er Jiumu came to visit us the other day and said she would like to match me to her zhizi, but my Mother refused.¡±

    Yuxi was unfamiliar with Second Lady Zhou¡¯s maternal family and was not in a position toment. ¡°What about your father? What is your father¡¯s opinion?¡±

    When Zhou Shiya heard these questions, she shook her head helplessly and said, ¡°My father had his eye on a family before, but it turned out that my mother didn¡¯t like it. My father simply left the matter alone and said he would let my mother worry about finding my future husband instead.¡±

    Yuxi knew that Second Lady Zhou had a high standard when it came to her son-inw, but her requirements were just too high. Yuxi worried that if the Second Lady Zhou were picking too much, she would dy Zhou Shiya¡¯s marriage. ¡°I think as long as the person has a good family style and is self-disciplined and motivated, it doesn¡¯t matter if they are a little less than yours.¡± All of the candidates that Second Lady Zhou took a liking to were highly sought-after. Second Lady Zhou¡¯s maiden family was quite powerful. Her father was a high ranking Governor-General of the border who held absolute power. Even if her maiden family was good, it was useless if Second Lady Zhou couldn¡¯t benefit from it. The Zhou family was in a situation where they would value other families, but other families despised them. [+]

    Zhou Shiya shook his head and said, ¡°I have said it many times, but my Mother just won¡¯t listen. Forget it. My Mother is also doing it for my good. Anyway, I am not in a hurry now. I can just let her worry for another two years.¡± For families like theirs, marriage proposals for marriageable aged youngdies weremon.

    Yuxiughed. ¡°Look at you, you are not in a hurry with your marriage, but you are anxious for mine instead.¡±

    Zhou Shiya red at Yuxi for a moment. ¡°Your situation is different from mine, alright!¡± She had dyed settling because her mother was too demanding. But in Yuxi¡¯s case, it was a headache.

    Yuxi was having a hard time responding to her statement.

    Zhou Shiya didn¡¯t think much of it and continued, ¡°Did you know that Chiang Xin is already engaged? She has been set to marry Ji He, the son of Left Imperial Censor Ji. I didn¡¯t expect that she would be the first of us three to get engaged.¡±

    Yuxi thought for a moment and said, ¡°I remember that the Third Madam Ji family is rted to Lady Chiang.¡± As for what kind of rtives between those two, she could not remember much.

    Zhou Shiyaughed. ¡°You really have a bad memory. Third Madam Ji is Lady Chiang¡¯s zumei, a distant rtive of her. I haven¡¯t seen Chiang Xin for almost three months? She¡¯s probably buried herself in embroidering her dowry right now!¡±

    Yuxi,cking interest in the topic, responded, ¡°Maybe!¡± Her friendship with Chiang Xin had ended. When they met in the future, they would only just be greeting each other.

    Zhou Shiya saw something wrong with Yuxi¡¯s expression that she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you having a difficult time with Chiang Xin?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not. I haven¡¯t spoken to her in five months, so how could I possibly have a difficult time with her?¡± There was no way for them to get into a fight, even if she wanted to.

    Zhou Shiya blushed as she looked at Yuxi but finally swallowed back the words on her lips. Saying more would only make Yuxi even more upset.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t care much about it. Many people in this world went after someone for profit and avoided them when they would harm them. She and Chiang Xin never had a close friendship in the first ce anyway. It was only natural that Chiang Xin would avoid her when Yuxi were in trouble. Looking at Zhou Shiya¡¯s ugly face, Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t overthink about it.¡±

    The two of them lost track of time as they talked. Zhou Shiya¡¯s wet nurse came in and urged, ¡°Miss, we should go back. If we depart a bitter, it will already be dark.¡±

    After sending Zhou Shiya away, Yuxi went back into the house, sat on a chair and thought for a while before putting her brush to a paper as she wrote a letter to Han Jianming. Zhou Shiya said that Second Lady Zhou was in a good mood, so she had let Zhou Shiyae over for a visit, which Yuxi did not believe. The Second Lady Zhou was so forting. Thus, it must have something to do with Yuxi. As for what it was about, not even the brow¡¯s tail could be seen. Without a clue whatsoever, Yuxi couldn¡¯t even make a guess.

 Chapter 225 - Giving Birth To A Child

    <h4>Chapter 225 : Giving Birth To A Child</h4>

    After reading Yuxi¡¯s letter, Han Jianming got Han Hao toe over and asked, ¡°Who has visited the residence recently?¡±

    Han Hao shook his head and said, ¡°The residence is in mourning, so no visitors havee here.¡± After a pause, he said, ¡°Oh, five days ago, Master¡¯s Da Jiumu came over.¡±

    Han Jianming knocked on the table and asked, ¡°Go check it out?¡± The State Residence didn¡¯t hold any banquets recently because of Wu Shi¡¯s death. For his Da Jiumu toe over at this time, it was definitely not just a mere visit.

    It was an easy thing to find out. Qiu Shi¡¯s movements were made known after Han Hao asked the gatekeeper and the maids serving in the Master Courtyard. Half an hourter, Han Hao returned and reported, ¡°Master Shizi, the First Lady and Master¡¯s Da Jiumu had been talking for a long time. As soon as Master¡¯s Da Jiumu left, the First Lady went to seek the Old Lady. Also, the First Lady has been in an excellent mood these past few days.¡±

    Han Jianming could probably guess what was going on.

    In the evening, Han Jianming went to the Master Courtyard to have his evening meal with Qiu Shi. Since Yuxi had advised Han Jianye to spend more time with Qiu Shi, Han Jianye had spent most of his time at home with his mother. But recently, he had been quite busy and was often unable to go home. He was worried that Qiu Shi would feel lonely without him, so he told Han Jianming to go to the Master Courtyard to spend more time with her when he had time. After all this time, Han Jianye, an uncouth fellow, had also discovered that even if it would be better for their wives to apany their mother-inw, his mother still liked theirpany the most.

    After Han Jianming apanied Qiu Shi in finishing her dinner, he waved everyone out. He asked, ¡°Mother, did the Chen family request Da Jiumu toe over to talk about Yuxi¡¯s marriage?¡±

    Qiu Shi was taken aback and asked, ¡°How did you know that? Did your Grandmother tell you? No, she told me not to tell you!¡± It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t hide anything at all. It was just that when faced with someone she trusted, she didn¡¯t think too much about it.

    Han Jianming thought to himself, ¡®It¡¯s not that Grandmother has told me. I guessed it when I saw you were in a good mood these days.¡¯

    Qiu Shi said with a smile, ¡°Yes! A few days ago, your Da Jiumu came over and said that Lady Chen wanted to tie the knot with us. At that time, Mother wanted to tell you. It¡¯s just that your Grandmother said that Wu Shi¡¯s hundred days hadn¡¯t passed yet and no one from outside knew about Yuxi¡¯s adoption. So this matter had to be put off for a while.¡±

    Han Jianming wasn¡¯t angry that the two were hiding things from him. He said with a smile, ¡°Grandmother is right to be concerned. With Yuxi having to bear such a reputation, Grandmother has to think twice about everything.¡±

    Nevertheless, Qiu Shi said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s fine. When the marriage is settled after the New Year, others will only envy Yuxi and will not speak of three but say four about her.¡±

    Hearing this, Han Jianming said, ¡°Mother, Yuxi doesn¡¯t seem very willing with this marriage proposal. We still have to decide on this marriage only after she returns. Mother also knows that she is very stubborn. If she disagrees, she will turn a good thing into a bad thing.¡±

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t worry at all. ¡°Your Grandmother has already said that she will personally persuade Yuxi. It¡¯s already hard to find such a good marriage. I believe that Yuxi wille around.¡± She had great confidence in the Old Lady. Once the Old Lady took action, she could fix everything.

    Han Jianming was really impressed with his mother. She could even tell his grandmother everything. Well, his mother had been like this all her life. So it was useless to bring out this matter with her. But this was also good. It was easy for her to live without worrying about anything. Han Jianming said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it would be best.¡± Chen Ran was also quite a character. Not only did he win the examination by himself, but he was also able to persuade Marquis Taining and his wife toe to their home to propose marriage. Just because of this ability, he agreed that Yuxi should marry Chen Ran.

    When he returned to his courtyard, Han Jianming wrote back to Yuxi.

    Yuxi was in a delicate mood when she finished reading Han Jianming¡¯s letter. This was because Han Jianming had not only told her that the Chen family had invited someone to their home to propose marriage but also expressed his appreciation of Chen Ran. He praised Chen Ran for being a talented person with means and ability. In addition, he also listed all the benefits for Yuxi to marry Chen Ran.

    After a long time, she finally folded the letter and ced it inside a box.

    She stood in the yard and looked up at the white clouds floating in the sky. The Marquis Taining¡¯s Chen family was even more powerful than the Jiang, and Chen Ran also this year¡¯s jieyuan. Thus, for the Chen family to take a fancy at her and propose marriage to her, in the eyes of others, was something that she should burn incense for. But in reality, was it actually that good? Everyone else only saw the glory on the surface, but not the hidden problems behind it.

    With a reputation like hers, the Lady of Taining definitely would not like it, and Yuxi didn¡¯t even have to think about it to know that the Lady of Taining had topromise because of Chen Ran. But why would Chen Ran want to marry her? Because of her past life, Yuxi did not believe that it was just like a pie falling from the sky, and even if it were, it would not be her turn. Therefore, Yuxi firmly believed that Chen Ran had an ulterior motive for wanting to marry her.

    Yuxi muttered to herself, ¡®After going round and round, it seems to have circled back to the original point.¡¯ She thought she had escaped Jiang Hongjin and made a new start in her life. But then, Chen Ran inexplicably jumped in and said he wanted to marry her.

    Was there any difference between Chen Ran and Jiang Hongjin? There didn¡¯t seem to be any difference between the two. No, there was a difference, though. Jiang Hongjin was obsessed with Yuchen and wanted to use Yuxi to climb up thedder to connect with Yuchen. Meanwhile, Chen Ran had no feelings for Yuchen and wanted to marry her for other reasons. But for what? What was it that he tried to seek from her?

    After turning it over and over in her mind, she still couldn¡¯t find any reason. Since she couldn¡¯t think of an exnation, she wanted to stop thinking about it. Anyway, it was only a verbal agreement between the two families, not a formal one. As Dage once said, even though the marriage was unavoidable, it was still easy for someone to ruin it. Before the marriage was fixed, she should find a way to mess it up.

    In the blink of an eye, it was in the middle of the tenth lunar month. Yuxi calcted the time and said, ¡°Er Sao¡¯s due date should be one of these days.¡±

    Zisu nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I heard from many mama in the residence that the Er Nainai¡¯s child is going to be a son.¡± Those experienced old woman servants were more urate in reading this.

    Yuxiughed. ¡°Mother has been looking forward to having a grandson, so I hope this time she will get what she has been wanting.¡± Since everyone had said so, nine times out of ten, the matter woulde true.

    On the third day after Yuxi talked about this matter, news came from the State Residence that Er Nainai had given birth to a big fat boy. [+]

    Yuxi sent the prepared clothes, shoes and hats back to the residence.

    Qiu Shi looked at the appearance of these clothes, shoes and hats and whispered, ¡°This child is also too thoughtful.¡± It was already inconvenient for her to be in the hamlet, and she still thought of making clothes for the child before he was even born.

    Mama Li said with a smile, ¡°Fourth Miss has always been so considerate.¡± Otherwise, her Lady wouldn¡¯t have treated her as if she were her daughter.

    Qiu Shi frowned and said, ¡°If I have to say, I want to bring Yuxi back right away, but Mother won¡¯t agree.¡± Since the Old Lady had disagreed, Qiu Shi did not dare to disobey her. But when she thought it would get cold soon and that the countryside was not well heated, she couldn¡¯t help but worry. Even though she was truly worried, there was no way for her to bring Yuxi back.

    Mama Li said, ¡°The Old Lady has her concerns, my Lady. It¡¯s only two months away, and it will soon be over. Didn¡¯t the Second Master say some time ago that Miss is doing quite well in the hamlet?¡± If Mama Li had to say, as far as the Fourth Miss¡¯s nature was concerned, there was no way she wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the hardships of living in the countryside.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t believe Han Jianye¡¯s words and said, ¡°That brat only knows how to report good news but not bad.¡± No matter how good Han Jianye and Han Jianming told her about Red Jujube Hamlet, Qiu Shi was still not at ease. The countryside was a good ce, but how good could it be? Moreover, no matter how good it was outside, it was no better than being at home.

    As they were talking, they heard the maid outside announcing Ye Shi¡¯s arrival.

    Ye Shi saw the clothes, shoes and hats in Qiu Shi¡¯s hand and asked with a smile, ¡°These clothes, shoes and hats should be made by Si Meimei, right?¡± Yuxi had also made clothes, shoes, and hats for Qiqi before, so Ye Shi was somewhat familiar with Yuxi¡¯s stitching skills.

    Qiu Shi nodded a little, gave all the things to Mama Li and asked Ye Shi, ¡°Have all the invitations been sent out?¡± It was important to invite friends and family over for the child washing ceremony after the third day of his birth.

    Ye Shi smiled and said, ¡°They all have been sent out. Mother, isn¡¯t the number of guests invited for the ceremony a bit too small?¡± Only a few inws were invited, which was a minimal number.

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°Your San Shen¡¯s 100th day is not yet over, so it¡¯s fine to only invite a few rtives. When the full moones, invite a few more guests.¡± Even after the hundredth day, they still could not wantonly invite so many guests. When the time came, they could only invite close rtives and friends.

    After talking about the matter, Qiu Shi went to Xiuchun Courtyard to see her grandson again. If the child hadn¡¯t just been born and couldn¡¯t leave his mother, Qiu Shi would have wanted to take him to her yard to raise him.

    Ye Shi was in a bad mood, but when she returned to her yard and watched her daughter crawling around in bed, a faint smile could not help but appear on her face.

    Old Woman Hua¡¯s heart sank a little as she asked, ¡°Da Nainai, what exactly is Master Shizi¡¯s solution? It¡¯s not a good idea to keep dragging on like this.¡± Lu Shi¡¯s son had already been born, but Master Shizi¡¯s knees were still empty, which was an embarrassing thing if one had to say.

    Hearing Old Woman Hua¡¯s words, Ye Shi¡¯s face looked ugly again. She called for a nursemaid to carry the child away and then warned Old Woman Hua, ¡°Don¡¯t say such things in front of Qiqi in the future.¡±

    Old Woman Hua responded, ¡°Miss is still so young. She can¡¯t understand what I was saying.¡±

    Ye Shi countered, ¡°Even if she¡¯s still young, you can¡¯t say it in front of her, remember?¡± This kind of bad thing, she did not want her daughter to hear, even if she did not understand.

    Old Woman Hua nodded and said, ¡°I will pay attention to it in the future. Da Nainai, what exactly is Master Shizi¡¯s solution? He can¡¯t keep dragging it on, can he?¡± If Master Shizi kept on dying taking on a second room, both the Old Lady and the Lady, as well as people outside, would only think that her Nainai had not fulfilled her duties as a wife.

    Ye Shi was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Master Shizi has chosen a candidate, but because many things happening in residence recently, the matter has been dyed.¡±

    It was true that Han Jianming had already chosen a candidate, but before he could say anything about it, Wu Shi looked like she was going to die of illness. If he, as a nephew, took a second room at that time, he would surely be drowned in the spray of saliva. Therefore, he had suppressed the matter. But how could he even hide it from Ye Shi?

    Ye Shi could sense that he had already picked out his second room. However, no matter how much she inquired, she could not find out a thing. Her husband had hidden this person too deeply. [+]

    Old Woman Hua was frightened. ¡°Howe Nainai haven¡¯t heard anything? Which family has he decided on?¡± Seeing Ye Shi shake her head, Old Woman Hua questioned anxiously, ¡°How can Master Shizi decide on such a big matter alone without discussing it with Da Nainai!¡±

    Ye Shi answered, ¡°Master Shizi is guarding this matter against me!¡±

    This was even worse than when Master Shizi had privately decided on his second room. Old Woman Hua hurriedly asked, ¡°Da Nainai, what does that mean? How could Master Shizi guard this matter against you?¡±

    Ye Shi said with a bitter smile, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, Master Shizi should have known about Qiu Yanfu¡¯s incidentst year.¡± It could be concealed for a time but not for a lifetime.

    Granny Hua was a bit bewildered. ¡°Da Nainai, Master Shizi didn¡¯t even ask you before settling on someone. What if that person is a cunning one? Da Nainai, do you think you should go home and say something to your family?¡±

    Ye Shi shook her head and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s not the right time yet.¡± She was only guessing. She had no evidence for her guess, and asking her maiden¡¯s family to step in would further deteriorate the couple¡¯s rtionship.

    Old Woman Hua asked anxiously, ¡°Da Nainai, what shall we do now?¡±

    Ye Shi said, ¡°I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t mention it this year. He¡¯ll have to wait after the Lantern Festival at any rate. Let¡¯s get through this year first.¡± Her husband was so capable that he even knew about everything she did. Hence, Ye Shi did not know what to do right now because doing more would make her do more wrong.

    There was a reason for Ye Shi to be so calm. For one thing, her maiden¡¯s family was strong, and for another, she believed that Han Jianming was not the kind of person who would spoil his concubine and neglect his wife. Furthermore, even if that person entered the house with the Old Lady and the Lady around, she wouldn¡¯t go beyond Ye Shi as the principal wife. If that person wasn¡¯t contained with her current position and wanted to overtake her, she had to see if she had the ability to do so.

 Chapter 226 - Tian Yang

    <strong>Chapter 226 : Tian Yang</strong>

    The weather was getting colder, and dead leaves covered the ground.

    Tired of reading her book, Yuxi walked out into the yard just as a leaf floated down. Reaching out to catch the yellowing leaf, she muttered, ¡°Another year has passed.¡± It was already the end of the tenth lunar month, and the year would be over in two months.

    As Yuxi wasmenting, she heard a crying sound from outside. Yuxi lived not far from the farmers in the hamlet. This arrangement was also for safety reasons. If her ce was too remote and something happened, it would be hard for her to find someone. So from her current location, she would asionally hear children crying. The first time she overheard the cries, she asked about them and found out that they were from children who had been beaten up by their parents for being naughty and mischievous. But the cries she heard this time were different from those she had heard before. This time, they were particrly miserable and kept on calling out for their brother, which made Yuxi feel very ufortable.

    Yuxi called for Han Ji and instructed, ¡°Go and see what¡¯s happening outside?¡±

    Not before long, Zisu came back. Her eyes were red, and her face looked ugly. By looking at her, one would know that something was wrong. [T/N]

    Yuxi asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that child?¡± It sounded wrong when it was crying miserably and kept calling out for its brother.

    It wasn¡¯t somethingplicated. The child¡¯s father and stepmother wanted to send her to another family as a child bride. She was so frightened and scared that she cried out for help, hoping her brother woulde to her rescue. Zisu said, ¡°Miss, that child is so pitiful. Why don¡¯t we help her?¡± This was the first time Zisu had seen such a pitiful child. Seeing that Yuxi was unmoved, Zisu continued, ¡°Miss, you haven¡¯t seen that child. She is really pitiful.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Bring her in.¡±

    Soon, Zisu led the child in. When Yuxi looked at the little girl kneeling on the ground, her expression kept on changing. The little girl dressed like a beggar. Her face was sallow, and she had no flesh on her body, just like a handful of bones. [+]

    Yuxi asked Steward Chen¡¯s daughter-inw, who had followed the little girl in, ¡°You said her parents wanted to give her away to someone else¡¯s family as a child bride?¡± Who would want her with that look? They would be worried that they wouldn¡¯t be able to raise her.

    Hearing Yuxi¡¯s words, Steward Chen¡¯s daughter-inw exined, ¡°Don¡¯t look at her thinness and youthful appearance. She can do all the household work such as washing, cooking, and raising pigs and chickens.¡±

    Yuxi looked at such a small child, who had to wash, cook, and do many chores. She could see how harshly this child was treated at home. Yuxi was silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Is she going to give away for free? Or did her parents receive any payment?¡±

    Steward Chen¡¯s family had inquired about the matter before she came over. She said, ¡°Her father asked for a hundred jin of grain from that other family. This year, the market is good. Some people can afford to pay him with a hundred jin of grain. When the other family bring her back home, not only can she help with the housework, they can also save money on the betrothal price.¡±

    Yuxi sort of understood that instead of being given away, it was more like the father had sold the child. It was just that the child was too bad looking that the middleman didn¡¯t want her, so her father sold her as a child bride. But was it that easy to be a child bride? Yuxi had seen one when she was on the hamlet in her past life, and that child was miserable. She sleptter than a dog and woke up earlier than a chicken. She had to work hard from morning till night. Not only did she not have enough foods to eat and clothes to wear, but she was also scolded by her future inws family every day.

    The boy whispered, ¡°I went to school for a year, and I know a few words.¡± That was the only thing he could do. [T/N]

    The little girl threw her arms around the boy¡¯s neck and said towards Yuxi, ¡°Landlord, please buy my brother and me! I can do the washing, cooking and feeding the pigs and chickens. My brother can go to the mountains to collect mushrooms and hunt pheasants, rabbits and other games. Landlord, we can do everything, and we don¡¯t eat much. Please buy us, brother and sister!¡± If thendlord bought them, siblings, they would not have to be separated again.

    Yuxi looked at the little girl, who had a timid look on her face, and her right hand was clutching the boy¡¯s clothes tightly. She asked, ¡°When you were sent away just now, why did you disagree?¡±

    The little girl simply clutched onto the boy and said, ¡°If I were sent away, I would never see my gege again.¡± No matter how hard it was, with her gege around, she would not be afraid.

    Yuxi looked at the two mutually dependent for life siblings and felt some envy in her heart. No matter how difficult life was, they still had someone to hold and rely on. She, on the other hand, had been fighting alone all along. Yuxi steadied her mind and said, ¡°Have you thought about it? You must be clear that once you sign the sale deed, there is no turning back.¡± When they signed the sale deed, they would transform from good citizens to servants.

    Han Ji wanted to roll his eyes. Miss¡¯ action was absolutely uncalled-for. There were many people on the hamlet who wished to sell their daughters here! But he refused them all. That boy was lucky enough to bump into Miss. If the siblings entered the State Residence, they would no longer have to worry about food and clothing.

    The boy nodded and said, ¡°No regrets.¡± It was better to be someone else¡¯s subordinate than to starve to death and be separated from his sibling.

    Yuxi nodded slightly, looked at Han Ji by her side, and said, ¡°You go and handle this matter.¡± To buy these children, they still had to get their parents to sign the sale deed.

    The boy interjected, ¡°Let me tag along, Landlord!¡±

    Yuxi thought he would make a clean break with his family, so she didn¡¯t refuse and said towards Han Ji, ¡°Go over there with them, brother and sister!¡± With a father like that, it was better not to have one.

    In less than half an hour, Han Ji came back. After handing the two life deeds to Yuxi, he said, ¡°Miss, that boy is a talent.¡±

    Yuxi wondered. ¡°What happened?¡±

    Han Jiughed, ¡°Miss doesn¡¯t know, that boy¡¯s stepmother knew we wanted to buy the boy and dared to even ask for thirty taels. The boy was worth a bit of silver, while no one wanted the little girl even if she was given away for free. Before I could say anything, the boy said that the two siblings together were only worth eight taels of silver. The look on his stepmother¡¯s face couldn¡¯t have been more wonderful. In the end, I just paid eight taels.¡± Even if the boy hadn¡¯t said anything, he would have paid his parents ten taels of silver at most.

    It was true that Miss was generous, but unruly people could not bully her. If anyone dared to provoke her, she would drive the family out of the hamlet. See if they could do anything with their lives. They certainly didn¡¯t know how high heaven was and how deep the earth was. [+]

    Yuxi thought about it herself, and her mood turned somewhat heavy. She said, ¡°I remember that to buy a boy servant in the capital would cost about twelve taels, and a young maid for about seven or eight taels, so the two of them together should be worth twenty taels. You will give the boy the other twelve taels of silver for him to spend at his disposal.¡±

    Han Ji widened his eyes as he asked, ¡°Miss, you¡­¡± Seeing Yuxi looking at him expressionlessly, Han Ji quickly said, ¡°Okay, I will give him the moneyter.¡±

    Yuxi did not exin the reason for doing so. She just turned around and went into the study. If this boy were talented, properly cultivating him would be an excellent help to her in the future. It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t use the people in residence, but there was already ayer of separation in them, and they usually would fall off at critical moments. For example, although Kufu looked the same as before, Yuxi knew that Kufu had an unstable loyalty. Kufu was still here because her Eldest Aunt and Dage still took care of her even now. Otherwise, Kufu would not have stayed.

    In the evening, Han Ji came over and reported to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, I gave the boy the bnce of twelve taels of silver. He took the money and went back to the hamlet to pay off his debt.¡± It wasn¡¯t correct to say ¡® pay off his debt¡¯. It was more of paying back favours. The two siblings had been living a tough life before, where they could only eat theirst meal without knowing where the next meal woulde. The hamlet had some kind-hearted people who would help them a few times. Otherwise, the two siblings were estimated to have starved to death. Now, Tian Yang had returned these people¡¯s kindness with that money.

    Yuxi appreciated this move by Tian Yang and said, ¡°It is good that he knows how to distinguish between kindness and his hatred.¡± Not to mention his capability, this nature of his was already to Yuxi¡¯s liking.

    Han Ji also thought that boy was pretty good.

    Yuxi remembered a question she had forgotten to ask yesterday, ¡°Tian Yang can read and write, so his family situation should not be bad. We can all see that he is a smart boy. Even though his stepmother is vicious, he is still the eldest son in the family. So howe his father just let him go like this?¡± It was true that if you had a stepmother, your father would be your stepfather. However, there was always a difference regarding the eldest son who could help raise the family status.

    How could Han Ji not know what Yuxi was thinking? ¡°Miss, Tian Yang¡¯s family circumstances are not bad, but his father is married to a widow who knows to y tricks. Moreover, that widow is beautiful, and she gave birth to a son at the end ofst year, so there is no room for the siblings in the family. The siblings relied on the hamlet people to help them out. Otherwise, they would have been starved to death.¡±

    Yuxi whispered, ¡°Children without mothers are all treated like grass.¡± She wondered why there were so many stepmothers!

    When Han Ji heard these words, he lowered her head and did not speak. The Fourth Miss was also born to a mother who died young. She then had a stepmother who did not tolerate her and a father who loathed her. Otherwise, she would not have been expelled from the residence. This situation was somewhat simr to those of the two children. The only difference was that Miss had the First Lady and Master Shizi to look after her. Thus, no one dared to bully her.

    Yuxi did not keep the siblings around. She had them sent back to the State Residence the next day to learn the rules. Whether she could use them or not, she would have to observe them for a while or two.

    Han Ji came in and said, ¡°Miss, that boy said they wanted to kowtow to Miss before they left.¡± Miss had a good eye this time. This boy would be a talented one if he were well-trained.

    The boy came in with his sister in his arms and gave Yuxi three kowtow. It was too pretentious just to say thank you. After all, they, brother and sister, had sold themselves to their Master. Even their life belonged to their Master. Kowtowing three times showed his gratitude towards his new Master. Tian Yang sold himself as a servant because he knew that his Master was a generous and kind-hearted person. If they sold themselves, they, brother and sister, had a way to live, and they wouldn¡¯t need to be separated. The result was just as he thought.

    Yuxi did not make anyment on his actions but tell him instead, ¡°Tian Yang, when you arrive at the State Residence, learn the rules properly. For the rest, wait until you¡¯ve learned the rules well.¡± Yuxi had to see in which area the boy was good at, and then she would make him focus on training in that aspect. People trained by herself were better than those from the residence.

 Chapter 227 - Returning To The Residence (1)

    Chapter 227 : Returning To The Residence (1)

    It was snowing. White and wless snowkes were drifting from the sky like beautiful willow catkins. Snow fell heavier over time, and the sky was full of it as if the whole world was covered in a nket of white snow.

    Yuxi handed the prepared ointment to Caidie and said, ¡°I¡¯ve told you not to do those things, but you wouldn¡¯t stop. Aren¡¯t you the one who suffers from it now?¡± Caidie was suffering from chilins, where her hands had swollen just like baozi.

    Caidie shook her head and said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve had chilins before. Now I think it has a rpse.¡± Only when she entered the inner courtyard to serve Yuxi, where she did not touch cold water in winter anymore, did it go away. Now that she was in the countryside, she had to suffer the freezing winter, making her symptoms reappear.

    Only then did it dawn on Yuxi that she did tell Caidie not to do much outside work, so how did she get chilins? ¡°Then, don¡¯t touch cold water again in the future, even after you¡¯ve recovered. Otherwise, it¡¯s gonna take root.¡± These chilins were the most annoying. They were itchy and numb. You couldn¡¯t scratch them since they would hurt like hell if you did.

    Caidie nodded. ¡°I will try not to touch any in the future.¡±

    Yuxi entered the house and climbed back up onto the kang. Today¡¯s weather was too cold, and there was no floor dragon in here. Even if two pots of charcoal were being burned, it would still be useless. If Yuxi sat at the desk to read, her hands and feet would be cold after a while. Therefore, she now read her books on the kang. Her kang, which burned all day and all night, was really warm.

    Pigeon Soup With Huaishan (Chinese Yam)

    Image Credit | As stated in the picture, via Î¶¹ÈµÄÑøÉú³ø·¿ / Meishichina

    Zisu brought in a bowl of pigeon soup with huaishan and urged, ¡°Miss, this soup has just been stewed. Come down and have a drink of it.¡± Drinking a bowl of hot soup would make people feelfortable in winter.

    Yuxiined, ¡°I haven¡¯t moved much these days. I¡¯ve been in bed all day, and I¡¯ve gained a lot of flesh.¡± Even if she increased her time ying the wuqinxi every day, she still inevitably gained flesh. She felt like she had gained a little bit of weight.

    Zisu said with a smile, ¡°Miss is not fat. Miss looks better with some meat.¡± If Zisu had to say so, this was the right look for Miss!

    Yuxi didn¡¯t want to listen to Zisu. ¡°It seems that I still have to walk around more.¡± But it was too cold outside. The most she could do after dinner was to walk for two turns inside the house. She did not dare to go out into the cold.

    After eating, Zisu took the bowl and went out. There was nothing to do in the house, so she picked up a broom and swept the snow from the yard. After cleaning for a bit, she slipped and fell to the ground with her whole body on all fours.

    Caidie was shocked when she saw this incident. She quickly ran to help Zisu and asked, ¡°Zisu Jiejie, Zisu Jiejie, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    Zisu answered bitterly, ¡°I¡¯ve just sprained my ankle.¡±

    Yuxi was in the house when she heard Caidie¡¯s shout and hurried out. That was when she heard Zisu say that she had sprained her ankle. She saw Caidie trying to help Zisu up and immediately stopped her, ¡°You can¡¯t help her. It will be harder for her foot to get better if you touch it.¡± After saying this, she called out to Guo Daniang, who was outside, toe inside.

    Several people carried Zisu into the house. Yuxi had prepared a medicine for bruises and handed it to Zisu. ¡°Rub this on your injured foot yourself. It will heal quickly.¡± If someone else rubbed it for her, that person wouldn¡¯t be able to control her strength, and if the said person put too much force on it, Zisu would feel extreme pain. [+]

    Guo Daniang had some experience with this kind of injury and immediately went to turn on the hot water. She then handed a white-hot towel to Zisu and said, ¡°The effect will be better if you apply this towel to your ankle.¡±

    Zisu was a little embarrassed. ¡°I identally fell down by myself and somehow managed to move troops and stir up people.¡±

    Yuxi berated, ¡°Who asked you to sweep the snow? If you hadn¡¯t done it, this would not have happened.¡± Yuxi asked Steward Chen to pick two strong women from the hamlet, who would be responsible for cleaning and helping with the kitchen and other chores.

    Zisu smiled and said, ¡°I had nothing else to do. When I looked at the yard covered with all the snow, I couldn¡¯t help but want to sweep it.¡± This ce was different from their courtyard in residence. There, the yard had corridors. It didn¡¯t matter if it was snowing or raining; it wouldn¡¯t affect their walks. Here, if the path was not swept clean, it would not be easy for them to walk.

    Hearing Zisu¡¯s reply, Guo Daniang advised, ¡°For this kind of menial work, just call me, and I¡¯ll have Lai Cai¡¯s wifee over to do it.¡±

    Zisuughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would be so unfit that I could still fall from just sweeping the snow. Don¡¯t think too much about it, Miss. I just sprained my ankle. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s broken, and it¡¯ll heal soon.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t even bother to talk to her anymore.

    When Steward Chen¡¯s wife heard Zisu had fallen and hurt herself, she rushed over to take a look. When she saw that it was not serious, she was relieved, but she still lectured Lai Cai¡¯s wife over the incident. [T/N]

    Zisu smiled as she spoke, ¡°Chen Dashen, don¡¯t me Lai Cai¡¯s wife and the other girls. I was the one who wanted to do it, so I couldn¡¯t me them for it. Besides, this time it was a mere ident.¡± It was her own fault that she slipped and fell, so how could she me others?

    Steward Chen¡¯s wife said, ¡°It is still Miss Zisu who is the most obliging.¡±

    In response, Zisu hurriedly urged, ¡°Miss likes peace and quiet. She doesn¡¯t like to be disturbed. I¡¯m fine here, Chen Dashen. You can go back first.¡± Steward Chen¡¯s wife spoke in a loud voice. Even if she deliberately lowered her voice, her voice unconsciously amplified again after saying two sentences.

    Steward Chen¡¯s wife¡¯s face flushed as she had forgotten about this. ¡°Then, I will go back first. If there is anything wrong, Miss Zisu, just ask a maid to inform me.¡± Steward Chen¡¯s house had now been built. It was not as big as the one Yuxi lived in, but it was still their own house. Moreover, it was only a few steps away from Yuxi¡¯s.

    When Steward Chen¡¯s wife reached the entrance, she looked at Caidie, who was sending her off and suggested, ¡°Miss Caidie, if you wipe your hand vigorously with heated radish, it will only take three days for your hands to heal.¡± Seeing Caidie¡¯s face of disbelief, Steward Chen continued, ¡°This recipe does work.¡±

    Caidie was half convinced. She went back to the house and told Yuxi about it. Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°Sometimes folk remedies are better than the medicine prescribed by the physician.¡± Just as she saw Kufue in, Yuxi instructed, ¡°Kufu, go to Guo Daniang¡¯s side and bring over a radish.¡± It was just as well that there was a charcoal fire in the house, so they could just try it now.

    Kufu didn¡¯t know what Yuxi wanted the radish for, but she didn¡¯t ask much. She just turned around and went to the kitchen. But there were no more radishes in there.

    Guo Daniang proposed, ¡°Miss Kufu, there are no more radishes here. Why don¡¯t you go to the backyard and pluck a radish for Miss?¡± Guo Daniang had to prepare lunch, so she had no time to get away from the kitchen.

    Caidie had gotten chilins from picking vegetables in the field. Kufu didn¡¯t want to get one herself; thus, she looked at Lai Cai¡¯s wife, who was tending the kitchen fire and said, ¡°Lai Cai¡¯s wife, go and pluck one for me. I¡¯ll wait here.¡±

    Guo Daniang frowned a little but didn¡¯t say anything against it. She just turned towards Lai Cai¡¯s wife and said, ¡°You can go.¡± It wasn¡¯t far anyway. It was just in the backyard.

    Lai Cai¡¯s wife washed the recently plucked radish and handed it to Kufu. Kufu didn¡¯t want to get in contact with it as she said, ¡°Dry the radish first!¡± If the radish wasn¡¯t wiped dry, its coldness would seep into her hands.

    Guo Daniang¡¯s face turned very ugly. She spoke out, ¡°You don¡¯t have to dirty Miss Kufu¡¯s hands, Lai Chai¡¯s wife. Just send the radish directly into the house!¡± Miss Zisu and Miss Caidie were easy to get along with. When they came to the hamlet, they would do whatever they could. While Kufu was unwilling to do many things and was particrly fussy. Even their Miss was not as troublesome as her.

    Among the few people who followed Yuxi here, Guo Daniang was the one who had to work the hardest. Most of the ingredients were prepared by the main kitchen and sent straight over to her in the past. So she could use them directly without bothering with them. Now she has to handle all the ingredients, and her workload has more than doubled. But she neverined and did her best to ensure that Yuxi ate well for her three meals. [+]

    Kufu¡¯s face was looking a little unpleasant, but she didn¡¯t dare to speak harshly to Guo Daniang as she said, ¡°I won¡¯t bother Lai Cai¡¯s wife then.¡± After saying that, she took the radish and left the kitchen.

    Lai Cai¡¯s wife was somewhat at a loss with the situation.

    Guo Daniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t take it into your heart. She¡¯s a spoiled one.¡± She used to think that Kufu was a good girl, but now, she could see clearly that this girl was untrustworthy at all. She had only been at the farm for a short time and already had a disloyal disposition.

    As Kufu watched Caidie wipe the heated radish to her hands, she felt her pain. At that moment, she gloomily asked, ¡°Miss, when will this kind of life end? When can we go back to the residence?¡±

    Yuxi replied indifferently, ¡°If you can¡¯t stand it, you can go back tomorrow.¡±

    When Kufu heard this, she hastily exined, ¡°Where Miss is, this handmaiden will be there. This handmaiden just worried that Miss won¡¯t be able to bear it.¡± She wanted to go back, but she knew very well that if she left her Miss early, there would be no more ce for her in residence. So, even though she was terrified for her future, she did not dare to go back by herself. [T/N]

    Yuxi nced at her and ordered, ¡°You can withdraw!¡± She did not dare to use such a maid again, for this maid could only share the wealth with her but not her hardship. When they returned to the residence, she would have to put this maid out.

    Kufu withdrew with a grievance.

    The days went by slowly. On the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, Han Jianye brought more than ten retainers to the hamlet. In the past few months, he woulde over to see Yuxi whenever he had a holiday. Every time he came over, he would bring a bunch of things with him, fearing that Yuxi would suffer in the hamlet. This time, he had too many things to do before he came to pick up Yuxi.

    When he saw Yuxi, Han Jianye said with a smile, ¡°You girl, you look the same every day. It¡¯s only been a month or so since Ist saw you, and you¡¯ve grown taller again.¡± Yuxi had notpromised herself on the hamlet. Her food and clothes were simr to when she was in the residence. However, the cost of food and clothing on the hamlet was twice as much as there.

    Yuxi responded with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m still in my growing up phase!¡±

    Han Jianye looked Yuxi up and down and stated, ¡°At the rate you¡¯re growing, you¡¯ll definitely be a lot taller in the future.¡±

    Yuxiughed. ¡°If I¡¯m going to be taller, then let me be. It¡¯s much better than being short anyway.¡± In her previous life, she had been of medium height, but in this life, nine times out of ten, she would be taller than that. It was because her height now was simr to the one she had been in her previous life when she reached her marriageable age.

    Han Jianye smiled a little and said, ¡°Have someone pack up your things and go back to the residence tomorrow. Mother has been thinking of you all these days. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she couldn¡¯t leave, she would havee over to pick you up herself.¡± It wasn¡¯t that Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t leave. It was because the Old Lady had forbidden her froming.

    Yuxi ushered, ¡°Er Ge, you should rest for a while. I¡¯ll have some peoplee in and help me pack up.¡± She had many things, so she could not finish packing them all in one night with just a few of her maids.

    When Kufu heard that they were going back, she was shocked and delighted. ¡°Zisu Jiejie, is the Second Master really here to take Miss back?¡± It couldn¡¯t be a dream, could it? Kufu thought that Yuxi would have to stay in the hamlet for two to three years!

    Zisu just smiled and said, ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s true. Go and pack!¡± She could see Kufu¡¯s impatience during this period. She had persuaded her several times, but unfortunately to no avail. After that, Zisu also stopped convincing her. Zisu knew Yuxi well enough to know that if Yuxi had reprimanded Kufu, there would still be hope for her to stay with them. But now, there was no hope at all.

 Chapter 228 - Returning To The Residence (2)

    <strong>Chapter 228 : Returning To The Residence (2)</strong>

    The next day, the weather turned fine.

    Han Jianye looked at the sun rising in the sky andmented with a smile, ¡°It has been a long time since the sun came out. Today, it evenes out when you¡¯re going to return home. It shows that you have good luck, and it is not just any ordinary luck.¡±

    Yuxi knew that Han Jianye wasforting her. Thus, she smilingly suggested, ¡°Er Ge, it¡¯s cold outside. Don¡¯t ride your horse. Ride with me in the carriage!¡±

    Han Jianye was unwilling to take the carriage. What would it look like to others if an adult man like him, sitting in a carriage? ¡°It¡¯s alright, as long as you don¡¯t freeze.¡±

    The carriage Yuxi used to return to the residence was specially brought over by Han Jianye. The carriage was very spacious, with two thick quiltsid inside the carriage and a pot of coals on top. Sitting inside, it was so warm that Yuxi couldn¡¯t even feel a bit of cold at all.

    Not long after climbing into the carriage, Yuxi felt a little sleepy. Without feeling awkward, she justy down to sleep. Since they were on a public road that was rtively t and not bumpy, Yuxi soon fell asleep.

    By the time Yuxi woke up, it was already noon. Hearing that it had passed wushi, she asked, ¡°Howe it¡¯s thiste?¡±

    Zisu replied with a smile, ¡°Second Master knew you were asleep and said that we didn¡¯t have to be in a hurry, so he had the carriage driver slow down the speed. We¡¯ll be at the city gate soon, and in another half a shichen, we¡¯ll be at the residence.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s heart warmed up, and she told Han Jianye, ¡°Er Ge, let¡¯s move faster, or Eldest Aunt will be waiting for us.¡± There was one more thing she didn¡¯t say, which was that she was starving. If she returned to the residence early, she would be able to eat earlier.

    Three-quarters of an hourter, the group finally arrived at the State Residence. Yuxi lifted the curtain, looked at the Duke Han of the State Residence que and softly said, ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± When she returned, she would no longer have to worry about being kicked out or abandoned by her family.

    The carriage sped straight into the second gate, where Yuxi was going to disembark. She got out of the carriage by just wearing a mink hat and a short mink coat, without a pelt overcoat covering her.

    When Mama Li saw Yuxi, she smiled and said, ¡°Miss, my Lady has been waiting for Miss for a long time now.¡±

    It took more than a quarter of an hour to get from the second gate to the Master Courtyard. Yuxi had the foresight that she would walk that far. If she had been wearing an overcoat, her whole body would have sweated. Even now, her forehead had started to sweat.

    When Yuxi reached the Master Courtyard and saw Qiu Shi, she smiled and called out, ¡°Mother.¡±

    This shout stunned everyone except for Mama Li. Had they misheard? Yes, they must have misheard. How could the Fourth Miss call the First Lady her Mother!

    When Qiu Shi caught sight of Yuxi, she pulled her to her side in distress while asking, ¡°Why have you lost weight again? Your Er Ge said you were doing well at the hamlet. I have long said that his words cannot be trusted.¡±

    Yuxi was embarrassed. If she had to say, she gained a lot of weight this month. Not only did she gain a lot of meat on her face, but her clothes had also be smaller. Her Eldest Aunt, ah, no, her mother. She couldn¡¯t believe that her mother would say she had lost so much weight. Her mother had very strange eyesight.

    Qiu Shi pulled Yuxi into her room. Ye Shi deliberately slowed her pace and asked the maid beside her, ¡°What did the Fourth Miss call the Lady just now?¡± She must have heard it wrong and had to be sure. [+]

    Ah Ling lowered her voice and said, ¡°The Fourth Miss called the Lady as her mother, Da Nainai. Maybe there¡¯s something we don¡¯t know about this matter.¡±

    Ye Shi¡¯s heart immediately sank. Since Yuxi would call her mother-inw her mother, then there was only one possibility. If she wasn¡¯t wrong, Yuxi had been adopted by her mother-inw. She hadn¡¯t heard a word about such a big event. Did her mother-inw still consider her as the daughter-inw of the Han family? She felt annoyed. However, when she looked up and saw Lu Xiu also had a questioning look on her face, her mood suddenly improved. It seemed that not only was this matter hidden from her. Even Lu Xiu didn¡¯t know about it either.

    While in the room, Qiu Shi said, ¡°The countryside is fine in summer, but it¡¯s cold as hell in winter, and there¡¯s no floor dragon there, so you¡¯ve suffered a lot!¡±

    Yuxi responded with a smile, ¡°Fortunately, there was kang in the house which had been burning all day long, so I didn¡¯t feel cold.¡± It was true that it was not that cold, but she was very unustomed to reading while sitting on the kang.

    Seeing Qiu Shi had a belly full of words to let out, Mama Li smilingly reminded, ¡°My Lady, Miss must be hungry after a long day¡¯s journey. Since the food has been served, why don¡¯t we let Miss have her meal first?¡±

    Qiu Shi eximed, ¡°Look at me. I¡¯m so old and confused that I forgot you hadn¡¯t eaten. Let¡¯s go and eat first.¡± Qiu Shi¡¯s attitude was so warm that Yuxi became a little overwhelmed.

    After lunch, Qiu Shi asked Yuxi some more questions before letting Yuxi return to the Taoran House afterwards. ¡°You¡¯ve been away from your home for half a year, so go back to your courtyard and put your things away first. In the evening, we¡¯ll have a good chat.¡±

    Yuxi had always thought that her adoption under Qiu Shi¡¯s name was merely a change of title. But now, it turned out that she was wrong in this thought. Qiu Shi¡¯s attitude towards her now was very different from what it had been before. The way Qiu Shi treated her made her feel that she should adjust her attitude and stop holding on to the same views and perspectives as before.

    Returning after six months, Yuxi felt as if a generation had passed. She thought it would take her at least two years toe back, but she never thought that she would be back after only six months. And she was back with a different status.

    Zisu pulled Yuxi back from her thoughts. ¡°Miss, should these books be returned to the study?¡± When they went to the hamlet, they brought a lot of things. However, when they came back, they brought back only a few. It was because they had no shortage of things in the state residence. Yuxi even left behind some books and valuable items in the hamlet. ording to Yuxi¡¯s idea, staying in the hamlet for a few days in summer would be pretty good.

    Yuxi nodded as she instructed, ¡°Just put everything as they were before!¡± After thinking about it for a while, she decided to ssify these books by herself. If she let Zisu and the other girls do it, she would get a headache finding her bookster on.

    Zisu said, ¡°Miss, you¡¯ve been in a hurry for most of the day. You¡¯d better have a rest!¡±

    Yuxiughed a little. When did she have to hurry most of the day? She had been sleeping most of that time. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about these books. Go and take stock of the jewellery.¡±

    Three boxes of books were put back on the shelves one by one by Yuxi. After putting them away, she wiped her sweat. ¡°It¡¯s hot enough in here.¡± The floor dragon in the study had been burned up, making Yuxi a little unustomed to the temperature.

    On the Master Courtyard side, after Yuxi had left, Ye Qing and Lu Xiu looked at Qiu Shi. They wanted to hear Qiu Shi¡¯s exnation regarding what had just happened.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t whet their appetite either. She exined with a smile, ¡°Yuxi was adopted to my name in the early seventh lunar month. After we got the consent of the elders, we opened the Ancestral Hall and performed the ceremony. It was only at that time Wu Shi was seriously ill. Therefore, it was not appropriate for us to publicise this matter. That¡¯s why I did not mention it to both of you.¡±

    Qiu Shi estimated that Ye Qing and Lu Xiu had all known about this. Ye Qing reacted quickly and said, ¡°Mother didn¡¯t tell us much earlier. Now, look at us. We didn¡¯t even prepare gifts for Si Mei.¡± With Yuxi¡¯s adoption under her mother-inw¡¯s name, the current situation was not the same as before. Yuxi used to be her tangmei, but now Yuxi was her real xiaoguzi.

    Lu Xiu also said, ¡°Yes, Mother, this is such a big deal. You did not even tell us. So Dasao and I were not even prepared.¡± When she married, Lu Xiu was very wary of Ye Shi. Even when she was pregnant, she was cautious with her food and other things for fear that something terrible might happen. As a result, nothing happened even after she gave birth to her son. Ye Shi had treated her well for over a year. Although she could not say that Ye Shi was as affectionate with her, just like a sister should, she could not say she was treating her any worse either. During this time, Lu Xiu even thought that perhaps she and her mother had been mistaken and what happened before was just their misunderstanding.

    Qiu Shi said with a smile, ¡°There is nothing to prepare for since Yuxi is not your formal meimei yet. Alright, both of you should return to your home! Aftering out for so long, it is estimated that your children will cry if they can¡¯t find you.¡±

    Both Ye Shi and Lu Xiu had a lot to say, but as Qiu Shi rushed them out, they couldn¡¯t stay much longer and went out one after another.

    It didn¡¯t take an afternoon to put everything away. The main thing was that there was so little stuff that it didn¡¯t take Yuxi and the others much effort.

    After properly putting everything away, Yuxi took a bath and changed her clothes before going to the Main Courtyard with Caidie. When she saw the Old Lady, she sincerely greeted, ¡°Grandmother.¡± Without the Old Lady making the final decision in her adoption, Han Jingyan could not have let her be adopted to the Main House.

    The Old Lady looked at Yuxi and pointed out, ¡°You look refreshed.¡± Yuxi was in much better spirits than before. Moreover, she finally let her whole person go and did not feel reserved, just like back then.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know how to respond to this statement.

    The Old Lady said, ¡°Fourth Girl, Grandmother has already done what Grandmother can do for you. In the future, no matter where you go, you must remember that you are a young miss of the Han family.¡± Whether Yuxi was in the Main House or the Third House, she could not change one thing: the blood that flowed through her was that of the Han family. [+]

    Yuxi nodded. ¡°Grandmother, I am a descendant of the Han family. That will never change, nor is it likely to.¡±

    The Old Lady nodded slightly and said, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She allowed Yuxi to be adopted by the Main House, not because she loved Yuxi dearly, but because Han Jianming valued her greatly.

    The Old Lady raised Han Jianming. So she knew Han Jianming very well. Since Jianming said that Yuxi was a capable person who could bring benefits to the family in the future, he would not watch Yuxi be ruined. If she didn¡¯t intervene, uncle and nephew would definitely turn against each other over Yuxi. She could not let her son turn against her grandson, nor could she let him ruin the Yuxi she had so carefully cultivated. Hence, she had to use this method. In fact, the Old Lady knew that her son had aint against her in this matter.

    When Old Woman Luo looked at the Old Lady¡¯s expression, she probably knew what was in her mind. ¡°Old Lady, since things are already like this, it¡¯s useless for you to think about it anymore.¡± The Old Lady had gotten old. Thus her heart had softened a bit. If it had been in the past, she would have dealt with the Fourth Miss with thunder-like violence and wind-like swiftness. She would not have pressured the Third Lord to let The Main House adopt Fourth Miss.

    The Old Lady somehow spoke about wind, horse and ox, ¡°Now that Jianming and Jianye have tempered themselves, it¡¯s already enough having those two brothers support the family. Even if I have to go to the ground,ter on, I will still be able to stand up to the ancestors of the Han family.¡±

    Old Woman Luo¡¯s heart thumped. ¡°What is the Old Lady talking about? Wasn¡¯t the Old Lady still muttering two days ago that Master Shizi hadn¡¯t given you a grandson yet!¡±

    When the Old Lady heard this, it raised her settled heart again. Her grandson was already well-trained, but her daughter-inw and granddaughter-inw were too much for her to handle. Qiu Shi was too straightforward, Ye Shi was too selfish, and Lu Xiu was still too young to manage things. If she were to leave, the house would be in chaos without someone to keep it in check. That was why she couldn¡¯t let go of her old bones so soon!

 Chapter 229 - Returning To The Residence (3)

    Chapter 229 : Returning To The Residence (3)

    Dinner was served in the Master Courtyard.

    After dinner, Qiu Shi called in a girl. The girl was about twelve or thirteen years old, wearing an indigo dress with a slim figure and a beautiful appearance. When she came in, she immediately knelt on the floor. ¡°Xuntao, pay respects to my Lady. Greeting Fourth Miss.¡±

    While pointing at the girl, Qiu Shi said to Yuxi, ¡°It¡¯s not enough to have only three maids around you. This girl is quite smart. You can take her back and use her first. Then you can pick a few more after the New Year.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t even try to get around the suggestion. She smiled as she nodded instead. ¡°Alright!¡± It was about time to dismiss a few maids around her anyway.

    Qiu Shi kept talking to Yuxi until it was almost dark before letting her go back, while Xuntao walked ahead with antern.

    Once in Taoran House, Yuxi asked Xuntao to return. ¡°You wille to work here tomorrow.¡± It was inconvenient to relocate her maids¡¯ work in the middle of the night.

    After Xuntao left, Yuxi asked Zisu, ¡°What are the exact details regarding this Xuntao?¡± Xuntao did not serve directly beside Qiu Shi, as if she had just appeared out of nowhere. Yuxi didn¡¯t know much about her either. Moreover, a master couldn¡¯t keep an eye on the maids in residence at all times.

    Zisu answered with a smile, ¡°Miss, Xuntao is Steward Xiang¡¯s tangmei and has been working in the second courtyard before.¡± Zisu was still familiar with the details of all the maids working in residence.

    Yuxi had an idea in her mind. It turned out Xuntao was a rtive of Mama Li¡¯s family. Yuxi just didn¡¯t know what Xuntao¡¯s temperament was like, though. She didn¡¯t want another Bingmei, who returned home as soon as Yuxi was in trouble.

    Zisu could guess what Yuxi thought as she said, ¡°Miss, with what happened to Bingmei, my Lady must have made a careful selection before she chose Xuntao.¡±

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°Even if she¡¯s going to be another Bingmei, just send her back. By the way, how is Bingmei right now?¡± When her master was in trouble, Bingmei pretended to be sick. Such a maid really had a big face. It was only because her father was the primary steward in residence. Otherwise, she could have been sold out.

    Zisu shook her head. ¡°I heard that she wanted to return to Taoran House after she recovered from her illness, but the First Lady tly refused, telling her to continue to recuperate well. There has been no news since then, but I think it ought not to be good.¡± Qiu Shi knew Bingmei¡¯s pretence of illness, which shouldn¡¯t be good for Bingmei.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°A person as capable as the primary steward would raise a daughter with such a temperament, it¡¯s really¡­¡­¡± Han Jianming highly valued Han Xing for his capability and loyalty. She just didn¡¯t know how he could raise his daughter to have such manners.

    The first time Han Xing knew that Han Jingyan had kicked Yuxi out, he asked his wife to tell Bingmei to go to the hamlet with Yuxi properly. Unfortunately, Bingmei had been delicately brought up and never suffered even for a bit. At the thought of going to the hamlet, it made Bingmei feel that it would be worse than death. So by the time Yuxi was on her way there, Bingmei immediately made herself ill.

    Han Xing naturally lost his temperter on. Since the wood had already been turned into a boat, there was no way to remedy the situation. After this incident, Han Xing kept Bingmei at home and forbade her toe out. He was looking for a family to marry her off when she was already old enough. There was no need for him to even consider the people from inside the residence. He could only marry her out.

    Early the following day, Xuntao came over. Although she was given to Yuxi by Qiu, she had to settle for a second-ss maid position because there were no more vacancies for Yuxi¡¯s first-ss maid.

    Yuxi also wanted to observe the situation first. If Xuntao were fit for Yuxi to use, she would promote Xuntao once she let Kufu out. If not, she would just pick one from the second-ss maids. Although half of them had their minds be unstable regarding her being sent to the hamlet, many were still staying and taking care of the Taoran House.

    After freshening herself up, Yuxi greeted the Old Lady and then Qiu Shi before going to Songxiang Courtyard and Xiuchun Courtyard.

    Yuxi looked at the powdered and beautiful Qiqi. She picked her up and kissed her white, tender face. The little girl wasn¡¯t shy with strangers as she giggled when Yuxi held her. Her hands weren¡¯t idle either, tugging at the hairpin on Yuxi¡¯s head. Even though she was only one year old, her strength wasn¡¯t small where her act of tugging at Yuxi¡¯s hair made Yuxi feel pain.

    Ye Shi took Qiqi over from Yuxi and apologised with a smile, ¡°This girl likes shiny things. Once she sees one, she immediately wants to grab it.¡±

    It was only then that Yuxi understood why Ye Shi had not worn a single piece of jewellery.

    After leaving Songxiang Courtyard, Yuxi went to Xiuchun Courtyard next. When she entered the room and did not see any child around, she could not help but ask, ¡°Er Sao, where is Lil Boy Shun?¡± The name ¡®Shun¡¯ was his ¡®little name¡¯, and his ¡®big name¡¯ would not be given until he was one year old.

    Lu Xiu smilingly exined, ¡°The nursemaid is breastfeeding him!¡± After Lu Xiu gave birth, her body became plumper than before. Since she didn¡¯t have to breastfeed her child, she was currently in the process of trying to lose weight. [+]

    In a short while, the nursemaid brought Lil Boy Shun over. He was one month old and was sleeping soundly after eating. Yuxi found it amusing to see him blowing bubbles even though he was asleep that she couldn¡¯t help but poke at him twice. ¡°Er Sao, will he cry if I wake him up?¡±

    Lu Xiu answered with a smile, ¡°The boy is a heavy sleeper. You won¡¯t wake him up even when you tickle him!¡± For now, her son could only eat, sleep and grow well, but he was already bing the apple of Qiu Shi¡¯s eye. Moreover, Qiu Shi had a tolerant and generous nature. If it were any other mother-inw, she would have taken her grandson and personally raised him.

    Yuxi smiled and took the golden lock of longevity from Zisu¡¯s hand and ced it in Lil Boy Shun¡¯s swaddling clothes. Seeing that Lu Xiu was about to stop her, she stated, ¡°I was not here when Lil Boy Shun was born. This is my bted gift for him.¡± When Qiqi was born, Yuxi had also given one to her.

    When Lu Xiu heard this, she did not stop Yuxi. However, she also asked Old Woman Jian to bring over a small mahogany box. She told Yuxi, ¡°This is a gift from Er Sao for you. It¡¯s not that expensive. It¡¯s just a token of Er Sao¡¯s appreciation as your sister-inw, so please ept it.¡±

    Yuxi did not push the gift back and calmly asked Zisu to receive it.

    Lu Xiu told everyone to withdraw and spoke to Yuxi in private. ¡°Si Mei, from now on, don¡¯t keep anything bottled up in your heart. If you have a hard time speaking with Mother, you cane over and talk to me.¡± Lu Xiu also felt that Yuxi was a very strong-minded person, and it was not suitable for a young girl to be too strong-minded.

    Yuxi smiled and nodded, ¡°All right, I¡¯lle and look for Er Ge and Er Sao if somethinges up in the future.¡± This time, she was no longer worried about anyone bothering her in the State Residence. The members of the Main House all doted on her, so no one would dare enough to bring any trouble to her.

    As they were talking, Lil Boy Shun cried as soon as he woke up. Yuxi asked strangely, ¡°Er Sao, is Lil Boy Shun hungry again?¡±

    Lu Xiu shook her head. ¡°No, he just finished eating! He¡¯s probably urinated.¡±

    As soon as Yuxi lifted the nket, she smelled a very foul odour, and her face changed slightly at that moment. She didn¡¯t want to watch her nephew¡¯s poo-poo, so she quickly said, ¡°Er Sao, you seem a bit busy, so I¡¯ll go back first.¡±

    Looking at Yuxi¡¯s unrestrained expression, Luxiu started tough. Thinking back in the day, she also fled when she saw her nephew¡¯s poo-poo. Lu Xiu smiled and said, ¡°Then you go back first!¡± When she finally became a mother herself, she wouldn¡¯t mind this kind of thing when it came to her child.

    Zisu naturally saw that something was wrong, and when they left Xiuchun Courtyard, she whispered, ¡°Miss, is it bad for you to be like this?¡± Yuxi had acted so obviously, and she didn¡¯t know if Er Nainai would be displeased.

    Yuxiughed, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it.¡± When did she resent it? She was just ufortable with it. It was quite a strange feeling to encounter such a scene for the first time.

    A burst of cold air blew in. In the dead of winter, the wind cut through people like a knife, which not many people could stand once it blew. Yuxi shivered and quickened her pace. ¡°The day was fine yesterday, but today it¡¯s cold once more. It looks like it¡¯s going to snow again.¡±

    Zisuughed. ¡°If it¡¯s going to snow, then just let it snow!¡± When they returned to their yard, the bedroom and study both had floor dragons, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about getting cold.

    When Yuxi reached Taoran House, she saw Kufu before she could enter the courtyard. Kufu informed her, ¡°Miss, the Third Miss hase over and is waiting inside the house.¡± In the hamlet, Kufu had been in a state of fear about her future and was so anxious every day that she was in no mood to pay attention to Yuxi. But now that she finally came back and realised that The Main House had adopted Yuxi, she no longer had insecurity of her future. As soon as she calmed down, she was keenly aware that Yuxi was treating her very coldly.

    With a slight nod, Yuxi crossed the threshold and went to the small parlour. As she entered the parlour, she looked at the person dressed in peach coloured dress, embroidered with twin lotus flowers on one stalk in kesi style on it and called out with a smile, ¡°San Jie, I haven¡¯t seen you for half a year, and you are still as beautiful as ever.¡±

    After hearing so manypliments on her looks, Yuchen was indifferent to them. But Yuxi¡¯s praise was different from the others. Her tone was as casual as if she was talking about how pleasant the weather was today. ¡°I also haven¡¯t seen you for half a year, and your mouth has be much greasier than before.¡±

    Yuxi responded smilingly, ¡°Where¡¯s the greasiness? I¡¯m just being honest.¡± After saying this, she sat straight down on the first chair on her right. Then she ced the small heater she was holding in her hand on the table next to her in a casual gesture.

    Yuchen looked at Yuxi andplimented, ¡°After living in the countryside for six months, you look much better than before. I can see that your hamlet has nourished you well.¡±

    Yuxiughed. ¡°It¡¯s morefortable at the hamlet, but it¡¯s too cold to stay in winter. If San Jie is interested, we can go there next summer to escape from the heat.¡± After saying this, Yu Xi let out an ¡®ah¡¯. ¡°I had forgotten that San Jie has to embroider dowry next year and won¡¯t have time to go!¡± Although the wedding date had not yet been set, the 10th Prince was eager to marry Yuchen. Hence, it was estimated that the wedding would be arranged after the mourning period was over.

    Yuchen looked at Yuxi with a somewhatplicated expression. The previous Yuxi seemed to be carrying baggage that made people feel heavy just by looking at her. In contrast, the current Yuxi had put her baggage away, which made her whole body rxed. Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not as good at needlework as you are. I¡¯ve been embroidering a quilt top for two months now and still haven¡¯t finished it yet.¡±

    There were only trusted subordinates inside the room. Thus both of them did not have any scruples when speaking. Yuxi smiled as she said, ¡°San Jie, everyone has their own specialities. Just let the embroiderers in the Imperial Household Department embroider the quilts and so on! Just do what you are good at doing.¡± As Yuchen was marrying the 10th Prince, the wedding dress was embroidered by the embroiderers of the Imperial Household Department. So there was no need for Yuchen to bother about it herself. As for the other small items, if you were willing, then you could do them. If you were unwilling, just let the embroiderers do them, and no one would pick on you for it.

    Hearing this suggestion, Yuchen somewhat regretted it. ¡°If my needlework could be as good as Si Mei, I would be able to embroider my own wedding dress.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t embroider the Prince¡¯s Fei¡¯s wedding dress herself. Her skills had to be on par with the Imperial Household Department¡¯s embroiderers for her to do so. Yuchen¡¯s embroidery work was average, so she definitely couldn¡¯t embroider it herself. She felt sorry that she couldn¡¯t wear her own embroidered wedding dress for her wedding.

    There was a famous saying that a bride who married in her own wedding dress would be happy for the rest of her life. Yuxi scoffed at this saying. Of course, she hid her disdain in her heart. She would not do it out in the open.

    On the way back, Yuchen asked Momo Gui, ¡°Momo, do you feel that Si Mei has changed a lot?¡± This change in Yuxi was as if she had shed her mortal body and exchanged her bones. [+]

    Momo Gui was not surprised at all as she said, ¡°Fourth Miss knows that she is not liked by the Old Lady and the Third Lord. If she did and said something wrong, she would have been chastised by them. This chastisement might be more than she could bear, so she acted with a bit of caution and was careful and discreet in her daily life. Now, the Fourth Miss no longer has this kind of worry.¡± Qiu Shi and Master Shizi treated the Fourth Miss even better, but they were still just aunts and cousins from the other house and could not control the affairs of the Third House. But now, it was different. The Fourth Miss was a member of the Main House. Even if she did and said something wrong, it was still the Main House¡¯s people who would deal with her. The third house¡¯s people had no right to peck at her. It could be said that now the Fourth Miss could walk around the residence without any problem.

    Yuchen smiled bitterly. ¡°Yes, the current Yuxi is no longer the old Yuxi.¡± In the past, Yuxi always carried a caution whenever she saw her. But now, Yuxi had a casual attitude in front of her. With her status changed, even her attitude had changed. Yuchen didn¡¯t know whether this change was good or bad.

    Momo Gui pointed out the truth, ¡°Miss, such a change in Fourth Miss is good for her and the Han family.¡± When the Fourth Miss was adopted to the Main House, her life would be morefortable, and her heart¡¯s resentment would naturally dissipate.

    Yuchen nodded gently and said, ¡°Let¡¯s hope so!¡±

    When Yuchen reached her house, she took a nce at the fan that was inside her room. She sighed with a smile, ¡°What a pity.¡± Yuxi¡¯s handicraft was so exquisite that even the embroiderers in the Imperial Household Department could not match it. It was a pity that Yuxi had such good craftsmanship but didn¡¯t use it much. Otherwise, she would have asked her to help embroider arge screen to give Guifei Niangniang as a birthday gift. However, she was only thinking about it and would not ask. She knew that, even if she asked, Yuxi would disagree.

    Momo Gui said, ¡°When a thing is rare, it bes precious. It¡¯s the fewer things like this that make them rare. Besides, embroidery is time and energy-consuming. It also consumes a lot of one¡¯s eyesight. Just like this fan, which cannot be embroidered properly without a month of hard work.¡± This kind of double-sided embroidery was the most time consuming, and the eyes of the most skilled embroiderers would not be so good after they reached the age of thirty. This was why double-sided embroidery was so sought after. It took talent and perseverance to learn to do double-sided embroidery, and one had to pay the embroiderer¡¯s sry to get one. But within a few years of learning, one¡¯s body would deteriorate, and one would be unable to embroider anymore.

    Yuchen slightly sighed. ¡°So, the Heavens have been kind to Yuxi.¡± For something so hard to find and requiring so much work, Yuxi had learned it so easily. Even if Yuchen had worked so hard, just like how she learned things like the qin, chess, calligraphy and painting, she would not be able to reach the same level as Yuxi.

    Momo Gui agreed with this statement. ¡°The Fourth Miss is uniquely gifted in embroidery.¡±

 Chapter 230 - New Year, New Hope

    <strong>Chapter 230 : New Year, New Hope</strong>

    From the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, it began to snow. It snowed for two days and two nights, covering the rooftop, trees and roads with a thickyer of snow.

    Zisu came in with water for Yuxi to wash her face. She put down the towel and said, ¡°Fortunately, we went back to the residence. If we were still in the countryside, I didn¡¯t know how we would still be alive!¡± On such a cold day, without a floor dragon inside the hamlet manor, her Miss would have to lie in bed all day long.

    Yuxi washed her face, sat at the dressing table and asked, ¡°If the hamlet people can live there year after year, there¡¯s no way I can not do too.¡± In that situation, one could get through in any way one could.

    Zisu questioned, ¡°How can they bepared to Miss?¡± Her Miss was so delicately precious that she was no match for the ordinary people of the hamlet.

    Yuxi took a hairpin iid with huge pearls and put it on her head, saying, ¡°What is there topare. If we leave my status aside, we are all the same in the end.¡± No matter how high an official family was, they would be no different from ordinary people once they met with misfortune!

    Zisu wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to argue with Yuxi about this.

    The news of Yuxi¡¯s adoption to the Main House had long since been revealed, and everyone who should know had known about it. So when Yuxi went to visit her rtives, she received nearly twice as many money gifts as before.

    When she visited the Zhou family on the third day of the Lunar New Year, the First and Second Lady Zhou gave her thick red envelopes. Yuxi was not as excited to receive the red envelopes as she did when she was a child. She just smiled decently and thanked the two elders.

    After the ceremony, Zhou Shiya dragged Yuxi back to her courtyard. Once inside, Zhou Shiya grabbed Yuxi¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°Yuxi, I heard that Lady Chen has taken a liking to you and wants to marry you to Chen Ran. She has even proposed to the Han family already. Is this true?¡± Zhou Shiya had just heard about this matter from her Mother this morning. At first, she could not believe it, but her mother would not lie to her about such things. This was the reason why Zhou Shiya desperately needed to get an answer from Yuxi.

    Yuxi inquired with a surprised look on her face, ¡°Who has been talking nonsense here? You know what kind of person Chen Ran is. He is the jieyuan ofst year¡¯s provincial exams. How can I be worthy of him?¡± Telling Zhou Shiya was the same as telling Second Lady Zhou. So there were many secret things that Yuxi would not say to Zhou Shiya. It wasn¡¯t that she was deliberately withholding it, but it was better for everyone.

    Zhou Shiya didn¡¯t think Yuxi was unworthy. ¡°How can you be unworthy? Isn¡¯t he just a jieyuan? It¡¯s not like he¡¯s a zhuangyuan.¡± There would be more than twenty jieyuan after a provincial examination. Since there were that many jieyuan, it made the title worthless. However, since this title zhuangyuan was given only to one person, the title became more valuable. But it didn¡¯t make it rare, though. After all, a new one would be selected every three years. [+]

    Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know what kind of reputation I have. Do you think Lady Chen will let her son marry a wife with a bad fate like me?¡±

    Zhou Shiya sounded out with amusement and anger, ¡°Are you really stupid, or are you just pretending to be stupid? Even Great Teacher Pu Yuan said that you did not have a bad fate. Who still dares to say that you have a bad fate now?¡±

    Yuxi was stunned. ¡°When did this happen? Howe I don¡¯t know?¡±

    When Zhou Shiya looked at Yuxi¡¯s reaction, and after confirming that Yuxi indeed didn¡¯t know about this, she said, ¡°This thing happened at the end ofst year. Many people didn¡¯t believe it when the State Residence released the news. Later, the head steward of Lingshan Temple personally confirming the news by dering that Great Teacher Pu Yuan didn¡¯t say that you have a bad fate. When the head steward said this, there were severaldies around! Therefore, they couldn¡¯t help but believe it.¡±

    Yuxi blinked and said with a smile, ¡°Mother and Dage didn¡¯t even tell me. If you don¡¯t tell me about this, I feel like I¡¯ve been kept inside a drum¡± Even if she refused the Chen family, she could easily find other good families without this bad reputation surrounding her.

    Zhou Shiya said, ¡°Yuxi, I don¡¯t think what my Mother said is just wind from an empty cave. Look, you are different from before. You are smart and capable, and you are also pretty. Where can they find such a good girl like you? It¡¯s not surprising that Lady Chen has taken a fancy to you.¡±

    Yuxi cheerfully stated, ¡°Stopplimenting me. If you overpraise me, I¡¯ll float high up to the sky.¡± However, with her current condition, her range of choices was indeed muchrger. It wasn¡¯t that she was boasting, but with the exception of royalty, she could marry anyone just by using her mere status and skills.

    Zhou Shiyained, with a grimace, ¡°You don¡¯t know how my Mother poked me on my forehead and said I was useless when she told me about these things. She even said that if I were half as capable as you, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about my marriage.¡± It was frustrating to hear her own Mother say those things to her.

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t help herself fromughing. ¡°Your Mother said that to spur you on so that you would learn well on your needlework. In your Mother¡¯s heart, naturally, her own daughter is the best and the most excellent.¡±

    At that moment, Zhou Shiya¡¯s maid walked in and announced, ¡°Miss, Eighth Miss is here.¡±

    Yuxi was a little surprised and asked, ¡°Why did shee over?¡± Yuxi and the Eighth Miss Zhou, Zhou Shirui, were only friendly on the surface, and they had never dealt with each other in private.

    Zhou Shiya replied with a smile, ¡°I guess she came to see you. My shumei has always been good at studying. Now you probably have be the ultimate goal for her struggle!¡± The di daughter of Duke Han of the State, who was loved by Lady Han and her two elder brothers, weighed many times heavier than the di daughter of the Third House.

    The Second Lady Zhou¡¯s means were so outstanding. Plus, with the aid from her maiden family¡¯s strong background, she managed to suppress all the concubines until they did not even dare to stir any trouble. However, Zhou Shirui was a shu daughter of the Main House and did not fall within the Second Lady Zhou¡¯s jurisdiction.

    Yuxiughed lightly, ¡°Let her be. I don¡¯t even know what struggle she was referring to? I just had no choice back then.¡± If she hadn¡¯t been forced to do so, she wouldn¡¯t have been willing to be adopted.

    Zhou Shiya shook her head. ¡°I do know, but they don¡¯t. They only know that the Yuxi now is particrly loved by Lady Han and Master Shizi Han. They believe you are very resourceful.¡±

    After Zhou Shirui came in, she was very enthusiastic, praising Yuxi from head to toe and even eximed that Yuxi was like a fairy descended from the sky.

    In order to make a better life for oneself, there was nothing wrong with one currying favour with others. Yuxi had also done the same thing with Yuchen before. But Zhou Shirui¡¯s look was too revealing. Not to mention Yuxi, even Zhou Shiya couldn¡¯t bear to listen anymore. ¡°Yuxi, didn¡¯t you just say you were going back with Da Biaoge and Er Biaoge? Let¡¯s go, then!¡± Zhou Shirui¡¯s act was truly a disgrace to the Zhou family.

    Yuxi was used to sitting on a cold bench. Thus she was a bit overwhelmed by the passionate Zhou Shirui. Hearing Zhou Shiya¡¯s words, she immediately stood up. But before she could say anything, Zhou Shirui stood up and said, ¡°Biaojie, let me join you!¡±

    Yuxi was a guest, and there were some things she could not directly say. Zhou Shiya responded casually, ¡°I have something to talk to Yuxi, which is not good for other people to listen to. If you want to talk to Yuxi personally, wait for another time!¡± It was not because Zhou Shiya had no consideration for other people¡¯s sensibilities. It was because Zhou Shirui was too cheeky. She wouldn¡¯t have gone away if you didn¡¯t tell her bluntly.

    Zhou Shirui noticed that Yuxi did not say anything to help her. Consequently, she left with an ugly look on her face.

    Zhou Shiya led Yuxi to Old Lady Zhou¡¯s courtyard, telling Yuxi as they walked, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be polite when you see her in the future. She¡¯ll climb all over you if you do.¡± Ever since Zhou Shirui disgraced herself at a banquet, First Lady Zhou stopped bringing her along when she went to social functions afterwards.

    Yuxi smiled as she answered, ¡°I know.¡± Her social circle would be even more expansive, and she would meet all kinds of people in the future. However, it was good for her to start getting used to it.

    Back at the State Residence, Han Jianming said to Yuxi, ¡°Yuxi, you are not in the same condition as before. If someone bullies you, you don¡¯t have to put up with it; even if anything happens, your Er Ge and I will stand up for you.¡± Perhaps it was the circumstances that made Han Jianming feel that Yuxi had been too tolerant. He could do nothing about it in the past, but now, he was unwilling to see Yuxi acting like this anymore. [+]

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know why Han Jianming said that, but such a in statement had moved her to tears, ¡°Dage, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be bullied.¡±

    When Han Jianye saw that Yuxi was crying, he thought she had suffered something while in the Zhou family. ¡°Tell Er Ge, who have bullied you? Er Ge will take them out for you.¡±

    Han Jianming touched Yuxi¡¯s head and said with a smile, ¡°Silly girl, why are you crying? It¡¯s cold outside. Go back to your house quickly!¡± Yuxi cried because he had said such words, which showed that this child had been wronged too much before. However, when he thought of San Shu¡¯s attitude towards Yuxi, he could understand Yuxi¡¯s reaction.

    After Yuxi left, Han Jianye still had a worried look on his face. ¡°That girl doesn¡¯t even want to say anything even when she is aggrieved. How can she not be bullied if she acts like this?¡±

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi¡¯s back and softly said, ¡°There are some grievances that she is unable to say to us.¡± There were no parents under heaven who were right all the time. Even if San Shu went too far, there was no way for Yuxi to say it aloud. If she did, not only would she not be pitied, but she would be considered unfilial. The good thing was, there was no need for her to suffer such aggravation again in the future.

    On her way back, Yuxi ran into Han Jingyan. It was the first time that father and daughter had met since they had a fallout at the hamlet, and their first meeting happened in this kind of situation.

    Yuxi curtsied and called out, ¡°San Shu.¡± Calling him San Shu was much easier than calling him, Father. There were no words that could express how relieved Yuxi felt when she called him San Shu.

    The way she called him sounded harsh to Han Jingyan¡¯s ears. He just nodded slightly and left with his pageboy without saying anything. It was better not to say anything at this point. He would just pretend that he never had this daughter in his life.

    Zisu looked at Yuxi, who had stood fixedly in ce, with her eyes looking at the ce where the Third Lord had walked away to. She felt a little worried for Yuxi, ¡°Miss, the Third Lord has already gone. We should go back too.¡±

    Yuxi said in the direction Han Jingyan had left instead, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. I don¡¯t have to worry anymore.¡± In the past, she always worried that Han Jingyan would push her into the fire pit again for his profit. But now, she no longer had to worry about it.

    Zisu thought that Yuxi was saying that she would no longer have to worry about being scolded by Han Jingyan, so she nodded and said, ¡°Yes! It¡¯s all in the past. In the future, you won¡¯t have to suffer anymore.¡±

    Yuxi nodded her head and suddenly turned her sight. ¡°Zisu, you are also neen years old this year. It¡¯s time for you to settle your lifelong event. Let¡¯s settle your marriage now, and you can get married next year. It will be just in time. Otherwise, it will be toote for you.¡±

    Zisu blushed a little and stated, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll stay with you for the rest of my life. I won¡¯t go anywhere.¡±

    However, Yuxi was unwilling to let Zisu have her way. ¡°Zisu, I know what you¡¯re worried about. Your father is your father. Just because your father is like that doesn¡¯t mean your future husband will be the same.¡± It would be good if Zisu could stay by her side and didn¡¯t leave her, but she could not be so selfish. If a woman didn¡¯t marry, she would eventually regret the decision not to have her own home and children.

    Zisu knew she couldn¡¯t talk sense to Yuxi, and she had been thinking about this matter recently. ¡°Miss, if you want to find someone for me, please find someone from the residence! After I get married, I¡¯lle back to serve you.¡± After she married, she coulde back as a stewardess.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Alright.¡± So long as Zisu rx her bite and release what she had been holding (relented) just by agreeing to get married.

 Chapter 231 - Marriage Proposal (1)

    <strong>Chapter 231 : Marriage Proposal (1)</strong>

    After the Lantern Festival, the Lady of Taining had requested First Lady Zhou to be her middleman. She wanted First Lady Zhou to speak with the Han family and told them that the Chen family were ready to ask for an official matchmaker to propose.

    Wealthy and influential families like the Chen were very strict in their acts. They would only propose marriage when they got a definite answer from the other party. Otherwise, it would not look good if the matchmaker hade only to be rejected.

    When the First Lady Zhou went to the Han family, she went straight to the Main Courtyard and spoke to Old Lady Han. The First Lady Zhou said, ¡°Gumu, this marriage is tough to find even if you used antern.¡± First Lady Zhou¡¯s daughter, Zhou Shihua, was already married. If First Lady Zhou still had a daughter, she would have been interested in arranging a marriage with Chen Ran.

    Old Lady Han simply nodded in agreement, without needing First Lady Zhou to waste her time to exin. Not to mention Chen Ran himself was already very good. As far as the Chen family was concerned, Yuxi wouldn¡¯t lose any money if she married him.

    The First Lady Zhou thought it would take much argument, but she didn¡¯t expect the Old Lady to be forting. ¡°This child, Yuxi, is truly blessed.¡± So many people had admired Chen Ran, but in the end, his marriage fell onto Yuxi¡¯sp. What else could she say, other than Yuxi had been blessed?

    As soon as the First Lady Zhou left, Old Lady Han instructed Old Woman Luo, ¡°Go call Yuxi over.¡± If it had been in the past, Old Lady Han would have asked someone else to inform Yuxi, and that would have been the end of it. But now, the situation was different. Since she had promised Qiu Shi, she would have to persuade Yuxi personally.

    When Yuxi saw Mama Luo and heard the Old Lady was looking for her, she knew something was wrong, and it was not a small matter. If there was nothing wrong, the Old Lady would not have been looking for her, let alone asking Mama Luo toe over herself.

    Without hesitation, Yuxi went with Mama Luo to the Main Courtyard at once. On the way, she pretended to be very casual as she asked, ¡°Mama, why is Grandmother looking for me?¡±

    Mama Luo smiled and said, ¡°Miss will know once Miss gets to the main house. It¡¯s a good thing.¡± If it weren¡¯t for the Old Lady¡¯s serious look at that time, she would tell Yuxi the happy event right away. [+]

    Yuxi¡¯s heart thudded. Good things? What good things could there be for her now except for her marriage? Thinking of her marriage, Yuxi asked, ¡°Mama Luo, did Biao Jiumue over recently?¡±

    Mama Luo smiled a little, not nodding or denying. The Fourth Miss was now different from before. With such a good marriage, it would bring a change to her fortunes.

    Yuxi¡¯s mind instantly had a definite idea of what her Grandmother was doing.

    When the Old Lady saw Yuxi, she didn¡¯t y any dumb riddle. She directly told her the First Lady Zhou¡¯s intention for her visit. ¡°I heard your mother say that you are not satisfied with the Chen family¡¯s marriage proposal?¡±

    Yuxi had prepared herself, and naturally, she responded with statements where one drop of water couldn¡¯t even leak out. ¡°Grandmother, the Marquis Taining¡¯s family is even more powerful than our Duke¡¯s family. While Chen Ran is a jieyuan. No one can pick a single bad thing about his family or Chen Ran. I heard that even the First Madam Yu family wants to marry her daughter to him!¡±

    The Old Lady did not change her expression and asked, ¡°If you have anything to say, say it directly. There is no need to go round the curves and skirt the corners.¡± This girl was so thorough that she might say something different.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Grandmother, it is because this marriage is so good that I find it strange. Grandmother, how can a family, like Marquis Taining, take a fancy on someone like me? I¡¯m not belittling myself. I truly don¡¯t deserve Chen Ran just based on my terms. Without speaking about other things, just because I have such a bad fate, there is no way for the Lady of Taining to take a liking to me.¡± After a pause, Yuxi asked the Old Lady, ¡°Grandmother, if it were you, would you marry your son to a daughter-inw who has a bad fate?¡±

    The Old Lady¡¯s eyes narrowed for a moment before asking, ¡°You think the Chen family wants to marry you for another reason? But what do they want from you? And what good things do you have for them to calcte against you?¡± The Old Lady¡¯s words could be said to have drawn blood on the first prick. Not to mention that Yuxi had nothing for the Chen family to calcte. Even the Han family had nothing for the Chen family to plot for.

    Yuxi had to admit that ginger got spicier as it got older. These questions immediately blocked her from saying anything. Luckily, she was fully prepared to argue. ¡°Grandmother, I don¡¯t know what exactly they are after, but I think the Chen family is not as good as what is rumoured outside. At least, as far as I know, there are many crises within the Chen family.¡± How could the Chen not be in danger when its next heir followed such a traitorous prince?

    The Old Lady¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°What kind of crisis?¡±

    Yuxi briefly spoke about the 9th Prince¡¯s possible treason, then said, ¡°The Chen family has put all their treasure on the 9th Prince. Once the 9th Prince¡¯s treason is exposed, it will severely damage the Chen family. If not, it can destroy them.¡±

    The Old Lady¡¯s hand grasping the Buddha bead trembled, but this action was very obscure. Even Yuxi could not see it. ¡°Did your Dage tell you this?¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°It was Dage who told me. Earlier, I asked for Dage¡¯s help in looking into Xinrong Jiejie¡¯s affairs, and I identally overheard these words.¡±

    The Old Lady¡¯s sharp eyes seemed to be able to see through people. No one knew better than her how cautious Jianming was. How could such a vital matter be identally overheard by Yuxi? The Old Lady didn¡¯t even need to ask. She knew that Han Jianming must have deliberately let Yuxi know about this matter. As for why Han Jianming did it, the Old Lady didn¡¯t know, and she wouldn¡¯t ask if Han Jianming wouldn¡¯t tell her himself.

    Yuxi¡¯s scalp tingled at the Old Lady¡¯s sharp stare, but she endured with all her will and did not show any trace of timidity.

    After some time, the Old Lady turned the Buddha beads again. She stated, ¡°If you disagree with the Chen family¡¯s marriage proposal just because of this, you don¡¯t need to worry yourself about it. Even if the things done by the 9th Prince are exposed, the Chen family will still be fine.¡±

    Yuxi looked puzzled as she asked, ¡°Is the Chen family that powerful?¡± If that incident broke out and the Chen family still managed to get away with it, how deep must the inside story be!

    The Old Lady slowly exined. ¡°It was the Emperor¡¯s wish for Marquis Taining¡¯s Shizi to assist the 9th Prince. They didn¡¯t do it to gain more merit through the dragon¡¯s seed. The 9nth Prince did this more than ten years ago. At that time, Marquis Taining¡¯s Shizi had not yet followed him. So, even if this matter broke out, the Chen family could still get away with it.¡± But, if this matter did break out, the Marquis Taining¡¯s Shizi would get into trouble too.

    For the Old Lady, it was better for this matter to be out in the open. Once the treason was exposed, the 9th Prince would have no chance of taking the throne, and the Song family would support the 10th Prince next. If the 10th Prince took the throne, Yuchen would be the next Empress. With the Marquis Taining¡¯s Shizi mixed in with the 9th Prince¡¯s treason, Chen Ran would be the next Marquis Taining¡¯s heir. And Yuxi would be the future mistress. By then, the Han family would surely be able to take advantage of the opportunity to rise back to the top and never have to live in other¡¯s favour again.

    Yuxi understood her Grandmother¡¯s words. ¡°Grandmother means that I cannot refuse this marriage?¡± Or rather, the Old Lady would not allow her to refuse the marriage at all.

    The Old Lady said, ¡°I told you. Even if you have been adopted to the Main House, you are still the young Miss of the Han family.¡± It took a lot of manpower, material and financial resources to carefully raise a young miss. She was nurtured for a future marriage that could benefit the family. Otherwise, the Old Lady wouldn¡¯t have gone to so much trouble that day.

    Yuxi understood what the Old Lady meant by this. This marriage would benefit the family, so there was no room for refusal even if she disagreed. ¡°I understand.¡± What the Old Lady had decided was not something she could change. Therefore, Yuxi wouldn¡¯t waste her spirit just to argue. However, just because she couldn¡¯t make sense to her Grandmother didn¡¯t mean that Dage couldn¡¯t. [+]

    Han Jianming did not understand why Yuxi was so resistant to this marriage. ¡°Yuxi, if you can give me a reasonable reason, I can help you to convince Grandmother.¡±

    What reason could Yuxi have? She just felt that there was something wrong but could not precisely say what was wrong. ¡°Dage, I just feel that the Chen family is up to no good.¡±

    Han Jianming smiled. ¡°Then tell me, where did you feel the Chen family is up to no good?¡± Han Jianming thought differently from the Old Lady; the Chen family was undoubtedly good, but Yuxi¡¯s marriage didn¡¯t have to be with the Chen family. Their family might benefit more by allowing Yuxi to marry a young general with military power in his hands. As for whether Yuxi would have a lousy time marrying such a man, Han Jianming was not worried at all. Given her intelligence, it was unlikely that she would have a bad life as long as she had the mind to do so.

    Yuxi¡¯s mind started to turn as she said, ¡°Chen Ran is not as good as what is said outside. I think he might have a little problem in his head?¡±

    Han Jianming chided with amusement, ¡°Yuxi, it¡¯s fine that you are unwilling to tie the knot because you don¡¯t like Chen Ran, but you can¡¯t make up any nonsense!¡± For a man who could even win the title of jieyuan, she even dared to use him of having a brain problem. If word about this got out, how many people would attack her for it!

    Yuxi was not making things up and told Han Jianming all the four times she had met Chen Ran. She reasoned out, ¡°If he had taken a liking to me, he wouldn¡¯t have ignored me on the first two asions. By the third time, he suddenly struck up a conversation without any reason at all. The fourth time was even more outrageous. He would even go so far as to say he wanted to speak to me alone. Dage, doesn¡¯t he know that men and women should not touch hands when they give or receive things?¡±

    After listening to Yuxi¡¯s ramblings, Han Jianming finally understood. ¡°Yuxi, it¡¯s not that the Chen family has ulterior motives towards you. It¡¯s you who don¡¯t have confidence in yourself. You feel that the Chen family is too high and Chen Ran is too good for you.¡± Because she felt that she was unworthy, she thought that the Chen family would have ulterior motives when they abruptly came to her door to propose marriage.

    Han Jianming concluded that Yuxi¡¯s refusal to the marriage was due to her inferiorityplex. ¡°Yuxi, although the Han family is not as influential as the Chen family in the Imperial Court, the two families are still a good match. Moreover, Chen Ran is not the eldest son, and you are excellent in every way to match Chen Ran. So why do you suddenly have this inferiorityplex?¡±

    Yuxi froze for a moment and smiled bitterly, ¡°Dage, I¡¯m not.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she had an inferiorityplex, nor did she think she didn¡¯t deserve Chen Ran. It was that the shadow the Jiang family had cast over her was too deep. Chen Ran and Jiang Hongjin were too simr in some ways. Both had good family backgrounds and were excellent in their own right. Most importantly, Chen Ran had somehow taken a liking to her and thene to her door to propose marriage. How could she not be frightened by such a situation? She was afraid of escaping from the Jiang family¡¯s wolf¡¯s den, only to enter the Chen family¡¯s tiger¡¯s den.

    As Han Jianming watched Yuxi grow sorrowful, he felt a little bad in his heart. ¡°Yuxi, if the Chen family marries you for ulterior motives, Dage will adamantly refuse. But in fact, this is not the case. Yuxi, Dage won¡¯t want you to miss out on such a good marriage just because of a momentary inferiorityplex.¡±

    Yuxi was silent for a moment and asked, ¡°Dage, are you sure this is a good marriage and not a fire pit?¡±

    Han Jianming answered while feeling both amused and annoyed. ¡°If it is a fire pit, do you think Dage will still push you in? Or, in your mind, Dage is a cold-blooded and ruthless person.¡±

    Yuxi hurriedly shook her head, ¡°No, of course not.¡± Although Dage was sometimes a bit ruthless in his methods, he was a very affectionate person.

    Han Jianming also stopped talking and looked at Yuxi with a smile that didn¡¯t look like a smile.

    At this point, Yuxi could only admit, ¡°Dage, I¡¯m just scared.¡± She was afraid. Afraid of falling into the same situation she had in her previous life.

    Han Jianming said, ¡°Normally, I think you are quite capable, but whenever it matters the most, you screw up. What are you afraid of? The Chen family is not a wolves¡¯ir and tiger¡¯s den. Do you think they can just wipe you off without valid reason?¡±

    Yuxi was lectured so thoroughly that she didn¡¯t dare to look up.

 Chapter 232 - Marriage Proposal (2)

    <strong>Chapter 232 : Marriage Proposal (2)</strong>

    Looking at Yuxi¡¯s pitiful look, Han Jianming also felt a bit ufortable. For Yuxi to have such low self-esteem was because of her previous environment influence.

    When Han Jianming thought of this, his expression also eased a little. ¡°Yuxi, if you think the Chen family is bad, then just forget about it.¡±

    Yuxi thought for a while and said, ¡°Dage, I want to meet with Chen Ran. I want to ask him personally why he wants to marry me.¡± If she hadn¡¯t had this deep conversation with Han Jianming, she would have said yes immediately upon hearing his arguments. But now, Yuxi had changed her mind. If Chen Ran liked her and did not have ulterior motives, and she had missed such a good marriage because of what had happened in her previous life, it would be her loss.

    A smile appeared on Han Jianming¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s the right thing to do. If you are not satisfied with the answer given by Chen Ran, Dage will step in and refuse the marriage. However, suppose Chen Ran says he likes you, and that¡¯s why he wants to marry you. In that case, you should stop being unduly humble yourself.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face was as red as a boiled shrimp. ¡°Dage¡­¡­men and women should not touch hands when they give or receive things.¡± She didn¡¯t realise that her Dage was so abnormal before!

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t see any problem with it. ¡°My Yuxi is so outstanding. It¡¯s normal for you to be liked by others.¡± Chen Ran liked Yuxi and did not even use such cheap tactics as seducing and bugging her, but had the Lady of Taininge to his home to propose marriage. This alone showed that Chen Ran respected and was serious about Yuxi.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t think Chen Ran would like her. But she didn¡¯t dare to speak about it again. She would not be able to take off this inferiorityplex if she did.

    Han Jianming said, ¡°I will have someone tell Chen Ran your idea. If he has the heart to do so, he will certainly take the initiative to offer to meet. If he has no heart, it is better not to tie this marriage.¡± Since Chen Ran had even spoken to the Lady of Taining, he would certainly not screw this up.

    Yuxi breathed out a sigh of relief. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll wait for Dage¡¯s news.¡±

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi¡¯s appearance and couldn¡¯t help butugh a little. ¡°Dage won¡¯t push you towards the fire pit. Don¡¯t think about this kind of nonsense in the future.¡± If one could sacrifice even one¡¯s own brother and sister for the sake of profit, how could others truly follow such a person?

    Yuxi was a little embarrassed.

    In Taoran House, Yuxi sat down on the dressing table and carefully looked at herself in the mirror.

    Seeing that Yuxi had been looking at the mirror for a long time and had a deep frown afterwards, Zisu asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Miss?¡±

    Yuxi answered, ¡°Marquis Taining Residence hase to talk about my marriage again. Dage said Chen Ran took a fancy to me. I was just thinking, what did Chen Ran see in me?¡±

    Zisu was excited after being surprised by Yuxi¡¯s words. ¡°Miss, this is a great thing!¡± There couldn¡¯t be a much better family than the Chen!

    Watching each and every one of them so excited after hearing this news, Yuxi felt very ufortable. ¡°What do you think Chen Ran sees in me? I don¡¯t have the most beautiful looks, I don¡¯t have overwhelming talent, and I don¡¯t have a good reputation outside, so how could he take a fancy on me?¡± Yuxi had always thought that she was not influenced by Yuchen. But in reality, she did not notice how deeply Yuchen had affected her. Yuchen was the existence she needed to look up to in her previous life, and in this life, Yuchen was still that perfect existence. So, in Yuxi¡¯s mind, a woman should be like Yuchen, with her great looks, overwhelming natural talent and umon talent. Only then could a woman be considered outstanding, and only then would she be favoured and adored by men. In Yuxi¡¯s mind, she also wished she could be a woman like Yuchen, but this was merely her wishful thinking.

    Zisu was stunned. Only after half a second did Zisu say, ¡°Miss, where could you becking? Who else in the capital can do double-sided embroidery?¡± After saying this, she went on to say, ¡°Besides, you can y chess, paint and write well. You are also an excellent cook, and you can cook medicinal meals. Moreover, you are also a good housekeeper. Even Second Master Chen has set his eye on you. Why would you think you are not good enough for him?¡±

    When Zisu said that, it seemed like she was pretty outstanding! Yuxi stroked her face and muttered, ¡°Am I really that good?¡± Yuxi, as Han Jianming said, did not have any confidence in herself. One couldn¡¯t see it on weekdays, but it would be revealed at the critical moment. [+]

    When Zisu heard this, she almost fainted.

    While Yuxi was torn, the Lady of Taining had received news from First Lady Zhou that the Old Lady had agreed to the marriage. She was preparing to ask the official matchmaker to propose marriage to the Han family the following day.

    Chen Ran came over at this time and asked the Lady of Taining, ¡°Mother, are you going to have the matchmaker go to the Han family tomorrow to propose a marriage?¡±

    The Lady of Taining thought her son want to pull off from the marriage again. Thus she said unpleasantly, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, the Han family has already agreed. So you can¡¯t y any more wicked tricks.¡± Now that the Han family had agreed, the two families might have to be enemies if they suddenly went back on their promise.

    Chen Ran asked another question, ¡°I want to ask if Han Yuxi has agreed to this marriage?¡± Chen Ran had guessed before that Yuxi would disagree, and as expected, they did not even talk to her. But it was good to see that she had sent a line, saying she would like to meet him to talk about it.

    The Lady of Taining answered without even thinking, ¡°Marriage is a matter of parents¡¯ orders and matchmakers¡¯ words. If Old Lady Han and the First Lady Han have agreed to this marriage, it will be fine.¡± This was the same for everyone else. Moreover, the Lady of Taining did not think that Yuxi would refuse. Her son was so good. How many girls had wished to marry him! It was only her son who had poor eyesight for taking a fancy on Han Yuxi.

    Chen Ran said, ¡°Mother, thest time I went to the manor to say thank you, ugly words were spread by people with bad hearts as a result. Miss Han must have a knot in her heart because of it. I think it¡¯s better to meet and talk things over face to face to clear any misunderstandings.¡±

    The Lady of Taining felt that Chen Ran wasted time after the Han family agreed to the marriage. Even if there was a misunderstanding, there would be plenty of opportunities to exin itter on.

    Chen Ran insisted on seeing Yuxi. ¡°Mother, if you don¡¯t arrange for it, I will find a way to see her myself.¡±

    The Lady of Taining did not dare to let Chen Ran see Yuxi on his own. She had not forgotten the words that Yuxi had told the page boy to bring home that day. If her son went to see Han Yuxi, the usual method would be useless. She didn¡¯t need to think about it. She knew it would be a mess, so she said, ¡°Okay, then I will give Lady Han a message and find an opportunity for you two to meet in the next few days. I¡¯m telling you, after the meeting, you have to study at home peacefully and don¡¯t worry about anything else.¡± Although Han Yuxi¡¯s words that day were not polite, it was clear from this incident that the other party was a self-respecting person. She found this to be much more pleasing than those who tried to stick themselves to her son.

    Chen Ran questioned, ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m the one who¡¯s trying to y wicked tricks? Maybe Miss Han doesn¡¯t like me and doesn¡¯t want to marry me!¡±

    The Lady of Taining chided, ¡°Nonsense. The Old Lady and First Lady Han have agreed. How could she refuse? Moreover, if she refuses, where can she find someone better than my son?¡±

    When Chen Ran saw that he had achieved his purpose, he didn¡¯t pay any attention to Lady of Taining acting like Wangpo sold melon and sang his own praises. He just said, ¡°Then I will wait for Mother¡¯s news.¡±

    The Lady of Taining did not hesitate to discuss the matter with Qiu Shi. Without being picky, the two of them simply set to meet the following day, seeing that the weather would be good.

    Yuxi was a bit speechless when she knew that she would be meeting Chen Ran at the Lingshan Temple. ¡°Mother, how can you choose Lingshan Temple as the meeting ce? It¡¯s disrespectful to the Buddha!¡± Going to the temple on a cold day was a bumpy enough ride in a horse-drawn carriage.

    Qiu Shi poked Yuxi¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°It¡¯s just for you to meet and have a few words. What were you thinking about? But it¡¯s good for both of you to meet. If you have any questions, you can ask him face to face to save you from indulging in flights of fancy at home.¡±

    Hearing these words, Yuxi didn¡¯t know what else to say.

    Qiu Shi stroked Yuxi¡¯s head and softly said, ¡°Mother knows that you are actually afraid. In fact, all women have to go through this. The Chen family is good, Lady Chen is generous, and Chen Ran himself has fallen for you. So if you marry into the Chen family, you will definitely have a good life. Otherwise, Mother wouldn¡¯t have agreed in the first ce.¡± What Qiu Shi meant by fear was a woman¡¯s fear of getting married. Not the same as what Han Jianming said. [+]

    Yuxi hesitated and asked, ¡°Mother, is Lady Chen really as generous as it is rumoured?¡±

    Qiu Shi smiled, ¡°Mother knows what you are worried about. Don¡¯t worry, I have dealt with Lady Chen several times. She is a generous person. Even if she doesn¡¯t like you because of the rumours outside, she won¡¯t make things difficult for you. Thest time there were rumours about you in the capital, it was Lady Chen herself who stepped in to clear them up. Then again, you saved Chen Ran¡¯s life that day. Just for the sake of saving his life, she wouldn¡¯t deliberately make things difficult for you.¡±

    Yuxi was a little embarrassed. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s just borrowing them a carriage. How can I say it¡¯s a life-saving favour.¡± As far as she knew, even without her carriage, Chen Ran would have been fine. In her previous life, Chen Ran had lived a good life even without her help.

    But Qiu Shi didn¡¯t think so. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t gone to Red Jujube Hamlet, the people from the Marquis Taining¡¯s residence wouldn¡¯t have been able to borrow the carriage.¡± After saying this, Qiu Shi also felt that it was meaningless and said with a smile, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about that. You have to dress up properly for tomorrow¡¯s trip to Lingshan Temple. You can¡¯t be as casual as you usually do, you know?¡±

    Yuxi nodded a little. ¡°Okay.¡±

    The next day, when she saw Yuxi, Qiu Shi said helplessly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to dress up properly? Why are you still dressed up like this? It¡¯s not good for Lady Chen to see.¡±

    Yuxi was dressed in a violet-blue chang ao with a white zhong yi underneath. Shebed her hair into a crescent moon bun, inserted with six flower stems pattern jadeb and a pair of pearl earrings in her ears. She was dressed in the simplest of ways. If she was justing to pay incense, it would not have been a problem. But it was inappropriate to dress like this for a meeting.

    Chang Ao

    Image Credit | Newhanfu (5 Steps to Figure Out the Chinese Female Outfits (Ming))

    Crescent Moon Bun

    Crescent Moon Bun

    Image Credit | It rightful owner via ¼Ý¿¼Ô¤Ô¼´óÈ«

    Yuxi knew why Qiu Shi was annoyed and tried to reason out. ¡°Mother, people will know what you are doing without even asking if we go to the temple dressed up in fancy clothes.¡± Yuxi had no say in the matter. If she did, she would certainly not have wanted to meet at the temple. However she put it, it just felt weird.

    It would take a lot of time for Yuxi to go and change her clothes at this hour. It would be better to have Yuxi in in clothes than keep the Lady of Taining waiting too long. Qiu Shi responded helplessly, ¡°I really need to keep an eye on you next time. You are always disobedient. It¡¯s fine if we¡¯re at home, but if you¡¯re still like this in your inws¡¯ home, it¡¯s not going to be good.¡±

    Yuxiughed, ¡°That will happen in the year of the monkey and the month of the horse.¡± Her marriage would be two years away, at any rate. She still had two years of free time.

 Chapter 233 - Marriage Proposal (3)

    <strong>Chapter 233 : Marriage Proposal (3)</strong>

    When Qiu Shi and Yuxi arrived at the Lingshan Temple, the people of the Marquis of Taining Residence and Chen Ran had already arrived. The two of them had been waiting for nearly two-quarters of an hour.

    When the Lady of Taining saw Yuxi, she smiled and said, ¡°There was an old saying, a girl changes eighteen times between childhood and womanhood. It is indeed true.¡± The little girl¡¯s face was as crystal as jade. Her skin was as light as snow, and her eyes curved like crescent moons when she smiled at her, making her a delight to look at.

    The Lady of Taining had seen Yuxi twice before. She remembered this child always had a decent smile on her face and calmness that did not belong to her age. But at this moment, it was as if she had changed into a different person. But, the Lady of Taining liked this change.

    Little did Yuxi know that the shift in her mental state had renewed her whole spirit. And the change in her was a delight to many people.

    Qiu Shi was pleased to hear these words. ¡°Children shouldn¡¯t beplimented too much.¡±

    Yuxi walked forward and bowed properly to the Lady of Taining. Yuxi was pretty good in rules and etiquette, and no one could find fault with it. [+]

    After waiting for Yuxi to finish her greeting ceremony, the Lady of Taining smilingly pulled off a jade hairpin embedded with emerald from her hair and inserted it into Yuxi¡¯s bun. ¡°A young girl should not be too in.¡± In this aspect, Yuxi was quite simr to her son. He also liked to dress exceptionally simply. He never wore any essories such as hebao or yupei, while his clothes would always be either white or ck. He never wore anything with colour anyway. [T/N]

    Yuxi saw that the way Lady of Taining spoke was warm, and her words to her were not pretentious, so Yuxi¡¯s heart was slightly reassured. Perhaps, her perception was due to her prejudice. Not everyone was like Yu Shi. ¡°Many thanks for the gift, my Lady.¡±

    The Lady of Taining nodded her head gently. She wasn¡¯t entirely satisfied with Yuxi before. But now that she had met her face to face, she saw that her behaviour was like everyone else, which was not as bad as she had initially thought. People tended to heed and trust only one side. Thus the Lady of Taining had no deep impression of Yuxi back then. Her evaluation of her was solely based on the information she had heard. The news that her subordinates had listened to was inevitably a bit biased. This was why there was a saying; what one heard about may be false, but what one saw was the truth.

    Qiu Shi noticed that it was about time for Yuxi¡¯s meeting. She smiled and said to Yuxi, ¡°If you are bored, you can go out for a walk ande back for lunchter.¡±

    Only after Yuxi had left did the Lady of Taining open her mouth and ask, ¡°I just saw that there are thin calluses on Fourth Miss¡¯ hands. Why is that?¡± There were some things she could not ask in front of the actual person herself. But she wondered, for a girl from an influential family, her hands were like her second face. It was the first time she had ever seen a girl who didn¡¯t maintain her hands as white and tender as spring onions and had thin calluses on them. This made the Lady of Taining think, could this child had to work for a living while she was at home?

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t expect the Lady of Taining to have such good eyes. She exined with a smile. ¡°This child used to study with Teacher Song. She was very strict, requiring them to write two hundred characters every day. This child has developed it into her habit. Even after Teacher Song resigned, this child still insisted on practising her calligraphy every day. After practising for so many years, it¡¯s finally yielded fruitful results. Her writing is like a painting. It¡¯s stunning.¡±

    The Lady of Taining was very surprised to hear this. ¡°You mean to say that Fourth Miss insists on writing two hundred characters every day? All these years without any break?¡±

    Qiu Shi nodded and added, ¡°Apart from being sick, she has never stopped. Besides practising the plum blossom regr script taught by Teacher Song, she also practises the cursive script. But that cursive script is like astronomy to me, where I can¡¯t read them at all.¡± Although she couldn¡¯t read it, she was still proud. With her daughter excelling, her years would be full of glory.

    Lady of Taining was somewhat surprised. ¡°The Fourth Miss learned cursive script?¡± Her son¡¯s favourite was Zhang Xu¡¯s Heart Sutra in Cursive Sutra, which he had practised for so many years. Everyone said that his son wrote cursive well, but the words were like scrawly handwriting, which even she could not make sense of what she was looking at. But just because she couldn¡¯t read it didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t understand what it represented. She knew that cursive was the hardest thing to practice.

    Qiu Shi smiled and nodded as she also sang praises of Yuxi¡¯s impressive embroidery skill. ¡°This child also has a natural talent. What others learn in a month or two, she learned it in just several days. Look, how well she has embroidered this handkerchief. I can¡¯t even bear to use it.¡± After saying this, she handed the handkerchief she had taken from Yuxi yesterday for the Lady of Taining to see.

    The Lady of Taining looked at the handkerchief embroidered with a rosebud in the lower right-hand corner. The stitching was fine and decent, and the colouring was clever as if it were real. This embroidery work was iparable to the work of the best embroidery maid in her house.

    Even Old Woman Lin looked at the handkerchief in surprise and bewilderment. ¡°My Lady, turn it over and have a look.¡±

    When the Lady of Taining turned it over, she saw that the back was also a beautiful rosebud. After turning it over and over several times, she realised that the front and back looked the same. The Lady of Taining asked with shock, ¡°Did the Fourth Miss really embroider this?¡± Although there were rumours that Yuxi could embroider double-sided embroidery, many people who heard it were unconvinced. Even if she was talented, she couldn¡¯t embroider double-sided embroidery without a master to teach her. And as there was no work by Yuxi to pass on, many people did not believe it. But now, the Lady of Taining could only ept it as true. Her reason was simple: Yuxi would marry into the Chen family if they settled on this marriage. No one would be foolish enough to deceive her future husband¡¯s family with such a lie.

    When Qiu Shi saw the Lady of Taining¡¯s reaction, she was very pleased with herself. She couldn¡¯t even hide the smugness from her face. ¡°Yes! After hearing you say that, where would I dare to use such a beautiful handkerchief?¡± After saying this, she also focused on how filial Yuxi was and how good she was to her two brothers. Qiu Shi told the Lady of Taining all this to let her know that Yuxi was a reasonable and considerate child.

    When The Lady of Taining heard this, she felt that she should re-evaluate this Fourth Miss Han. She was afraid that too many shoddy things had been added to the information she had inquired before.

    Yuxi took Zisu out of the guest courtyard and headed in the direction of ¡®Clear Spring Water Pond¡¯, where she had made an appointment to meet earlier.

    Before she reached the ce, Yuxi heard a melodious sound from a flute. The sound of the flute rose, crisp and soft, euphemistic and bright. It was like a piece of heavenly music, pleasant to the soul!

    Once the sound of the flute ended, Yuxi walked over and sighed in her heart. Now that the weather was cold, only a few people hade to offer incense. If someone yed the flute here on normal days, a crowd would have surrounded this ce.

    Yuxi was a little surprised to see Chen Ran. Today¡¯s Chen Ran was a little different from the past. He was wearing a light blue brocade robe embroidered with dark flowers and cloud patterns. He had soft-soled boots of the same colour and his whole body covered in a wide white fox fur overcoat. Such a young man was indeed handsome and bright-eyed, with a radiant inner glow. If Yuxi was really a thirteen-year-old girl, she would have fallen in love with such an outstanding young man. In such a richly poetic and artistic conception scene, she would have absolutely adored this person, and maybe she would even marry him.

    When Chen Ran saw Yuxi, he smiled gently. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± His look and action gave the impression that the two of them were so familiar with each other.

    Yuxi asked with a nk expression, ¡°Do you know that your mother hase to my house to propose marriage?¡± This guy¡¯s brain circuit was very different to other people. So she was not going to be fooled by this guy¡¯s looks! [+]

    Chen Ran was not at all surprised that Yuxi was so blunt. ¡°I know. I was the one who asked my Mother to propose marriage to the Han family.¡± After saying this, he added, ¡°I told your attendant earlier that I would be responsible.¡±

    Yuxi rolled her eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a rumour. Marquis Taining Residence has also rified it. It doesn¡¯t affect me, so you don¡¯t have to be ountable for it. And I don¡¯t need you to be responsible.¡±

    Chen Ran stated, ¡°iming responsibility is just my excuse. Even without the rumours, I would still ask my mother toe to your home to propose marriage.¡±

    Yuxi demanded, ¡°Why do you want to marry me? What do you see in me?¡± It would be more effective to talk about this kind of thing openly.

    A smile appeared at the corner of Chen Ran¡¯s mouth. ¡°I just think you¡¯re nice and want to marry you. Why do I need a particr reason to do so?¡± Other girls would have been shy when they heard that someone wanted to marry them. Contrarily, Han Yuxi was the odd one. But being the odd one was good too. He was also the odd one. Thus, they were well matched.

    Yuxi snorted coldly and said, ¡°You can fool others, but you can¡¯t fool me. Come on, why do you want to marry me? If you don¡¯t tell the truth, I will go back.¡± After saying this, she looked as if she was about to leave.

    Chen Ran asked, ¡°Must I say it? What happens if I don¡¯t say it?¡±

    Yuxi sneered. ¡°Not telling me proves that you have ulterior motives for wanting to marry me. I will convince my Mother and Dage to refuse this marriage.¡±

    The corners of Chen Ran¡¯s mouth rose. This was the kind of person he wanted to marry. The one who would not submit herself to the will of Heaven, not resigning herself to adversity, honest and bold, unmatched by the puppets his mother found for him. Chen Ran also did not whet her appetite as he asked her, ¡°Do you still remember what happened at the Jiang family?¡±

    Yuxi nodded. ¡°I remember. I saw you in Old Madam Jiang¡¯s courtyard at the time. What¡¯s up? Does the Jiang family have something to do with you wanting to marry me?¡± The Jiang family, that was Yuxi¡¯s deepest shadow.

    Chen Ran exined, ¡°After you left, Old Madam Jiang said a lot of nice things about you. She said you are smart and sensible, and you are a good girl.¡± Needless to say, your body is good too.

    Yuxi¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to marry me just because of Old Madam Jiang¡¯s words? Girls who are smart and sensible are everywhere, and they are no worse than me. ¡±

    These words of Old Madam Jiang only gave Chen Ran a good impression of Yuxi. What truly fascinated Chen Ran was that Yuxi had refused the Jiang family¡¯s marriage proposal. ¡°I got the news from the Jiang family that your biological father had agreed to their marriage proposal, but then it didn¡¯t happen. If I¡¯m right, it must be because you disagree with it yourself, right?¡±

    The corners of Yuxi¡¯s mouth twitched again. This fellow was too good at making up a story in his mind. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you that I didn¡¯t even know when the Jiang family came to propose marriage. It was my Grandmother who refused.¡± After saying that, she added, ¡°Apart from that reason, what else?¡±

    Chen Ran said thoughtfully, ¡°People outside say that you have a bad fate. Even your biological father believed this and swept you out of the house for fear of being dragged down by you. But you didn¡¯t give up on yourself because of this blow. Instead, you lived afortable life in your own hamlet. That is something I admire. You must have heard that my Mother has tried to match me with many girls. They are all excellent in terms of family, appearance and talent. Still, I don¡¯t like any of them. Not because they are not good, but because I know these girls are like flowers kept in a greenhouse and will wither once put outside. Although I am the son of Marquis Taining, my future is not likely to be smooth. Therefore, I want to marry a wife who can withstand the storms, not a delicate flower that needs careful care and attention in a greenhouse.¡± This was the real reason why Chen Ran wanted to marry Yuxi.

    Yuxi stared at Chen Ran. Watching his earnest expression and knowing that he was speaking from his heart, her heart wavered a little.

 Chapter 234 - Marriage Proposal (4)

    <strong>Chapter 234 : Marriage Proposal (4)</strong>

    Yuxi was a very cool-headed person. Although she felt that Chen Ran was earnest and did not have another agenda, she still said. ¡°Second Master Chen, those girls are not necessarily as soft as you say they are. It¡¯s too arbitrary for you to conclude that they can¡¯t withstand setbacks after only meeting them once.¡±

    Chen Ran didn¡¯t respond to Yuxi¡¯s statement. What did it matter if it was arbitrary or not? He just didn¡¯t see the point anyway. But instead of arguing with Yuxi on the subject, he asked her a question. ¡°If it were you, knowing that you would be marrying in the barren northwest and that your future husband would be a murderous man, what would you do?¡± His Dajie was a delicate flower kept in a greenhouse, unable to withstand the slightest setback. Her family was also a family of martial generals. Since his jie was already this fragile, how could he expect the delicate, lovely girls he met to withstand the wind and rain? Of course, even if there was a girl, who was soft on the outside but firm on the inside, he could only say that they had no fate of meeting.

    Yuxi went speechless. She never thought Chen Ran would ask such a question. However, she did not shy away from it but answered frankly, ¡°I have heard rumours about Yun Qing. In fact, I don¡¯t believe it.¡±

    Chen Ran was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect Yuxi¡¯s answer would be like this. ¡°Why don¡¯t you believe it?¡±

    Yuxi exined, ¡°Perhaps Yun Qing has killed many people, but there are rumours out there that he is bloodthirsty, cold-blooded and brutal. He even kills those around him if he doesn¡¯t like them. How can a man who can¡¯t even control his own emotions convince those around him to trust him and even give their lives to him?¡± As bad as Yun Qing¡¯s reputation was, there was one thing that anyone could not doubt. He fought very well, he often won battles, and that army he led was known as the Iron-Blooded Division. Why would so many people still follow Yun Qing if he was as brutal and cold-blooded as the rumours?

    Chen Ran felt that the topic of their conversation had gone askew. Instead of discussing what kind of person Yun Qing was, he wanted to know how Yuxi would deal with it. He didn¡¯t want to hear Yuxi praise Yun Qing. Without Yun Qing, his Dajie wouldn¡¯t have died. Chen Ran shifted their conversation back to the initial topic. ¡°If Yun Qing is really a bloodthirsty person, what would you do?¡±

    Yuxi wondered why Chen Ran was so persistent in asking such a question. However, she still answered honestly, ¡°Since I don¡¯t believe in this rumour, I naturally won¡¯t be afraid of him. However, suppose I arrive at the border city and find that he really can¡¯t control his emotions and kills even those around him when he goes berserk. In that case, I will find a way to escape.¡± Even if one¡¯s reputation was important, it was not as significant as one¡¯s life!

    That was the topic Chen Ran was interested in. ¡°Escape? Where can you escape to?¡±

    Yuxi replied, ¡°Heaven never seals off all the exits. If you want to live, you can always find a way to survive!¡±

    Chen Ran very much agreed with her sentence, but he still wanted to ask, ¡°Even if you escape the northwest, but you can¡¯t go back to the capital, what will you do for a living?¡±

    When it came to this kind of situation, Yuxi was sure that she would survive well outside. She hadn¡¯t learnt all that for nothing. However, Yuxi did not need to tell Chen Ran these and simply repeated her previous answer nonchntly. ¡°As long as you want to live, you can always find a way to survive.¡±

    Another question came from Chen Ran. ¡°If you did manage to escape and survive well, will you remarry then?¡±

    Yuxi felt a flock of crows fly over her head. When she said that this guy¡¯s brain circuit was very different from others, now look, she was right. How could anyone ask the person who might be his wife these kinds of questions? ¡°Do you want to hear the truth or the lie?¡±

    Naturally, Chen Ran wanted to hear the truth.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t have any favourable impression on Chen Ran, but she didn¡¯t loathe him. Although Chen Ran¡¯s brain was very different from others, it was much better than that two-faced Jiang Hongjin. ¡°He wanted to kill me, so why should I be a widow for him? If I can escape and meet the right one, I will naturally remarry.¡±

    Chen Ran threw out another question, ¡°What about your children? Will you also remarry if you already have children?¡± Fortunately, there was no one next to them, or else Chen Ran¡¯s question would probably have scared them badly.

    Yuxi genuinely felt that Chen Ran was a weirdo. If others were to see such an entric side of Chen Ran, he would certainly not be so popr. That was why rumours consistently misled people. ¡°Second Master Chen, are you forcing me to answer this kind of question against my will?¡± With a child on the line, she would certainly not think of running away. But try to change the other person instead. Even if she could not change him, she would not leave her child behind. If she wanted to escape, she would take the child with her. She, herself, had grown up without a mother and with a father who loathed her. Suffering that outsiders would never know. There was no way she would let her child experience anything like that. However, it was enough to know this in her heart. There was no need for her to tell them to Chen Ran. [+]

    Looking at Yuxi¡¯s expression, he could guess her answer. Smilingly, he said, ¡°I have finished asking my questions. Do you have any questions for me?¡±

    Naturally, Yuxi had questions. A bellyful of them. ¡°Do you have someone you like?¡± She didn¡¯t want to marry another man who had affection for another person. She had suffered it once. She couldn¡¯t let herself fall into that pit again.

    Chen Ran found it surprising that Yuxi would ask him such a question. He responded amusedly, ¡°This is a somewhat stupid question. If I had someone I liked, would I have wanted to marry you?¡± If he had someone he liked, he would have married the person he liked. Why would he marry someone else? [T/N]

    Yuxi was very satisfied with his answer and asked a crucial question. ¡°If your mother doesn¡¯t like me and always makes things difficult for me, will you stand on my side?¡± If the Lady of Taining made things difficult for her, Chen Ran could stand on her side to protect her. Then she would not have to fear her mother-inw making things difficult for her.

    This was an excellent question since it concerned a matter of personal interest. Chen Ran nodded and said, ¡°If my Mother were to make things difficult for you, for no reason, I would surely be on your side. But don¡¯t worry, my Mother is a very disciplined person. As long as you don¡¯t overstep the rules, she won¡¯t deliberately make things difficult for you even if she doesn¡¯t like you.¡±

    The Book of Songs Cover

    The Book of Songs

    Image Credit : Baidu via Ã¿ÈÕÍ·Ìõ (ÖÜ¿ËÓ¹¶ÁÊéÔý¼Ç£º¡¶Ê«¾­¡¤´óÑÅ¡¤ÒÖ¡·µÚÆßÕÂ¡°ÎÝÂ©¡±½âÔ­ÎÄ¾WÖ·, Sept 7th, 2019))

    Yuxi was also pleased with this result and said, ¡°Together we¡¯ll drink wine and live to ny-nine. Lute and lyre by our side; in peace, we shall abide.¡± These phrases were taken from the poem ?The Wife Says the Rooster Crows? in ?The Book of Songs : Lessons From the State?Folklore of Zeng?. Yuxi borrowed these lines to express her own expectations of marriage and asked Chen Ran¡¯s attitude towards marriage. As Chen Ran was not sticking to one form anyway, there was no need for her to act coy, and she should just ask him what she wanted to ask.

    Chen Ran burst into a smile as heughingly said, ¡°Together we¡¯ll drink wine and live to ny-nine. Lute and lyre by our side; in peace, we shall abide.¡±

    Yuxi breathed out a sigh of relief and said, ¡°I ept you.¡± She had agreed to this marriage. No matter what the future held, at least Chen Ran was now sincere and genuine in his desire to marry her. Chen Ran¡¯s attitude also gave her confidence in their future marriage.

    The smile on Chen Ran¡¯s face didn¡¯t fade away as he asked, ¡°Would you like to hear me y a tune?¡± He remembered thest time Yuxi heard the tune he yed, she had gotten intoxicated while listening to it.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Sure.¡± Chen Ran¡¯s flute ying was so good that she could only worship it. It might not be a bad idea to listen to it even though she could not reach his level.

    The notes from the flute waved in the wind, passing leisurely through the long years, telling the infinite reverie of the piper so that people who listen to the music couldn¡¯t help falling into it.

    After listening to a song, Yuxi gasped with admiration, ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡± She would never be able to reach such a standard in her lifetime. However, there would be plenty of opportunities to listen to itter.

    Chen Ran gazed at Yuxi with a touch of brilliance in his eyes, ¡°If you want to learn, I will teach youter.¡± It was inconvenient now, but there would be plenty of time to teach herter.

    When Yuxi heard this, her face finally turned slightly red. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about itter. I have been out for a long time and have to go back.¡± The two people had been talking for such a long time that lunchtime was estimated to have passed.

    The lunch hour had indeed passed, but Qiu Shi had been waiting for her. When she saw Yuxi, she asked, ¡°How did the talk go?¡±

    Yuxi said with some embarrassment, ¡°We¡¯ve discussed them all.¡± She didn¡¯t feel it when they talked about them, but now, she found it inconceivable when she looked back and thought about it. How could she have said something like that back then? That guy was indeed a strange man. There was no telling if she would either be stained with the vermilion or the ink in the future.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t ask for anything specific and was satisfied with her words. ¡°You¡¯re hungry, aren¡¯t you? Come on, let¡¯s go and have a meal.¡± The matter was sessfully resolved. Thus, the visit to the temple in the middle of winter had not been in vain. [+]

    After lunch, Qiu Shi dragged Yuxi to worship the Bodhisattvas at Lingshan Temple and donated 1,000 taels of joss stick money.

    On the other side, the Lady of Taining also asked Chen Ran, ¡°How is it? Has the misunderstanding been solved?¡± After listening to Qiu Shi¡¯s talk for a long time, the Lady of Taining Hou now had a much better sense of Yuxi.

    Chen Ran nodded slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve exined it clearly, and she agreed.¡± Without a clear exnation, it was impossible to say that Han Yuxi wouldn¡¯t really mess up the marriage.

    The Lady of Taining nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡±

    On the way back, the Lady of Taining asked Old Woman Lin, ¡°How credible do you think Qiu Shi¡¯s words are?¡± Qiu Shi had been praising Han Yuxi as if she were a flower. Although she knew that Qiu Shi was a straightforward person who would not beat around the bush, she was still cautious about matters that concerned her family interests.

    Old Woman Lin answered, ¡°Most of them should be true. If my Lady still has doubts, just ask Miss Biao.¡± Miss Biao here was referring to Ye Qing.

    The Lady of Taining responded, ¡°Forget it. No need to ask her.¡± The two families had already agreed and were just waiting for the matchmaker toe to the door. It was not a good idea to inquire about Han Yuxi at this time, and it wouldn¡¯t be good if the rest of the Han family knew about it.

    Old Woman Lin knows why the Lady of Taining Hou was asking her about this matter. ¡°My Lady, Third Lord Han has always disliked Fourth Miss Han, and Wu Shi is her stepmother. So it makes sense for Fourth Miss Han to be more thoughtful. Now that the Main House has adopted her, everything goes well for her, and she looks refreshed.¡± Fourth Miss Han¡¯s father was unreliable, and her stepmother was not a good one. Under such circumstances, it was normal for her to have some means. If she didn¡¯t have any means, she would be impatient, and as a result, she would be swallowed to her bone.

    The Lady of Taining nodded slightly. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± If Yuxi didn¡¯t have a few tricks up her sleeve, she might not even have a life. Although the Lady of Taining¡¯s residence had always been safe and sound, she was still well aware of the tactics of those in the inner house. So this time, her feelings towards Yuxi were two points better.

    Old Woman Lin spoke of something rather insightful, ¡°My Lady, you can see the difference whether a child is loved or not.¡±

    The Lady of Taining agreed with this statement. ¡°A child who is loved will be treated as a treasure, while an unloved child will be treated just like grass. Right now, Fourth Miss Han is a treasure in Lady Han¡¯s palm, which is why she gives off the impression of being reborn.¡± When Qiu Shi told her how good Yuxi was to her before, the Lady of Taining somewhat believed her words. If Yuxi was not good for Qiu Shi¡¯s, how could she be adopted to the Main House in that situation at that time?

 Chapter 235 - Betrothal (1)

    <strong>Chapter 235 : Betrothal (1)</strong>

    The matchmaker from the Marquis Taining Residence came to the Han residence to propose marriage and Qiu Shi straightforwardly agreed. The two families exchanged gengtie right away. Afterwards, Qiu Shi sealed a sizable red envelope and sent the matchmaker out of the courtyard with it. There was a big smile on Qiu Shi¡¯s face. She now had to start preparing for the engagement.

    Since the matchmaker hade to the residence, naturally, the marriage could not be concealed. Ye Qing was the most surprised one in the State Residence. When she received the news, she did not quite believe it. ¡°Is there a mistake? Did Guma ask a matchmaker toe to the residence for Er Biaodi?¡± Her Guma was such a demanding person. How could she have suddenly taken a fancy to Yuxi!

    Old Woman Hua said, ¡°This news is absolutely true, and there should be no mistakes.¡± This matter made Old Woman Hua feel ufortable. For such a big thing, Lady Gu, as her Miss¡¯ closely rted Gumu, did not even reveal the news to them.

    Ye Shi thought about this deeply. ¡°I guess it wasn¡¯t Guma who had her eye on Yuxi. Otherwise, there¡¯s no way Guma wouldn¡¯t even ask me about Yuxi.¡±

    Old Woman Hua was a little stunned. ¡°If it¡¯s not Lady Gu, then who?¡± She also found this news a bit odd. Lady Gu had such a high standard in choosing her daughter-inw. She expected her daughter-inw to be good at everything. So how could she have chosen the Fourth Miss? Of course, it was not that the Fourth Miss was not good. But the fact that she had lost her mother at a young age did not meet Lady Gu¡¯s requirements for a daughter-inw.

    Ye Shi spoke with a smile on her face as she hugged her daughter, ¡°Who else could it be? It must be my Er Biaodi. But this may not be a bad idea. Yuxi marrying into the Chen family will only bring advantage to me, not disadvantage.¡± If Yuxi married into the Chen family, she would be inclined to side with her in any future matters.

    Yuchen also heard the news for the first time. ¡°Marquis Taining Residence hase over to invite a matchmaker to propose marriage? Howe there was no word of this before?¡± She did not think that Yuxi was not good enough for Chen Ran. She was just a little surprised. She was astounded that not even a hint of it had been leaked out before.

    Momo Gui said, ¡°It has not been a long time since the Third Lady passed away. Even if the two families have the intention, it would be hard for them to let this matter out.¡± Also, Yuxi had been adopted by the Main House. If she was still in the Third House, she couldn¡¯t even get engaged yet!

    Yuchen stood up and said, ¡°It¡¯s time to congratte Si Mei for her big happy asion.¡± Thest time she was engaged, Yuxi was the first one to congratte her. As a reciprocal, it was now Yuchen¡¯s turn to congratte Yuxi.

    Momo Gui nodded. ¡°We should. Speaking of which, that Liao Tong Shifu must have made an error of judgement on the Fourth Miss. Otherwise, how could he have given that kind ofmentary? The Fourth Miss is clearly very fortunate.¡± First, she had been adopted by the Main House, and now she had been given such a good marriage. What was it if not good fortune?

    Yuchen spoke with an unchanging face, ¡°Without Liao Tong Shifu¡¯s blunder, Si Mei wouldn¡¯t be living this good right now.¡± Without this, Yuxi would not have saved Chen Ran at the hamlet and could not have gotten such a good marriage. For Yuxi, this was a blessing in disguise.

    Momo Gui agreed with this statement very much.

    When they arrived at Taoran House, Yuchen heard Yuxi was practising calligraphy in her study. Zisu said, ¡°Since the study door is not closed, Third Miss can just go in.¡±

    Xuan Brushes

    Xuan Brushes

    One of the most expensive writing brushes in ancient China. They are called Xuan brushes because they are made in Xuan Cheng. The most expensive Xuan brush is made from a hare¡¯s fur. It¡¯s hard to get a hare¡¯s fur since they are best collected from September to January when its fur is the thickest while not too hard nor too soft.

    Image Credit | ÂÞÑã LuoYan (Xuan Brushes for Chinese Brush painting and calligraphy, Aug 18, 2016) via INKSTON

    Yuxi has been practising her calligraphy with her Xuan writing brush for the past eight years or so. Nowadays, her cursive handwriting was so good that even Han Jianming praised it. He would thenughingly say that it was Han Jianye¡¯s fault. After all, it was Han Jianye who had given this cursive script to Yuxi. [T/N]

    Yuxi put down her brush and said with a smile, ¡°San Jie,e and see how well I have written this pair of characters?¡± What Yuxi had written were the characters of ¡®Heaven rewards diligence¡¯. Every time she felt that she had made progress, she would write these characters andpare them with the ones she kept from before. The improvement could be clearly detected from it.

    Yuchen carefully observed and thenmented, ¡°The strokes are thick and robust without being bloated. The thin ones are clear and elegant without being weak, but the lines are not smooth enough, so you must continue to work on them.¡± Only when the characters were written smoothly and fluidly, in such picturesque disorder, with their interchangeability of twists and turns, and alternating between wide and narrow, would they be considered an outstanding achievement. [T/N]

    Yuxi responded with a smile, ¡°I will continue to work hard.¡± Only Yuxi knows how much suffering she had to endure, from drawing a dipper with a gourd as her model to write as it was now. As for what Yuchen had said, she could only listen. The requirements that Yuchen said were the standards of calligraphy masters, which she could hardly meet.

    Kufu brought in a basin of water at that moment. Yuxi went over to clean her hands and smilingly asked, ¡°For San Jie to personallye here, has something happened?¡±

    When Yuchen saw Yuxi¡¯s breezy attitude, she wondered if Yuxi knew that the Chen family hade to propose marriage. Yuchen asked, ¡°Did you know that the Lady of Taining had asked an official matchmaker to propose a marriage to you for her second di son, Chen Ran?¡±

    Yuxi wasn¡¯t surprised at all, ¡°I know¡­¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, the two of them heard a thud. When she turned her head to look, the sound came from the copper basin in Kufu¡¯s hand that had fallen to the ground. The water in the copper basin poured out, spilling all over the floor.

    Kufu noticed the coldness in Yuxi¡¯s eyes, and her face went white. She immediately knelt on the floor, begging, ¡°Miss, this handmaiden deserves to die.¡±

    Yuxi frowned a little as she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything yet to you, so why are you giving me this kind of look? Those who don¡¯t know will think I¡¯m treating you harshly!¡± After saying this, Yuxi turned around and told Yuchen, ¡°San Jie, let¡¯s go to the small parlour!¡±

    Walking out of the study, she said to Caidie, who approached her, ¡°Go and clean up the study.¡± Originally, Yuxi wanted to find a practical reason to let Kufu leave with dignity after the first lunar month had passed. But today¡¯s incident showed her that Kufu could not stay here any longer.

    Yuchen didn¡¯t ask about Kufu. This was Yuxi¡¯s courtyard affairs. How to deal with this issue was Yuxi¡¯s business. She shouldn¡¯t intervene. ¡°You already know about the Lady of Taininge to our door to propose marriage?¡±

    Yuxi nodded her head. There was no need to hide it from Yuchen. ¡°Yesterday, I went to Lingshan Temple with my Mother to meet the Lady of Taining and Second Master Chen.¡±

    Yuchen sincerely wished her, ¡°Congrattions, Si Mei.¡± The Chen family was indeed very good, and Chen Ran was also excellent and worthy of Yuxi.

    With a grateful look on her face, Yuxi replied, ¡°Thank you, San Jie. I also didn¡¯t expect that I would be blessed in this way for a mere act of kindness.¡± What Yuxi meant by this was that the Chen family hade to propose marriage because she had inadvertently saved Chen Ran that day. This reason was more convincing than Chen Ran¡¯s desire to marry her.

    Yuchen smiled, ¡°This is also a blessing for you. When the marriage is settled, you will have to start embroidering your dowry as well.¡± Yuxi was too busy during the week, and her embroideries were few and far between. Hence, once Yuxi embroidered her own dowry, they would certainly be eye-catching.

    Yuxi looked shy. ¡°Even if the marriage is already fixed, there are still two years to go, so there is no hurry. But you, San Jie, have to postpone your marriage because of San Shen¡¯s matter!¡±

    Yuchen didn¡¯t hide it from Yuxi, as she sighed, ¡°May as well be married a bitter since the mostfortable ce for us to be is in our own home.¡± After she married, she had to please her mother-inw, her younger sister-inw and manage the household. She also had to deal with her husband¡¯s Ce Fei and other concubines. Where would it be as free as being a young miss at home?

    After a few more words, Yuchen left and returned to her yard.

    Zisu came over and asked, ¡°Miss, what happened to Kufu just now?¡± Kufu had served Yuxi for many years, and yet, she managed to knock over a copper pot in front of the two young misses. Such a big mistake should never be made by a personal maid.

    Yuxi nonchntly exined, ¡°When she heard that the Chen family had juste to propose marriage, she was surprised and knocked over the copper basin.¡±

    It was no wonder when Zisu asked Kufu what happened just now, she refused to say anything. But, just because the Chen family came over to propose marriage, why did this girl react too strongly?

    Yuxi did not give Zisu any chance to think as she instructed, ¡°Call Kufu in!¡± Since Kufu herself did not cherish herst chance, there was no need for Yuxi to be merciful either.

    Kufu looked at Yuxi¡¯s expressionless appearance and knew that she was doomed. ¡°Miss, the handmaiden is wrong. Please give this handmaiden another chance!¡±

    Yuxi reacted indifferently, ¡°You have been given many chances, but it is you who do not cherish them. Considering that you have served me for so many years, I will give you yourst dignity. I will also consider the friendly sentiments between master and servant.¡± The so-calledst dignity was to let Kufu¡¯s parents arrange a marriage for her. Yuxi would let her go on the grounds that Kufu was preparing for her wedding, which was much better than just being swept out like rubbish which would only disgrace her.

    When Kufu heard this, she didn¡¯t wait for Yuxi to finish before kneeling on the ground and kowtowing vigorously to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, please don¡¯t drive this handmaiden away. Miss, please don¡¯t drive this handmaiden away!¡± No servant who was driven away by his master would end up in a good ce. The difference between seeing Yuxi getting better over time and for her being driven out was poles apart.

    Yuxi was not a soft-hearted person. She had her own rules and guidelines. She coldly said, ¡°I have left you yourst dignity. If you¡¯re still not satisfied with that, then you can get out of Taoran House right away.¡±

    Kufu¡¯s whole body stiffened. She did not dare to plead for mercy again.

    Zisu walked over, helped Kufu up and said, ¡°Go back inside and tidy yourself up. Otherwise, if outsiders see you in this state, they will think that Miss has mistreated you. If you ruin Miss¡¯ reputation, no one will end up well if the Lady finds out.¡± Miss¡¯ current status was not what it used to be. Even if it was rumoured that Miss had mistreated Kufu, the Lady would still suppress it. Therefore, Zisu was not afraid at all.

    Kufu walked out with her head down.

    Zisu informed Yuxi, ¡°It¡¯s good to let Kufu leave. Something hasn¡¯t been right since she came back here.¡± Without this incident, Zisu would have reported to Yuxi about Kufu¡¯s problems.

    Yuxi summarised, ¡°She has lost her level-headedness.¡± Kufu should have sensed that Yuxi didn¡¯t want to keep her. Since she was scared of being kicked out, she worked with a sense of caution. She did not know that if she acted too carefully, it would be much easier for her to make a mistake.

    Zisu changed the subject. ¡°Miss, with Kufu gone, your personal maid¡¯s quota will have one vacancy. Should we promote Xuntao?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Xuntao has been here for the shortest time. We still have to keep her under control for a bit more. Shanmei is a pretty good maid. Promote her rank up!¡± Shanmei was Yuxi¡¯s second-ss maid and had never been very noticeable before. After Yuxi¡¯s departure to the hamlet, some maids who stayed behind in Taoran House used their social connections to find a way out. Most of those who didn¡¯t have any social rtionships were full ofints all day long. Shanmei, however, was not impetuous at all. Before Yuxi returned, she cleaned Yuxi¡¯s bedroom and study three times a day without even missing a day for half of the year.

    Zisu nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, Shanmei is really good.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°This matter will be announced after Kufu leaves.¡± This was considered thest line left for Kufu.

    Zisu thought that Yuxi was honestly a kind-hearted person. ¡°I only hope Kufu can remember Miss¡¯ kindness.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t care about it at all. She only wanted to do what was right for her conscience. Whether or not Kufu remembered her did not affect her even for a bit.

 Chapter 236 - Betrothal (2)

    <strong>Chapter 236 : Betrothal (2)</strong>

    Chen Ran was just like a piece of delicious cake. Many people were waiting to see to whom this a piece of delicious cake would fall into. So the Chen family¡¯s marriage proposal to the Han family soon became known to those who paid close attention to him.

    The Second Lady Zhou¡¯s heart was a bit upset. She had gotten the news much earlier, but it was not yet set in stone at that time. Now that the matchmaker hade to the Han¡¯s door, the marriage had be a foregone conclusion. Her most favoured candidate had ended up in the hands of that girl, Yuxi. However, she would not show this kind of emotion in front of Zhou Shiya.

    Zhou Shiya was happy to hear that the Chen family had gone to the Han family to propose marriage. ¡°Mother, I want to see Yuxi. I have to congratte her for such a big happy event.¡±

    Second Lady Zhou poked Zhou Shiya¡¯s forehead and rebuked, ¡°When are you going to grow smarter? If you had half as much conscience as Han Yuxi, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about you.¡±

    Zhou Shiya muttered, ¡°Mother, what are you talking about? Yuxi doesn¡¯t have any conscience. She¡¯s just got lucky. Not everyone has the same luck as her and happened to save the Second Master Chen.¡±

    Second Lady Zhou sighed. That was true. Not everyone had that girl¡¯s luck. ¡°Go if you want to, bute back early.¡±

    Zhou Shia happily went back to her yard to clean herself up.

    Second Lady Zhou was worried about Zhou Shiya¡¯sck of string and uttered, ¡°Yuxi¡¯s marriage has been decided, so it¡¯s time for Shiya to step up.¡± They couldn¡¯t put it off until next year.

    Old Woman Min offered her opinion. ¡°My Lady, why don¡¯t you get in touch with Young Master He that the Lord mentioned? Since he can be liked by the Lord, he must have things he excels in.¡±

    Second Lady Zhou frowned. ¡°The He family¡¯s rank is too low.¡± He Yan¡¯s father was only an upper fourth-rank official. Although he was a juren, his ranking in the preliminary round of Imperial Examinations was only in the middle, not too high. Thus, he would probably have a hard time in the following Metropolitan Examinations.

    After stating this, Second Lady Zhou continued, ¡°I will ask the Lord again tonight.¡± She was not worried about her two sons¡¯ marriages. She was so anxious about her daughter¡¯s marriage that her hair even turned white.

    The wedding did not affect Yuxi much, and she continued to go about her day as usual. When Zhou Shiya arrived, she was reading in her study.

    Zhou Shiya looked at the thick medical book and shook her head helplessly. ¡°Fancy that, only you can read this kind of book.¡± She would want to fall asleep as soon as she read this type of book.

    Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Zhou Shiya usually notified her first beforeing over. This sudden visit of hers was a bit of a surprise to Yuxi.

    Zhou Shiya gave Yuxi a nk look and stated, ¡°You have gotten such a good marriage. I naturally have to hurry over to congratte you! Strange, why aren¡¯t you looking happy at all?¡±

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°I¡¯m happy. How could I not be?¡± How could one not be happy when one was finally free from the shadow of one¡¯sst life!

    Zhou Shiya said with a look of contempt, ¡°Where do you look happy? Why can¡¯t I feel it?¡± Other betrothed girls were either shy, timid or anxious, but this girl was good. She was neither shy nor anxious, as if she was not the one who just recently being betrothed.

    Yuxi put the medical book in her hand back on the shelf and said, ¡°You havee here to congratte me, so where is my gift? If your gift can satisfy me, I will be even happier.¡±

    Zhou Shiya was speechless. ¡°I¡¯m really impressed with you. When I¡¯m going to get married, you will only send me a pair of embroidery. When you are only betrothed, you need a gift. Then, when you get marriedter, I will have to add up your dowry. You really earn a lot!¡± Yuxi would earn a massive profit while she was going to lose her money.

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t let you lose your money. When the timees to add to your dowry, I¡¯ll give you other good things besides embroidery.¡±

    After chatting for a while, Zhou Shiya talked about Chiang Xin. ¡°Yuxi, I saw Chiang Xin the other day. Since you haven¡¯t met her, she has gained a lot of weight. She also asked me to give you a message, saying that she wanted to contact you before, but her mother wouldn¡¯t let her.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t me her either. Let¡¯s not talk about that. Didn¡¯t you say you would work hard to learn needlework? It¡¯s a nice day today. Do you want me to teach you?¡±

    Zhou Shiya didn¡¯t want to be taught by Yuxi. ¡°If you have this time, you might as well embroider a fan for me. San Biaojie¡¯s fan is so beautiful. I¡¯ve been craving it for a long time, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t dare to ask her for it.¡± The fan was gorgeous, and if she had one, she could show it off.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°What do you like? I¡¯ll embroider it for you when spring starts.¡± With the wedding settled, Yuxi was no longer tense and was in the mood for embroidery work. [+]

    With a surprise, Zhou Shiya said, ¡°Embroidered me some orchids, no, embroidered me a tigress. That¡¯s also not good¡­¡­¡± She let out a lot of things. However, what Zhou Shiya said, in the end, was a bit muddled. She just did not know what was good for her.

    Yuxiughed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pick anymore. I will embroider what I think you will like!¡± If Zhou Shiya was allowed to choose, it was estimated that she would still not be able to choose one even after three days had passed.

    Zhou Shiya said with a smile, ¡°Yes. May as well let you decide on it.¡± Yuxi knew what she liked anyway. Furthermore, what she, herself, had chosen wouldn¡¯t necessarily be what Yuxi was good at.

    In the blink of an eye, it was already evening. Zhou Shiya depressingly said, ¡°Yuxi, why does time pass so quickly? I still have so much to say to you.¡± When the two of them spent time together, time always flew fast.

    When they had something to talk about, time naturally passed quickly. Yuxi smiled. ¡°Wait until next time. You have to stay overnight with me at that time, and then, I¡¯ll make sure you have enough time to pour out your heart.¡±

    Zhou Shiya pouted. ¡°Forget it. My mother won¡¯t let me spend the night at someone else¡¯s house.¡± Her mother had told her before that she wasn¡¯t allowed to stay at the Han¡¯s residence. It was even more impossible now.

    Yuxi¡¯s marriage arrangements went smoothly, and soon, it was the day the groom¡¯s family presented gifts to finalise the betrothal. Usually, the bride¡¯s family had to pay the dowry as much as the groom had given. Therefore, both families had to be informed before the decision was made. Qiu Shi said that she would let Marquis Taining¡¯s family decide on their own. They could give the same amount of dowry as they would if they chose to send 64 carriers of dowries.

    When the Lady of Taining heard this, the betrothal gifts was set at forty-eight carriers. This was because the wife of their family shizi had been given one hundred and twenty carriers of dowry. So naturally, Yuxi had to be paid less. The dowry of the younger daughter-inw could not be more than that of the eldest daughter-inw.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t keep the bride price either. She had all the things carried directly to Taoran House. This time, Lady of Taining was very generous in giving the betrothal gift. Yuxi was born in the year of the ox. Thus, the betrothal gifts consisted of twenty-four golden oxen, sixty-four pairs of silks and satin, and several pairs of yunjin inside. There were also six pairs of golden bracelets with dragon and phoenix patterns, six pairs of golden hairpins iid with eastern pearls, and assorted seafood, ginseng and herbs.

    Yuxi smiled a little. The Chen family was indeed rich and generous. These things would cost 30,000 to 40,000 taels of silver, and the Han family would also give her 30,000 to 40,000 taels of silver as dowry. The more, the merrier!

    Valuable things such as brocade and satin were put in the treasury. Seafood such as abalone was sent to the kitchen, and herbs were ced in the pharmacy. The cakes and fruits were brought out and distributed to other people.

    All the people at the Taoran House were already half-tired from putting the betrothal gifts in order. Yuxi said to Qiu Shi, ¡°Mother, there are too few people in the Taoran House. We need to pick some new people.¡±

    Qiu Shi had also been thinking about picking some people for Yuxi, but she had been too busytely to find the time. ¡°I will send some people in a couple of days. You can properly pick them out then.¡±

    With Yuxi¡¯s marriage settled, a heavy burden has been lifted from Qiu Shi. ¡°Once Yuxi marries out, I won¡¯t have to worry anymore and will be happy just to live as an old dowager.¡±

    Mama Li said, ¡°It¡¯s nice to hear something this good from my Lady. However, can you really let go of things in the residence?¡± The Old Lady was now entirely out of the picture, and it was Qiu Shi who was in charge right now.

    How could you just let it go when you say you¡¯ll let it go?

    The day after the betrothal, Yurong came over. Since Wu Shi¡¯s passing, Yurong rarely came out, except to pay her respects to the Old Lady. Yuxi only saw her when she returned for the New Year¡¯s banquet meal.

    Wu Shi¡¯s departure seemed to have made Yurong grow up overnight. At that time, Yuxi remembered very clearly that Yurong did not even touch the dishes on the dining table and only ate all the vegetarian dishes.

    Yurong was dressed in a light blue dress, with no jewellery on her body except for the silver hairpin on her head. She was as simple and in as if she had turned into a new person.

    Yuxi was a little surprised and ushered her with a smile, ¡°Come in and sit down. Zisu, make a cup of ck tea.¡± The tea that Yuxi drank changed with the seasons. It was winter where the temperature was low, and the cold was heavy, so it was appropriate to drink ck tea.

    Yurong wished sincerely, ¡°Si Jie, congrattions.¡± Yuchen and Yuxi had both gotten such good marriages, and there was no telling what would happen to her in the future. [+]

    Yuxi didn¡¯t expect that Yurong hade on this trip specifically to congratte her. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The two had always been at odds. Thus, apart from a few polite words, there wasn¡¯t much for them to talk about. Yurong had onlye to congratte Yuxi and was not prepared to chat with her either. After saying goodbye, she was ready to go.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink things. Just take care of your health.¡± It might be because Yurong had been eating vegetarian food without meat, or her mood had been greatly affected. Yurong was now so thin that it was worrying when she looked at her.

    Yurong nodded gently and said, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Si Jie.¡±

    After Yurong left, Zisumented, ¡°Fifth Miss is like a different person.¡± In the past, although the Fifth Miss was annoying, she was sunny and bright, but now she was deadly dull.

    Hearing thisment, Yuxi looked in the direction of Biteng Courtyard and said, ¡°After something like this, you always have to grow up.¡± Yurong had always been at Wu Shi¡¯s side. Even if she had been like thick branches and big leaves, she would have noticed that there was something strange about Wu Shi¡¯s death. Even if she hadn¡¯t realised it, it was unlikely that Old Woman Chen, the woman who served her personally, didn¡¯t know anything. Her mother had died prematurely, at least because her body could not take it anymore. Yurong was facing the cruelty of her parent killing her own mother, which was even crueller than what Yuxi was facing.

    Yuxi actually overthought. Although Yurong was very sad that Wu Shi had lost her life because of a slight wind chill, she did not suspect anything. Old Woman Chen had noticed it, but how could she possibly tell Yurong about it and let her carry such a heavy burden for the rest of her life. So, Yurong didn¡¯t really know anything right now.

    Zisu thought she was talking about Wu Shi¡¯s death. ¡°It¡¯s really sudden. The Third Lady¡¯s health has always been excellent. Unexpectedly, she lost her life because of a small cold.¡± Here, Zisu gravely advised, ¡°Miss, if you fall ill in the future, you can¡¯t conceal your ailment and refuse to consult the physician. Be sure to see the physician to take medicine. Otherwise, a minor illness will be a serious illness.¡± Every time Yuxi was infected with the cold, so long as it was not particrly serious, she would usually drink a bowl of ginger soup and sweat herself from practising wuqinxi several times more. She was unwilling to take any medicine.

    Yuxi nced at Zisu and pointed out, ¡°Every medicine has its side effect. It is better to take less medicine if you can do without it.¡± Yuxi did not tell Zisu the real cause of Wu Shi¡¯s death because there was no need to. It was better for fewer people to know about such matters. In addition, Zisu initially felt that men were not very reliable because of her father, so if Yuxi told her about this, she would probably not marry anyone.

 Chapter 237 - Concubine Jia (1)

    <strong>Chapter 237 : Concubine Jia (1)</strong>

    Back in her yard, Yurong sat on the stool in a daze.

    The corners of Old Woman Chen¡¯s eyes were a little sore. The Lady had gone for more than half a year, and Miss still hadn¡¯te out of her grief. ¡°Miss, if the Lady sees you like this, she will definitely be very sad.¡±

    Tears fell from Yurong¡¯s eyes as soon as Old Woman Chen spoke of Wu Shi. ¡°When Mother was here, I didn¡¯t pay proper filial respect to her. Now that she¡¯s gone, I want to be filial to her, but I no longer have the chance.¡± There was no greater sorrow in life than when a child needed support and his parents were not there.

    Old Woman Chen gently patted Yurong¡¯s back and saidfortingly, ¡°You see, the Lady is watching Miss from heaven! Only when Miss is well can the Lady be at ease.¡±

    After crying for a while, Yurong wiped her tears and asked a question, ¡°Mama, do you think Father will marry again? San Jie and Si Jie¡¯s mothers passed away less than a year, yet Father already remarried. Do you think Father will remarry again?¡± If Father remarried, then she would have a stepmother too.

    Mama Chen said, ¡°Miss doesn¡¯t need to worry. Even if the Third Lord remarries, it won¡¯t have any effect on Miss and the young masters.¡± In the past, Mama Chen felt that the Old Lady was like a big mountain, weighing down her Lady. But now, her Miss and Young Masters had to rely on the Old Lady because she was the only one who could pressure her son. Even if the Third Lord remarried, there would be no worries.

    Yurong smiled bitterly and did not speak again.

    It had only been six months since Han Jingyan¡¯s wife died, so even if he wanted to remarry, it wouldn¡¯t be so soon. And the matter of Han Jianming taking a second room was finally on the agenda.

    Only when Yuxi went to pay her respects to Qiu Shi did she find out about it. The girl that Han Jianming was interested in did not have any deep background, or it could be said that she had no background at all. The girl¡¯s surname was Jia, and she was also a girl from an official family. Her father used to be a fourth-ranking official, but he died five years ago. She had a younger brother who fell into the water and died a year after her father¡¯s death. The n took away the family¡¯s assets on the grounds that there was no male heir and tried to embezzle Madam Jia¡¯s dowry as well.

    The girl had a falling out with her n before she got her mother¡¯s dowry back. Mother and daughter had no choice but to go back to the capital and buy two houses in themoners¡¯ street with Madam Jia¡¯s dowry. Although Madam Jia¡¯s dowry was returned, they were not a lot, and not much was left after they bought the houses. So, during the week, mother and daughter lived on embroidery work, washing, and starch jobs.

    Yuxi wondered, ¡°Mother, where did Dage find such a person?¡± The fact that this girl could defy her n members showed that she was not a person who would resign herself to adversity. She even supported her mother by doing embroidery work, so she was a girl who could put herself down and understand how to adapt herself. When Yuxi put them all together, this girl was actually pretty good.

    But Qiu Shi was not satisfied. ¡°Her temperament is too strong.¡± It would be fine if she would be her daughter-inw, but she would be a concubine. If she epted such a strong girl as Han Jianming¡¯s high-ranking concubine, the family would turn into chickens flying and dogs jumping situation.

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°Since Dage has chosen this girl, he must have his reasons. Mother shouldn¡¯t overthink it. If Mother is not keen on her, Mother doesn¡¯t have to meet her that day.¡±

    Mama Li came in and announced, ¡°My Lady, Miss, the yapo has brought over some people. They are waiting in the yard.¡±

    The yapo walked in with about twenty young girls. Since she knew Yuxi would choose, she had picked the best ones to be sent over.

    Yuxi looked carefully. She didn¡¯t want those who looked prettier than her, who were inarticte, nor those who had eyes that were too vivid. After eliminating the unsatisfactory ones, she asked the remaining nine people some questions. When they had finished answering, Yuxi only kept seven of them. The oldest of the seven was around ten years old, and the youngest was six or seven.

    Yuxi¡¯s courtyard had been cleansed. All those who had evaded their job when she was not in the capital were driven out. That was why there was a significant shortfall in Yuxi¡¯s personnel.

    When the yapo saw Yuxi had, atst, picked seven people, she was so happy that others couldn¡¯t even see her eyes. Yuxi was indeed the daughter of the Lady of the State, where she would make her choices in such a big way. The yapo took the pair of tablets and went out with those who had not been chosen. The few girls who remained were also led out. They had to learn the rules well first before they could be sent to Yuxi¡¯s yard.

    Yuxi asked Mama Li, ¡°What¡¯s Tian Ju¡¯s progress in learning the rules? If she had learned it well, ask someone to send her to Taoran House.¡± Tian Ju was only six years old this year, and she could do some errands in Taoran House. Yuxi felt that if she pulled over a maid, who was still at a young age, to her side, that maid would be more loyal to her. [T/N]

    Mama Li answered with a smile, ¡°That child was a bit scared when she first arrived, but she is much better now. When these maids have also learnt the rules, she will be sent over together with them then.¡± It was their good fortune to be able to attract Miss¡¯ attention. [+]

    In the next few days, the residence was busy with Han Jianming taking a second room. The second room was a high-ranking concubine. Hence, she was different from any ordinary concubines. She wouldn¡¯t be carried in through the small door but through the side door instead. For this asion, more than ten tables were set up in residence. Even some rtives and friends were invited over to drink the wedding wine. With the continuous sound of banging, the second room girl was carried into the residence.

    For whatever reason, it was not appropriate for a girl who stayed in the boudoir waiting to be betrothed like Yuxi, getting involved in a matter like concubinage. So on this day, Yuxi was quietly reading in her courtyard.

    In the afternoon, Zisu came over and informed her, ¡°Miss, I heard from the other low-level maids that this Concubine Jia is average looking, not really that pretty.¡± Everyone thought that if Han Jianming took a fancy on Concubine Jia, it must be because she was as beautiful as a fairy. However, when the veil was removed, everyone was disappointed. Even the maids around Da Nainai were much better looking than her.

    Yuxi was not surprised by this. ¡°As long as she¡¯s smart, that¡¯s already pretty good.¡± As long as Dage wanted, how difficult would it be for him to find one that was beautiful? Instead, it was not so easy to find a girl who was altogether intelligent, determined and well-educated.

    Zisu¡¯s viewpoint was different from Yuxi¡¯s. ¡°Miss, Master Shizi is taking a high-ranking concubine, not a wife. So what is the point of her being so clever? For this high-ranking concubine to be too intelligent would only bring harm, not a blessing.¡±

    Yuxi swept a nce at Zisu and countered, ¡°Marrying someone with a face but no brains will give birth to a child who will follow his birth mother¡¯s example. By then, there will be no ce to find a ce to cry.¡± Concubine Jia¡¯s son was going to inherit the State Residence in the future. If he ended up as a foolish person, even if Dage had revitalised the family, he would still fail in the future. Therefore, the heir¡¯s intelligence was crucial.

    Zisu gave a cry of understanding as she said with a smile, ¡°Miss is truly smart.¡± As far as Concubine Jia¡¯s beauty was concerned, anyone in the mansion was more beautiful than her. Everyone couldn¡¯t figure out why Master Shizi would marry such a second room.

    When Han Jianming married his second room, Ye Shi was the one who had the hardest time. The most challenging part for her was when she still had to put on a smile on her face when her heart was dripping with blood.

    It was good to have her daughter with her, and there was always somefort in looking at her childish, innocent face. But when Qiqi had fallen asleep, Ye Shi sat in her chair and stared nkly. Just at that moment, a man lifted the curtain and walked in.

    Ye Shi sensed something and turned her head to see that it was Han Jianming. Not knowing why Ye Shi¡¯s tears rolled down. She was moved, but at the same time, she felt aggrieved.

    Han Jianming froze for a moment. He had married Ye Shi for more than four years and had seen so much of her intelligent and capable side. Yet, he had never seen her cry before. In the end, he couldn¡¯t bear it and walked over to her and gently patted her shoulder while consoling her, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad.¡±

    Hearing these words, Ye Shi turned around and hugged him as she cried even more. To share her husband with others was tantamount to digging out her heart.

    Han Jianming sighed slightly. If it wasn¡¯t for Ye Shi¡¯s inability to have more children, he wouldn¡¯t have taken a second wife. He was not one to coax people, and when he saw Ye Shi crying, he did not say anything to cheer her up but only patted her back gently.

    Crying out all her mental grievances and sorrows, Ye Shi felt much better. After she finished crying, Ye Shi wiped clean her face and looked at Han Jianming, who was still sitting on the stool and said, ¡°Husband, I¡¯m fine now. You can go over there. Jia Meimei must be waiting!¡± She was somewhatforted by the fact that her husband hade here, proving that she was still the one he valued most.

    Han Jianming stated, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You are my wife, the one I will spend my life with and grow old together. No one can get past you. When Concubine Jia gives birth to a son, he will be put under your name and given to you to raise.¡± Because Han Jianming had seen Qiu Shi being bullied by Concubine Rong since he was a child, he had made up his mind back then that he would treat his wife well when he married her. Even if Ye Shi had deceived him and did things that annoyed him, she was still his wife in the end. He was unwilling to let Ye Shi be bullied and stepped on her head by a concubine, just like his mother. [+]

    The tears that Ye Shi had managed to stop almost fell again, and she said, ¡°With this word from Master, it would be worth dying for.¡±

    Hearing Ye Shi¡¯s words, Han Jianming frowned a little and rebuked, ¡°Don¡¯t repeat such words. It¡¯s unlucky.¡± Since his childhood, Han Jianming had been taught to revitalise the State House. Therefore, his mind was preupied with it, making him not really interested in women. On ordinary days, he even rarely went to his two concubines¡¯ courtyard. If Ye Shi had not been unable to have more children, he would certainly not have married a second room.

    Ye Shi nodded, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll never say such unlucky words again.¡±

    After talking with Ye Shi for a while, Han Jianming got up and went to Guihua Courtyard.

    As Old Woman Hua looked at Ye Shi standing dumbfounded at the door, her heart also felt distressed. Still, she pointed out, ¡°Da Nainai, Master Shizi also has you in his heart.¡±

    Ye Shi wiped the tears from her eyes and said, ¡°I know. I already know that.¡± With those words from her husband, she was also much more at peace.

    Sometimes, a little thing like a person could change the course of many things. Ke Minjie could be Han Jianming¡¯s second room in the previous life through Ye Shi¡¯s means rather than the standard procedures. This made Han Jianming very angry, and cracks started to appear in their rtionship. In this case, how could Han Jianming say such warm words to her? Later, when Ye Shi confronted Qiu Shi, his wife was important but not as much as his mother. Furthermore, Qiu Shi wasn¡¯t an unreasonable person. Thus, all the faults fell on Ye Shi. Therefore, the more fierce Ye Shi quarrelled with Qiu Shi, the more Han Jianming hated her. Mother-inw¡¯s dissatisfaction towards her intensified her husband¡¯s dislike. This made it difficult for Ye Shi to continue living inside the residence. This was also the actual reason Ke Minjie was able to mix like a fish back in the water inside the Han residence in her previous life. In this life, Ye Shi had done something wrong, but it was also for a reason. The most important thing was that she had not vited Han Jianming¡¯s bottom line.

    Old Woman Hua urged, ¡°Da Nainai, it¡¯s time for you to sleep! You still have a lot of things to take care of tomorrow. You won¡¯t have enough energy if you don¡¯t get a good night¡¯s sleep tonight.¡±

    Ye Shi nodded briefly and walked to her bed. After looking at her daughter¡¯s quiet little face, she gave her a kiss and went to sleep.

    When Old Woman Hua saw Ye Shi was asleep, she blew out themp and went out softly.

 Chapter 238 - Concubine Jia (2)

    <strong>Chapter 238 : Concubine Jia (2)</strong>

    It was at the early second lunar month, and the cold was just beginning to recede, so it was still rather cold. Yuxi did not dare to practise in the courtyard in the morning. Thus, she did it inside the house as she usually did recently.

    After her morning practice, Yuxi wondered, ¡°I don¡¯t know how Zijin is doing right now?¡± Last time, she had asked someone to send a letter to Zijin, but at that time, Zijin happened to be out with Master Yang. When Zijin came back, things had already been taken care of on Yuxi¡¯s side. So Yuxi didn¡¯t let Zijin return.

    Zisu smiled and said, ¡°If Miss wishes to see Zijin, just tell her toe back during the Dragon Boat Festival. She has been in the mountains for so long. It¡¯s time for her toe back and see Miss.¡± Zisu¡¯s heart ached as soon as she thought of the six hundred taels that quickly flew away every time Zijin had to pay her fee every year. But when she advised her Miss, she said that money was only a small matter as it was important for Zijin to learn the skills to protect her in the future. Zisu wondered, given her Miss¡¯ status, why would anyone ever plot against her. What happened the night of the pce rebellion was, after all, a special circumstance. It was unlikely that it would ever happen again. Zisu could never understand Yuxi¡¯s inner panic. As for Yuxi, as long as she could achieve her goal, it didn¡¯t matter how much money it would cost her.

    Yuxi thought for a moment and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. I haven¡¯t seen her for so long. I wonder what has be of her?¡± Yuxi had never doubted Zijin¡¯s loyalty to her, but they still needed to get in touch. It wouldn¡¯t affect Zisu¡¯s training even if she returned home for just a few days.

    After Yuxi freshened herself up, Zisu reminded, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s almost time. It¡¯s time to go to the Main Courtyard.¡± Concubine Jia had entered the house this day and would be greeting everyone for the first time this morning. Her situation was a bit special so that she would make her greetings in the Main Courtyard.

    When Yuxi arrived at the Main Courtyard, she realised she was thest one toe. As soon as she entered the room, she found another unfamiliar face inside.

    If others werete, they might be embarrassed, but Yuxi, with a calm face, stepped forward to greet the Old Lady and Qiu Shi. Then, she stood by Qiu Shi¡¯s side.

    Old Woman Luo winked at the two maids beside her. A maid then fetched a kneeling mat and spread it on the floor. While the other maid brought a cup of tea and handed it to Concubine Jia: ¡°Please offer them tea, Madam.¡±

    Hanfu With Phoenix Tail Skirt

    The yellow dangling thingy over the skirt is called ¡®phoenix tail skirt¡¯.

    Image Credit | Fashion Hanfu

    Yuxi took advantage of this gap to look up Concubine Jia. Concubine Jia was wearing a long reddish-pink coloured skirt. A lc-coloured phoenix tail skirt was at her waist, and her hair wasbed into a lily bun. The bun was inserted with a wire iy butterfly-shaped with tassel buyao. There was also a crabapple flower beads pattern inserted into the hair on her temples. Concubine Jia¡¯s appearance was not outstanding, but her style of dressing was highly exceptional. She had raised her thirty per cent beauty to seventy per cent with the way she dressed up.

    LILY BUN

    Yuxi nodded inwardly. This woman was a smart one. She just hoped this woman wouldn¡¯t be an ambitious one, or the State House would be really lively.

    Bai Zi Qian Sun Tea Bowl

    Bai Zi Qian Sun Tea Bowl

    Image Credit | Taobao

    Concubine Jia held up the bai zi qian sun tea bowl prepared especially for her by the Old Lady and raised it respectfully high above her head, saying, ¡°Please drink the tea, Old Lady.¡±

    The Old Lady held the tea bowl, took a symbolic sip, and then put it down. The maid beside her brought over a tray with a pair of hairpins iid with thousand pearls in the colour of pomegranate seeds. The Old Lady kindly wished her, ¡°Branch out and spread leaves for the Han family as soon as possible.¡±

    Concubine Jia bowed her head, answered softly, and served Qiu Shi¡¯s tea afterwards, still holding the cup over her head with both hands.

    It was unknown for whatever reason, but watching this action from Concubine Jia, Yuxi¡¯s heart went a little sour. She was unable to exin why it felt that way, though.

    Qiu Shi took the tea, gently took a sip and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s a good tea.¡± After saying that, Liuyue brought a mulberry coloured tray, which had a little silver wrapped in a red packet and a small box.

    When Yuxi heard this, she reflexively looked towards Ye Shi and saw that her face was not looking very good. Yuxi sighed slightly in her heart. This battle between mother-inw and daughter-inw was really difficult to avoid. She only hoped that it would happen a bitter.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t feel anything was wrong with her doing this; instead, she said to Aunt Jia with a loving face, ¡°This silver is for your private savings. You can use it to buy whatever you want. In the box, there are a few pieces of jewellery as a gift. Now, I only hope that¡­¡­¡±

    When Yuxi heard this part, she coughed vigorously.

    In response, Qiu Shi immediately shifted her focus and pulled Yuxi to her side. She felt her forehead and found that her body temperature was normal. However, she didn¡¯t dare to take it lightly as she said, ¡°It¡¯s better to have Physician Bai take a look at youter.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and replied, ¡°I was fine when I got up this morning. Maybe I got affected by the chill wind on my way over. I¡¯ll be fine after drinking some batches of syrup when I go back.¡±

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t know why Yuxi was coughing, but how could the Old Lady not know. Qiu Shi had shown in front of everyone that she paid particr attention to Concubine Jia. Hence, where would Ye Shi put her face in this kind of situation? Thinking of this, the Old Lady said, ¡°Since the rites have been met, Ming-er¡¯s wife, you take Jia Shi back to your courtyard. Eldest daughter-inw, you stay behind. Everyone else, you can go back.¡± There were some things that she had to remind Qiu Shi so that Qiu Shi would not be confused and favour Jia Shi. This tant favouritism would only cause discord between the mother-inw and daughter-inw in the future.

    Yuxi was relieved to hear this. If the Old Lady were willing to intervene, this matter would not end up too terrible. [+]

    After leaving the courtyard, Yuchen invited Yuxi, ¡°Yuxi,e and sit in my Tingyun Pavilion?¡± An already engaged Yuxi was still as busy as she was before.

    Yuxi shook her head and answered, ¡°I have things to do. Let¡¯s do it some other time!¡± As the weather became warmer, Yuxi was ready to fulfil her promise in embroidering a fan for Zhou Shiya.

    Yuchen was a little disappointed. ¡°Alright then!¡± It wasn¡¯t a good thing for Yuxi to be too diligent. Yuxi didn¡¯t even have the time to at least talk with her.

    On their way back, Zisu asked, ¡°Miss, why did you interrupt the First Lady¡¯s talk just now?¡± As Yuxi was coughing, everyone in the room, except for Qiu, basically knew she was faking it. It was just that Zisu didn¡¯t quite understand why Yuxi had done that.

    Yuxi replied, ¡°If the rules between wives and concubines are messed up, the residence will not be quiet either.¡± Concubine Jia was a concubine, and even if she had a son in the future, she would still not be able to rise above Ye Shi. If Mother were to intervene, this would only muddy the waters and even repeat what had happened in her previous life, which was not what Yuxi wanted to see.

    Zisu frowned and raised a question, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s not good for you to interfere in the strife between the two of them, is it?¡±

    Yuxi asserted, ¡°I will not interfere in the fight between them, but I will persuade Mother not to intervene in it either.¡± The fight between Ye Shi and Concubine Jia was one in which Yuxi would not get involved, nor would she want Qiu Shi to get affected.

    Zisu shook her head and said, ¡°That will be even more difficult. Concubine Jia is not stupid. She will think of ways to please the Lady. With Lady¡¯s affection, she will have a benefactor in residence.¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little and said, ¡°I won¡¯t let Mother be her benefactor.¡± The so-called benefactor was, in fact, just a shield. If Concubine Jia was capable, she could fight Ye Shi independently, but if she was not, she could just stay in the courtyard and live her life in peace. Yuxi would never allow Concubine Jia to use her mother as a shield, nor use her mother to deal with Ye Shi.

    Although Ye Shi was somewhat displeased with Qiu Shi¡¯s temper, she also knew it made Qiu Shi do whatever came to her mind without thinking about the embarrassment she would cause herself by doing so. It was a good thing that Yuxi had stopped her at the right time. Otherwise, Ye Shi would not have any face left.

    When Ye Shi returned to the Songxiang courtyard, Concubine Jia served tea and greeted her ording to the rules. Ye Shi didn¡¯t make things difficult for her, and after giving her a gift, she said, ¡°You had a long day yesterday. So, I won¡¯t keep you here long. Just let someone tell meter if you need anything in your house.

    ¡°Thank you, Da Nainai.¡± Concubine Jia went back to her kneeling mat and kowtowed again before she left with her maid. The maid was called Shui Ping, and she was a maid brought in by Concubine Jia. They had grown up together since childhood, and she was Concubine Jia¡¯s die-hard maid.

    When the two of them returned to the Guihua Courtyard, Concubine Jia sat down on a chair. Her nerves had been tense from the time she woke up early this morning until just now. Now, atst, she could let out a sigh of relief. [+]

    A little maid brought over a cup of tea. Concubine Jia took it and drank it all, then waved the little maid down.

    Only then did Shui Ping say, ¡°Miss, the Old Lady and the Lady don¡¯t seem to be difficult people to get along with. It¡¯s Da Nainai, however, I can¡¯t make out her depth yet.¡±

    Concubine Jia let out a bitterugh. ¡°The Old Lady is a person of high moral character and will only watch from the top of the well. Although Da Nainai looks kind on the outside, she must be very scornful of me on the inside. As for the Lady, with the Fourth Miss around, we can¡¯t rely on the Lady¡¯s side either.¡± The only people she could rely upon were herself and Master Shizi. [T/N]

    Shui Ping remembered what had just happened and was a bit confused. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s strange to say that the Fourth Miss was thest one to arrive today, but the Old Lady wasn¡¯t even angry. Didn¡¯t people say before that the Old Lady didn¡¯t like the Fourth Miss? The way she looks today is inconsistent with the rumours?¡±

    Concubine Jia said, ¡°Take what you hear to be false, only believe it when you see it. Moreover, the Fourth Miss only arrived a littleter than I did, so she could not be consideredte.¡±

    Shui Ping spoke with some exasperation, ¡°Why did the Fourth Miss interrupt the Lady just now? It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve offended her.¡±

    Concubine Jia shook her head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? The Fourth Miss is betrothed to the Chen family of Marquis Taining Residence, and Lady Chen is Da Nainai¡¯s direct Gumu. It¡¯s normal for Fourth Miss to side with Da Nainai.¡± Ye Shi¡¯s maternal family was powerful and valued by the Old Lady, so her position in the residence was strong. Therefore, she was unable to shake Ye Shi¡¯s position. Sighed. If she hadn¡¯t been forced into a corner, how would she be willing to be a concubine?

    Concubine Jia had no choice but to marry Han Jianming as his second room. She had attracted the attention of Fourth Young Master Jiang*, a family member of the Imperial Merchant families. That wastrel wanted to take her as his concubine. In desperation, Concubine Jia sought help from the same **Zhou Daren, whom she had once sought refuge from. Zhou Daren was reluctant to go up against the Jiang family. Still, he told her that the shizi of Duke of the State Residence wanted to take a second room. Her qualifications were just right. Hence, Zhou Daren asked if she would be willing to. Being a second room to the shizi of the Duke of the State was better than being a concubine to the Jiang family. Fourth Young Master Jiang only knew how to spend his time with wasteful things and even had several concubines at home. She was desperate, so she agreed to give it a try. To her surprise, Han shizi took a liking to her and promised to help her get back her family properties that her nsmen had swallowed up. If she could get the fortune back, her mother would have no worries for the rest of her life. As for her, she thought that she would be able to live well in the State Residence if she was careful and discreet. But after the morning¡¯s events, she didn¡¯t feel so confident anymore. [T/N]

    Shui Ping sadly asked, ¡°Madam, what should we do then?¡±

    Concubine Jia said, ¡°There is no hurry. We should take our time.¡± When Master Shizi got back the family properties snatched away by her nsmen, she would eventually have money on hand. Then she could slowly gather up people to be on her side. Once she had enough people, kept herself healthy, and had a son, she would have a firm footing in the State Residence.

 Chapter 239 - Zisus Marriage

    <strong>Chapter 239 : Zisu¡¯s Marriage</strong>

    The rest of the day was peaceful. Concubine Jia stayed in her courtyard and did note out easily, except for her daily visits to the Songxiang Courtyard to pay her respects to Ye Shi. Qiu Shi¡¯s attitude towards Concubine Jia also cooled down after being reprimanded by the Old Lady.

    Yuxi was pleased with this phenomenon. Back then, when Ke Minjie entered the house, the State Residence was in turmoil all day long. Where would it be as peaceful as it was now?

    When Zisu saw Yuxi outside her study, she knew that Yuxi was tired of reading, so Zisu went over and informed her, ¡°Miss, Kufu¡¯s parents have taken a fancy to a young man, but he is a mere citizen.¡± This meant that if they wanted to settle the marriage, Yuxi would have to release Kufu.

    Yuxi was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°When Kufu gets married, I will have her ve status removed.¡± The reason for not removing Kufu¡¯s servant status right now was because Yuxi had some concerns. Kufu was her personal maid and knew a lot about her. Although it was said that Kufu¡¯s family was still in the State Residence and the chance of Kufu betraying her was small, nothing was absolute. It was better to keep Kufu in check for two years so that she would have some fear in her heart.

    Zisu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine. But, Miss, when will you let Kufu return home?¡± During this period, Kufu was no longer on duty and stayed in her room most of the time. In fact, everyone knew about Miss¡¯ dislike towards Kufu. That was why her parents had found Kufu, a marriage partner from outside the residence. Since the people outside didn¡¯t know the current situation inside the residence, they wouldn¡¯t regard Kufu with disdain. For the people inside, who would dare to marry a maid disliked by her master?

    Yuxi told her, ¡°Let her gather up her things today, and she can go home tomorrow.¡±

    Since they had long be master and servant, Yuxi didn¡¯t cut Kufu short when she met with Kufu the next day. She said, ¡°You have served me for so many years. Now that you are going out to prepare for your marriage, I must not forget to do my part as your Master.¡± In addition to the twenty taels of silver, Yuxi gave her a pair of golden hairpins, a pair of golden earrings, and a pair of textiles, with one in red and the other in autumn coloured. Although notparable to Moju and Motao, they were still decent.

    Kufu had prepared herself to leave without any assistance, but she did not expect that Yuxi would even give her a dowry. At that moment, she fell to her knees and cried, ¡°Miss, this handmaiden is sorry for you. This handmaiden cannot afford to be rewarded by Miss.¡± When she was in the hamlet, she had asked her parents to help her find someone who needed to change a servant so she could return to the residence when that time came. But before her parents could find someone, Miss returned home and was adopted by the Main House. Thinking of what she had done, Kufu¡¯s had a guilty conscience, and the fact that Yuxi¡¯s attitude towards her was noticeably colder made her live in anxiety every day.

    Yuxi did not say anything unnecessary. She only said, ¡°In the future, be good to yourself!¡± At that time, with her having such a reputation and being kicked out of the residence by her own father, her future was in ruins, so following her would be tantamount to burying one¡¯s future. Under such circumstances, it was only natural that Kufu wanted to find another way out. Just imagine if Yuxi hadn¡¯t changed her fortunes and not be adopted by the Main House, Kufu would have left her, which was equivalent to jumping out of the pit fire. So, Yuxi was not resentful, nor was she angry at her. Unless a person looked out for themselves, Heaven and Earth would destroy them. But now that she has taken a favourable turn, she naturally could not tolerate such a maid who could share wealth but not hardship around her.

    Kufu kowtowed three times to Yuxi and said, ¡°Miss¡¯ kindness, Kufu will only be able to repay it when we meet again.¡± By giving a dowry, Miss had shown that she was not disgusted with her. That way, her family would not be dragged into it.

    Yuxi waited for Kufu to finish kowtowing three times, then went out of the parlour and returned to her study. When she arrived there, Yuxi was unable to read her book. Kufu had been with her for eight years. One would develop feelings for small dogs or cats one had raised, not to mention the people one spent time with.

    When Zisu came into the study, she saw Yuxi standing in front of the window in a daze. She walked over and whispered, ¡°Miss, Kufu has gone.¡±

    Yuxi nodded gently and asked, ¡°Kufu is already engaged. What about you? What do you think of the candidate that Mother mentioned two days ago?¡± Qiu Shi had rmended a candidate to Yuxi two days ago, her dowry maid¡¯s son, Wan Jiahua, who worked as an errand boy in a rice shop.

    Based on what Qiu Shi said, Wan Jiahua was an honest and loyal man. This was Zisu¡¯s request. She felt that someone too resourceful could not be trusted, so it was better to find an honest one. Yuxi had asked someone to inquire about him in the past two days, and he had a good reputation. When she got such a report, Yuxi was satisfied.

    Zisu nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ve asked around in the past two days, and this Wan Jiahua has a good reputation. Miss, I would like to meet him first.¡± Took what one heard to be false, only believed it when one saw it. Just like how it¡¯s better to read this chapter at xinshou blogspot, right?

    Yuxi was relieved to see that Zisu had relented. She was afraid that Zisu would be dead set on not marrying because of her feelings for Er Ge. ¡°That¡¯s natural. If you¡¯re not satisfied with him, I¡¯ll help you look around again. With your qualifications, you won¡¯t have to worry about finding a good one. Even if you can¡¯t find one in residence, there¡¯s no problem finding one from the outside.¡±

    Zisu blushed. ¡°What are you talking about, Miss? If outsiders heard this, they would haveughed at me!¡±

    Since Zisu had softened her heart, Yuxi immediately arranged a meeting between the two. When Zisu returned from the meeting, she was a bit squirmy. When asked by Yuxi, she could only say stiffly, ¡°Not bad.¡±

    Yuxi also had a look at this Wan Jiahua, just in case. She saw that he had big eyes and thick eyebrows, looking quite regr. It was just that when he met her, he was a bit reserved, not even daring to raise his head.

    Yuxi asked Wan Jiahua a few questions, all about the shop. Wan Jiahua stammered in his reply. His reaction did not please Yuxi. [+]

    Turning her head, Yuxi told Zisu, ¡°This Wan Jiahua is not very nimble with his mind. This is not good.¡± It was not good to be too smart, but it was also not good enough to be too naive.

    Zisu has her own considerations. ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t want to find someone who is too smart. This type of person has many things in his mind, and I won¡¯t have a peaceful life with him. I think a man like Wan Jiahua is fine.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and offered a suggestion, ¡°Let¡¯s take another look around. There are so many men of the right age in residence. You can always find one that suits you.¡± As she grew older and experienced more things, she had different requirements for numerous things. In the past, Yuxi had also felt that a loyal and honest maid would put her mind at ease, but after what happened to Kufu and Maidong, she felt that a loyal and honest one was not necessarily reassuring. Those slippery in the ridge were not necessarily disloyal and would betray her.

    Zisu was reluctant to look any further. ¡°Miss, I think Wan Jiahua is quite good. Let¡¯s just settle on him!¡± It was already hard to choose one, but when time passed, she might not even be able to choose someone like Wan Jiahua. Moreover, Zisu was worried that if she asked for more choices, she might displease the Lady.

    Yuxi said after a moment of silence, ¡°We should get in touch with him more. If you really think he¡¯s good, we can wait until the end of the year to settle the marriage. If you don¡¯t think he¡¯s suitable, there¡¯s still room for regret. After all, marriage is a lifelong matter, so we should be more careful. What do you think of this arrangement?¡± The maids were all released to their families when they were around twenty. Zisu was now neen years old, so she would be engaged at the end of the year and married at the end of next year¡¯s twelfth lunar month, which was not toote.

    Zisu naturally had no more opinions. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to Miss.¡± Half a year earlier, half a yearter, it didn¡¯t make any difference.

    Qiu Shi felt that Yuxi put too much hassle into this matter. ¡°If they think it¡¯s good, then they should just settle the marriage. What else do they need to watch out for?¡± Mostly, Qiu Shi felt that there was no need to go to such lengths for a maid.

    Yuxi responded with a smile. ¡°Mother, Zisu has been with me for so many years. Thanks to her, she has saved me a lot of trouble over the years. Now I want to be more cautious about her life. After all, we only know his face, but we don¡¯t know his heart. If he is a good one, he won¡¯t be afraid of us observing him. If he¡¯s a bad one, I won¡¯t let him cheat Zisu.¡±

    Qiu Shi shook her head and conceded, ¡°You¡¯re the one in charge of her anyway. Since Zisu is already at this age, even if Wan Jiahua will not be epted as her marriage candidate, she should be married for the next two years. If she¡¯s going to leave, you¡¯ll have to get her to train people before she goes. By the way, with only three maids around you, can you still manage?¡± Qiu Shi didn¡¯t have any objection to the fact that Zijin had taken up a ce as Yuxi¡¯s personal main maid, even though she didn¡¯t show up all year round. It would be fine for this kind of maid as long as she could appear at critical moments. [+]

    Yuxi answered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother, I will take care of it.¡± Thinking about it, she spoke of her desire to match Caidie to Lian Shan¡¯s eldest son, Lian Dng. [T/N]

    Qiu Shi listened to Yuxi¡¯s exnation and responded after a moment¡¯s thought, ¡°If the Lian family and Caidie¡¯s mother agree, I have no problem with that. However, if both families finally agree on this matter, you must prepare well in advance. Caidie and Zisu¡¯s situations are different. The Lian family can¡¯t allow their eldest son to marry at the age of twenty. If Zisu and Caidie both leave, you¡¯ll have to find their recements.¡±

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°I¡¯m going to let Zisue back as my stewardess. As for the recement, Xuantao and Shanmei are both good. They should be able to handle the duties of the first-ss maids after two more years of training. The one who ends up not as good will be reced by one of the second-ss maids.¡±

    Qiu Shi still believed in Yuxi¡¯s ability as she said, ¡°Alright. It¡¯s good that you know this matter in your heart. If you have any problems or difficulties, you can tell Mother. If you don¡¯t want to tell Mother, you can also tell your Dage and Er Ge. Don¡¯t just keep it inside.¡± When this girl was aggrieved, she would only knock out her teeth and swallow them in her stomach. This made them all feel very distressed for her.

    Yuxi revealed a smiling expression. ¡°Mother, I am fine now. I have no grievance and no difficulty.¡± The Old Lady was currently very kind to her, and Han Jingyan had no control over her. She was the only one who could bully people in the State Residence now, and no one dared to bully her.

    Qiu Shi nodded a little and talked about Concubine Jia. ¡°It¡¯s been so long, and there¡¯s still no movement in her belly at all. Your Er Sao just got married, and she was already pregnant.¡± Han Jianming was in his early twenties, and some people his age had sons who were already imparted with rudimentary knowledge, but his son stillcked one. That was why Qiu Shi was particrly anxious.

    Yuxi¡¯s face was full of ck lines. You know that Concubine Jia has only been in the family for a month or so! As for thement that Lu Xiu was pregnant when she just entered the residence, Yuxi didn¡¯t hear anything about it. ¡°Mother, the physician said that Concubine Jia¡¯s health is excellent. So, Mother doesn¡¯t have to rush it.¡± Concubine Jia was indeed under a lot of pressure.

    Qiu Shi muttered, ¡°I¡¯m not in a rush!¡±

    Yuxi did not know whether tough or cry. Aren¡¯t you contradicting yourself by saying you¡¯re not in a rush but still mentioning such things?

 Chapter 240 - Yujings Death

    Chapter 240 : Yujing¡¯s Death

    The day before the Dragon Boat Festival, Zijin returned to the residence.

    The first time Yuxi saw Zijin, she asked, ¡°Why have you be so dark?¡± Before, when she was learning martial arts from Deng Niangzi, Zijin was only a little dark. Now, however, Zijin¡¯s skin had be dark and tanned. She didn¡¯t even look like a girl. She looked like a boy.

    Zijin didn¡¯t care much about this. She had learnt martial arts to protect Yuxi, and it didn¡¯t matter if she didn¡¯t look good. ¡°It¡¯s okay to be a little darker. It¡¯s nothing to me.¡±

    After bringing in tea and snacks, Caidie and Xuantao went out again. Although Zijin was not always in Taoran House to serve Yuxi, her position was unshakable.

    Zijin looked at the te of cloud cake slices andmented with a smile, ¡°When I¡¯m on the mountain, the cakes made by Guo Daniang are the ones I miss the most.¡±

    Yuxi waited until Zijin had eaten two slices of the pastry before asking, ¡°Zijin, when did Master Yang say you coulde down from the mountain?¡± Zijin was the same age as her and was fourteen years old this year. Yuxi did not want Zijin to stay on the mountain all the time.

    Zijin answered, ¡°Master Yang didn¡¯t say, but I want to learn from him for a full three years. Learning in one month at Master Yang¡¯s ce is more than what I learned in a year at Deng Niangzi¡¯s.¡± Even in three years, there wouldn¡¯t be much for her to learn as Master Yang¡¯s mastery was something untouchable.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°As long as you, yourself, want to, there is naturally no problem on my side. But in the future, make sure to be back for the New Year holidays. Don¡¯t celebrate it on the mountain.¡± The mountains were cold and deserted, and there was not even any good food to eat. It was too shabby to spend New Year on the mountain.

    Zijin shook her head and said, ¡°Miss, if I go down the mountain, Master Yang will have no food to eat.¡± In addition to practising martial arts on the mountain, Zijin also had to wash, cook and clean. When she came down this time, Master Yang was reluctant to let her go. It was because once she left, there would be no one to cook for him. As for the food that the young apprentice cooked, he couldn¡¯t eat them at all.

    Yuxi knew that Zijin consistently reported the good news to her but not the bad. So when Zijin went back to her room to change her clothes, Yuxi instructed Zisu, ¡°Take advantage of these few days to ask Zijin how she actually spent her time in the mountains.¡± Yuxi had asked Han Jianye about it, but he was reluctant to speak.

    Unfortunately, Zisu was unable to pull a word out of Zijin until Zijin returned to the mountains. Yuxi gave Zijin her fees for the year, in addition to a lot of food and other supplies.

    When Yuxi saw that Zijin was thinking of declining them, she urged with a smile, ¡°Although the two of you don¡¯t have the rtionship of a master and his disciple, the reality is, the two of you are master and disciple. You should also be filial to the elderly on holidays.¡±

    Seeing that she couldn¡¯t push them away, Zijin could only take them along with her.

    After sending off Zijin, Zisu said to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, I asked Zijinpassionately on a few asions, but Zijin didn¡¯t say a word to me.¡±

    Yuxi had expected this. She smiled at these words andmented, ¡°Zijin¡¯s mouth is as tight as ever.¡±

    Zisu asked a little strangely, ¡°Miss, if you wanted to know, why didn¡¯t you ask Zijin directly? Zijin definitely wouldn¡¯t hide anything from you.¡±

    Yuxi smiled without answering her question.

    Not long after the Dragon Boat Festival, bad news came from the Song family, saying that Yujing had gone into prematurebour.

    When Qiu Shi got the news, her expression didn¡¯t fluctuate at all. She just asked Ye Shi to go over to see what was going on, while she, herself, didn¡¯t go.

    When Yuxi heard the news, her face was a little heavy as she stated, ¡°This matter is not that simple.¡± Yujing had been pregnant for seven months, and Yuxi had not heard anything wrong about Yujing¡¯s health during this period. But now, with this sudden incident, if there were nothing fishy about it, Yuxi would not believe it.

    Zisu said, ¡°Miss, you should stay out of this!¡± Yujing had already made the Old Lady and the First Lady thoroughly disgusted, and neither of them wanted to care about her. Why should her Miss get herself involved with such things?

    But Yuxi didn¡¯t think the same way as her. ¡°If it¡¯s just Yujing, herself, being careless, then it¡¯s fine. But if someone else had caused it, and the Han family didn¡¯t care about it, wouldn¡¯t that make the Song family think that we are afraid of them?¡± This was just an excuse. The reason Yuxi would say something like this was because she remembered what had happened in her previous life. In herst life, she was wrongly used of conspiring to murder Jiang Hongjin¡¯s son, but none of the Han family had stepped in to uphold justice for her, leaving the Jiang family to send her to a hamlet in the countryside. Although Yuxi had never liked Yujing, thinking about what had happened to her before, Yuxi¡¯s heart was somewhat unable to tolerate this situation.

    Zisu couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Miss, if you want this matter to be brought forward, you can¡¯t be the one who has to step forth.¡± Even if Miss had to step in, it should be the First Lady who would have to take action.

    Yuxi asked helplessly, ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m such an unreasonable person in your mind?¡± It was not something, an unmarried girl like her, to be in charge of such matters. It was just that she was holding some stuffiness in her heart, which she could not dispel. She, the trantor, feels the same when you read this, not at xinshou blogspot.

    The next evening Ye Shi returned to the Han family, bringing terrible news of Yujing¡¯s death after going through the difficult birth of her child. [+]

    Yuxi immediately froze. ¡°How could it be? Didn¡¯t they say she had prematurebour?¡± A difficult birth might apany prematurebour, but the most that could happen was that one unable to save the baby. How could the mother¡¯s life not be saved!

    Zisu had already asked the maid beside Ye Shi and told Yuxi, ¡°At that time, the Second Miss was in a very dangerous situation. The physician said that only one of the mother and the child could be saved, and Fourth Madam Song instructed the physician to save the child.¡± Ye Shi wanted to save the mother at that time, but she was in the Song family¡¯s territory, and the physician and midwife only listened to the Fourth Madam Song. As a result, the baby was saved, but they lost Yujing¡¯s life.

    Yuxi felt a chill run through her body. If the child was gone, Yujing could have another one, but if Yujing was gone, how could the child live without a mother after she was born?

    Zisu ryed the news she had inquired about to Yuxi. ¡°The reason why Second Miss went into premature delivery was that Seventh Young Master Song¡¯s tongfang maid, given by Fourth Madam Song, had stirred up trouble.¡±

    The Fourth Madam Song had always loathed Yujing, and ever since Yujing passed through the door, Fourth Madam Song had been picking on her and suppressing her in various ways. Unfortunately, Yujing¡¯s fighting ability wasn¡¯t light, and she could deal with the Fourth Madam Song with ease. In the end, not only did Fourth Madam Song fail to suppress Yujing, but her son became more and more distant from her, resulting in a strained rtionship between mother and son. It was at this time that Yujing became pregnant. This was when Fourth Madam Song openly gave two maids to Song Qi to warm his bed. Since then, the mother-inw and daughter-inw have been fighting even more fiercely.

    Yuxi sneered. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not the tongfang maid that was causing the trouble, but rather the Fourth Madam Song¡¯s handiwork. She wanted to kill Yujing!¡±

    Zisu was shocked as she eximed, ¡°Does Miss mean that the Second Miss¡¯s premature delivery and difficultbour were both caused by the Fourth Madam Song?¡±

    Yuxi sighed slightly and said, ¡°Yujing originally used tricks to get this marriage, and after she married, she even made Song Qi and the Fourth Madam Song at odds with each other. The Fourth Madam Song only has one son. How can she bear it?¡± The most important thing was that the Fourth Madam Song knew that Yujing¡¯s maiden family did not like Yujing, and even if Fourth Madam Song killed Yujing, Fourth Madam Song¡¯s family would not suffer any injuries.

    Zisu listened to Yuxi¡¯s analysis and was somewhat appalled. ¡°That¡¯s too ruthless.¡±

    Yuxi raised her head and looked at the blue blue sky. Her thoughts drifted to who knows where. After a long time, a faint voice said, ¡°This is the path she chose herself. No one else can be med for it.¡± With Qiu Shi¡¯s character, she would not have pushed Yujing into a pit fire. At most, she would have married her into a low-status family. Even Yuxi thought that decision would have been good for Yujing. A low marriage meant that Yujing would not be constrained in her husband¡¯s family and could live her life as she pleased. Unfortunately, Yujing¡¯s goal had always been to marry into a wealthy family. So how could she be willing to marry into a lowly family? Therefore, at the end of the day, it was already predetermined when she set up Song Qi.

    Zisu thought about what happened that day and knew that what Yuxi said was right. ¡°Miss, what about that child?¡± That child was so pitiful for having lost a mother as soon as being born. The Fourth Madam Song hated the Second Miss so much. Hence, how could she possibly be kind to that child in the future!

    Only at this point did Yuxi remember that she had forgotten to ask the gender of the child. ¡°Is that child a boy or a girl?¡±

    Zisu replied, ¡°That child is a girl.¡±

    Yuxi nodded lightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that the child is a girl instead. The Song family is short of girls.¡± In Song Huaijin¡¯s generation, there was only one girl, Song Guifei. There were only two girls in Song Qi¡¯s generation, and in the next generation after that, there was no girl at all. Few girls meant that girls were precious.

    Yujing¡¯s sudden death, and with there still aged people in the Song family, Yujing was taken to the family temple the day she died, without even cing her coffin at the Song family main home. [+]

    For Yujing¡¯s funeral, Qiu Shi didn¡¯t attend it either. She merely had Ye Shi toe forth. For this matter, Yuxi even made it a point to persuade her a few times. But when she saw Qiu Shi¡¯s disgusted look as if she had swallowed a fly, she then had the good sense to say no more. She was not Qiu Shi¡¯s birth daughter. Even though they were close now, there were still some things she needed to be careful about. Therefore, only Ye Shi and Lu Xiu from the Han family side went to the Song family¡¯s ancestral temple, while not the others. Yuxi had wanted to go but was stopped by Qiu Shi. Qiu Shi¡¯s reason was simple: it was unlucky to go to such a funeral.

    The Song family held a decent funeral for Yujing.

    However, even if it was decent, Yuxi¡¯s heart was still as ufortable as if there was a stone in it.

    Zisu looked at Yuxi¡¯s appearance and asked, ¡°Is Miss still ufortable about the Second Miss?¡± Zisu felt a little strange. Her own master and the Second Miss were enemies. It was logical for her own master to be happy without the Second Miss around. But ever since the Second Miss was gone, her Miss had not been in a good mood.

    Yuxi spoke of something like wind, ox and horse that were unrted to each other, ¡°Human hearts are sometimes more poisonous than poisonous snakes.¡± The Song family only convicted the tongfang maid since the Fourth Madam Song was solving the cause of Yujing¡¯s death half-heartedly. This action should have been expected from the Fourth Madam Song. Otherwise, she would not have dared to harm Yujing.

    Zisu thought that Yuxi was saying that the Fourth Madam Song was ruthless and said, ¡°Miss, such people are, after all, a minority. Lady Chen is outstanding, generous and reasonable. No one in the capital doesn¡¯t praise her.¡± This statement meant that Yuxi did not have to worry about the rtionship between her mother-inw and daughter-inw.

    Yuxi¡¯s smile did not enter her eyes. ¡°Only those who have spent time together will know if they are good or not. What others say is not to be trusted.¡± Whether the Lady of Taining was as good as the rumours had said, only after she arrived at the Chen family would she know. However, even if the Lady of Taining was not nice, Yuxi was not afraid. She had her dowry and her two brothers to back her up, so even if the Lady of Taining made things difficult, she wouldn¡¯t dare to go too far.

    Zisu didn¡¯t know why Yuxi suddenly came out with such a sentence, but nothing was to gain from discussing this matter. At that moment, she advised, ¡°Miss, this matter has already been concluded, so don¡¯t think about it anymore.¡± The maid who caused the Second Miss¡¯ death had also been beaten to death with a stick, which the Song family had exined to the Han family. The First Lady was obviously unwilling to pursue the matter, so it had to be put to rest.

    Yuxi did not respond to Zisu¡¯s words but stood fixedly in the yard for a little while before returning to the house to read a book.

 Chapter 241 - Momo Quan Returned To The Capital (1)

    Chapter 241 : Momo Quan Returned To The Capital (1)

    Not long after, news came again from the Song family, saying that Yujing¡¯s child had lost her life. This news was told to Yuxi by Qiu Shi herself.

    Yuxi was silent after hearing this. She felt that it was a good thing that the child had died early. At least now, the child didn¡¯t have to suffer in the future. A child without a mother was grass, and if she met an evil grandmother, she would probably be worse than grass. It was just that these words could only be thought of but not spoken out loud.

    Qiu Shi looked at Yuxi¡¯s heavy expression and asked, ¡°Yuxi, do you think Mother is cruel?¡± In fact, until now, Qiu Shi didn¡¯t think she had done anything wrong by not asking and listening to what had happened to Yujing. Concubine Rong had been giving her a hard time ever since she entered the Han family¡¯s household. She constantly stirred up trouble, causing the Duke of the State to drift away from Qiu Shi. And Yujing, relying on her father¡¯s favour, always helped Concubine Rong calcte against her. Over the years, she had been generous enough in not getting Yujing killed. This happened until Qiu Shi was unable even to free herself from this misery. Furthermore, marrying into the Song family was also Yujing¡¯s own calction. The cause of that day was the fruit of today.

    Yuxi shook her head as she answered, ¡°No. I just feel that things in this world are unpredictable.¡± She thought of how powerful Yujing had been in the State Residence back then and how she had taken pleasure in bullying her and Yuru. But now? Not only did she die horribly, but she had not even been able to save her daughter.

    Qiu Shi thought differently, though. ¡°People still need to know how to mend their way.¡± Concubine Rong hadmitted too many sins, and that was why the retribution fell onto Yujing. If Yujing hadn¡¯t done such a desperate thing back then, Qiu Shi wouldn¡¯t have let her fall into this kind of situation.

    This statement could not convince Yuxi¡¯s heart, but she still nodded her head on the surface as a sign she agreed. ¡°Mother is right.¡± In this life, one could not live well just by being kind. Excessive kindness would only make people think that you were weak and easy to be bullied. Therefore, if you wanted to live a good life, you had to have the ability to support yourself. If you have the time, you can read this chapter at xinshou blogspot for free.

    It was not unusual for a child to die young, so the Han family did not intervene and left the matter to the Song family.

    In a sh, it was the end of the seventh lunar month.

    The seventh lunar month had been so hot until it caused one to have a hard time breathing. Yuxi¡¯s study had been filled with tworge buckets of ice, and one could immediately feel the chill in the air once one walked in.

    Yuxi was engrossed in her book when she heard Zisu rush in and reported, ¡°Miss, Momo Quan has returned.¡±

    Yuxi let out a cry of ¡®ah¡¯ and asked with great surprise, ¡°Momo Quan is back? You¡¯re not mistaken, are you?¡± When Momo Quan returned to her hometown in Shaanxi that day, she prepared to live her life in retirement. How could she possibly return to the capital now? So when Yuxi heard this news, she naturally did not believe it.

    Zisu smiled and answered, ¡°How can I be mistaken about this? Momo Quan hase into the residence and went to see the Lady first! I thought I would never see Momo Quan again, but I never imagined that Momo Quan would be back.¡±

    Yuxi, however, was not as happy as Zisu, as she stated with a frown, ¡°I¡¯m afraid something bad has happened.¡± Momo Quan had gone back to her hometown to retire. Something must have happened for her sudden return to the capital.

    As they were talking, they heard a young maid announce Liuyin¡¯s arrival. Liuyin entered the room and told Yuxi, ¡°Miss, Momo Quan has returned to the residence, and my Lady has asked this handmaiden to invite you toe over.¡±

    Yuxi nodded a little and said, ¡°Momo Quan values rules and manners above all else. I¡¯ll freshen myself first before going over.¡± Wearing daily wear to meet a guest was in itself disrespectful.

    After freshening up, Yuxi took Zisu and Caidie to the Master Courtyard. As soon as they entered the room, they saw Momo Quan. Momo Quan was wearing a green beizi with a darker pattern together with a brown skirt. Her clothes looked a bit old; shebed her hair into a round bun and attached two silver hairpins to it. Her skin was slightly dark, and her figure was slim. The only thing that had not changed was her serious expression.

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. It had only been three years or so, and Momo Quan already had grey hair. And with those old clothes, it was apparent from one nce that Momo Quan did not have a good time.

    When Qiu Shi saw Yuxi just standing still, she asked, ¡°Yuxi, what are you doing standing there? Is it possible that you don¡¯t know Momo Quan anymore?¡± It was also because Momo Quan had taught Yuxi sincerely before, so Qiu Shi was very polite towards Momo Quan.

    Yuxi immediately restrained her emotions and bowed as a greeting for Momo Quan.

    Momo Quan looked at Yuxi with her eyes full of relief. Although she had not been in the capital for a long time, she knew Yuxi had been adopted by the Main House and had settled on a good marriage. Yuxi would have good times ahead of her. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Miss for three years, and Miss is getting even prettier.¡±

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°Momo is justplimenting me.¡±

    Qiu Shi said with a smile, ¡°Yuxi, take Momo Quan back to the Taoran House so that the two of you can have a good talk there.¡± Momo Quan had gone and returned. Hence, something wrong must have happened in her hometown. Since she didn¡¯t want to talk to Qiu Shi, Momo Quan must be willing to open up about it to Yuxi. If not, Momo Quan wouldn¡¯t havee to the State Residence.

    When Yuxi and Momo Quan had left, Mama Li said, ¡°Looking at Momo Quan, her days in her hometown must have been hard.¡± Wearing old clothes for a visit, it would be strange to say Momo Quan¡¯s days had been good.

    Qiu Shi responded, ¡°I think she¡¯s here to find Yuxi for shelter. It is just as well that Yuxi is short of a stewardess, and the people I chose before were not eptable to Yuxi. So if Momo Quan can be her stewardess, it would have been excellent.¡± Qiu Shi was convinced of Momo Quan¡¯s ability.

    Mama Li nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s true!¡±

    Momo Quan followed Yuxi to the Taoran House, looked at the ce¡¯syout, nodded slightly and praised, ¡°This courtyard is not bad.¡± This courtyard was several times more spacious than the Rose Courtyard. [+]

    Caidie brought up the tea, followed by maids that brought in snacks and fruits.

    Momo Quan smelled the fragrance of the tea and knew that it was kuding tea. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to remember my favourite tea.¡±

    Yuxi smiled as she said, ¡°It¡¯s only been three years. Even if I have a bad memory, I wouldn¡¯t even forget what kind of tea Momo likes.¡±

    Momo Quan smiled a little. ¡°I¡¯m getting old, and I¡¯ve forgotten a lot of things.¡± She always wanted to leave the capital, go back to her hometown and spend the rest of her life there. But in the end, she had toe back here.

    Yuxi looked at the white hair on Momo Quan¡¯s head and asked, ¡°Momo, are you in some kind of difficulty? If there is anything I can do to help, I will never refuse you.¡± As long as it was within her power to do so, she would definitely help.

    Momo Quan put down her cup of tea and nodded. ¡°My hometown was hit by a disaster, and I¡¯m not familiar with any other ce except the capital, so I¡¯ve returned here.¡±

    Yuxi frowned when she heard this. Her Dage would asionally tell her about the affairs of the court. But she hadn¡¯t heard of any recent disasters in Shaanxi. Thinking of this, Yuxi waved her hand and told all the maids standing around to withdraw. She did not even let Zisu stay behind.

    Only when there were two people left in the room did Yuxi ask, ¡°Momo, did you say that your hometown was hit by a disaster? What kind of disaster was it? Is the scope of the disaster that big?¡±

    Momo Quan nodded as she told Yuxi, ¡°Most ces in Shaanxi and Gansu have been hit by drought. When we left, the grain price was already 10% higher than the price at the same timest year. Now I don¡¯t know how much the current price is.¡± Shaanxi was thousands of miles from the capital. It took Momo Quan three months to travel from Shaanxi to the capital.

    Yuxi did the math in her mind and asked, ¡°Momo, could it be that it has rained again since you left your hometown? If there were a real drought in Shaanxi and Gansu, the court would have provided relief. Now, it seems like there is no movement from the court at all?¡± Those officials should not have been so bold as to conceal such a significant matter from the public.

    Momo Quan shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that.¡± She had been away from her hometown for several months and had no sources of information, so how could she know about this?

    Yuxi thought for a moment before asking, ¡°Did Momo return to the capital alone?¡±

    Momo Quan shook her head. ¡°No, I brought my nephew¡¯s family over. Together with me, there are seven people in total. They also have so many children with them. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have travelled with me this far.¡±

    Hearing this, Yuxi asked while feeling baffled, ¡°Momo, even if there was a natural disaster in Shaanxi, it was only temporary. Howe Momo brought them to the capital?¡± Everyone would always feel homesick, and if a natural disaster had made Momo Quan¡¯s nephew¡¯s family leave their home, Yuxi would not have believed it. Something else must have been going on here. [+]

    When Momo Quan saw Yuxi persistently asking her, she didn¡¯t hide it any longer. She exined, ¡°The taxes over there are so heavy that you can¡¯t even fill your stomach after working so hard in the fields for a year. Although I have some savings, I can¡¯t just sit and eat until I deplete my mountain of wealth.¡±

    Yuxi still had a stomach full of questions. ¡°Momo, why don¡¯t you open a medicated food shop in your hometown? Momo, you have an official rank on you, so no one would dare to do anything bad.¡± With Momo Quan¡¯s skills, she would still have a lot of money if she opened a medicated food shop.

    Hearing this, Momo Quan let out a bitter smile and said, ¡°Miss, I didn¡¯t open a medicated food shop, but a pastry shop instead, which I openedst year. But someone bought it after less than six months of being open.¡± Momo Quan also saw that her nephew¡¯s family was having a hard time, and it was not a good thing to rely on her all the time. With all the moneying in and out, there was always a time when the money would run out. So she wanted to open a pastry shop to help the family financially with household expenses. Momo Quan¡¯s pastry shop was not that big, but it turned out to be too good for business and attracted many people¡¯s attention.

    Yuxi understood and asked, ¡°Was it bought by force?¡±

    Momo Quan nodded. ¡°It was bought by the wife of the county magistrate¡¯s assistant.¡± Although Momo Quan had an official rank, it was only an imaginary position, and she had no real power. The county magistrate¡¯s assistant was a snake in its home territory. And his wife had taken a fancy to Momo Quan¡¯s shop. It seemed like they would y a dirty trick if Mama Quan didn¡¯t sell it. In the end, Momo Quan had no choice but to sell the shop. It was this incident that made Momo Quan feel very upset. Seeing that the drought was more severe this time, she was worried that something might go wrong. Therefore, she persuaded her nephew to move to the capital with his family. In any case, she still had contacts in the capital, so she would not be hungry even if the situation turned worse. Most importantly, she did not have to be afraid of anyone.

    Yuxi had some understanding of such twists and turns. ¡°Does the wife of county magistrate¡¯s assistant has some big backers?¡± Otherwise, a wife of a county magistrate¡¯s assistant would not dare to be so arrogant.

    Momo Quan nodded and said, ¡°The wife of the prefecture magistrate is her biaojie.¡± With such a big backer, Momo Quan did not dare to counter with force, and she could only sell the recipe for the pastry.

    When Yuxi heard this, she asked, ¡°For a wife of a small county magistrate¡¯s assistant to be so arrogant, has the officialdom there be rotten a long time ago? Is this why Momo is preparing to move to the capital?¡± By calling them, rotten officialdom meant that the officialdom was full of corrupt officials.

    Momo Quan did not expect Yuxi to be so thorough, so she nodded and revealed, ¡°Yes. This time there is a drought in Shaanxi and Gansu. Whether the court provides relief or not, in the end, it is themon people who will suffer.¡± In fact, natural disasters were not terrible. Still, Momo Quan was most worried that the people would rebel if they could not survive anymore.

    Momo Quan was also a knowledgeable person who noticed that the people were getting even more miserable. She feared that they would not be able to survive if things went on like this. If people couldn¡¯t survive, they would probably rebel. If that were to happen, her family would undoubtedly be affected. So, after thinking about it, Momo Quan figured it would be safer to go to the capital. After all, they would be near the Son of Heaven, which was much safer than her hometown.

    Yuxi was not stupid. How could she not understand the insinuation behind Momo Quan¡¯s words? Although she had heard from Han Jianming regarding corruption in the government, with the Song family and the Yu family ying with power among them, while themon people were suffering, she had not seen them with her own eyes. However, now Momo Quan was nning to settle in the capital with her family in tow. Thus, if Momo Quan hadn¡¯t been unable to stay in her hometown, why would she have taken this step? This showed how difficult life had been for ordinary people. The world might indeed be in chaos, as Dage had predicted.

 Chapter 242 - Momo Quan Returned To The Capital (2)

    <strong>Chapter 242 : Momo Quan Returned To The Capital (2)</strong>

    Momo Quan came to see Yuxi only after she had decided on her ns and said, ¡°Miss, I still have some savings in hand. I would like to buy a small residence in the capital so that my family have a ce to live.¡± Momo Quan nned to settle in the capital, so she wanted to buy a residence rather than renting one. But in the capital, it was not easy to purchase a ce. And she didn¡¯t know anyone else here except for Yuxi. Of course, obtaining a residence was only secondary in her n. Her main reason was wishing for Yuxi to be her backer. If she didn¡¯t have a backing in the capital, she wouldn¡¯t know how she would die if she identally provoked someone.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s easy to buy a residency. Just, what about your family¡¯s livelihood in the future? ¡±

    Momo Quan answered, ¡°Let them settle down first, and the rest will naturallye after that.¡± Momo Quan was not worried about making a living as long as she had someone she could rely on in the capital. After all, she also learned all kinds of skills and had no problem supporting her family. Besides, her nephew and his wife were not the types that only fond of eating and averse to work either.

    Yuxi thought for a moment before suggesting, ¡°Momo Quan, I wonder if you would like to be employed here once more? I¡¯ve never been able to find a suitable stewardess. If Momo is willing, other things will be easy to deal with.¡± After a pause, Yuxi continued, ¡°To tell Momo the truth, all the maids around me except for Zisu and Zijin are not very useful. So I want Momo to help me train some.¡±

    Momo Quan found Yuxi¡¯s request to be odd. ¡°What about Kufu and Maidong?¡±

    Yuxi replied with a wry smile, ¡°I have to let them off.¡±

    When Momo Quan heard Yuxi¡¯s answer, she knew that the two maids must havemitted a big mistake, or else they would not have been let off. ¡°If Miss does not mind, I would naturally be happy to do so. But I¡¯m wondering if the First Lady would agree?¡± She was willing to teach Yuxi with such dedication back then because she had affection and faith in Yuxi. At that time, she also thought, by teaching Yuxi well, she would be someone she could retreat to. However, Momo Quan never imagined that she would be using this route so soon. It¡¯s not hard to drop by at xinshou blogspot to read this chapter.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°As long as Momo agrees, there won¡¯t be any probleming from Mother¡¯s side.¡± She had been trying to find a stewardess for the past two years, but she could not find one she was happy with. Now that Momo Quan was willing to fill the position, Mother would surely be more than pleased. Thus, Mother would not object to this idea of hers.

    Momo Quan stated earlier, ¡°Though when Miss marries, I will return to my family.¡± This meant that she would only stay with Yuxi for two or three years and would not follow her to the Chen family. It also implied that she would not sell herself as a servant. After a lifetime of being cautious and timid in the pce, Momo Quan did not want to work as a servant or a maid anymore and only wanted to live out the rest of her life infort.

    Yuxi smiled as she agreed. ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± With two years to spare, Momo Quan was perfectly capable of training a few helpful people for her. As for the stewardess, when Zisu got married, she woulde back and take it over.

    When the two came to an agreement, the matter was settled. However, Momo Quan wanted to wait until her nephew and wife settled down before entering the residence as a staff member.

    Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°Sure thing! Momo, what are your requests for their residence? I¡¯ll have someone ask around for you.¡± It would also take time to buy a ce to one¡¯s liking.

    Momo Quan didn¡¯t require much, except for a good location. After all, she was from out of town. If there were hoodlums in the area where her family would live, she would not feelfortable leaving her nephew¡¯s family outside. Her nephew and wife were honest and tolerant people. They would only suffer if they came across unreasonable people.

    When Yuxi heard Momo Quan¡¯s request, she thought for a moment and then said, ¡°The ce where Mama Fang lives is perfect in terms of security. If Momo is willing, I will have someone ask Mama Fang to see if anyone wants to sell their home? If there is, you can also visit each other in the future.¡± Having the two families visit each other was only secondary. The important thing was to have Mama Fang look after Momo Quan¡¯s family. Then Momo Quan would not have to worry about her nephew¡¯s family being bullied by outsiders.

    Momo Quan revealed a joyful smile. ¡°If that is the case, then naturally, it will be for the best.¡±

    When Mama Fang got the request, not only she inquired about the news herself, but she also made Lian Shan pay attention to the information regarding this matter. In less than three days, Mama Fang went to report her findings to Yuxi.

    Mama Fang presented her selections, ¡°Miss, there are two avable residences. One is a single courtyard, and the other is a two entrance residence. Both are very nice.¡±

    After listening to Mama Fang¡¯s detailed description, Yuxi said, ¡°Since Mama thinks the two residences are outstanding, then please take Momo Quan over to see them. It is still up to Momo Quan to decide which one to buy.¡± Momo Quan was the one who was going to buy and live in it. Hence, it was natural for her to make the final decision. [+]

    Mama Fang nodded, but she hadn¡¯te here just to talk about the residences. She brought up another issue to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, I have taken a fancy to that girl, Caidie, and I want to match her with Dng. Does Miss think they¡¯re suitable?¡± Mama Fang didn¡¯t worry that Caidie had already been spoken of since a maid who served a young miss would not be engaged until she was fifteen or sixteen. It was just that Dng was getting older. Mama Fang wanted to settle him down sooner so that she could feel at ease.

    Yuxiughed a little and asked, ¡°Is this Mama¡¯s own idea or Lian Shan¡¯s?¡± This question referred to two different ideas.

    Mama Fang answered with a smile, ¡°The head of my family has also agreed to this. It¡¯s that boy, Dng, who is the happiest when he knows I have this kind of intention.¡±

    Yuxi nodded her head slightly and said, ¡°If Caidie and her mother agree, I have no problem with it.¡± With this intention initially, she had allowed Caidie to go to the Lian family frequently that day.

    Mama Fang was smiling when she said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll ask Caidie¡¯s mother.¡± Mama Fang¡¯s family had a house, a shop and a piece ofnd. Therefore, they could be considered as a well-off family. Her husband was a member of the government who was paid a monthly sry. The most important thing was, Dng was still a good boy. That was why Mama Fang was not worried that Caidie¡¯s mother would refuse this match. This marriage could be said as the most suitable match for Caidie.

    Yuxi slightly nodded her head. Perhaps because Mama Fang¡¯s family was doing well, Mama Fang did not look old at all even though she was approaching forty years old. When Yuxi saw that Mama Fang had been living well, her heart also felt relieved.

    That evening, Han Jianye came over, with his page carrying a brocade box in his hands behind him. Han Jianye had bought her gifts from time to time, and Yuxi was used to this situation.

    Han Jianye watched as Yuxi took the gift and casually ced it on the table. He narrowed his eyes and smirked. ¡°Yuxi, this gift is not from Er Ge. Someone asked me to give it to you on his behalf.¡± After saying this, he smiled like a mouse.

    When Yuxi looked at Han Jianye acting like this, she knew who had sent the item. At that moment, without changing the colour of her face, she let out an ¡®ah¡¯, without any follow up sentence. This reaction could be said to be somewhat cold.

    Han Jianye thought that Yuxi would be shy after hearing that the gift was from that person, but it turned out that this girl had no other reaction at all. This was honestly boring. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to open it and have a look?¡±

    Yuxi said carelessly, ¡°If Er Ge wants to see it, Er Ge can just open it.¡± During the Dragon Boat Festival, the Chen family had also sent over many valuable gifts. The gifts were just secondary. The main thing was that this action showed how much the Chen family valued Yuxi. Qiu Shi was pleased to receive the gift. However, the only pity was that Chen Ran did not give Yuxi a separate one, making Qiu Shi continuouslyin about it. Yuxi didn¡¯t expect Chen Ran to give her a particr gift at all, so she wasn¡¯t that disappointed.

    Han Jianye jokingly scolded, ¡°Heartless girl. I¡¯ll go back, and you can take your time to look at it yourself.¡± After saying that, he turned around and went back to his yard.

    Yuxi waved her hand as an instruction for Zisu and the others to withdraw. Only when the room was empty did she open the brocade box. Inside ity a bamboo flute. It was dark in colour, with detailed bamboo lines. The tube was straight and round. The head of the flute was slightly thicker than its tail.

    When she took the flute out of the box, it was a bit scratchy in her hand. Thus it could be seen that it had not been properly polished. Yuxi put it to her mouth and blew twice, but the sound it made was much worse than the jade flute she used. She frowned a little. Why would Chen Ran give her a flute with such poor sound quality?

    As Yuxi thought of this, she took away the satin covering the brocade box and saw a letter lying below. She put down the bamboo flute and took the letter out. After reading it, a smile appeared on her face. She had wondered for what reason did Chen Ran send her a flute with such poor sound quality. It turned out that he made the flute himself.

    Making a flute seemed so easy, but it was actually quite challenging to do. Although the sound quality of this flute was not as good as a jade flute, the intention behind the making of it was rare. Gently touching the bamboo flute, Yuxi¡¯s heart warmed. It was the first time in her two lifetimes that she had received such a heartfelt gift. It was also because of this flute that Yuxi looked forward to her future.

    Since Chen Ran had sent her a gift with such care and attention, she couldn¡¯t just give him nothing in return. Yuxi thought about it for a while. She only had her embroidery skills to offer, so she nned to embroider a fan for Chen Ran. Of course, the fan for Chen Ran must not be the same as Zhou Shiya¡¯s. [+]

    Ancient China Embroidery Frame

    Ancient Embroidery Frame

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    Seeing that Yuxi had ordered the embroidery frame to be brought out, Zisu asked, ¡°What would you like to embroider, Miss?¡± If she had to say, Yuxi used to spend half a shichen daily or so on to embroider, but she hadn¡¯t done any needlework even once a month for the past two years. She had been hiding in her room every day just to read her book and then became obsessed with it.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t forget that Chen Ran was a schr. All schrs liked plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo and chrysanthemums. She dered, ¡°I¡¯m going to embroider bamboo!¡± Yuxi chose bamboo because Chen Ran gave her a bamboo flute. She thought Chen Ran must have liked bamboo very much. Embroidering bamboo was definitely better than making anything else.

    Zisu was a little puzzled and asked, ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t think Miss Shiya likes bamboo. If you embroidered flowers or goldfish, that would be much better.¡±

    Only then did Yuxi remember that she had promised Zhou Shiya that she would embroider a fan for her at the beginning of spring. Somehow, she had forgotten about it. Yuxi was a little embarrassed. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll embroider the bamboo first, and then the goldfish.¡± However, embroidering two pieces of embroidery could take a lot of time. As Yuxi thought about it, she felt that she should use the skill she had deemed pointless before, which was embroidered with both hands.

    Zisu was surprised. ¡°Miss, to whom is that bamboo going to be given?¡±

    Yuxi was a bit embarrassed as she countered, ¡°Why do you ask so many questions? Really, I didn¡¯t realise you talked so much before. Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and move the embroidery frame.¡±

    It was the first time that Zisu had been criticised for talking too much and felt very depressed because of it.

    Momo Quan followed Mother Fang to see the two residences and finally chose the two entrances. She had been thinking far ahead. A one courtyard residence was fine for now, but it would be too crowded when her two grandnephews got married in a few years. Because of this purchase, not only did Momo Quan spend all her savings, she also had to pawn some of her jewellery.

    Mama Fang was kind enough to find a job for Momo Quan¡¯s nephew and his wife. The monthly sry was not too high, but as it was not too tiring and close to home to take care of their family, Momo Quan instantly agreed.

    After helping her family settle down, Momo Quan went to work as a staff at the State Residence.

 Chapter 243 - Gifts

    <strong>Chapter 243 : Gifts</strong>

    When Momo Quan came into the residence, she didn¡¯t just train the maids. She also taught Yuxi how to develop people to be useful for her. Momo Quan has always believed it was better to teach someone to fish than just give that someone fish. Therefore, teaching the maids was secondary to teaching Yuxi well, which was the most important thing.

    Momo Quan came into the courtyard this afternoon to speak to Yuxi and heard her working on her embroidery. When Yuxi was working on her embroidery, no one was allowed to be in the backyard except her trusted subordinates. This was not because she wanted to hide something, but she needed a tranquil environment to do her embroidery. Just like how when she was reading her book, where she did not want to be disturbed.

    When Momo Quan walked into the courtyard, she saw Yuxi under the covered corridor, concentrating on her embroidery. Momo Quan walked over to Zisu and asked in a low voice, ¡°When did Miss learn to embroider with both hands?¡± If word got out that she was embroidering with both her right and left hands, it would definitely cause a shock. As much as how the trantor found out she could read this chapter at another site without crediting her or linked to xinshou blogspot.

    Zisu answered in a mosquito-like voice, ¡°In the past, when Miss was tired of writing with her right hand, she would switch to her left hand. A few days ago, when Miss realised that it was too slow to embroider with one hand, she had a sudden idea to embroider with both hands, and to her surprise, she seeded.¡± In fact, Yuxi had acquired this skill from her previous life, but she had never used it for fear of arousing suspicion. So this time, she used the excuse that she had trained her left and right hands to be very sharp by practising calligraphy.

    This statement would have fooled Zisu, but not Momo Quan. Embroidery was utterly different from practising calligraphy, where one could practise it slowly. Still, embroidery with two hands could not be done with just slow practice. It was just that Momo Quan had been through a lot and knew what to ask and what not to ask. Those who were too curious in the pce would have died long ago and would not have lived to see today. ¡°If anyone asks you in the future, just say that Miss has been practising two-handed embroidery for several years now. She has finally perfected it recently.¡±

    Zisu didn¡¯t quite understand, but seeing that Momo Quan looked like she didn¡¯t want to exin more, Zisu nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll remember Momo¡¯s words.¡±

    After embroidering for half a shichen, Yuxi¡¯s eyes became a bit astringent. Thus she put down the needle and thread in her hands, and only then did she say to Zisu, who was standing beside her, ¡°Put the things away. I¡¯ll embroider them again tomorrow.¡± Yuxi did not embroider more than a shichen a day. It was because her eyes could not stand staring at it for too long.

    When the embroidery frame was moved back to the study, Momo Quan cautioned Yuxi, ¡°Miss, there are still some things that need to be done more carefully. Just like your ability to embroider with both of your hands. You will not be able to do this kind of thing overnight. You have to be extra wary of someone observant who will start asking questions out of curiosity.¡± Just now, Zisu¡¯s answer had made her suspicious. If those with ill intentions heard this and spread it as bad rumours, it would not be good for Yuxi¡¯s reputation.

    Yuxi froze, then smiled as she said, ¡°Momo worries too much. No one will dare to talk nonsense in the State Residence.¡±

    Momo Quan felt that Yuxi¡¯s vignce had dropped a lot and reminded, ¡°Miss, naturally, nothing will go wrong now since you¡¯re still in the State Residence. But what about when you arrive at the Chen household?¡± Good habits must always be maintained. There must not be a moment of ckness. This was the temperament that Momo Quan had raised when she was working in the Imperial Pce. For example, in her hometown. Even if there was a natural disaster, her family could still get by with her savings. As for the rebellion, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, ordinary people would not do such a thing that would destroy their whole family. However, Momo Quan thought otherwise. There were many things that she had prepared herself for. Even if something did happen, she would not be afraid.

    Yuxi¡¯s heart fluttered. She had indeed been careless andzy ever since she had been adopted by the Main House. She nodded as she said, ¡°Momo is right. I will pay more attention in the future.¡±

    What Momo Quan liked most about Yuxi was that she listened to her advice. Yuxi would listen to anything that made sense to her. ¡°Miss, from tomorrow onwards, you will learn to cook medicinal food with me.¡±

    Yuxi was a bit puzzled. She had already learnt about medicinal food! Why did she have to learn it again?

    Momo Quan smiled and said, ¡°The medicinal meals you learned before were just some elementary ones. Tomorrow, I will teach you a secret recipe from the Imperial Pce that I have not yet passed to anyone. If you learn it, it will bring benefits to you for the rest of your life.¡± There were many recipes to nourish one¡¯s body in Momo Quan¡¯s hands, and each of them had different effects. There were prescriptions to make one¡¯s skin smooth like snow, and some were to slim the body. [T/N]

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard this. After that day, Yuxi spent her days learning various skills from Momo Quan in the morning, doing embroidery works in the afternoon and reading books in the evening. As a result, Yuxi¡¯s time became very tight every day.

    Yuxi finally finished embroidering both fans within a month¡¯s time.

    Zisu couldn¡¯t help but make ament after looking at them, ¡°Miss, you¡¯ve saved yourself a lot of trouble.¡± The bamboo embroidery had only three bamboos with twenty leaves and a poem on the right side. As for Zhou Shiya¡¯s fan, besides the two goldfish, there was also a lotus flower with two leaves embroidered around it. On the contrary, both embroideries were beautiful, but they looked a little too clean and tidy. What she really meant was that the embroideries were done a little too simple.

    Yuxi smiled and said: ¡°Their simplicity will make people feel morefortable when looking at them.¡± She wanted to embroider a peacock, but it would take too much of her time. She would have more than enough time to create four or five pairs of such embroideries with her time on embroidering a single peacock. These two embroideries were presentable enough, so why should she tax her mind and body for them anymore. [+]

    Zisu knew Yuxi well enough that she even managed to helplessly say, ¡°Miss, if you find it time-consuming, just say so. Why make such excuses?¡± To her Miss, she would happily spend her time reading rather than embroidering, which she deemed a waste of time. Zisu didn¡¯t even know what Yuxi was thinking anymore.

    Yuxi smiled a little and didn¡¯t respond to Zisu¡¯sment but said instead, ¡°When both fans are ready, send them to their owners.¡±

    Now Zisu could guess that the bamboo embroidery work would most likely be given to Second Master Chen. She was thrilled when she made that guess at that time. She couldn¡¯t help it. Yuxi was looking too calm after she got engaged to Chen Ran. She was soposed that make Zisu thought that Yuxi was dissatisfied with the marriage. Zisu worried that Yuxi¡¯s dissatisfaction would cause her not to get along with Chen Ran when they finally married. Well, Zisu didn¡¯t have to worry about that now. Her Miss¡¯ willingness to make a fan for Second Master Chen showed that she had finally epted him in her heart.

    The fan for Zhou Shiya was a tuanshan, so it was much easier to turn into one. Yuxi wanted to give Chen Ran a folding fan, so it was a bit moreplicated to be done. Therefore, it took five days to turn both embroideries into fans.

    Yuxi looked at the two fans and smiled as she wrapped the embroidered goldfish fan in a fan sleeve and asked Xuntao to send this fan to the Zhou family.

    When Zhou Shiya saw the fan cover, she took it and opened the covering. After looking at the fan for a bit, she eximed happily, ¡°I thought I would have to wait until the end of the year for me to get one. I didn¡¯t expect her to finish embroidering it this fast.¡±

    Xuntao sweated profusely. If Zhou Shiya knew the actual speed of her Miss¡¯ embroidery work this time, she would not have been this happy.

    After rewarding Xuntao heavily, Zhou Shiya happily took her newly acquired fan to show it off to her mother, Second Lady Zhou.

    Hearing Zhou Shiya¡¯s words, Second Lady Zhou poked her forehead and said, ¡°If you had embroidered this fan, I could haveughed after I woke up from my sleep. But don¡¯t you even look at your own embroidery? How can youpare it to this fan? I will even blush for you.¡±

    Zhou Shiya was not even ashamed as she countered, ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t have the talent! Just look at Yuxi. She developed double-sided embroidery on her own without much effort. I¡¯ve been learning for years, but I still can¡¯t do it properly, so you can¡¯t me me. Besides, even if I don¡¯t know how to do any embroidery, the maids around me can do it.¡±

    Second Lady Zhou became even more furious when she heard these words. ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t learn it? Aren¡¯t you just obviouslyzy and unwilling to learn? I didn¡¯t ask you to be as good as that girl, Yuxi¡¯s girl. Why don¡¯t you use your head? You can let the maids embroider the clothes you wear daily, but do you have to let the maids embroider all the gifts that you¡¯re going to give to your inws when you get married?¡± ording to the customs, when a new daughter-inw moved into her husband¡¯s house, she must personally embroidered shoes and clothes as gifts for her inws. [T/N]

    Zhou Shiya was originally very happy when she got such a gift. But now, her good mood had been ruined after being scolded by Second Lady Zhou. Well, Zhou Shiya truly regretted it. Sigh, if she had known, she would not have shown it to her mother. She would show it off to some of her paternal cousins first instead.

    Chen Ran got his gift the next day, and a smile appeared on his face as he looked at the lush green bamboo on the folding fan. He had heard that Yuxi could do double-sided embroidery, but he didn¡¯t expect to get a gift made by her so soon. [+]

    When he was in a better mood, Chen Ran¡¯s face was much more rxed when facing the Lady of Taining, and he no longer looked cold and indifferent. This made the Lady of Taining happy and curious. ¡°Go and ask what good things have happened to the Second Master?¡±

    It didn¡¯t take long for the Lady of Taining to learn that it was because Yuxi had given her son a folding fan. Old Woman Lin, who had gone to inquire, said, ¡°My Lady, Second Master has been carrying it around ever since he received it.¡±

    The Lady of Taining smiled and said, ¡°We have already seen that girl¡¯s embroidery skill, and it is indeed quite good.¡± Not to mention other things, that girl had a pair of skilful hands. And for her to make her son¡¯s attitude towards his own mother a bit better, the Lady of Taining was also happy.

    Old Woman Lin smiled as sheplimented, ¡°Not only is she a good embroiderer, she is also good at managing her household.¡±

    The Lady of Taining nodded and said, ¡°She is indeed good. I almost missed out on a good girl before because I was misled by the rumours outside.¡± Since she heard Qiu Shi¡¯s words on the mountain that day, she had asked people to inquire carefully about Yuxi. She found that, although Yuxi had a little temperament, she was naturally good and was not as unpleasant as the rumours said outside. It was a normal thing for a girl from an influential family to have a little temperament.

    Old Woman Lin knew that her Lady had entirely epted Han Yuxi.

    Little did Yuxi know that a folding fan had changed Lady of Taining¡¯s impression on her. She was currently burying her head in a book!

    Zisu entered the room and informed Yuxi, ¡°Miss, Master Shizi wants you to go to his study.¡± Previously, because of Han Jingyan¡¯s words, Yuxi had not dared to go to Han Jianming¡¯s study. But now, since she was not under Han Jingyan¡¯s control, she didn¡¯t have that misgiving anymore.

    Yuxi put down her book and went to Han Jianming¡¯s study. ¡°Dage, is there something wrong?¡± If there was nothing wrong, Han Jianming would not have called her over.

    Han Jianming said, ¡°Haven¡¯t you always wanted to know where Duan Xinrong has gone to? I¡¯ve already found out. She is currently in Liaodong.¡±

    Yuxi was shocked and asked wide-eyed, ¡°In Liaodong? What is she doing in Liaodong?¡±

    Han Jianming sighed faintly and said, ¡°She¡¯s in thergest brothel in Liaodong. But she is only a hired worker, selling her art, not her body.¡± It was also because his people had seen the portrait drawn by Yuxi and knew how Duan Xinrong looked that they could recognise her. Duan Xinrong had always been in a deep boudoir. Only a few people had seen her, and who could even recognise her after she had adjusted her head and turned her face ().

    Yuxi became dumb as a wooden chicken.

 Chapter 244 - Hidden Danger

    <strong>Chapter 244 : Hidden Danger</strong>

    It took a long time for Yuxi to regain herposure. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Xinrong rescued by someone? Why did she suddenly appear in a brothel?¡± This was something that Yuxi had a hard time understanding.

    Han Jianming shook his head as he answered, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that either. But the one who saved Duan Xinrong has a huge influence, and the person behind the scene is hiding too deep. So I have no way to find out about that person.¡±

    Yuxi frowned and said, ¡°Looking at this person¡¯s behaviour, he should have an undying grudge against the Song family and the 9th Prince. For him to build such arge influence, it shows that he is definitely not a mediocre person.¡± Thinking of this, Yuxi had an idea sh in her mind. ¡°Dage, do you think it could be someone from the Yan family?¡± Yuxi would think of the Yan family because she felt it was strange for them to be easily broken apart back then. It should be known that the Yan family was also a century-old family. Although most of their younger generation didn¡¯t bring any credit to themselves, they were not without people with outstanding abilities. Yan Wushuang, for example, had exceptional qualifications.

    Han Jianming was silent for half a second before saying, ¡°What you said is not impossible. It¡¯s just that we don¡¯t have any evidence to support this matter, and there¡¯s no way to conclude that it¡¯s indeed the people of Yan family.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t dwell on this for too long. She instead talked to Han Jianming about what Momo Quan had told her earlier. ¡°Dage, Momo said that the drought in Shaanxi was particrly severe. Howe there is no news about it in the capital? Is the situation in Shaanxi getting better?¡± If the Imperial Court had sent disaster relief, there was no way she wouldn¡¯t know about such a big event. The only possibility was that there was no drought in Shaanxi at all.

    Han Jianming answered honestly, ¡°Shaanxi has indeed been hit by drought, and its situation has be more serious.¡±

    Yuxi found it to be unbelievable. ¡°Why is there no word of such a big matter outside then? Also, why isn¡¯t there any relief sent to Shaanxi?¡± Yuxi did note over to ask about it that day because it was not directly rted to her. Coupled with the fact that the wind had dropped and the waves had subsided outside, the situation should have improved. But now, after hearing Han Jianming¡¯s words, she was a little rmed.

    Han Jianming replied openly, ¡°The news from the capital has been suppressed. So the bad news from outside hasn¡¯t trickled in yet. As for the disaster relief you mentioned, the state treasury has no money. Therefore, where would there be any disaster relief?¡±

    Yuxi thought she had heard a particrly amusing piece of news. ¡°I heard the other day that the Ministry of Works is preparing to overhaul the Emperor¡¯s courtyard in Xishan. Imagine how much it will cost if repairing the northern part of the Imperial Garden already cost several hundred thousand taels of silver? Moreover, Guifei Niangniang¡¯s birthday banquet is alsoing up. I¡¯ve heard that the Imperial Household Department has already started the preparations and bought many things. Howe there¡¯s money to repair the courtyard and hold a birthday party but no money for disaster relief?¡±

    A sneer appeared on Han Jianming¡¯s face. ¡°For the Emperor to build a new courtyard and Guifei Niangniang¡¯s birthday banquet, the Ministry of Revenue has to get the money even if it doesn¡¯t have any.¡± As for the disaster victims in Shaanxi and Gansu, where would they care!

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know what else to say at this moment.

    As if this news was not upsetting enough, Han Jianming dropped another bombshell. ¡°Not only is there no money for disaster relief, but they also do not even have enough money to pay or feed the soldiers. The soldiers in Liaodong and the northwest border have not yet been paid for three months.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡± They had the money to spend their time drinking and pleasuring themselves while living their lifefortably. And somehow, there was no money for disaster relief and military pay. Fine, Yuxi really had to kneel down for the Emperor and the important officials of the Imperial Court this time.

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi, who didn¡¯t look even a bit nervous. He asked, ¡°You¡¯re not afraid?¡±

    Yuxi had no fear as she responded, ¡°What¡¯s the use of being afraid? Moreover, even if the world is really in chaos, the capital will be thest ce to be affected. Besides, with Dage and Er Ge around, I don¡¯t have to be worried about anything.¡±

    Han Jianming smiled a little. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Although it¡¯s not very peaceful outside right now, the court can still control the situation for the time being.¡± When the situation was not under control, there would be disorder under the heaven. There would be dangers when the world was in chaos, but there would also be many opportunities for the opportunist. [+]

    Yuxi frowned. ¡°The Chen family is the Emperor¡¯s trusted subordinate. If there is chaos in the world, won¡¯t the Chen family be sucked in the whirlpool?¡± This was not something she was happy to see. The trantor was also unhappy to read this chapter not at xinshou blogspot.

    Seeing that Yuxi was finally worried, Han Jianming smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Chen family has a deep foundation. Even if there is disorder under heaven, they still have the means to protect themselves.¡± The Chen family had been established for over two hundred years and had thrived for a long time because they had their own unique way of surviving.

    Yuxi smiled bitterly. ¡°I have nothing to worry about. Except that, with the world in turmoil, the ones who will suffer the most are the civilians.¡±

    Han Jianming lowered his voice and said, ¡°This is only the worst-case scenario. If the 9th Prince is capable, he might be able to upend heaven and earth!¡± As long as the sessor was a wise ruler, the world wouldn¡¯t necessarily be in disorder.

    Yuxi remembered what happened in her previous life. After the 10th Prince took the throne, he started to reduce the taxes. Although she didn¡¯t know precisely how effective it was, it proved that the 10th Prince wanted to govern the country properly. ¡°How can the 9th Prince be a wise ruler after what he had done? Also, would the forces in the shadows allow him to rise to the top?¡± Even though the 9th Prince was still young back then, a twelve-year-old child had already reached the age of knowing right from wrong. Selling out the country for his own interests was enough to see this person had no principles or bottom line. She had little hope for such a person to be a wise ruler.

    There was one more thing Han Jianming didn¡¯t say. If the 9th prince could not make it, the high position could be given to the 10th Prince. If the 10th Prince took the throne, the Han family would get the most benefit. It was just that he couldn¡¯t say these things to Yuxi. ¡°I heard that you have stopped reading medical books recently?¡±

    Yuxi responded helplessly, ¡°I don¡¯t have enough time. My schedule every day has been so tight. Where will I have the time to read medical books?¡± Theck of time was just an excuse. The main thing was, her marriage had been settled. If she married into the Chen family, she could not use her medical skills, and Yuxi was a pragmatist. Once she had discovered that she couldn¡¯t use what she had learned, she didn¡¯t want to spend more time on it. As for the history books, she found them very interesting. There were only benefits and no disadvantages to reading them more, so she insisted on reading them.

    Han Jianmingughed. ¡°You have no time to read but have time to do embroidery? When will you give Dage a fan too?¡± Han Jianming was teasing Yuxi with these words.

    Yuxi blushed with shame. She had always found needlework to be quite time consuming, so she only made very few things. Somehow, after all these years, she hadn¡¯t given Han Jianming any decent gift. ¡°What does Dage like? I¡¯ll go back and embroider it for Dage.¡±

    Han Jianming was only joking. There was no way he really wanted Yuxi¡¯s embroidery works. ¡°I don¡¯t need it. But you will get married within two years. It¡¯s about time for you to start preparing for your dowry.¡± Most of the people in the capital had heard that Yuxi was good at sewing. Thus, she had to do all the embroidery for her wedding dress and head covering. She couldn¡¯t even leave it to others. Otherwise, it would be like giving a naked p to her own face.

    Yuxi pondered all the way back to the Taoran House. When she arrived in her courtyard, she didn¡¯t see Zisu. Consequently, she asked, ¡°Where is Zisu?¡±

    Xuntao stammered, ¡°Zisu Jiejie is in her room.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t think much of it as she inquired, ¡°Was she tired and currently resting in her room, or was she not feeling well?¡± Zisu was usually very diligent. Even when she had nothing to do, she wouldn¡¯t even stay in her room.

    Xuntao didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Yuxi noticed that there was something wrong. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did someone bully Zisu?¡± Since Yuxi¡¯s status had risen, naturally, just like how the boat floated when the tide rose, her personal maids¡¯ status would also be affected. Of all the people in residence, Yuxi really couldn¡¯t think of anyone who would bully Zisu.

    Xuntao lowered her head and said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m not sure exactly what had happened. It¡¯s something Caidie should know better.¡± Xuntao was not excusing herself, but she really didn¡¯t know what was going on. She only knew that when Caidie hade back from outside and said a few words to Zisu, Zisu entered the house with an ugly face afterwards.

    Yuxi¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look too good either as she instructed, ¡°Tell Caidie toe to the study.¡± Yuxi liked to talk about things in her study. [+]

    It didn¡¯t take long for Caidie toe over. Seeing that Yuxi was asking after her, she didn¡¯t hide anything. She ryed what she knew. ¡°Miss, my mother told me that the eldest son of the Wan family has be entangled with his biaomei.¡± Caidie¡¯s mother was also an old-timer in the mansion. Plus, she was well-connected and rtively well-informed. When she heard that Wan Jiahua was having trouble with his biaomei, she was afraid that Zisu would suffer. So she hurriedly called Caidie to tell her of the news.

    Yuxi knew that Caidie¡¯s mother was a proper person and would not have let Caidie tell her about this if she had not been very sure of it. ¡°You¡¯ve told Zisu about this?¡±

    Caidie nodded and said, ¡°I did.¡±

    Yuxi wasn¡¯t deeply affected by this news. She didn¡¯t think much of Wan Jiahua either. Moreover, Zisu hadn¡¯t been betrothed to Wan Jiahua, and the other party had been tangled up with other women. Thus, it was just a matter of eliminating him from the list. ¡°Mama Fang wants to match you with her eldest son. Do you know about this?¡± It had taken so long for Mama Fang to inform her of the progress on this matter. Obviously, Caidie¡¯s mother hadn¡¯t agreed to the marriage.

    Caidie¡¯s face flushed, and she lowered her head as she mumbled, ¡°My mother told me about it two days ago.¡± Her mother was unfamiliar with the Lian family, so she would not have agreed to the marriage rashly. These days, her mother had been asking people about the Lian family. Only after she had found out more about them and felt that they were good in every way did she ask Caidie what she thought of it.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°What¡¯s your decision?¡±

    Caidie was so shy that she bowed her head and said, ¡°This handmaiden will listen to Miss.¡± She had met the Lian family¡¯s eldest son a few times, and he was a decent man with a good nature. Instead of marrying a person she didn¡¯t know, it was better to marry someone she knew.

    Yuxiughed a little. ¡°This is your lifelong event, so you will have to be satisfied with it. If you agree, I will speak up for you. If not, just directly refuse it.¡±

    Caidie answered softly.

    Yuxi waved her hand and said, ¡°Go and call Zisu.¡±

    Seeing Zisu¡¯s red eyes, Yuxi spoke with amusement, ¡°You¡¯ve only met with him twice, and you two are not engaged. So why are you upset?¡± It was normal if Zisu felt uneasy, but it was unnecessary for her to be so upset that she cried.

    Zisu cried out in a very aggrieved manner, ¡°Miss¡­¡­¡± Zisu thought that Yuxi wouldfort her with a few words, but she didn¡¯t expect Miss would mock her as soon as she came up. This made her even sadder.

    Yuxiughed. ¡°Zisu, just because he looks loyal doesn¡¯t necessarily mean he is honest. In this world, there are many wolves in sheep¡¯s clothing. It¡¯s good to know his true face earlier. You have not engaged with him anyway, and this will not hurt your reputation.¡± Yuxi didn¡¯t think much of Wan Jiahua and felt that he wasn¡¯t good enough for Zisu. It was only because Zisu herself was so dead set on him just because she thought Wan Jiahua was honest and decent.

    Zisu swore, ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t want to get married. I will just look after Miss all my life. Then, I will have a lifetime of peace and quiet.¡±

    Yuxi knew that she could not be hard on Zisu at this time. So, she suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s put this matter aside for now.¡± It would not be toote to settle on a suitable candidate when they eventually found one.

 Chapter 245 - Han Jingyan Remarry (1)

    <strong>Chapter 245 : Han Jingyan Remarry (1)</strong>

    The moon, which was not yet full, rose high into the sky, and transparent grey clouds faintly obscured the moonlight. A light smoke seemed to rise from the courtyard as if it was falling into a dream.

    More than a year had passed, and Yuxi was nowpletely grown up. Her skin was as delicate and smooth as a peeled egg. Her features were beautiful, and her figure was so beautiful that she attracted people¡¯s attention when she walked out. But at this moment, Yuxi was standing in the corridor, staring at the night scene.

    Zisu walked over to Yuxi and advised, ¡°Miss, you really don¡¯t know how to treasure your health. It¡¯s so windy right now, and you don¡¯t even go inside.¡± Two months ago, when Miss found out that the Third Lord would remarry, she didn¡¯t show any reaction. So Zisu did not expect her Miss to be abnormal today, especially the night before the Third Lord¡¯s big wedding tomorrow.

    Yuxi pushed therge long-hair pelt overcoat that Zisu was about to drape over her and said, ¡°I¡¯m not cold.¡± This was not an excuse. She indeed wasn¡¯t cold.

    Zisu hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°Miss, the Third Lord¡¯s marriage has little to do with you. So why do you need to overthink about it?¡± This point was particrly puzzling to Zisu, as the Third Lord¡¯s marriage had nothing to do with her Miss. She wondered what her Miss was so upset about.

    Yuxiughed. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. I was thinking about something else.¡± Seeing Zisu¡¯s disbelief face, she exined, ¡°San Shu is getting married right now. San Jie is getting married in the next second lunar month, and I am getting married in the fifth lunar month. I thought that the State Residence has been full of good thingstely!¡±

    Zisu was a bit speechless. ¡°What kind of good thing is this? I don¡¯t know what the Third Lord is thinking. The Third Miss and Miss will marry next year, yet he still wants to get a new wife right away. He is not afraid of beingughed at, isn¡¯t he?¡± It was no problem for Han Jingyan to get married a bitter, but he had chosen to remarry at this time.

    Yuxi responded, ¡°I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s just that San Jie¡¯s face doesn¡¯t look so good, though.¡± Not only did Yuchen¡¯s face look bad, but she probably felt terrible in her heart! Yuxi had no love for Han Jingyan for a long time, so it didn¡¯t matter how Han Jingyan treated her. But Yuchen was different. She had deep feelings for Han Jingyan and had always believed that Han Jingyan loved her mother. Seeing Han Jingyan marry a new person, Yuxi was sure that Yuchen must have been upset.

    Yuchen was really upset. Sheined to Momo Gui, ¡°Momo, tell me, what on earth is my father thinking?¡± He was almost forty years old, and he was marrying a woman about her age. She didn¡¯t even know if she could ever call that woman¡¯ mother¡¯.

    Han Jingyan¡¯s new wife was a shu daughter of a fifth-ranking official who had already retired. She was only seventeen years old, one year older than Yuchen. It was rumoured that she was beautiful and gentle. Of course, all of this was just hearsay, and no one at the residence had seen the actual person yet. [T/N]

    What else could Momo Gui say except to console Yuchen? ¡°Miss, in the end, it is inconvenient to not have a mistress in charge of the inner chambers. If something happened to you,ter on, it would be beneficial to have the Third Ladye to the royal residence to say a word or something.¡± The Eldest Master Wen had married off his shumei for the sake of a high position.

    Yuchen didn¡¯t object to Han Jingyan¡¯s remarriage, but her father shouldn¡¯t have done it at this time. He could have married a yearter after she was married. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s useless to talk about it anymore. I just hope this woman will be an easy person to get along with!¡± If her own father wanted to marry, she, as a daughter, could not stop him.

    Momo Gui said soothingly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. The Old Lady has already seen her. It was said that she is a gentle and demure person. Besides, Miss is going to get married soon, and the Third Lady who just married into the family won¡¯t dare to make a face at Miss.¡± Since Miss was going to marry a Prince, unless that woman was out of her mind, she would have to be the one to curry favour with her Miss instead. [+]

    Yuchen sighed, ¡°All things have been piled up together.¡± If she hadn¡¯t had to keep mourning for Wu Shi, she would have married earlier this year. She didn¡¯t expect that after just a year, such a messy thing had happened.

    Momo Gui didn¡¯t know what else to say. Even the Old Lady could not stop this marriage, so her Miss had to ept it even if she was depressed. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t think about it anymore!¡± Thinking about it would only add to her Miss¡¯ worries. And, the trantor¡¯s worries when she saw this chapter on another site and not at xinshou blogspot.

    Yuchen nodded slightly.

    The next day, the State Residence hungnterns and coloured decorations, giving off a smell of celebration.

    Qiu Shi got up early in the morning and couldn¡¯t help butin as she washed up, ¡°Other people only get married once in their lives, but he does it even better. He has been married four times overall.¡± After saying this, she added, ¡°I hope there won¡¯t be a fifth time.¡± The third time was fine. After all, it wasn¡¯t done in the capital. But the other two times, and this time, she had arranged them all. She was already tired of organising one of his marriages, and now she was doing it three times overall. Not to mention their cost, most of which came from the public ount.

    Mama Li also felt that Han Jingyan was really something. They never spoke out about this thing before. After the Third Lord¡¯s return to the residence four years ago, they had never seen him paid, apart from the sry, into the residence¡¯s public ount. How much could an official earn in a year? It was only a few hundred taels of silver. But the expenses of the Third Housebined, including Han Jingyan¡¯s, would amount to 5,000 to 6,000 taels of silver a year. Fortunately for him, her Lady was not a fussy person. Otherwise, there would be countless fights regarding theck of money.

    Since there was no one else in the room, Qiu Shi didn¡¯t hide her inner thoughts and let them all out, ¡°I don¡¯t know when I can stop filling this bottomless pit!¡± The Third House¡¯s expenses were all paid from the public ounts, but with her inw still around and the houses had not yet been separated, she could only put up with it.

    This was not an easy question for Mama Li to answer.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s heart was full of anger andints, but what should be done must be done. Otherwise, not only would she beughed at by outsiders, even the Old Lady would not give her a good look either.

    After tidying herself up, Qiu Shi said, ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be many guests today, so tell Yuxi not toe out and stay in the courtyard.¡± Even if Yuxi had been adopted by the Main House, she was still Han Jingyan¡¯s own daughter. It was better not toe out on such asions to avoid hearing any sarcastic remarks.

    Not only did Yuxi note out to greet the guests, but neither did Yuchen nor Yurong. It was good that the friends and rtives who came to the house as guests this time did not bring any young misses over either.

    Yuxi was at Taoran House and heard no movement up until it was noon. She was so amazed that she asked, ¡°Why is there no sound at all?¡± It was unbelievable that the residence would be so quiet for such a big celebration. Even if it was done simply, this was just too simple!

    Momo Quan answered, ¡°There is always the need to take care of the Third Miss¡¯ face.¡± The Third Miss would get married next year. If the Third Lord made a big deal of his own marriage, the Third Miss¡¯ reputation would not look good.

    Yuxi snorted. ¡°If he really cared about San Jie¡¯s face, he wouldn¡¯t have taken a wife at this time.¡± Han Jingyan was a selfish and self-interested person. The most important thing in his heart was himself. When did he ever think about other people?

    Momo Quan felt that this topic was too sensitive and should not be discussed. ¡°Miss, you still have to embroider your head covering. So you¡¯d better go and embroider it!¡± Yuxi¡¯s wedding dress had been embroidered six months ago. There was no way around it. Since Yuxi had done it with both hands, her speed was generally fast. Without anyone help, she had finished it quickly. Most of the quilts and pillows were embroidered by the maids, so the progress had been even faster. The only thing Yuxi was not happy about was her head covering.

    Yuxi responded, ¡°There is no hurry.¡± There was still more than half a year to go. Thus she wasn¡¯t worried that the embroidery would not be good. [+]

    Zisu thought it would be better to go and do the embroidery work instead of letting Miss think about other things. ¡°Miss, you should finish the head covering early. Then you won¡¯t have to think about it all the time, right?¡±

    Yuxi was not in the mood to embroider the head covering at this time. ¡°I can¡¯t embroider the head covering right now, but I can practice my calligraphy.¡±

    After practising her calligraphy for half a shichen, Yuxi¡¯s mind became utterly calm. That afternoon, Zisu reported to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, the new Third Lady looks delicate and beautiful.¡±

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°Really? Let¡¯s see how beautiful she really is tomorrow.¡±

    On the second day of the marriage, Yuxi was in no hurry. She only freshened herself up after practising a set of wuqinxi. This dy meant that she was thest one to arrive in the Main Courtyard.

    By this time, the house was already packed with people. Not only was the Old Lady and Qiu Shi present, but so were Dage and Er Ge! As for the neer, she was preparing to offer tea!

    Yuxi seemed not to notice Han Jingyan¡¯s ugly face. After offering her greeting, she stood extremely cleverly behind Qiu Shi.

    Han Jingyan was very unhappy with thiste appearance of Yuxi. It was just that he knew that he could no longer reprimand her with his current status. Otherwise, his Dasao would not give him any face.

    Everyone in the room had witnessed Han Jingyan¡¯s expression and knew that he was very unhappy with Yuxi¡¯ste arrival. The Old Lady was not blind either. She naturally saw it too and said expressionlessly, ¡°Serve the tea!¡± To be honest, the Old Lady really did not want to drink this cup of tea from her new daughter-inw. Since Han Jingyan was already old and had five children so far, she did not want him to remarry. At that time, when Han Jingyan told her his remarriage n, she immediately disapproved of it. Her intention was for him to take a high-ranking concubine so that there would be someone to look after his daily life and manage the internal affairs of the Third House. However, Han Jingyan thought that it would be better to take a wife than a concubine. Hence, the Old Lady could no longer resist and let him have his way.

    Cherry Mouth

    This is the make-up version. I believe Wen Shi has a natural-shaped cherry mouth.

    Image Credit | The actual owner of the old painting & Chen Yen-hui (right) via Hanfu and whatnot

    When Yuxi was told to stand up, she looked up at Wen Shi, clearly seeing her face. She understood why Han Jingyan had taken her as his new wife. Wen Shi¡¯s small face was only palm-sized. Her features were good-looking, her eyes were beautiful, her skin was delicate and smooth, and her cherry mouth was bare. It was easy for a woman like this to seduce a man¡¯s heart.

    Yuchen took the gift and responded politely and distantly, ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡± No matter how reluctant she was, this woman was still the wife that her father had taken into the residence.

    Next, it was Yuxi¡¯s turn. With a smile, Wen Shi handed the prepared hebao to Yuxi with both hands and said, ¡°They are all small trinkets. I hope Fourth Miss won¡¯t mind them.¡± To marry into the State Residence, she naturally needed to have an understanding of the situation there. It was said that the male members of the Third House were not prominent, but its two young misses were very famous. It was good that the Fourth Miss had already been adopted out, and the Third Miss was about to get married. Otherwise, she would really be under tremendous pressure.

    Yuxi took it and handed the hebao to Zisu beside her while saying expressionlessly, ¡°Thank you, San Shen (san=third, shen=wife of father¡¯s younger brother).¡± There was no need to put on a smile with her current status.

    Han Jingyan¡¯s face darkened a little as he watched how Yuxi looked as if she didn¡¯t put Wen Shi in her eyes. Since her adoption to the Main House, this girl¡¯s attitude had be even more arrogant, and she had a tendency to lean towards Qiu Shi. Han Jingyan wanted to reprimand Yuxi, but Qiu Shi was still staring at him at this moment!

    Yurong took Wen Shi¡¯s gift with both hands and said respectfully, ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡± Since Yuchen already bowed her head, what else could she do?

 Chapter 246 - Han Jingyan Remarried (2)

    <strong>Chapter 246 : Han Jingyan Remarried (2)</strong>

    When a new bride moved into her husband¡¯s house, it was just a matter of meeting her first and then set the rules. Qiu Shi was already a grandmother herself, so naturally, the Old Lady would not ask her to stand up following the rules. Wen Shi was the only one standing by the Old Lady¡¯s side, ready to serve her food at mealtime.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s heart was not feeling at ease. She was the kind of person whose heart wouldn¡¯t feel at ease when she was unhappy. She could not do anything to Han Jingyan, but it wasn¡¯t a problem if she ground Wen Shi down a little bit. So when it was time to eat, instead of calling on her two daughters-inw, Qiu Shi requested Wen Shi, ¡°Give me a piece of almond tofu.¡± She asked for a steamed twisted roll and chicken soup when she was done, sending Wen Shi into a frenzy. When Qiu couldn¡¯t finish her food, she gave it to Yuxi, who was sitting next to her, making Yuxi didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.

    Almond Tofu/Junket

    Steamed Twisted Roll

    The Old Lady knew that Qiu Shi¡¯s heart was notfortable. The expenses for weddings and funerals of her youngest son¡¯s wives before and after he married were not small. It was only natural that Qiu Shi didn¡¯t feel at ease in her heart. Because she was in the wrong, the Old Lady turned a blind eye to Qiu Shi¡¯s behaviour and let her vent her anger. It was Wen Shi¡¯s turn to suffer. After being tossed around in the middle of the night yesterday, she had to wake up early this morning. Then, she had toe over without even a sip of hot tea and only could see a table full of food that she could not eat. Her stomach was already growling. Now, she had to run around to serve Qiu Shi. Fortunately, Wen Shi was also an orthodox educated woman, so she didn¡¯t dare to put up a front. So, she gritted her teeth and carried on. How can the trantor carry on if she keeps seeing the chapter she tranted on xinshou blogspot on another site?

    When everyone had finished their breakfast, Wen Shi had be a little pale. Qiu Shimented with a smile on her face, ¡°Your face is already this white just from serving one breakfast. How can Dimei raise a male offspring if Dimei¡¯s body is so weak?¡±

    Before Wen Shi entered the residence, she had heard that Qiu Shi was a very straightforward person. But now, she no longer believed the rumour. Wen Shi was not a baozi that would resign herself to adversity. Upon hearing Qiu Shi¡¯s words, she replied softly, ¡°Thank you for Dasao¡¯s concern. I¡¯ve always been in good health. It¡¯s just that thest two days have been a bit exhausting.¡± She hadn¡¯t eaten anything until now, so it would be strange if she had any energy left.

    Yuxi nced at Wen Shi. She found that this woman was not a good person. When Wen Shi spoke, she wrapped her soft words with needles. This showed that her fighting ability was a notch higher than Wu Shi¡¯s. If it were a battle of words, even three Qiu Shi would not be a match for her.

    The Old Lady swept a nce at Wen Shi. This woman had just entered the residence and even dared to choke her elder sister-inw. It was thus clear that she was not an oil-savingmp either. At that moment, she said with an indifferent expression on her face, ¡°Wen Shi, you can go back first!¡± All the others also went back, leaving only Qiu Shi behind.

    Yuxi was afraid that what had just happened had displeased the Old Lady. But this kind of thing was no ce for her, a younger generation, to speak about.

    When she walked out of the Main Courtyard, Yuxi saw Yuchen. She didn¡¯t even need to ask. Just by looking at Yuchen¡¯s stance, she knew Yuchen was waiting for her.

    Yuchen told Yuxi, ¡°Come along with me.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Yuchen¡¯s expression and nodded her head, ¡°Okay!¡± Although she knew that Yuchen would be ufortable with Han Jingyan¡¯s remarriage, she did not expect her reaction would be this great.

    The two of them kept strolling. Neither spoke, and the atmosphere was unbearably oppressive. It was when they had almost reached Tingyun Pavilion that Yuchen asked softly, ¡°Yuxi, have you ever thought about your mother?¡± She had been thinking about what her mother looked like these days. If her mother hadn¡¯t passed away, she wouldn¡¯t have to call someone else as her mother. Also, people said that she looked a lot like her mother. When she was little, she believed it but didn¡¯t anymore when she got older. This was because the people in Chiang¡¯s family said that Chiang Xin looked just like her mother, while she looked nothing like Chiang Xin.

    It was such a heavy topic. It was so heavy that Yuxi did not know how to answer. After half a second, Yuxi said, ¡°I thought about her when I was small, but then, I didn¡¯t want to.¡± She would often think about this in her previous life, especially when she was bullied and feeling aggrieved. In this life, she rarely thought about Ning Shi anymore.

    Yuchen sighed quietly. ¡°You stopped thinking about her from the time your smallpox got better, right?¡± The matter of smallpox had always been a vulnerable spot that everyone did not dare to touch. They were afraid that if they brought it up, it would remind Yuxi of when the Old Lady did not invite a physician for her, which made Yuxi feel resentful. [+]

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°No, I was so busy after studying with Teacher Song that I had no time to think about her. Up to now, my mother has passed away for fifteen years, and she may have been reincarnated a long time ago. Maybe she is currently living happily somewhere!¡±

    Yuchenughed. ¡°You can actually look on the bright side of it.¡±

    Yuxi walked with Yuchen to the pavilion in theke and stood there, looking at the few lotus flowers scattered in the pond. She smiled bitterly. ¡°What can I do other than not thinking about it? Even if I think about her, it¡¯s not like she wille back. San Jie, don¡¯t dwell too much about it. Since San Shu wants to remarry, he will still remarry, and there¡¯s nothing San Jie can do about it. If San Jie doesn¡¯t like Wen Shi, just put up with her for now. In four months, San Jie will be married into the Wang family anyway.¡± Out of sight, out of mind.

    Speaking of marriage, Yuchen felt a little mncholy. ¡°Yes! There are still more than four months to go before I get married. After I get married, I won¡¯t be asfortable as I am now.¡± The royal family had many rules, and after marriage, her life would definitely not be easy. At this time, Yuchen was a little envious of Yuxi. Chen Ran was the second di son, and he didn¡¯t have to take over the family business. Therefore, his burden was light, and his wife had a rtively much easier time. Yuxi was also liked by the Lady of Taining and Chen Ran. If she married into the Chen family, she would undoubtedly have a perfect life.

    Yuxi agreed with this statement. After she got married, she would not be asfortable as when she was a young miss. But the good news was that she was now sure that the Lady of Taining was as generous as she was rumoured to be. With Chen Ran¡¯s sincerity towards her, Yuxi was actually quite excited about her life after marriage.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t have high requirements for her future. She just hoped that she and her husband would be harmonious. They would have two or three children, and all together would be a happy and pleasant family. Chen Ran could obviously give her the life she wanted.

    Yuchen suddenlyughed. ¡°I always wanted to grow up quickly, but now I hope I will never be.¡± It was better to be a child. You didn¡¯t need to think so much when you were a child.

    Hearing this, Yuxi looked at Yuchen with some surprise. But soon, she understood that Yuchen was actually worried about her life after her marriage. ¡°The 10th Prince is infatuated with San Jie. Moreover, both Guifei Niangniang and Qinxin Gongzhu also like you. I¡¯m sure San Jie will be thrilled when San Jie finally gets married.¡±

    Yuchen looked out into the distance and said, ¡°I hope so!¡± If Guifei Niangniang indeed liked her, she wouldn¡¯t have let Song Linger in before she even married into the family. Song Linger was a member of the Song family and connected through blood with Song Guifei. With such Ce Fei, it would be strange if she married well!

    After all, the 10th Prince¡¯s position was too valuable for her to be the only one. Sooner orter, he would need to take on a Ce Fei and a few concubines. She just did not expect such a tricky person waiting for her at the Wangfu before her marriage. It was a terrible feeling. Because of this incident, Yuchen was a little less excited about the uing wedding that she had to go through.

    Yuxi watched as Yuchen spoke of marriage without even a half-smile on her face and sighed slightly. How could she not know it was because of Song Linger, who had be Jing Wang¡¯s Ce Fei? It was good that the 10th Prince was sincere to Yuchen, and Song Linger¡¯s belly hadn¡¯t gotten bigger even after a year of being in the family. Otherwise, if Song Linger had given birth to the eldest shu son, Yuchen¡¯s situation would have been very embarrassing.

    It was also because of this incident, Yuxi felt that she had been blind. If she wasn¡¯t blind, how could she think that Yuchen was the happiest woman in the world before! If Yuchen had the exact nature as she was in her previous life, even if she had the 10th Prince to protect her, she would probably have been swallowed up until she had no bone crumbs left. That was why a woman must be self-reliant. Everything else was just a sham.

    Yuchen withdrew her thoughts and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about these sad things. Do you want to listen to a song? I¡¯ll y a song for you.¡± When she married, she would have to please her mother-inw and sister-inw. She would also be busy with social engagements, took care of internal affairs, and guarded herself against the concubines. Hence, she might not have much leisure time to spend on such an elegant hobby anymore. [+]

    Yuxi smilingly answered, ¡°Okay. I wonder how San Jie is getting on with that tune ?Phoenix Seeking Its Mate?? If San Jie has learnt it well, can San Jie y this piece for me?¡±

 Chapter 247 - Calculations (1)

    <strong>Chapter 247 : Calctions (1)</strong>

    The ground was covered in thick white frost. Yuxi was only wearing a chang ao with a silver-grey ratty coloured jacket over it.

    On the way out, Zisu tried to drape a white fox fur cloak over Yuxi, but Yuxi pushed it away, ¡°No, I¡¯m not cold.¡± The benefits of daily exercise were obvious now, as she didn¡¯t even have to dress like a ball in the middle of winter. Compared to her previous life, when she had to take medicine every time she caught a cold, she was now so happy with her current health.

    When they reached the Main Courtyard, they heard a silveryugh before they even entered the room. As if Yuxi hadn¡¯t heard it, she just walked in without stopping.

    As soon as Wen Shi saw Yuxi, she said with a smile on her face, ¡°It¡¯s really true that when I speak of Cao Cao, Cao Cao will surely arrive. I was just talking about the Fourth Miss with the Old Lady, and the Fourth Miss arrived.¡±

    After greeting the Old Lady with a bow, Yuxi responded indifferently, ¡°I wonder what San Shen said about me in front of my Grandmother?¡± Wen Shi had been in the family for just over a month and could coax the Old Lady so well, one could not help but say that this person had skill. As long as Wen Shi didn¡¯t offend her and Qiu Shi, Yuxi didn¡¯t care how she exploited the situation. If Wen Shi dared to provoke her, Yuxi would not mind letting her know that the Old Lady and the Third Lord were not the only people she should gain favour in the State Residence.

    Wen Shi had dealt with all the people in the State Residence during this time. She knew a bit of the people in the Duke¡¯s household. For example, her Dasao, Qiu Shi, was outwardly strong but inwardly weak. As for Ye Shi, Lu Shi and Yuchen, because they were the younger generation, they were all polite to her. The only exception was the Fourth Miss, who was always cold and aloof when she saw her. Just look. When she opened her mouth, she was not even polite with her.

    Wen Shi replied with a smile as if she did not hear the coldness in Yuxi¡¯s words, ¡°I had heard that Fourth Miss¡¯s embroidery was outstanding. But today, after seeing the Old Lady¡¯s headband, I was truly amazed. The Fourth Miss¡¯s embroidery skills reputation is not in vain.¡± The Old Lady¡¯s forehead was made by Yuxi. Yuxi had been embroidering her dowry for over a year, and apart from making two knee pads for Qiu Shi, she hadn¡¯t done any needlework for anyone else. The same with the trantor who only posts her trantion at xinshou blogspot.

    Before Yuxi could reply, the old woman servant outside announced, ¡°Old Lady, the Third Miss and the Fifth Miss are here.¡± After leaving the mourning period, Yurong had gone to Tingyun Pavilion to study the art of the qin, calligraphy and qi with Yuchen. This year Yurong was different from Yurong four years ago. Nowadays, Yurong had been learning with a calm mind.

    As soon as the Old Lady saw Yuchen, she pulled and asked Yuchen whether she felt hot or cold. This was also the Old Lady¡¯s habit. Not to mention Yuxi, even Yu Rong was already used to it.

    When the Old Lady and Yuchen had finished talking, Yuxi requested, ¡°If Grandmother is all right, I will like to go back first.¡± It was customary for Yuxi toe over on the 15th day of the first lunar month to pay her respects. Every time she did, she would only show her face and leave. As for Wen Shi¡¯s morning and evening visits, that was her own wish, and no one would interfere with it.

    When Wen Shi heard these words, she looked at the Old Lady reflexively. She thought the Old Lady would be angry, but the result surprised her.

    The Old Lady didn¡¯t care at all. She just said, ¡°Your wedding day is still more than half a year away, so you shouldn¡¯t be too tired. Let Momo Quan take good care of your health condition during this time.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Okay.¡± After saying that, she went out.

    Wen Shi looked at Yuxi¡¯s departing back with her heart in a million shocks. It was no wonder she was so surprised. Even Qiu Shi was always respectful in front of the Old Lady. But this Fourth Miss¡¯ attitude towards the Old Lady was so casual. What was even more incredible to her was that the Old Lady was not angry at all.

    With this question in her mind, Wen Shi returned to Biteng Courtyard and asked Ah Hui, the maid she had brought from her maiden family. ¡°Why do you think the Old Lady is so tolerant of the Fourth Miss? Is there something here that I don¡¯t know about?¡± So many years had passed since the smallpox incident that everyone had been forbidden to speak about it. Thus, Wen Shi did not inquire about it.

    Ah Hui shook her head, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anyone talk about it. But what happened to the Fourth Miss has nothing to do with us, and Miss¡¯ top priority right now is to hurriedly have a son.¡± The Lord was so much older than her Miss. If Miss didn¡¯t put in more effort right now, she was worried that Miss wouldn¡¯t even be able to have a son in a few years. Ah Hui had also grown up with Wen Shi since she was a child, so she didn¡¯t have to be too evasive in her words when talking with her.

    Wen Shi, of course, also wanted to give birth to a son quickly and gained a foothold, but the problem was that she had just been married for more than a month. Even if she was in a rush, she couldn¡¯t show it.

    That evening, Yuxi was reading in her room when she heard Zisu walk in and reported, ¡°Miss, the Duke of State has returned.¡±

    Yuxi let out a cry, ¡°The sun must have risen from the west.¡± Her uncle, eh, no, her father. This father of hers had always indulged himself in pleasures outside that he even forgot about his home and duty. He never came home for anything, and when something came up, he had to be invited three to four times before he was willing to go back. His sudden return caused others to be surprised by it.

    Zisu nced at Yuxi and whispered, ¡°Miss, the Duke of State didn¡¯te back alone. He also brought back a pregnant woman.¡±

    The first time Yuxi heard this, her eyes didn¡¯t even waver. Dage¡¯s position was rock solid. Not to mention that their father had brought back a pregnant woman; even if he brought back a son, there was nothing to be worried about.

    Zisu was not so optimistic as she said, ¡°Miss, I heard that woman is very enchanting and does not look like a good person. As soon as the Lord Duke returned, he took her to see the First Lady.¡±

    Initially, Yuxi didn¡¯t put the pregnant woman in her eyes. Still, after listening to Zisu¡¯s words, she worried that Qiu Shi would be in an unfavourable situation. She immediately put down her book, stood up and spoke to Zisu, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Zisu froze and asked, ¡°Where to?¡±

    Yuxi said with amusement, ¡°Naturally, I¡¯m going to the Master Courtyard. Where else would I go?¡± As far as her mother¡¯sbat effectiveness was concerned, she couldn¡¯t fight anyone who was a little scheming. So Yuxi better went over there and helped her mother out.

    When they reached the Master Courtyard, they heard the sound of sobbing. Yuxi shed a smile and walked in two to three steps. Once inside, she saw Qiu Shi standing there with a face full of anger.

    Yuxi walked over, bowed towards the Duke of State and called out, ¡°Father.¡±

    The Duke of State did not look kindly at Yuxi as he asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He didn¡¯t need to think that she was here to help Qiu Shi.

    Yuxi replied with a smile, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Father for more than a year. When I heard that Father was back, I quickly came over.¡±

    An angry fist would not hit a smiling face. Moreover, Yuxi¡¯s words were also pleasant to his ears, making the Duke¡¯s expression eased a lot. ¡°It¡¯s kind of you to have this intention.¡±

    Yuxi smiled while ncing at the girl in tears, just like raindrops on a pear blossom, standing behind the Duke. Hence, Yuxi¡¯s smile became even sweeter. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one thinking of Father, but Grandmother and Dage are also thinking of Father all the time! Two days ago, Grandmother told me that she didn¡¯t know if Father woulde back for New Year¡¯s Eve. It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve had a whole family dinner and New Year reunion celebration. If Grandmother knew that Father was back, she would be so happy.¡±

    Although the Duke had manyints about his old mother, he was still his birth mother in the end. When Yuxi said it this way, he felt a little apologetic towards his mother. ¡°This year, I¡¯ll spend New Year at home.¡±

    Concubine Mei, who was standing behind the Duke, was a little anxious. She did not expect this girl who had just emerged to be a formidable character even though thedy in charge was not that great. With a few words, she had made the Lord¡¯s anger subside and brought the conversation off track. Concubine Mei put her hand on her belly and was about to talk about it. [+]

    Yuxi spoke up one step ahead of her, ¡°Father, your concubine¡¯s face was a bit pale. Is she not feeling well? Should we hurry and ask for a physician?¡± After saying that, she turned to Qiu Shi and said, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s better to hurry up and ask the physician toe! Father¡¯s concubine still has a baby in her belly!¡±

    Qiu Shi would not have listened if someone else had said this, but Yuxi was a different story. She knew that Yuxi was definitely on her side and would not favour this woman she had never even met. Even though she was reluctant, Qiu Shi instructed with a cold face, ¡°Mama Li, hurry up and have the physician take a look at the Duke¡¯s concubine. This is the bloodline of the Han family. We can¡¯t afford to dy!¡±

    Mama Li epted the order and immediately went out. With the Fourth Miss around, whose words carried more weight than her, she was not worried about her own Lady being at a disadvantage.

    While waiting for the physician to arrive, Mama Li went to alert the Old Lady first. The Old Lady then asked Mama Luo to personally invite the Duke to the Main Courtyard. Qiu Shi and Mei Concubine followed from behind. While Yuxi went back to her own courtyard. It was not appropriate for a daughter to get involved in her father¡¯s bedroom affair.

    Zisu looked at Yuxi, who was frowning, and knew what she was worried about. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s useless for you to worry about this.¡± If a father wanted to take a concubine, how could a son or daughter stop him?

    Yuxi shook her head and said nothing.

    That evening, Yuxi found out that the Old Lady had asked Concubine Mei to offer tea to Qiu Shi. Offering tea was tantamount to being given a clear pass to set her status in the family. This did not surprise Yuxi. The Old Lady was a woman who cared about the family heirs and would give that woman a position for the sake of the child in her belly.

    Zisu whispered, ¡°Miss, when the First Lady came out of the Main Courtyard, her face was very ugly.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head. ¡°Oh, Mother, you are too honest.¡± All these years, Mother¡¯s filial piety towards the Old Lady was so evident to Yuxi. It was just that no matter how obedient her Mother was, everyone had close friends and acquaintances. In the eyes of the Old Lady, no matter how filial her daughter-inw was, she was no better than her own son. If she were in her mother ce, she would be able to get through this. She would not take the trouble to serve her mother-inw as if she were her own mother. Of course, this was something that Yuxi only thought about in her mind and never said out loud.

    Zisu stated, ¡°Miss, it looks like that woman is not a content person. I¡¯m afraid there will be no more quiet days in the Main House.¡±

    Yuxi nodded a little. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m afraid there will be no more quiet days.¡± That woman couldn¡¯t shake her mother¡¯s position, but she could give her a hard time. Concubine Rong had been in her father¡¯s favour for more than ten years and had made her mother suffer for more than ten years.

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes shed with a stern look. She would never allow another Concubine Rong toe into the Main House. She wanted her mother to live happily for the rest of her life instead of being angered by some unknown women. However, Yuxi had to think of a way to settle this once and for all. Otherwise, even if she took care of Concubine Mei, other women would appear. She didn¡¯t have the time to fight with all of them. Besides, she would be out of the house on the fifth lunar month next year and would not be able to take care of many things.

    Zisu saw that Yuxi¡¯s expression did not look right. She asked, ¡°Miss, what are you thinking about?¡±

    When Yuxi heard Zisu¡¯s question, she just smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t think of anything.¡± She couldn¡¯t do it by herself. It could only be done by Dage personally. There was no other way. Those who were able should do more. Who let Dage be so impressive?

 Chapter 248 - Calculations (2)

    <strong>Chapter 248 : Calctions (2)</strong>

    The next day, it drizzled.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t even wait for Zisu to say it, but she took the initiative to speak, ¡°Bring me that cloak.¡± It was cold in the eleventh lunar month, but it got colder after the rain. At this time, even the wind could make people tremble. She had good health, but she would still catch a cold because of the chilly wind, no matter how good her health was. After studying pharmacology, Yuxi paid more attention to this aspect.

    Once they arrived at the Master Courtyard, Yuxi was walking outside the room when Liuyin came over and whispered. ¡°Miss, the Lady didn¡¯t sleep all nightst night and didn¡¯t even eat her breakfast.¡±

    When Yuxi entered the house, she saw Qiu Shi sitting on the couch with a depressed look on her face. When she saw Yuxi, she squeezed out a smile. ¡°Xi-er is here!¡±

    Yuxi inquired, ¡°Mother, I just heard from Liuyin that you haven¡¯t eaten your breakfast yet?¡±

    Qiu Shi replied, ¡°I have no appetite.¡± Thinking about what happened yesterday had made her so frustrated, causing her to have trouble eating and sleeping.

    Yuxi lost her smile. ¡°Mother, isn¡¯t she just a concubine? If you don¡¯t like her, just keep her in her courtyard.¡± In fact, Yuxi really could not understand. With Qiu Shi¡¯s position, even if she killed Concubine Mei on the spot, she would only be scolded by the Old Lady and the Duke. No one would dare to punish her. But instead of using her advantages, she was sulking over a concubine until she couldn¡¯t eat or sleep well. Yuxi really didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Qiu Shi let out a bitter smile. ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± In the twenty years since she married into the Han family, she had taken care of the internal affairs, raised her children, and obeyed her inws, doing everything to the best of her ability. She even believed that she had been a qualified mother-inw and daughter-inw. Now, however, she felt that she had been a failure. It was just as well that her husband¡¯s heart was not on her side, as she had long since given up hope on him anyway. But she had been genuinely filial to the Old Lady and had not done a single thing wrong over the years. Now came Wen Shi first, and then Concubine Mei, which caused Qiu Shi¡¯s heart unspeakably sad. Just as sad as the trantor when a few people didn¡¯t read this chapter at xinshou blogspot.

    It became clear in Yuxi¡¯s heart. Perhaps yesterday, the Old Lady had said something that had upset her mother. Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if Mother thinks that way. Mother has been so busy all these years as Mother has never stopped working. Now that Dage and Er Ge have grown up, Mother doesn¡¯t need to work so hard anymore. Just leave the chores in residence to Dasao and Er Sao. If Mother feels bored, Mother can invite people into the house to talk and sing or listen to the opera, which is lively and fun. What do you think, Mother?¡± Yuxi actually did not entirely agree with Qiu Shi taking care of a child. Although having a child in the courtyard would add extra life and make the yard lively, raising a child was actually very tiring. Besides, although Lu Xiu was pregnant, she might not be willing to give her child for Qiu Shi to raise. Yuxi never had a child, but when she thought about it, she knew that no one would want to give her son to someone else to raise. Even if that person was her mother-inw. Moreover, to put it mildly, with Han Jianye as a precedent, Yuxi was not reallyfortable with the idea of Qiu Shi raising another child.

    After hearing this, Qiu Shi¡¯s heart became much morefortable. That was why it was better to have a daughter. A daughter would be more considerate of her mother. ¡°I¡¯m not that old yet!¡±

    Mama Li was very moved by what she heard, so she interjected, ¡°My Lady, I think the Fourth Miss is right. Eldest Master and Second Master are brilliant and filial. Both Da Nainai and Er Nainai are intelligent and capable. It¡¯s time for my Lady to let go and have a few days of rxation.¡± No one knew better than Mama Li what kind of life Qiu Shi had led over the years.

    Qiu Shi told Yuxi, ¡°Your Er Sao and Jia Shi are both pregnant right now. How can I just let go of my hand at this time?¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little. There was a good saying, raising children for a hundred years and worrying about them for 99 years. There were very few people who could put aside the affairs of their children and just enjoy their old age in peace. But with Yuxi¡¯s understanding, Qiu Shi¡¯s expression eased.

    Seeing this, Mama Li immediately ordered the maid to bring up the breakfast. Qiu Shi at least ate an egg, a steamed twisted roll, and finally a bowl of chicken soup.

    After breakfast, Qiu Shi drove Yuxi back. ¡°I¡¯m fine here. You can go about your business!¡± Yuxi¡¯s daily schedule was very tight, and Qiu Shi knew this.

    Before Yuxi could leave, she heard the maid outside announcing the arrival of Concubine Mei. In a few moments, Concubine Mei came in with the help of two maids. When she entered the room, she pushed the hands of the two maids away, curtly walked up and bowed. ¡°Greeting my Lady and Fourth Miss.¡±

    Yuxi asked with a smile without waiting for Qiu Shi to speak, ¡°What? Didn¡¯t Concubine Mei learn the rules from the mama before entering this room? You can¡¯t even bow properly.¡± After a pause, she continued, ¡°Although a concubine does not have to be too polite, she still has to have the proper etiquette and rules. Otherwise, it would not be good if she were to bump into guests whoe to the residence one day.¡±

    When Concubine Mei heard this, she cried out in pity. However, this pitiful look would only work on men. Not only was this act useless to women, but it would also be too tiresome for one to look at.

    It was at this time that the Duke of State walked in.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t want to expose Yuxi to these bad things and urged, ¡°Yuxi, you should go back first!¡± Seeing Yuxi¡¯s reluctance, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother will be fine.¡±

    Since her mother¡¯s words hade to this point, it was not good for her not to leave. Yuxi bowed to the Duke and went out. But she left Zisu behind so that Zisu could take a look at the follow-up situation.

    Not long after Yuxi returned to the Taoran House, Zisu also came back. Zisu informed Yuxi, ¡°Miss, after you left, the First Lady quarrelled with the Lord Duke.¡±

    Yuxi stroked her forehead. Mother¡¯s fighting power is really¡­¡­.good thing Yuxi had other ns. She did not mean to rely on Qiu Shi to solve this problem. ¡°Go see if Dage is in residence? If not, have someone send me a message when Dage returns.¡±

    Zisu was a little hesitant as she advised, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s not good for Master Shizi to interfere in this matter!¡± Although Master Shizi was the real head of the State Residence, it was not appropriate for a son to interfere in his father¡¯s bedroom matters. Zisu felt that this was inappropriate behaviour on Yuxi¡¯s part.

    Yuxi felt that Zisu had been saying stupid thingstely. ¡°I¡¯m not out of my mind yet. Why would I let Dage meddle with father¡¯s concubinage?¡± As far as Dage¡¯s nature was concerned, he wouldn¡¯t even be bothered with the affairs of the inner chambers.

    Zisu was full of questions, ¡°Then what are you doing looking for Master Shizi?¡± Usually, when Yuxi went to find Han Jianming, Zisu never asked. But this time, the timing was just too coincidental.

    Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°There are some questions I want to ask Dage.¡± To solve it, let¡¯s get to the root of the problem. There was no point in making small fights.

    Zisu was unconvinced.

    Coincidentally, Han Jianming was at home that day. In fact,st night, he had heard from his attendants that the Duke had brought back a pregnant woman, but Han Jianming did not take this information to heart. She was just a ything, so there was no need for him to take the matter seriously.

    Han Jianming knew that it was a bit strange for Yuxi to look for him. Mainly because if Yuxi looked for him, it wouldn¡¯t be a small matter. If it was a small matter, Yuxi would find her own way to solve it without bothering him. The wind had dropped recently, and the waves had subsided in the residence and the outside world. Thus, Han Jianming could not figure out what could happen to Yuxi. [+]

    When Yuxi reached Han Jianming¡¯s study, she asked bluntly, ¡°Dage, did you know that Father brought a concubine back to the resident yesterday?¡±

    Han Jianming nodded gently and asked, ¡°Is this the reason you sought me out?¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°Dage must have not known that Father had a fight with Mother yesterday over that concubine. Just now, Father had another fight with Mother over her again.¡±

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°If you want to say something, just say it.¡± Han Jianming practically knew, for Yuxi to look for him was definitely not as simple as telling him about their parents¡¯ quarrels.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t respond to this but said it as if she was talking to herself. ¡°I heard from Mama Li that when Mother married into the family, the residence was unable to make ends meet and relied on the sale of shops and properties to maintain the daily expenses of the house. Does Dage know about this?¡±

    Han Jianming nodded a little. As the actual head of the family, he naturally knew about these things.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Since Dage knows what happened in the past, Dage should also know the current family fortune?¡± Qiu Shi was very good at financial management. A year after she married into the family, the State Residence had stopped selling its shops and fields. And after more than twenty years under Qiu Shi¡¯s management, not only had she managed to fill in the holes, but she had also acquired quite a few properties. Nowadays, the State Residence had a considerable bnce every year, in addition to its expenses.

    The Duke of State was a man who only knew how to spend money, not make money. As for Han Jingyan, he was the type of man who only knew how to take but didn¡¯t know how to put them back in. It could be said that the current family fortune was all earned by Qiu Shi. This made Yuxi feel that Qiu Shi was too upright. It was apparent that Qiu Shi was the most significant contributor to the current Han family. However, this meritorious person was treated the most unfairly by the family.

    Han Jianming probably knew what Yuxi was going to say. ¡°Yuxi, one is my father, and one is my mother. What do you think I should do?¡± Even if the Duke of State was a jerk, he was still his birth father. If a son went against his old father, he would be struck by lightning.

    Yuxi did not ask Han Jianming to deal with Han Jingdong. At that moment, she just said, ¡°Dage, Mother has done so much for this family, but she has never lived afortable life. I don¡¯t want to talk about her past anger, but it will be tough for her to suffer much more at such an old age. Don¡¯t you know, Mother was so angry yesterday that she didn¡¯t sleep all night and couldn¡¯t even eat her breakfast.¡±

    Han Jianming was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°If you have any thoughts, there is no harm in saying so.¡± Han Jianming thought much the same as Yuxi. Both of them felt that Qiu Shi was overthinking. That woman was only a concubine. Hence, it was not worth it for Qiu Shi to not be able to eat or sleep. If she didn¡¯t like what she saw, she could just throw that woman to the family country estate.

    Yuxi said, ¡°If we want Mother to truly livefortably, we must get to the root of the problem. And this matter, only Dage can do it.¡±

    Han Jianming¡¯s face remained unchanged as he stated, ¡°As long as I can do it, I definitely won¡¯t put it off.¡± Han Jianming was also highly filial. It was just that he was so busy that he rarely had time for Qiu Shi.

    Yuxi¡¯s method was simple. ¡°Dage, as long as Dage forcefully inherits the title, Mother will be able to live afortable life.¡± If Han Jianming inherited the title, he would be the Duke of the State and the rightful head of the State Residence¡¯s household. Those women could provoke the Lady of the State, but they didn¡¯t have the guts to offend the Duke of the State¡¯s biological mother. [T/N]

    Han Jianming¡¯s face changed slightly. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡±

    Yuxi naturally knew what she was talking about. ¡°Dage, in the past 20 years, has Father done anything for his family with the Duke of the State title? Dage, over the years, you have been unable to recruit the talents you need, and most of the reason lies in Father¡¯s bad reputation. But if Dage inherits the title, it would be different.¡± The Duke of the State and a shizi of the Duke of the State were two different concepts.

    Seeing that Han Jianming didn¡¯t say anything, Yuxi continued, ¡°Dage, the Duke of the State title is actually optional for Father. He spent the whole year having fun climbing the mountains and enjoying his time in the rivers unrestrained anyway. Even if he wasn¡¯t the Duke of State, he could still live like that. But this title is different for you. Once you assume the title, you will be the rightful head of the State Residence¡¯s household. As long as those people know of your talents, how can they not defect to you? With enough helpers, there will be no problem for Dage to revitalise the status of the State Residence.¡±

    The three principles and five virtues were something that had been engraved to Han Jianming¡¯s bones. Therefore, even though Han Jianming was not happy with Han Jingdong, he never wanted to go beyond him by inheriting the title through force. However, Yuxi¡¯s words did make sense. Han Jianming fell into deep thought for a moment.

 Chapter 249 - The Return Of Qiu Yanfu

    <strong>Chapter 249 : The Return Of Qiu Yanfu</strong>

    Han Jianming pondered for a long time before he said, ¡°Please let me think about this again.¡± Not going through the standard procedure to obtain the title would easily arouse criticism, so he could not give Yuxi a definite answer for now. It was fortunate that no one in the Duke¡¯s household waspeting with him for the title. Otherwise, if this matter was known to his rivals, he would not be able to turn over again.

    Yuxi knew Han Jianming¡¯s concerns as she suggested, ¡°Dage, seizing the title from Father will definitely have an impact on you. The best way is to let Father give up the title himself.¡± Seizing could be considered as stealing from its rightful owner. It would always sound scandalous for a son to rob his own old father. However, if the Lord Duke voluntarily gave away his title, no one would argue about it.

    Han Jianming asked, ¡°What method do you have?¡± It would naturally be best if the Duke of the State could voluntarily concede the title. But it wouldn¡¯t be easy.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have one. I don¡¯t have much contact with Father, so I don¡¯t know his preferences, let alone his weaknesses.¡± This meant that Han Jianming, as his son, must have known Han Jingdong¡¯s preferences and weaknesses.

    Han Jianming shook his head helplessly and reminded, ¡°Only talk about this kind of thing with me. You can never have this kind of idea when you go to the Chen family.¡± He didn¡¯t want Yuxi to encourage Chen Ran topete for the title.

    Yuxiughed. ¡°I¡¯m not that stupid.¡± Not to mention that she was not interested in the position of Lady of Taining. Even if she was, she would not have told Chen Ran. How stupid would one have to be to tell her husband about something that could provoke the feelings between brothers?

    Han Jianming also reminded Yuxi, ¡°You should also go back.¡±

    After Yuxi left, Han Jianming called Mr Zhao to discuss with him the feasibility of Yuxi¡¯s proposal just now.

    Naturally, Mr Zhao thought that Yuxi¡¯s idea was a good one. Although Han Jianming was the real in charge of the State Residence, the nominal head was still the Duke of the State. If Han Jianming were to inherit the title, it would be much easier for them to act. ¡°Master Shizi, if the Lord Duke of State can relinquish the title, it would only be beneficial to us, rather than disadvantageous.¡± Such a proposal could only be brought up by a family member like the Fourth Miss. An outsider like him would not have the guts to say so even if he had the heart to do so.

    Han Jianming also believed that Yuxi¡¯s suggestion was good, only that it would be challenging to implement it. After all, it was not that easy to get Han Jingdong to give up the title of his own ord.

    Mr Zhao thought that Han Jianming could give it a try. Even if he failed anyway, it would have no effect on his position. Duke Han only had two sons, and Han Jianye would certainly notpete with his brother for it. So even if Han Jianming did something wrong, his position as the heir was still secure. The only thing that needed to be taken care of was the secrecy. If this news leaked out, it would not be good for Han Jianming¡¯s reputation. It would also not be good if you read this chapter anywhere else other than xinshou blogspot.

    Han Jianming nodded a little and discussed with Mr Zhao for a long time. But in the end, no satisfactory method could be negotiated. Of course, Han Jianming was in no hurry. This matter could not be done in a day or two. Han Jianming instantly went to the Master Courtyard afterwards.

    When Qiu heard Han Jianminge over, she was startled. ¡°Ming-er, what¡¯s wrong?¡± At this time, Han Jianming would note to the backyard unless something was wrong.

    Han Jianming looked at Qiu Shi¡¯s haggard appearance and was also distressed. ¡°Mother, I heard from my subordinate that you and Father had a quarrel.¡±

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t expect her son toe over for this, so sheforted him. ¡°It¡¯s alright. After so many years, I¡¯m already used to it. I¡¯m really alright.¡± In the past, the couple had quarrelled many times over Concubine Rong. But Concubine Mei today was a far cry from Concubine Rong back then.

    Han Jianming, who had only been a little distressed, was deeply saddened by these words. He suggested, ¡°Mother, if you really hate that woman, I¡¯ll have her sent to our country estate.¡±

    Qiu Shi was shocked. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. Your father is now very fond of that Concubine Mei. If you send her away, he will tear you apart.¡± She and Han Jingdong were husband and wife. Not to mention quarrelling, even fighting was not a big problem. But her son was from a younger generation. He would get beaten up for it.

    Han Jianming smiled and remarked, ¡°Mother, that won¡¯t happen.¡±

    Qiu Shi hurriedly said, ¡°What won¡¯t happen? Back then, when your father was so fond of Concubine Rong, he even dared to disobey your Grandmother¡¯s words. If you really send that woman away, he will use familyw on you when that timees.¡± She had neverid a finger on her son when he was growing up. If he were to be beaten for the sake of a woman, she would be heartbroken.

    When Han Jianming heard this, his mind turned, and he asked, ¡°Mother, did Father really disobey Grandmother for a concubine back then?¡± He had heard of this incident but did not ask about the exact process; it had been so many years ago that there was no point for him in knowing about it.

    Qiu Shi smiled bitterly. ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s true. When I was pregnant with you, Concubine Rong put something dirty in my food. I was lucky that I didn¡¯t have much appetite that day. When it was found outter, your Grandmother wanted to have Concubine Rong killed, but your Father tried to stop her. He even threatened your Grandmother, saying that if she killed Concubine Rong, he would be a monk.¡±

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t even know what expression he had. His father didn¡¯t even care about his mother, wife, and even son for a woman. Hemented, ¡°But when Concubine Rong passed away, Father didn¡¯t look too sad.¡± It wasn¡¯t that Han Jingdong didn¡¯t look too sad. He wasn¡¯t even sad at all. [+]

    A touch of disdain crossed Qiu Shi¡¯s face. ¡°At that time, your Father cherished her, so naturally, he was willing to die for her. Later, when Concubine Rong was old, and her good look faded, he naturally didn¡¯t care for her anymore.¡± Since he didn¡¯t cherish Concubine Rong anymore, she naturally didn¡¯t carry much weight. After Concubine Rong received a few words of scolding from the Old Lady, the matter settled.

    Han Jianming¡¯s mind turned several times. If this was true, he could do something on this Concubine Mei. Perhaps, it would have an unexpected effect.

    Qiu Shi advised Han Jianming. ¡°Ming-er, don¡¯t meddle in this matter. Your father is a scumbag. Don¡¯t offend him. Even though he doesn¡¯t like me anymore, he doesn¡¯t dare to divorce me. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±

    When Han Jianming heard this, he felt ashamed of himself. He, her own son, was still no match to the adopted Yuxi. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I won¡¯t interfere.¡±

    When Han Jianming left the Master Courtyard, he went back to his study. Then, he immediately called the main steward over to ask him about what Qiu Shi had just said. From the main steward¡¯s mouth, he could confirm what Qiu Shi had said was true. This gave Han Jianming a grasp of how to persuade Han Jingdong to let go of the title.

    Soon, the twelfth lunar month arrived. This month was the busiest time of the year. As the New Year wasing, preparations had to be made for New Year¡¯s Eve, and New Year¡¯s goods had to be purchased.

    Usually, Qiu Shi would ask Yuxi to give her a hand. But this time, when she thought it would be Yuxi¡¯sst year at home, she didn¡¯t want Yuxi to strain herself. Hence, she didn¡¯t let her intervene this year.

    It was a beautiful day, and the sun was out. Zisu ordered a few people to bring out all chests that contained Yuxi¡¯s unworn clothes to dry.

    Yuxi looked at severalrge chests of clothes and remarked, ¡°These clothes all look like new. It¡¯s a shame not to get rid of them as they only take up space.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t frugal, but she was growing so fast that she could only wear her clothes for a season and could not wear them again for theing year.

    Zisu also felt it was a waste. ¡°All these materials are good.¡± All of Yuxi¡¯s clothes were made of excellent brocade. But because the material was so good, it was not easy to dispose of. If they were sent to rtives and friends, sending them old clothes would not look good, but it would be even hard to burn them. The maids did tear them apart to make hebao, but sewing a hebao didn¡¯t use that much fabric.

    Yuxi proposed, ¡°Why don¡¯t we send them to the foundling hospital?¡± The so-called foundling hospital was a ce where orphans were taken in.

    After saying this, Yuxi knew it was inappropriate. Not to mention the clothes she wore, even her jewellery couldn¡¯t fall outside. It would be bad for her reputation. Even if they were sent anonymously, the clothes would not be worn by the children. It was possible that the staff could sell the clothes for money. Such good material was still worth a few.

    Zisu naturally disagreed. ¡°Miss, even if these clothes are burnt, they can¡¯t be sent to the foundling hospital.¡± It was not a problem to donate money, but the clothes Yuxi wore could not be donated.

    Yuxi waved her hand and said, ¡°Then, it¡¯s better to keep them all.¡± All the old things she had used before had been burnt. Now she didn¡¯t have too many old things. Taoran House was so big anyway, so she no longer had to worry about having no space for them.

    In the afternoon, Yuxi had just finished reading and was ready to go out for a walk. That was when Caidie came over and reported, ¡°Miss, Concubine Qiu has returned to the residence.¡± [T/N]

    Yuxi froze as she asked, ¡°When did this happen?¡± Why had she not heard a single whisper of Qiu Yanfu¡¯s return to the residence?

    Caidie said, ¡°It was more than a quarter of an hour ago.¡± She knew that Yuxi had always hated Qiu Yanfu. Therefore, when she got this news, she hurried over to report it.

    Yuxi frowned and ordered, ¡°Go and ask, who took Qiu Yanfu back to the residence?¡± What Yuxi could be sure of was that it was definitely not Qiu Shi¡¯s idea. If it was, there was no way Yuxi wouldn¡¯t know about it. Then, the only person who could have brought Qiu Yanfu back was either Lu Xiu or Er Ge. Without making any guesses, it was definitely Er Ge who had brought Qiu Yanfu back.

    For some reason, Yuxi was a little disappointed. For a man who had been calcted by Qiu Yanfu, even if he didn¡¯t kill her, he should have stayed away from her. But how long had it been? Er Ge still couldn¡¯t remember his lesson.

    After quite a while, Caidie came back from outside and informed Yuxi, ¡°Miss, I have found out that it was Er Nainai who brought Concubine Qiu back.¡±

    Yuxi felt that there must be something wrong with her ears. ¡°What did you say? Did Er Sao really the one who brought Qiu Yanfu back?¡±

    Caidie nodded and said, ¡°The person who picked up Concubine Qiu and brought her back is Er Nainai¡¯s dowry servant, Old Woman Yu. There should be no mistake.¡±

    Yuxi said nothing further. If Han Jianye had brought Qiu Yanfu back, Yuxi would have said a few words. But since it was Lu Xiu¡¯s idea, she was not going to bother with it. Lu Xiu must have had her own ns for bringing Qiu Yanfu back. Yuxi only hoped that Lu Xiu could keep Qiu Yanfu under control and not get her eyes pecked out. Of course, even if Lu Xiu got poked in the eye, it was none of Yuxi business.

    When Zisu found out, she couldn¡¯t help but ask Yuxi, ¡°Miss, what exactly did Er Nainai think? How could she bring Concubine Qiu back?¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°Only Er Sao knows about this.¡± Lu Xiu did not know Qiu Yanfu¡¯s details and probably thought that Qiu Yanfu was only disliked by her Er Ge. So Lu Xiu had taken Qiu Yanfu back to set up her status. As for whether there were other reasons, Yuxi didn¡¯t want to waste her energy thinking about it.

 Chapter 250 - Taking Over The Title (1)

    <strong>Chapter 250 : Taking Over The Title (1)</strong>

    The weather was gloomy, and snowkes were fluttering in masses. Ayer of pristine white coloured snow now decorated the originally barren winter world, which was exceptionally beautiful.

    It was such a cold day, but Yuxi was sweating profusely. Taking the towel from Caidie¡¯s hand, Yuxi wiped the beads of sweat from her face. In the past, when she had finished two sets of wuqinxi in winter, her forehead would at most begin to sweat. But now, she was sweating even more than when she was in summer. It was good that Momo Quan said it was because Yuxi was well that she was like this. After seeing the Imperial Doctor, who said the same thing, Yuxi was relieved.

    Caidie told Yuxi from beside her, ¡°Miss,st night Concubine Mei felt that her stomach was out of sorts and had immediately requested for a physician.¡± The three maids around Yuxi each had their own sources of information. Thus Yuxi would be the first to know all the news from the residence because of them.

    Yuxi wiped her sweat and asked, ¡°How is she now?¡±

    Caidie reported, ¡°It was said that she had eaten something unclean. But the physician came in time and managed to save the child. However, the physician said that this child should be nurtured properly, or the foetus will easily fall.¡±

    Yuxi sneered and said, ¡°She really does things recklessly.¡± With Qiu Shi¡¯s present identity, Qiu Shi wouldn¡¯t even care about the child inside Concubine Mei¡¯s belly at all. Even if Concubine Mei gave birth to a son, could the child threaten Han Jianming¡¯s position? What a joke. So, nine times out of ten, Concubine Mei did this herself.

    When Zisu heard this, she was a little worried, and she asked, ¡°Will the Duke of State look for trouble with the Lady?¡± She was not afraid of anything else, but she was worried that the Duke would bring trouble to the First Lady again over a concubine.

    Yuxi was also a bit speechless about this father of hers, the Duke of State. ¡°If he wants to make a scene, then just let him make a scene. It¡¯s not like Mother will suffer anyway. There is no need to prepare breakfast. I will go to the Master Courtyard to eat.¡± Qiu Shi had never lost a fight with the Duke, but she would be alone, sulking in the house afterwards. Yuxi didn¡¯t even need to guess that Qiu Shi must not be able to eat again this morning.

    When Yuxi arrived at the Master Courtyard, Mama Li told Yuxi that Qiu Shi had not yet eaten her breakfast. Yuxi asked Mama Li, ¡°Was there a lot of noise?¡±

    Mama Li shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. After saying a few words, the Duke of State went out in a huff.¡± Back then, when Concubine Rong was still alive, the two couples would fight now and then. It was only after Concubine Rong¡¯s death that things quieted down. But now, there was another Concubine Mei.

    Yuxi gave a slight nod.

    Mama Li said, ¡°The Lady should not spend so much time thinking about it. It¡¯s not good for her health if she goes on like this.¡± Anger hurt the body, and Qiu Shi had suffered a lot of anger when she was younger. So her body had fallen into many problems. At that time, she was still young and had a good foundation. Thus Qiu Shi didn¡¯t care about such minor issues. But because Yuxi had studied pharmacology, she was troubled about this and often reminded Qiu Shi about it. After Qiu Shi considered it, she listened to Yuxi and took medicine to take care of her body. After a few years, she was able to maintain her health very well. However, if she continued to sulk every day and could not eat or sleep well, no amount of regting would help.

    Yuxi shook her head helplessly and said, ¡°What can we do if Mother can¡¯t think of it herself? We can only advise her more.¡± Qiu Shi was already forty years old and had grandchildren, but Yuxi didn¡¯t know why she was still this angry.

    Mama Li was also a bit powerless. She didn¡¯t know how much she had persuaded Qiu Shi, but she still couldn¡¯t do it. If it was any other matter, she could still ask the Fourth Miss to help her solve it. But for this kind of thing, if the Lady couldn¡¯t think of it herself, even the Fourth Miss couldn¡¯t solve it even if she was so capable.

    Yuxi stayed with Qiu Shi for most of the day, and after she left, Qiu Shi told Mama Li, ¡°This child will be leaving the residence in a few months. I don¡¯t want her to leave.¡± She didn¡¯t want her sweet daughter to marry. She regretted that she didn¡¯t set her wedding date a bitter and kept her in residence for two more years. [T/N]

    Knowing what Qiu Shi was thinking, Mama Li just went along with her and said, ¡°Yes! The Fourth Miss is truly filial.¡± Anyway, the wedding date had already been set, and it was impossible to change it even if they spoke more about it.

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°When Yuxi is married, I¡¯ll go and stay in another courtyard for a while. I¡¯lle back when the Lord Duke leaves.¡± If they couldn¡¯t see each other, there would be no conflict. If there were no conflict, there would be no more anger.

    Mama Li was surprised and delighted. ¡°My Lady has figured it out?¡± If Mama Li had to say so, there was no need for her Lady to be annoyed with Duke Han. It had been more than twenty years, and there was no way for her Lady to still don¡¯t know what kind of moral character the Duke had. To be angry with him would be the same as being mad at herself.

    Qiu Shi confessed, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you guys are saying, but there are some things that I can¡¯t do just by thinking about them. So the best thing for me to do is to avoid it and keep my eyes off it.¡± It was mainly because she had seen how worried Yuxi was when it came to her and felt a bit guilty. So now, she was trying to change herself a bit.

    Mama Li said, ¡°That¡¯s fine. My Lady has been working tirelessly for so many years. It is time for my Lady to rest. I¡¯ve heard that the other courtyard is especially cool in the summer.¡±

    Qiu Shi uttered, ¡°That other courtyard hasn¡¯t been lived in for so many years, so let¡¯s go and have a rest there during spring.¡± The other courtyard Qiu Shi referred to was the Duke of the State¡¯s yard in Xishan, a property belonging to the Duke.

    Yuxi went out of the Master Courtyard and did not return to the Taoran House but suggested with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the garden and see if San Jie is collecting snow water from wintersweet flowers.¡± In the past, at this time of year, Yuchen would go and collect snow water from wintersweet flowers to make tea.

    Caidie said, ¡°Miss, the Third Miss must also be thinking of making tea with snow water, but she probably won¡¯t go there personally.¡± This year was different from previous years. The Third Miss was getting married in the uing second lunar month, and the people around her would definitely not let her out. If she got a cold, it would be noughing matter.

    Hearing this, Yuxi also felt that, in all probability, Yuchen would not go to the garden. She smilingly said, ¡°She can¡¯t do this or that just because she¡¯s going to get married. Now, she can only stay inside her house.¡±

    Caidie proposed, ¡°Miss, shall we go back?¡± On such a cold day, only her Miss would be walking around outside. For everyone else, who wouldn¡¯t want to hunker down inside the house while warming themselves by the fire?

    Yuxi shook her head and instructed the little maid following her, ¡°Go and tell Zisu to bring two y pots over. I want to collect snow water.¡± Chen Ran was a good and elegant person, and she couldn¡¯t be too worldly. She had to cultivate an interest in that area as well. [T/N]

    Caidie screamed in her heart.

    When Yuxi arrived at the ce where wintersweet was in bloom in the garden, she smiled. ¡°There¡¯s indeed no one here!¡± There were so many scruples before even getting married. There would be so many rules after getting married, and even less freedom for oneself. Yuxi couldn¡¯t help but be thankful. Fortunately, she was not married into the royal family, nor was she marrying the first di son. Otherwise, there would be no more leisure time for herself. [+]

    It didn¡¯t take long for Zisu to bring over two sky white porcin jars. It took the whole group more than half an hour to collect the snow water, and yet, they couldn¡¯t even fill in one porcin jar!

    Yuxi¡¯s sleeves were getting a little wet. ¡°Well, this is enough to use for a few times. So I won¡¯t collect any more.¡± Collecting snow water to make tea was elegant, but the process was excruciating. Yuxi made up her mind that she would never do such a tiresome and painful thing again.

    On the way back, Yuxi identally bumped into Qiu Yanfu. Qiu Yanfu was wearing a light blue chang ao and a long moon white skirt. Shebed her hair into a duoma bun with two emerald hairpins inserted into it. She was dressed in a simple way, which suited her current status.

    DUOMA BUN

    Qiu Yanfu also did not expect to meet Yuxi on the road. Although she was surprised, she did not forget her due courtesy, so she curtsied and gave Yuxi a bow while greeting, ¡°Fourth Miss.¡±

    With a slight nod, Yuxi took her maids and left. In the past, Yuxi had been very hostile to Qiu Yanfu because she always feared that Qiu Yanfu would harm Han Jianye. Now, Qiu Yanfu was only Han Jianye¡¯s concubine, so she could no longer make any big waves. Therefore, even if Yuxi knew that Qiu Yanfu had returned, she did not take it to heart.

    The little maid beside Qiu Yanfu, Taohua, noticed that Qiu Yanfu was frozen for a while and didn¡¯t move to leave, so Taohua spoke, ¡°Concubine Qiu, we should go back.¡± Qiu Yanfu¡¯s former personal maids, Yanxia and Yanyu, were reassigned by Lu Xiu before her return. Nowadays, the people around Qiu Yanfu were arranged mainly by Lu Xiu. Qiu Yanfu was not stupid and knew that Lu Xiu was guarding against her. But even if she knew, she still had to cooperate. She could still see her future when she came back. If she could note back, she would have to stay and die in the hamlet for the rest of her life.

    Qiu Yanfu¡¯s previous thoughts had long since been worn down to nothing in the past few years. Now she just wanted to live a good life under the eyes of Lu Xiu and have a child so that she could have someone to fall back on in her old age.

    After the New Year, the first month was all about visiting rtives. When Yuxi was much younger, she would follow Han Jianming and his brother to visit their rtives. But when she grew older, she was no longer interested in going.

    Zisu looked at Yuxi, who had a sullen look and asked, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Everyone was happy and cheerful in the first month of the year, but her Miss looked unhappy.

    Yuxi confessed, ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left to stay at home.¡± A strong feeling of reluctance welled up in her heart at the thought of getting married in five more months. Such sentiments were still rtively new to Yuxi. Her marriage had been so abrupt in her previous life, making her so uneasy that there was no room for her to feel reluctance. Now it was different. The family around her had been so good to her that she couldn¡¯t bear to part with them.

    Zisu doesn¡¯t know what else to say anymore.

    After the first lunar month, Han Jingdong, Duke Han of the State, submitted a formally folded booklet on giving up his title. This booklet caused a thousandyers of waves in the State Residence.

    After Yuxi got the news, she blinked. She didn¡¯t expect Dage to be so fast! He managed to do it in such a short time.

    Zisu looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°Miss, the Lord Duke is still full of life. How could he suddenly think of giving up his title?¡± Usually, it was only when a person died that the title would automatically fall to the heir. It was rare for someone like the Duke of State to give up his title voluntarily. Zisu asked this question, mainly because she suspected that this matter had something to do with Yuxi. Although there was no proof, this was Zisu¡¯s intuition.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°Only Father himself knows about this. However, for him to give up the title will not affect the residence. Father has never been in charge of it anyway, and the real head of the residence has always been Dage.¡±

    Zisu argued, ¡°That¡¯s what they say, but in the end, it¡¯s going to be different. I don¡¯t know what the Old Lady thinks about this?¡± Zisu was not worried about anything else, but if the Old Lady found out that this had been Yuxi¡¯s work, the Old Lady would not look kindly on Miss.

    Yuxi was not worried at all. Not to mention that her Dage would not snitch on her, and even if he did, she would soon be married to the Chen family anyway. No matter how angry the Old Lady would be, she wouldn¡¯t punish her. She could only scold her. Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°What the Old Lady thinks is her business.¡± The formally folded booklet had been submitted to the Emperor, and the Old Lady couldn¡¯t stop it if she wanted to. Yuxi only hoped that her Dage would be able to inherit the title sessfully.

 Chapter 251 - Taking Over The Title (2)

    Chapter 251 : Taking Over The Title (2)

    When the Old Lady knew Han Jingdong would give up his title, her hand holding the Buddhist beads paused for a moment. She then instructed Mama Luo, ¡°Have someone go and call Jianming over.¡±

    Soon, Mama Luo returned. ¡°Old Lady, Master Shizi is not in residence. But I have left word that if Master Shizi returns, he shoulde over to see the Old Lady.¡±

    The Old Lady gave out a cry of ¡®en¡¯, then closed her eyes and began to chant scriptures once more.

    Mama Luo, on the other hand, let out a faint sigh. If Master Shizi assumed the title, there was no telling if Ye Shi would at once have a major purge on the household. Ye Shi was not like the First Lady. The First Lady was not the type of person who liked to seize power. However, Ye Shi was a person who knew how to y tricks and had a wild ambition. Once Ye Shi became the main mistress of the State Residence, she would want to install her forces and take control over it. Of course, Ye Shi would not dare to go too far when the Old Lady was still around. Once the Old Lady was no longer in this world, the senior servants would not be able to stay in residence anymore.

    After hearing this news, Yuchen pondered for quite a while before asking, ¡°Momo Gui, do you think this matter has anything to do with Yuxi?¡±

    Momo Gui asked curiously, ¡°Why would you say that?¡±

    Yuchen didn¡¯t know how to exin it. It was just her hunch. ¡°Momo, you should also know about Concubine Mei¡¯s affair. With Yuxi¡¯s nature, she would not sit still while waiting for death. However, for such a long time, Yuxi did not even bother to ask or listen to this issue, which is not in line with her nature.¡± Yuchen suspected that it was Yuxi who had encouraged Han Jianming to seize the title. This suspicion was also based on what she knew about Yuxi.

    Momo Gui shook her head and advised, ¡°Miss, without evidence, this is not something you can casually say. Furthermore, it was the Lord Duke himself who said he wanted to give up his title, not Master Shizi who wanted to take it away.¡± The difference between giving up and taking away was the same as the difference between heaven and earth. Please don¡¯t read this chapter other than xinshou blogspot.

    Yuchen thought for a moment and then stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Taoran House.¡± Although she knew that she would not get an answer even if she went there, she still had to make this trip.

    When they arrived at Taoran House, Yuxi was embroidering her head covering. The room was warm because of the floor dragon, and her hands became even more nimble. As if she had just gotten her inspiration, she continued to lower her head to embroider the head covering.

    Zisu said with some difficulty, ¡°Third Miss, my Miss is currently embroidering her head covering. This head covering is something that she had been dissatisfied with for a long time, so I can¡¯t just go in and disturb her.¡± Yuxi was very strict about her embroidery. If she, herself, weren¡¯t satisfied with it, she would rather ruin it than use it.

    Yuchen responded, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for her.¡± The dowry embroidered by Yuxi had not been revealed to outsiders. Apart from Qiu Shi, no one else had seen it. Even so, everyone in the State Residence all said that Fourth Miss¡¯ embroidered dowry was unmatched. Who didn¡¯t know Yuxi¡¯s skill in embroidery? Since Yuxi did it for herself to this time, how could it not be good?

    This waitsted for half a shichen.

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes were a little dry, and only then did she put down her needlework. Hearing that Yuchen hade over, sheined, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me earlier? I¡¯ve made San Jie wait for so long.¡±

    When Yuchen heard this, she smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s not that long anyway. Yuxi, how much longer will it take for you to finish embroidering your head covering? Can you show it to me when you¡¯re done? Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t even seen your wedding dress yet!¡± Yuchen¡¯s wedding dress hadn¡¯t been sent over by the Imperial Household Department yet. She estimated that it would take another two days to be done. But Yuchen didn¡¯t expect much from her wedding dress. The style was already predetermined anyway, so she knew it would just look how it should look without even looking at it. Instead, it was Yuxi¡¯s wedding dress that Yuchen was so curious about.

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°When I have finished embroidering my head covering, I will show it to San Jie then.¡± Yuxi was very confident that the wedding dress she had embroidered herself would be stunning. It had taken her more than half a year to create it. It would be a shame not to wow people with all of her hard work.

    After chatting about the dowry, Yuchen talked about Han Jingdong giving up his title. ¡°Yuxi, what do you think about Eldest Uncle giving up his title?¡±

    Yuxi knew that Yuchen would never go to the temple for no reason as she answered with a smile. ¡°For me, it makes no difference if Father is the Duke of the State or if Dage is the Duke of the State.¡± To Yuxi, it was more beneficial for Han Jianming to inherit the title. Everyone in the family and friends knew that Han Jianming loved her very much. For Yuchen, on the other hand, it meant something different when her Eldest Uncle was the Duke of State than when her tangge was.

    Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. But what makes it strange is that Eldest Uncle is still so young. How could he think of giving up his title?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and told her that she didn¡¯t know. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why Father would let go of his title. Father has not been at home for many years anyway and does not even care about many things. Hence, it does not matter to him whether he has the title or not. It¡¯s just that if Dage assumes the title, it might be easier for him to act in the future.¡± After a pause, she continued with a smile, ¡°But even if the Imperial Court agrees to let Dage inherit the title, it will still take some time.¡± Yuchen would get married in less than a month away. Therefore, Han Jianming¡¯s session of the title would not affect her in any way.

    Yuchen knew from the start that it was impossible to get any words out of Yuxi, so she was not that disappointed. She immediately changed their subject of conversation to Chen Ran. In the uing third lunar month, Chen Ran was preparing to attend the spring examination. ¡°Second Master Chen has always been very talented. He even managed to earn himself the title of jieyuan in thest examination. He would definitely be listed on the top list again this time too.¡±

    Naturally, Yuxi knew that he would be fine. He earned himself the title tanhua in his previous life. Even if there were changes in this life, his results would not be any worse. ¡°I have also asked Dage. I hope he will do well in the exams, and maybe he will even make it to the top three positions!¡± It was umon for one to earn the title jinshi, but it was even rarer to reach the top three positions.

    Hearing this, Yuchen couldn¡¯t helpughing as she said, ¡°If Second Master Chen can get one of the top three positions, you will also have a face when you get married.¡± The top three, even if it was only a tanhua title, it was still an extremely prestigious event for Yuxi. Although the Marquis Taining¡¯s Residence was powerful, Chen Ran was, after all, the second di son, not the first, so he could not inherit the title. Most of his future, then, still depended on himself.

    The two of them talked for a little while until it was lunchtime. Yuxi smiled as she invited Yuchen, ¡°San Jie, why don¡¯t you have your meal here!¡±

    Yuchen smiled and politely declined. ¡°Maybe another time!¡± In recent times, her food had been carefully prepared by Momo Sha. Unfortunately, it would not be suitable for her to eat here at Yuxi¡¯s ce for fear of eating something that could offset her health before her wedding. [T/N]

    When Yuchen left, Yuxi suddenly remembered that she hadn¡¯t paid attention to the Jiang family for a long time. She wondered how the Jiang family was doing now. ¡°Zisu, has Jiang Qi of the Jiang family been engaged?¡± It was better to ask about Jiang Qi than to ask about Jiang Hongjin directly. [+]

    Zisu was a little surprised. ¡°Why did Miss suddenly think of her?¡± This question was mainly because Yuxi had minimal dealings with Jiang Qi.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t know how I suddenly remembered about her when I was talking to my San Jie. I recalled that she even yed qi with me back then!¡±

    Zisu didn¡¯t think much of it as she said, ¡°Miss Jiang is not yet betrothed. The same goes for her brother, Jiang Hongjin. But I heard that the Jiang family is very lively.¡±

    Yuxi was so interested in the topic that she asked, ¡°Why is that?¡±

    Zisu exined, ¡°Madam Jiang always makes things difficult for Da Nainai of the Jiang family, and just after she got married into the family, Madam Jiang wanted her to follow the rules of serving her mother-inw. But Madam Jiang didn¡¯t expect that Da Nainai¡¯s body was too weak to bear this suffering, and she fainted while serving Madam Jiang.¡±

    Yuxiughed. ¡°When did this happen? Howe I don¡¯t know about it?¡± It was something she hadn¡¯t heard about.

    Zisu stated, ¡°At that time, Miss didn¡¯t ask about it, so I didn¡¯t say anything. In the middle ofst year, Da Nainai Jiang became pregnant, and Madam Jiang sent two maids to serve Eldest Young Master Jiang. As a result, one of the maids had evil intentions and almost caused Da Nainai Jiang to lose her baby. Because of this incident, Da Nainai Jiang¡¯s mother and older sister-inw went to the Jiang family and vented their anger towards Madam Jiang.¡± This incident was publicised, and Madam Jiang¡¯s good reputation was instantly swept away.

    Yuxi smiled soothingly. ¡°This Da Nainai Jiang has many tricks.¡± If she didn¡¯t have enough tricks, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to get Yu Shi into such a mess. [T/N]

    When Zisu saw how happy Yuxi was, she couldn¡¯t help but think in her heart that Madam Jiang had probably offended her Miss. No matter how much she wanted to recall, she couldn¡¯t think of any incident. ¡°Madam Jiang¡¯s reputation is so bad that it has directly affected Second Young Master Jiang and Miss Jiang Qi.¡± With a mother like that, others would have doubted the upbringing of her son and daughter.

    Yuxi smiled even more brightly. ¡°Not necessarily. As long as Jiang Hongjin does well in the spring exams, he won¡¯t worry about marrying a girl from a good family. However, Jiang Qi¡¯s marriage will not be easy.¡± Jiang Qi was an ambitious and proud person. In her previous life, Yu Shi had chosen the Minister of War¡¯s eldest di son for her, and she had beenining about all of his shorings. With Yu Shi¡¯s ruined reputation, Jiang Qi couldn¡¯t marry into a high-status family in her current life. But for Jiang Qi to marry into a low-status family would be the same as asking for her life. As for Jiang Hongjin, Yuxi was already engaged to be married anyway, so he wouldn¡¯t be able to harm her anymore.

    When Han Jianming returned from outside, he didn¡¯t even need to be informed as he went straight to the Main Courtyard to see the Old Lady. He knew very well that the Old Lady would not believe that his father would give him the title voluntarily.

    As expected, as soon as the Old Lady saw Han Jianming, she opened her mouth by asking, ¡°What is the matter regarding your father giving up the title? You don¡¯t have to tell me that it was your father who figured out himself.¡± It was the kind of thing that even Qiu Shi, whocked a string, would not believe, let alone her.

    Han Jianming had already thought of something to say. ¡°Grandmother, the right assistant Minister of War, has reached his old age this year and will be stepping down from his position in the middle of the year. I want to seek that position, but my current status is not enough to qualify.¡± This was Han Jianming¡¯s excuse. He did want the position and had already started working on it, as to whether he could get it had little to do with whether he inherited the title or not. It was just that Han Jianming knew the Old Lady well. The only effective method to curb her was to involve interests.

    Hearing this, the Old Lady asked in disbelief, ¡°Isn¡¯t the right assistant Minister of War a third-ranking official position? Is this true? You didn¡¯t deceive me, did you?¡± Han Jianming already had an official position, and it was also a third rank position. But it was just a nominal position and had no real power. It was not generally difficult to cross over from a nominal position to an actual power position of the same third rank in one go.

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°Grandmother, I am following the path of the Yu family. If I can inherit the title, I¡¯m a little more certain.¡± Every man had his own bottom line. He did not care to be associated with traitors like the Song family, so he took the path of the Yu family.

    The Old Lady was not a three-year-old child who would believe it after two sentences. ¡°Who told you that you would be more certain of getting that position after you inherited the title?¡±

    Han Jianming was prepared for this and answered, ¡°This is the conclusion I brought out from my discussions with my staff. And if I get the title, there will be less criticism if I sit in this position in the future.¡± Even though Han Jianming was capable, he was only twenty-three years old this year. If he had gone through the usual route, he would never have gotten that position with just his seniority and age. Those who went the standard way would live in the ravine for the rest of their lives in this world.

    The Old Lady did not speak, but the Buddhist beads in her hands were spinning faster.

 Chapter 252 - Taking Over The Title (3)

    Chapter 252: Taking Over The Title (3)

    Han Jianming was not in a hurry. He just simply stood in the room. The wood was already made into a boat anyway. Grandmother couldn¡¯t stop even if she wanted to.

    The Old Lady paused her hand from turning the Buddhist beads and asked, ¡°This matter, was it the Fourth Girl¡¯s idea?¡± After her eldest child brought back Concubine Meist year, Yuxi had a deep talk with Han Jianming. The Old Lady suspected that this matter had been encouraged by Yuxi. How could she put it? She had personally watched Han Jianming grow up, and she did not want to believe that Han Jianming would try to manipte his father for the sake of profit; Yuxi was different. That girl had a treacherous character. Though she wouldn¡¯t do something like posting this chapter at other site. She would rather read this at xinshou blogspot.

    Han Jianming said without thinking, ¡°Grandmother, this matter has nothing to do with Yuxi. Grandmother, whether I inherit the title or not is of no benefit to Yuxi either. There is no need for her toe up with such a thankless idea.¡±

    The Old Lady was clearly unconvinced, but she knew she couldn¡¯t ask anything more from her grandson. ¡°How did you persuade your father into this?¡± Seeing Han Jianming¡¯s hesitant look, she instructed coldly, ¡°Tell me the truth.¡±

    In response, Han Jianming could only tell the truth. ¡°I had someone tell Concubine Mei that if she could not persuade Father to give up his title, not only would she die without a burial ce, but I would not spare her entire family. But if she can get Father to give up his title voluntarily, I will guarantee her a lifetime of glory and wealth.¡± Han Jianming had also listened to Qiu Shi¡¯s words, so he wanted to try this method. He didn¡¯t expect that Concubine Mei¡¯s ability was something that he should not underestimate. It only took her a month or so to persuade his father. But it was also this incident that made Han Jianming realise that women should never be underestimated.

    The Old Lady clutched the Buddhist beads in her hands and asked, ¡°Is that all? Nothing else?¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing more.¡± He had a follow-up method, but he didn¡¯t expect things would go so smoothly.

    The Old Lady¡¯s face instantly became livid. If Han Jingdong did not want to be the Duke of State and therefore wanted to give up his title to Jianming, there was nothing she could say. After all, Jianming was the rightful heir to the title, so it was fine for him to give it up. However, this unfilial son gave up his title because of a woman¡¯s few words, making the Old Lady extremely angry. It was surprising that he treated something as big as the inheritance of a title as a trifling matter.

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t know what the Old Lady was thinking, so he didn¡¯t rashly speak.

    After half a second, the Old Lady asked, ¡°What are you going to do with that despicable woman?¡± Originally, the Old Lady had thought that Concubine Mei was carrying flesh and blood of the Han family in her belly, so she had given her a status. But such a restless woman dared to interfere in such a significant matter as the inheritance of the title. There was no telling what misfortune she would bring to the Han family in the future if they kept such a person. Therefore, this woman must not stay in residence any longer.[T/N]

    The Old Lady didn¡¯t even consider Concubine Mei¡¯s situation either. Although Han Jianming was only probing, for Concubine Mei, it was a matter of life and death. If she didn¡¯t try her best to convince the Duke of the State, should she just sit and wait for her end?

    Hearing these words, Han Jianming knew what the Old Lady intended to do. ¡°Grandmother, Concubine Mei cannot be touched yet. At least not until after I have sessfully inherited the title. If Father backs out from his words now, the Han family would have to be reduced to the talk of the capital.¡± Han Jianming hadn¡¯t thought of getting Concubine Mei killed. It wasn¡¯t that he was merciful, but he felt that it would be better to let that woman live on than to kill her and make his father mad. As for the possibility that the woman might reveal that he was the mastermind behind this matter of letting go of the title, Han Jianming was not worried. As long as Concubine Mei had a weakness, she wouldn¡¯t dare to say anything. And that weakness could be the child in her belly or her family.

    The Old Lady nodded her head for a moment. No one knew her son more than her, his mother, especially the nature of that unfilial son of hers. Concubine Mei¡¯s death now could turn their world upside down. Therefore, they could not touch this woman for the time being. ¡°Jianming, the Fourth Girl has a rebellious bone and is cold by nature. You should be extra careful with her.¡± If Yuxi could be indifferent to her biological father and heartless to her adoptive father, what else was she if not cold by nature? As for the fact that she had a rebellious bone, it was also a conclusion from this incident. [T/N]

    Han Jianming disagreed with the Old Lady¡¯s words. ¡°Grandmother, Si Mei is very respectful to Mother. When Mother was in a bad mood, she stayed with her all day long. In terms of filial piety, I, her son, can¡¯t evenpare.¡± For what Yuxi had done for his mother, he was ashamed of himself. Not only did he not think that Yuxi was a cold-hearted person, on the contrary, he felt that Yuxi was affectionate and righteous.

    His words choked the Old Lady. ¡°That¡¯s because she knows that she can only get a helping hand if she pleases your mother.¡± The Old Lady did not think that Yuxi was sincere about Qiu Shi. She believed that Yuxi was only good to Qiu Shi because she was lonely and helpless in the State Residence and wanted Qiu Shi to be her support. As it turned out, that girl was very good at what she did and did it sessfully. Otherwise, Qiu Shi wouldn¡¯t have treated her like the apple of her eyes.

    Han Jianming smiled a little. Perhaps back then, Yuxi had been kind to his mother for her personal interest. But after all these years, that girl now truly filial to her as if she were her actual mother. ¡°Grandmother, Yuxi has many ws, but there is one thing I¡¯m sure about her. That child has a right heart. So Grandmother does not need to worry that she will go astray. As for me, I know in my heart what I can and cannot do and will not be influenced by others.¡± All these years, he knew in his heart how Yuxi had treated his mother and Jianye. It was only because his grandmother was prejudiced against Yuxi that she was always wary of her.

    The Old Lady knew it was useless to say more. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know what you¡¯re doing. You are also old enough. So I won¡¯t say any more. This family will depend on you from now on.¡±

    Han Jianming nodded and promised, ¡°Grandmother, don¡¯t worry. I will revitalise the Han family.¡± This was the lifelong goal that he had been striving for.

    After sending Han Jianming away, the Old Lady had a tired look on her face. Mama Luo was worried at sight. ¡°Old Lady, are you not feeling well anywhere?¡±

    The Old Lady smiled bitterly and said, ¡°No, I¡¯m just a bit tired.¡± Even if her son was a jerk, he was still her son. But to not even want the title because of a few words from a woman still made the Old Lady feel frustrated. How could she have given birth to such an unfilial man?

    Mama Luo quickly suggested, ¡°Old Lady, do you want to go and rest for a while?¡±

    The Old Lady shook her head and said, ¡°No need.¡± She was mentally tired, not physically exhausted, and couldn¡¯t sleep even when shey in bed. [+]

    The two were talking when the maid outside announced the Third Lord¡¯s arrival.

    The reason Han Jingyan came over was simple. He just wanted to ask about the matter of his Dage giving up the title. ¡°Mother, why is Dage giving up the title for no good reason?¡± Han Jingyan had no other thoughts. After all, the title would not fall on him. It was just that the matter was so sudden that he felt strange. [T/N]

    The Old Lady answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I sent someone to call him back to the house before, but he didn¡¯t return either. Just now, I called Jianming, but Jianming was also confused. Hai, your Dage is a man who does everything on a whim. I guess this time, his mind got hot-headed that he submitted the folded booklet!¡± The Old Lady exactly knew what Han Jianming was nning to do, but she couldn¡¯t say it to anyone. The Han family had to rely on her eldest grandson to hold it up, and she could not let his reputation be tarnished even the slightest.

    Han Jingyan agreed with this statement. It was really because his Dage had been out of tune since he was a child: ¡°Mother, if Jianming had inherited the title, it would be time to split the family.¡±

    When parents were still around, the family didn¡¯t split up. When the Old Lady heard this, her face chilled as she asked, ¡°Did you hear anyone gossiping?¡± Not only did Qiu Shiin about the Third House only knowing how to receive but not contributing, Ye Shi was just as displeased with the situation. With the connivance of the two, there was some chatter in residence about this as well. This wind could not be stopped just because the Old Lady wanted to.

    Han Jingyan hadn¡¯t heard anyone gossiping about it. It was just that as an official in the Imperial Court, he was very conscious of his reputation. He didn¡¯t want to hear anyone saying that he was living off his nephew. Han Jingyan shook his head as he exined, ¡°No, there isn¡¯t. I just think that if Jianming assumes the title, it would be a bit unpleasant to hear that the family is not divided. Mother, don¡¯t you think it would be better to divide the property once Jianming takes over the title? Then we can handle the ounts separately. That way, no one will say anything.¡± Han Jingyan was talking about dividing the property but not the family. By doing this, the property was divided, but the family still lived together. In other words, in the future, all the expenses of the three houses would not go through the public ounts but would be paid for by themselves.

    The Old Lady knew that Han Jingyan had a point, but she also had her concerns. ¡°Yan-er, your sry is not much. What will happen to your whole family?¡± Her son¡¯s sry was not much, and he had to support such arge family. Once the family was separated, this would seriously reduce their quality of life. Even with her support, their lives would not be asfortable as now.

    Han Jingyan was not worried as he said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. I have a sry. When the timees to divide the family, I will still get some property, so I won¡¯t have to worry about food and clothing.¡± Han Jingyan had made a lot of money during his years of service, which he had exchanged all for properties. However, it was not easy to say these words to the old Lady. Before the separation of the family, it would not be nice if people found out that he had acquired private properties. These properties received considerable interest every year, and they still had to be hidden for now. However, after the separation, he would not have any more worries.

    The Old Lady was not stupid. How could she not know about this? After thinking for a while, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thister!¡± It was indeed a good idea to divide the assets and not the family. At least, there would be less conflict in the future, and she would not be used by Qiu Shi and Ye Shi of being biased. However, they could only put this matter on the agenda after Yuchen was married and Han Jianming had assumed the title.

    After talking about the separation of the family, Han Jingyan talked about Yurong¡¯s marriage. ¡°Mother, two days ago, Master Jiang said to me that he wanted to match Yurong for his youngest son. What do you think, Mother?¡± Jiang Wenrui had been promoted again and was now a third-ranking official as him. But the title of vice Minister of the Revenue was much higher than his, and with the Yu family as his backer, Jiang Wenrui¡¯s career was in good hands.

    The Old Lady did not refuse. Thest time the Jiang family came to propose marriage, Jiang Hongjin was only a xiucai. Still, now, he held the title juren. The Old Lady thought that it was not bad. ¡°How is the Jiang family¡¯s child?¡±

    Han Jingyan had inquired about him on purpose. ¡°The boy¡¯s talent is outstanding. His teacher said he would make it to the 2nd rank of candidates who passed the Imperial examination without incident.¡± When teachers spoke, they wouldn¡¯t talk about something impossible for their students to achieve.

    The Old Lady thought for a moment and then asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Han Jingyan answered, ¡°I¡¯ve seen that boy. His talent, character and appearance are all first-ss, and he will have a good future.¡± This meant that he had taken a fancy to him.

    The Old Lady thought a bit more. ¡°That child will attend another examination in the uing third lunar month. Why don¡¯t we wait until after that?¡± The Old Lady still had one more concern. Yurong was three years younger than the other party, and when Yurong got married, it would be two yearster at any rate. Who knew if there would be any changes. If something went wrong in the future, it was better to let it go for a while and chill out.

    Han Jingyan argued, ¡°If he passed the examination and won as the 2nd rank of candidates, Yurong might not be his potential marriage choice.¡± There were two levels between a juren and a jinshi. If they did not make the decision now, Han Jingyan was worried that there would be a change of heart when that time came.

    The Old Lady said, ¡°If she can¡¯t make it, then she can¡¯t make it. My family¡¯s Yurong is not bad in any way. So there¡¯s no worry that you won¡¯t find someone better than the Second Young Master Jiang.¡± Yurong was a good-looking girl, and she was not bad in any other way either. She also had a sister, Yuchen, who would be a wangfei. Thus, she would not need to worry about not finding a good match for herself.

    Seeing that the Old Lady had made up her mind, Han Jingyan said nothing more.

 Chapter 253 - Taking Over The Title (4)

    <strong>Chapter 253 : Taking Over The Title (4)</strong>

    In the ordinary course of events, it would take at least two months from the time of submission to the approval of the decree. Two months would not be that bad if the n elders were efficient, but some even took four, five to six months to approve. If you didn¡¯t have the correct information, you might not be able to get it done.

    Therefore, when Yuxi heard that the Emperor had already issued an Imperial Decree agreeing to Han Jianming¡¯s assuming the title, she was stunned. ¡°It¡¯s only been half a month or so. Howe the Imperial Decree has already been issued?¡± She had thought that it woulde after Yuchen¡¯s marriage, but she had never expected it to bepleted before that. When did the Imperial Court be so efficient?

    Zisu responded with a smile, ¡°Miss, whatever the reason, it¡¯s a good thing.¡± Now that Master Shizi had inherited the title, when Miss got married, it was possible that her dowry would be even more generous.

    Yuxi smiled a little and said, ¡°It is indeed a good thing.¡± With her Dage being so powerful, she would not worry about not having a backer in the future.

    Yuxi said this because she thought Han Jianming had done an excellent job in getting the decree down so quickly. In fact, Yuxi was wrong. Han Jianming was also a bit surprised that the Emperor had suddenly issued a directive for him to assume the title. Although he had sought connections, he had gone through the standard procedures, and it would not have taken him more than two months to get the result. The fact that he could take the title so quickly was due to the strength of his family inws. Old Lord Lu was rted to the Han family by marriage and was concerned about the Han family¡¯s affairs. When he found out that Duke Han had given up his title, he put in a good word for Han Jianming in front of the Emperor. At that time, Marquis Taining was also present and was well aware of the rtionship between Yuxi and Han Jianming. He thought it would be better to let Han Jianming take over the title rather than allow the unpromising Han Jingdong to be the Duke of State. He believed it would be better this way, as a powerful brother-inw would greatly help his son.

    With two people of such great weight as Old Lord Lu and the Marquis Taining speaking up for Han Jianming, the Emperor naturally gave them some faces and issued an Imperial Decree on the spot. [T/N]

    When Zisu saw Yuxi be motionless, she asked, ¡°Miss, shouldn¡¯t you go to the Master Courtyard to congratte the First Lady?¡± For such a big thing of seeding the title, Miss had to express something about the situation.

    Yuxi said something that made Zisu speechless, ¡°It¡¯s time to congratte him.¡± Actually, Yuxi thought, there was nothing else that she could say. Han Jianming had been the head of the State Residence for a long time anyway, but it was more justified now.

    On her way out the door, Yuxi suddenlyughed. Zisu wondered, ¡°Miss, what are youughing at?¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°I am happy.¡± She was, in fact, remembering her past. Until she died, her Dage did not even inherit the title in herst life. But in this life, because of her, Dage was now assuming the title rightfully. By now, many things had changed, and everything was for the better. Yuxi was sincerely happy. She would be happier if you can read this chapter at xinshou blogspot, and not on another website.

    When they arrived at the Master Courtyard, they heard voices talking inside the house. As soon as they walked in, not only were Ye Sho and Lu Xiu there, but Concubine Jia was also there!

    When Qiu Shi saw Yuxi, she said with a smile on her face, ¡°Come, Yuxi. Come to Mother¡¯s side.¡± When Yuxi came to her side, Qiu Shi took her in her arms.

    Ye Shi¡¯s face was also full of joy. Although she had known that the Duke of the State had submitted a folded booklet saying that he would give up his title, it had not been ascertained yet. Now that the decree had been issued, this assured her husband¡¯s position as Duke of the State. And she had been promoted to Lady of the State.

    Qiu Shi told Ye Shi, ¡°It¡¯s such a big event. We should invite friends and family to celebrate.¡± It was a big event for her son to inherit the title, and it would not be right not to have a banquet.

    Ye Shi also wanted to hold a banquet and invite her friends and family to attend. But she had her considerations. ¡°Mother, San Mei will be getting married in ten days or so. Shouldn¡¯t the banquet wait until after her wedding ceremony?¡± It would take six or seven days from the time the invitation was issued to the actual banquet. If Yuchen had married an ordinary family, that would have been fine. But Yuchen was going to marry into the royal family, so there were too many things to prepare. If another banquet were held in such a tight time frame, it would be inappropriate if something went wrong. Moreover, she was afraid her body could not cope with the wedding reception immediately after the banquet.

    Seeing that Qiu Shi was hesitating, Yuxi reasoned with a smile, ¡°Mother, all of our friends and rtives know that San Jie will be getting married soon. If we postpone the banquet until the end of the month, everyone will understand. Otherwise, it would be too rushed, and we would be incapable of holding it properly, making everyone unable to enjoy themselves and have some fun, which would be bad for us.¡±

    Qiu Shi listened to Yuxi the most and smiled, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do it at the end of the month. But we still need to inform our friends and rtives.¡± In fact, there was no need to inform them. Since it was such a big event, everyone should have known about it.

    As they wereughing and joking, they heard the maid announce the arrival of Wen Shi. The smile on Qiu Shi¡¯s face faded for a moment. Strangely enough, Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t get along with Han Jingyan¡¯s four wives. Yuchen¡¯s mother thought Qiu Sho was too vulgar that she looked down on her; Yuxi¡¯s mother had a different temperament from her so that they couldn¡¯t get along; as for Wu Shi, Qiu Shi had nothing good to say about her. And that woman, Wen Shi, always made her suffer by pushing her around in front of the Old Lady.

    Wen Shi walked in, and everyone looked at her dress with a subtle feeling. Wen Shi wore a light green short jacket with red pomegranate flowers decorated on it and a long moon white coloured skirt with pomegranate fruits embroidered on its edge. Since Wen Shi was still young, such tender garments looked exceptionally pretty and eye-catching on her. But the problem was, she was now the Third Lady of the State Residence and not a young miss of the Wen family. With her dressed in such a striking manner, she had no semnce of being an elder. To put it bluntly, if people who didn¡¯t know her identity saw her dressed like this, they would think she was a concubine for one of the masters in the State Residence.

    When Wen Shi noticed everyone was looking at her, she felt very proud of herself. Just by looking at all these old-fashioned people dressed up, they were far worse than her. ¡°I heard that an Imperial Edict has been issued that states the Emperor has permitted for Master Shizi to inherit the title. Congrattions, Dasao.¡± Wen Shi thought that Han Jingdong was a foolish man for not wanting to be the Duke of the State and passing the title to his son. No one could easily have that title as he did!

    Qiu Shi nodded a little, then said towards Ye Shi and the others, ¡°I¡¯m tired. You can all disperse.¡± This meant that she was tired and wanted to rest.

    Wen Shi could not sustain the smile on her face. No sooner had she entered, Qiu Shi said she was tired and asked everyone to go back, clearly wanting to drive her away. She had never seen a woman with such ack of tolerance. Just seeing her get a few favours from the Old Lady, Qiu Shi already became jealous and tried to stab her now and then.

    Ye Shi and the others were very sensible. After listening to Qiu Shi¡¯s words, they withdraw with a salute. When Yuxi saw that Wen Shi was not moving, she asked, ¡°San Shen, is there anything else?¡± If one was talking about how Qiu Shi handled things, it was true that it was inappropriate. But at her age, and her son inherited the title, she did not need to feel she had been wronged. She could do whatever she wanted in the State Residence without living in other people¡¯s favour. This was also the reason why Yuxi wanted Han Jianming to inherit the title that day. [+]

    Wen Shi replied with a forced smile, ¡°There¡¯s nothing else.¡± After saying this, she slinked away and took her maid back.

    After Qiu Shi saw that everyone had left, she started toin, ¡°She is like something that can¡¯t be put on the table. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with your Grandmother? How can she still favour such a thing?¡± In Qiu Shi¡¯s eyes, Wen Shi¡¯s behaviour was like that of a concubine, not even remotely resembling that of the head of the family.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t think the Old Lady would like Wen Shi as sheforted her mother, ¡°Grandmother is old, and it would be good for her to have someone around who can speak well. Mother, in Grandmother¡¯s eyes, Wen Shi is no different from a bird that can make peopleugh. So you don¡¯t need to bother about such trivial things.¡± Wen Shi¡¯s outlook was a little low, but that didn¡¯t hinder her from coaxing the Old Lady into liking her.

    Qiu Shiughed a little as she said, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is! My Yuxi is still the smartest.¡± She then thought it was strange why the Old Lady looked at Wen Shi differently. It turned out to be this was the case.

    Ye Shi took Concubine Jia out with her. First, she repeatedly advised her for a good while, and then she instructed her maid to send Concubine Jia back to her own courtyard.

    Concubine Jia returned to her courtyard while touching her stomach for a long time without speaking. Master Shizi had now been elevated to the Duke of the State, and if this baby were a son, it would be the future Duke of the State. As Concubine Jia was thinking of this, her heart felt inexplicable. The child was not yet born and was still in her belly. But once she gave birth to it, the child would not be hers anymore.

    From the time she married into the State Residence until now, she had been working very hard. In the past two years, she had been trying hard to please the First Lady to win her affection, while at the same time, she had used various means to enlist the maids and old women servants around her. She had drawn a few maids and old women servants, but the First Lady did not care about anything other than her belly and left it all to Ye Shi.

    Ye Shi always asked her whether she felt hot or cold and thoroughly took care of her. But how would she dare to trust this woman? Ye Shi was kind to her, all for the sake of the child in her belly. Once the baby was born, it was likely that Ye Shi would kill her. And she, for one, could not just wait for her death. Not a single person in residence was trustworthy. She had no else to rely on other than herself.

    Upon seeing her lost in thought, the young maid beside her asked, ¡°Concubine Jia, what are you thinking about?¡±

    Concubine Jia answered with a smile, ¡°I was just thinking of the recent spate of good things in the State Residence.¡± It was not a good thing that Master Shizi was going to inherit the title.

    Ye Shi returned to her courtyard to see her daughter and was in an even better mood. Only this good mood did notst too long, for she had received the terrible news that Second Master Ye had been crippled. Ye Shi asked with an ashen face, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Old Woman Hua had gone to the Ye family to report the happy news, only to hear that Madam Ye had fallen ill. Old Woman Hua approached the old woman servant by Madam Ye¡¯s side to ask why and learned about the Second Master Ye¡¯s broken leg that had made him crippled. Old Woman Hua said, ¡°The Second Master¡¯s leg was injured when he fought in the war. There was a shortage of medicine in that ce, so this dyed the treatment for Second Master Ye¡¯s injured leg.¡± In Yunnan, the people there had a tough life. And the Imperial Army always oppressed them, so there were always riots happening there. If he had been in the capital, he would have been able to save his leg with the help of a physician with excellent medical skills. But in a ce like Yunnan, there were no good doctors. As a result, his leg was ruined.

    Ye Shi hated Ke Minjie with a passion. If it weren¡¯t for her luck in the first ce, she would have lost Qiqi. The fact that Second Master Ye had defended Ke Minjie in every way made her annoyed with her brother as well. Her words were also quite unkind, ¡°This is his own death. For Ke Minjie¡¯s sake, he has abandoned his parents and his family, and his eyes have been full of that woman. If he hadn¡¯t withdrawn from the marriage, he wouldn¡¯t be in this situation today.¡± She thought about her brother-inw, who had a smooth career and a son since he married Lu Xiu. If her brother hadn¡¯t withdrawn his marriage, everything her brother-inw had would have been his, and he wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this.

    Old Woman Hua knew that Ye Shi always had hatred in her heart, but she still had to say what needed to be said, ¡°Da Nainai, Madam is ill. Do you think you should go over to see her in the next couple of days?¡±

    Ye Shi also had someints about Madam Ye, but in the end, she was still her mother, and after hearing this, she said, ¡°Go to the storehouse and pick the best herbs. We¡¯ll return to our old home tomorrow.¡± Although people said that it was hard for one to have two levels of mother-inw, the Old Lady didn¡¯t care much about things, while Qiu Shi was the kind of person who was particrly easy to talk to. Knowing that Madam Ye was ill, there was no way Qiu Shi would stop her daughter-inw from returning to her maiden home.

 Chapter 254 - Yuchens Marriage (1)

    Chapter 254 : Yuchen¡¯s Marriage (1)

    In the blink of an eye, it was a day or two before Yuchen¡¯s wedding. During these two days, rtives from the Han family woulde over to add to Yuchen¡¯s dowry. Zhou Shiya also followed her mother over, and as soon as she arrived at the State Residence, she went looking for Yuxi.

    Yuxi was a little surprised when she saw Zhou Shiya. ¡°How did you make your mother let youe over?¡± She hadn¡¯t seen Zhou Shiya for half a year, and they were always in contact through letters during that period.

    Zhou Shiya answered with a smile, ¡°My mother came over to add San Biaojie¡¯s dowry, so I followed her over. Do you know how suffocating it has been for me these days?¡± Zhou Shiya had been engagedst year to the Second Young Master He, He Yan. Ever since the engagement, Second Lady Zhou had kept Zhou Shiya at home to embroider her dowry and forbade her toe out again. She also forbade anyone from reading this chapter not at xinshou blogspot.

    Yuxi smiled and gave her a word of advice, ¡°Your wedding will only be at the beginning of next year, but it will only take a year before you marry into the He family. When you marry into your husband¡¯s familyter, you can¡¯t say such things anymore.¡± After you married someone, you wouldn¡¯t be so free.

    Zhou Shiya¡¯s face fell as soon as she heard about her marriage. ¡°Say, don¡¯t you think it would be good if we didn¡¯t have to marry anyone?¡± When she thought of her sisters¡¯ lives after they married, Zhou Shiya did not want to get married. It would be so lovely just being a young miss at home with no restrictions. Once she went to her husband¡¯s house, she would suffer hardships and get into a lot of trouble.

    Yuxi found Zhou Shiya¡¯s words particrly childish and asked about her wedding dress. ¡°How is the embroidery of your wedding dress going? Is it finished yet?¡±

    Zhou Shiya replied bitterly, ¡°Even half of it hasn¡¯t been embroidered yet. By the way, I haven¡¯t seen your wedding dress yet. Show me!¡± As far as Yuxi¡¯s embroidery skills were concerned, her wedding dress must have been stunning.

    Yuxi shook her head, though. ¡°It¡¯s better to wait until the day I get married. You can see it then!¡± Yuxi was worried that after Zhou Shiya had seen her wedding dress, she would not want to embroider her own wedding dress when she went back.

    Zhou Shiya didn¡¯t think about it so much and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to wait for it anymore. I want to see it now. Yuxi, I havee here especially to see your wedding dress. You can¡¯t let me make this trip for nothing.¡±

    Under Zhou Shiya¡¯s insistence, Yuxi also wavered, and she warned with a smile, ¡°I just hope you won¡¯t regret it after you see it.¡± After saying this, she asked Zisu and Caidie to fetch her wedding dress.

    Yuxi¡¯s wedding dress was embroidered with a picture of a phoenix among the peonies. The wedding dress was mainly made of gold and silver thread, supplemented by embroidery thread of other colours. The ovepping, juxtaposition and intecing of various colours produced a beautiful effect, which made people unable to turn their eyes away.

    After looking at Yuxi¡¯s wedding dress, Zhou Shiya chuckled embarrassingly for a while. ¡°Yuxi, after looking at your wedding dress, I think I can just throw mine away.¡± This was the case of paring oneself to others, would just make oneself angry¡¯ and ¡®it was better to throw away one¡¯s own good since other people¡¯s thing was much better¡¯! Compared to Yuxi¡¯s wedding dress, hers was not even worthy of being seen.

    Yuxi looked at Zhou Shiya andughed. ¡°I told you not to look, didn¡¯t I! You didn¡¯t listen.¡± This wedding dress was something that she had spent a lot of effort to embroider. After all, it was once in a lifetime, and she didn¡¯t want to carry any regrets anymore.

    Zhou Shiya despised Yuxi as she said, ¡°You won¡¯t let me see it now, but when you get married, I¡¯ll be able to see it just the same.¡± Although envious, Zhou Shiya didn¡¯t think much of it since she had known about Yuxi¡¯s good embroidery work for a long time anyway.

    Yuxi asked Zisu to put the wedding dress away. Zhou Shiya then said to Yuxi, ¡°Yuxi, I heard from my mother that Chen Ran will be able to get into the top three positions in the Spring examination this time!¡±

    Although Yuxi had a guide in her mind, it was better not to say anything significant before this matter indeed came out. ¡°This kind of thing, where can it be determined? But my Dage said that with Chen Ran¡¯s talent, he will definitely be on that list.¡±

    Zhou Shiya was not talking to Yuxi about this matter to discuss whether he could win the examination or not. She actually had a mega gossip to tell Yuxi. ¡°Yuxi, do you still remember Jiang Qi?¡±

    Yuxi felt strange that she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Jiang Qi?¡± Jiang Qi, she would recognise her even if she turned into ashes! It was just that Zhou Shiya¡¯s tone sounded as if Jiang Qi was not doing well.

    Zhou Shiya lowered her voice and said, ¡°Let me tell you. Don¡¯t be coaxed by her sweet words if that woman uses many excuses to get close to you. That woman has bad intentions.¡±

    Her warning was puzzling. Yuxi asked with a smile, ¡°What does that mean? Do you know some secrets?¡±

    Zhou Shiya lowered her voice and said, ¡°I have thought about this matter a lot, but I still feel like telling you. Otherwise, if you don¡¯t watch out, you will suffer huge losses. ¡±

    The more Yuxi listened, the more confused she became. ¡°What is it exactly? Don¡¯t stop a story at a climax to keep the listeners in suspense.¡±

    What Zhou Shiya told Yuxi was simple: Jiang Qi had fallen in love with Chen Ran. Of course, this was not something Zhou Shiya made up, but something Zhou Shiya had heard from her biaomei.

    Hearing this, Yuxi flinched for a moment before asking, ¡°How is that possible? Chen Ran is already engaged to me, so how could Jiang Qi still have that kind of heart?¡± In Yuxi¡¯s mind, Jiang Qi had always been the kind of person who was ambitious and arrogant. How could she possibly like Chen Ran, who already had a fianc¨¦e! Yuxi¡¯s first reaction was disbelief.

    Zhou Shiya knew that this would be Yuxi¡¯s response, so she said, ¡°This isn¡¯t something I made up. My biaomei overheard it.¡± Zhou Shiya¡¯s biaomei had gone to the Yu family residence as a guest and identally got lost, only to bustle into a somewhat secretive ce and hear this great gossip.

    Yuxi asked with a suspicious look on her face. ¡°Which biaomei of yours?¡± Zhou Shiya had too many biaomei, so who knew if she could be someone who had an axe to grind with Jiang Qi and had deliberately put out these kinds of rumours. Although Yuxi hated Jiang Qi, she didn¡¯t want to be a target for anyone.

    Zhou Shiya gave Yuxi a nk look and said, ¡°My biaomei only knows that you and I are as close as sisters, so she told it to me secretly. Don¡¯t be ungrateful!¡± Zhou Shiya did not say who it was. It was not that Zhou Shiya was deliberately trying to be secretive, but it was not good for anyone to overhear such a secret topic.

    Yuxi smiled a little and said, ¡°Then please thank her for me.¡± Whether this matter was true or not, Yuxi didn¡¯t care. Even if Jiang Qi liked Chen Ran, so what? Chen Ran was already engaged to her, and they would soon be married. Even if Jiang Qi truly liked Chen Ran, it would only be useless.

    Seeing the way Yuxi didn¡¯t even care about it, Zhou Shiya told her, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell you, but when I came over, my mother told me that the Jiang family might want to tie the knot with your family. I thought it would be better to remind you.¡±

    Yuxi was stunned. ¡°Tie the knot? Whose marriage?¡± The Han family did not have a young master of Jiang Qi¡¯s age. When Yuxi thought about it more, her heart suddenly jumped. She hoped it wouldn¡¯t be what she thought. [+]

    Zhou Shiya said in a mosquito-like voice, ¡°The Jiang family wants to match Yurong Biaomei with their Second Young Master. But I heard Gu Zumu, and San Biaoshu have not yet agreed. But my mother said that as long as the Second Young Master Jiang passes the spring examination, the marriage will be a sess.¡±

    Yuxi was shocked when she heard this. Then she asked with a strange look, ¡°How did your mother get this news?¡± Second Lady Zhou¡¯s information was a little too well-informed.

    Zhou Shiya answered with a smile, ¡°You still don¡¯t know my mother? She had her eyes on Chen Ran and Jiang Hongjin before, but both of them didn¡¯t work out. So she wanted to see what kind of family the Jiang family finally settled on for Jiang Hongjin.¡± Having paid close attention to the Jiang family, naturally, she would soon get the news.

    Yuxi was furious in her heart, but her face did not show it.

    Zhou Shiya couldn¡¯t helpughing after she finished speaking. ¡°The two people my mother had her eye on ended up bing the Han family¡¯s sons-inw. Do you know, my mother was depressed to death.¡± Zhou Shiya didn¡¯t feel much for either Chen Ran or Jiang Hongjin, which was why she could speak about this with such ease.

    Yuxi pressed down the strange feeling in her heart and continued to chat with Zhou Shiya casually. It was not until Zhou Shiya went back that Yuxi pulled a long face.

    Seeing Yuxi¡¯s expression, Zisu asked, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Yuxi was in a good mood just now, but why did she suddenly change her look in the blink of an eye.

    Yuxi took a deep breath and replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± After saying that, she went into her study. She needed to calm herself down. Otherwise, she was afraid she wouldn¡¯t be able to control her emotions.

    When she reached the study, Yuxi sat in her chair and closed her eyes. In herst life, Jiang Hongjin had married her. In this life, she was already betrothed. Therefore Jiang Hongjin turned his target to Yurong. Yuxi didn¡¯t know if she should interfere. If she didn¡¯t interfere, her conscience would feel bad. Whether in her previous life or this one, Yurong only acted arrogantly and was always impolite to her, but she had notmitted any great crimes. Yuxi could not bear to let her jump into the Jiang family¡¯s pit fire. But if she wanted to meddle, she had no position and no reason to do so.

    She had been thinking about it for a long time until that evening, but she still didn¡¯t have any clue.

    At this time, Zisu called out from the outside, ¡°Miss, Zhiqin Jiejie is here and requests you toe to Tingyun Pavilion.¡±

    Suppressing her emotions, Yuxi walked out from her study and asked Zhiqin, who hade over to invite her, ¡°For San Jie to call me over, is there something wrong?¡±

    Zhiqin felt that the way Yuxi spoke was getting even more formidable. In the past, when she asked the Fourth Miss to go to Tingyun Pavilion, she would go without saying a word. It was not like now, where she looked like she did not even care. Zhiqin criticised Yuxi in her heart, but she did not dare to show half of it on her face and said, ¡°My Miss is upset. She invites Miss to go over and have a talk with her.¡± [T/N]

    Yuxi was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She was not qualified to interfere in Yurong¡¯s marriage, but Yuchen could. If Yuchen stepped in, Han Jingyan and the Old Lady might refuse the marriage. After all, Yuchen¡¯s words carried a lot of weight, and there was no way they would not take her words seriously.

    Yuchen was in a slightly irritable mood. Before this, she had been looking forward to this wedding with great anticipation. But now, she felt so bitter that she wanted to talk to someone, and it was none other than Yuxi.

    When Yuxi heard what Yuchen told her, she looked doubtful. ¡°What? Song Linger is pregnant? How is this possible? Where did you get this news from?¡±

    Yuchen smiled bitterly. ¡°Song Linger is indeed pregnant, and my source of information is absolutely reliable.¡± She had long ago asked Marquis Chiang to ce someone in Jing Wangfu, so there was no way this information could be wrong.

    Looking at Yuchen¡¯s depressed expression, a wave of sympathy welled up in Yuxi¡¯s heart. ¡°I always thought that the 10th Prince was truly infatuated with San Jie.¡± Only now did she realise how naive she was. If he was genuinely fascinated with Yuchen, how could he still have gotten Song Linger pregnant!

    After hearing these words, Yuchen¡¯s face was full of bitterness. ¡°I thought he was sincere to me.¡± Although Momo Gui had always told her that among the royal family, thest thing she needed was love and affection so that she could guard her heart and not fall deep into it. Because once a woman fell into love, it was hard to keep her calm. Yet, she did not listen to Momo Gui, believing that the 10th Prince wouldn¡¯t fool with her heart. Even if Song Linger was made Ce Fei, she still believed in the Tenth Prince. Unfortunately, reality had pped her hard in her face.

 Chapter 255 - Yuchens Marriage (2)

    Chapter 255 : Yuchen¡¯s Marriage (2)

    In her previous life, Yuxi had always felt that Yuchen was the happiest woman in the world. She was blessed with an appearance that could cause the fall of a state and talents that surpassed others. She had the sincere love of her husband, who was nine to five reigned supreme, and both her children. Such a life could be described as perfect. Now Yuxi realised that all those beautiful things were just her imagination.

    Imagination was beautiful, but the reality was cruel.

    After half a sound, Yuxi lowered her voice and said, ¡°Since someone is keeping this news from you, you should just pretend that you don¡¯t know.¡± Yuxi said this in a very subtle way, meaning that she would dispose of it after she passed through the door. The so-called disposal was to get rid of Song Linger¡¯s baby. Whether one called it cruelty or cold-bloodedness, as far as Yuxi herself was concerned, she definitely wouldn¡¯t allow the existence of the eldest shu son unless she was unable to have children. [T/N]

    Hearing this, Yuchen nodded gently and said, ¡°Nowadays, we can only pretend that we don¡¯t know about this matter.¡± Song Linger was carrying the royal family¡¯s flesh and blood. Thus, even if she wanted to get rid of it, she had to have aplete method. She couldn¡¯t get her hands on it herself. Otherwise, even if the 10th Prince loved her, he would not be able to save her. After all, poisoning an Imperial Son¡¯s heir was a great crime.

    Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°San Jie, I¡¯ve never met Song Linger, so I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s a scheming person. This time, however, it¡¯s most likely because someone is calcting, trying to reap benefits from it.¡± Otherwise, it would not have been possible to know this news two days before Yuchen¡¯s wedding. But it was not impossible toe to xinshou blogspot to read this chapter than other sites, right?

    Yuchen also knew that someone was scheming from behind the scene. ¡°I know the score. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± It was just that she was unhappy and wanted to find someone to talk to.

    Yuxi looked at Yuchen. In this world, there was no perfect person. Everyone had their own worries and miseries. ¡°It¡¯s not good to get married since all kinds of troubles wille up. It¡¯s better to stay at home, unrestrained, doing whatever we want.¡± When she married into the Chen family, she had to take care of her husband, serve her inws and get on well with her sisters-inw.

    Yuchen said, ¡°The Chen family tradition is very righteous. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± The Chen family had never favoured a concubine over a wife, let alone a shu son born before a di son.

    Life after marriage was indeed not a pleasant topic. Yuxi immediately changed the subject, ¡°San Jie, this morning Shiya Biaojie told me that the Jiang family wanted to match Yurong to their second young master. Is this true?¡± Yuchen was much better informed than she was.

    Yuchen did know about it. ¡°Is there anything wrong with it?¡± If Yuchen had to say so, the Jiang family was very well off, and Jiang Hongjin was more than enough for Yurong.

    Yuxi deliberately showed a hesitant look and then said as if she had made up her mind, ¡°San Jie, I remember when we met Second Young Master Jiang by chance, he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off you at that time. I think that this person is not of good character.¡± Yuxi was close to calling Jiang Hongjin a pervert.

    Yuchen frowned at these words. ¡°Si Mei, you are too arbitrary to judge the Second Young Master Jiang as being of bad character based on just one side.¡± Yuchen thought that the Jiang family¡¯s marriage was a good one, as Jiang Daren had a real job, and the marriage would be a great help to their Third House.

    Yuxi also knew she was a bit far-fetched in saying this, but she still wanted to make ast-ditch effort. ¡°San Jie, the Jiang family isn¡¯t that good. Madam Jiang and Da Nainai Jiang are like water and fire, so if Yurong marries there, she will not have a good time.¡±

    Yuchen disagreed with Yuxi¡¯s words. ¡°Whoever doesn¡¯t have one or two bad things in their family? Where can everything go as one wishes? She should endure it for two years. By then, it will be fine for her to give birth to a son and gain a firm foothold in her husband¡¯s family.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know where to start with her words. If Yurong could give birth to a son, there would be nothing to say, but Jiang Hongjin was simply an ungrateful and heartless person. He had married a girl from the Han family just to be an ornament. But there was no way for Yuxi to say this.

    Yuchen saw Yuxi frowning and said, ¡°Si Mei, marriage is a matter of parents¡¯ orders and matchmakers¡¯ words. Father and Grandmother will decide Yurong¡¯s marriage, so you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± She knew why Yuxi was telling her these things, but with just a few reasons, it was impossible to dissuade her father and grandmother, even if it was her.

    Yuxi was a little frustrated.

    Yuchen said, ¡°Don¡¯t think about all this nonsense. You will be married in another three months or so. During this time, let Momo Quan take good care of your health.¡± After all, she hadn¡¯t married yet, so she was embarrassed to say that this advice was so Yuxi could conceive when she married. Yuchen was still too ashamed to say it out loud.

    The two of them were chatting when Zhiqin walked in and reported, ¡°Miss, just now the physician had visited the Third Lady and said that she is more than a month pregnant.¡± The wedding of Yuchen was all taken care of by Qiu Shi and Ye Shi, while Wen was just ying second fiddle. Even when she was just given the job as second fiddle, she still made several mistakes. For this reason, the people of the State Residence despised her beyond measure.

    In fact, it was not Wen Shi¡¯s fault. Although his father was a fourth-ranking official, Wen Shi was a shu daughter and not particrly favoured. Before she got married, her dasao took her to manage the household, familiarising herself with the process. Only after she married did she have to manage the affairs of the Third House reluctantly. As for Yuchen¡¯s wedding, she was left scratching her head.

    Hearing this news, Yuxi stood up and said, ¡°San Jie, I¡¯ll go back then.¡± Wen Shi¡¯s pregnancy had nothing to do with her. So she could go and see her if she wanted to, but no one would say anything if she didn¡¯t.

    Yuchen sent Yuxi out of the door and turned back into the house.

    Seeing that Yuchen showed no sign of going to Biteng Courtyard, Zhiqin went out and told Momo Gui about it. ¡°Is it bad for Miss not to go to Biteng Courtyard?¡±

    Momo Gui had no feelings about Wen Shi¡¯s pregnancy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it? Miss is getting married tomorrow, and there are many things to prepare for.¡± Momo Gui couldn¡¯t stand Wen Shi in a million ways. Wen Shi only had a good face and big breasts but was nothing else.

    No one reacted to Wen Shi¡¯s pregnancy. Not to mention Qiu Shi and Ye Shi had no feeling for it, even when the Old Lady heard about it, she only ordered that some nourishing herbs be sent from the storehouse, but nothing more.

    Since the physician had diagnosed her as pregnant, he must have told the Old Lady about the news. She thought that someone would soone to congratte her, but after waiting for a long time, except for Mama Luo, who sent over the herbs, no one else came in person. Not even the maids and old women servants were sent to congratte her.

    Wen Shi was furious. She also didn¡¯t want to get pregnant. Han Jingyan didn¡¯tck a son, and what was more, she was still his fourth wife. Hence, who cared if she was pregnant, except for herself? It was only Han Jingyan who was happy to learn of Wen Shi¡¯s pregnancy. His sons were not satisfactory, and he needed a child to carry on his legacy. [+]

    Yuxi was full of worries. Not only Zisu and Caidie could see it, so did Momo Quan. Before Yuxi went to sleep, Momo Quan entered her room and asked, ¡°Miss, do you have any worries?¡± Momo Quan had made an agreement with Yuxi. When Yuxi got married, she would go back to her family. Chen family was a Marquis Residence, and there were many rules. Momo Quan wanted to spend the rest of her life freely. Even if Yuxi urged her to stay, she was unwilling to follow her to the Chen family.

    Yuxi pondered for a moment and spoke to Momo Quan about Yurong.

    Momo Quan looked at Yuxi and said, ¡°Miss, I know that you are kind-hearted, but you cannot interfere in this matter. Otherwise, the Third Lord and the Old Lady will think that you can¡¯t see the Fifth Miss well and deliberately want to ruin such a good marriage.¡± Yuxi and Wu Shi had always been at odds. If Yuxi interfered in this matter, it would be easy to think that she was harbouring malicious intentions.

    Yuxiughed bitterly. ¡°Momo, I can be sure that Jiang Hongjin is fascinated with my San Jie. For him to marry Yurong now is simply because he doesn¡¯t have good thoughts.¡± Reason told Yuxi not to interfere in this matter, but emotionally, she couldn¡¯t go past it.

    Momo Quan knew that Yuxi had many secrets, so she believed her words. ¡°Miss, now that you have been adopted by the Main House, you shouldn¡¯t bother with the affairs of the Third House. To put it bluntly, your meddling will only make the Third Lord think you have ulterior motives, and even the Fifth Miss will not appreciate your intention.¡± Although the Third Lord was Miss¡¯ biological father, he had always disliked Miss. Miss¡¯ rash meddling in the Fifth Miss¡¯ marriage would only make the Third Lord believe Miss had a malicious heart and could not see good happening to Yurong.

    Yuxi gave out a wry smile: ¡°I know. It¡¯s just that there is some difort in my heart.¡± She knew she shouldn¡¯t have meddled in this matter, but her heart was very ufortable.

    Momo Quan didn¡¯t quite understand why Yuxi would be ufortable about this, so she said, ¡°Miss, even if what you say is true about the Second Young Master Jiang is fascinated with the Third Miss, what¡¯s the point of that? If he were to marry the Fifth Miss, would he dare to treat her poorly? The Han family is not a small family and not something they can easily bully. Moreover, the Fifth Miss is not a submissive person, and if she marries the Jiang family, she won¡¯t suffer any disadvantages.¡±

    These words enlightened Yuxi. ¡°Sister, it is I who have entered a dead end.¡± If Jiang Hongjin had dared not enter the bridal chamber on the wedding night, Yurong¡¯s temperament would have caused a furore. By then, it would be either a divorce or Jiang Hongjin¡¯s bowing down to her.

    When Momo Quan looked at Yuxi¡¯s expression, she knew that Yuxi had thought it through. ¡°It is good that you have thought it through. To put it bluntly, Miss, there is no need for you to be soft-hearted. The Fifth Miss is in a hostile rtionship with you. Not to mention her marriage with the Jiang family, even if she is pushed into the pit fire, you shouldn¡¯t care for her.¡±

    Yuxi did not consider herself a soft-hearted person, but it was just that this matter could not be exined in a few words, so she simply avoided the subject. Deliberately curious, she asked, ¡°Momo, from what you said, have you experienced something like this before?¡±

    Momo Quan shook her head and said, ¡°I have not experienced it, but it happened to someone I once knew. I had a fellow viger when I was in the pce who saved someone who was always against her out of the goodness of her heart but ended up getting her own life killed.¡± This incident also made Momo Quan remember that not everyone could be helped.

    Yuxi had not expected Momo Quan to tell her about this matter.

    Momo Quan said, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t believe those words that evil will be rewarded evil and good will be rewarded good. My fellow viger, who was so kind-hearted, died at a young age; and the one who killed my fellow viger is still alive and well.¡±

    Yuxi asked reflexively, ¡°Is this person still in the pce?¡±

    Momo Quan nodded and said, ¡°She is still in the pce, now working in the Liuli Pce, one of the most favoured momo by Song Guifei¡¯s side. Miss, good people don¡¯t live long; bad people live a thousand years.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°Miss, I am not saying this to ask you to be evil. I just hope that you will not be a good person without principles.¡±

    Yuxi knew that it was indeed herck of consideration in this incident. Yuxi thanked her sincerely, ¡°Thank you, Momo, for reminding me. I will definitely not do such a stupid thing in the future.¡±

 Chapter 256 - Yuchens Marriage (3)

    Chapter 256 : Yuchen¡¯s Marriage (3)

    The night before the wedding, it was supposed to be the mother¡¯s turn to have a private talk with her daughter, but unfortunately, Yuchen¡¯s birth mother had long since passed away. The task had initially fallen to Qiu Shi, but Qiu Shi did not like Yuchen and was unhappy toe over, so she left the job to Ye Shi. [T/N]

    Ye Shi was a little helpless. It was good that her mother-inw looked up to her, but she did not have to instruct her to do everything! Her mother-inw even made her do this kind of thing. Really¡­¡­but since it was an instruction from her mother-inw, she could only toughen her scalp and go over reluctantly.

    Yuchen looked at Ye Shi¡¯s difficult face and said with a smile, ¡°Dasao, Momo Gui has already told me what I need to pay attention tomorrow night.¡± Meaning you could have done without the talk.

    Ye Shi was relieved as she said, ¡°Then that¡¯s good.¡± It wasn¡¯t veryfortable to let a tangsao like her talk about something rted to the bridal chamber. Now that Yuchen had taken the initiative to say not to talk about it, she was happy not to. Unlike the trantor who is unhappy seeing this chapter in other site. Please read it at xinshou blogspot.

    Yuchen requested, ¡°Dasao, I want Yuxi toe over and talk with me this evening. Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± With someone to talk to, she would not be so nervous.

    Hearing Yuchen¡¯s request, Ye Shiughed. ¡°What¡¯s so difficult about that. Just tell Si Mei. I believe Si Mei will not refuse.¡±

    When Yuxi knew this, she indeed did not object. She only said, ¡°I will go over after I have my evening meal.¡± In the past, Yuchen had no time to talk with her. Furthermore, Yuxi had her own business to attend to.

    Zisu looked at Yuxi, who continued to look down at her book once she finished speaking. Zisu felt a bit helpless. ¡°Miss, you are almost bing a bookworm.¡± At this juncture, Yuxi still didn¡¯t even forget to read her book. What was she if not a bookworm?

    Yuxiughed. ¡°Bookworm? That¡¯s an apt word.¡±

    It was well into the night when Yuxi ordered, ¡°Prepare the water. I want to bathe.¡± Although Tingyun Pavilion had everything, it was not as good as being in one¡¯s courtyard. Otherwise, why did people say that the golden and silver nests were not as good as one¡¯s own grass nest? It was always ufortable to be on someone else¡¯s turf.

    That night, the servants decorated the Duke¡¯s residence with lights as they hung rednterns everywhere inside. There was no need to carrynterns from the Taoran House to Tingyun Pavilion, as the ce was lit up like daylight.

    When Yuxi arrived at Tingyun Pavilion, it was already half past xushi. At that moment, Yuchen had just finished her bath and was ready for bed.

    Yuxi had, in fact, nourished herself very well. Her skin was as soft as a peeled egg, and she was the envy of all who saw her when she walked out. But when she looked at Yuchen¡¯s exposed arm, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I heard from Momo Quan that San Jie¡¯s skin is as tender as tofu, and with just a touch, it will surely leave a mark. Let me try it out.¡± After saying this, she poked Yuchen¡¯s arm. As soon as her finger left Yuchen¡¯s skin, she saw a red, flushed mark.

    Yuchen couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°You¡¯re about to get married, and you¡¯re still acting like a child.¡± She had also suffered a lot in raising such delicate skin.

    Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°Only when one is not married yet will one be the mostfortable. However, when one is married, one can¡¯t be so casual anymore.¡± To be precise, it was rxing while one was at home. But, there were so many things to take care of when one arrived at one¡¯s husband¡¯s house.

    The two of themid in bed and talked for a long time. That was until Momo Gui came in and reminded Yuchen, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s time to go to sleep. Otherwise, you will be out of spirits tomorrow.¡± Moreover, there would be a lot of things to do the whole day tomorrow.

    Only then did the two girls stop talking.

    Yuchen closed her eyes, but she was still unable to fall asleep even after a long time. When she turned around to talk to Yuxi, she found that Yuxi was already sleeping soundly. Yuchen murmured towards Yuxi, ¡°It¡¯s me who is very envious of you!!¡± She envied Yuxi for her unrestrained behaviour and the love she received from Qiu Shi and Da Tangge. Although her grandmother and maternal grandmother genuinely loved Yuchen, none of her sisters or external cousins was good towards her. When it came to their marriage, despite her marriage to the royal family, where she was better off than Yuxi, she still had a lot to deal with in the future. But Yuxi was different. The Chen family was a good family. Chen Ran truly liked Yuxi, and the Lady of Taining was also a generous person. When Yuxi married the Chen family, her life would be veryfortable.

    Thinking of this, Yuchen couldn¡¯t help but think of her past interaction with the 10th Prince. She used to believe that the 10th Prince was sincere to her, but now she felt foolish when she thought about it. Just as Momo Gui had said, the royal family members¡¯ sincerity was like a sharp weapon used to kill someone without spilling blood. Thus, it would be best if she didn¡¯t put any hope for it.

    She became so tired of thinking about it that she soon also fell asleep.

    Yuxi was soundly sleeping when a noise awakened her. Looking at the unfamiliar room, she quickly realised that this was Tingyun Pavilion and not her courtyard. As she thought of this, Yuxi hurriedly got up from the bed and got dressed. Then she sought out Momo Gui. ¡°Momo, what can I do to help?¡±

    Momo Gui answered, ¡°It is fine for the Fourth Miss to apany my Miss and talk with her.¡± If she let Yuxi do the rest, she was afraid Yuxi would only add to the mess.

    Although her marriage in her previous life had been a tragedy, the process of marriage was still clear to Yuxi. Not seeing Yuchen, Yuxi asked, ¡°Is San Jie currently taking her bath?¡±

    Momo Gui replied, ¡°Yes, she will be out soon. Why don¡¯t Fourth Miss wait for a bit?¡±

    The bride was no different from a puppet on this day. You only need to do what others told you to do without them needing any of your input. So it was nothing special to see Yuchen being tossed around.

    When Yuchen put on her wedding dress and phoenix crown, everyone looked stunned. Yuxi muttered to herself, ¡°Heaven truly blesses her.¡± Yuchen¡¯s appearance that could cause the fall of a state was hard to find in this world!

    A properly dressed Yuchen sat on the bed, waiting for the groom to arrive. Yuxi walked over and sat next to Yuchen, asking, ¡°San Jie, did you eat anything just now?¡±

    Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve just eaten, but I¡¯m a bit hungry again now.¡± When she got up, she had eaten a bowl of noodles, but only the noodles, not the soup. But after doing a lot of things all morning, whatever little things she ate had long since been consumed.

    Hearing her answer, Yuxi immediately said, ¡°Wait here then. I will go and ask Momo Gui.¡± Yuxi did not dare to decide without permission. She felt that she had to go and ask Momo Gui first. Otherwise, her good intentions would not bring praise but criticism instead.

    Momo Gui had prepared for this, and when she heard that Yuchen was hungry, she immediately asked a maid to bring a te of pastries made beforehand for Yuchen to eat. Yuxi looked at the pastries, which were only the size of her fingernails, and muttered that they were indeed so well prepared. Back then, she had got married on a hungry stomach and only had eaten a bowl of chicken noodle soup in the evening. Then she sat on the wedding bed until dawn but didn¡¯t see even a shadow of the groom. Forget it. It was better not to look back on that kind of unpleasant past so as not to affect her current mood.

    Yuxi watched as Yuchen¡¯s hand grabbed the wedding dress then put it down. After putting it down, she then grabbed it again. At that moment, Yuxi couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°San Jie, are you nervous?¡± She had thought that Yuchen would be as calm as she had made her out to be, but she had never thought that Yuchen was only pretending.

    When Momo Gui heard this question from Yuxi, she said discontentedly, ¡°It¡¯s normal to be nervous about leaving your maiden family and marrying into someone else¡¯s.¡± She didn¡¯t know what the Fourth Miss wasughing at. It was usual for a bride to be nervous about marrying someone else, wasn¡¯t it? [T/N]

    Yuxi immediately shut up.

    It was unknown how long it took, but Yuxi was starting to get a little impatient before she heard the sound of firecrackers outside. As soon as the 10th Prince walked in, his appearance instantly silenced the originally lively room. [+]

    The 10th Prince¡¯s face was also imposing. His face was like the jade on a crown, eyebrows like they had been dyed with ink, and a pair of eyes so dark they seemed to drip with water. They fit perfectly on his handsome face as if they were carved by a knife. If the wedding veil had not covered Yuchen¡¯s face, she and the 10th Prince would have been a perfect match.

    With the 10th Prince in such a high position, no one dared to make things difficult for him. The bridesmaid guided the 10th Prince through all the procedures and just let the 10th Prince take the bride away.

    In an average family, when the groom came to the woman¡¯s house to bring the bride to his home, he had to kneel to the bride¡¯s elders on the way out. However, the groom was the 10th Prince, and no one other than the Emperor could ept his kneeling. So, for this part, the 10th Prince only curtsied and bowed, but it was Yuchen who knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times to Han Jingyan. ¡°Father, you must take care of yourself more in the future.¡± After leaving the house today, she would no longer be the young Miss of the Han family.

    When Han Jingyan saw this, his eyes also turned red. As for Wen Shi, she was not yet qualified to sit at the elders¡¯ table. So Yuchen just kowtowed three times towards the vacant seat.

    When a girl got married, she had to be carried by her brothers to the pnquin. Jianming was the Duke of the State, and Jiancheng was still young, so the task of carrying the bride fell on Han Jianye.

    Yuxi went back to her courtyard after Yuchen walked out of Tingyun Pavilion. She had heard all the events that had happened between the time Yuchen went from Tingyun Pavilion until the time she got into the pnquin from Xuntao.

    After hearing what Xuntao said about how gorgeous Yuchen¡¯s pnquin was, Yuxi reacted inly and said, ¡°I know. You can withdraw.¡± So what if the wedding was grand and lively? The thought of having to face a pregnant concubine with a powerful backer after Yuchen got married was already unbearable. Fortunately, Yuxi didn¡¯t have to face such a thing. Otherwise, she might not even want to get married.

    When Momo Quan noticed Yuxi¡¯s listless look, she waved her hand and told everyone to withdraw. Then she asked, ¡°Is there something wrong, Miss?¡± When the Third Miss was getting married, her Miss looked very dull these two days, without any trace of joy, which she found pretty strange.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t hide it from Momo Quan, either, and told her about Song Linger¡¯s pregnancy. The news woulde out in a few days anyway. ¡°San Jie said that the news was reliable.¡±

    Momo Quan wasn¡¯t surprised at all. Song Guifei was Song Linger¡¯s aunt, and the Song family was their patron. Thus, the 10th prince could not leave her out in the cold. ¡°Marrying into the royal family is only a superficially beautiful experience. You can never understand the cruelty and bitterness inside unless you are in it.¡± She had spent most of her life in the Imperial Pce and had seen and heard countless dirty things.

    Yuxiughed at herself. ¡°I always thought that the heavens loved San Jie. Now that I think about it, my thoughts are truly childish enough.¡±

    Momo Quan said, ¡°The 10th Prince is sincere and genuine towards the Third Miss. With this, it is enough for the Third Miss to stand firm in the Jing Wangfu.¡± In addition to the 10th Prince¡¯s genuine affection, the Han and Chiang families acted as her backers and the fact that the Third Miss was not a wless white jade. Compared to other women, the Third Miss simply had too many advantages.

    Yuxiughed a little as she asked, ¡°Sincere and genuine? How long can such sincere and genuine feelingsst?¡±

    Momo Quan felt that Yuxi¡¯s thoughts were a little pessimistic and said, ¡°Miss, you have to give as much as you get. Then again, Momo Gui had carefully brought up the Third Miss, so you need not worry about her. Even if the 10th Prince does change his heart in the future, the Third Miss will still be able to get by just fine.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I am not worried about San Jie. She has nothing for me to worry about either. I just thought that men live for their careers and families, but what do women do? Do they live their whole lives just to have children and work inside the house?¡± The more books she read, the more she thought about it.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡± This topic was too deep for Momo Quan to answer. After thinking for a while, she said, ¡°Men are in charge of the outside and women the inside. Hasn¡¯t that been the case since ancient times?¡±

    Hearing this, Yuxi bowed her head and remained silent. This was the same rule that had made women live only in dependence on men.

 Chapter 257 - Yuchen Returned Home

    Chapter 257 : Yuchen Returned Home

    In the early morning, a few birds chirped crisply outside the window.

    After Yuxi finished her morning exercise, she walked out of her room, looked over to where the birds were chirping and said, ¡°Birds are chirping this morning. There¡¯s surely going to be a happy asion today.¡± Thinking that today was the day when Yuchen returned to the residence, Yuxi could not help but smile.

    Zisu reminded, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s time to freshen up, or you¡¯ll bete again.¡± Yuxi had be an over-fried youtiao and almost thest one to arrive at every gathering. Zisu felt that this habit of Yuxi¡¯s was really bad.

    After freshening herself up, Yuxi went to the Main Courtyard. It was good that she was not thest to arrive this time, just like in the past, but Wen Shi was.

    A maid helped Wen Shi walk into the room. When Yuxi looked at her, she did not know why, but she was reminded of Concubine Mei with the same posture that one day.

    Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t tolerate it when Wen Shi was acting like this. Shemented coldly, ¡°If San Dimei is not feeling well, then, no need toe over. Outsiders who didn¡¯t know would think we have treated you harshly!¡± To be sisters-inw with such a person indeed degraded her style.

    Wen Shi countered, ¡°Dasao, today is the Third Girl¡¯s return day. How can I, as her formal mother, note? Even if I am not well, I still have toe.¡± The Lord had forbidden her to show up on Yuchen¡¯s wedding day, but how could she also not show up on the day of her return?

    Yuxi squeezed in before Qiu Shi could say anything, ¡°San Shen, that¡¯s not right. If you don¡¯t feel well, you should ask the physician to take a look. Even if you don¡¯t think of yourself, you should think of the child in your belly. If anything happens to the baby, wouldn¡¯t it be my San Jie¡¯s fault then?¡±

    Wen Shi responded with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I do not feel unwell.¡± Qiu Shi was not very good at fighting, but this Fourth Miss¡¯ mouth was like a knife. With just one sentence, she could choke people to death.

    The maid walked in and announced, ¡°Old Lady, First Lady, the meal is ready to be served.¡± Although Han Jianming had inherited the title, how the servants addressed these two did not change for now.

    Everyone then went to the dining hall. The Old Lady sat in the main seat, Qiu Shi sat on the Old Lady¡¯s left, and Yuxi sat next to Qiu Shi.

    There were many things that pregnant women needed to avoid eating, and many of the items on the table Wen Shi could not eat. Thus, the Old Lady had the cook prepare special food for her.

    Wen Shi took a bite of the bird¡¯s nest congee and said with a grimace, ¡°Mother, the bird¡¯s nest you have here is delicious. The one I usually eat has no taste at all.¡±

    When Qiu Shi heard this, she was full of anger. Since Wen Shi became pregnant, she kept requesting either a bird¡¯s nest soup or chicken soup. The people in the kitchen had been doing a lot of work these days because of her. Furthermore, she would also eat all the food she could see. It was alright if she only ate them, but she was still particrly fussy about them. ¡°No one is forcing you to eat something you don¡¯t like. From now on, you don¡¯t have to ask the kitchen to prepare it. You can just buy whatever things you want to eat.¡± That woman must have thought that silver just fell from the sky.

    Wen Shi blushed a little and said, ¡°Dasao, I merely craved for something good when I was pregnant, and they¡¯re all to nourish this child of mine. Why do you have to be irritated with me?¡±

    Qiu Shi burst out, ¡°Did we mistreat you by making you eat vegetables and radishes all day long when you were not pregnant with your child? Alright, I¡¯ll have someone bring the ounts overter and see what you¡¯ve been eating every day since you married into the State Residence.¡±

    The Old Lady¡¯s expression looked very unpleasant. She coldly swept her eyes at Wen Shi and said, ¡°Finished? Are you done? If you don¡¯t want to eat, then go back.¡± Previously, Wen Shi looked like she knew what she was doing but somehow revealed her true nature once she got pregnant.

    As the atmosphere suddenly became terrible, the maids were more careful in their actions. Yuxi was not affected by the situation and just drank a bowl of non-glutinous rice congee. She then ordered the maids to serve another bowl.

    Wen Shi expressed her opinion with a smile, ¡°For Fourth Girl to have such a good appetite, I¡¯m envious when I look at her.¡± Any girl who could eat so well would beughed at if the outside world knew about this.

    Yuxi wasn¡¯t the type that would swallow insults and humiliation silently. Hearing this, Yuxi pped her chopsticks on the table and coldly said, ¡°Our Han family is not like the Wen family, where you can¡¯t even get enough to eat. But it¡¯s also lucky that your Wen family is poor until you can¡¯t get enough to eat that you can¡¯t even walk steadily. Otherwise, how else would you have the opportunity to sit here, right?¡± That was a lot of information for everyone to hear.

    When Wen Shi heard these words, her face turned white. Her reaction made those present be even more, and they wondered what precisely the Fourth Miss meant by these words. [T/N]

    The Old Lady¡¯s facepletely darkened as she looked at Wen Shi and said, ¡°Go back.¡± There was a limit to her tolerance.

    At these words, Wen Shi¡¯s face turned to the colour of pig liver. She wanted to faint, but she knew very well that if she dared to faint, the Old Lady would have her dragged away.

    After Wen Shi left, the Old Lady looked at Yuxi and cautioned, ¡°It¡¯s okay to have such a big temper at home. But when you go to your husband¡¯s house and still have this kind of attitude, you¡¯ll be the one who suffers.¡±

    Yuxi answered with an unchanged face, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandmother. I have a sense of decency.¡± It was just as well that she was about to be married. In different circumstances, the Old Lady would have scolded her.

    After breakfast, everyone waited for Yuchen inside the Main Courtyard.

    Yuxi became speechless because of this act from the Old Lady. It was only two-quarters past chenshi, and Yuchen would not arrive until at least a shichenter. The Old Lady was not even afraid of hearing anyints when she kept everyone waiting inside the room for such a long time. Yuxi had to admit one thing, though. The Old Lady was indeed getting old and not acting as properly as she used to.

    Wang Ao (1450 ¨C 1524) wearing Mang Pao (òþÅÛ, lit. ¡°The Python Robe¡±), which could be worn only by the highest rank officials. The right to wear such dress was seen as a special honour that emperors bestowed on officials who had done great deeds for the empire. Ming Dynasty era. ¨C Wiki

    Image Credit | Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Everyone waited for nearly one and a half shichen before Yuchen, and the 10th Prince arrived. Yuchen was dressed in a red court dress, with tiny pomegranate petals embroidered on the corners of her skirt. On her head was a golden hairpin with red stones and pomegranate flowers, and her face was thinly powdered. Standing with her was the 10th prince, who wore his python robe, making them a perfect pair.

    Yuxi looked at the two people standing side by side. This scene was the same as when she was in her previous life. Remembering that moment, she didn¡¯t know how much she envied Yuchen! Now, she felt nothing.

    Seeing that Yuxi was dazed, Zisu pinched her, bringing Yuxi back from her trance. At this time, Yuchen was greeting the Old Lady with the 10th Prince.

    Yuchen brought back quite a few gifts for each one of them. Yuxi received a top quality set of the four treasures of the study. [+]

    Yuxi took the gift with both hands and responded with a smile on her face, ¡°Thank you, San Jie.¡± She remembered that she had received a pair of golden ruyi hairpins in her previous life, which was a world away from the present she received now.

    After the first meeting ceremony, the 10th Prince went out. It was only natural that Han Jingyan should be the one to entertain the 10th Prince.

    The Old Lady took Yuchen¡¯s hand, let her sit beside her, and inquired, ¡°Does His Highness Jing Wang treat you well?¡± Although Yuchen¡¯s face was rosy and herplexion looked good, it seemed that she was doing exceptionally well. But the Old Lady was still uneasy. She had to get the answer from Yuchen personally.

    Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°His Highness treats me very well.¡±

    After talking for a while, it was time for lunch. As Yuchen had returned to her home, lunch was naturally served together as a family.

    After finishing lunch, Yuchen smiled and requested from the Old Lady, ¡°Grandmother, I want to go back to Tingyun Pavilion to have a look.¡± After living in a ce for more than ten years, one would always have a different feeling for that ce.

    The Old Lady patted Yuchen¡¯s hand gently and agreed, ¡°Okay. Let Yuxi apany you!¡± She was too old to walk, or else she would have apanied Yuchen.

    When Yuchen and Yuxi left the Main Courtyard, looking at a dozen people in front and behind, there was an additional momo with an unfamiliar face. That momo always stayed close by Yuchen¡¯s side as if she was currently doing her job. Under such circumstances, it was impossible for the two even to whisper.

    Until the entrance of Tingyun Pavilion, Yuchen spoke to her momo, ¡°Momo Gui, you apany Momo Tian to have a cup of tea while I go in with Si Mei.¡±

    This Momo Tian did not retort but sensibly followed Momo Gui to the side room to drink tea.

    Only after the others had left did Yuchen exin to Yuxi. ¡°That Momo Tian was given to me by Guifei Niangniang, saying that she could take good care of my daily life, including my eating and drinking.¡± Some secrets were being implied in such a simple sentence. [T/N]

    Yuxi understood it clearly. Song Guifei¡¯s caring act towards Yuchen was a lie, but monitoring her was real. It was already bad enough to have such a mother-inw. So all those things she had heard before about the Song Guifei loved for Yuchen were just lies for outsiders, and she asked, ¡°Is Song Ce Fei ying any tricks again?¡±

    A touch of disdain crossed Yuchen¡¯s face as she told Yuxi, ¡°On the night of my wedding, Song Ce Fei sent someone over to say that she had pregnancyplications. His Highness and I went over to see her. And we didn¡¯t return to our bridal chamber until the second half of the day.¡± This was not a secret. Even if she did not say anything, people in her maiden residence would soon know about it.

    Yuxiughed. ¡°She¡¯s trying to get under your skin, isn¡¯t she? Though her method was not up to the standard, you¡¯ll be doing what she wants if you get angry. Although Song Ce Fei is not a smart person, the people around her are not stupid. With Song Guifei and the Song family as her backers, it¡¯s going to be troublesome to deal with her!¡±

    When Yuchen heard this, a smile appeared on her face. ¡°You are the only one who dares to say this to me.¡± She would put up with this for now. One day, she would make Song Ce Fei pay back her back with interest.

    Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about such unhappy things. Do you want to listen to a tune? I¡¯ll y a newly learned melody for you.¡±

    Yuchen nodded her head in agreement, ¡°Sure, just to see if you have made any progress.¡± It was just that being at home had allowed her to be more rxed.

    After listening to the tune, Yuchen looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard this tune before. Where did you learn it?¡± Seeing that Yuxi said that the tune was called ?Weing Spring?, and then seeing some redness on Yuxi¡¯s face, she immediately understood. ¡°This tune was given to you by Second Master Chen, right?¡±

    Yuxi was not one to act coy as she immediately answered, ¡°That¡¯s right! He knows that I like to listen to cheerful music, so he speciallyposed this for me. San Jie, since I¡¯m telling you this, you mustn¡¯t tell anyone else. If the people of Marquis Taining¡¯s residence knew about this, they would think I didn¡¯t care about Chen Ran¡¯s future.¡± The other people were scrambling to read books and prepare for the examination, but Chen Ran wasted his timeposing music.

    A sh of envy shed in Yuchen¡¯s eyes as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t say anything. Speaking of which, out of the three of us sisters, it is you, Yuxi, who is the most blessed.¡±

    Yuxi put down her bamboo flute and smilingly stated, ¡°We are all blessed people.¡± No matter how much work she had to do in her husband¡¯s home, she could only live well if she could support herself.

    Time always flew when one was having a fun time. In the blink of an eye, it was time for Yuchen to return to the wangfu. Yuchen took Yuxi¡¯s hand and reminded, ¡°Si Mei, when you get married,e visit the wangfu more often.¡±

    Without even thinking about it, Yuxi agreed, ¡°Okay!¡± It would be beneficial to her to have a good rtionship with Yuchen.

 Chapter 258 - A Bloody Incident Caused By A Duck (1)

    Chapter 258 : A Bloody Incident Caused By A Duck (1)

    Everything came back to life in the spring of the third lunar month, with the willows turning green and the flowers red. Alongside the sound of orioles singing and the scene of swallows darting around, the earth became a vibrant ce.

    Yuxi watched the birds chirping happily in the trees andmented, ¡°If we were at the hamlet, we could go flying kites right now.¡±

    Zisu would not even want to sigh anymore. She just said, ¡°Miss, Guye is going to attend the examination in three days, so you¡¯ll have to show your support in any way, right?¡± The so-called support was to go to the mountain to worship the Bodhisattva or recite the scriptures at home. Whether it was useful or not, it was also a sign of concern for her fianc¨¦.

    Yuxi corrected Zisu¡¯s mistake. ¡°It¡¯s too early to call him Guye when we haven¡¯t been married yet.¡± Although it was said that the wedding was scheduled for the fifth lunar month, which was just over two months away, there was no marriage between them yet. It would feel odd if she started to hear the maids around her calling Chen Ran as Guye right now.

    Zisu stated, ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m calling him in private. Miss, do you truly want to go fly a kite?¡±

    Ma?ju?r¨©

    Ma?ju?r¨©

    Image Credit | The rightful owner via Vajragoni (Ma?ju?r¨© Teaches Praj?¨¡p¨¡ramit¨¡, Jan 20th, 2015)

    Yuxi stopped teasing Zisu when she saw Zisu start to look flustered. Yuxi responded with a smile, ¡°Mother said that the day after tomorrow, she will take me to the mountain to pay homage to Ma?ju?r¨© Bodhisattva.¡± In fact, Yuxi wasn¡¯t worried at all. Even if she didn¡¯t worship the Bodhisattva, Chen Ran would still pass the exam. However, as Zisu said, the appearance of her supporting him still had to be done. Otherwise, the Chen family would think that she didn¡¯t take Chen Ran seriously!

    Just at this time, Xuntao rushed over from outside and said, ¡°Miss, this is not good. There¡¯s a fight in the kitchen!¡±

    Yuxi thought this situation was quite rare and inquired, ¡°What happened? Who got into a fight with whom?¡± Qiu Shi was not a strict person, but Ye Shi was a bit sterner regarding housekeeping. It was the first time that a fight had ever happened. But ording to the rules, they should punish those involved severely.

    Xuntao answered, ¡°Miss, it was the Third Lady¡¯s personal maid Chun who got into a fight with Chef Fang, and it seems to be over a duck. Any more than that, this handmaiden doesn¡¯t know.¡±

    It was even rarer to fight over a duck. Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Master Courtyard and see what¡¯s going on?¡± She had been boredtely. She couldn¡¯t miss this kind of action, so she had to go and watch it.

    When they reached the Master Courtyard, Yuxi knew what was going on. It turned out that Wen Shi had always wanted to eat duck stew with caterpir fungus, but the kitchen side kept saying there was none. As a result, when Chun went to the study today, she caught sight of a duck stew with winter melon simmering on a small stove.

    Duck Stew With Caterpir Fungus

    Duck Stew With Caterpir Fungus

    Image and Recipe Credit | ±¦ÂèÐ¡³ø via Meishichina

    Duck Stew With Winter Melon

    Duck Stew With Winter Melon

    Image and Recipe Credit | ÌìÉ½¿É¿É via Meishichina

    Chun felt aggrieved and scolded Chef Fang. Chef Fang Chef Fong was not an easy one to be pushed around either. The two of them got into a quarrel, which went out of hand and led to a fight.

    Chef Fang knelt on the floor and said with a red, swollen face, ¡°First Lady, this handmaiden told her that the duck stew was for Concubine Jia, but this maid insisted on taking it for the Third Lady to drink. When this handmaiden stopped her, she cursed and shoved the duck stew from the stove. This handmaiden was so angry that this handmaiden got into a fight with her.¡±

    When Yuxi heard this confession, she raised her eyebrows. Surprisingly, Chef Fang admitted her mistake so easily, which was not like her usual style. Or should Yuxi say it wasn¡¯t the style of the servants of the State Residence? Usually, when something happened, these people would desperately try to put the me on others.

    Chun¡¯s face was not only swollen like a pig¡¯s head, but blood was also spilling out from the corner of her mouth. When she heard what Chef Fang said, she instantly countered angrily, ¡°My family Lady has been asking for duck stew with caterpir fungus for more than ten days, but your kitchen kept saying that it was not avable. Then where did this ducke from? It was because this handmaiden was upset on behalf of my family Lady that this handmaiden argued with her. This handmaiden didn¡¯t push that soup over either. It was Chef Fang herself who identally knocked it over.¡±

    Yuxi leaned back in her chair, and a smile appeared on her face upon hearing these words. If the child in Concubine Jia¡¯s belly were a boy, he would be the future heir to the State Residence. How could Wen Shi be so shameless as to think that the child in her belly was more valuable than Concubine Jia¡¯s child?

    After hearing this, Qiu Shi threw the teacup on the table on the floor and coldly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the children in Wen Shi¡¯s belly were even more valuable than my grandson?¡±

    Chun¡¯splexion turned pale.

    When Yuxi saw Qiu Shi standing up and looking like she was going to fight, she hurriedly stopped her, ¡°Mother, let¡¯s try to talk calmly. don¡¯t get angry.¡± Turning towards Li¡¯s mother, she said, ¡°Fighting in residence is a bad influence. Both of them will have their monthly sry deducted for one year each.¡±

    With a year¡¯s worth of monthly money gone, it was equivalent to cutting the flesh of two people. Cheng Fang was fine with it. Although she was heartbroken, she knew the status of the Fourth Miss in residence. Thus, she did not dare to disagree. Chun, however, didn¡¯t have this apprehension. When she heard that she would be docked that much, she muttered that she was Wen Shi¡¯s maid and Yuxi had no right to deal with her. [T/C]

    Yuxi sneered. ¡°When you arrive at the Han family, you be the servant of the Han family. As a servant, you dare to contradict your master. So drag her off and p her mouth.¡±

    As soon as Yuxi said this, Mama Li went up to cover Chun¡¯s mouth and dragged her out. When Chun struggled, Liuyin saw that this action from Chun wouldn¡¯t do. Hence she went to help Mama Li.

    Chef Fang lowered her head to the ground in fear. Luckily she hadn¡¯t retorted just now. Otherwise, her fate would certainly not be much better than Chun. [+]

    Qiu Shi waved her hand and said, ¡°All go down.¡± Only when everyone had gone did she say, ¡°What are you doing meddling in this? No one would have said you are poisonous.¡±

    Yuxi poured a cup of tea for Qiu Shi and said with a smile, ¡°No one will dare to talk nonsense. Mother doesn¡¯t need to be angry either. It¡¯s just a little thing.¡±

    Qiu Shi took the tea, drank half a cup, then put it down andined, ¡°Today she wants to eat abalone with ginseng. Tomorrow, she wants to eat a shark¡¯s fin with a bird¡¯s nest. The day after tomorrow, she wants to eat duck and chicken with caterpir fungus. Which pregnant woman has ever be as fussy as her?¡± When she was pregnant with Jianming, she wasn¡¯t this squeamish either.

    Yuxi smiled and pointed out, ¡°It¡¯s not like Mother doesn¡¯t know that Wen Shi is a shallow one. So why bother with her?¡± Seeing Qiu Shi¡¯s bored look, she said, ¡°If Mother is really impatient, it¡¯s actually very easy to deal with her.¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s body straightened as she asked, ¡°Tell me, what can I do?¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s method was simple. ¡°Separate the family. Now that Dage is in charge of the State Residence, Mother has enough reason to propose a separation.¡± Yuxi preferred the once-and-for-all method of either keeping quiet or getting to the root of the matter.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s heart jumped. She turned to shake her head and said, ¡°Your Grandmother will not agree.¡± It was true that splitting the family would solve the problem. Even if Wen Shi wanted to eat dragon¡¯s liver and phoenix dder after the split, that would have nothing to do with her. It was just that there was no way the Old Lady would agree to the separation of the family.

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°Mother, it doesn¡¯t matter if Grandmother disagrees with the division of the family, as long as San Shu wants to, then that¡¯s fine.¡± The most important thing for people in the career path was reputation. As long as people in residence said a few words about Han Jingyan eating and using his nephew, he would unquestionably take the initiative to split the family.

    Qiu Shi had some doubts about this method. ¡°Will it really work?¡±

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°This time, Chun¡¯s fight with Chef Fang can be used as a trigger. As for whether it¡¯s useful or not, we¡¯ll know after we try it.¡±

    Qiu Shi stroked Yuxi¡¯s head and advised, ¡°Yuxi, I am pleased and relieved that you can help Mother to solve this problem. But when you get to the Chen family, you must not stand out in everything, do you understand?¡± She was there to protect Yuxi while Yuxi was still in the Han family. Therefore, it didn¡¯t matter what Yuxi did here. But in the Chen family, it was different. Yuxi would be the second son¡¯s wife. The most important thing for a second son¡¯s wife was to behave herself. If she were too strong, her mother-inw would not like her. Nor would the sisters-inw get along with each other.

    Yuxi smiled as she assured her, ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± When she arrived at the Chen family, it was enough to mind her own piece ofnd. When Chen Ran hadpleted three years at the Hanlin Academy, she would go on a foreign assignment with Chen Ran and would not have to be locked up in the mansion all year round.

    Qiu Shi nodded and said, ¡°You have always acted in a measured manner. So I won¡¯t say more.¡± If she could, she wanted to keep Yuxi with her longer. It was just that a girl had to get married when she reached an age. Although Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t let her go, there would always be that day.

    After leaving Chun, Mama Li asked her to be sent back to Biteng Courtyard. When Wen Shi saw the disfigured Chun, she fainted from shock.

    The old woman servant beside Wen Shi was sent there by the Old Lady. When she saw this scene, she felt terrible and hurriedly ordered a young maid, ¡°Quickly have someone go get the physician.¡±

    The physician came over and finished taking Wen Shi¡¯s pulse as he reported, ¡°The Third Lady was surprised, and it caused her to have pregnancyplications. But it¡¯s not serious. Just take some medicine to prevent miscarriage.¡±

    The Old Lady was furious when she found out and inquired, ¡°What is going on? Why did she have pregnancyplications?¡± Wen Shi¡¯s pregnancy had been well-nourished, but she had never thought that there would be a problem.

    Mama Luo had already inquired about the causes and consequences, so she told the Old Lady everything word for word. ¡°And I didn¡¯t expect the Third Lady would suddenly suffer pregnancyplications?¡±

    The Old Lady said with an ugly look on her face. ¡°Has the Fourth Girl been getting bolder and bolder? She even dares to beat up the maids around her Shenniang? What else does she not dare to do? Just because she¡¯s getting married, she thinks I don¡¯t dare to touch her?¡±

    Mama Luo exined, ¡°Old Lady, originally, Fourth Miss punished them with a year¡¯s monthly payment, it was Chun who said that she was the Third Lady¡¯s maid and Fourth Miss was not qualified to deal with her, which angered the Fourth Miss.¡± Mama Luo was up to her eyeballs in this. One, to say that Wen Shi didn¡¯t yet consider herself a member of the Han family, and two, to say that Chun was the one looking for a fight. Wouldn¡¯t it be considered like that when the maid even dared to irritate her other master?

    The Old Lady also knew that Mama Luo was right. Still, Yuxi¡¯s behaviour also made her ufortable: ¡°Go to the Taoran House yourself and tell that girl to copy the Heart Sutra fifty times.¡± Yuxi was about to get married. Punishing her with house arrest and scolding would not work, so she had to use this method.

    Mama Luo nodded and then asked, ¡°Old Lady, when the Third Lordes back in the evening and knows about this, it is estimated that there will be another storm.¡± The Third Lord was very excited about the child in Wen Shi¡¯s belly. If he knew that the Fourth Miss had caused the Third Lady to have pregnancyplications, she was afraid it would not end up good.

    The Old Lady also felt a headache. Yuxi and her youngest son must have been enemies in their previous life. Otherwise, why would father and daughter have gone to this extent?

    Mama Luo was worried and said, ¡°Old Lady, the Third Lady will certainly tell this matter to the Lord. When the Third Lord is angry, he will beat the Fourth Miss up. What should we do then?¡± This time, the situation was different. If the Third Lord dared toy a finger on the Fourth Miss, the First Lady would fight the Third Lord to the death.

    The Old Lady assured her, ¡°Yan-er would not be so uncontroble.¡± His anger would absolutely be there, but saying he would hit Yuxi would not be the case.

    There were things she could say, but she had to stop herself. If she went too far, she would be disliked by the Old Lady.

 Chapter 259 - A Bloody Incident Caused By A Duck (2)

    Chapter 259 : A Bloody Incident Caused By A Duck (2)

    The moment Yuxi returned to Taoran House, she immediately heard that Wen Shi had pregnancyplications. When she first heard the news, she was startled. ¡°How could she suddenly have pregnancyplications?¡±

    Zisu answered, ¡°When the Third Lady saw the disfigured Chun, she was so frightened that she had a pregnancyplication. I heard that there was even blooding from her lower body, and now her servant has gone to get the physician.¡± Zisu did not think that Yuxi was wrong to deal with Chun, only that the matter was a bit tricky.

    Yuxi sneered. ¡°Apart from that face, she doesn¡¯t have a single redeeming virtue. She can¡¯t even manage her few servants.¡± If the people serving her had little thought, they would not let Wen Shi see Chun. After all, anyone with a bit ofmon sense would know that they could not stimte a pregnant woman.

    Zisu was a bit worried. ¡°Miss, if the Third Lordes back and finds out that you caused this incident, will he scold you again?¡±

    Yuxi replied carelessly, ¡°No.¡± Han Jingyan was a man who wanted to save his face, so he liked to talk about rules in everything. She was now a member of the Main House, and given Han Jingyan¡¯s nature, he would not scold her but would at most speak to his dage and ask him to control her. As for why it wasn¡¯t Qiu Shi, there was no need to think about it. If Han Jingyan dared to say that to Qiu Shi, she would have scolded and even poured dog blood on his head.

    It was said that a child with a mother was treated like a treasure, and a motherless child was just like grass. Yuxi dared to act this way because she knew that her mother would always be on her side no matter what she did unless it were a big mistake. With her mother¡¯s backing, everyone in the house except the Old Lady would have some misgiving when dealing with her.

    As she was talking, she heard that Mama Luo hade over. Looking at the sutra in Mama Luo¡¯s hand, Yuxi smiled and asked, ¡°Does Grandmother want me to copy the sutra?¡± This was all the Old Lady had left to punish people with.

    Mama Luo nodded and exined, ¡°The Old Lady was extremely angry regarding the Third Lady¡¯s pregnancy problem. I had to persuade her for a long time before she could calm down. But she felt that Miss¡¯ mind was a bit flighty and impetuous. Therefore, she had this old servant send this sutra over so that the Miss could copy it and calm Miss¡¯ mind.¡± When Mama Luo said this, she was bragging about her deed. Although she was now the Old Lady¡¯s trusted subordinate, she still wanted the State Residence to care for her when she got older. If she did Yuxi a favour and somewhat made the First Lady remember her deed, she would not have to be worried about being ostracised in residence after the Old Lady¡¯s passing.

    Yuxi acknowledged this favour. ¡°Mama is indeed thoughtful.¡± This was the reality. If you had power, not only would these people not dare to step on you, they would also try their best to curry favour with you.

    With the scripture in hand, Yuxi turned around to go to her study and started copying it. Fifty times. Since she had not been told when she should hand it over, she might as well use this punishment to practise her calligraphy.

    In the evening, when Han Jingyan came back from the yamen before he even went to pay his respects to the Old Lady, he heard the young maid guarding the gate tell him that Wen Shi had pregnancyplications.

    Hearing these words, Han Jingyan hurried to the Biteng Courtyard. At that moment, Wen Shi had long since woken up. When she saw Han Jingyan, she became a pear blossom bathed in the rain, looking so sad.

    Han Jingyan asked coldly, ¡°What happened? How can you suddenly have pregnancyplications?¡± His intelligent eldest son had passed away, and none of his three surviving sons was brilliant, so Han Jingyan was full of expectations for Wen Shi¡¯s unborn child. Now, he suddenly heard Wen Shi hadplications with her pregnancy; how could he not be angry?

    Wen Shi avoided telling him the important one and dwelled on the trivial. ¡°I wanted to drink duck stew a few days ago, but the kitchen kept on saying that there was no duck. Today, Chun went to the kitchen to fetch something and saw a duck stew brewed on a small stove. At that moment, she muttered a couple of words to the chef. As a result, the chef spoke overbearingly that the duck stew was made for Concubine Jia¡­¡­¡± said Wen Shi, whose tears fell from her eyes again. [T/R]

    Han Jingyan asked coldly, ¡°And then what?¡±

    Wen Shi wiped her tears and said, ¡°Chun was angry and said something to the chef, but the two of them got into a fight since they are at odds with each other. When the Fourth Miss found out about it, she didn¡¯t punish the cook but had Chun beaten up instead. My Lord, Chun grew up with me, and we have been as close as sisters. Seeing Chun beaten beyond recognition made me feel as hurt as if a knife had sliced my body.¡± [T/C]

    Han Jingyan said with a cold face, ¡°You should get some rest!¡± After saying that, he went out.

    Wen Shi was dumbfounded. The Lord¡¯s reaction was not what she had imagined! ording to her imagination, Han Jingyan should have been furious and would have demanded justice for her.

    After Han Jingyan went out, he called the old woman servant sent by the Old Lady¡¯s to serve Wen Shi and asked, ¡°How did the Third Lady get pregnancyplications?¡± He didn¡¯t like Yuxi, but it didn¡¯t mean a woman¡¯s words could easily fool him. Yuxi had many shorings, but the Old Lady was the one who raised her. So, she would never be this disorganised.

    The old woman servant told the whole story from beginning to end. She didn¡¯t add anything to the story. She just gave a fair ount of what had happened. Many of the servants in the State Residence were displeased with Wen Shi¡¯s behaviour, including this old woman servant who served her. Wen Shi was only pregnant, but those who didn¡¯t know would have thought she was pregnant with a lump of gold! But this old woman servant was a bit afraid of Han Jingyan, so she didn¡¯t dare to talk nonsense.

    After listening to the old woman servant¡¯s words, Han Jingyan was silent for a moment before turning around and going to the Main Courtyard. He was looking for the Old Lady, not for the sake of Chun, whom he didn¡¯t even put in his eyes. Han Jingyan was looking for the Old Lady because he wanted to split the family. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s just over a duck. The chef used all sorts of excuses to reject her request. Someone must have authorised the chef¡¯s action. Mother, let¡¯s split up the family! If we dy any longer, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have more embarrassing things happen in the future.¡± Han Jingyan thought that this was a deliberate attempt by Qiu Shi to divide the family. It was just as well that he also wanted the same thing. Hence, he simply gave in to Qiu Shi¡¯s wishes. [T/C]

    The Old Lady knew what Han Jingyan thought when she heard this request and said, ¡°Although your Dasao is a little discontented in some matters, she would not do such a thing.¡± If Qiu Shi had wanted to split the family, she would have said so directly and not used such unorthodox means. This was something that the Old Lady was still confident of.

    Han Jingyan urged, ¡°Whether or not it was at the behest of my Dasao, Mother, let¡¯s not drag this matter out. If we drag this out any longer, more trouble will surely arise. If we split up sooner, we can have some peace.¡± He had a lot of property at his disposal. Thus, if they split up, he could still live a good life. To be precise, he would live morefortable. If he didn¡¯t split from the Main House right now, he would have to hide all these properties from the public. When the family was separated, he could take it out in the open.

    Seeing Han Jingyan¡¯s stubborn attitude, there was an indescribable taste in the Old Lady¡¯s heart. ¡°Do you want to split from the family that badly?¡± In her heart, she did not want to. Although they were still living in the same ce, they had be two separate families.

    Han Jingyan said, ¡°Mother, even if the family is divided, I will still live in this residence. But it¡¯s just a matter of dividing up the property so that the ounts can be separated and there will be fewer disputes in the future.¡±

    Her son was old enough to have his own ideas, and there was no point in her stopping him. The Old Lady could only say, ¡°Since you want to split up the family, then go and talk to Jianming! I¡¯m already old. I can¡¯t control you anymore.¡±

    Han Jingyan felt a little guilty. ¡°Mother, it is this son who is unfilial.¡±

    The Old Lady was in a bad mood and didn¡¯t want to talk to Han Jingyan anymore. ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired. You should talk to Jianming about dividing the family!¡± Jianming was the head of the family. He still had to decide on this matter. [+]

    After Han Jingyan left, the Old Lady turned to Mama Luo and asked, ¡°Did you find out who incited the incident in the kitchen today?¡±

    Mother Luo shook her head and said she hadn¡¯t found out about it. ¡°From the time the Third Lady was pregnant until now, she has been picky all day long, and on a few asions, she even asked the chefs to make her a snack in the middle of the night. That¡¯s just as well, but she never rewarded them, so the chefs became angry. Later, the Third Lady said she wanted to eat duck stew, but the kitchen didn¡¯t bother to find any duck.¡±

    The Old Lady asked, ¡°Then, who ordered for the duck stew to be brewed?¡± It couldn¡¯t have happened by chance that there was none when Wen Shi asked for it, but there was one when Concubine Jia wanted it.

    Mama Luo thought for a moment and said, ¡°It seems that Da Nainai saw that Concubine Jia didn¡¯t have much appetite, so she ordered the chefs to make a duck stew.¡± Ye Shi was the one in charge, so what she had ordered herself, the chefs naturally dared not neglect their job and did their best to find it. That was why Chun saw the duck stew being made on the stove.

    The Old Lady¡¯s face did not look good anymore. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Ye Shi would have such a big heart?¡± She did not expect that Ye Shi would be behind this matter.

    When she thought of this, the Old Lady felt powerless again. Qiu Shi had written her displeasure inly on her face, but she hadn¡¯t thought that Ye Shi would also be displeased with the Third House. Ye Shi was not Qiu Shi. Qiu Shi was a straightforward person, while Ye Shi was a tactful and scheming person, and that was why she took a fancy to Ye Shi. She just didn¡¯t expect that Ye Shi would one day use tricks on her family.

    Mama Luo said, ¡°The chefs always cook no matter what the Third Lady wants to eat. But she is so picky and can¡¯t stop making trouble. Neither the First Lady nor Da Nainai is feelingfortable in their hearts.¡± The Third House was originally fed from foods bought from the public ount, but Wen Shi was still wanted to be picky, requesting to eat this and that every day. How could this make Ye Shi, the one in charge of the household, feelfortable? It was only natural for her to use a little trick to punish her.

    The Old Lady sighed faintly. Her son had been married for the fourth time and already had many children. Therefore, it was not easy to find a good family girl to match him. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t find a good one. She could still find a good one if she didn¡¯t pay too much attention to the girl¡¯s family background. It was just that her son didn¡¯t like the one she found. In the end, he chose the shallow one. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s better to split up the family so that we can have a couple of days of peace.¡± She couldn¡¯t stop a tree from branching when it got bigger.

    The Old Lady agreed to the separation, mainly because they would still live together, and she could see her son whenever she wanted to. Otherwise, she would not have agreed to it even if she had to risk her life.

    When Han Jianming heard Han Jingyan wanted to split the family, he disagreed. Han Jianming¡¯s reason for disagreeing was simple: there were not many sons in the Han family who were sessful, and Han Jingyan was one of them. Although uncle and nephew were not close, they were still a family and would take care of each other in the Imperial Court. Even though the family still lived together after that, there would always be ayer of separation between them.

    Han Jingyan was very determined to separate. As for the reasons, they were the same as what he had informed the Old Lady.

    When Han Jianming saw that he couldn¡¯t get through his San Shu, he could only bring out the Old Lady¡¯s matter. ¡°San Shu, Grandmother won¡¯t agree to split the family.¡± With one of the parents still alive, there should not be any separation of the family.

    Han Jingyan said, ¡°I have already told your Grandmother, and she has also agreed. Although we say we are splitting up the family, we are just dividing up the property and taking care of our own food and usage. We will still live in the residence in the future. When your Grandmother is 100 years old, I will move out with my family.¡± [T/C]

    Fine. Since his San Shu already had all these long-term matters in his mind, it was clear that he was determined to split up from the family. Han Jianming knew it was useless to persuade him any longer. ¡°Since San Shu has already decided, I¡¯ll go and ask Father toe back tomorrow.¡± It was true that he was the head of the family, but he was still a junior at the same time. Although others said that his father was a bit abnormal, it was still necessary for him to be present for such an important event as the division of the family. Of course, Han Jianming also had to invite a few n elders and inws toe over as witnesses.

    Han Jingyan felt that it made no difference whether his Dage was there or not, as he had never managed these kinds of things anyway. It was just that it was not good to say this in front of Han Jianming. ¡°Alright.¡±

    The matter was, basically, settled.

 Chapter 260 - A Bloody Incident Caused By A Duck (3)

    Chapter 260 : A Bloody Incident Caused By A Duck (3)

    It was impossible to hide such a significant matter as splitting the family from the rest. After Han Jianming and Han Jingyan had discussed the issue, Han Jianming told Qiu Shi and Ye Shi about it.

    Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t wait for the family to split up. ¡°It¡¯s good to split up. If we separate from the Third House, we will have a lot less overhead.¡± Over the years, she didn¡¯t know how much silver she had spent to subsidise the Third House.

    Han Jianming couldn¡¯t help but sigh when he heard Qiu Shi¡¯s words. No wonder San Shu wanted to split up the family. It turned out to be because of his mother. ¡°Mother, money is a small matter. The most important thing is for the family to be harmonious.¡± Men saw things differently from women. Han Jianming was more concerned with the benefits he would get outside than the three melons and two dates within the family.

    Qiu Shi exined, ¡°It¡¯s not that Mother is being stingy, but the expenses of the Third House are too high. Jianming, you may not know that the Third House¡¯s expenses in a year are more than those of our Main House. All this money saved will be yours and Jianye in the future.¡±

    Han Jianming asked, not entirely convinced, ¡°Mother, how can the expenditure of the Third House be more than that of our Main House?¡±

    Qiu Shi could not lie to her son. ¡°Except for your father, the other members of the Main House are more frugal with their money. But the Third House¡¯s funerals and celebrations, etc., and Jiancheng¡¯s expenses, all add up to a substantial sum.¡± Several women in the Main House used small kitchens, which expenses came from private ounts, not public. The Third House¡¯s food, however, was all from the shared ount. In addition to the cost of Wu Shi¡¯s funeral and Han Jingyan¡¯s marriage. Even Yuchen¡¯s marriage used a lot of silvers. The Third House¡¯s other sons and daughters would also grow up and get married in the future, which would cost another considerable expense. Qiu Shi would not have said anything if Han Jingyan had taken money for his official work just like before. But after so many years, with nothing but his sry, Qiu Shi was unwilling to continue to be a person deceived on ount of her generosity.

    When Han Jianming listened to Qiu Shi¡¯s thoughts, he did not say anything else. The main reason was that the family separation had basically settled, so there was no point in him saying anything else. ¡°Mother, the people in the kitchen are extremely improper either, so Mother should also fix them up. If San Shen wants to eat anything in the next few days, just let the kitchen prepare it for her. The family is about to split up, so if anything else happens within this period, it won¡¯t look good on us.¡±

    Qiu Shi shook her head and argued, ¡°The people over there in the kitchen are certainly wrong about this, but the main problem lies with Wen Shi.¡± After saying that, Qiu Shi told him what Wen Shi had done. ¡°On such a cold day, if you want to have a snack, you can talk to the kitchen first, then ask them to make it early and keep it warm on the stove. But Wen Shi doesn¡¯t say anything during the day. She always likes to wake up the chefs in the middle of the night for it. When they finished cooking the dishes, she would say that they were not tasty enough and would be picky about them. The servants are also human. They will also have grievances after facing the same thing over and over again.¡± If you want someone to do a good job, you should at least reward them! If you didn¡¯t, you shouldn¡¯t say that the food was not good. Even the y figurine still had three points of its nature! Let alone a human being.

    Han Jianming was speechless. He really didn¡¯t know about this. He was so busy these days that he didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to the affairs of the inner courtyard. ¡°Mother, it won¡¯t be long before the family is separated. So let¡¯s restrain the people in residence in the meantime! Don¡¯t create any more trouble.¡± Since the family would soon be divided, it would be better to do so peacefully.

    Qiu Shi nodded and assured her son, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Something like this won¡¯t happen again.¡± The family was about to split up, and they would only suffer for a few more days anyway. Therefore, she would make sure that no one stirred up trouble by ying wicked tricks anymore.

    Yuxi also soon learned of the splitting of the family. Whether the Han family divided or not, it didn¡¯t matter to her. But it was good that Han Jingyan had taken the initiative to mention it. Thus, her previous ploy did not need to be used.

    When Zisu heard the news of the separation, shemented, ¡°It¡¯s good for the family to split up to avoid hearing the Third Lady making a fuss all day long.¡± Er Nainai and Concubine Jia were both pregnant, yet they were not as troublesome as Wen Shi.

    Since Han Jingyan and Han Jianming had reached an agreement, the splitting of the family was not deliberately concealed, and the servants in the mansion soon learned of it. At this point, their minds were somewhat agitated¡ªespecially the people on the side of the Third House. Many were looking for connections, hoping they would not be assigned to the Third House after the family separated.

    The servants had eyes too. Not to mention the attention they paid to the amount of property the Third House would get, they also thought of how hard their lives would be, serving a stingydy in charge like the Third Lady.

    After Wen Shi had recuperated for a few days, she felt that her health was fine and started to be impatient just lying in bed all the time. She was bored staying inside the house and wanted her maid to help her walk around outside. The old woman servant sent by the Old Lady to wait on her stopped her and advised her earnestly like a kindhearted grandmother, but Wen Shi refused to listen. ¡°I¡¯m just going out for a walk. What can happen?¡± To keep her ears clean, she didn¡¯t even let the old woman servant follow her. As a result, something did happen.

    Wen Shi was on her walk when she heard two old woman servants talking about the family separation.

    Wen Shi¡¯s expression changed. She strode forward and asked the two old women who were just talking, ¡°What are you two talking about? What separation?¡±

    The two old women servants knew something was wrong when they noticed Wen Shi didn¡¯t know about the separation. Hence, how would they be willing to tell her the truth? One of them pointed to the other and said, ¡°She was talking about how her younger brother wanted to separate from her maiden family.¡±

    Although Wen Shi was a little short-sighted, her ears were still good. Just now, she clearly heard the words ¡®Third Lord¡¯. There was no way the old woman servant¡¯s younger brother was called ¡®Third Lord¡¯. Wen Shi coldly asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Tell me clearly.¡±

    The two old women servants were also senior servants in residence, and they were very sly. In response to this situation, they knew they had done something wrong and refused to tell Wen Shi the truth. Who knew what would happen if they revealed it to her? If Wen Shi had another pregnancyplication, they would, without a doubt, have a terrible end. Chun, who had caused the Third Lady to have problems with her pregnancy, had been sold by the Third Lord.

    Wen Shi was furious. She was sick and tired of such servants who did not take her seriously. She couldn¡¯t do anything to them because she didn¡¯t have their life deeds for her to sell. But just because these two old women servants wouldn¡¯t say anything didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t find out what was going on. [+]

    When she got back to the Biteng Courtyard, Wen called over the old woman servant who served her and inquired, ¡°All the people outside are talking about separation. What is this all about? Can you tell me?¡±

    The old woman servant knew that nothing good coulde from Wen Shi going out of her yard. She had instructed the maids in Biteng Courtyard to keep quiet about the split, but she couldn¡¯t control the people outside. ¡°My Lady, it¡¯s a long story. My Lady should ask the Lord tonight!¡± Wen Shi¡¯s child was still not entirely stable. The old woman servant was afraid that if Wen Shi knew that the family would split because of her, she would get stimted again. If they could not preserve the child¡¯s life, the old woman servant¡¯s life would also be in trouble.

    Furious, Wen Shi smashed a porcin vase on the ground and questioned sternly, ¡°Are you going to say it or not? If you don¡¯t say it, then get out of my house.¡± One by one, they didn¡¯t take her seriously, and she, the Third Lady, was a mere decoration to them.

    The old woman servant had no choice but to avoid saying the essential thing and dwell on the trivial one. ¡°The Third Lord felt that if he did not split from family after the First Lord had given up his title and no longer became the head of the family, people would say that he depends on his nephew. So the Third Lord proposed to split the family. Not only did the First Lord agree to this, so did the Old Lady.¡±

    Wen Shi¡¯s face dramatically changed as she said, ¡°Impossible. How could the Lord be thinking of splitting up the family for no good reasons? Did Qiu Shi force him to do so?¡± Suddenly remembering the previous incident with Chun Lan, her face grew even worse as she asked, ¡°Was it because of the incident with the duck stewst time that made the Main House want to split the family?¡±

    The old woman servant had a bad instinct when she saw this reaction from Wen Shi. ¡°My Lady, this has nothing to do with what happened to Chun. The Third Lord wanted to divide the family after the First Lord had given up the title, but at that time, the Third Miss was not yet married, so he never mentioned it again.¡± That was what she told her, but the old woman servant knew in her heart that the First Lady had wanted to separate from the Third House for a long time, and the incident between Chun and Chef Fang was just the trigger. She knew about this, but she couldn¡¯t tell Wen Shi about it.

    Wen Shi didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°Are you telling me the truth? Is it because of the trouble that chef had made earlier that Qiu Shi took the opportunity to split the family?¡±

    The old woman servant was so anxious that her forehead started to sweat. ¡°My Lady, aren¡¯t you still pregnant? The physician said that you shouldn¡¯t get angry, you¡­¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Wen Shi copsed.

    The old woman servant¡¯s scalp tingled as she looked at the blood flowing out from between Wen Shi¡¯s legs. Thest time Wen Shi fainted, there were rumours that she was bleeding, but she actually wasn¡¯t. This time, Wen Shi was bleeding for real. The old woman servant almost yelled, ¡°Go and get the physician. Go now! What are you doing still standing there?¡± Now she was going to suffer. She should have pretended to be sick and not take this job in the first ce.

    Wen Shi had not yet recovered from herstplication, and now she had suffered another stimulus. After the physician took her pulse, he said with an ugly face, ¡°The child can¡¯t be saved.¡± The family had lost the child, and the mother had also injured her body.

    The old woman servant serving Wen Shi almost sat on the floor as her legs went weak. ¡°Mister Physician, this child is my Lady¡¯s lifeblood! Would you please do something to save this child? Mister Physician, I beg you.¡±

    The physician shook his head and said, ¡°The Third Lady¡¯s body is originally weak, and her child is already unstable. Then she has been stimted one after another. Even if Hua Tuo were still alive, he would also not be able to keep the child.¡±

    Old Woman Wen honestly sat down on the floor this time.

    Ancient Chinese Medicine Box

    Image Credit | The original owner of the picture, via ÉÙÑôËµ @ Kknews (¹Å´úÒ½Ê¦³öÕï±³µÄÒ©ÏäÀï£¬×°µÄÊÇÊ²Ã´±¦±´£¿ Oct 10th, 2016)

    The physician had rtively fulfilled his duty by prescribing a prescription for Wen Shi¡¯s recuperation. Then he prepared to carry his medicine box back.

    The old woman servant was busy calling out to the physician and said, ¡°Pleasee with me to meet the Old Lady.¡± The main thing was for the physician to tell the Old Lady about Wen Shi¡¯s situation. What the physician said was more believable than what she said.

    The old woman servant had a selfish intention in doing so. She did not want to be responsible for Wen Shi¡¯s miscarriage. Even if the Old Lady were angry and chastised her for it, her punishment would not be hefty. And if the Old Lady had scolded her, the Third Lord would naturally not pursue the matter any further. The old woman servant did not want to fall into the hands of the Third Lord, as she did not want to follow in Chun¡¯s footsteps. At her age, being sold out would be a death sentence. [T/C]

    The Old Lady had heard from Mama Luo before the physician even came. She wondered how Wen Shi could have another pregnancyplication for no reason when nothing had happened at the residence. Before she could find out the reason, she received the news that Wen Shi had a miscarriage. The Old Lady coldly asked the physician who treated Wen Shi, ¡°What is going on? How did she have a miscarriage?¡±

    This physician repeated what he had told the old woman servant before and added, ¡°In fact, the Third Lady¡¯ body was originally weak. It would have been better if she had taken some time to recuperate before conceiving a child at that time. Now that she has lost her child, her health has be even more terrible. She must at least take two years of health conditioning before she can conceive again.¡± To put it simply, Wen Shi¡¯s body was weak because she ate very little to maintain the graceful figure that made her look like even the wind could blow her. Her miscarriage was partly due to stimtion and another part due to her own poor health.

    The Old Lady instructed Mama Luo, ¡°Give the physician an extra fifty taels of silver.¡± These fifty taels of silver had the meaning of telling the physician not to talk nonsense outside.

    The physician was not stupid either. Not to mention the family of the Duke of the State, even for the ordinary family, he would not tell such private matters to others. This was the minimum medical ethics required for a physician.

 Chapter 261 - A Bloody Incident Caused By A Duck (4)

    Chapter 261 : A Bloody Incident Caused By A Duck (4)

    The Old Lady waited for the physician to leave before calling the old woman servant serving Wen Shi in and inquired, ¡°The Third Lady was fine before, so why did she suddenly have anotherplication?¡± Wen Shi had been shocked by the kitchen incident before, but nothing shocking had happened this time around. Thus, what had stimted her again?

    The old woman servant wiped her tears as she avoided telling the Old Lady about the most important and recalling the minor issues. ¡°Today, the Third Lady said she was feeling better and wanted to go out for a walk, but I couldn¡¯t stop her. She disliked my nagging. Not only did she not listen to me, but she also forbade me to follow her. As a result, on the way, the Third Lady heard someone in residence talking about the family separation and was immediately bing upset.¡±

    The Old Lady asked with an expressionless face, ¡°Did the family separation cause her to have pregnancyplications? What does the separation have to do with her?¡± Wen Shi would not be short of food or clothing after the family split, so how could she be upset over this? It was hard for the Old Lady to believe this exnation.

    The old woman servant also felt that she had been wronged. ¡°This old servant can¡¯t figure it out! Old Lady, this old servant has served with all her heart since she arrived at the Third Lady¡¯s side. However, the Third Lady has always been suspicious of this old servant¡¯s nagging and won¡¯t listen to this old servant.¡± The meaning of her words was, she was also entirely innocent in this matter.

    The Old Lady ordered, ¡°You can withdraw!¡± Turning her head, she asked Old Woman Luo, ¡°Have you asked about this? What is this all about?¡±

    Mama Luo told the Old Lady the cause and effect. ¡°The Third Lady just heard about the separation and immediately passed out.¡± Wen Shi lost her child just after hearing about the family separation. Thus, this kind of thing couldn¡¯t be spread. If other people heard this news, she would be aughing stock.

    The Old Lady looked down and thought for a moment. Then, without even saying anything, she closed her eyes and recited the Buddhist sutra while her hand kept turning the Buddhist beads.

    Mama Luo sighed slightly, then walked out cautiously.

    When Qiu Shi heard that Wen Shi had a miscarriage, she was pretty surprised. ¡°What¡¯s happened? How did she lose her child when she was well?¡±

    Mama Li whispered, ¡°It is said that the Third Lady heard that the family was going to separate, that she over-stimted, and lost the child in the process.¡±

    When Qiu Shi heard this, sheughed. ¡°Who¡¯s talking this kind of nonsense? How could she have lost a baby just because the family is going to split?¡± She didn¡¯t know who made up such an unreliable rumour.

    Mama Li emphasised with an odd expression, ¡°My Lady, it¡¯s true. There¡¯s no mistaking it.¡± If the news hadn¡¯te from Biteng Courtyard, she wouldn¡¯t have believed it herself.

    When Qiu Shi saw Mama Li¡¯s expression, she became speechless. ¡°What does family separation have to do with Wen Shi? Even if we split, she won¡¯tck any food and drink. What is she so excited about?¡± There was no way for her to understand Wen Shi if her brain circuits were not in the same line with her.

    Regarding this question, Mama Li didn¡¯t know the answer either.

    Only Yuxi did not show any difference in her expression after hearing this news. Zisu was puzzled that she had to ask, ¡°Miss, why are you not surprised at all?¡±

    Yuxi chuckled as she said, ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that. Wen Shi¡¯s body is already weak. It¡¯s normal that she can¡¯t keep the child.¡±

    Zisu was surprised. ¡°Miss, what does that mean? The Third Lady looks very healthy. How could her body be weak?¡±

    Yuxi put down the book in her hands, stood up and walked to the table. She then picked up the still steaming fragrant tea and said with a smile, ¡°There is a price to pay for everything. Wen Shi¡¯s waist, which is as slender as a willow, is not natural.¡±

    Zisu listened in awe. ¡°It wasn¡¯t natural? Then how did she get it?¡± To be honest, she was pretty envious of the Third Lady¡¯s graceful figure, and it should be said that all women admire such shapely appearance.

    Yuxi drank half a cup of her tea and put it down before saying, ¡°You may not know that Wen Shi¡¯s biological mother¡¯s older sister, who used to be a hired art performer in a pavilion, waster redeemed by a wealthy merchant. After that, she resumed her rtionship with her maiden family.¡± For someone who had spent time in such a ce and ended up as a wealthy merchant¡¯s concubine, that was no ordinary skill. [EX]

    Zisu¡¯s eyes widened as she listened, and she lost her voice. ¡°Does Miss mean that Wen Shi has also learnt this skill from her aunt?¡± The more she thought about it, the more she felt it was so. Otherwise, why else would she feel that this Third Lady always acted like a concubine?

    Thinking of this, Zisu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Miss, if you can find out this kind of thing, wouldn¡¯t the Third Lord be able to find about it too? So why would the Third Lord still marry her?¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°That¡¯s only Wen Shi¡¯s aunt, not her mother, and her uncle¡¯s family is also clean, so what does it matter?¡± Han Jingyan would marry Wen Shi because she was beautiful, and he wouldn¡¯t mind it as long as her background wasn¡¯t too bad. It was his fourth marriage anyway, not his first. So naturally, he wished to marry the one he liked.

    Speaking of Han Jingyan, Zisu became worried again. ¡°Miss, will Wen Shi direct her anger at you since she has lost her child?¡± It was a bit unfair for her Miss to have such an enemy for no reason!

    Yuxi didn¡¯t care at all. She just smiled and said, ¡°If she wants to vent her anger at me, just let her be. It¡¯s useless for us to be afraid of her.¡± She would have been worried if she was still in the Third House, but she was not afraid now. But then again, if she were still in the Third House, she would not have dared to deal with Chun.

    When Han Jingyan came back and heard that he had lost his child, dark clouds filled his heart. And when he listened to the reason from the old woman servant working in Wen Shi¡¯s yard, he didn¡¯t even know who to direct his anger at.

    Just at this time, a maid inside the room, Chun Tao, called out loudly, ¡°My Lord, my Lord, my Lady is awake. She is awake.¡±

    Wen Shi opened her eyes and was dumbfounded to hear that her baby was gone. When she saw Han Jingyan, she immediately hugged him and cried. She cried so much. ¡°My Lord, my Lord, our child is gone. Our child is gone.¡±

    When Wen Shi cried, she didn¡¯t look bad at all. She was like a pear blossom bathed in the rain, looking so charmingly delicate that it hurt Han Jingyan¡¯s heart, and the anger he had stored in his heart dissipated. ¡°Since the child is gone, we will try againter on. Don¡¯t cry. This child has no fate with us.¡±

    With his assurance, Wen Shi¡¯s mood improved a little. However, remembering that the family would soon be divided, her tears fell once more. ¡°My Lord, I heard that the family would be divided. My Lord, this is all my fault. If I hadn¡¯t wanted to eat the duck stew, we wouldn¡¯t have gotten into this situation.¡± Wen Shi was worried that Han Jingyan would me her for splitting the family.

    As an old husband with a young wife, Han Jingyan still felt more pity for his young and beautiful wife. ¡°The matter of splitting the family has nothing to do with you. After that boy Ming took the title, I wanted to split up the family, but I never found the right opportunity to do so.¡± This meant that the duck incident had given him the chance to put the matter fast forward. [+]

    Wen Shi had always thought that the old woman servant¡¯s words were just perfunctory, but she had never expected them to be true. Wen Shi opened her mouth several times and finally asked, ¡°My Lord, what should we do after the family separated?¡± Her husband had three sons and a daughter, and with his small sry and the little property she had been given, how could they make ends meet? She was willing to marry into this family because she wanted toe here to enjoy the blessings, not to suffer.

    Han Jingyan did not know what was in Wen Shi¡¯s mind as he said soothingly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ve set up some properties. Even if we split up, we won¡¯t have to worry about our food and clothing.¡±

    Wen Shi¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°Really?¡± If she knew that her husband had private properties in his hand, she wouldn¡¯t be too agitated till she lost her child. Unfortunately, a thousand pieces of gold could not buy her any early knowledge.

    Han Jingyan nodded. ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s true. All right, let¡¯s not talk about that. You should rest well! The physician said, you¡¯ve hurt your body this time. You need to take good care of it.¡±

    Wen Shi just had a miscarriage and needed to take good care of her body. This time, Qiu Shi wasn¡¯t stingy. She let the kitchen prepare whatever the physician said would be suitable for Wen Shi to eat. Since there were only a few days left anyway, it was okay for Qiu Shi to be this generous.

    Dividing the family was not just a matter of talking about it. It would take days just to calcte public properties. Although Han Jingyan said he did not want them, Han Jianming disagreed. He was unwilling to spoil his reputation by being greedy for such a small gain.

    As far as Lu Xiu was concerned, the separation of the family did not affect her in any way. All she had to do was rest in peace in her own courtyard to nurture her baby and bring up Lil Boy Shun.

    Old Woman Jian made a trip back to the Lu family and came back with a joyful face. If Old Woman Jian was like this, it must be because something merry had happened at home. When Lu Xiu saw her, she smiled and asked, ¡°What happy event is happening at home?¡±

    Old Woman Jian happily retold, ¡°Er Nainai, Second Master Ye has returned to the capital.¡± Seeing Lu Xiu¡¯sck of interest, she continued, ¡°Er Nainai, Second Master Ye has broken his leg, and now he is crippled. Since there is no way for him to stay in the army, he has returned to the capital.¡± When Old Woman Jian heard the news, she couldn¡¯t say how happy she was. When Second Master Ye came to their door to withdraw from the arranged marriage, it had caused the Second Madam Lu to have worried frowned all day long and her Miss to wash her face with tears day in and day out. Not only the people of the Lu family were mad at that time, but even Old Woman Jian also could not wait to skin Second Master Ye alive. Now that Second Master Ye was crippled, the entire Lu family felt particrly relieved to know about this.

    Lu Xiu smiled a little and said, ¡°It is inevitable that he would be injured when he marched into battle.¡± Her husband was now in the middle of the capital. If he were assigned to a post outside the capital city, he would also have to lead the army into battle. When that time came, she would have to live this life of fear and trepidation.

    Old Woman Jian uttered, ¡°It is inevitable to be injured in battle, but I heard from Madam that his leg became like this because of a dy in treatment.¡± If Old Woman Jian were to say so, Second Master Ye had gotten what wasing to him. If he hadn¡¯t run to the Lu family back then and said he wanted to retire from the Lu family¡¯s marriage, how would he have been sent to that shitty nook in Yunnan? And if he hadn¡¯t gone to Yunnan, he wouldn¡¯t have been handicapped by the dy in treatment. This was why people said that Heaven would reward evil with evil and good would be rewarded with good. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to take their revenge on him themselves. It was just that his time had note yet at that time.

    After so many years, plus the fact that her life was now going smoothly, Lu Xiu had long since put aside what happened back then. ¡°Is Ke Shi back too?¡± She asked specifically after Ke Minjie because Lu Xiu was a little curious. She used to wonder what kind of great beauty this Ke Shi was that she had charmed the Second Master Ye to the point that he didn¡¯t even want his parents or even his family.

    When it came to Ke Minjie, Old Woman Jian didn¡¯t know how much she wanted to vent her anger. ¡°Ke Shi has also returned. But I heard from Madam that Ke Shi had not given birth to any child for Second Master Ye, and she has been sick all day long. Now, she no longer looks human. I reckon that Madam Ye might be nning a marriage for Second Master Ye!¡± It was definitely impossible for him to marry a girl from a wealthy, influential family with his broken leg. But with the power of the Ye family, it was still possible for him to marry a girl from a low-status family.

    Hearing that Ke Shi had been ruined, Lu Xiu lost interest. ¡°In future, don¡¯t talk about such things in front of me. There¡¯s no point in mentioning things that have already passed. If it weren¡¯t for what happened that day, I wouldn¡¯t be doing so well now.¡± Before she married into this family, she worried Ye Shi might secretly y dirty tricks on her. But after four years of her marriage, Ye Shi had never done anything terrible to her. [T/C]

    Hearing this statement, Old Woman Jian nodded in agreement. ¡°Madam often says that it is still the Master¡¯s good vision that has picked such a good marriage for Miss.¡± Her Miss had no problems ever since she got married. It was as if she had fallen into a nest of good fortune.

    Lu Xiu smiled a little. ¡°Father¡¯s vision has always been good.¡±

    Ps (author): O(¡É_¡É)O~, I remember when I was a child, my grandfather stewed an old duck he had raised for six years for me to eat. The taste was delicious. I still can¡¯t forget it to this day.

 Chapter 262 - Separation Of Families (1)

    <strong>Chapter 262 : Separation Of Families (1)</strong>

    The day of the Han family¡¯s separation coincided with the first day of the spring examination. Qiu Shi had to be present at the ceremony, but it didn¡¯t matter if Yuxi was there or not. So Qiu Shi let Yuxi go to the Lingshan Temple on her own, and as long as she brought along more attendants, her safety would not be a problem.

    Yuxi got up early for her morning exercise. Afterwards, she freshened herself up and had her breakfast. When she was ready, she took twelve attendants, two maids and Momo Quan with her. Then, this group of people headed towards Lingshan Mountain Temple in grandiose.

    While Yuxi was on her way, quite a few guests came to the Han family home. Apart from inviting the Zhou family, they also requested attendance from the Qiu family and the Chiang family. Marquis Chiang was too busy toe over and had his son take his ce. As for First Lord Han, he was too busy to be bothered with such a trivial matter as dividing the family. He had long departed to the other courtyard with Concubine Mei. There, they spent their time being intimate and living their lives as happy as fairies.

    When Han Jianming heard that the Old Lady wanted to get rid of Concubine Mei, he made a ploy to get Han Jingdong to take her to a different courtyard, and no one could stop Han Jingdong from doing whatever he wanted anyway. It was not that Han Jianming was being kind-hearted, but he felt that there was no need to screw things up.

    Many people made a fuss when their families split up because they believed there had been some unfairness during property allocation. Everyone felt their portion was too small so, they created ruckus to get more. However, this did not happen in the Han family since Han Jianming acted very reasonably. He took out all their public properties without hiding anything. Thus, Han Jingyan did not have any objections after hearing Han Jianming list out all the properties that would be divided.

    The ancestral fields and the old residence would not split up, while the rest would be distributed, with 70% going to the Main House and 30% for the Third House. This was the rule. Even if Han Jianming was willing to split them in half, Han Jingyan was unwilling to ept. With one being willing to give in, while the other didn¡¯t make any fuss about it, the process of dividing the family naturally went pretty pleasant.

    The family who came to witness the ceremony were pleased to see that the uncle and nephew had harmoniously divided the family, and none of the Han womenfolk jumped out to make a fuss. Compared to other families who turned their family splitting up ceremony into a scene of chicken flying and dog jumping over a trivial matter, the scenery they were seeing right now was a beautiful picture of peace and happiness.

    While the family was happily divided on this side, things were not going well on Yuxi¡¯s side. She had never faced any difficulty on her trips to Lingshan Temple before, and somehow the traffic was heavily congested at this time.

    The person who went to inquire about the situation came back and reported, ¡°Miss, there was andslide in front of us. That¡¯s why it caused such congestion.¡± Most of those who had family members attending the spring examinations would rush to the mountain to worship the Bodhisattva on this day. There were too many carriages that it became overcrowded. As a result, an already badly travelled section of road had copsed.

    Zisu had some regrets. Originally, the First Lady said she would go to Lingshan Temple one day in advance, and they would be staying there for one night. But the family separation was scheduled for today. Thus the First Lady couldn¡¯te with them. The First Lady also didn¡¯t feel at ease to let her Miss remain alone on the mountain, so they had no other choice but to depart early this morning.

    Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°No one can say for sure that such things will happen. There¡¯s no need to rush. The road will always open up.¡± However, this situation would make their journey a little bit longer.

    Zisu watched as Yuxi fished out a book from inside her pillowcase, and she could only look at the sky speechlessly. Somehow, Miss didn¡¯t even forget to read her book at such time. Her Miss had indeed be a bookworm.

    Momo Quan thought this was a good habit for Yuxi, and Yuxi was not reading its content mechanically either. By reading more history books, they could broaden her horizons and increase her knowledge. Once one¡¯s horizons were broadened, one would no longer be confined with matters of three melons and two dates. A person with a broad mind could live a morefortable life.

    Zisu took out a te of pastries from the food box and urged, ¡°Miss, these pastries are still warm. Please eat some! If you don¡¯t eat them now, they won¡¯t taste good when they get coldter on.¡±

    Yuxi ate two pieces of the pastries and said, ¡°Share them with everyone! I don¡¯t know when we can get to the mountain. Since it has not been easy for everyone, eat something to cushion your stomach.¡±

    There were four kinds of pastries, one te each. With more than ten people in their group, one person took two pieces each. However, since the pastries made by Guo Daniang tasted very delicious, everyone couldn¡¯t get enough of them.

    Caidie said with a smile, ¡°Miss, Uncle Hao said that the pastries you gave him had aroused his craving. He wasn¡¯t originally hungry, but after eating them, he suddenly became so hungry.¡± Caidie was the child of a servant in residence, so it was easy for her to get along with the other residence servants.

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°You tell them that they have to work hard this time. When we get back, I¡¯ll ask Daniang to make some more for them to eat.¡± It was still a bit cool in the mountains on the third lunar month day. It was fine for her as she was inside the carriage, so she didn¡¯t have to be blown by the cold wind, nor would she suffer by standing outside for so long.

    Caidie smiled and responded, ¡°I¡¯ll tell Uncle Hao about it. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be thrilled.¡± In fact, the pastries were a small thing. The main thing was that Miss knew how to bepassionate to other people. The servants were also human beings. If their master were so kind-hearted, they would feelfortable even if they were tired.

    Yuxi smiled a little and resumed her reading.

    Caidie soon returned, this time with another message. ¡°Miss, Madam Jiang and Miss Jiang also went to Lingshan Temple to offer incense. When she heard that you were also going there, she invited you to join them.¡±

    It was clear to Yuxi that Yu Shi and Jiang Qi¡¯s visit to the mountain to worship Manjushri Bodhisattva was not surprising since Jiang Hongjin was also participating in the spring examination today. But it was probably Jiang Qi¡¯s personal intention to invite her over for a talk. ¡°Help me thanks Madam Jiang for her kindness. I¡¯ll revisit her next time.¡± She didn¡¯t want to see Yu Shi and Jiang Qi at all.

    Unfortunately, the people you didn¡¯t want to see always like appearing and hanging around in front of you. This was the case with Jiang Qi. When she heard that Yuxi was not going over, she surprisingly went to Yuxi¡¯s carriage herself, along with her maid.

    When the actual person was already here, it was too much to ask not to see her. Yuxi¡¯s upbringing did not allow her to do something so rude as to turn away a guest in public, so she lifted the carriage¡¯s curtain and invited Jiang Qi in.

    Jiang Qi was fourteen years old this year and had grown up. She was not too fat, nor was she too thin. Her dark, shiny hair had beenbed into a flowing bun. She looked sweet and lovely with her rosy melon-shaped face, big round eyes, and two deep dimples on her cheeks. [+]

    As Yuxi sized up Jiang Qi, Jiang Qi also sized up Yuxi. Yuxi had a round face, sparse eyebrows, and eyes that were devoid of sparkle. Wearing a white dress, she looked like a female ghost. No matter how Jiang Qi looked at Yuxi, she felt that Yuxi was not good enough for Chen Ran. She couldn¡¯t understand why Chen Ran had fallen for Han Yuxi, whom she found to be worthless. Disdain and jealousy filled Jiang Qi¡¯s heart, but her face still showed a sweet smile. ¡°Yuxi Jiejie, I didn¡¯t expect to run into you on the road. Did you also go to the mountain to worship Bodhisattva?¡± [T/R]

    Yuxi was tempted to spit at her. What are you doing calling me so intimate? I¡¯m not even close to you! Even if she genuinely didn¡¯t like Jiang Qi, she still had to do an excellent job on the surface. At that moment, Yuxi looked shy and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Second Master Chen is sitting for Spring Examination today. So I want to go to the mountain and get a blessing from Manjushri Bodhisattva, praying that he will pass brilliantly by gaining one of the top three positions in the examination.¡± When Yuxi was in front of Jiang Qi, she did not know what modesty was. [T/C]

    Jiang Qi¡¯s face stiffened when she saw this kind of look on Yuxi¡¯s face. Still, she soon recovered her natural expression. She responded with a smile, ¡°I heard from my brother that Second Master Chen is talented in literary, and will certainly be able to gain one of the top three positions, just as Yuxi Jiejie had hoped.¡±

    Yuxi smiled brightly at that, ¡°Yeah, I have a lot of faith in him.¡±

    That smile stung Jiang Qi deeply. No one knew that she had been charmed by Chen Ran¡¯s good look ever since she first met him. It was not as if she hadn¡¯t tried hard to get his attention back then, but unfortunately, Chen Ran didn¡¯t even look at her. If Chen Ran were attracted to a woman who was good at everything, it would have been fine, but he had fallen for Han Yuxi, who had no talent, no looks and a bad fate. How would Jiang Qi be willing to ept this! [T/R]

    Yuxi asked with mock concern, ¡°Miss Jiang, what¡¯s wrong with you? Are you not feeling well? Do you want me to have someone tell Madam Jiang?¡± The way Yuxi addressed Jiang Qi revealed her distant and polite attitude towards her.

    Jiang Qi came back to her senses and inquired with a smile, ¡°I wonder where Yuxi Jiejie got such confidence in Second Master Chen? My brother is also very talented, but even he doesn¡¯t have much confidence in himself either?¡± Jiang Qi was digging a hole for Yuxi.

    Yuxi replied with a smile, ¡°It was my Dage who told me that Second Master Chen was very talented and for him to obtain the top three positions was not a matter of concern. If it were anyone else, I wouldn¡¯t have believed it, but my Dage has always been very urate in reading people and things.¡±

    Jiang Qi suddenly realised, then said with an embarrassed look, ¡°I thought it was Second Master Chen himself who told you¡­¡­.¡±

    When Yuxi heard her words, her expression immediately became heavy as she interrupted Jiang Qi¡¯s words and raised her voice, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Miss Jiang know what it means that men and women should not touch hands when they give or receive things? Even if you are betrothed, there is still a distinction between men and women. So how can you use us of meeting in private? I¡¯ve always heard that the Jiang family¡¯s upbringing is excellent, but now I realise that the rumours are not to be trusted. It was such an easy thing for an unmarried girl like you to open her mouth and say that it¡¯s okay to meet in private. But tell me, what right do you have to question my rtionship?¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s voice was loud enough even to be heard outside.

    After hearing Yuxi¡¯s words, Jiang Qi¡¯s face turned pale. In the end, since she was still young, and her thinking was not deep enough, in addition to the hate out of jealousy she had towards Yuxi, made her lose her temper.

    Yuxi was unwilling to give Jiang Qi any more face and directly expelled her. ¡°Please go back, Miss Jiang! My ce here is too small to amodate someone like Miss Jiang.¡±

    Jiang Qi walked out with a red face, and as soon as she saw Yu Shi, she immediately jumped into her arms and cried. She had never been insulted like this since she was a child.

    Yu Shi asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What is going on here?¡± She couldn¡¯t pry anything out of Jiang Qi¡¯s mouth. Hence she could only ask the maid who had just followed Jiang Qi there.

    The maid did not dare to tell the truth, for her Miss would swallow her alive if she did. At that moment, she could only say hesitantly, ¡°Madam, this handmaiden didn¡¯t go in, so this handmaiden didn¡¯t know what Miss Han had said to Miss.¡±

    After she had cried enough, Jiang Qi told Yu Shi, ¡°I just had a little misunderstanding with Yuxi Jiejie and was told off by her. In retrospect, Yuxi Jiejie was right. I was too impulsive.¡± She was being too impulsive just now. How could she say something like that to Han Yuxi and thus be caught by her?

    Yu Shi¡¯s face showed her boredom. ¡°Even if you said something wrong, who is she to lecture you? A child without a mother is indeed uneducated.¡± Thinking of her husband¡¯s desire to marry a girl from the Han family for her son, Yu Shi¡¯s mood suddenly went from bad to worse. If Han Yuxi were already like this, it would be strange if that Han Yurong was a good one. [T/C]

    Jiang Qi said, ¡°Mother, you can¡¯t say that. It¡¯s also because I was too impulsive just now.¡± What had just happened was indeed her being too impulsive. Because she was obsessed with Chen Ran, she knew a lot of things about him. For example, Chen Ran had personally made a flute for Han Yuxi and often gave small gifts to her. Because of this knowledge, Jiang Qi decided that what Yuxi had just said was something Chen Ran had said to Han Yuxi himself. Jiang Qi was utterly blinded by cynicism that she had forgotten that she and Han Yuxi were not friends, which had allowed the other party to seize on her words and bite her back.

    Yu Shi stroked Jiang Qi¡¯s head and said, ¡°You¡¯re just too kind-hearted.¡± It was only because her daughter was too kind that she was constantly being bullied.

 Chapter 263 - Separation Of Families (2)

    <strong>Chapter 263 : Separation Of Families (2)</strong>

    After Jiang Qi left, Momo Quan asked, ¡°Miss, have you offended the Jiang family young miss?¡± Such a tactic was too shallow. It felt just a little strange for Momo Quan. Given Yuxi¡¯s nature, she shouldn¡¯t have bothered to offend anyone.

    Yuxi smiled as she responded, ¡°I have not offended her. But she loves the Second Master Chen family, so I am suffering from an undeserved catastrophe.¡± Who would have known that Jiang Qi would fall in love with Chen Ran? But remembering Chen Ran¡¯s graceful bearing, Yuxi didn¡¯t find it strange anymore. Although Chen Ran was a bit cold, he was good looking, and his elegant appearance, which outshone all others, was what girls precisely liked about him the most. His talent and learning ability was good. His family background was even better. It was pretty standard for such a man to be constantly in the women¡¯s minds of the deep boudoir.

    Zisu¡¯s face turned purple. ¡°Such a shameless person.¡± No wonder Jiang Qi had dly and diligently ran over here and said such things to her Miss. It turned out that she was lusting over her Guye and wanted to tarnish her Miss¡¯ reputation. But then again, how did her Miss know about this? ¡°Miss, how did you know that Jiang Qi adored the Second Master Chen?¡±

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how I know. What matters is that it¡¯s true.¡± When Zhou Shiya had told her earlier that Jiang Qi loved Chen Ran, she was still sceptical. After all, in Yuxi¡¯s mind, Jiang Qi was an arrogant person. How would such a person like a man who already had a fianc¨¦e? And how could someone post this chapter from xinshou blogspot to another site that didn¡¯t belong or wasn¡¯t approved by this trantor?

    In her previous life, Yuxi didn¡¯t care much about what was going on outside. Hence, she knew nothing about some of the national events that were happening. But she had heard about some of the things that were particrly famous that were spreading around. To put it simply, she listened to some gossip in the capital from the maids. The youngdies anddy mistresses in the boudoirs were so bored that they needed something to amuse themselves. And Chen Ran was, back then, the subject of a piece of gossip. Not long after Chen Ran was conferred the title of tanhua, his fianc¨¦e died of illness. In this case, it could only be said that Chen Ran¡¯s fianc¨¦e was unlucky, and he would have been better off in another marriage. But Chen Ran did not do so and insisted on mourning for his fianc¨¦e for three years. Because of this incident, many people praised Chen Ran for being affectionate and faithful. They also felt sorry for his fianc¨¦e¡¯s lousy luck. So, being betrothed to Chen Ran, Yuxi did not feel burdened at all, for she had not robbed anyone else of their marriage.

    Momo Quan was obviously thinking more than Zisu. ¡°Miss, that Jiang family girl is not a good person. If you meet her in the future, you should take extra precautions.¡±

    Yuxi nodded her head a little and said, ¡°I know.¡± She had long been on guard against such sweet-looking but bitter people.

    In response, Momo Quan said no more. She had taught Miss all that she could, and now Miss had be even more vividly blue than indigo even though indigo made the colour blue. Miss had learned so well. This made her very pleased.

    The indigo that is mentioned in the idiom, ¡®the colour blue is made out of indigo but is more vivid than indigo¡¯ which means the student surpasses the master, is actually an indigo nt where the blue dye originallyes from. Here is a video on how the nt is still traditionally used to dye cloth.

    Uncle Hao said from outside, ¡°Miss, the road is clear. We can go now.¡± Under normal circumstances, they would have arrived on the mountain by now and would probably have taken their lunch.

    Zisu raised her voice and said, ¡°If the road is clear, then let¡¯s go.¡±

    Momo Quan said, ¡°Miss, we have to stay on the mountain tonight.¡± It was now past noon, and it would be nearly half a shichen before they reached the mountain. It would also be veryte for Miss to worship the Bodhisattva and recite the sutra. It wasn¡¯t safe to let Miss walk on the mountain path at night alone, either.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°We can only make do for one night. There¡¯s no need for Momo to worry about it.¡± If it were any other matter, knowing that the road was blocked, she would have gone back a long time ago and would not have waited until thiste. But today was different. If she turned around halfway, it would not be good if words reached the Lady of Taining¡¯s ears.

    The mountain road was rugged, and the ride in the carriage was bumpy. But having travelled this road many times before, Yuxi had long since gotten used to it. When Yuxi felt drowsy, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll nap for a while.¡± After saying that, she leaned back on the pillow and took a nap.

    After a while, Zisu called out in a low voice, ¡°Miss, Miss¡­¡­¡± Seeing that Yuxi did not respond halfway, she whispered to Momo Quan, ¡°Miss actually fell asleep?¡± In such a bumpy road, her Miss could even sleep. Her Miss was genuinely impressive. [+]

    Momo Quan smiled. ¡°This is a blessing.¡± Having experienced more things, she had seen many things thoroughly. ording to Momo Quan, for her Miss to eat, sleep and be in a good mood every day was indeed a blessing.

    After two-quarters of sleep, Yuxi woke up and asked sleepily, ¡°Are we there yet?¡± How hard had it been for her to sleep here! It was better to lie on her soft bed at home.

    Momo Quan shook her head and said, ¡°There are still about two-quarters of an hour to go. When you have freshened up, Miss, we will almost be there.¡± After saying this, she poured water out of the kettle, which had long since cooled.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the group to arrive at Lingshan Temple. The incense at Lingshan Temple was very popr. Therefore, at this time of year, the temple was crowded with people.

    Yuxi did not rush to worship the Manjushri Bodhisattva but first took her group to the guest courtyard to rest. The Duke¡¯s family had chartered this courtyard. Originally, the State Residence had reserved a yard at the Huangzhi Temple to facilitate the Han family members¡¯ incense burning and worship at the temple. However, when the Monk Liao Tong said that Yuxi had a bad fate, Qiu Shi was so angry that she withdrew the courtyard at Huangzhi Temple and booked a small yard at the Lingshan Temple instead.

    Because they entered Lingshan Temple rtivelyte, the only courtyard avable was rtively small, with just two rooms. It was intended to be used for a resting area, plus there was nothing better than this at that time, so Qiu Shi wasn¡¯t too fussy.

    When they entered the courtyard, the arrangement was straightforward, with just a bed, a table and chairs. But despite its simplicity, it was spotless.

    When Zisu looked at the condition of this courtyard, she muttered, ¡°Miss, how can you live in this ce?¡± Even Red Jujube Vi was several times better than this ce.

    Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°It¡¯s only for one night. So we¡¯ll make do for now and go back tomorrow.¡± She didn¡¯t even have shelter to keep her out of the wind and rain when fleeing before. It was already good enough to have a house like this.

    Momo Quan said, ¡°Miss, I will go with Caidie to fetch two quilts from the master steward.¡± It was still freezing on the mountain in the third lunar month, and it was hard to endure it without using a quilt.

    Yuxi nodded before saying, ¡°Go early and return early!¡± If it were during regr days, the master steward of the temple would have had someone bring it over personally. It was just that today the temple was too busy, and they would probably have to wait until evening for the master steward to send it over.

    After about a quarter of an hour, Momo Quan came back. Not only did she bring back two brand new quilts, but she also brought back food.

    After thanking the master steward, Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°The temple is crowded, so the master must not be able to leave. I won¡¯t dy master¡¯s time.¡± She knew the temple well. She could go and worship the Bodhisattva Manjushri on her ownter. So she didn¡¯t need anyone else to apany her.

    The master steward was very busy indeed. Many people wereing, and because they arrivedte in the day, they did not dare to go down the mountain at night, and most of them chose to spend the night on the temple. Food, shelter and water had to be prepared. Thus the workload of the temple increased considerably.

    Yuxi ate and drank enough and bathed before taking Momo Quan to the Manjushri Bodhisattva. It was not untilte afternoon that she returned.

    When Qiu Shi got the news, she asked, ¡°How did the good road copse? If I had known, I would have gone with her today.¡± Without a reliable person by her unmarried daughter¡¯s side, Qiu Shi was distraught.

    Mama Li consoled, ¡°My Lady, don¡¯t worry. Law and order in Lingshan Temple have always been excellent, and the Fourth Miss is a reliable person. She will be fine.¡±

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°I hope nothing will happen.¡±

    Seeing this look on Qiu Shi¡¯s face, Mama Li hurriedly changed the subject. ¡°My Lady, I didn¡¯t expect the family split to go so smoothly today.¡± She thought there would be a dispute in the family division today! It was usual for her to feel so because the most beneficial properties were all under her Lady¡¯s name.

    Although Qiu Shi was a straightforward person and did not know how to beat around the bush, she was not stupid. Before the family was divided, she could not have put all the properties she had acquired into the public ount. Therefore, few profitable shops and 60 hectares of goodnd were all put in her name and counted as her dowry. The division of the family was a division of the family¡¯s property, but not of the woman¡¯s dowry. [T/C]

    Qiu Shi sneered when she heard these words. ¡°If he dares to make a scene, I¡¯ll make sure he doesn¡¯t get a single silver.¡± Before she married into this family, the State Residence had been living on the mortgage. If it wasn¡¯t for her, would Duke Han¡¯s family have been able to make a living just like now? She had earned the property that Old Third received today. If she hadn¡¯t thought of the fact that Yuchen was now Jing Wangfei, and that her two sons might have to rely on the power of the Jing Wangfu in the future, and that it would be harmful to have a fall out with the third house, she wouldn¡¯t even want to share out these properties.

    Qiu Shi felt that she had suffered a loss in the division of the family, which was, of course, true. But Wen Shi thought otherwise. When she found out what the properties that Third House had been allocated, she looked ufortable. ¡°My Lord, the silk shop, the grain shop, and the rouge shop, why didn¡¯t we get a share of any of these lucrative shops?¡± Wen Shi knew about these shops because Qiu Shi often took things from the silk shop and the rouge shop for Yuxi to use.

    Han Jingdong said, ¡°These shops are all the Dasao dowry. The splitting of the family is a division of the ancestral properties. Where would it divide the dowry of the Lady in charge?¡±

    Wen Shi was anxious when she knew they were given these crooked melons and cracked dates shares. This would not do. ¡°My Lord, all the properties that made money have be Qiu Shi¡¯s dowry. Dasao is clearly turning the public estate into her dowry. My Lord, such a division of the family, is too unfair. It must be re-divided.¡±

    Hearing this, Han Jingyan said, ¡°This matter has already been decided, and it is impossible to change it. You should also stop thinking about it and get some rest!¡± After saying that, he walked out.

    How could someone as proud as Han Jingyan tell Wen Shi that the State Residence had fallen on hard times and relied on the mortgage to get by and that all the properties in residence were now all earned by Qiu Shi?

    Wen Shi looked at Han Jingyan¡¯s back view and couldn¡¯t help but cry. Who was she doing this for? It was for the sake of the family. The thought of losing so much silver made her cry even more. [T/C]

    The old woman servant serving Wen Shi hurried over and advised, ¡°My Lady, you can¡¯t cry during the confinement period. It will hurt your eyes.¡± The old woman servant wanted to leave, but the Old Lady and the Third Lord had not said anything. Thus, she did not dare to ask about it herself. She could only toughen her scalp by continuing to serve Wen Shi. She could only hope that she could go back once the confinement month had ended. This Wen Shi person, she didn¡¯t want to serve her for another day.

    Wen Shi was a person who loved herself very much. When she heard this, she quickly wiped his tears and instructed, ¡°Go and see if the bird¡¯s nest is ready? Bring it up to me when it is.¡±

    The old woman servant answered Wen Shi, but in her heart, she despised her. Wen Shi always wanted to eat all the good food, but every time the nourishing food was stewed, she would only eat a few bites. During this time, it was unknown how many good things had been wasted.

 Chapter ? 264 : Gift

    Chapter 264 : Gift

    ¤­¤Ä¤Í : Sorry for being missing for nearly a week. I had been so busy with my works. ??¡â?

    After finishing their evening meal, Yuxi took Zisu and Caidie out of the courtyard. The courtyard was built under a mountain peak, and just by standing outside the yard, Yuxi looked at spreading shades of dusk. As the clouds turned misty, the surrounding mountains became undting, and the mountains were beautiful as if she was in a fairnd.

    After looking at the same scene, Zisu couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°The scenery here is so beautiful.¡±

    Caidie said something that kind of ruined the beautiful atmosphere. ¡°The view is indeed beautiful, but the room is too sparsely furnished.¡± The simplicity was so unbearable that she couldn¡¯t evenpare it to her home.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°When you go out, it¡¯s already good to have shelter from the wind and rain. How can you evenpare it to your home?¡±

    Zisu and Caidie fell silent.

    Just as Yuxi was about to go back, an ear-piercing cry sounded from the middle of the jungle. When Zisu heard the sound, her face changed dramatically. ¡°Miss, this is the howl of a wolf.¡±

    Yuxi nced at Zisu and said, ¡°I am sure that this is not the howl of a wolf.¡± She had heard the sound of a wolf¡¯s howl, which was quite imposing and not as harsh as this sound now. As for what kind of beast¡¯s cry it was, that was unknown.

    Caidie was a bit scared. ¡°Miss, let¡¯s go back!¡± The problem was that if this howling sounded all night, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep.

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? It might sound like it¡¯s right in front of us, but actually, that thing doesn¡¯t know how far it is from us!¡± There must be no dangerous beast that could hurt them here, and that was why Yuxi was not worried at all.

    Zisu was also a bit scared. ¡°Miss, we¡¯d better go back!¡±Her heart started to ooze with panic when she heard that howl.

    By this time, it was also dark, so Yuxi did not force the matter any further and took the two back. Once back in their courtyard, Zisu hurriedly bolted the door and then told Momo Quan about it.

    Momo Quan frowned for a moment and said, ¡°It is the third lunar month, and all kinds of beasts are running about, so don¡¯t walk around at night.¡± The third lunar month was the time when everything woke up. The beasts had done with their hibernation ande out to find food themselves. However, there was nothing for them to worry about those beasts in this area.

    When Zisu saw Yuxi was reading once more, she urged, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t read anymore. You should go to bed early!¡± Somehow, her Miss never forgot to read her books all the time!

    Yuxi was still holding her book and said without looking back, ¡°I can¡¯t sleep. If you are sleepy, you can go to sleep first!¡± Although Yuxi had asked them to go to bed early, how would they dare to sleep, not until their master herself had rested? If they did go to sleep, Momo Quan would surely give them another lecture tomorrow.

    ¡°Howl¡­¡­¡± The sound was obvious in the silent night. When Yuxi heard the sound, she lost control of her hand, and it knocked the candle on the table to the ground.

    Zisu and Caidie also heard this howl, and both of them shivered a little. ¡°Miss, what kind of howling is this?¡± The sound was so creepy.

    Yuxi steadied herself and replied, ¡°That¡¯s the cry of a wolf. Forget it. Let¡¯s stop reading and go to sleep!¡± After saying this, she asked, ¡°Are all the gates, windows and doors outside being locked?¡±

    Zisu nodded hastily and said, ¡°They were all locked.¡±

    Momo Quan came from the next room and said, ¡°Miss, that was a wolf just now. Let¡¯s go to bed early, and we¡¯ll go down the mountain first thing in the morning tomorrow. ¡± She had never heard of wolves around here before. Otherwise, how would they dare to spend the night here?

    They spent the night with trepidation and fear. Yuxi was fine since she didn¡¯t hear any howl after that and quickly fell asleep. Zisu and Caidie, on the other hand, could not close their eyes for the rest of the night.

    When Yuxi got up the next day, she noticed the dark circles under their eyes and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just a few wolves¡¯ howls. Just look how scared you already are!¡±

    At this time, Momo Quan also came in from outside. Yuxi caught sight of therge ck circles around Momo Quan¡¯s eyes and felt a little awkward. Why did she feel like she was the only one who was being muddle-headed and daring?

    Zisu said, ¡°Miss, Zijin has also been studying for more than four years. So it¡¯s time for her toe back.¡± In a situation likest night, if Zijin were around, they would have nothing to fear.

    Yuxi was a little hesitant. It had taken Zijin most of the year to get into Master Yang¡¯s eyes, and now she had been learning a lot more day by day.

    Momo Quan looked at Yuxi and said, ¡°Miss, Zijin has been learning for four years. With her skills, she is good enough to protect you.¡± What Momo Quan meant was that when Yuxi had asked Zijin to learn martial arts, she had only wanted to have someone around who knew it just to protect her, not to train a martial arts master. Now that four years had passed, Zijin was already good enough to look after her Miss.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll write to Zijin when I get back.¡±

    Perhaps influenced by the wolves¡¯ howls yesterday, the morning saw many people descending the mountain. There was an advantage to having thisrge number of people: since they had somebody to keep thempany, they would not be afraid of wild animals.

    Back at the State Residence, when Qiu Shi saw the group, she frowned and asked, ¡°Why are you all in such a state after staying overnight in the mountain?¡± They were all looking so listless.

    Yuxi answered with a wry smile, ¡°There had been wolves on the mountain. They were all frightened when the wolves howled for a whilest night.¡± Yuxi was still looking fine despite that situation. But some of the other female guests still had their hearts fluttered with fear when they went down the mountain.

    Qiu Shi was shocked to hear about this. When she looked carefully at Yuxi and found that Yuxi was unharmed, she put her mind at ease. ¡°It¡¯s better not to live outside in the future.¡± If she had known, she would not have let Yuxi go to the Lingshan Temple to offer incense.

    That afternoon, Marquis Taining Residence sent quite a few things to the State Residence. Qiu Shi handed Yuxi a small rosewood box and said, ¡°This was quietly given to me by the Lady of Taining¡¯s trusted Momo, saying that it was for you to help you get over your shock.¡±

    So mysterious. Yuxi immediately opened the box and saw a baby palm-sized yupei lying inside. As soon as her hand touched it, her eyes went wide. ¡°This jade¡­¡­¡± This jade was surprisingly warm and not even a bit cold.

    Qiu Shi noticed that Yuxi¡¯s appearance seemed somewhat unusual. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± After that, she looked at the piece of yupei inside the box. The yupei was beautifully carved, and its colour and texture were warm and slick, which gave people a warm feeling.

    A smile emerged on Yuxi¡¯s face, ¡°Mother, this is warm jade.¡± Yuxi had only read about it in books, but she never thought she would one day be able to own such a legendary item.

    Warm jade refers to jade that is form from high temperature and high pressure condition. Today they are mostly known as nephrite. And the most well-known ¡®warm jade¡¯ is Hetian Jade. One of the most expensive jade in ancient China. Visually, it can give a sense of warmth when oneys on it. It is much tougher and lighter than jadeite, another type of jade.

    Qiu Shi let out a cry and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a good thing. It should be worth several thousand taels of silver. Since the Lady of Taining has the heart to give it to you, then you can just wear it.¡±

    Hearing this statement, Yuxi didn¡¯t tell Qiu Shi that she couldn¡¯t buy this even if she had money. She just smiled and nodded a little. She took the yupei out and put it around her neck. [+]

    The State Residence had just been divided, and many things needed to be done. Thus, Qiu Shi said, ¡°Yuxi, you should go back first.¡± She still had a lot of things to deal with. However, she didn¡¯t mind this time. She was going to have a much easier life after this hard work anyway.

    Back in Taoran House, Yuxi couldn¡¯t stop the smile on her face. Momo Quan smiled and asked, ¡°What good things did the Lady say to Miss just now?¡± She seldom saw Yuxi looking so cheerful.

    Once Yuxi entered the house, she took out the newly-acquired yupei from her neck and answered with a smile, ¡°This was given to me by Lady of Taining just now.¡± It was a small matter, but what was rare was the Lady of Taining¡¯s intention. Yuxi had been worried that the Lady of Taining didn¡¯t like her, and she would turn her face when she met Yuxi in the future. This yupei dispelled this worry of hers. Since the Lady of Taining had gifted this precious thing, it showed that she had recognised Yuxi as her daughter-inw.

    A smile appeared on Momo Quan¡¯s serious face. ¡°It is indeed a good thing.¡± With her mother-inw¡¯s approval and her husband¡¯s affection, marrying into the Chen family would undoubtedly make for a smooth life for Miss.

    When Yuxi returned from the mountain, she also kept her promise by asking Guo Daniang to make twelve pieces of pastries to give to the entourage who had followed her to the mountain.

    When Qiu Shi found out, she said with a smile, ¡°You girl, if you think they¡¯ve worked hard, just give them some more rewards. Why are you still sending them pastries?¡± The whole residence knew about Yuxi¡¯s sending of pastries to her entourage.

    Yuxi was now not afraid to make a ssh and stated, ¡°I promised them at the time that I would each send a piece of pastries made by Guo Daniang when I returned. One has to be a man of one¡¯s words and have to do what one has said.¡± Even if they were mere subordinates, they couldn¡¯t be fooled.

    Qiu Shi spoke out a few words casually on something else instead, ¡°The examination will finish in two days. I just hope Chen Ran can do well this time. When you two get married, you¡¯ll live in honour.¡± Although her son had said that Chen Ran¡¯s results were outstanding and that the second rank was not that difficult for him to get, she would not be sure until she saw the results. Many talented people had failed in the examination. Under normal circumstances, it would have been fine if they were just unsessful, but it would be a big deal if they had to retake the test, as Chen Ran was still young. But the Monk Liao Tong¡¯s words still made Qiu Shi uneasy. She didn¡¯t believe the old bald donkey¡¯s words, but the problem was that others did. If Chen Ran failed the exam, people outside would probably say that Yuxi had brought him down.

    Yuxi was not worried at all, and she had confidence in Chen Ran as she said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. Second Master Chen will pass the exam.¡± Chen Ran was not like Jiang Hongjin. He did not have an older brother who would keep on suppressing him, and his life had always been smooth. Hence, how could he fail the exam? Moreover, even if Jiang Hongfu restrained Jiang Hongjin by not giving him any hope of earning the title zhuangyuan, just by getting the second rank would not be a problem.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s heart was anxious, but she didn¡¯t want to pass on her anxiety to Yuxi. ¡°Well, Mother also hopes that he can pass brilliantly. It¡¯s best if he can get one of the top three positions, then no one will say anything sour about it anymore.¡±

    Yuxi responded with a smile, ¡°Mother, let them say sour words, and don¡¯t worry about those who don¡¯t matter.¡± Even if those people were sour in their hearts, they would at most chatter in private but still be polite and amiable to the person they talked about.

    Qiu Shi nodded her head, but when she remembered that Yuxi would be married in a month or so, she felt a little sad. ¡°I remembered that you were just a palm-sized child when you were born, and now, in the blink of an eye, you¡¯re getting married. How time flies!¡± In gratitude for Ning Shi¡¯s kindness in saving her youngest son¡¯s life, Qiu Shi made a great effort when Ning Shi was giving birth. Otherwise, Ning Shi would not have been sessful in delivering her child.

    Mama Li thought that her Lady liked to pick the kettle that was not boiling. This remark from her Lady would surely remind Fourth Miss of her birth mother¡¯s untimely death. ¡°My Lady, didn¡¯t you just say that the kitchen ounts were wrong?¡±

    Qiu Shi was wondering what was wrong with the kitchen ounts. Then she saw Mama Li¡¯s give her a wink. After so many years, they had a tacit understanding of each other, so she nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I had forgotten about that. Yuxi, why don¡¯t you go back first.¡±

    How could Yuxi not see that Mama Li was trying to save her from embarrassment? She just smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go back then.¡± She didn¡¯t even know how to react to Qiu Shi¡¯s words just now.

    When Yuxi had left, Qiu Shi asked, ¡°What is it that I have to avoid saying to Yuxi?¡± Qiu Shi treated Yuxi like her own daughter, so she never avoided saying anything to her unless it was a private matter.

    Mama Lin did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°My Lady, you just mentioned the birth of the Fourth Miss, and she will surely think of thete Lady Ning.¡±

    When Qiu Shi heard this, she also felt that she had been saying something inappropriate. ¡°I hope the child doesn¡¯t overthink about it.¡± The child was a broad-minded one and should not think too much about it.

 Chapter 265 - Second Rank

    Chapter 265 : Second Rank

    The Spring Examination soon finished, and the next step was to wait for the results toe out. Yuxi was in a good mood as she ate and drank as she should and was not affected at all.

    Chen Ran was the son of the Chen family, and whether or not he seeded was a matter for the Chen family and had little to do with the Han family. However, the most anxious person in the entire Han family was Qiu Shi, who had been restless these days, unable to eat or sleep. Yuxi had advised her several times but to no avail. In the end, she simply stopped doing so, as the examination results would be released in only a matter of days anyway.

    On the day of the results, Qiu Shi kept on pacing inside her room without a pause. Yuxii couldn¡¯t help but smile as she watched. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t be nervous. Second Master Chen will definitely pass.¡±

    Ye Shi was also looking at Qiu Shi and Yuxi¡¯s reactions and couldn¡¯t help but smile as well. This situation was indeed like the Emperor was not even worried, but his eunuchs were!

    At the beginning of wushi, the page boy assigned to wait for the results finally came running in. When Qiu Shi saw him, she hurriedly asked, ¡°How is it? Did the Second Master Chen family pass the exam?¡±

    The page boy nodded, but since he had just run into the inner courtyard, he could only pant and could not speak.

    In response, Qiu Shi¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Did he pass?¡± That would¡¯ve been wonderful. As wonderful as reading this chapter at its original trantion site, at xinshou blogspot.

    Yuxi was calmer as she smilingly instructed Zisu, ¡°Bring him a cup of tea. Let him moisten his throat first and ask him to speak slowly.¡±

    The page boy finished his cup of tea, and by this time, once he had recovered, he said joyfully, ¡°He passed. Fourth Guye has gotten the second rank passed schr.¡± To them, that was a big deal.

    When Ye Shi heard this, she was shocked. ¡°Is there a mistake?¡± If there was no mistake in the Imperial Examination, he should have been in the top three positions!

    The boy cracked a smile and said, ¡°I have double-checked. There can be no mistake. Congrattions, Madam, and congrattions to the Fourth Miss.¡± He didn¡¯t know who said that the Fourth Miss had a bad fate, and just look, the Fourth Guye had earned himself a second rank position.

    Yuxi smiled and asked Zisu to give the prepared hebao to the page boy. The page boy squeezed it, and it was bulging. Thus, he withdrew contentedly. Others said that the Fourth Miss was generous when giving rewards, and it was true.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s face was full of smiles at this point. ¡°Second rank passed schr, how nice.¡± Let¡¯s see who dared to say that Yuxi had a bad fate. Her Yuxi was clearly a child with good fortune.

    Ye Shi saw that although Yuxi had a smile on her face, she did not have that ecstatic look. She didn¡¯t even know whether to say that Yuxi had an excellent mentality or she was just so good at hiding her emotions. Whichever it was, the Second Master Chen had won the second rank passed schr, and Yuxi was like the boat that floated high when the river water rose. Ye Shi sincerely congratted her, ¡°Si Mei, congrattions.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and responded, ¡°Thank you, Dasao.¡±

    When Han Jingyan heard that Chen Ran had won the second rank in the examination, he was silent for a moment and asked, ¡°Did the Second Young Master Jiang pass the examination?¡± Hearing the attendant say that he did, the expression on his face eased considerably, and he asked again, ¡°What position did he win?¡±

    The attendant answered, ¡°My Lord, Second Young Master Jiang got the eighteen position in the exam.¡± This rank was also very good, but it was a lot worse whenpared with Fourth Guye.

    Han Jingyan waved his hand and said, ¡°Withdraw!¡± After saying that, he started to write another word. But as soon as he put his writing brush onto the paper, he somehow ruined his handwriting style. Han Jingyan was not as calm as he appeared to be.

    When Chen Ran won the second rank, the most resentful one in the Han family was Wen Shi. ¡°Wasn¡¯t she said to have a bad fate? How did the Second Master Chen pass the exam? How did he get the second rank in the exam?¡± If Chen Ran had failed, Han Yuxi would have been disliked by the people of Marquis Taining Residence. However, he passed and even earned himself in the second rank position.

    Wen Shi now med Yuxi for her miscarriage and wanted her to be as miserable as possible. Unfortunately, not only was Yuxi not as unlucky as she would like her to be, but her life got even better. [T/C]

    When the old woman servant who served Wen Shi heard this, a sh of disgust appeared in her eyes. It was ridiculous to me the Fourth Miss when Wen Shi had made a fool of herself, making her lose her child. In fact, when Chun Lan was sent back to the Biteng courtyard, the old woman servant did not allow her toe in but ordered her to go outside instead, as she was afraid that Chun Lan¡¯s ghostly appearance would scare Wen Shi. Unfortunately, Wen Shi was looking for trouble as she insisted on seeing Chun Lan when she knew that Chu Lan had returned and ended up being so frightened that she had pregnancyplications. Anyway, as far as the old woman servant was concerned, it was good that the child was not there, for it would not have been good to be born by such a mother.

    After staying in Biteng Courtyard for a long time, she wished she could go back much earlier. But the longer she stayed here, the more empty her heart became. Since she knew so many things about Wen Shi, will Wen Shi let her go back when she was finally out of confinement? This matter seemed like it was still hanging in the air.

    Yuchen¡¯s gifts arrived that afternoon, and it was impossible to say that Yuchen¡¯s reaction was not fast. Looking at the valuable things, Yuxi smiled and had Zisu sort them out and then put them into the storeroom.

    Momo Quan followed Yuxi into the room and asked, ¡°Miss doesn¡¯t seem very happy that Second Master Chen won the second rank passed schr?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not unhappy. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve expected it. Now that he has won the second rank passed schr, as far as Chen Ran¡¯s looks are concerned, he is in all probability will be titled tanhua for this term.¡±

    Momo Quan let out a cry of admiration. Everyone was still ecstatic that Second Master Chen had won the second rank in the examination. Yet, her Miss was already thinking about the Pce Examination. Her Miss was thinking far ahead. ¡°I thought Miss was not happy?¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°A woman¡¯s honour and disgrace all depend on the man. If Chen Ran excels, I will also have a face.¡± Otherwise, Yuchen would not have sent over the gifts. [+]

    Of course, Yuxi had mixed feelings about this. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t like it. It was just that she had an unspoken sense of disappointment. A woman¡¯s whole life depended on her man. If a man was glorious, only then could a woman have status. The reason why she had this thought was if a man didn¡¯t like you, even if he was glorious, he probably wouldn¡¯t want anything to do with you and would probably treat you just like a decoration. On the contrary, if the man were useless, the woman would also look down upon by other people. No matter how you looked at it, being a man was happier than being a woman.

    Momo Quan didn¡¯t like what she heard. ¡°Miss¡­¡­¡± Reading too much also had side effects. That was, one would tend to overthink.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just talking casually.¡± She couldn¡¯t change the status quo, so she could only make herself adapt to it. Fortunately, Chen Ran was an open-minded person and would not restrict her from doing anything.

    The next afternoon, Zhou Shiya¡¯s personal maid, Xiao Ling, came over. When Yuxi saw that Xiao Ling did not look right, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Shiya?¡±

    Xiao Ling said with an anxious look on her face, ¡°My Miss is unwell.¡±

    Yuxi was rmed, ¡°What happened to Shiya?¡±

    Xiao Ling said with a panicked look on her face, ¡°My Miss said she wants to see you. Miss Biao, please go and see my Miss!¡±

    Her words frightened Yuxi¡¯s heart as she rushed to the Zhou Residence without even changing her clothes.

    Momo Quan pulled Yuxi¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Miss, no matter how urgent it is, you should change your clothes first!¡± Asking Yuxi to change her clothes first was only stalling for time. Momo Quan felt that Xiao Ling¡¯s demeanour was wrong and wanted to wait until Yuxi changed her clothes to interrogate her.

    Yuxi was in too much of a hurry. Where would she have time to change her clothes? She just wanted to go to Zhou Residence to see what was going on as she said, ¡°I won¡¯t change my clothes. I have to hurry over to see her.¡±

    Seeing this situation, Momo Quan said, ¡°Then I will go with Miss!¡±

    Yuxi nodded and agreed without thinking. Momo Quan had more experience. In case something happens to Zhou Shiya, she would be able to help.

    Along the way, Yuxi¡¯s mind imagined a lot of things. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became, and she kept urging the coachman to hurry up. Momo Quan grasped Yuxi¡¯s hand and advised, ¡°Calm down, Miss. Even if there is something wrong with Miss Shiya, there is still Second Lady Zhou!¡± There was something wrong with this Xiao Ling, but the current situation was so chaotic that Yuxi didn¡¯t realise it yet. In the end, Yuxi was still young and had not suffered any setbacks, so she revealed her ws when things suddenly went wrong.

    When Yuxi arrived at the Zhou Residence, she saw that Zhou Shiya was intact, and her anger rose. ¡°Zhou Shiya, there is a limit to jokes, okay? Do you know how scared I was?¡± Yuxi imagined many scenes on the way here, but she didn¡¯t expect Zhou Shiya to be alright.

    Zhou Shiya was initially very happy to see Yuxi, but who would have thought that Yuxi would start splitting her head and covering her face with a lecture. At that moment, she asked with a puzzled expression, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Yuxi asked coldly, ¡°You¡¯re asking what¡¯s wrong? The people you sent said you were unwell and asked me to hurry over to see you. I thought something had happened to you, and you expect that would not freak me out?¡±

    When Zhou Shiya heard this, she blushed. ¡°I did ask someone to go to the State Residence to ask when you have time, just to get together and chat.¡±

    Yuxi was scared just now. When she saw that Zhou Shiya was fine, her anger suddenly came up. After listening to Zhou Shiya¡¯s words, she also felt that something was wrong. ¡°The maid who came to deliver the message is your second-ss maid, Xiao Ling.¡± If it weren¡¯t for Xiao Ling to be one of the maids serving around Zhou Shiya and holding the post of the Zhou family, Yuxi would not have followed out in a hurry.

    Zhou Shiya dragged Yuxi to the Second Lady Zhou¡¯s courtyard, exining to Yuxi as she walked, ¡°Xiao Ling had already gone to work under Zhou Shirust month.¡± Zhao Shiya and Yuxi hadn¡¯t seen each other for two months, and although they had written to each other, Zhao Shiya couldn¡¯t write about a maid in a letter.

    Yuxi knew that the problemy with Zhou Shirui.

    When Second Lady Zhou found out about this, she was also furious. She immediately went to find First Lady Zhou, intending to ask for an exnation from Zhou Shirui and Xiao Ling on this matter.

    Xiao Ling knelt on the ground and told the story of what had happened. It was a straightforward matter. The maid Zhou Shiya had sent to deliver a message to Yuxi had lost her bnce and fell. This scene coincidentally was seen by Zhou Shirui. Zhou Shirui had gone out of her mind when she instructed Xiao Ling to lie to Yuxi by saying that Zhou Shiya was not well. In other words, the incident was a joke yed by Zhou Shirui on Yuxi.

    Yuxi was furious as she shouted angrily at Zhou Shirui, ¡°A joke? Do you know that this joke almost scared me to death?¡±

    Zhou Shirui yelled at Xiao Ling resentfully, ¡°You dead girl, when did I let you do such a thing?¡± After saying that, she walked up and kicked Xiao Ling twice, knocking the person to the ground and continued saying, ¡°How dare you wrongly use me! You want me to kick you till you die?¡± [T/C]

    Such an aggressive Zhou Shirui was an eye-opener for Yuxi.

    When Second Lady Zhou saw this scene, her face became even more ugly as she said, ¡°If you dare to do something, you dare to be responsible for it. Dasao, if you don¡¯t give me an exnation today, this matter will not be over.¡± How could a maid have the guts to make such a joke? But Zhou Shirui was afraid to admit it for fear of being held ountable.

    At once, First Lady Zhou sent someone to call the yapo to have Xiao Ling sold. Xiao Ling did not react when she heard this instruction, as if it was not her who was going to be sold. Yuxi looked at her with a little surprised and bewildered. She was afraid this matter was not that simple.

    As for Zhou Shirui¡¯s punishment, it was simple: Zhou Shirui was grounded for six months and ordered to copy the ?Meditation Sutra? every day. Since confinement in residence was useless as Zhao Shirui could still cause trouble, it would be better for her to be locked up inside her courtyard and not allowed toe out. Thinking of this, First Lady Zhou felt that it would be appropriate to keep Zhou Shirui under house arrest until she was married.

    Although Yuxi had suffered a fright, in the end, she didn¡¯t sustain any severe damage. The Zhou family had already punished Zhou Shirui, who was still the Han family¡¯s rtive. In the end, the matter just ended there.

 Chapter 266 - Bitterness

    Chapter 266 : Bitterness

    Yuxi wanted to go back to the State Residence but was dragged by Zhou Shiya back to her Courtyard. Zhou Shiya also looked apologetic as she said, ¡°Yuxi, I¡¯m really sorry.¡±

    Although Yuxi still had a stomach full of anger, she did not lose her temper with Zhou Shiya, but only asked, ¡°Why did you give your maid to Zhou Shirui for no good reason?¡± Usually, one¡¯s personal maids could not be given to others without any special reasons.

    Zhou Shiya sighed and said, ¡°In fact, this matter is very strange to me, to say the least. That day, when my Ba Mei came over and told me that she wanted to exchange her personal maid with my Xiao Ling, I disagreed. It was my mother whoter asked me to give Xiao Ling to her.¡± Her mother had spoken up, so she didn¡¯t insist. Xiao Ling was just her maid anyway.

    Yuxi frowned. ¡°Why would your mother tell you to give Xiao Ling to Zhou Shirui?¡± The Second Lady Zhou was not a person who was open to persuasion.

    Zhou Shiya said, ¡°I asked, but my mother wouldn¡¯t tell me. If I had known that something like this would happen, I would not have agreed to give that person to her that day.¡±

    When Yuxi remembered how Xiao Ling had reacted at that time, her heart felt extremely ufortable. Although she was not sure of the reason, nine times out of ten, the Zhou family was having internal strife, which somehow implicated Yuxi too. Yuxi said, ¡°Forget it. If you don¡¯t know, then you won¡¯t know about it. I¡¯ve been out for so long. My mother must be worried. I have to go back.¡± When she encountered such a thing, Yuxi was unwilling to stay in the Zhou family for much longer.

    When Zhou Shiya saw Yuxi¡¯s reaction, she begged pitifully, ¡°Yuxi, this matter is all my fault. Don¡¯t be angry with me, okay?¡±

    Yuxiughed a little as sheforted her, ¡°This has nothing to do with you. Well, we¡¯ll talk about it next time. My mother must be very anxious as I havee out in such a hurry. I must rush back.¡± After saying that, she nced at Momo Quan, who had not said anything. She had been in too much of a hurry just now. Now that she had time to think back, Momo Quan probably noticed something wrong with Xiao Ling much earlier.

    Zhou Shiya stopped obstructing Yuxi and sent her out the second door. Until Yuxi¡¯s back disappeared from her sight, Zhou Shiya turned around and went to find Second Lady Zhou. ¡°Mother, why did you give Xiao Ling to Zhou Shirui that day?¡±

    Second Lady Zhou responded, ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask much about this. Mother has Mother¡¯s own reasons for not telling you.¡±

    Zhou Shiya was annoyed and said, ¡°Mother, I must know the reason today.¡± When her mother told her not to ask that day, she didn¡¯t ask any more questions. But now, she couldn¡¯t help but ask. Even though she wasn¡¯t the one triggering this incident, how would she exin it to Yuxi?

    When Second Lady Zhou looked at Zhou Shiya¡¯s insistent face, she could only sigh quietly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this to happen like this. If you want to know, I¡¯ll tell you, but you can¡¯t tell Yuxi about this.¡±

    Zhou Shiya nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Second Lady Zhou told her daughter the truth. ¡°Xiao Ling is your Dabo¡¯s daughter.¡± She also knew this by ident, which was shocking and difficult for her to ept at first. Once she let out this secret, her daughter¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good.

    Zhou Shiya was so shocked that her whole body froze. ¡°How could that be? Aren¡¯t Xiao Ling¡¯s parents the tenants of the hamlet? How could she be Dabo¡¯s daughter?¡±

    Second Lady Zhou replied, ¡°You just need to know that Xiao Ling is your Dabo¡¯s daughter. You don¡¯t need to know anything else.¡± In fact, it was not much of a twist as the Eldest Lord Zhou was a lustful man. On a chance visit to the hamlet more than ten years ago, he fell in love with Xiao Ling¡¯s lovely mother. If he had only taken advantage of her body and brought her back as a concubine, that would have been fine. However, for Eldest Lord Zhou, it was just a novelty, and he threw the matter beyond the highest heavens when he returned to the capital. Xiao Ling¡¯s mother was not a fool. She knew that if she entered the Marquis¡¯ household, it would be a road that would lead her nowhere, so she married her current husband. The Second Lady Zhou did not want to talk to Zhou Shiya about these kinds of things. She was afraid that talking about them would dirty her daughter¡¯s ears.

    Zhou Shiya frowned and questioned, ¡°If Mother knew that Xiao Ling was my tangmei, why didn¡¯t Mother tell Grandmother and Da Bomu?¡±

    Second Lady Zhou stroked Zhou Shiya¡¯s head and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s not something you can just admit. There¡¯s a lot of things involved.¡±

    Zhou Shiya asked, ¡°Even if Xiao Ling knows about her birth, what does this have to do with Yuxi? Earnestly, why should Yuxi even be dragged into this matter?¡±

    Second Lady Zhou answered, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that.¡±

    When Zhou Shiya looked at her mother, she knew that she wasn¡¯t telling the truth. It was just that she was also clear that her mother was already at the limit of what she could say to her. ¡°Mother, then how should I exin this matter to Yuxi? It¡¯s our fault that this incident has put Yuxi in such a fright.¡± If something like this leaked out, the Marquis Residence would also have to suffer.

    Second Lady Zhou could only smile bitterly. ¡°That¡¯s all we can do.¡± There was no way for them to give an ount of this matter to Yuxi, even if it would leave a knot in her heart.

    When Yuxi returned to the State Residence, she went to see Qiu Shi. Yuxi did not hide it from Qiu Shi and told her about it.

    Qiu Shi was furious and questioned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this girl? Can such a thing be used as a joke?¡± After that, she asked, ¡°What did the Zhou family do with that girl?¡±

    Yuxi told how the First Lady Zhou had punished Zhou Shirui. Although Yuxi was unhappy with this punishment, she knew that this was the limit for the Zhou family.

    Qiu Shi sneered as she said, ¡°The Zhou family is indeed getting worse over time. Don¡¯t go to the Zhou family anymore in the future.¡± Who knew if there would be another prank next time.

    Yuxi felt that Qiu Shi was venting her anger on those who should not be med, but Qiu Shi was also doing this for her own good, so she could only nod and assure her, ¡°Mother, I know.¡±

    Back at Taoran House, Yuxi let everyone out and took only Momo Quan into the study. When they entered the study, Yuxi asked, ¡°Momo knew that there was something wrong with Xiao Ling. Why didn¡¯t Momo tell me?¡± She didn¡¯t suspect Momo Quan. She just didn¡¯t quite understand her action.

    Momo Quan asked her back, ¡°What did Miss expect me to say? That there¡¯s something wrong with Xiao Ling?¡±

    As soon as she heard Momo Quan¡¯s tone, Yuxi took the initiative to admit her mistake. ¡°It was me who was too impulsive. If I had only thought more about what happened today, she wouldn¡¯t have fooled me.¡± Although she was still unclear as to what this incident was all about. It was not like anything particr had happened despite being tricked intoing to the Zhou family residence.

    Momo Quan asked another question, ¡°If something like this happens again next time, will Miss still be this impulsive?¡± Yuxi had learnt a lot, but what she had learnt was all theoretical and hadn¡¯t experienced much. It would be good for her to undergo more situations right now instead.

    Yuxi did not answer immediately but lowered her head and thought seriously for a moment before saying, ¡°No. Even if something truly happened to Zhou Shiya, I should have spoken to my mother first, instead of rushing off by myself.¡±

    Momo Quan nodded her head. If Yuxi hadn¡¯t even thought to tell her that she would do the opposite, she would have been very disappointed. There were many things that one could only know whether one could do it after one had thought about them carefully.

    Yuxi still asked the same question she had just asked before, ¡°Momo has long seen that there is something wrong with Xiao Ling, but why didn¡¯t Momo tell me?¡±

    Momo Quan said, ¡°Do you know why masters release their apprentices after they have learned their master¡¯s craft for them to set up their own business?¡± Momo Quan was talking here about a liberal-minded master who honestly thought of his apprentice¡¯s interest. [+]

    Yuxi knew that Momo Quan would not say such things for no reason, and at that moment, she fell into deep thought. After a while, Yuxi answered, ¡°Just by following the master¡¯s side, there will always be a dependency on the master, and the apprentice cannot grow. By letting the apprentice go, is it the master¡¯s hope that his apprentice can make his way outside and be an independent person in the future?¡± After saying this, Yuxi understood why Momo Quan had not told her that there was something wrong with Xiao Ling. If Momo had told her today that there was something wrong with Xiao Ling, she would have been angry, but not this furious.

    Momo Quan nodded gently and said with relief, ¡°The fact that Miss can figure this out proves that some of my hard work has not been in vain. However, Miss has not yet realised Miss¡¯ biggest problem.¡± Had Yuxi been reminded, she would not have been able to teach her such a profound lesson.

    Yuxi froze for a moment and asked, ¡°My biggest problem?¡± She thought her biggest problem was that she wasn¡¯t observant enough and had been too impulsive at times. But looking at Momo¡¯s expression, it seemed like that wasn¡¯t the utmost mistake of hers that Momo hadid out.

    Momo Quan exined, ¡°Today, Miss¡¯ biggest problem was that Miss had no guard against people and was not cautious in Miss¡¯ actions. If Miss is a little cautious, Miss won¡¯t have fallen for it. It never urred to Miss that if someone tried to kill Miss in the name of someone Miss cares about, like today¡¯s situation, that person would have seeded.¡± [T/R]

    Yuxi admitted that she had been too impulsive today, but she was still a little hesitant when she heard Momo Quan¡¯s words. ¡°Momo, Zhou Shiya is a good sister of mine. When I heard that there was something wrong with her, I was so anxious and angry that I didn¡¯t think much about it at all.¡±

    Momo Quan looked pale as she reminded, ¡°Miss, even good sisters can be enemies in the twinkling of an eye.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face froze, but she knew Momo Quan¡¯s temper and wouldn¡¯t say these words for no reason. ¡°Momo might as well say to me directly what Momo wants to say.¡±

    Momo Quan nodded a little and said, ¡°In the future, Miss shouldn¡¯t get too close with Miss Zhou.¡±

    Yuxi was stunned. After a moment, she asked, ¡°Why?¡±

    Momo Quan replied to Yuxi with only a few sentences that pointed out that their sister rtionship was unworthy. ¡°I have heard Zisu talk a lot about you and Miss Biao Zhou. Over the years, Miss has treated Miss Biao Zhou like Miss¡¯ own sister. But as soon as the Miss encountered a difficult situation, Miss Biao Zhou avoided Miss.¡±

    Yuxi knew that Momo Quan was talking about when Han Jingyan kicked her out, and Zhou Shiya had made no further contact with her. ¡°Shiya was also kept in check by Second Lady Zhou. There was nothing she could do about it.¡±

    Momo Quan smiled a little. ¡°Miss might want to think about it from a different perspective. If Zhou Shiya was the one who had been kicked out of her house, what would Miss have done?¡± Seeing that Yuxi was silent, Momo Quan continued, ¡°If Zhou Shiya were kicked out in the end instead, Miss would certainly think of ways to see her, and even if Miss couldn¡¯t, Miss would have someone send a letter to her. Miss Zhou is the Second Lady Zhou¡¯s biological daughter. As long as Miss Zhou had the heart to do so, there was no way she couldn¡¯t even send Miss a letter. Miss, only when one encountered misfortune could one see a person¡¯s true nature.¡± From what happenedst time, one could see that Zhou Shiya was not someone worthy of a sincere friendship. It was still worthwhile for Yuxi to improve her evaluation of people.

    Yuxi felt that her mouth was full of bitterness.

    Momo Quan did not go on, but she decided to stop talking instead. One could think about it oneself in such matters, and it was useless for others to say more about it.

 Chapter 267 - A Series Of Happy Events (1)

    Chapter 267 : A Series Of Happy Events (1)

    On the sixth day after the examination results were released, the Jiang family invited an official matchmaker to propose marriage to the Han family. Jiang Hongjin came eighteenth in the examination. With his father holding the title of vice-minister in the Ministry of Revenue, the Han family couldn¡¯t refuse such an offer.

    Han Jingyan had received the news in advance, so he stayed at the residence on this day. Of course, it was impossible for him, a man, to receive the matchmaker. Since the Old Lady was too old to stand the strain and Qiu Shi was unwilling to take care of it, the task of entertaining the matchmaker eventually fell to Ye Shi. Of course, as the two families involved had already agreed in private, the matchmaker¡¯s visit was a mere formality, and the two parties soon exchanged birth dates.

    When Yuxi heard the news, she simply mumbled and did not react any further. For the past few days, she had been thinking about what Momo Quan had said and then reflecting on herself. It was hard for her to deny it. She was indeedcking in this area of reading people.

    Zisu asked cautiously, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong with youtely?¡± These days Miss had a taut face, with not a single smile could be seen. All the people in the Taoran House were careful because Miss was in a bad mood.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You can withdraw.¡± After Zisu had turned and prepared to go out, Yuxi added, ¡°Please ask Momo Quan toe over.¡± Due to Yuxi¡¯s high regard, Momo Quan had a very high status in Taoran House.

    Not long after, Momo Quan came in.

    Yuxi requested, ¡°Momo, can you tell me about what happened in the pce?¡± She had never heard Momo Quan talk about what happened in the pce, but at this moment, she was eager to listen. Although she had been trying to change herself over the years, she was stillcking in the area of experience. To have fiery eyes and diamond pupils or something like that, she needed all the exercise.

    Momo Quan said with an unchanged expression, ¡°Of course, I can tell you all you want to hear.¡± As long as it was not a hidden matter, there was no harm in telling Yuxi.

    At the end of this talk, whichsted all afternoon and all evening, Momo Quan said, ¡°I am telling you this because I hope you will be more careful in your future actions. Just because you look innocent and harmless doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that you have to be truly innocent.¡± Momo Quan¡¯s words were not referring to Zhou Shiya but merely a reminder for Yuxi to be more careful and wary.

    Yuxi smiled bitterly and didn¡¯t respond to Momo Quan¡¯s remark.

    The next day, when Yuxi walked out after her morning practice, she heard magpies chirping on the branches of the trees. Zisu eximed, ¡°I¡¯m afraid something good wille today.¡± It was a well-known fact that magpies came with good things. Miss had been in a bad moodtely, so she hoped that something good woulde to wash away her depression. Unfortunately, from morning until evening, the residence was calm and quiet.

    Zisu kept bashfully waiting until it was almost dark and was about to give up when she saw a person walk in from outside. When she saw the visitor, she wiped her eyes to make sure that they were indeed seeing the right person before she called out happily, ¡°Zijin, you¡¯re back.¡±

    Zijin revealed a mouthful of big white teeth and said, ¡°En, I¡¯m back. I won¡¯t leave this time.¡± Miss was getting married, so she was surely going to follow her.

    Zisu hurriedly took Zijin¡¯s hand and went to the study. She excitedly informed Yuxi, who was reading a book, ¡°Miss, look who¡¯s back?¡± Miss would be delighted to see Zijin. Sure enough, as she expected, as soon as Miss saw Zijin, the look on her face eased up a lot.

    Yuxi was very surprised. ¡°Zijin, why have youe back? You didn¡¯t even tell me you wereing back. I could have asked someone to pick you up from the mountain.¡±

    Zijin smiled and said, ¡°I cane back by myself. I don¡¯t need someone to pick me up.¡±

    Zisu asked, ¡°Zijin, we sent the letter to you a long time ago. Why are you onlying back now?¡± When they had sent out the letter, they didn¡¯t receive any reply at all. She thought that Zijin did not want toe back.

    Zijin felt guilty. ¡°When I received the letter from you, I wanted to go down the mountain. But Master Yang forbade me to. Since there was no one else on the mountain except for Yu Zhi and me, I couldn¡¯t send a message down. Miss, I¡¯ve made you worry.¡±

    Yuxi was curious. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Master Yang let you go down the mountain?¡± Master Yang was such an open and honest man. How could he do such a petty thing?

    Zijin also found it baffling. ¡°Master Yang said he was willing to take me as his closed disciple and said he would help me get rid of my very status. When I disagreed, he wouldn¡¯t let me go down the mountain.¡± What was the point of taking off her ve status? She had gone up the mountain to learn the art to protect Miss. Zijin didn¡¯t feel any shame in being Yuxi¡¯s maid at all. On the contrary, she felt happy to have met and been around her.

    When Yuxi heard this, a long-awaited smile finally appeared on her face. At least, her life wasn¡¯t that bad as she had two people who sincerely wished to follow her. ¡°After a long journey, you should go wash first. I¡¯ll have Guo Daniang cook something delicious for you.¡±

    Having eaten and drunk enough, at Yuxi¡¯s request, Zijin talked about her life on the mountain. In fact, Zijin¡¯s life there was very dull. Since she did not want to feel unworthy of the six hundred taels of silver, which Miss paid every year, she had been practising her martial arts except when doing housework. When Master Yang did not teach her, she would hide and watch while he trained Yu Zhi. Then, when it waste at night, she would run out alone and practised them secretly. Of course, there was no way that Master Yang didn¡¯t know about her sneaking out to practice. It was just that he wanted to see if Zijin could persevere, but who knew that Zijin¡¯s perseverancested for a year. It was this energy that impressed Master Yang. After that, Master Yang allowed her to listen in when he taught Yu Zhi.

    It took a year to get Master Yang to relent, and Yuxi could even imagine how stubborn this Master Yang was, and immediately said to Zijin, ¡°I¡¯ve made you suffer.¡± This girl, you are too tenacious.

    Zijin smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t suffer. I will never leave again this time, Miss.¡± Having enough food and drink, plus learning martial arts, she genuinely didn¡¯t suffer at all.

    Hearing this statement, Yuxi also said with a smile, ¡°Alright! From now on, you will stay by my side and don¡¯t go anywhere anymore.¡± Even without making a real friend, at least she had gotten such a loyal maid. Her vision was not that faulty yet.

    The next day, Yuxi took Zijin to the Main Courtyard to see Qiu Shi.

    Qiu Shi has always thought of Zijin, the girl who had initially saved the lives of her entire courtyard. Perhaps it was because of her age that when she saw her, she couldn¡¯t help but nag, ¡°You, this girl, why are you so tanned? What will other people say about you in the future?¡± Zijin was the same age as Yuxi, where both were sixteen. Qiu Shi was nning to find a marriage partner for this girl, but if she looked like this, Qiu Shi had to make sure she turned her skin to white again before finding a match for her. Otherwise, who would dare to marry such a dark girl? [T/C]

    Zijin showed those big white teeth again as she spoke, ¡°I won¡¯t marry. I will serve Miss for the rest of my life.¡± These words were not just words but her honest thoughts.

    Qiu Shiughed. ¡°What silly things are you saying? There is no conflict between you¡¯re getting married and serving your Miss.¡± However, when she thought of Zijin¡¯s unusual strength, she became worried again. Anyone who heard the slightest whisper of it would surely be afraid to marry her. [+]

    Yuxi looked at Zijin, who started to get ufortable andmented with a smile, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t tease Zijin. This girl actually has a thin-skinned.¡±

    The groupughed and joked when an old woman servant came in and reported, ¡°My Lady, Wangfei Niangniang is expecting a child.¡± The wangfei was naturally referring to Yuchen.

    Qiu Shi had no interest in this matter as she asked, ¡°Does the Old Lady know about this?¡± Seeing the old woman servant nod, she immediately instructed, ¡°Inform Da Nainai about this, and let her see into it.¡± Because of Chiang Shi, Qiu Shi didn¡¯t like Yuchen very much, so she has always been indifferent to Yuchen. Even when Yuchen became a wangfei, she still treated her with the same attitude, and never would she change.

    The old woman servant epted the instruction and went away.

    Yuxi asked strangely, ¡°I remember that the foetus must be in its first trimester before anyone can tell the news to the outside world?¡± Yuchen was only a little more than a month at most. How could the newse out right now? This was odd.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t think about it that much, mainly because she felt that the matters of the royal family had nothing to do with her. Thus, why should she be bothered with it? ¡°I only hope that if you marry into the Chen family, you will also be able to conceive so quickly.¡± Although everyone said that everything was good in the Chen family, these were all falsehoods. Only when you had a son could you be wholly established. Like her, she had given birth to Jianming the second year after entering the family and then Jianye. With these two sons, no matter how much trouble Concubine Rong caused, no matter how much she fought with the First Lord, nothing could shake her position in the Han family.

    Yuxi blushed just like an apple.

    Qiu Shi smilingly said, ¡°What¡¯s there to be ashamed of? Every woman has to go through this sooner orter.¡±

    Yuchen¡¯s pregnancy was a great event for the whole State Residence. The Old Lady happily ate half a rice bowl and then assigned Qiu Shi to visit Yuchen in her wangfu the following day.

    The Old Lady had no choice but to request Qiu Shi to go, as Wen Shi was still in her confinement period and would not be able to go. Of course, even if Wen Shi were not in confinement, the Old Lady would still not let her go, fearing that Wen Shi would make a mistake, which resulted in the family losing their face! Therefore, she had to bother Qiu Shi.

    Qiu Shi used to be very obedient to the Old Lady. Whenever the Old Lady said one, she would never say two. But now, Qiu Shi shook her head and said, ¡°Mother, let¡¯s just ask Big Boy Ming¡¯s wife to go. Now she is the mistress of the State Residence, and it is most appropriate for her to go.¡± She had always been indifferent to the Third Miss, and now, she couldn¡¯t just suddenly pretend to be a loving aunt to her.

    The Old Lady asked Qiu Shi to go because she also wanted her to talk to Yuchen about what a woman should pay attention to when pregnant. Qiu Shi had given birth to two children back then and had taken care of three more pregnant women, so she had experience in this. On the other hand, Ye Shi had only given birth to one daughter, so what knowledge could she impart to Yuchen?

    Qiu Shi knew what the Old Lady was thinking and said with a smile, ¡°Mother, aren¡¯t there an Imperial Physician and a midwife around her? Can I still bepared with them? Mother, let¡¯s just ask Big Boy Ming¡¯s wife to go there! It¡¯s time for her to handle the matters rted to state residence anyway.¡± As a matter of fact, Ye Shi had already yed a leading role in the backyard matters.

    The Old Lady argued, ¡°Why should she be the one to handle this? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re fifty or sixty. It¡¯s just a trip to the royal residence which does not even take half of the day.¡± Qiu Shi was very disappointed when she first learned that Ye Shi could not have any more children. Still, as time went by, seeing Ye Shi¡¯s conscientiousness and dedication in taking care of the household and Xiao Qi, her heart softened. When Ye Shi had taken good care of Aunt Jia, itpletely dispersed her discontent. Compared to Qiu Shi¡¯s generosity nature, the Old Lady still could not let go of it. She had always held a grudge against Ye Shi for concealing her health when she married into the family and always felt cheated.

    Now that her son was the Duke of the State, Qiu Shi¡¯s strength had also be more substantial. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve been working all these years tirelessly, and now I just want to live a few days of leisure. Leave these chores to Big Boy Ming¡¯s wife! She is better at talking and working than I am.¡± Qiu Shi didn¡¯t see anything wrong with Ye Shi being better than her.

    When the Old Lady heard this, she felt that her heart was being pressed by a stone, making her unable to breathe. But she knew that there was nothing she could do to deal with Qiu Shi right now. If Qiu Shi did not want to go, she could not force her. At present, she could onlye to terms with it. The only person who could socialise in the entire State Residence was Ye Shi, and no one else was suitable.

 Chapter 268 - A Series Of Happy Events (2)

    Chapter 268 : A Series Of Happy Events (2)

    Ye Shi made a trip to Jing Wangfu and brought back the good news that Song Ce Fei had a miscarriage.

    Zisu whispered to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, I heard she had a male fetus.¡± If this child were born, it would be Jing Wang¡¯s eldest son, and his status would have been different.

    Yuxi was not surprised that Song Linger would have a miscarriage. Yuchen had given birth to a son who then became Jing Wangfu eldest di in her previous life. However, Yuxi was more interested in how Song Linger had a miscarriage.

    Zisu shook her head and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t inquire about this.¡±

    Yuxi instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t ask about it for the time being.¡± This was a sensitive matter. So, it¡¯s definitely not possible to inquire about it outside, and it was unnecessary to investigate it from within the residence. Song Linger¡¯s fetus had been five months old, and the child had already taken shape. It would not be easy for her to have a miscarriage.

    But that afternoon, Yuxi found out the reason from Qiu Shi¡¯s side. Qiu Shi told her, ¡°Song Ce Fei initially couldn¡¯t keep her child, so she wanted to nt evidence to frame Yuchen. As a result, her n didn¡¯t work, and Jing Wang learned the truth instead.¡± The reason why Song Linger was able to get pregnant was that she had used tricks. After she married Jing Wang, the number of times he went to her room was pitifully low. In order to produce a child before Yuchen married into the wangfu, Song Linger used drugs to liven things up when Jing Wang was together with her. Since she conceived only after using the medicine, her pregnancy became very unstable, and it took the Imperial Physician a lot of effort to get her through the first three months. On the night Yuchen married into Jing Wangfu, Song Linger pretended to have a stomach ache and tried to trick Jing Wang intoing to her courtyard, ready to give Yuchen a hard time. She did not expect Yuchen to follow him along, though. Thus, when she saw the loving and tacit understanding scenes between Jing Wang and Yuchen, her ruse became real as she suddenly had pregnancyplications.

    When Yuxi heard this, she somehow remembered a gossip that the maid had told her. If direct cousins married to each other, they would easily have miscarriages and fail to maintain their children. Even if they managed to keep them, they might be born with defects or poor health. At that time, this gossip spread all over the ce. There were a couple of direct cousins who were married and had two children, where one became deaf and one mentally handicapped.

    Suppressing the doubt in her heart, Yuxi asked, ¡°The Imperial Doctor has concealed the real situation for her?¡± With Song Linger¡¯s status, it was not impossible to force the Imperial Doctor to conceal the truth of her situation.

    Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s idea could be considered quite sinister. Once Yuchen was charged with plotting against a wang¡¯s son, she might have been thrown into a bottomless pit forever and never had a chance to redeem herself. Unfortunately, Song Linger¡¯s scheme might be good, but what she didn¡¯t expect was that Yuchen had already nted her people in the wangfu before her marriage. Concerning Song Ce Fei¡¯s fetus was unstable, Yuchen already knew about it not long after she married, but she just waited for Song Linger to make a move. As soon as Song Linger proceeded with her n, Yuchen would catch her in the act.

    Qiu Shi nodded and said, ¡°Speaking of which, Third Girl is indeed brilliant. You should learn more from her in the future.¡± Not only did Yuchen expose Song Ce Fei¡¯s plot, she even made Jing Wang wholly disgusted with Song Ce Fei. At the same time, Yuchen also led the Imperial Physician to find out that she was pregnant.

    Yuxi smiled and nodded.

    When she returned to the Taoran House, Yuxi called for Momo Quan and spoke to her about the gossip she had heard in her previous life. ¡°Momo, do you think this could be true?¡± The drug that Song Ce Fei used to liven things up in her bedroom was incense and was used externally, not internally. Hence, it was not very likely to harm the fetus. If this gossip was true, then Song Ce Fei¡¯s unstable fetus was because she and Jing Wang were direct cousins.

    Momo Quan was not the stubborn type. After listening to Yuxi¡¯s words, she thought carefully for a moment before saying, ¡°As far as I know, those direct cousins who married each other seem to have a harder time than others in terms of having children.¡± She had heard of several cases like easy miscarriage and having children with poor health. As for impaired children, she hadn¡¯t heard of any. This was because people were mainly superstitious. If you had an impaired child, people around you would think it was retribution or punishment from God for your family. So if a child were born with a defect, they would dispose of the child privately and then tell the public that the child died after identally falling to the ground.

    Yuxi took this matter to her heart.

    Although there was no basis for it, Momo Quan also felt there was some truth to it. She was pretty surprised with this sudden question that she asked, ¡°Miss, where did you hear such words?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t remember. I read about it in a book a few years ago. I don¡¯t know why I suddenly remembered this when my mother told me that Song Ce Fei had a miscarriage. ¡±

    Momo Quan didn¡¯t pursue it either. Anyway, Yuxi had a lot of secrets, and it was not surprising that she had another one. ¡°It¡¯s good that Miss knows about this. But, don¡¯t tell anyone else.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if Yuxi talked to people close to her, such as Qiu Shi. But if someone exposed her words to the outside world, she would easily be attacked.

    Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone anything outside.¡± This kind of thing was without any factual basis after all. No one would believe it even when she spoke about it out loud. Instead, they would think she was talking nonsense. And why would she even do such an arduous and thankless task?

    Another half month had passed in the blink of an eye, and it was already the middle of the fourth lunar month. Zisu looked at Yuxi, who was peacefully reading a book there, and asked, ¡°Miss, isn¡¯t Second Master Chen going to take the Pce Examination tomorrow?¡± She was reminding Yuxi to pay close attention to the Second Master Chen.

    Yuxi smiled as she put down her book and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Pce Examination tomorrow? He had earned himself the second rank passed schr previously, and his result for the Pce Examination will surely not be bad.¡± As long as Chen Ran did not suffer from stage fright, he would not have any problem getting one of the top three positions. If Chen Ran still had stage fright even with his background, it would be even worse than failing the exams. Of course, with Chen Ran¡¯s temperament, there would be no way that he would have stage fright.

    Zisu was about to cry. She had never seen anyone who didn¡¯t care so much about her fiance. ¡°Miss, when we get into the Chen family, you can¡¯t have such an attitude anymore.¡±

    Zijin brought up the pastries that Guo Daniang had just made and ced them on the table next to Yuxi. Then she said to Zisu, ¡°Zisu Jiejie, don¡¯t worry about it. Miss has a sense of propriety in her actions.¡± Zijin was baffled. She had only been away from the house for a few years. Why had Zisu Jiejie be such a naggy person?

    Zisu became annoyed.

    Seeing Zisu¡¯s reaction, Zijin immediately disappeared into the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll go and help Guo Daniang with the cooking.¡± When she said ¡®help with the cooking¡¯, it could be said that she was learning how to cook properly. Perhaps because she was responsible for three meals a day on the mountain, Zijin was now interested in cooking and wanted to learn how to cook well so that others would not dislike her because of her cooking skills. Guo Daniang was not stingy either. When she saw that Zijin truly wanted to learn, she taught her very earnestly.

    Yuxi looked at Zisu, whose face was all twisted up, and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Chen Ran will surely win the top three positions.¡± She still had faith in Chen Ran.

    Zisu honestly had nothing more to say.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t want Zisu to nag her anymore, so she immediately changed the subject by asking, ¡°When will the Jiang family present gifts to finalise the betrothal?¡± The marriage would only be finalised once the families settled the bride and groom¡¯s eight-characterpatibility check-up. Of course, there were also cases where one of the parties would back out from the marriage arrangement after that, but such cases were very rare.

    Zisu was most interested in this kind of thing. ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence that it will also happen tomorrow. Miss, do you know? Ever since the Jiang family came to propose marriage, the Fifth Miss and her personal have be the same as they were before.¡± Jiang¡¯s family lineage and Jiang Hongjin¡¯s looks and talents were not inferior to Chen Ran in every way. When Yurong had been given such a good marriage, she felt she had something to fall back on for life. Thus, she could no longer suppress some of her old temperament. The maids around her were naturally affected by this. Fortunately, these people knew that the people of Taoran House were not people they could freely push around. Even if they wanted to bully other people, they wouldn¡¯t dare to do so to the people of Taoran House. [+]

    When Yuxi heard this, sheughed a little and said, ¡°It is easier to change the mountains and rivers than to alter one¡¯s character.¡± At that time, she didn¡¯t know if she had lost her mind when she wanted to mess up the marriage. If she did, not only would she not get Yurong¡¯s gratitude, she would unquestionably hate her for the rest of her life. She should never do such a stupid thing again in the future.

    The results of the Pce Examination did not need to wait for the following day to be released as they came out on the same day as the test. In response to Chen Ran being given the title of tanhua, Yuxi only felt that it had happened as she had expected, without any other feelings.

    On the other hand, Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t stop smiling and was busy asking people to set off firecrackers to celebrate.

    Yuxi hurriedly stopped it and advised, ¡°Mother, Chen Ran being titled tanhua is a great joy for the Chen family. If our family also set off the firecrackers, we would beughed at.¡± Although a son-inw could be considered one¡¯s half child, she hadn¡¯t even entered the Chen family¡¯s gate yet!

    Qiu Shi patted Yuxi¡¯s hand and agreed with a smile, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll follow just as you said.¡± It was an absolute honour to have a son-inw who was titled tanhua!

    After spending half a day with Qiu Shi, Yuxi went back to her Taoran House. When she arrived there, the smile on her face immediately disappeared, and she looked preupied.

    Zisu asked hastily, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Miss?¡± For Guye to have the title tanhua, it should be a delightful thing!

    Yuxi¡¯s heart became heavy as she replied, ¡°The title zhuangyuan is given to the Grand Chancellor Yu¡¯s family. The title bangyan to Song Guifei¡¯s family and the tanhua for Marqui Taining¡¯s Chen family. While, the chuanlu is taken by Vice Minister Jiang of the Ministry of Personnel¡¯s family.¡± She would not have known what all this meant in her previous life, but now she was trembling with fear.

    Zisu didn¡¯t understand. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this, Miss?¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t exin to Zisu. Even if she did, Zisu wouldn¡¯t understand it anyway. ¡°Go and call Momo Quan toe over.¡± She could still discuss this matter with Momo Quan.

    When Momo Quan heard Yuxi¡¯s words, she asked calmly. ¡°What does Miss want to ask?¡± Such a thing was not an unusual thing for Momo Quan.

    Yuxi gave out a wry smile. She had long heard from Han Jianming about how corrupt the administration of local officials was. But, she never thought it would reach this far. The Imperial Examination was a significant event for the court, and it was not too much to say that it was the country¡¯s foundation. After all, the Emperor and the Imperial Court selected most future pirs from this event. If something went wrong with the Imperial examinations, the entire Imperial System would copse. ¡°Why did Momo return to the capital from Shaanxi that day?¡±

    Momo Quan didn¡¯t hide it, as she said, ¡°Miss already knew it.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°I know. But does Momo thinks that the capital is safe?¡± The country was already on the verge of copse, and no one could guess how much longer it wouldst.

    Momo Quan shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I know that the taxes in Shaanxi and Gansu are so heavy that the people have long been overwhelmed by it. Sooner orter, there will be chaos there.¡±

    Yuximented, ¡°When the world is in chaos, it is themon people who suffer.¡±

    Momo Quan felt that she really couldn¡¯t understand what Yuxi was thinking. ¡°Miss, you don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± No matter how chaotic the outside world was, with the shelter of the Chen family, Yuxi did not need to worry about the future.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Can eggs remain intact under the nest that has been overthrown?¡± When the world was really in chaos, no one would be able to avoid it. Only those who were lucky would suffer less.

    In response, Momo Quan didn¡¯t know what to say. Sometimes she regretted that she should not have encouraged Yuxi to read history books in the first ce. Reading too many history books had too many after-effects. For example, what could a woman do if the world was in chaos other than adapting to her circumstances? But Yuxi was somehow being verypassionate towards the people of the world? This was not something she should be thinking about at all, was it? Momo Quan pointed out, ¡°Miss, these are not things you should worry about.¡± Yuxi shouldn¡¯t even be concerned about it.

    Yuxi smiled bitterly. ¡°Momo is right. I am the one who worries about it too much.¡± She had fled the disaster herself and knew how miserable those days would be. So when she thought of the time when many people would be destitute and homeless, her heart could not bear it. But as Momo Quan had said, what could she even do if she worried? She could do nothing except to add to their worries.

 Chapter 269 - A Trip To Jing Wangfu (1)

    Chapter 269 : A Trip To Jing Wangfu (1)

    The end of the fourth lunar month was the end of spring and the beginning of summer. It was the best time of the year, with neither the craggy cold of the first spring nor the hot and furious heat of the height of summer.

    Yuchen, wearing a green pce dress, waszily reclining on the chaise longue. At this time, Shiqin came in and announced, ¡°Niangniang, Momo Tian asks for an audience.¡±

    Yuchen sat up and said, ¡°Let her in.¡± Fortunately, Momo Tian knew how to be sensible. Otherwise, it would have been depressing to have such a person around.

    Momo Tian reported, ¡°Niangniang, the feast menu has been revised and will be delivered directly to you the day after tomorrow.¡± The day after tomorrow was the 10th Prince¡¯s twentieth birthday banquet, and this arranged menu was for that day.

    Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°Momo, thank you for your hard work.¡±

    After Momo Tian left, Yuchen curbed her smile and said to Momo Gui, ¡°Momo, what do you think the Guifei Niangniang means?¡± Her pregnancy had not yet reached the first three months, and Song Linger was still in confinement, so there should not be any birthday banquet held at the wangfu. However, Guifei Niangniang had personally asked her to hold a birthday banquet for her husband here. Yuchen always felt that something was wrong with this matter.

    Momo Gui had been in the pce for so many years and was very sensitive. She also sensed that something was not quite right with this. For such an important event as His Highness Jing Wang¡¯s twentieth birthday, with how much Guifei Niangniang doted on His Highness, she should have held the birthday feast at the Imperial Pce. Song Guifei¡¯s movement this time was a bit out of the ordinary, which made it seem so odd. ¡°We don¡¯t have anyone in the pce, so we don¡¯t know what the exact reason for this banquet is. We can only wait and see what happens next.¡± No matter what Guifei Niangniang wished to do, it should not be so bad as to harm Wangfei. After all, Wangfei was still carrying His Highness Jing Wang¡¯s flesh and blood in her belly.

    The Han family naturally received the wangfu¡¯s invitation. Since Yuxi¡¯s wedding was in the middle of the fifth lunar month, she would not attend any banquet, no matter whose family it was. Yuxi felt strange when she received a separate invitation from Jing Wangfu asking her to participate in the birthday feast of the 10th Prince.

    Yuxi told Momo Quan, ¡°I¡¯m getting married in half a month. Howe San Jie is asking me to go to His Highness Jing Wang¡¯s birthday feast?¡± Girls didn¡¯t go out in public until they got married, and there was no way that Yuchen didn¡¯t know this. Since she was supposed to have knowledge on this, she still asked her toe, which made Yuxi feel strange about this situation.

    Momo Quan didn¡¯t think much of it and said, ¡°Niangniang should be thinking of Miss and wanted Miss toe because she wanted to talk with Miss.¡± What Momo Quan said must be right. Yuchen just wanted someone to talk to, and Yuxi was the best candidate.

    Yuxi argued, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to go.¡± There was one thing she couldn¡¯t say to Momo Quan. For the past two days, she had had a restless feeling in her heart that something was going to happen. This kind of feeling was so baffling. After all, she was about to get married. What bad things could happen in this period? (A looooooottt can happen, Yuxi. A lot.)[T/N]

    Momo Quan did not expect that Yuxi would not want to attend His Highness¡¯s birthday feast and urged, ¡°Miss, since it is Wangfei Niangniang who has personally invited you, if you don¡¯t go, you won¡¯t give her any face.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t listen to Momo Quan¡¯s advice but went to the Main Courtyard and told Qiu Shi that she didn¡¯t want to participate in Yuchen¡¯s birthday feast.

    Qiu Shi was okay with it. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go, then don¡¯t go. After you are married, you can go to the wangfu to visit Wangfei Niangniang. I believe Wangfei Niangniang will not mind.¡± There was no need to find any excuse for not going to the wangfu. Just say that Yuxi didn¡¯t have time to go. She would be getting married in half a month, and she had to prepare for the wedding, so it made sense that she would be swamped.

    Yuxi smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

    But to her surprise, the next day after speaking to Qiu Shi about the matter, the Old Lady summoned her over. When the Old Lady saw Yuxi, she first asked why she did not want to go to the wangfu.

    Yuxi did not know why the Old Lady had to interfere in this matter. So she could only use the same excuse that Qiu Shi had given her. ¡°I have a lot of things to do for the wedding, and I don¡¯t have time to spare.¡±

    The Old Lady said, ¡°His Highness Jing Wang¡¯s birthday is on the second day of the month, which is more than ten days before your wedding date. It won¡¯t dy you. Besides, you won¡¯t lose much even if you¡¯re not being busy for a day.¡± Seeing that Yuxi was bowing her head silently, the Old Lady continued, ¡°Over the years, you know how Yuchen has treated you. For her to request you toe to His Highness¡¯s birthday banquet this time is also her way of doing a favour for you.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s heart felt a little blocked. What did she mean her attendance at the birthday banquet was also doing a favour for her? However, Yuxi could not refute her grandmother¡¯s previous sentence because Yuchen did help her a lot over the years, which could not be denied.

    The Old Lady was aware of Yuxi¡¯s nature. Thus she simply stopped being reasonable with her. ¡°When the timees, you will properly apany Niangniang and talk with her.¡± The meaning of this statement was clear. Yuxi had to go even if she didn¡¯t want to.

    Even though she was reluctant, she did not dare to disobey the Old Lady. At this juncture, she was not willing to carry such a reputation: ¡°Yes.¡±

    When she returned, Yuxi¡¯s expression looked heavy. When Zisu and the others noticed this, they were rmed. ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong?¡± It was rare for Miss to have such a look. Something big must have happened to her.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Momo Quan was very perceptive and asked Yuxi, ¡°Does the Old Lady want Miss to go to the wangfu?¡± In fact, Momo Quan wondered why Yuxi would be so averse to going to the wangfu.

    Looking at Momo Quan¡¯s expression, Yuxi knew what she was thinking and told her what was on her mind.

    Momo Quan smiled at this and said, ¡°Miss is being too nervous.¡±

    Yuxi was a little surprised. ¡°Nervous?¡±

    Momo Quan nodded and said, ¡°The uneasiness Miss is talking about is the feeling of having too much nervousness. Anyone would be nervous when one has to move from one¡¯s home to an unfamiliar environment. In a situation like Miss, nine out of ten, it happens because of the approaching wedding date.¡±

    Yuxi remembered how Yuchen looked before she got married, and she did seem to be nervous too. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s indeed because I¡¯m being too nervous.¡±

    Momo Quan said, ¡°Miss, Wangfei has invited you over to speak with you and is not going to draw you in. So you will certainly be fine if you go to the wangfu.¡± Although Chen Ran was the second di son, he was full of talents, and his future was bound to be limitless. Despite Yuchen being a wangfei, she also needed help, or else she would always be suppressed by Song Ce Fei.

    Yuxi let out a cry of agreement. She had a terrible experience in her previous life. She was able to get married into the Chen family in this life. She had also gotten along so well with Chen Ran, and the Lady of Taining even recognised her. Everything had gone so well that she felt a sense of surrealism. Perhaps that was why she was so unsettled and afraid that something would change. But when she thought more about it, this life was different from thest. In herst life, she and the Second Young Master Qiu, Qiu Lei, were only in the process of discussing marriage. They were not yet engaged, and even if they did, there would have been no follow-up. And now, with half a month to go before she married into the Chen family, it was impossible to have another ident. [+]

    For Jing Wang¡¯s birthday banquet, not all people from the Han family would attend it. Ye Shi would take the lead, then there was Yuxi and Yurong, but no one else went. Wen Shi wanted to go too, but the Old Lady was afraid she would embarrass Yuchen. She found her mistake and punished her by instructing her to copy scriptures.

    Yuxi started dressing up early, and after she had taken care of everything, she took Zisu and Zijin out with her. Zijin had been out of the sun for a while. By using whitening products, she didn¡¯t look as dark as before. Of course, she didn¡¯t look any whiter either. With Zijin beside her as apanion, it made Yuxi¡¯s skin glittered and translucent as jade and beautiful beyondparison.

    Ye Shi didn¡¯t think much of who Yuxi took along with her. It was Yurong who nced at Zijin and then back at Yuxi as she said with a smile, ¡°Si Jiejie is beautifully dressed today.¡±

    Yurong had put a lot of thought into her outfit today. She wore a pink cloud satin dress with a gold thread pattern of one hundred butterflies strung together with flowers. She had also put on a golden buyao with ruby tassels that would sway with her every movement. ording to Qiu Shi, at this age, everything would look good on Yurong. Not to mention the fact that Yurong had gone to all the trouble of dressing up, that even a seven per cent appearance could look one hundred per cent beautiful with the way she was dressing.

    Thisment was quite harsh as if to say that Yuxi was not good-looking, and even if she did look good, it was all because of her dressing. Yuxi responded indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m not as rich as Wu Meimei.¡± Yuxi used to like to wear bright coloured and eye-catching clothes and jewellery with pure gold and precious stones. But now, she was no longer able to do so, as she had been immersed in books for many years, and her temperament had changed considerably.

    Liuyun Ji / Flowing Cloud Bun

    Image Credit | The Rightful Owner via Sogou

    One who was filled with knowledge always behaved with elegance. Just imagine how weird it would look if such a person suddenly were beaming with jewellery and wearing bright and shiny clothes. Therefore, today, Yuxi wore a long light blue embroidered with magnolia twigs pattern skirt, bound with soft blue motifs on a pale mauve coloured sash, and her hairbed into a flowing cloud bun making her look graceful and calm.

    When Ye Shi saw that Yurong had more to say, she immediately urged, ¡°Let¡¯s get on the carriage! We have to get to the wangfu early.¡± They were Wangfei¡¯s maiden family, and they usually should arrive before the other guests. This way, if the host were too busy, they could also help greet the guests. As Jing Wangfei was pregnant now, it was better to go there earlier.

    This time it was one carriage for each person going to the wangfu, so Yuxi went with Zisu and Zijin in the same carriage. When they got into the carriage, Zisu said, ¡°She¡¯s so annoying. When the Third Lady passed away, she always had this pitiful appearance every time she met Miss. I never thought she would instantly turn hostile just by turning her head.¡± When Wu Shi died, looking at Yurong¡¯s sad face, she still felt pity for the other party, but she never thought that Yurong would change her attitude once she gained even a bit of power.

    Yuxi said, ¡°When Wu Shi died, she acted so pitifully in front of me. She only did that because she was afraid that I would retaliate against her. Now that she has gained a good marriage and finally has the strength, she naturally doesn¡¯t need to pretend to be pitiful anymore.¡± She used to think that Yurong had changed for the better, but it turned out that Yurong was only using the mourning tactic. The only one who was stupid was her. However, she swore she would not make such a foolish mistake again.

    Zisu asked, ¡°Is Miss not going to get angry with her?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and asked Zijin, who was nearby, ¡°Zijin, are you angry?¡±

    Zijin was puzzled and answered, ¡°Why should I be angry with her? Fifth Miss has long been at odds with Miss. So it¡¯s normal for her to be acting like this now!¡±

    These words instantly stifled Zisu¡¯s heart, and she didn¡¯t say another word until they reached the wangfu.

    Before she got off the carriage, Yuxi whispered to the both of them, ¡°Don¡¯t ever leave me when we get into the wangfu.¡± Although after Momo Quan¡¯s enlightened talk made her feel that the uneasiness was caused by nervousness. However, in the spirit of caution, she still took Zijin with her. Even if something unexpected happened, with Zijin around, there was no need for her to worry about her safety.

    Hearing this, Zijin assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. I will always be by your side and won¡¯t leave you even for a step.¡± She would do whatever the girl ordered, despite not knowing the reason for doing so.

    But Zisu¡¯s face changed significantly, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little and replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just think that San Jie and Song Ce Fei don¡¯t get along with each other. So I can¡¯t precisely say that she will not take this opportunity to cause trouble. Perhaps I am worrying too much, but there is nothing wrong with being extra careful.¡±

    Zisu nodded her head a little.

 Chapter 270 - A Trip To Jing Wangfu (2)

    Chapter 270 : A Trip To Jing Wangfu (2)

    ¤­¤Ä¤Í: Another chapter before the reveal for Yuxi¡¯s uneasiness in the next chapter. Sorry for thete posting. My sister broke my PC. I have to send it to be fixed today. So now I have to use myptop instead.

    This visit to Jing Wangfu was the first one for Yuxi in her two lifetimes. Inside the wangfu, she could see a lot of flowers grafted on the trees. Bridges were built on the diverted water, stones were piled up into small mountains, together with the new shiny pavilions. The scenery was beautiful and extraordinary.

    After Yurong had a look at everything inside, she eximed, ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful.¡± It was ten times more beautiful than their State Residence. San Jie was fortunate to live in such a beautiful dwelling.

    Yuxi looked at such a beautiful residence without any smile on her face. This ce was built two years ago. It was ironic that the state treasury had money to make such a beautiful dwelling but no money to pay for disaster relief and military provisions.

    When Yurong saw Yuxi¡¯s expression, she raised her crisp voice, asking, ¡°Is Si Jie stunned by the beautiful scenery of this garden?¡±

    Yuxi came back to her senses, and an extremely faint smile appeared on her face. ¡°This courtyard is indeed stunning.¡± It was so stunning that she could not even look at it anymore.

    Ye Shi frowned. She nced at Yurong and said, ¡°This is the wangfu. You should follow me closely,ter on, so please don¡¯t wander off.¡± Although these words were addressed to the two of them, everyone present knew that Ye Shi¡¯s words were solely aimed at Yurong. This girl really did not know how to look at the asion. Ye Shi was so worried that Yurong would soon tear down her own family face before the outsiders.

    Yurong¡¯s face paled at these words, but she responded with a smile, ¡°Okay!¡±

    An old woman servant led the three people to the Main Courtyard. When they walked inside, they saw that it was filled with bouquets of flowers and piles of silks. As soon as Yuchen walked out of her room, her face was full of smiles when she finally saw the three of them. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for Dasao, Si Mei and Wu Mei!¡±

    Yuxi wished her, ¡°Congrattions, San Jie.¡± Yuchen¡¯s fetus had not yet reached three months old. Thus, it was not even stable. Since one of the hosts had an unstable fetus, and the other one was still in confinement, Yuxi did not understand why the royal family had to hold the birthday feast at the wangfu instead of doing it in the Imperial Pce. She even heard that the 10th Prince was also deeply loved by the Emperor. Therefore, the royal family¡¯s behaviour this time did make people ponder.

    Yuchen touched her stomach and said with a smile, ¡°Thank you, Si Mei.¡± She beckoned the three people into her room. The setup inside the room was simr to that in Tingyun Pavilion.

    After sitting down, Yuxi said, ¡°San Jie, there will definitely be many guests today. Are you physically fit to entertain them all?¡± Actually, Yuchen wouldn¡¯t have that much difficulty in meeting all the guests. The main problem was, it would genuinely be bad if there were ill-intentioned people among them. Ever since she heard Momo Quan talk about the Imperial Pce, Yuxi had this continuous fear for the people of Imperial Pce.

    Yuchen feltfortable when she heard her concern and replied with a smile, ¡°This time, for His Highness¡¯ birthday banquet, I¡¯ve asked my Jiu Sao toe over and help me greet the guests.¡± This statement meant that she would not personallye forward since the 9th Prince¡¯s Consort would lend her hand to entertain the guests. Even if they wanted to meet with Yuchen, they couldn¡¯t do so unless they had enough weight.

    As they talked about Cao Cao, Cao Cao would indeed arrive. As soon as Yuchen finished speaking, Shiqin came over and announced, ¡°Niangniang, Xuan Wangfei has arrived.¡±

    Yuchen stood up, and Ye Shi followed along with Yuxi and Yurong to wee Xuan Wangfei.

    When Yu Xiyu saw a group of people walking out of the room, shemented, ¡°I thought I was the earliest, but I didn¡¯t expect that the Lady of the State was even earlier than me!¡± Seeing Yuxi and Yurong greet her, she smiled and said, ¡°We are all family. There¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡± After saying that, she nced at Yuxi.

    Yuchen beckoned, ¡°Jiu Sao, let¡¯s go in!¡±

    Yuxi¡¯splexion changed. If she didn¡¯t read it wrong just now, Yu Xiyu was ncing at her with a look of pity. She wouldn¡¯t look at her with such an expression for no reason. It was just that Yuxi didn¡¯t know why Yu Xiyu gave her such a look.

    After entering the room, Yuchen pointed at Yuxi and asked with a smile, ¡°Jiu Sao, do you remember? You have once yed chess with my Si Mei and me back then.¡±

    Yu Xiyu smiled and said, ¡°How can I not remember? As I recall, you lost to me by six pieces? I still remember clearly the defiant look on your face at that time. That said, time flies so quickly.¡± However, it didn¡¯t seem that fast to her though. She would be a mother in the near future, and so would Yu Chen.

    Soon, the other guests also arrived. Hence, Yu Xiyu and her maid went out to wee them. Seeing that there was no one else around them, Yu Xiyu¡¯s maid whispered, ¡°Niangniang, it seems that the Fourth Miss Han does not know anything about that matter. Even Jing Wangfei isn¡¯t aware of it?¡±

    Yu Xiyu responded without a change in her expression, ¡°No matter what, this thing has nothing to do with us.¡± Her task today was to entertain the guests. She would not bother herself about other matters.

    More and more guests arrived at the wangfu, and Ye Shi nned to take Yuxi and Yurong out to socialise. Yuxi did not want to go and told Yuchen, ¡°I am not going. I want to stay and talk with San Jie.¡± She didn¡¯t know why, but the uneasiness in her heart was getting even more robust. Yuxi felt that it was much safer to stay here with Yuchen.

    Yuchen returned with a smile, ¡°There will be plenty of opportunities for you to talk with meter. You have been locked up in the house for most of the year, and it is already rare for you toe out. So go out and enjoy yourself. Many flowers have been nted in the garden. You can go there and have a look at them.¡±

    Since words have been said to this point, Yuxi had to go out, even if she didn¡¯t want to. As soon as she walked out of the courtyard, Yuxi said to Zijin, who was following her. ¡°Stay by my side every step of the way.¡± Yu Xiyu¡¯s nce made her heart frightened, and her gut trembled. And now, the only one she could rely on was Zijin.

    Zijin nodded her head.

    The weather was sunny, and all the young misses went to y and frolic in the garden. On their walk there, they could faintly hear a burst ofughter. As soon as they walked in, they saw everyone beautifully dressed, adding bright colours to the already beautiful garden.

    When Zhou Shiya saw Yuxi, she came over and asked, ¡°Yuxi, what are you doing here?¡± How could she not find it strange that a person who was going to be married in the middle of the month also attending the birthday banquet?

    Yuxi replied with a smile, ¡°My San Jie said that I have been shutting myself in the house all day long. For fear of me getting bored indoor, she had asked me toe and rx.¡± Naturally, she couldn¡¯t tell her the real reason.

    Zhou Shiya smilingly said, ¡°So, it was San Biaojie who asked you toe over. No wonder!¡± After saying that, she dragged Yuxi to meet the girl she had just talked to and introduced them.

    When Yuxi heard that the other party was Zhou Shiya¡¯s jiujiu¡¯s daughter, she greeted her with a smile, ¡°Miss Yun.¡± It looked like the other girl was only twelve or thirteen years old.

    The girl was a bit shy. After blushingly greeting Yuxi, she said, ¡°You guys talk. I¡¯ll go find my dajie.¡± After saying that, she took her maid and left.

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°For those who don¡¯t know, they will think that I¡¯m being too intimidating!¡± How could people not think so when the girl ran away in fear as soon as she saw her?

    Zhou Shiya did not care much about it as she said, ¡°Never mind her. She¡¯s always acting like this. Because of her temper, my Jiumu is so anxious about her until her hair starts to turn white. Okay, let¡¯s not talk about her. Yuxi, I heard my mother say that your dowry is ny-six carriers, right?¡±

    Yuxi nodded her head and said, ¡°Yes, it is ny-six. It has been negotiated with the Chen family, and the list will be delivered in a couple of days. What about you? How much dowry is your mother going to give you?¡± This kind of thing was not a secret. She could probe about it with a little bit of inquiring.

    Zhou Shiya answered bitterly, ¡°The He family only sent twenty-four carriers of betrothal gifts. My dowry will undeniably be worth forty-eight carriers by then. Because of this, my mother regretted it so much at the time that she almost broke the engagement.¡± The He family only gave twenty-four betrothal gifts. ordingly, the Zhou family could only apany the bride with another twenty-four dowry, which in total only summed up to forty-eight carriers. ording to Second Lady Zhou, this amount of dowry was too shabby. However, if the dowry on the bride¡¯s side exceeded the groom¡¯s, it seemed like the bride¡¯s family intended to pressure the groom¡¯s side. This act could easily make the groom¡¯s family feel pretty ufortable.

    Yuxi felt a little strange. ¡°Why would the He family give such small betrothal gifts?¡± Twenty-four carriers was indeed a bit low. They should at least deliver thirty-six carriers. [+]

    Zhou Shiya shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly. It seems that something happened to their family in their hometown, and they had to withdraw all their silver money from their ounts. So they couldn¡¯t afford to buy more betrothal gifts.¡±

    As Yuxi listened, she gave her feedback, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then don¡¯t worry too much about it. In fact, the amount of dowry is not that important. The most important thing is the items in the dowry.¡± If the dowry were an interest-bearing industry such as an estate and shop, they would still bring advantageous deals to the bride even if the number was small. If one was given so many dowries, but they were all worthless things, then they were merely put up for the bride¡¯s face. It was really a question of reputation versus substance. Of course, Yuxi¡¯s dowry was covering both her face and their worth.

    Qiu Shi was not a stingy person. This time, she took out 2,000 mu of fertilend from her dowry for Yuxi. Even Ye Shi and Lu Shi didn¡¯t send her any gold and silver jewellery. Both of them sent a shop to add to Yuxi¡¯s dowry. Then there were the industries that Yuxi originally had in hand. Others could say that Yuxi¡¯s dowry was not inferior to the betrothal gifts Lady of Taining gave to Lady Chen Shizi¡¯s.

    Zhou Shiya nodded and said, ¡°My father also said the same thing. It is my mother who feels uneasy with it.¡±

    Yuxiughed. ¡°This is also understandable. Your mother loves you and does not want you to be wronged.¡± Second Lady Zhou had only one daughter, Zhou Shiya, and naturally, she wanted to marry her off in style. Now that she couldn¡¯t fulfil this wish for these external reasons, her heart must feel very upset.

    As she was saying this, she saw Yurong walking over with Jiang Qi. Yurong smiled and called out, ¡°Si Jie, Shiya Biaojie, what are you talking about? Did I just hear the word dowry?¡± Yuxi¡¯s dowry of ny-six carriers was something that Yurong already knew. She just wasn¡¯t sure about the items listed in the dowry.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°We were indeed talking about the dowry. Wu Mei, why did youe over here?¡± She didn¡¯t even look at Jiang Qi when she spoke to Yurong.

    Yurong exined, ¡°Qi Jiejie said she had a misunderstanding with you before, so she wants toe over to apologise. Si Jie, Qi Jiejie has already told me what happened. She just made an inappropriate remark, so please be generous and don¡¯t take it personally.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face looked a bit odd. If Yurong knew that it was useless to please Jiang Qi, she wondered if Yurong would still take this much trouble to curry favour with Jiang Qi just to get married!

    Although Zhou Shiya did not know what was going on, she disliked Yurong¡¯s tone, which seemed to be saying that Yuxi was making a big deal out of it. Zhou Shiya was very clear when it came to Yuxi¡¯s character. The thing that could make Yuxi angry was not a trivial matter. What was more, Zhou Shiya also knew that Jiang Qi liked Chen Ran. So, this matter was not that simple. Zhou Shiya said with a smile, ¡°Yurong Biaomei hasn¡¯t even married into the Jiang family yet, and she¡¯s already sided with the people of the Jiang family.¡±

    Yurong¡¯s face turned red through and through.

    Jiang Qi calmly reasoned out, ¡°Yuxi Jiejie, what happenedst time, I was just speaking harshly, but it was without any bad intention. So please don¡¯t take it to heart, Yuxi Biaojie.¡±

    Yuxi responded indifferently. ¡°I have long forgotten about it.¡± These words from her were full of contradictions. If she had forgotten about it, how would she know what they were talking about?

    Jiang Qi smiled as she said, ¡°It¡¯s good that Yuxi Jiejie didn¡¯t take it to heart.¡±

    When Zhou Shiya heard this from the side, she continuously clicked her tongue secretly. What a nerve! People did not even say that they did not care about it. But Jiang Qi was able to press this matter onto Yuxi¡¯s head. This was also a skill, to say the least.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t acknowledge this statement. She just spoke with an expressionless face, ¡°I just hope that in the future, Miss Jiang won¡¯t say the wrong thing to anyone.¡±

    The smile on Jiang Qi¡¯s face remained unchanged as she assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yuxi Jiejie. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± It was enough for her to make this kind of mistake once. How could she allow herself to repeat it for a second time?

 Chapter 271 - Frightening (1)

    Chapter 271 : Frightening (1)

    After Jiang Qi and Yurong left, Zhou Shiya couldn¡¯t wait to ask, ¡°Yuxi, what were they talking about?¡±

    Yuxi also told me what happened that day without hiding it: ¡°I wonder why she was so sure that Chen Ran told me this?¡±

    Zhou Shiya thought about it for a while and made a guess, ¡°Maybe she had someone keep an eye on you and Chen Ran, so she could get information if you two have any interactions. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be so sure of herself.¡±

    Yuxi thought for a moment and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡± This statement showed that Jiang Qi also liked Chen Ran to her bones. If not, she wouldn¡¯t have gone to so much trouble. But what if she did? Chen Ran still wouldn¡¯t marry her, and Yuxi felt a pang of pleasure at this thought. For Jiang Qi, she could only suffer from loving him but could not obtain him for the rest of her life! That was better than any revenge.

    After that, Zhou Shiya talked about what happenedst time: ¡°Yuxi, I¡¯m sorry for what happenedst time.¡± She should have gone to the Han residence the other day to apologise to Yuxi, but she couldn¡¯t tell her the truth, and it wasn¡¯t good if she had to make up a lie either, so the matter dragged on until now.

    Yuxi nced at Zhou Shiya and asked, ¡°Is it something personal?¡± If it was a private matter, she didn¡¯t want to hear about it. It was not a good thing to know the privacy of other people¡¯s homes.

    Zhou Shiya didn¡¯t respond to her inquiry.

    Yuxi then knew this matter involved family secrets. ¡°Well, there is no need to talk about it then. It¡¯s just a small matter. No need to take it to heart.¡±

    The two of them began to mutter intimately again about the little things they had met. Although Momo Quan had reminded her that Zhou Shiya was not a person worthy of her friendship, the two had gotten along well over the years, and she did not want to break off their contact just because of that incident. In the future, she would stop speaking about some private matters with Zhou Shiya. Of course, Yuxi never told anyone about her most confidential information. All these years, not to mention Zhou Shiya, even the maids around her did not know her untold secrets.

    Soon, the banquet started at the wangfu. On the way, Zhou Shiya said to Yuxi, ¡°I heard that they ordered the banquet menu from the Moon House. It is said that it will serve several of its signature dishes here, which are very delicious.¡± Moon House was thergest and best restaurant in the capital, and the people who spent money in it were only the rich and the noble. So no ordinary people could enter it freely. However, the dishes inside tasted heavenly. It was said that the chef in charge was a retired Imperial Chef.

    When it was time for them to eat, the two of them had to separate. Yuxi went straight to Ye Shi¡¯s side and shared the same table with her. Yurong still knew her ce and also came over for the meal without Jiang Qi following her.

    The first thing served was a dessert, bird¡¯s nest soup with shredded chicken meat. After everyone had finished with it, they were provided with the main course.

    The main dishes consist of suckling pigeon cooked in pork belly, braised pork trotters with sea cucumbers, shark¡¯s fin with crab meat soup, rare delicacies of braised crucian carp meat cut into the shape of tongues¡­¡­everything that flew in the sky, swam in the water, ran on the ground, everything was avable in all of these cuisines. They also smelled, looked and tasted great.

    It was impossible for people without a certain status toe to His Highness Jing Wang¡¯s birthday banquet. What kind of delicacies from the mountains and seas have these people never seen? But at this point, everyone was eating with gusto.

    In the past, when Yuxi had gone to other people¡¯s homes to attend banquets, it would not be bad if people ate nearly half of the food. But this time, when the feast started, the attendees had consumed most of the dishes. She had to say, the chef at the Moonlight House was truly good with his craft!

    After Yurong finished eating, she whispered, ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve eaten something so delicious since I was a child.¡± Not only were they delicious, but they were also sumptuous.

    Even though Yurong¡¯s voice was rtively low, unfortunately, Ye Shi could still hear her. Ye Shi frowned. However, she could not say anything to reprimand Yurong while they were in public. Thus, she thought of telling the Old Lady not to let Yurong be so short-sighted in the future so as not to disgrace the Han family reputation for no reason.

    After everyone had eaten and drank to their heart¡¯s content, it was time for them to return home. Zhou Shiya came over to say a few words to Yuxi and then went back home following her mother.

    On the way back, Second Lady Zhou asked Zhou Shiya, ¡°Did Yuxi ask you about what happenedst time?¡± She was worried that her daughter might have said something about it.

    Zhou Shiya shook her head and said, ¡°No! Yuxi asked me if it involved the residence secrets. When I didn¡¯t say anything, she also didn¡¯t ask any more questions and even took the initiative to change the subject.¡±

    Second Lady Zhou stroked Zhou Shiya¡¯s head and said nothing. Perhaps it was true that children without mothers grew up early! Both of the girls were sixteen years old. While Shiya understood nothing, Yuxi knew everything. The two didn¡¯t look like people of the same age at all.

    Yuchen did not show up since she had to raise her fetus, and everyone understood her situation. Hence Ye Shi didn¡¯t intend to disturb Yuchen, as she took Yuxi and Yurong back home with her.

    Yuxi, who was following behind Ye Shi, breathed a sigh of relief. She felt that she might have been overly nervous today. Wasn¡¯t it good that nothing had happened to her? She had been worrying the whole day for nothing.

    The group left the second gate and were about to board the State Residence¡¯s carriage when they saw Momo Tian hurriedly approaching and spoke to Ye Shi. ¡°My Lady, Wangfei Niangniang has just woken up and remembered that she has something to give to the Fourth Miss. I would like to ask the Fourth Miss toe along with me.¡± After saying that, she added with a smile, ¡°Just now, Wangfei Niangniang also said that her memory has not been good after being pregnant and that she should have given it when she met with Fourth Miss just now.¡±

    Ye Shi responded with a smile, ¡°Yuxi, you should go along with Momo! I¡¯ll wait here with Yurong.¡± Ye Shi guessed it should be something to add up to Yuxi¡¯s dowry. Since Yuchen wouldn¡¯t even entertain the guests this time around, she definitely couldn¡¯t go back to the Han residence to add to Yuxi¡¯s dowry. So it would be the same to give them to Yuxi at this time.

    Yuxi¡¯s thoughts were the same as Ye Shi, so she nodded her head and replied, ¡°Okay.¡±

    When Ye Shi saw that both Zisu and Zijin were going to follow Yuxi, she said, ¡°Yuxi, let Zisu follow you, and Zijin stays behind!¡± There was no need for both maids to apany Yuxi. One was already enough.

    Zijin was a little more talkative when she was with Yuxi, but less so when she was away from home. Hearing Ye Shi¡¯s words, she spoke to Zisu, ¡°Zisu Jiejie, I¡¯ll go with Miss!¡± Miss had just reminded her not to leave her every step of the way. She would not leave her Miss even for half a step until she returned safely to the State Residence.

    Zisu nodded and said, ¡°Alright.¡± Zisu had brought up Zijin, so it could be said that in Zisu¡¯s heart, Zijin was almost like her birth sister. Furthermore, because they had different responsibilities, there had been no dispute between them.

    Ye Shi would speak like this because she felt that Zijin had not been in residence for so many years and was inferior to Zisu in terms of rules and manners. She did not mean anything else. When she heard Zijin¡¯s words, she cautioned, ¡°Take good care of your Miss.¡± Would she know how to serve her Miss well when she only had her strength with her strapping physique?

    Zijin nodded as she assured her, ¡°I will.¡± When it came to worldly wisdom, Zijin was much worse than Zisu. But her primary duty was to protect Yuxi. So it didn¡¯t matter if she didn¡¯t understand the ways of the people.

    Yuxi smiled towards Momo Tian and said, ¡°Please lead the way, Momo.¡± Even Yuchen had to be courteous to this momo, so Yuxi also felt that she shouldn¡¯t slight her either.

    Momo Tian was also high ranking. Since she was a person given by Song Guifei, even Momo Gui didn¡¯t dare to contradict her in residence, so how could she possibly sell some of her faces for Yuxi. She stiffly said, ¡°Miss, please!¡±

    Yurong looked at Yuxi¡¯s back with some envy and whispered to the maid beside in a mosquito-like voice, ¡°I wonder what goodies San Jie will give to Si Jie.¡± All the things that Yuchen usually gave away were worth thousand of silver.

    The maid, who did not know what was in Yurong¡¯s mind, said, ¡°Miss, Wangfei Niangniang is your blood sister.¡± Since Yuxi had been adopted, their rtionship was also separated by ayer.

    Yurong said listlessly, ¡°I can¡¯t get past her.¡± Even though she had a big idea, she had to admit that her rtionship with Yuchen could not bepared to Yuchen and Yuxi¡¯s bond over the years. [+]

    On the other side, Yuxi and Zijin followed Momo Tian to the Main Courtyard. But as they walked, they felt that something was wrong and could not help but ask, ¡°Momo, this isn¡¯t the path that we took this morning.¡±

    Momo Tian said with a stubborn expression and a bad-sounding tone, ¡°Do you think that you know the wangfu better than I do?¡±

    Hearing this, Yuxi did not say anything more. She could only follow Momo Tian. Mainly because Momo Tian¡¯s expression was looking normal and because she had just seen her serving beside Yuchen this morning, Yuxi didn¡¯t think much of it. But after another short walk, Yuxi¡¯s mind became unease. Even if there were many roads leading to the Main Courtyard, the further she walked, the more remote it became. Yuxi stood still and coldly asked Momo Tian, ¡°Where exactly is Momo taking me?¡±

    Momo Tian said impatiently, ¡°Just go wherever you are told to go. What with all this nonsense.¡±

    Yuxi grabbed Zijin¡¯s arm and said, ¡°I won¡¯t go with you unless you tell me openly.¡±

    Momo Tian did not expect Yuxi to be so vignt, so she replied gently, ¡°We are trying to take you on a shortcut? From here to the main courtyard, we can save a lot of time using this bypass road.¡±

    Yuxi let out an ¡®oh¡¯ and chuckled. ¡°Momo, do you think I am a three-year-old child? Who would take their guest using the fast way.¡± Only a sneaky person would go to a remote ce to do something terrible. When Yuxi thought of this, Yuxi¡¯s heart started to get afraid. She had been careless. She only thought that since Momo Tian was someone close to Yuchen, there was no reason for Momo Tian to harm her. It was just that Yuxi had doubts in her heart. Even if Song Ce Fei wanted to deal with Yuchen, what was the point of calcting her?

    A sinister smile appeared on Momo Tian¡¯s face as she said, ¡°Since Miss is not going to leave with me, then don¡¯t me me for being rude.¡± As soon as she uttered those words, the two maids following behind her closed in towards Yuxi.

    Yuxi held onto Zijin and told her not to move. Her mind was whirling. Who was trying to harm her? Initially, she thought it was Song Ce Fei, but hurting her would not do Song Ce Fei any good. Yuxi tried to calm herself down. ¡°Momo, why would you want to harm me?¡±

    Momo Tian didn¡¯t put Yuxi in her eyes at all. When she heard this, she knew that Yuxi would not listen to her any longer, and she could only move forward with her n. At once, she ordered the two maids behind her, ¡°Tie her up.¡±

    It was not until one of the maids sped her wrists that Yuxi realised that this person knew martial arts. Feeling incredulous, Yuxi asked, ¡°You want me to die?¡± Originally she had thought that Momo Tian only wanted to ruin her reputation, but now she worked with two maids who had martial arts skills. Things could not be as simple as that.

    Momo Tian said expressionlessly, ¡°Open your eyes wider in your next life and don¡¯t get in other people¡¯s way.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s pupils shrank. For this person to even bother Momo Tian just because Yuxi was blocking someone¡¯s path, coupled with that look in the 9th Prince Consort¡¯s nce, the truth finally came out.

 Chapter 272 - Frightening (2)

    Chapter 272 : Frightening (2)

    The maid holding Yuxi¡¯s wrist tried to reach for Yuxi¡¯s throat with her other hand as she wanted to strangle Yuxi to death.

    Unfortunately, before her hand could touch Yuxi¡¯s throat, she received a heavy blow to her back. Zijin was already strong. When she was six years old, she could even lift things weighing 40 to 50 pounds. Since she had also been exercising for many years, her strength had increased even more significant. As she hit the opponent with anger, one could imagine how heavy her force was.

    With this one blow, the maid holding Yuxi spit a mouthful of scarlet blood on Yuxi¡¯s clothes and her hand, which was holding Yuxi, also released its grip as she fell to the ground fainted. When the other maid saw this situation, she immediately rushed up. The pass out maid was not on her guard, and that was why Zijin could sessfully attack her. But this time, it was not easy for Zijin to do the same to the other maid. Thus, the two of them soon fought.

    Since Momo Tian had been in the Imperial Pce for many years, her psychological quality had be excellent. If something went wrong, she would try to get Yuxi first. She nned to capture the ringleader first before catching the thieves by subduing Yuxi with her maids, making her unafraid that Yuxi wouldn¡¯t give in. Unfortunately, her imagination might look beautiful, but the reality was cruel. Not only was she unable to restrain Yuxi, but on the contrary, her n was stopped by Yuxi instead.

    Yuxi pulled off the golden phoenix hairpin from her hair and put its tip on the aorta of Momo Tian¡¯s neck. When Momo Tian struggled, she thrust it deeper. The pain made Momo Tian¡¯s forehead break out in a cold sweat. With the year-round cantilevered character practice and her adherence to the exercise, Yuxi¡¯s hand strength had gotten stronger. ¡°Don¡¯t move. If you move, I will puncture your neck. At that time, even the immortals of the highest heaven cannot save you.¡± Yuxi was very familiar with the meridians of the human body. As long as she pierced a hole on Momo Tian¡¯s neck and let the blood gush out, even the immortals could hardly save her.

    Momo Tian had heard that there was a strong maid beside Yuxi, so she had deliberately brought two maids with martial arts backgrounds toe with her. But she didn¡¯t expect that this girl would be not only strong but also a skilled person. With this martial arts skill level, even the Imperial Guards might not be able to beat her. What¡¯s even more mysterious was that Han Yuxi, a youngdy from a wealthy family, was also skilful in martial arts. Momo Tian has been in the pce for so many years and has seen a lot of delicate, pretty girls who could easily be toppled by wind blowing. This was the first time for her to see such a tough girl. The main thing was that although Yuxi was tall, her rules and etiquette was pretty good, and she was also a pure well-bred girl. This condition had led Momo Tian to underestimate her enemy.

    Yuxi actually did not know martial arts, but after practising wuqinxi over the years, her movement became highly agile. Her early preparedness against someone like Momo Tian, who was also gullible, allowed her to subdue Momo Tian easily.

    Zijin quickly beat the other maid till she fell on the ground spitting blood, then walked to Yuxi¡¯s side while looking at Momo Tian, who was held by Yuxi, and asked, ¡°Miss, what about her?¡±

    Panic shed in Momo Tian¡¯s eyes, and she warned, ¡°Fourth Miss, I am Guifei Niangniang¡¯s people. If anything happens to me, Guifei Niangniang will not spare you.¡±

    Yuxi sneered. ¡°In your Guifei¡¯s eyes, you are just a dog.¡± After saying that, she told Zijin, ¡°Knock her out.¡±

    Zijin pped Momo Tian, and she fell to the ground. Zijin¡¯s eyes were full of a murderous look. ¡°Miss, should we just finish them all off?¡± Anyone who wanted to kill her Miss deserved to die.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°You can¡¯t kill people inside the wangfu.¡± It was not that she was being merciful, but if she let Zijin take other people¡¯s lives here, the matter would be veryplicated. She believed that even if she didn¡¯t kill these people, Yuchen would personally dispose of them.

    Zijin walked over and gave Momo Tian a supplementary p. Zijin had excellent control of her strength. This p would not kill Momo Tian, but it would make her life worse than death. As for the other two, they were already useless anyway. It didn¡¯t matter if she killed them or not. What Master Yang taught her was not shy without substance kind of stuff, but deadly moves that could kill people.

    Yuxi did not stop Zijin¡¯s behaviour since she only told her not to kill Momo Tian. She was just concerned that they were in the wangfu. If they killed these three people, there would be a lot of consequences they had to face in the future. This situation did not mean that she did not want to kill them. She wasn¡¯t a saint where she wouldn¡¯t do anything while others were bullying her to the end.

    When Zijin saw a motionless Yuxi, she urged, ¡°Miss, we have to get out of here quickly. Someone wille soon.¡±

    Yuxi requested with a wry smile, ¡°Carry me on your back! We¡¯ll go back the same way.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to go. She just couldn¡¯t go as her whole body had suddenly be stiff. Although her previous life was very rough, she had never encountered such a situation. How arrogant was the perpetrator trying to kill her in broad daylight just because she was in someone¡¯s way?

    When Zijin trained in the mountains, carrying hundreds of pounds was just like ying. So even now, with Yuxi on her back, she could still walk as if she had wings.

    Fortunately, Momo Tian was confident that the two maids she had with her could take care of Yuxi, so the others didn¡¯t know about her n. On the way, Yuxi had already instructed Zijin. Therefore, when Zijin met the maid guarding the door, she said with a face full of anxiety, ¡°Our Miss is suffering from an old illness and must hurry back to take her medicine. If it¡¯ste, my Miss will lose her life.¡±

    No one dared to stop her when they heard that Yuxi would die. If they dyed the treatment and Yuxi got killed, the nine of their servants¡¯ lives would not be enough topensate for it. So Zijin carried Yuxi to the second door and met Ye Shi.

    As soon as Zijin saw Ye Shi, she immediately repeated what she had just said, ¡°Da Nainai. Miss is suffering from an old illness. She must hurry back to take her medicine, or it will be toote.¡±

    Ye Shi was stunned. What old illness did Yuxi have? Howe she didn¡¯t know about it? But Ye Shi¡¯s response was quick. Fearing that something had happened, she hurriedly instructed, ¡°Hurry, quickly carry your Miss into the carriage.¡±

    The coachman was also an old-timer servant of the State Residence. He knew something was wrong when he saw this situation, so he immediately took a stool and put it outside the carriage. Zijin stepped on it and got inside.

    Ye Shi put down the curtain andmanded the coachman, ¡°Hurry back.¡±

    The coachman did not dare to stay any longer and hastily drove the carriage away from Jing Wangfu. He didn¡¯t know what happened to the Fourth Miss to be in such severe straits.

    Zijin put Yuxi down. Yuxi¡¯s body was still stiff. This incident must have really scared her.

    Ye Shi¡¯s face turned blue when she saw the blood on Yuxi¡¯s clothes. The good thing was that Ye Shi had a reasonable tolerance. She quickly suppressed her panic and asked, ¡°Yuxi, where did you hurt yourself?¡± How could Yuxi get an injury after she just went to get things from Yuchen? When Ye Shi thought of this, her hands were a little shaky. Something must have happened to the Wangfei. But thinking about the speed of Yuxi¡¯s return, plus the wangfu was also calm and quiet, she put down her worry. [+]

    Yuxi leaned against Zijin¡¯s body with a pale face. ¡°This blood is not mine. It¡¯s from the assassin sent by Momo Tian.¡±

    Ye Shi seemed to have heard something hrious, but Yuxi¡¯s wretched appearance was not a joke. ¡°Why did Momo Tian want to kill you?¡± Momo Tian couldn¡¯t even hit Yuxi with eight poles (), so why would she want to harm Yuxi?

    Yuxi could roughly guess that it could be that one thing in her heart, but she couldn¡¯t say anything until it was confirmed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I followed her to meet with San Jie, but the road she took me on was not the original road at all. When it got even more remote, I didn¡¯t feel it was right and didn¡¯t want to follow her anymore. I didn¡¯t expect her to change her face when she saw that I wasn¡¯t going with her, and she asked the two maids following her to kill me. If it weren¡¯t for Zijin¡¯s little martial arts skills, I would have died there.¡± This exnation was too modest. If people were only aware that Zijin knew little martial arts, no one would dare say she was skilful in martial arts too.

    The fact that Zijin was born to practice martial arts, coupled with her desire to do it without distractions after she went to the mountain, she had progressed very quickly. This condition was also why Master Yang discarded the differences between men and women and wanted to take Zijin as his closed disciple. He tried to ovee his prejudice, but he didn¡¯t expect Zijin to refuse his offer. Unfortunately, Zijin was firm with her decision and was determined to return to Yuxi, no matter how much Master Yang persuaded to no avail. For this reason, one could imagine how upset Master Yang was.

    Zijin added, ¡°That old fool said Miss was in the way and wanted to get rid of Miss so she could make way for the person behind the scene.¡± To this day, Zijin hadn¡¯t figured out whose path Miss had blocked.

    Ye Shi also could not figure out whose way Yuxi had obstructed. Thus, she simply stopped thinking about it. ¡°Yuxi, how are you now? Can you get up?¡±

    Yuxi replied bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m not hurt. I was just scared.¡± In her two lifetimes, this was the first time she had encountered such a thing.

    An old woman servant in charge hurriedly reported the matter to Yu Xiyu. ¡°Wangfei, Momo Tian had been knocked unconscious in the courtyard by some people, and she is still out cold.¡±

    Yu Xiyue froze for a second but quickly covered up her unusual reaction and inquired, ¡°Are there other people besides Momo Tian?¡±

    The old woman servant nodded and reported, ¡°There are also two women dressed as the wangfu maids. However, those two women were confirmed not to be the people of the wangfu.¡±

    Yu Xiyu asked, ¡°Does Jing Wangfei know about this?¡± Yu Xiyu was aware of what kind of people those two maids were. Even if she knew about it in her heart, she had to pretend otherwise.

    The maids nodded and said, ¡°Niangniang just knew about this.¡±

    After the old woman servant left, Yu Xiyu quietly instructed the maid beside her, ¡°Go to the front yard and ask if the Fourth Miss Han has returned?¡± Momo Tian was unconscious, and Han Yuxi was not around. So, there was only one possibility where Han Yuxi had escaped from Momo Tian¡¯s clutches. However, spection was one thing. This matter had to be confirmed.

    Soon, her maid returned and informed her, ¡°The Fourth Miss Han family has gone back. I heard from one of the old women servants guarding the second door, the Fourth Miss Han hade up with her old illness and had to be rushed back to take her medicine. Seeing the unconscious Fourth Miss Han, the Lady of the State went back in a hurry.¡± A few of the old women servants guarding the door felt a bit strange at first. Since Yuxi had a reurrence of her old illness, she should have been treated at the wangfu. Wouldn¡¯t the bumpy ride in the carriage aggravate her condition? After hearing that Momo Tian and two maids with her were unconscious, they all knew what was going in their minds. The matter regarding Momo Tian beingatose must have something to do with Fourth Miss Han. Although Momo Tian was given by Guifei, the Fourth Miss Han was Jing Wangfei¡¯s sister. Everyone knew which one was more important. That was why everyone was sensible enough to shut their mouths and did not dare to say more.

    Yu Xiyu nodded andmented, ¡°I didn¡¯t think that the Chen family attached so much importance to Fourth Miss Han.¡± Yu Xiyu thought Yuxi could escape this cmity because the Chen family had secretly sent someone to protect her.

 Chapter 273 - Forced (1)

    Chapter 273 : Forced (1)

    Yuchen was the mistress in charge of the wangfu. Although it had only been a little over two months since she had entered the family, the wangfu was already under her control. So when she heard Momo Gui reported that Yuxi had suffered from an old illness and had been taken away unconscious by Ye Shi, her face went cold. When she found out that Momo Tian was seriously injured and cked out, and two unconscious maids of unknown origin apanied her, Yuchen didn¡¯t feel good.

    Momo Gui walked in and said with a hideous expression, ¡°Wangfei, I have already asked. The Fourth Miss had her lunch and was originally going to follow Da Nainai back. But Momo Tian, under the guise of Wangfei¡¯s name, said that Wangfei had something to give to Fourth Miss and called her back to the inner courtyard. Momo Tian was a person who had been closely serving Wangfei, so neither Da Nainai nor Fourth Miss suspected anything. As a result, it wasn¡¯t long before the Fourth Miss was carried out unconscious by Zijin on her back to find Da Nainai.¡±

    Yuchen didn¡¯t have to guess the origin of the injuries on Momo Tian and the two maids since she knew they were Zijin¡¯s works. Only a few people knew that Zijin had martial arts skills, and Yuchen happened to be one of them.

    Momo Gui added, ¡°I have already instructed, if anyone dares to say anything about this, they will be beaten to death with a stick.¡± This time, it was not a small matter, and Momo Gui could not help but be cautious. The only one who couldmand Momo Tian was Song Guifei.

    Yuchen asked Momo Gui, ¡°Momo, what do you think of this incident? Why would Guifei want to take Yuxi¡¯s life?¡± Yuxi never went to the Emperor¡¯s pce and had stayed in residence all these days. Thus, Yuxi couldn¡¯t have offended the Guifei. So, for this matter, Yuchen felt that Yuxi should not be the main reason, but something else.

    Yuchen¡¯s footing was too shallow, after all. She had only been married for a little over two months, and it was already good that she could be in control of the wangfu. Where would she have time to reach out to the Imperial Pce?

    Momo Gui hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Niangniang, there were rumours that the Gongzhu was going to choose a fuma from the Imperial Examinations. But more than ten days have passed since the Pce Examinations, and there has been no movement from the Imperial Pce.¡±

    Yuchen reacted quickly by asking, ¡°You mean Qinxin has taken a fancy to Chen Ran?¡±

    Momo Gui nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the Second Master Chen family before. He is an exquisite and handsome man. And what Gongzhu likes is exactly this type of man.¡± To be precise, it was rare for girls not to like such a man when they saw one.

    Yuchen frowned and said, ¡°What you say is not unreasonable. But even if Qinxin took a fancy to Chen Ran, the most she could do was to make Chen Ran withdraw from his marriage with Yuxi, and there is no need for her to go as far as sending an assassin.¡± It was not new for a gongzhu to steal someone else¡¯s marriage, and everyone was used to it. Not to mention a man who betrothed to another girl. Even if he was already married, a gongzhu could still snatch him as long as she liked. However, in most cases, the man was asked to break off his engagement or cast of his wife before the Emperor could sanction a marriage.

    Momo Gui told Yuchen about this because she had heard rumours that the Gongzhu had fallen in love with a handsome and charming boy. She was worried at the time, but after waiting for a few days just to feel that the wind had dropped and the waves had subsided as she could hear no news of broken engagement from the Han family, she thought it was just a rumour and put it aside. It turned out that Guifei and Gongzhu had not given up at all but had been waiting for the right moment. ¡°If my guess is correct, the Chen family must be unwilling to withdraw from the marriage. Niangniang, the Chen family is different from ordinary people. Marquis Taining is the Emperor¡¯s trusted official, and his shizi is a trusted subordinate of the 9th Prince. If the Chen family is unwilling to break off the engagement, there is nothing Guifei Niangniang, and the Gongzhu can do.¡± The Chen family¡¯s people were not without any brains. If Chen Ran could not be an official because he married a princess, the Chen family would still have a promising future. There was no need to sacrifice a son with immense potential in exchange for benefits. The reasons for their refusal were readily avable: Chen Ran had a fianc¨¦e and was about to get married.

    Yuchen¡¯s expression kept on changing. ¡°The Chen family disagrees with Chen Ran marrying the princess, and Guifei and Qinxin decided to kill Yuxi?¡±

    Momo Gui had been in the pce for so many years and knew a bit of the nature of Song Guifei, whom she thought was an oppressive and brutal master. ¡°As soon as the Fourth Miss dies, Guifei will be able to beg the Emperor to sanction a marriage between Gongzhu and Chen Ran. By then, even if the Chen family is unwilling, they still have to agree with it.¡±

    Yuchen sneered and said, ¡°I have been wondering why they suddenly changed their minds when they clearly said before that they would hold His Highness¡¯ birthday banquet at the Imperial Pce. It turns out that they are waiting to execute their n here!¡± If Yuxi had died in Jing Wangfu, the wangfu would have to take a tremendous responsibility. But Yuchen was once a young miss of the Han family, and the Han family could not possibly deal with her since she was a member of their own family. In the end, the matter would be left unresolved.

    As Yuchen thought until here, she broke out in cold sweat. She knew very well how much Qiu Shi and her two tangge loved Yuxi. If Yuxi really died at the wangfu, and she not only failed to do justice to Yuxi but also helped to cover up, her two tangge would be estranged with her. Her half younger brothers were unreliable, and the only ones she could rely on were her two tangge. If she lost their help, how could she rely on the Marquis Pingqing alone topete with Song Ce Fei?

    Momo Gui knew that Yuchen was furious, but it was useless to be enraged over this matter since Wangfei could not take on Guifei for the time being. ¡°Niangniang, we can only me it on Fourth Miss¡¯ bad luck.¡± Originally, she thought it was a good marriage, but she didn¡¯t expect the Gongzhu to notice Chen Ran just because of his striking look. One could only say that Great Master Liao Tong¡¯s words still came true, and the Fourth Miss did have a stroke of bad luck.

    Yuchen instructed, ¡°Send an Imperial Physician to the Han family.¡± She didn¡¯t know how Yuxi was currently doing. She just hoped that she would not be terrified. [+]

    Momo Gui answered by nodding her head. However, she guessed that Yuxi had just been so frightened of the wangfu that she had probably be a bird that had been startled by the mere twang of a bow and would not trust the Imperial Physician sent by the Imperial Pce. ¡°Niangniang, what are you going to do about Momo Tian and the two maids?¡±

    A sh of disgust passed through Yuchen¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t let them wake up again.¡± If Momo Tian hadn¡¯t used her name, with Yuxi¡¯s cautiousness, she certainly wouldn¡¯t have been able to fool Yuxi. Such a two-timing servant was not even worthy of death.

    Momo Gui nodded. She, too, felt that Momo Tian and the two maids could not be allowed to wake up. ¡°They did notplete their task. Even if they died, Guifei would not look into their disappearance.¡±

    Feeling a little tired, Yuchen bid, ¡°You can go!¡± She had a weak spirit and could not strain her mind. But it happened that someone could not see her live peacefully and must make such a mess in the wangfu. Guifei Niangniang truly didn¡¯t take the child in her belly seriously!

    When Yuxi returned to the State Residence, she was still not fully recovered and had to let Zijin carry her back to the Taoran House. It was good that she had already changed her clothes in the carriage and hid the bloodied clothes. Otherwise, if she appeared in her bloody clothes at the State Residence, she would have scared people to death.

    Lying on the bed, Yuxi said towards Zisu, ¡°If Dage is in residence, please ask him toe over.¡± In this state, she could not go to her Dage¡¯s study.

    Zisu answered with red eyes, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go now.¡± She still didn¡¯t know what had happened and why her Miss looked like this when she had just returned from fetching something.

    Zisu had just left the courtyard when she saw Qiu Shi walking briskly over to her.

    When Qiu Shi saw Zisu, she asked, ¡°What happened to Yuxi?¡± As soon as she heard an old woman servant report back that Yuxi could not even walk and was carried into the courtyard by a maid, she was so frightened that she rushed over.

    Zisu shook her head and said, ¡°This handmaiden doesn¡¯t know what happened.¡±

    When Qiu Shi heard this, she didn¡¯t have time to scold Zisu for not doing her job correctly and hurried into the house. If the maid didn¡¯t know, then she should ask the person concerned. When she entered the house, as soon as Qiu Shi saw Yuxi, she first asked about her physical condition. Seeing that Yuxi was only a little stiff and otherwise unhindered, she was relieved. ¡°Yuxi, how did you get into this state?¡±

    When Qiu Shi heard that Momo Tian wanted to kill Yuxi, she found it unbelievable. ¡°Why would Momo Tian want to kill you? You have no enmity with her, so why would she do this?¡± There was no intersection between the two people at all. Thus there should not be any grudge between them ever.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I want to ask Dage to find out what¡¯s going on.¡± She was afraid that Qinxin Gongzhu had fallen in love with Chen Ran and the Chen family was unwilling to back out of the marriage. Hence, she had be a thorn in Qinxin Gongzhu¡¯s side and wished to get rid of her after that. Apart from that, she couldn¡¯t think of another reason for Momo Tian trying to kill her.

    Qiu Shi nodded her head. ¡°Let your Dage investigate this matter. I would like to see who is sowless as to kill someone in the wangfu in broad daylight.¡±

    Ye Shi¡¯s face stiffened beside her. On the way here, she was also thinking about this matter. But after thinking about it, she felt that the case was not as simple as it appeared. Nine times out of ten, this matter involved the one in the Imperial Pce. After all, Momo Tian was given to Yuchen by that person, and Yuchen couldn¡¯t have killed Yuxi. If it was rted to that person, what could the State Residence do to fight against her? Therefore, she couldn¡¯te up with a reasonable exnation for what happened to Yuxi.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Mother, this matter can be veryplicated. So, we must not spread that I had been in an assassination attempt in the wangfu. If anyone asks about it, Mother should just say that my old illness has rpsed.¡±

    Qiu Shi argued fiercely, ¡°No. Your wedding day is in ten days, so it would be unlucky to say that your old illness has returned. What will Marquis Taining¡¯s family think when they find out?¡± They might think that Yuxi was an unlucky person, or else, how could she have a rpse before her wedding? And it would make the Chen family suspect that Yuxi¡¯s health was not good!

    Yuxi said with a wry smile, ¡°Mother, that was the excuse we used when we were at the wangfu, and it¡¯s impossible for us to change our previous remark suddenly.¡± If her suspicions were confirmed, she couldn¡¯t keep her marriage with the Chen family. She no longer thought about it anyway. She wanted to save her own life first¡ªmarriage and all that was not as important as her own life.

    Since this matter hade to this, even if Qiu Shi was reluctant, there was no other way out. ¡°I will exin properly to the Lady of Taining. I hope she won¡¯t mind.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes chilled at these words. If the Han family didn¡¯t know the details of this incident, could the Chen family didn¡¯t know about it too? But the Chen family knew that Qinxin Gongzhu had fallen in love with Chen Ran and wanted him to marry her. But they had withheld this information from the Han family. Otherwise, this incident would not have happened today.

    There was no need for Yuxi to guess the Chen family¡¯s behaviour. It was nothing more than their fear that the people of the State Residence would break off the engagement when they heard this kind of news. At that time, Chen Ran had no choice but to marry the princess.

    It was only at this time that Yuxi understood why Chen Ran¡¯s fianc¨¦e had died not long after his Pce Examination in his previous life. The truth was that the girl was killed by Song Guifei and Qinxin Gongzhu. She thought Chen Ran was a loving and righteous man who had kept mourning for his fianc¨¦e for three years. It turned out that the actual truth was surprisingly cruel.

 Chapter 274 - Force (2)

    <strong>Chapter 274 : Force (2)</strong>

    After sending Qiu Shi and Ye Shi away, Momo Quan turned around and went back inside. She spoke towards the sleeping Yuxi. ¡°Miss, the Lady and Da Nainai has left.¡± Someone couldn¡¯t sleep when something of this magnitude had happened unless that person was dim-witted.

    Yuxi wasn¡¯t surprised that Momo Quan would find out that she was pretending to be asleep. When she heard Momo Quan¡¯s words, she opened her eyes and asked, ¡°Did Zisu say when Dage would be back?¡±

    Momo Quan shook her head. ¡°She has already sent someone to invite the Lord Duke. Miss, this time, it¡¯s very tricky.¡± Qinxin Gongzhu wanted to recruit Chen Ran as her fuma, but the Chen family was unwilling to withdraw from their marriage, so Yuxi got caught in the middle.

    Yuxi felt stupid. How could she not know that she would be facing this kind of exit? ¡°In this matter, we must first see Dage¡¯s attitude.¡± If Han Jianming could support her, it would be easier to avoid this cmity. If Han Jianming did not help her, she might not even have a chance to live.

    Momo Quan advised, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t get your hopes up for the Lord Duke. In his mind, the family interestse first.¡±

    Yuxi knew this reasoning and said, ¡°I know. But my affairs do not involve the family interests.¡± If she could be sacrificed in exchange for huge benefits, Han Jianming would definitelypromise. But in the current situation, he wouldn¡¯t gain any benefits from doing so. Thus Dage would certainly not have done it.

    Momo Quan was just giving Yuxi a heads-up. When she saw that Yuxi was clear-headed and hadn¡¯t pinned her hopes on Han Jianming, she didn¡¯t say anything more. ¡°Miss, should we ask Zijin to stay outside for a while? Zijin has beaten Song Guifei¡¯s people. If she stays in the State Residence, I¡¯m afraid that Song Guifei will harm and square ounts with Zijin after the autumn harvest.¡± Song Guifei didn¡¯t dare to kill Yuxi directly because she still had some scruples, but if she wanted to kill Zijin, it would be a matter of minutes.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°No, let Zijin stay by my side.¡± Now that she had be a bird that startled at the mere twang of a bowstring, she was even more ufortable without Zijin by her side. As long as Zijin was around her in the State Residence, no one could do anything to her. Even if Song Guifei were capable, she wouldn¡¯t dare send an assassin to kill someone in the State Residence.

    In response, Momo Quan didn¡¯t speak about the matter anymore. ¡°It¡¯s good that Miss has a sense of proportion.¡±

    An hourter, Han Jianming returned to the residence. As soon as he reached his home, he rushed to the Taoran House. When his sight fell on a pale looking Yuxi, he asked, ¡°I heard that you were facing an assassination attempt at the wangfu? What happened?¡± What kind of person would have the audacity to assassinate someone in the wangfu?

    Yuxi told Han Jianming her suspicions as she retold him her situation. ¡°Dage, this is only my suspicion. Whether it is true or not, I still have to ask you to check it out.¡±

    Han Jianming¡¯s face instantly turned gloomy. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Song Guifei would be so vicious. Since she can¡¯t deal with the Chen family, she would go as far as went after you.¡± If she could aim for the Chen family, she wouldn¡¯t need much to silence a mere weak woman like Yuxi. As expected, there was no single good person in the Song family from top to bottom.

    When Yuxi heard these words from Han Jianming, Yuxi was shocked and asked, ¡°Dage, do you know about this?¡±

    Han Jianming nodded a little and said, ¡°Qinxin Gongzhu has fallen in love with Chen Ran, and Song Guifei has leaked the news to the Chen family. She wanted Chen Ran to marry the princess, but the Chen family refused.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face was even uglier than it had been earlier, and she couldn¡¯t help coughing. She thought Han Jianming didn¡¯t know, and somehow, because of their attachments, he had left her imprisoned in the drum. ¡°Dage, why didn¡¯t you tell me about such a big thing?¡± Because of her Dage¡¯s concealment, she almost lost her life in the wangfu.

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t expect this either and exined, ¡°The Chen family has politely refused the offer, and there was no movementing from Song Guifei¡¯s side, so I thought this issue had died away. At that time, I also remembered that you would be getting married soon. If I told you about this matter, it would not be beneficial to you. So I hid it from you.¡± Han Jianming just thought that although Chen Ran was good in every way, he was not the world¡¯s best. Qinxin was a gongzhu and the favourite daughter of the Emperor and Song Guifei. Thus, how hard would it be to find a suitable husband for her? After the Chen family declined the marriage offer and everything was peacefuling from Song Guifei and the Gongzhu¡¯s side, he naturally thought the matter was over. He had never expected that Guifei would be so keen on having Chen Ran as her son-inw.

    Hearing this exnation, Yuxi tried to calm down by leaning back on the bed and asked, ¡°Dage, what now? Since Song Guifei and the Gongzhu have failed to kill me the first time, they will try for the second time.¡±

    Han Jianming also felt guilty. This matter was indeed an oversight on his part. If he had known what Song Guifei had in mind, he would not have let Yuxi leave the residence. ¡°As long as you stay inside, you will be safe and sound. When you get married, I believe that Guifei and Gongzhu will also give up.¡±

    A smile shed on Yuxi¡¯s face. ¡°Dage, if you want tofort me, please use a solid reason. Even if I survive these ten days and marry into the Chen family safely, will I still be safe after that? This incident is a good example of what kind of nature Song Guifei has. If she doesn¡¯t get what she wants this time, her hate towards me will increase so much as she was unable to get rid of me quickly.¡±

    Han Jianming asked, ¡°Then, what do you think should we do?¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s answer was simple and clear. ¡°Dage, I don¡¯t want to die.¡± It was already hard for her to relive her life. Even if she had to die, it should be for something worth dying for, instead of dying for no reason.

    Han Jian clearly understood the meaning of Yuxi¡¯s words. ¡°You want to withdraw from the marriage?¡±

    With fatigue in her eyes, Yuxi said, ¡°Dage, if I don¡¯t withdraw from my marriage, it will be as if a knife is hanging over my head, where that knife wille down and kill me at any moment. Dage, I don¡¯t want to live in fear and anxiety day after day and end up having to die in fear.¡±

    Han Jianming was silent for a moment and uttered, ¡°Yuxi, breaking off your engagement is not as simple as touching your upper lip to your lower lip. You and Chen Ran are only ten or so days away from getting married, and not only by withdrawing from the marriage right now will offend the Chen family, you may never be able to marry again.¡±

    Yuxi also knew that it was not that easy to break off the engagement. If she did so, the Chen family would not have her as their shield, and Chen Ran would have to marry the princess by then. So for the Chen family, it would be better if she died than to agree to withdraw from the marriage. It was up to Han Jianming to decide whether or not to do so. It was also at this time that Yuxi was d that the Main House had adopted her. If she were still in the Third House, it would have been useless to make any effort because Han Jianyan would prefer her death to withdraw from the marriage.

    Yuxi calmly asked, ¡°Dage, haven¡¯t you always felt sorry that I was born as a daughter? If we break this marriage, and I don¡¯t want to marry, can you let me stay at the State Residence to be your assistant? Or, it¡¯s fine to let me be a helper to Er Ge.¡± This was the only bargaining chip she had left. [+]

    Han Jianming loosened his clenched fist and coldly said, ¡°This matter is not yet gone so bad. I will talk to the Chen family first and see what they say? If they can¡¯t give me a satisfactory answer, then we¡¯ll talk about withdrawing from the marriage.¡± If the Chen family could give him a satisfying response, he would disagree with breaking off the engagement.

    Seeing that Yuxi was silent, Han Jianming spoke, ¡°Yuxi, if you can stay in residence and help me, I will have an extra arm. But if you do, this situation will also ruin your life, and Dage doesn¡¯t want to see you end up like that.¡± Yuxi¡¯s marriage was just ten days away, and to withdraw at this juncture, they could only use the excuse that Yuxi had a severe illness. She already had a reputation of having a bad fortune, and once they used this cover-up, it would only confirm the rumour of her bad fate. Who else could marry her under such circumstances? If she couldn¡¯t get married, she would have to stay at home and be a spinster for the rest of her life. And when she died, she would be a wandering ghost without even a living descendant to pray for her.

    Yuxi¡¯s attitude was absolute as she stated, ¡°Dage, even if I can¡¯t get married, it¡¯s still better than me being dead.¡± When a person passed away, there would be nothing left of that person.

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°Stop talking about something like that. I¡¯ll go to the Chen family first.¡± He had personally watched Yuxi grow up, and he had treated her like his birth sister all these years. Hence, he did not want to see Yuxi end up alone for the rest of her life.

    Yuxi knew that this was the most significant concession Han Jianming could make. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll wait for Dage¡¯s news.¡± After saying this, Yuxi added, ¡°Dage, you should also be more careful when you go out. I¡¯m afraid that these people will turn against you and Er Ge. People from the Song family have always acted in a way that they will do anything to achieve their goals and never have a bottom line to speak of.¡± People with a bottom line couldn¡¯t even betray their country.

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. You should get some rest.¡± After saying that, he took a giant stride and walked out.

    Yuxi closed her eyes as negative emotions surged out inside her. In her previous life, she and the Qiu family had been one step closer to settling down, only for Jiang Hongjin to snatch her at this very moment, leaving her to suffer for seven years. In her current life, she had managed to get rid of the Jiang family and be betrothed to Chen Ran, and they were just a few days away from getting married, only to have Song Guifei and Qinxin Gongzhue out wanting to kill her.

    Just at this moment, someone walked in from outside. Yuxi opened her eyes and saw that it was Momo Quan. Confusion shed in her eyes, and she couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Momo, do you honestly think I have a bad fate?¡±

    The simrity of her experiences in her two lifetimes made Yuxi wonder if she could not escape her fate. Was it indeed just as Monk Hetong said that her luck was terrible. Otherwise, why would such a thing always happen to her? At this moment, Yuxi couldn¡¯t express how tired and helpless she was.

    Momo Quan said, ¡°Miss, if you believe that your fate is bad, then your life will never get better.¡±

    Yuxi knew this, but now she genuinely felt that she was unable to support herself. ¡°Momo, I feel so tired.¡± She had fought so hard for so many years, only toe back to square one. She still didn¡¯t know what she was working for, and she couldn¡¯t see the point of working so hard.

    Momo Quan said, ¡°Miss, one cannot have smooth sailing in one¡¯s life as one will always encounter many things. This time, it is a hurdle for Miss to go through, and your life will turn good once you can get over it.¡± In fact, Momo Quan knew in her heart that only Yuxi had a tough nature and a strong ability to endure something like this. If it were any other woman, even if the assassination didn¡¯t kill her, she would die from being too scared by now.

    Yuxi did not want to cry, but tears involuntarily slipped down her face. ¡°But the hardships I have gone through are too many.¡± Suffering seemed to follow her forever, and she couldn¡¯t escape from it.

    Momo Quan thought otherwise. ¡°Miss, You¡¯ve survived dreaded smallpox and this time, you have escaped from Song Guifei¡¯s murderous scheme. Miss, it is clear that God does not want you to die. If that is the case, then what do you have to fear?¡±

    Yuxi smiled bitterly. She was afraid, literally afraid of losing her life!

    Momo Quan didn¡¯t know what else to say. After thinking for a while, she said, ¡°Miss, after surviving a great disaster, one is bound to have good fortune inter years. You must believe that you are a person with future blessings.¡± Others said that Yuxi had a bad fate, but she did not think so. If Yuxi had suffered more when she was young, she would be able to deal with whatever came her way in the future in a calm manner, instead of feeling that heaven had fallen and the earth cracked.

    Yuxi murmured, ¡°A person with future blessing? I hope so!¡±

 Chapter 275 - Force (3)

    <strong>Chapter 275 : Force (3)</strong>

    When Han Jianming arrived at the Chen family¡¯s home, Marquis Taining happened to be in residence. It was his stroke of luck since Marquis Taining was usually not at home at this time of the year.

    Marquis Taining was wondering what was Han Jianming doinging to his home at this time? However, he did not give him the cold shoulder as he personally went to wee him. Although Han Jianming was from a younger generation, the two were of equal status.

    Han Jianming followed Marquis Taining to his study, and in a few words, he exined his intentions. Thest thing he asked was the Chen family¡¯s opinion regarding the assassination attempt on Yuxi by Song Guifei¡¯s people.

    Marquis Taining was one of those people who would remain calm even when Mount Tai copsed in front of him. As he listened to Han Jianming¡¯s talk, he calmly asked, ¡°Is this true? Does Xianzhi have any proof?¡± It was just a routine question. Marquis Taining knew in his heart that Han Jianming was speaking without any solid evidence.

    Han Jianming stated, ¡°Momo Tian is the person given to Jing Wangfei by Song Guifei. Lord Marquis would not think that Jing Wangfei wants to kill my Si Mei, right?¡± The reason why Han Jianming hade to Marquis Taining without checking beforehand was that he trusted Yuxi¡¯s judgment, firstly. Secondly, Yuxi was a girl in a boudoir and didn¡¯t have any enemies. Thirdly, Momo Tian was one of Song Guifei¡¯s people. When he summed up all of them together, there was no need for him to make any verification at all. [T/C]

    Marquis Taining nced at Han Jianming and asked the crucial question, ¡°Since Song Guifei wanted to kill Fourth Miss Han, how did Fourth Miss Han manage to escape?¡± He knew that Song Guifei used very vicious tricks. If Song Guifei wanted to get rid of Han Yuxi, she would make sure she had struck a blow at her. So how could she let Han Yuxi escape! This incident was quite questionable.

    Hearing this question from Marquis Taining, Han Jianming¡¯s heart grew a trifle colder. It sounded as if he was sorry that Yuxi hadn¡¯t died. However, because his familycked influence, Han Jianming could only endure his anger. ¡°My Si Mei has a maid by her side who was born with divine strength. This time, when my Si Mei went to the wangfu, she happened to bring that maid with her. The other party didn¡¯t know about it, so my Si Mei managed to escape because of her.¡± Everyone else said that Yuxi had a bad destiny, but Han Jianming thought the opposite. He felt that Yuxi was a blessed person. Last time, during the pce rebellion and then this time, Zijin happened to be by Yuxi¡¯s side every time she was in trouble. Once could be considered fortunate, but not when it happened twice.

    Remembering the premonition that Yuxi had told him earlier, he thought that perhaps Yuxi was the one who the Heavens truly loved. Wasn¡¯t her ability to foretell her own bad events the proof of the love Heavens had for her?

    How could a man like Marquis Taining believe in coincidences? But now, it was not the time for him to pursue this matter. ¡°What does Xianzhi want my Chen family to do?¡±

    Han Jianming said, ¡°My mother still doesn¡¯t know about this truth until now. Lord Marquis may not know that Si Mei is my mother¡¯s heart. If my mother knew that Si Mei would die if she married into the Chen family, she would definitely disagree with this marriage.¡± The meaning of Han Jianming¡¯s words was clear: if the Chen family could not guarantee Yuxi¡¯s safety, the Han family would break off the engagement.

    Marquis Tainingughed. ¡°The two children will be married in ten days. Xianzhi is making a big joke by saying that you will not consent to this marriage at this period.¡± Marquis Taining had not expected that the Han family would think so highly of Han Yuxi. If this were any other families, even if they were aware of the danger, they would not withdraw from the marriage at this juncture.

    Han Jianming was not even upset as he said, ¡°Lord Marquis, how could I joke about such a big matter. If this matter is not resolved before my mother learns about it, I won¡¯t be able to stop her from taking action.¡± With Han Jianming¡¯s understanding of Qiu Shi¡¯s temper, she would absolutely demand to break off the engagement once she found out about this.

    When Marquis Taining saw the unchanged expression on Han Jianming¡¯s face, his heart immediately sank. If the Han family would rather have an enmity with the Chen family by withdrawing from the marriage, things would be far from good, and he did not want his son to marry the princess. Therefore, Marquis Taining repeated the question he had just asked. ¡°What does Xianzhi want the Chen family to do? As long as we can do it, we will not refuse.¡± Those who didn¡¯t know would think these two people were very close based on how he called Han Jianming xianzhi.

    Han Jianming naturally could not decide for Marquis Taining as he could only say, ¡°The Lord Marquis often walks in the pce. So the Lord Marquis should know better than I do about Guifei¡¯s nature. I don¡¯t wish for anything else. I just hope that the Lord Marquis can ensure the safety of my Meimei¡¯s life during this period.¡±

    Marquis Taining noticed Han Jianming¡¯s firm attitude in this. Plus, his request was not too much. ¡°I will give you an urate answer tomorrow.¡± Before the death of the Empress and the Crown Prince, Song Guifei still had some restraint. But since the Empress and the Crown Prince were gone, and the Yan family had fallen, Song Guifei had acted without scruples and did whatever she wanted to do in the pce by beating or killing the Imperial Pce people at the slightest sign of disobedience. Even the Emperor never stopped her when he found out all these. It was no surprise to Marquis Taining that Song Guifei would take action against Han Yuxi this time. Or rather, he had guessed it after he had refused Song Guifei¡¯s marriage proposal. What he just didn¡¯t expect was the willingness of the Han family to withdraw from the marriage.

    Han Jianming decided to be magnanimous as he said, ¡°Then I will wait for good news from the Lord Marquis.¡± If Marquis Taining could not guarantee Yuxi¡¯s safety, he also preferred to withdraw from the marriage. There was more to be gained by keeping Yuxi at home than by letting her die.

    Not long after Han Jianming had left, Lady of Taining came. When she saw the unpleasant look on her husband¡¯s face, she asked, ¡°My Lord, what is so important that the Lord Duke Han hase over at this time?¡± The dowry list was to be delivered tomorrow, and it was not supposed to be sent by the Lord Duke Han. Thus, it must be about other significant things.

    Marquis Taining briefly exined the matter to her. ¡°From what Duke Han said, if we cannot give them a satisfactory answer, he will withdraw from the marriage.¡±

    The Lady of Taining was furious. ¡°Withdraw? There are still ten days to go before the wedding. Does the Han family think that our Chen family is easy for them to bully?¡±

    Marquis Taining had a headache. The request made by Han Jianming seemed simple, but in fact, it wasn¡¯t easy to be done. How could the Chen family stop what Song Guifei wanted to do? ¡°What¡¯s the use of saying this? Now let¡¯s just think about how to solve this problem.¡±

    The Lady of Taining also knew that this was the time of emergency. Of course, if not for the fact that it hade at this juncture, she would have agreed immediately if the Han family had offered to withdraw from the marriage. And with his son¡¯s character, appearance and talent, what kind of girl could he not marry? It was better not to be rted with this kind of inws that could only share the wealth but not the hardships. ¡°Has my Lord thought of a solution?¡±

    Marquis Taining said, ¡°I want to choose an outside the capital post for Ran-er. After he marries Han Shi, I¡¯ll tell him to bring her out of the capital. Song Guifei¡¯s hands aren¡¯t that long. She won¡¯t be able to reach that far.¡± This solution was the best one he could think of.

    Hanlin (lit. Forest of Brushes) Academy

    A restored painting of Hanlin Academy.

    Image Credit | The rightful owner & silkpaper restoration (Grande peinture imp¨¦riale chinoise. Acad¨¦mie Hanlin (Mus¨¦e Cernuschi))

    The Lady of Taining was reluctant as she argued, ¡°Ran-er is currently doing well in the Hanlin Academy. It will hinder his future if he has to take up an outside post right now. Besides, they can¡¯t hide for the rest of their lives!¡±

    Marquis Taining uttered helplessly. ¡°This is the only way to proceed in these emergency times. It¡¯s better than the Han family withdrawing their marriage and letting Ran-er marry the princess. You, yourself, know how Ran-er is. There¡¯s no telling what kind of trouble that he¡¯lle up with.¡± He couldn¡¯t say precisely how agitated their son might be that he might decide to run away from home once more and truly be a monk.

    The Lady of Taining was ovee with regret that she expressed, ¡°If I had known, I would have never agreed to this marriage. I don¡¯t want this kind of issue to ruin my son¡¯s good fortune.¡±

    Speaking of fortune, Marquis Taining asked the Lady of Taining a few more questions, ¡°What kind of person is that Han Shi?¡± Since Song Guifei had the intention to get rid of Han Yuxi, she must have prepared thoroughly. Han Jianming said it just so happened that there was a maid with extraordinary strength by Yuxi¡¯s side. How could there be such a coincidence? From this incident, one could see that this girl was not a simple one either.

    Lady of Taining was a little surprised by her husband¡¯s question, but she still replied, ¡°She has a quiet nature and is generous. I heard that she helped Qiu Shi with managing the household a few years ago. She has many advantages but also many disadvantages.¡±

    Hearing this, Marquis Taining knew that he would not get any helpful information from his wife. [+]

    Chen Ran soon learned about this matter, and when he heard that Song Guifei had almost gotten Yuxi killed, his expression turned cold. Thest time when Song Guifei asked him to marry her daughter, he said that he would get married shortly. But the other party responded in a tone of indifference, telling him to break off his betrothal and again repeat her marriage proposal with a manner of bestowing a person a favour as if marrying Qinxin Gongzhu was a matter of supreme honour. To this day, just thinking about that meeting made Chen Ran nauseous as he had just swallowed a fly.

    Ah Li was very anxious. ¡°Young Master, I heard that the Fourth Miss Han had a shock in the wangfu and is still unconscious. For this reason, Duke Han had spoken with Lord Marquis and said that if we don¡¯t give them a satisfactory answer, they will withdraw from the marriage. If they indeed break the engagement, then what should we do?¡± As far as his Master¡¯s nature was concerned, he wasn¡¯t fit to be a submissive fuma either.

    Chen Ran did not think Han Yuxi would be frightened until she was still unconscious just by a failed assassination attempt. He was afraid that the Han family deliberately released the news regarding her recovering from a fright.

    Ah Li did not know what Chen Ran was thinking and was busy asking, ¡°Young Master, what are you going to do if the Han family truly want to withdraw from the marriage?¡±

    Chen Ran didn¡¯t respond to his question but went straight to find Marquis Taining instead.

    After hearing Marquis Taining¡¯s solution, Chen Ran also thought it was a good idea. But there was a problem here. What should they do if Song Guifei still tries to murder Yuxi? ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy to stop someone as vicious as Song Guifei.¡±

    Marquis Taining replied, ¡°I will have someone secretly protect her. You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±

    Chen Ran said, ¡°What if? What if Song Guifei still manages to get her hands on her?¡± Although he had met Han Yuxi only a few times, the more he got to know her, the more satisfied he became. One could say that if anything happened to Han Yuxi, he would never be able to find a wife to his liking again.

    In front of his son, Marquis Taining did not hide anything. ¡°If there is any chance that Han Shi lost her life, we will refuse on the grounds that you have to observe mourning for your wife. After three years, if Qinxin Gongzhu is not married, you can quit your official post and go on a trip. You cane back after Qinxin Gongzhu is married.¡± This was the best method that Marquis Taining hade out with after weighing up the matter.

    Chen Ran asked, ¡°Is there no other way?¡±

    Marquis Taining uttered, ¡°This is only the worst possible n. After what happened at Jing Wangfu, the State Residence must be on high alert, and with our people protecting her, Han Shi will be fine. When she marries over, nothing will happen to her.¡± If Song Guifei could still kill Han Shi under such circumstances, one could only say it was Han Shi¡¯s fate.

    Chen Ran pondered for a moment before suggesting, ¡°Can we ask the 9th Prince¡¯s help to intercede?¡± It was useless to beg the Emperor, who was so obedient to Song Guifei. It was all for his father¡¯s sake that the Emperor had not given the marriage directlyst time. Therefore, the only one who could persuade Song Guifei was the 9th Prince.

    Marquis Taining looked silently at Chen Ran and then stated, ¡°Your Dage doesn¡¯t have that much face to request the 9th Prince to disobey Song Guifei.¡± The 9th Prince couldn¡¯t sweep away Song Guifei¡¯s face for an insignificant woman.

    Chen Ran didn¡¯t say anything more. Even if he loathed Song Guifei, he knew that he could not resist the other party. The only thing he could do now was, hoping that the next ten days or so would pass peacefully. It was at this moment that Chen Ran realised the importance of power. Without it, he was just amb that anyone could ughter at any time.

 Chapter 276 - Force (4)

    <strong>Chapter 276 : Force (4)</strong>

    Han Jianming ryed the Chen family¡¯s idea to Yuxi, and after he finished informing her, he said, ¡°Yuxi, this is already the Chen family¡¯s greatest sincerity. If we still want back out of the marriage again, we¡¯ll be the unreasonable ones.¡± The Chen family had already taken a big step backwards by offering to let Chen Ran leave the capital.

    Yuxi had returned to normal by this time, and she had suppressed her negative emotions. When Han Jianming came, she was still holding a book in her hand. After listening to Han Jianming¡¯s words, she stated, ¡°Dage, this method treats the symptoms but not the root cause.¡± With Song Guifei¡¯s sinister nature, she still wouldn¡¯t let Yuxi go even if she followed Chen Ran, filling outside of the capital official position. Not to mention, she also injured three of Song Guifei¡¯s people.

    Han Jianming responded, ¡°There is nothing else we can do. Before you get married, you should not go out again. Even after you married into the Chen family, you should also stay inside your ce. After three or five years, this matter will be over.¡±

    Yuxi asked with a bitter smile, ¡°Is there no other way?¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°Yuxi, a marriage is for the sake of amity between Qin and Jin, not to start a feud. The Chen family is so sincere. It would be too heartless of us if we still want to withdraw from the marriage.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t expect Han Jianming to say that to her that she froze for a moment.

    Han Jianming continued, ¡°Yuxi, I know you are frightened. But the Chen family is also a victim of this incident. Have you ever thought that Chen Ran will have to marry the princess once you break off your marriage? A fuma cannot be an official. Once Chen Ran bes a fuma, his life is officially ruined. Yuxi, people can not live only for themselves. We should also consider other people. Besides, no one likes a person who can only share wealth but not when in hardship.¡± If the Han family destroyed this marriage connection when they were in this situation, they would lose their moral righteousness. Without moral righteousness, who would dare to befriend them in the future? It was impossible to p with only one hand. A family couldn¡¯t even revitalize itself forever without any helping hand.

    Yuxi heard the meaning behind Han Jianming¡¯s words, but she couldn¡¯t me Dage for it. She was the one who didn¡¯t make it clear on this matter. At that moment, Yuxi asked with a wry smile, ¡°Dage, why do you think that the matter of Song Guifei¡¯s assassination attempt on me has nothing to do with the Chen family, and why do you think that they are also innocent victims in this?¡±

    Although Han Jianming¡¯s heart ached for Yuxi, he could not say something against his own words. The Chen family was indeed innocent in this matter. And it was perfectly reasonable for the Chen family not to break off the engagement.

    A mocking smile shed on Yuxi¡¯s face. ¡°Dage, do you truly think the Chen family didn¡¯t know what Song Guifei was going to do to me? Marquis Taining is the Emperor¡¯s confidant, who often walks among the people of the Imperial Pce. Do you believe this kind of person will not know that Song Guifei has the kind of nature where she will not give up until she achieves her goal? How could he not know that once the Chen family refused her marriage proposal, she would immediately n on how to deal with me the moment Chen family turn their head around?¡± Seeing that Han Jianming did not say anything, Yuxi continued, ¡°Dage, the Chen family is not ignorant of this matter. In their eyes, my death is insignificant. If I¡¯m still alive, they will let Chen Ran continue to marry me. if something happened and I died, they would Chen Ran politely refuse to marry the princess in the name of mourning for me.¡±

    Han Jianming gave out a bitter smile. Yuxi¡¯s analysis was reasonable. For the Chen family, it didn¡¯t make any difference whether Yuxi was dead or alive as long as they didn¡¯t break off this wedding. But even if he was clear regarding this matter, they couldn¡¯t retreat from this marriage. Outsiders did not know the inside story. If they broke the wedding, people would only think they could share prosperity and immediately broke off their friendship when the other family was in hardship. ¡°Yuxi, I have seen that you and Chen Ran get along very well in the past two years.¡± He didn¡¯t continue the rest of his words questioning how easy it was for Yuxi to speak of withdrawing from her marriage without even thinking of Chen Ran¡¯s mutual affection he had for her.

    Yuxi¡¯s expression did not fluctuate even for a bit as she said, ¡°Chen Ran thinks I am suitable to be his wife, and I also think he is a perfect marriage partner, that¡¯s all. My death will not affect him, and he will even earn a good name by keeping mourning for me. When the matter is over, he is still elegant, out of this world tanhua titled gentleman who won¡¯t face any dy in his career as an official nor his marriage. As for me, my death will not even be worth a penny, and even if it is brought upter, it will only be for people to say that I was such an unlucky girl.¡± What she said was a true reflection of Chen Ran¡¯s fianc¨¦e in his previous life. Chen Ran avoided Qinxin Gongzhu with the help of the girl¡¯s death and earned himself a good reputation for being affectionate and righteous. After the crisis had passed, Chen Ran was still the young and promising young talent with an unlimited career opportunity, and as usual, he would marry a famous noblewoman. And even if others mentioned the dead girl, it was only for the others to cry out how unlucky the girl was. And she, who was unwilling to repeat that girl¡¯s mistake, somehow became Chen Ran¡¯s stepping stone.

    Han Jianming spoke with a wry smile, ¡°Yuxi, sometimes I honestly don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s good or bad for you to read so many books?¡± Being too observant was actually not a good thing.

    Yuxi could care less about the gossip outside, but she couldn¡¯t let Han Jianming also think she was being heartless and unrighteous. It was because Han Jianming was her biggest supporter. ¡°Dage, I know it¡¯s not that easy to withdraw from the marriage. This time, I will stay in the courtyard all the time and won¡¯t go anywhere. I just hope that I can spend this period peacefully!¡± ording to Momo Quan¡¯s words, her hope was very slim.

    Seeing this, Han Jianming also breathed a sigh of relief and asked another question: ¡°Does Si Mei sense any danger while in the wangfu this time?¡± If not, why else would she have taken Zijin with her?

    Yuxi did not hide it from Han Jianming. She nodded and said, ¡°Two days ago, I felt quite uneasy and always felt that something bad was going to happen. Just in case, I decided to take Zijin with me when I went to Jing Wangfu.¡±

    Han Jianming said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Si Mei to be able to foretell good fortune and bad luck.¡± He always said that there was no such thing as coincidence, and it was exactly as he had predicted. He did not expect that Yuxi could indeed foretell good and bad fortune.

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t helpughing as she denied his im, ¡°What kind of foretelling is this? It¡¯s just my intuition.¡± It was just her intuition. If she really could predict good and bad fortune, she would not have gone to the wangfu that day. It was just that others would not take her intuition seriously, while she would treat it with caution.

    Han Jianming left after informing Yuxi. Before leaving, he assured her, ¡°Yuxi, you don¡¯t have to worry. You will be fine at home.¡±

    Yuxi answered dryly, ¡°I hope so!¡±

    Not long after Han Jianming left, Momo Quan came in. Looking at Yuxi¡¯s face that was no longer as messy as it was yesterday, Momo Quan¡¯s eyes shed with relief. So it was not a bad thing to have more setbacks when one was still young.

    When Yuxi saw Momo Quan, she expressed her worry, ¡°Momo, Song Guifei will not give up so easily. I¡¯m sure she can¡¯t tantly strike at me while I¡¯m in residence. I worry that she will use the people around me to do it.¡± Yuxi knew so much about Song Guifei, and it was also due to Momo Quan. When Momo Quan revealed the things about the Imperial Pce that day, she naturally also pointed out Song Guifei¡¯s domineering character. [+]

    How could Momo Quan not know of Song Guifei¡¯s character? As far as the nature of Consort Song was concerned, she would use any means to get whatever she wanted. Though when she pointed them out, she didn¡¯t expect something would happen to Yuxi herself. ¡°Miss doesn¡¯t have to worry about Zisu and Zijin. As for Caidie, Xuntao and Guo Daniang, I will remind them after this.¡± Others couldn¡¯t find Zisu and Zijin¡¯s family in a short time, while the other three had families in the capital. If one still had alive family members, they would be one¡¯s weaknesses. The pce people were the best at catching people¡¯s fatal weaknesses.

    Yuxi was also anxious about this. ¡°Tell Guo Daniang and Caidie the truth, and have them instruct their family to be more cautious these days.¡± After saying this, she looked at Momo Quan and said, ¡°Momo, don¡¯t forget about your own family.¡±

    Momo Quan smiled and said, ¡°I have already asked my nephew and the others to take the children to Red Jujube Hamlet.¡± She had sent a letter yesterday, asking her nephew and grandnephews to go to Red Jujube Hamlet. Red Jujube Hamlet was Yuxi¡¯s territory, and it was in the countryside, so it wasn¡¯t easy to catch them.

    After reminding Momo Quan and listening to the action she had taken, Yuxi nodded and uttered, ¡°That¡¯s good. I just hope they won¡¯t be implicated.¡±

    For five days in a row, it was all very quiet. Yuxi had cowered in her courtyard these five days and did not even walk a step to the Main Courtyard.

    After Yuxi finished a small bowl of fish soup, she said to Momo Quan, ¡°Momo Quan, it¡¯s been calm and quiet these five days. There are seven more days until the wedding. Do Momo think Song Guifei is not going to make her move, or is this just the calm before the storm?¡± Deep in her heart, Yuxi also hoped that Song Guifei would give up. After all, who knew if she would still be so lucky to escape this time around.

    Momo Quan calmly said, ¡°She will surely make her move before Miss gets married.¡± This peaceful period was the calm before the storm.

    Yuxi looked at Momo Quan and asked a question hidden in her heart for a long time. ¡°Does Momo have a grunge against Song Guifei?¡± From Momo Quan¡¯s words, it was not difficult to hear her dislike for Song Guifei. Moreover, she was sure that Guifei Song would make a move, which made Yuxi feel that there should be a special reason for it.

    Momo Quan exined after a moment of silence. ¡°When I first entered the pce, I didn¡¯t know anything. At that time, I made several mistakes when I was on duty, and I almost got killed once. It was the Stewardess Aunty who helped me. And because she identally soiled Song Shi¡¯s clothes in the back garden, she was ordered to be caned to death.¡±

    Yuxi did not even ask why the Stewardess Aunty could suddenly soil Song Guifei¡¯s clothes. She only knew that even the person who identally soiled Song Guifei¡¯s clothes was caned to death, not to mention her, the one who got in the way of Song Guifei¡¯s precious daughter. There was no way Song Guifei would spare her unless the sun suddenly came out of the west. Since then, the only remaining trace of her hope for good luck in her heart was gone.

    Momo Quan¡¯s words soon came true. The next day at noon, Guo Daniang knelt on the ground while crying bitterly. ¡°Miss, please save my son!¡± Guo Daniang¡¯s son had been taken away by unknown people. The man who took her son gave her a medicine packet and asked her to put it in Yuxi¡¯s food. If she didn¡¯t do it, he would kill her son. With Momo Quan¡¯s previous caution, where would Guo Daniang dare to put medicine in Yuxi¡¯s food? Once she drugged her Miss, and she was gone, her son still wouldn¡¯t survive even if he were saved. In addition to that, she still had her daughter-inw, grandson and two daughters in her family. The price was so heavy that she did not dare to take any risk. Therefore, she hoped Yuxi could help save her son by making this confession.

    After listening to Guo Daniang¡¯s cry, Yuxi was silent for half a second. Then she asked Guo Daniang to withdraw first, while she asked Momo Quan. ¡°Momo, is there a kind of medicine that can make people look like they have been poisoned after eating it?¡±

    Momo Quan answered without even thinking, ¡°No.¡±

    Yuxi looked down and thought for a moment and said, ¡°Momo Quan, Song Guifei only wants me to give way to Qinxin Gongzhu. Whether I am dead or alive is of no importance to her, right?¡±

    Momo Quan nodded her head. Fortunately, Yuxi did not ask her to prepare poisonous drugs. Otherwise, that would have been a foolish action. To Song Guifei, as long as Yuxi didn¡¯t get in Qinxin Gongzhu¡¯s way, it didn¡¯t matter to her at all whether Yuxi was alive or dead.

 Chapter 277 - Force (5)

    Chapter 277 : Force (5)

    Yuxi thought it would be better to talk to Physician Bai first to be on the safe side. It would be more credible to have a physician testify.

    Momo Quan said, ¡°Miss, this matter requires the cooperation of the First Lady. Only if the Lady gives the word will Physician Bai cooperate.¡± Although Yuxi had a high position in residence, her words did not carry as much weight as Qiu Shi¡¯s. If they only relied on Yuxi, Physician Bai might not be co-operative.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Then you will tell Mother about this tomorrow.¡± Qiu Shi wasn¡¯t good at pretending. If they had to tell her now, Yuxi couldn¡¯t guarantee that Qiu Shi wouldn¡¯t expose their n at that time.

    Momo Quan reminded Yuxi, saying, ¡°Miss, once you withdraw from the marriage, you may not be able to get married in this lifetime. And if you don¡¯t withdraw from the marriage, there is still a good chance that you can get over this hurdle if you be a little more careful.¡± Just as Han Jianming had feared earlier, if Yuxi carried the reputation of having a bad fate, who would dare to marry her then?

    The next day at noon, Qiu Shi had just put down her bowl after eating when she heard amotion outside. She instantly had a bad feeling about it. She immediately got up and left her room.

    When she reached the yard, she saw two maids were holding onto Zisu. When a tear-stained Zisu saw Qiu Shi, she choked up and said, ¡°My Lady, my Miss was eating her meal when her mouth suddenly foamed and fell to the ground. My Lady, someone has poisoned Miss¡¯s meal and now Momo Quan is urging her to vomit. Whether she is still alive or dead is still unknown.¡± Miss had gone to get something from Wangfei when she was in the wangfu before, but ended up being unconscious and was carried back by Zijin. The culprit had never been found. Even while having a good meal at home, Miss could still be poisoned, making Zisu frightened by this current situation.

    Apart from Momo Quan, the only person who knew about Yuxi¡¯s n was Zijin. It¡¯s not that Yuxi was wary of Zisu, but if Zisu knew, she wouldn¡¯t have acted as realistically as she did now. Zijin, on the other hand, had always spoken very little, and for her to only have her cold face on was already enough for the n to work.

    Qiu Shi froze for a few seconds. When she finally reacted, she immediately headed for Taoran House.

    Mama Li was rtively calmer and asked Zisu, ¡°Have you gotten ahold of the physician?¡± When she saw Zisu nodding her head, she immediately rushed after Qiu Shi.

    When Qiu Shi arrived at Taoran House, Momo Quan was digging at Yuxi¡¯s throat with her finger, making Yuxi spit out everything she had eaten. As Qiu Shi watched Yuxi¡¯s tears fall one by one, her eyes also turned red. But she knew it was a critical moment and did not dare disturb Momo Quan.

    When Momo Quan saw that Yuxi had vomited a great majority of what she had eaten, Momo Quan began to fill mung bean soup, which had the effect of detoxifying the poison, into Yuxi¡¯s throat. She poured a big bowl of it until Yuxi¡¯s face turned blue and then stopped.

    MUNG BEAN SOUP

    It was only when Momo Quan let go of Yuxi that Qiu Shi rushed up to Yuxi and hugged her while crying, ¡°Momo Quan, what is going on? How could a good meal be poisoned?¡±

    Momo Quan sent all the other maids out, leaving only a few trusted ones in the room to look after Yuxi, before telling Qiu Shi, ¡°My Lady, Miss had no choice but to use such a desperate measure.¡± After saying this, she revealed the truth to Qiu Shi.

    Since there was no other way, to be realistic, Yuxi had to suffer some hardships to convince Song Guifei and the Chen family.

    Qiu Shi was so angry that her teeth chattered after hearing Momo Quan¡¯s exnation. Even Mama Li also found it incredulous. ¡°Just because Qinxin Gongzhu has taken a fancy to Second Master Chen, she wants to put our family Fourth Miss to death?¡± There were still such unreasonable things in the world.

    Momo Quan added, ¡°The main reason is that the Chen family won¡¯t withdraw from the marriage, so Song Guifei feels that Miss is a stumbling block. She believes that by removing Miss, the Chen family won¡¯t have any more excuse for not marrying Chen Ran with the princess.¡±

    Qiu Shi hugged Yuxi and cried, ¡°My child, you¡¯re trying to take your mother¡¯s life!¡±

    Momo Quan reminded Qiu Shi in a whisper, ¡°My Lady, Miss is genuinely unconscious. She¡¯s not pretending.¡± Yuxi had just eaten something unclean, but it wasn¡¯t poisonous. She only had a stomach ache after eating them. She would be fine if she vomited them all out. It would not leave any after-effects, except that she would have to suffer for a bit.

    When Qiu Shi heard this, she hurriedly released Yuxi. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there was no poison in the food? How did Yuxi pass out?¡±

    Momo Quan let out a bitter smile as she exined, ¡°To be realistic, Miss hadn¡¯t eaten anything or didn¡¯t sleep at allst night. Besides, with all the tossing and turning just now, she has be physically exhausted, causing her to faint.¡± This method was already considered the mildest. After all, Yuxi was only starving herself by skipping two meals and had been up all night. She would be fine after recuperating.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s eyes puffed out with tears as she felt distressed and started to grumble, ¡°This child is so foolish. How could she not tell me about such things?¡±

    Momo Quanforted her, ¡°Miss was afraid that my Lady would be anxious, so she didn¡¯t dare to tell my Lady.¡± The main point was that it was useless for Yuxi to inform Qiu Shi. In the end, Miss would have to find her own way out. Therefore, it was better not to tell Qiu Shi about it, to save one more person from worrying.

    When Qiu Shi heard this, she only felt her heart, liver, and lungs ache. ¡°This child, howe she is so disaster-prone?¡± When she was a child, she had an unfavourable life. Only after being adopted into her name did she have a couple of days offort. Then, something like this happened to Yuxi when she was about to get married.

    Mama Li also felt that Yuxi was out of her luck. It was just as well that the Gongzhu had fallen for her fianc¨¦, and then she had to face murder attempts one after another. But the other party was Song Guifei, the birth mother of the 9th and 10th Prince, and this revenge could not be avenged even if they wanted to. [+]

    Momo Quan said, ¡°My Lady, Physician Bai will surely be here soon, so please speak with Physician Baiter and tell him to diagnose Miss as being poisoned. Since I have dealt with the poison properly, it will not hurt Miss¡¯ life. But it will take at least a year and a half for Miss to healpletely.¡±

    Qiu Shi nodded hastily, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll tell Physician Bai when hees.¡±

    Physician Bai did not quite understand why Qiu Shi had to do this. In his hesitation, he asked, ¡°My Lady, isn¡¯t Miss going to get married in a few days? If word of this gets out, won¡¯t her marriage be in jeopardy?¡±

    Qiu Shi answered with a bitter smile, ¡°Physician Bai, you are also an old-timer in our household. So I won¡¯t hide anything from you. If it weren¡¯t for Momo Quan¡¯s vignce in warning Yuxi to look out for any poisoning attempt, my Yuxi would probably be gone by now. So that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking this favour from you, Physician Bai.¡±

    Physician Bai¡¯s heart leapt. When he looked at the unconscious Yuxi lying on the bed, his heart softened, and he finally agreed to Qiu Shi¡¯s request.

    Momo Quan immediately gave the poison that Guo Daniang had handed to Physician Bai and requested, ¡°Mister Physician, please take a look at what kind of poison this is.¡± The physician had to prescribe an antidote based on this poison. Those who followed the inside movements of the State Residence would undoubtedly notice it if they made a haphazard prescription.

    Physician Bai studied the poison carefully and spoke after quite a while, ¡°The good thing is that this isn¡¯t the type of poison that uses blood to seal the throat. It is just an ordinary poison. As long as the poisoned one vomits in time, it is still possible to save that person.¡± Physician Bai meant that if it were a poison that uses blood to seal the throat, it would be difficult for even the Gods to save the poisoned one. And even if he were asked to fake it, it would still be useless.

    Momo Quan had already tested the poison yesterday and knew its toxicity level, so she had used this method. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble Physician Bai to prepare the antidote.¡±

    Physician Bai nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I will prescribe an antidote to the poison.¡±

    After the physician wrote the prescription, Momo Quan immediately ordered someone to get the medicine. As Physician Bai carried the medicine box, he said, ¡°Madam, if anyone asks, I will say that the Fourth Miss has eaten something unclean. Do you think this excuse is good?¡± It was not pleasant to say that Yuxi had been poisoned, but by saying that she had eaten something unclean, those who did not know would think that Yuxi was unlucky, while the observant ones would naturally realise that she was poisoned.

    Momo Quan felt that Physician Bai was very proper. Hence, she told him, ¡°If ordinary people ask Mister Physician, just say it so. If someone forces you, you tell them the truth.¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s main concern now was whether Yuxi was still in danger. It was sad to hear that this incident did not yet save Yuxi¡¯s life, but her life was not in jeopardy for now. ¡°I have to trouble Physician Bai.¡±

    Physician Bai only said, ¡°A physician has a heart just like a parent¡¯s heart.¡±

    After sending Physician Bai away, Momo Quan reminded Qiu Shi, ¡°My Lady, this matter couldn¡¯t be said to anyone including the Old Lady, except for the Lord Duke. If not, once Song Guifei learns that the Miss has pretended to be poisoned, there is no telling what other tactics she will use against her.¡± Momo Quan would purposely say this to Qiu Shi because she was worried that Qiu Shi would tell the Old Lady the truth.

    Qiu Shi took her handkerchief, wiped her tears and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if the Old Lady asks, I will tell her that Yuxi was poisoned, and I won¡¯t say a word to her about the rest. Also, when her Dage returnster, I will have him go to the Chen family to withdraw from the marriage.¡±

    Mama Li said with some concern, ¡°My Lady, if the marriage is withdrawn, this will only confirm Miss¡¯ reputation of having a bad fate.¡± Now Mama Li somehow doubted whether the Fourth Miss¡¯s fate was unquestionably terrible. Otherwise, how could she be so unlucky? Of course, Mama Li did not believe that Yuxi would bring bad luck to others. After all, a few masters of the Main House had smooth sailing lives for so many years.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t think about it much as she replied after listening to Mama Li¡¯s words, ¡°Even if the rumour of her having a bad fate is confirmed, it¡¯s still better than her dying in vain. If no one dares to marry her, I will raise her for life, and my dowry will be enough to clothe and feed Yuxi for the rest of her lifetime.¡±

    These words somewhat moved Momo Quan. No wonder Yuxi treated Qiu Shi with absolute sincerity. Such a person indeed deserved to be treated this way.

    The news that Yuxi had eaten something unclean soon spread. The Old Lady felt that something was wrong, and how could Guo Daniang, a senior servant who had been with Yuxi for so many years, let Yuxi eat something unclean. ¡°Go and get the First Lady toe here.¡± There was something fishy about this matter.

    When Qiu Shi arrived at the upper courtyard, she cried and said to the Old Lady, ¡°That child did not eat something unclean. Her food had been poisoned.¡±

    The Old Lady¡¯s hand, holding the Buddhist beads, gave a start as she asked, ¡°What happened? Who would poison Yuxi? Why was she being poisoned?¡±

    Qiu Shi¡¯s tears came again as she remembered the suffering Yuxi had to bear. ¡°I have already investigated it. It was Cook Guo who poisoned her. The criminals captured her son and threatened to kill him if she didn¡¯t poison Yuxi¡¯s food.¡±

    A stern look shed across the Old Lady¡¯s eyes as she asked, ¡°Did you find out who was behind it?¡± What kind of person would have the audacity to do such a thing?

    Qiu Shi was silent for a moment, then told the Old Lady about the incident where Yuxi was almost assassinated at the wangfu. ¡°At that time, Yuxi was afraid that I would worry, so she did not tell me about it. I suspect that both of these incidents came from the same person.¡±

    The Old Lady nearly dropped the Buddhist beads in her hand to the ground but quickly hid her difort and said, ¡°Take good care of Yuxi. Leave the rest to me!¡± This matter was not as simple as it appeared.

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°Mother, you are getting older. Why doesn¡¯t Mother leave this matter to Jianming? The one who can harm Yuxi in the wangfu is surely not an ordinary person.¡±

    The Old Lady nodded and said, ¡°You are right. It¡¯s better to let Jianming handle this matter.¡±

 Chapter 278 - Force (6)

    Chapter 278 : Force (6)

    The Old Lady called for Mama Luo and had her go to the Jing Wangfu herself. ¡°Inform Wangfei of Yuxi¡¯s poisoning. But since she is currently pregnant, be polite when you tell her and don¡¯t scare her.¡±

    Mama Luo was also frightened. ¡°Old Lady, who do you think could have done this?¡± That culprit did it so tantly and arrogantly that it was disturbing.

    The Old Lady said, ¡°This matter must be rted to the Chen family.¡± The Han family did not have any deadly feud with anyone, and it was even more unlikely for Yuxi to also have one. So, in all probability, what happened to Yuxi involved the Chen family.

    When Mama Luo arrived, it so happened that Jing Wang was also in residence.

    Yuchen wasn¡¯t good at telling Jing Wang to leave. Though she saw that Mama Luo¡¯s expression did not look right, she still asked her, ¡°Mama¡¯s face doesn¡¯t look pleasant. Is there something wrong with the State Residence that I should know of?¡±

    Mama Luo looked at Yuchen, and when she saw her subtly nodding her head, she finally spoke, ¡°Wangye, Wangfei, the Fourth Miss has been poisoned and is currently unconscious.¡±

    Yuchen didn¡¯t expect Song Guifei would even use despicable means such as poisoning to deal with Yuxi. That woman really wouldn¡¯t stop at anything. ¡°How is she now? Has she been rescued?¡± The good thing was that Momo Quan knew about medicine, so she should have saved Yuxi from this cmity.

    Mama Luo shook her head as she answered, ¡°We have given the Fourth Miss the antidote for the poison, but she still hasn¡¯t woken up. The physician said that if Fourth Miss does not wake up by tonight, she won¡¯t wake up anymore.¡±

    Hearing this, Jing Wang asked, ¡°Did you find out who poisoned her?¡±

    Mama Luo shook her head as she responded, ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. The First Lady is still checking on it. But the Old Lady said that the person who poisoned Yuxi this time must be the same person who tried to murder the Fourth Miss in the wangfu. The Old Lady is worried that this person will also harm Wangfei, so she had asked this old servant toe here especially to caution Wangfei.¡±

    Jing Wang¡¯s face changed instantly. ¡°What? Someone almost killed the Fourth Miss in my wangfu? Howe I didn¡¯t know about this?¡± He turned his head to look at Yuchen and saw that she just lowered her head, did not dare to look at him. He instantly knew that there was some inside story regarding this matter.

    With a wave of his hand, he told everyone to withdraw. When there were only two of them left in the room, Jing Wang asked, ¡°Chen-er, didn¡¯t your natal family Si Mei almost have an ident in the wangfu? Why didn¡¯t you let me know about such a big thing? What is going on?¡±

    Yuchen replied softly, ¡°Wangye, the one who harmed Yuxi was Momo Tian. She was someone given to us by Mu Fei. I was afraid that this matter would involve Mu Fei, so I have to dispose of her privately after the incident.¡± A daughter-inw should never speak ill of her mother-inw.

    Jing Wang was silent. After a while, he finally spoke, ¡°You should take a good rest. I¡¯ll go out for a bit.¡± Jing Wang also grew up in the Imperial Pce. How could he not understand the situation after listening to Yuchen¡¯s words? He was afraid that this matter was indeed rted to his Mu Fei. Therefore, it had put Yuchen in a challenging position. The only thing was, he still didn¡¯t know why his Mu Fei wanted to make life hard for the Fourth Miss Han.

    As Yuchen touched her belly, she sighed quietly. Since Qinxin Gongzhu had fancied Chen Ran, she could directly ask the Emperor to sanction a marriage between them! Even if the Chen family was unwilling, could they resist it once the Imperial Decree was issued? Just because Song Guifei couldn¡¯t deal with the Chen family directly, she only knew to take her anger out on Yuxi. That was really too much¡­¡­

    Mama Luo followed Momo Gui into the room and repeated what she had just said, ¡°Wangfei, the Old Lady was worried that the mastermind behind this plot will make their move on Wangfei, and she also asked Wangfei to be careful in doing all things.¡±

    Yuchen did not expect the Old Lady to not know the inside story. She guessed Yuxi didn¡¯t tell anyone about the incident when she returned to the State Residence. ¡°I have a sense of decency when handling this matter. Please tell Grandmother not to worry about it.¡±

    After Mama Luo left, Momo Gui lifted the crystal curtain to enter the room and said to Yuchen, ¡°Wangfei, we can¡¯t let this matter go on.¡± If this continued, there was no telling what else Guifei Niangniang would do. If things got worse, Wangfei would not have anyone she could rely on, either inside or outside. After all, one side was her younger sister from her natal family, and the other was her mother-inw. No matter which side Wangfei decided to help, it would always be a wrong decision. But if she wouldn¡¯t help either one, she would appear fickle, and both sides would have dissatisfaction with her.

    After a short silence, Yuchenmented, ¡°The most appropriate way is to withdraw from the marriage. But, will Grandmother and Da Tangge do it?¡±

    Momo Gui said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. The Fourth Miss is not a submissive person. Since this is a life-threatening event for her, she will certainly convince the First Lady to withdraw from the marriage if she wants to save her life. If the First Lady agrees, then the Lord Duke¡¯s side should not be a problem.¡± As for the Old Lady, she was selectively ignored by Momo Gui. As long as the Lord Duke agreed, it was useless for the Old Lady to be otherwise.

    Yuchen stated after a moment of silence, ¡°We have to let Guifei know that even if Yuxi dies, the Chen family will still not allow Chen Ran to marry the princess. They will make Chen Ran mourn Yuxi¡¯s death for three years instead. If she truly wants Qinxin to marry Chen Ran, the most appropriate method is to force the Han family to break off the engagement.¡±

    Momo Gui shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not quite right, and that will be too obvious. I think it would be better to let Gongzhu know about this.¡± Momo Gui was afraid that if they executed Yuchen¡¯s n, they would somehow reveal themselves and be noticed by Song Guifei. This situation would lead the mother-inw and daughter-inw to be natural enemies. Thus, it was better to be careful and avoid confronting Song Guifei head-on. It should not be a problem if they used Qinxin Gongzhu instead. [T/N]

    Yuchen nodded her head. ¡°Okay, then you do it!¡±

    When Jing Wang soon learned the truth, he was shocked and angry. He immediately went to the Imperial Pce to seek out Song Guifei and questioned her. ¡°Mu Fei, Just because Qinxin has a crush on Chen Ran, you¡¯re going to strike at Fourth Miss Han?¡± Such a domineering way of doing things was uneptable even to Jing Wang.

    Hearing his usation, the smile on Song Guifei¡¯s face disappeared at once as she asked, ¡°Was it Han Shi who told you that I did something to Han Yuxi?¡±

    No matter how stupid Jing Wang was, he would not say that this had anything to do with Yuchen. ¡°This has nothing to do with her. I learned about it unintentionally today. Mu Fei, the one who disagrees with Chen Ran marrying Qinxin, is the Chen family. So what is the use of killing Han Yuxi?¡±

    Song Guifei replied, ¡°Without Han Yuxi, your Fu Huang could have issued the Imperial Decree to sanction the marriage between Qinxin and Chen Ran.¡± If the Emperor had not been unwilling to do so, why would she have gone to such great lengths?

    Jing Wang had another shock and became much angrier, but he also knew Song Guifei¡¯s temperament. If you went hard against her, it would only backfire. ¡°Mu Fei, Qinxin is a Gongzhu. What kind of husband can¡¯t she find? Mu Fei, why must you insist on choosing Chen Ran as the fuma?¡±

    Song Guifei nced at her son and quietly said, ¡°It is not that Mu Fei must choose Chen Ran as the fuma. It is your Meimei who has lost her appetite for food and drinks ever since she firstid her eyes on Chen Ran. It¡¯s like she has be a different person.¡± A mother naturally wanted her daughter to get the best in the world, and seeing her daughter acting like this, how could she bear it? Hence, she instinctively wanted to fulfil her daughter¡¯s greatest wish.

    Jing Wang advised, ¡°Mu Fei, you can¡¯t obey Qinxin in everything. Qinxin is still young and does not understand anything yet. However, Mu Fei should know that a forcibly picked melon is not sweet. Chen Ran is unwilling to marry Qinxin. Even if he is forced to do so, will he be good to Qinxin? Can Mu Fei feelfortable marrying Qinxin to him in such a case? Mu Fei, there are more excellent people in this world than Chen Ran. Moreover, Meimei has been staying in the pce for her whole life, and she has only seen a few people. When she suddenly saw Chen Ran, of course, she would feel that he was the unique one in the world.¡±

    Song Guifei also felt the helplessness of the situation. ¡°I have told Qinxin many times, but she said she can¡¯t help herself. What else could Mu Fei do?¡±

    Jing Wang offered, ¡°Shall I try to talk to Qinxin?¡±

    Song Guifei nodded her head and said, ¡°Then, you can try!¡± But it wouldn¡¯t work much. Ever since Qinxin saw Chen Ran, it seemed like he had stolen her soul away where her eyes and heart could only see Chen Ran. Song Guifei had also advised her a few times, but unfortunately, it was no avail.

    Jing Wang and Qinxin talk couldn¡¯t reach an agreement, and finally, under the attack of Qinxin¡¯s tears, Jing Wang returned in defeat.

    When Han Jianming heard that Yuxi had been poisoned, he hurriedly returned to the residence. When he entered Taoran House, he immediately asked Qiu Shi, who was at Yuxi¡¯s bedside, ¡°Mother, how is Yuxi?¡±

    When Momo Quan saw Han Jianming entering the room, she told Zijin to guard the entrance and not let anyone in, leaving only her and Mama Li, the only servants inside the room.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t hide anything from Han Jianming and told him the truth. ¡°Jianming, you should go to the Chen family now and withdraw from the marriage.¡±

    Han Jianming¡¯s heart was shocked. ¡°Mother¡­¡­¡±

    Qiu Shi pointed at Yuxi on the bed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me about anything. Just look. Look at what Yuxi has be!¡±

    Han Jianming looked at the still sleeping Yuxi, with his belly full of words that he could not say. [+]

    Qiu Shi stated calmly, ¡°Jianming, although Yuxi is not my own, over the years she has done more for you brothers and me than a biological daughter should do. Jianming, people should not be without conscience. Now that she is suffering so much, if we don¡¯t stand by her side, she will have no other way to live.¡±

    Han Jianming¡¯s voice was dry as he responded, ¡°Mother, the Chen family will not agree to break off the engagement.¡± If they forcibly withdrew from the marriage, they would formally feud with the Chen family.

    Qiu Shi coldly replied, ¡°If they insist on not agreeing to break the engagement, then we should just scratch each other¡¯s face. They consider Chen Ran¡¯s life is a life, but they don¡¯t think Yuxi¡¯s life is not a life?¡± After saying that, seeing that Han Jianming still didn¡¯t say anything, Qiu Shi shouted angrily, ¡°If you don¡¯t go, then I will go myself.¡±

    Han Jianming said, ¡°Mother, I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t go. I¡¯m just thinking of the best way to withdraw from the marriage without hurting the good rtionship between us.¡± At this juncture, it was delusional for him to think that withdrawing from the marriage wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone¡¯s feelings. As long as the Han family broke off the engagement, the enmity with the Chen family would genuinely be forged.

    No one knew a child like a child¡¯s mother. How could Qiu Shi still not understand what Han Jianming was thinking? ¡°Jianming, I know you do not want to have a feud with the Chen family, and so do I. But we can¡¯t just stand by and watch Yuxi die because we¡¯re afraid of being enemies with them.¡±

    Momo Quan interjected at this time, ¡°I know that the Lord Duke has always wanted to revitalise the State Residence. But has the Lord Duke ever thought about what would happen if Fourth Miss really had an ident and the Second Master knew the truth? The Lord Duke, one log can¡¯t prop up a tottering building. You can¡¯t revive your family on your own,¡± Han Jianye was sent away on official duty a month ago. At that time, Han Jianye thought he coulde back for Yuxi¡¯s wedding after finishing his official task. Therefore, he didn¡¯t dy anything, nor did he shirk from doing his duty.

    There was a saying, he who stayed near vermilion would get stained red, and he who stayed near ink would get stained ck. The Old Lady brought up Han Jianming, and she had instilled in him this idea of revitalising the family would be on his shoulder. As a result, over the years, Han Jianming developed the nature of putting the family¡¯s interests above all else. Meanwhile, Han Jianye was raised by Qiu Shi. To Han Jianye, love and righteousness were the most important. Therefore, if Han Jianye knew that Han Jianming sacrificed Yuxi for the sake of the family¡¯s interests, even if the two brothers would not turn against each other, it would be an impossibility for Han Jianming to ask Han Jianye to assist him.

    Qiu Shi listened to Momo Quan and added, ¡°Your Waizufu often said, There are some things you can do and some things you can¡¯t do in life. Sacrificing your loved ones for the sake of profit is not an option.¡±

    Han Jianming nodded as he finally agreed. ¡°Okay, I will go to the Chen family tomorrow to withdraw from the marriage.¡± If he didn¡¯t withdraw from the marriage and end up with a mother-son disagreement, brothers against each other, that would be a significant loss to the family.

    Qiu Shi was not satisfied. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go now?¡± She hated that she could not let Yuxi disassociate herself from the Chen family right away so that Song Guifei would not have to poison Yuxi again.

    Han Jianming had a headache because of Qiu Shi¡¯s nature of saying it would rain when she heard the wind. It was a good thing that Momo Quan came forward to help out at this time. ¡°My Lady, withdrawing from the marriage is not a trivial matter. It is always necessary to let the Lord Duke prepare for it first.¡±

    Only then did Qiu Shi nod her head and say, ¡°All right! Then you hurriedly prepare yourself and go to the Chen family tomorrow to withdraw the marriage. I¡¯m still here as your support, so you don¡¯t have to worry about anything else.¡±

 Chapter 279 - The Matter Settled Down (1)

    Chapter 279 : The Matter Settled Down (1)

    When the first ray of moonlight sprinkled on the ground, Yuxi finally woke up hungry. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Qiu Shi dozing off by her bedside, and a weak smile appeared on her face.

    The first one to notice that Yuxi woke up was Zijin. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re finally awake.¡± Although it was said to be an act, she still felt quite uneasy when she saw Yuxi hadn¡¯t woken up.

    When Qiu Shi heard Zijin¡¯s words, she also woke up and hurriedly asked, ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Seeing Yuxi nodding her head, she immediately asked someone to bring white rice congee.

    After two bowls of white rice congee, Yuxi finally had some strength. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve made you worry.¡± Looking at Qiu Shi¡¯s haggard appearance, Yuxi also felt guilty.

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°Mother has made you suffer. But Mother has already told your Dage to go to the Chen family tomorrow to withdraw from the marriage, and he already agreed to do so.¡±

    The stone in Yuxi¡¯s heart finally fell. ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡±

    Not long after, Physician Bai came in and took Yuxi¡¯s pulse, then nodded his head and told everyone there that Yuxi was no longer in danger. To be more realistic, Physician Bai also changed the prescription.

    Qiu Shi had been guarding Yuxi for most of the day, and her body became a bit overwhelmed. So Mama Li, along with Yuxi, persuaded her to go back.

    Yuxi waited for Qiu Shi to leave before she said, ¡°If I really withdraw from the marriage, I don¡¯t know if the Chen family will retaliate.¡± She did not want to put too much pressure on Han Jianming because of her.

    Momo Quan said, ¡°Definitely not on the surface. As for whether they will retaliate in private, that is not known. Miss doesn¡¯t have to worry. Although the Chen family is very powerful, they can¡¯t hide the sky with just their hands.¡± The Han family did not withdraw from the marriage for no reason, and if Yuxi had not been on guard, she would have be a corpse by now. If the Chen family resented them for it, they could do nothing about it.

    Since the matter hade to this, even if the Chen family retaliated, there was nothing they could do to stop it. After all, Yuxi could not just gamble with her own life.

    The news that Yuxi woke up soon became known to the Chen family. Marquis Taining asked the news bearer, ¡°Is she truly awake?¡± At noon, they still got the news that Yuxi might not make it through, and now she had woken up. He was not sure if this could be considered good news for them.

    The news bearer nodded his head and reported, ¡°She has indeed regained consciousness. The physician said that since she had first been forced to vomit and then was given mung bean soup to drink to detoxify the poison, her life would not be in danger as long as she woke up. The physician also stated that this poison has after-effects on her body. She needs at least half a year to get well.¡±

    Marquis Taining became interested. ¡°Firstly, there was a person who had forced her to vomit but also knew to give her mung bean soup to detoxify the poison? Could it be that there is someone around her who knows medicine?¡±

    The news bearer nodded and said, ¡°The nurturing momo around Fourth Miss Han was from the pce, formerly worked in the Food Service Bureau, and knows a little about medicine.¡±

    Marquis Taining recalled Yuxi escaping her death in Jing Wangfu. ¡°How is the investigation on the matter that had happened in Jing Wangfu?¡± Jing Wangfu¡¯s security was very tight. It was not easy to dig any information from that ce.

    The news bearer disclosed, ¡°This little one only heard that the three people had vomited blood and were currently unconscious, and this one can pry out no more for the moment.¡± The news that Momo Tian was beaten by Zijin and hurt her internal organs had been blocked by Yuchen.

    Marquis Taining frowned a little. It was unusual that they could not find out more about this incident. This proved that this matter was so significant that it had to be covered up.

    The news bearer continued, ¡°This little one has also checked on the maid called Zijin. This maid was bought in from the outside by the Han family. The Fourth Miss Han chose her because of her outstanding strength. The strange thing is, this maid had learned martial arts from a female escort in the capital for several years, and after the pce rebellion, she did not learn from her anymore. And not long after that, she returned to the Fourth Miss Han. As for where she had gone to these past three years, nothing can be found about it yet.¡± Only a few people knew about Zijin learning martial arts from Master Yang. Thus, it just needed a person a lot of effort to check it out.

    When Marquis Taining heard this, his frown became even more profound. ¡°Did you find out why this maid learned martial arts from the female escort?¡±

    The news bearer shook his head and said, ¡°This one couldn¡¯t find the reason. But this maid was learning martial arts with the female escort surnamed Deng, and she needed to pay 500 taels for fees and amodation every year. The Fourth Miss Han was the one who paid for them.¡±

    When Marquis Taining heard this, he had a bad feeling in his heart. ¡°Does Fourth Miss Han act differently than normal in the State Residence?¡±

    The news bearer answered, ¡°No, this little one doesn¡¯t think so. But Miss Han often goes to the Lord Duke¡¯s study. Every time she goes there, she will stay for most of the day. In addition, the Fourth Miss Han has learned pharmacology from her personal momo and memorised several medical books. This one also heard that she had tried to nt medicinal herbs in her backyard.¡± These things were all well-known things in the State Residence.

    The news of Fourth Miss Han studying pharmacology and memorising medical books was not something unknown to the public. What was new was that she would often go to Han Jianming¡¯s study and stay there for most of the day. Marquis Taining asked, ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± If just now he suspected that this Fourth Miss Han was unusual, now he was sure she was not a simple person.

    The news bearer shook his head and replied, ¡°This one has insufficient information on this.¡±

    Marquis Taining was not surprised by this. If anyone could also pry out the inside matter of Han Jianming¡¯s study, then the State Residence was not far from being ruined. ¡°You withdraw!¡± After saying that, he went to look for the Lady of Taining.

    Marquis Taining told the Lady of Taining the news of Yuxi¡¯s poisoning and said, ¡°The news from the spy said that the Fourth Miss Han¡¯s life is no longer in danger. However, after such an incident, we will likely be unable to maintain this marriage arrangement.¡± This time the poisoning incident happened in the State Residence. It was impossible for Qiu Shi to not know about such a big matter. If what Han Jianming told him before was not an exaggeration, Qiu Shi would definitely want to break the engagement after knowing the truth.

    The Lady of Taining was very much surprised. ¡°Song Guifei would actually poison Han Yuxi?¡± Was it necessary to force her son to marry that Gongzhu?

    Marquis Taining shook his head as he said, ¡°What you should care about now is what should we do if the Han familyes to break off the engagement tomorrow?¡± Now was not the time to pursue the matter of Yuxi¡¯s poisoning but to think about how to solve the problem.

    The Lady of Taining responded after being silent for quite a while. ¡°My Lord, the wedding will be held in seven days. The Han family can¡¯t withdraw the marriage just by saying so. Because of the Fourth Girl¡¯s health, we can postpone the marriage until she gets well.¡±

    Hearing this answer, Marquis Taining asked the Lady of Taining, ¡°How much do you know about the Fourth Miss Han?¡± He didn¡¯t think his wife knew much about Fourth Miss Han.

    Lady of Taining knew that Marquis Taining was not asking about the Yuxi¡¯s embroidery or housekeeping skills. Hence, she thought for a moment before giving her answer. ¡°She is a very resilient and capable person.¡±

    Marquis Taining asked, ¡°Then, does my Lady knows that she sent her personal maid to learn martial arts and learned medicine herself?¡±

    The Lady of Taining opened her eyes wide and asked in disbelief, ¡°She sent her maid to learn martial arts? Why would she send her maid to learn martial arts?¡±

    Marquis Taining felt that his wife¡¯s concern was always out of the core issue. ¡°Don¡¯t you even know?¡±

    The Lady of Taining replied, ¡°I have heard Qiu Shi mention her learning pharmacology.¡± As for sending her maids to learn martial arts, she hadn¡¯t gotten any information about it! Why would Han Yuxi let her maid know martial arts? Was there any hidden secret here?

    Marquis Taining¡¯s face was somewhat grave as he stated, ¡°The Fourth Miss Han should not be lucky to get away from the incident in wangfu. If I am not wrong, her personal maid¡¯s martial arts skills are certainly not bad.¡± Now the question arises, why would Han Yuxi bring her maid, who knows martial arts, with her to the wangfu? The possibility of Yuxi getting the news in advance was automatically ruled out. If she had gotten the information in advance, she wouldn¡¯t have gone to the wangfu for the birthday banquet in the first ce. That only left them with one possibility, that was, this Han Yuxi was very vignt. As for why she developed such a high level of vignce, Marquis Taining was not interested in knowing. However, he knew that someone with such a high level of alertness could not have let her guard down after being almost murdered in the wangfu. Therefore, Han Yuxi¡¯s so-called poisoning incident this time was likely a ploy to confuse people like them. [+]

    The Lady of Taining shook her head and said, ¡°I have never seen this maid.¡±

    Marquis Taining lost in his thought. Such a crafty woman who could scheme with her deep mind could never be content with his son¡¯s current ability. After thinking for a while, Marquis Taining stated, ¡°We can¡¯t keep this marriage with the Han family. We have to find another way.¡±

    The Lady of Taining¡¯s face changed significantly. ¡°I disagree. If the marriage is withdrawn, what about Ran-er?¡±

    Marquis Taining looked at his wife and questioned, ¡°If the Han family doesn¡¯t want to marry their daughter to us, do you think we can just force ourselves through their door and kidnap her?¡± If the Han family insisted on breaking the engagement, they could do nothing. After all, marriage required the consent of both families. But to withdraw from the union could be done by one of the families involved.

    The Lady of Taining also knew this. But once the engagement broke, what should they do about Ran-er? ¡°My Lord, once we withdrew the marriage with the Han family, Song Guifei would certainly beg the Emperor to grant the marriage. Should we let Ran-er marry the Gongzhu?¡± She couldn¡¯t bear to see her son wed Qinxin. Once he became a fuma, not only would he be unable to be an official for the rest of his life, but he would also have to degrade himself in pleasing the Gongzhu. Besides, she, the mother-inw, would have to bow to the and greet the Gongzhu, which made her want to throw up.

    Marquis Taining also had no good idea to offer for now. He could only say, ¡°I will discuss with our Eldest Sonter tonight. We can always find a solution.¡±

    The next day, Han Jianming went to Marquis Taining¡¯s residence. When he met Marquis Taining, Han Jianming exined his intention. ¡°My Si Mei was almost killed by a poisoning incident yesterday, and I cannot hide this thing anymore. My Mother knew the cause of the incident and asked me to hurry over to withdraw from the marriage. She also said that Qinxin Gongzhu is a golden branch and jade leaf. My Si Mei doesn¡¯t dare topete with the Gongzhu since it will only be a self-seeking death for herself. Therefore, please let my Si Mei live!¡±

    Marquis Taining looked at Han Jianming and asked, ¡°Your sister is not poisoned for real, right?¡±

    Han Jianming was shocked for a moment but quickly covered it up by saying, ¡°Lord Marquis must be joking. If it weren¡¯t for Si Mei¡¯s momo, who knows the art of healing, I¡¯m afraid she would have lost her life. Even so, the physician had said that it would take a year or two for her to healpletely.¡±

    The older the ginger, the spicier it would be. Marquis Taining had long seen the slight change in Han Jianming¡¯s eyes. ¡°Fourth Miss Han almost lost her life twice which we have implicated on her. Since Xianzhi insists on withdrawing from the marriage, we have no position to refuse.¡± For a little girl to be so well hidden, they couldn¡¯t underestimate the rest of the Han family. Instead of tearing up entirely with the Han family, it was better to separate peacefully. If they couldn¡¯t be inws, they also couldn¡¯t be enemies.

    Marquis Taining was not beingpassionate. He just thought that if they were determined to stick with the marriage by insisting on Han Yuxi to be married over. Once Han Yuxi married into the Chen family with resentment, this woman¡¯s tactics and scheming would surely cause the Chen family to have no peace. Therefore, it was better to simply let it go.

    When Han Jianming heard Marquis Taining¡¯s words, he thought he had heard wrong.

 Chapter 280 - The Matter Settled Down (2)

    Chapter 280 : The Matter Settled Down (2)

    Marquis Taining was not without demands. Only this request of his was not excessive. ¡°Duke Han, can I hope for this broken engagement to be announced after three days?¡±

    Han Jianming did not ask why. Even without him asking, he knew that Marquis Taining needed time to settle the matter of Qinxin Gongzhu. Could the issue regarding Qinxin Gongzhu be solved within three days? Han Jianming didn¡¯t n to ask. Even if he asked, it wasn¡¯t like Marquis Taining would answer it anyway. ¡°Okay.¡± Marquis Taining had been so forting. It would have been too unkind of him to refuse even this simple request.

    Just then, Marquis Taining¡¯s attendant outside called out, ¡°My Lord, the Second Young Master requests to see you.¡±

    After Chen Ran entered the room, he first bowed to the two men and then asked Marquis Taining, ¡°Father, are you two discussing to break off the engagement?¡± These days, he had been thinking about how to solve this crisis perfectly. As the saying went, you could win every battle when you fought by knowing your enemies and yourself well. These days, he had really been trying to figure something out.

    Marquis Taining nodded and replied, ¡°Duke Han hase to discuss breaking the engagement, and I have agreed.¡± How could he not know that his son had a favourable impression of Han Yuxi?

    Chen Ran stated, ¡°I have already thought of a solution.¡±

    Han Jianming was a little surprised, but how the Taining Residence resolved this matter was irrelevant to the Han family. He had alreadye to their door to withdraw the marriage. There was no more room for them to turn back. ¡°Lord Marquis, I will go back first. After three days, I will return the betrothal gifts.¡±

    Chen Ran did not want to give up. He rarely met such a person to his liking. Thus, he could not just give up so easily. So Chen Ran asked, ¡°Duke Han, if my guess is right, Fourth Miss should not know about this, right?¡± He had gotten along well with Yuxi in the past two years, and Yuxi was so brilliant that she couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware that it would be difficult for her to find a good family to marry into after she broke her engagement. Therefore, Chen Ran thought Yuxi didn¡¯t know about this at all. Even if she knew, she would definitely disagree.

    Han Jianming responded with an unchanged expression, ¡°It¡¯s true that my Si Mei doesn¡¯t know about this. But my mother has made up her mind, and no one can change it.¡± Although it was genuinely Yuxi, who first proposed to withdraw from the marriage, this was something that he must never say to anyone.

    Chen Ran said, ¡°If Fourth Miss disagree to withdraw from the marriage, what will Lord Duke do?¡±

    Han Jianming felt that Chen Ran had a very unreasoning passion even though it was rather subtle as he answered, ¡°My Si Mei listens to my mother the most. Since my mother has said to withdraw the marriage, she will not disobey her.¡± At this time, Han Jianming had be a good, precious child of his mother since his mouth kept talking about ¡®my mother this and my mother that¡¯ as if he had no opinion of his own.

    Chen Ran said, ¡°I know that Aunt wants to do this because Fourth Miss was almost killed, and she doesn¡¯t want to put her in danger again. But as I said earlier, I have already thought of a solution. I believe that once the matter is resolved, Aunt will no longer agree to break our engagement.¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°Second Young Master, I am very touched by your intention towards my Si Mei. Except that you and she are not destined to be together.¡± The spoken words were like spilt water where one could not take them back. He had alreadye to their door to break off this betrothal. Although they did it for a solid reason, in the eyes of the Chen family, they were people with whom they could not share their hardship. If the Han also went back on their own words, people would despise them even more.

    Marquis Taining suddenly spoke, ¡°Duke Han, although it is said that marriage is a matter of parents¡¯ orders and matchmakers¡¯ words, the marriage has been arranged for more than two years, and the two children have developed feelings for each other. It is not right for us to withdraw from this marriage without asking their opinion. Just let the two children meet. If they insist on going against this idea, then we can¡¯t just break the mandarin ducks apart.¡± He would say something like this because he expected Yuxi to insist on withdrawing from the marriage. Once the two met this time, they would be done for good. If not, with his son¡¯s nature, he would surely be unwilling to give her up, and when that time came, there was no telling what trick would hee up with.

    Han Jianming refused without thinking. ¡°Lord Marquis, Second Young Master, my Si Mei is very weak right now and, the physician said she needs to rest.¡±

    Chen Ran pled, ¡°I won¡¯t bother her for long. I just want to ask Fourth Miss a few questions.¡± He didn¡¯t want to give up. If he withdrew from the marriage, it would be impossible to find a woman who was to his liking.

    Marquis Taining begged, ¡°Duke Han, for the sake of the boy¡¯s sincerity, please fulfil his request!¡± His son¡¯s aesthetics were too strange. He did not want a gentle and virtuous girl. Instead, he fell for someone deeply hidden in the dark like Fourth Miss Han.

    When all was said and done, if Han Jianming refused again, it would appear as if he was too unfeeling. He nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I can arrange this.¡± To arrange the meeting during the daytime was not possible since they would be seen. Hence, he could only choose nighttime. Then, he would have Chen Ran disguised as his page to meet Yuxi.

    Chen Ran naturally felt that the sooner, the better. So Han Jianming set it to that evening instead.

    There were only two people left in the study, the father and son. Marquis Taining asked the same question he had asked the Lady of Taining yesterday, ¡°Ran-er, how much do you know about Fourth Miss Han?¡±

    Chen Ran did not answer with something useless such as she could write, draw and embroider superbly. He spoke of something useful in lieu. ¡°I know a lot. The Fourth Miss Han is intelligent, capable, calm, strong-willed and sees problems thoroughly.¡±

    Marquis Taining did not expect his son to know Fourth Miss Han quite well that he asked, ¡°Can you subdue such a person?¡±

    Chen Ran did not answer Marquis Taining¡¯s question but said, ¡°Father, you know better than me how imperfect the world is now. There is no telling when this world will be in chaos, and when that timees, who knows what will happen to the Chen family?¡± How many great families had perished in troubled times? Although the Chen family was living well right now, there was no guarantee that it could maintain this way during turbulent days.

    Marquis Taining did not expect Chen Ran to think so far ahead. ¡°Aren¡¯t you thinking too highly of her?¡±

    Chen Ran said, ¡°Father, Fourth Miss Han knows pharmacology and has a trusted subordinate with outstanding martial arts around her. Even without the shelter of her family, she already has enough to protect herself in troubled times.¡± If Chen Ran knew that Yuxi liked to read history books, and the books never left her hand, it was estimated that his evaluation of her would be much higher.

    Marquis Taining was very pleased. He was pleased that his son looked at things in the long run. ¡°Since you know Fourth Miss Han so well, you should also know that the matter of breaking the engagement must have been her idea.¡±

    Chen Ran nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already figured it out. I believe that as long as we resolve the matter regarding Qinxin Gongzhu, she will not continue her n to withdraw from this marriage.¡± After two years together, he still had this confidence.

    Even if Marquis Taining thought Han Yuxi was good after hearing his son¡¯s words, she was not the only one in the world, and it was not impossible to find something simr. So, he changed the subject and inquired, ¡°You just said you thought of a solution. What is it?¡± [T/R]

    Chen Ran¡¯s method was very simple. ¡°Father, these days, I got a lot of information about Qinxin Gongzhu from Dage. I found that she likes pretty things and pretty people, even to the point of obsession.¡± As far as Chen Ran knew, what Qinxin Gongzhu used and ate was very borate and unique, and, well, not to mention how luxurious they were. Besides, the pce maids and eunuchs around her were all outstanding in appearance. It was also fortunate that Qinxin Gongzhu¡¯s own look was exceptional. Otherwise, her features would have been suppressed by her own pce maids.

    Hearing this, Marquis Taining asked, ¡°Do you mean that Qinxin Gongzhu wants to marry you, not because she sees you as a person, but thinks that you are very good looking and you just so happen to catch her eye?¡± After saying that, he nced at his son. He had to say that his son was indeed very good-looking and had inherited all his and his wife¡¯s good qualities. Only, why did he feel that he was a bit childish?

    Chen Ran chuckled. ¡°Father, we can¡¯t think of Qinxin Gongzhu with ourmon sense.¡± To put it nicely, Qinxin Gongzhu was raised by Song Guifei to be innocent, beautiful and lovely; to put it more unpleasantly, she was a stupid woman who had no brain and acted only on her own preference. [T/C]

    When Marquis Taining listened to Chen Ran¡¯s analysis, he lowered his head and thought for a while, then let out a bitter smile. He had to admit that his son seemed to have a point. ¡°What do you n to do?¡±

    Chen Ran¡¯s solution was straightforward: to have the physician prepare a prescription for him that could make something grow on his face that would make him ugly, and then coincidentally meet Qinxin Gongzhu in the pce. Of course, how to coincidentally meet her would have to be done with his father¡¯s help.

    Marquis Taining nodded a little and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s give it a try.¡±

    As luck would have it, there was no moon and not even stars that day. Chen Ran kept his head down all the time and followed behind Han Jianming without looking around.

    Han Jianming arranged the meeting ce to be in Yuxi¡¯s yard. After entering the courtyard, Chen Ran saw Yuxi. At this time, Yuxi was wrapped tightly in a chair, and her face was pale. Under the dim light, she was looking less daring, and he estimated that she had been scared to death.

    Han Jianming muttered in his heart, what is this girl doing by making herself look like this?

    Chen Ran was naturally shocked to see Yuxi in this state. But he quickly regained hisposure and apologised, ¡°Fourth Miss, I¡¯m sorry for making you suffer because of me.¡±

    Yuxi spoke hoarsely, ¡°Since things havee to this, it is useless to talk more. Second Master Chen has insisted on seeing me. What is it about?¡± Since her family had already told the Chen family that they would withdraw from the marriage, there was no need for the two of them to meet. However, Yuxi also knew of Han Jianming¡¯s concern. He did not want to feud with the Chen family, so he made concessions. In this regard, she also understood. It was only a meeting, and there was nothing for her to lose. As for what Chen Ran would redeem from this meeting, all she knew was, the Chen family people would have been disgusted with her after this incident. It wasn¡¯t like she did not have any brain. How could she agree to this marriage once more? [+]

    Chen Ran stated, ¡°Today, Duke Han came to our door to withdraw the marriage. I¡¯m afraid I have to disagree. I know why Aunt wants to do so. She is afraid that you will be hurt again, but I have found a solution. When these things resolve, it will then be fine.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t even bother to ask such a stupid question, ¡®what if in case you couldn¡¯t solve it¡¯. She just said, ¡°My mother didn¡¯t want it to happen where the white-haired person has to send off the ck-haired person, so she forced my Dage to go to the Chen family to withdraw from the marriage. Although there was a reason for this incident, it was wrong of us not only to fail to help when you are in trouble but take our move to withdraw from the marriage instead. At this point, I would like to apologise to you solemnly.¡± After saying that, supported by Zisu, she gave Chen Ran a half-bow.

    Chen Ran wanted to go forward to block it but was stopped by Momo Quan. Meeting between the two of you was fine, but moving your hands and feet is not.

    After Yuxi finished her bow, she whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just not lucky enough to be with you. I believe you can marry a better girl than me in the future.¡±

    Chen Ran was not stupid. How could he not see that Yuxi had given up on him? He could not help but ask, ¡°Why?¡± They obviously got along very well these two years, and she had made those gifts given to him with great care. But why did she give up so quickly now? Weren¡¯t they the most suitable for each other?

    Yuxi was silent for half a second before asking, ¡°You said you had found a way to solve Qinxin Gongzhu¡¯s problem? Then I ask you. What if your method doesn¡¯t work?¡±

    Chen Ran answered with certainty, ¡°My method definitely works.¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little. This smile of hers made her look even more eerie and terrifying. ¡°Second Master Chen, if your current method works, you can get rid of Qinxin Gongzhu. If your method doesn¡¯t work, you¡¯ll be able to get rid of her just the same when I die. So, whatever method you use, it will still work perfectly fine for you.¡±

    Chen Ran¡¯s face turned ugly as he asked, ¡°Is that how you see me?¡±

    Yuxi did not answer Chen Ran¡¯s question but said, ¡°Second Master Chen, if you can promise me one thing, I will not withdraw from this marriage.¡±

    Chen Ran did not feel that what Yuxi said would be anything good. He was sure when he heard Yuxi say, ¡°If you can go before the Emperor and say that you want to marry only me in this life. If anything happens to me, you will never marry another wife or have any concubine as you will just keep watch over my memorial tablet for your whole life.¡± Saying these kinds of things in front of the Emperor was equivalent to announcing to the whole world. Once Chen Ran remarried, took concubines or even a tongfang, not to mention the crime of deceiving the Emperor, he would also be disgraced by schrs for being a hypocrite.

    Chen Ran said, ¡°Fourth Miss, I can¡¯t promise to this request of yours.¡±

    Han Jianming was not surprised to hear Chen Ran¡¯s words. What man would dare to make such a promise! But Yuxi indeed dared to ask for something like this.

    There was no ripple or joy in Yuxi¡¯s face as she said, ¡°Second Master Chen, you¡­¡­¡± Initially, she wanted to say, if you can not even promise me this request, so why should I gamble with my own life for you? Unfortunately, after only saying these four words, she began to cough. The more she coughed, the more she couldn¡¯t speak at the end.

    Momo Quan gently patted Yuxi¡¯s back. Then, she had Zijin help Yuxi to get into the house. This time, she turned to Chen Ran and said, ¡°Second Master Chen, my Miss almost died twice, and this time she was lucky to get her life back, but it will take her two to three years to recover. Second Master Chen, the Han family does not owe you anything for withdrawing from this marriage. On the contrary, you have caused my Miss to suffer so much. It is you who owe her. If you hadn¡¯t gotten her into trouble, she wouldn¡¯t be in this state.¡± In the end, the older the ginger, the spicier it would be. She instantly put themselves in a good position.

    Chen Ran responded, ¡°I know that I¡¯ve dragged down Fourth Miss Han, so I want to make it up to her properly in the future.¡±

    Momo Quan snickered. ¡°Second Master Chen, there are some things that I have left unsaid because I do not want everyone¡¯s face to look unsightly. The fact that you did not tell us that Qinxin Gongzhu was going to recruit you as fuma, let alone the fact that she almost killed my Miss in Jing Wangfu. You know very well that my Miss has continuously suffered because of you. However, from the first ident until now, Taining Residence didn¡¯t even send a single person toe to our door to appease us. Now, you can stille to my Miss and ask her not to withdraw her marriage? It was also my Miss who was kind-hearted and felt it was unkind of her to withdraw from the marriage at this juncture. But if I were to say, if we had withdrawn the marriage after the incident at the wangfu, would my Miss have to suffer right now?¡± If Han Jianming had agreed to break this engagement at that time, this incident would not have happened. [T/C]

    The news of the incident where Yuxi was almost killed in the wangfu had been blocked by Yuchen. Therefore, people outside did not know about it. Nevertheless, the Chen family was aware of it, yet they didn¡¯t even visit her to show their concerns.

    Chen Ran now knew that there was no more room for him to manoeuvre to save this engagement from breaking apart.

 Chapter 281 - The Matter Settled Down (3)

    Chapter 281 : The Matter Settled Down (3)

    As Chen Ran went out, he looked up at a dark, starry sky before lowering his head. As for what was going on in his mind, no one knew.

    Han Jianming took Chen Ran back to his study and said, ¡°Second Master Chen, my Si Mei was greatly frightened by the incident at the wangfu earlier. She has been panicking these days and having nightmares after nightmares. Now that she was poisoned, it has affected her health, and the session of events has caused her to be somewhat emotionally unstable. So please don¡¯t take today¡¯s words to heart.¡±

    Chen Ran used to think that Yuxi was very capable of enduring, but today, looking at her hysterical appearance like she was a female ghost, he doubted his judgement of her in his mind. ¡°I won¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Although he was also innocent in this matter, there was no denying that what that person had just said was right. The two times Han Yuxi had suffered had been brought on by him.

    When he returned to the Marquis¡¯ residence, Chen Ran went to see Marquis Taining.

    Looking at his son like this, Marquis Taining knew that his son had not been able to negotiate with Yuxi. Of course, this result was as he had expected. ¡°The Han girl has refused?¡± Since the two families hade to this point, it was normal for the Han girl to refuse, but it would be strange if she didn¡¯t!

    Chen Ran hesitated for a moment and stated the conditions that Yuxi had proposed. ¡°I didn¡¯t agree to it.¡± There was no way he could say yes to that promise.

    Marquis Tainingughed a little. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just say yes? You don¡¯t have confidence in your own n?¡±

    Chen Ran shook his head. ¡°No, I am very confident in my n. It¡¯s just that making such a promise would be too costly for me to bear if I couldn¡¯t deliver.¡± If Han Yuxi had only asked him not to remarry, he would have agreed. But asking him not to have another woman was not something he could do. If something happened to Han Yuxi, would he have to die alone, with no one to take care of him after his death?

    Marquis Taining said: ¡°This girl deliberately put forward a condition that you could not agree to, in order to make you back down. This girl is brilliant. It¡¯s just a pity¡­¡­¡± It was just a pity that she was a girl, not a boy. Otherwise, Han Jianming would not have to worry about reviving his family reputation if he had such an intelligent helper.

    No matter how smart Han Yuxi was, Marquis Taining did not put much thought into it, for Han Yuxi was a mere daughter. Even if she were smart, she would not be able to do anything. In the future, if she married, she would only stay in the inner chamber and take care of her turf in the backyard.

    Chen Ran also put the matter aside. As the marriage was already a foregone conclusion, it was useless to talk about it any longer. So, at that moment, he told Marquis Taining about his method and what he could do to foolproof his n in dissuading Qinxin Gongzhu from recruiting him as her fuma.

    The betrothal gifts had gone into Yuxi¡¯s Taoran House, and since the Han family had withdrawn from the marriage, the people of the Taoran House were picking things out to send back. How could they hide such a big thing from the Old Lady with this bigmotion?

    The Old Lady¡¯s face was livid as she looked at Qiu Shi and questioned, ¡°You say you want to withdraw from the marriage with the Chen family? Have you lost your mind?¡± The wedding was just a few days away, and to back out at this juncture had to be an insane move.

    When Qiu Shi heard this, a sh of embarrassment shed across her face. However, she suppressed the anger in her heart and said, ¡°Mother, if we don¡¯t withdraw the marriage, Yuxi will die. She has twice gotten away with it, but who knows if she can escape next time?¡±

    The Old Lady already knew that the two assassination attempts on Yuxi had been the work of Song Guifei, ¡°We can¡¯t break off the engagement. What would our Han family be now if you proceed with this?¡±

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t inform the Old Lady that they had already made a deal with the Chen family and that the Chen family had also agreed with it. She only said, ¡°Mother, whether you agree or not, I must break this engagement. I can¡¯t just stand by and watch Yuxi die.¡± One could say that this was the first time that Qiu Shi had refuted the Old Lady¡¯s words right to her face.

    The Old Lady became even more livid as she said, ¡°What did you say? You try to say that again?¡± This daughter-inw of hers had truly rebelled against her.

    Qiu Shi had long known that the Old Lady had an iron mind and a stone heart. She had no hope that the Old Lady would agree to her idea, but hearing these wordsing from the Old Lady¡¯s mouth still sent a chill down her spine. Qiu Shi strained her neck and said, ¡°I will absolutely break the engagement with the Chen family¡¯s marriage. I won¡¯t let Yuxi die in vain.¡±

    The Old Lady pointed at Qiu Shi and said, ¡°You¡¯re good. You are very good¡­¡­¡± Before she could continue her sentence, she had already passed out. The Old Lady had fainted from being too angry.

    No matter how angry the Old Lady was, the Han family returned the betrothal gifts three dayster to the Chen family. The official matchmaker also sent Yuxi and Chen Ran¡¯s gengtie back to both families. At this point, they had officially withdrawn from the marriage.

    Qiu Shi sighed as she held up Yuxi¡¯s gengtie while saying, ¡°How can this child be so gued with disasters?¡± This child has never had a day of peace where she had to face one thing after another. She sighed. She didn¡¯t know when it would finally end.

    Yuxi¡¯s withdrawal from her marriage caused quite a stir in the capital. Many of her friends and family had received wedding invitations before, but how could they not be shocked when they received the news that she had broken her own betrothal?

    The Han family told the public that Yuxi had an old illness that would take a year to recover. Thus, to not dy the Second Master Chen family¡¯s life, they took the initiative to withdraw from the marriage.

    When the people who did not know the truth heard this, they thought that the Fourth Miss Han was unlucky. She suddenly had an attack of an old illness at this juncture. What else could be said about it other than she had a stroke of bad luck. However, those who were alert knew that Yuxi¡¯s old illness hade at a strange time. Those who had their own sources would immediately ask for information on it. At the same time, those who didn¡¯t will go straight to the door to ask. This was the case with Yuru as she returned with her daughter, who had just turned one year old.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t hide anything from Yuru as she exined, ¡°Your Si Mei is not suffering from an old illness. She has been poisoned and needs to be treated for a while to recover.¡± Since they had already announced that it would take a year for Yuxi to get well, they could not talk about her marriage for a year.

    Yuru had guessed that there was something else happening behind the scene. Yuxi had never gotten sick except for the time when she had smallpox. Hence, how could she suddenly have an old illness? But she never thought that Yuxi would be poisoned instead. ¡°Mother, who poisoned Si Mei?¡±

    Qiu Shi answered with a bitter smile, ¡°It was Song Guifei who poisoned her. Qinxin Gongzhu had fallen in love with Chen Ran and wanted him to be her fuma, so Yuxi had be a stumbling block for her.¡±

    Yuru thought that this luck of Yuxi was truly unmatched where she could evene across such an incident. ¡°Mother, I will go and see my Si Mei.¡± In the past, when she was in her mother¡¯s house, Yuru always felt that Qiu Shi had not been good enough for her. But after she married and came into contact with her stepmother-inw, she realised how lucky she was and what kind and generous her formal mother had been. Although Yuru rarely came back in the past few years, she never stopped paying her filial respects during New Year¡¯s and other festivals. She would asionally send Qiu Shi some clothes and shoes that she had made herself. The things were not worth much, but the thought was still very much appreciated by Qiu Shi. Qiu Shi was the kind of person who would treat you better if you treated her well. Therefore, with Qiu Shi¡¯s support, Yuru was now able to get even with her stepmother-inw in the Zeng family, and her life had sailed quite smoothly.

    Yuxi was sitting at the table reading a book, mainly because other people basically didn¡¯te to her ce, so there was no need to lie in bed. When Yuxi heard that Yuru hade to see her, she was startled. ¡°Dajie is here?¡± Since she had fallen ill, Ye Shi, Lu Xiu and Yurong had alle to see her, but Yuru was the first visitor from outside the residence.

    Zisu urged, ¡°Miss, hurry up and lie down on the bed!¡± If Miss didn¡¯t get into bed, Miss would be exposed. Zisu knew the next day that Yuxi wasn¡¯t truly poisoned. She didn¡¯t me Yuxi for hiding it from her. She was just sad that Yuxi had to abuse her body to make it more realistic.

    When Yuru entered the house, she saw Yuxi lying in bed but looking much better than she expected.

    When Yuxi saw that Yuru was still holding the baby in her hand, a sh of surprise passed through her eyes, and she was busy saying, ¡°Dajie, don¡¯t bring Niu Niu near me. I will pass the sickness to her.¡± Niu Niu was the little girl¡¯s nickname. Because Yuxi was not on good terms with Yuru, when this child had her first bath after three days of being born, the gift she sent was neither too thin nor too thick. It was just the kind that one could get by with.

    Yuru said, ¡°Si Mei, Mother has already told me about your situation. So, don¡¯t say anything to me about your being sick.¡± It wasn¡¯t like Yuxi was actually sick. She was just being poisoned.

    Momo Quan came over and advised, ¡°Da Gunainai, the child should still be carried out! The smell of medicine is too strong here. It¡¯s not good for the child.¡±

    Only then did Yuru ask the nursemaid to carry the child out.

    Yuxi asked with a wry smile, ¡°Dajie, you know all about it?¡± Yuxi was not surprised that Qiu Shi would tell Yuru about this. Qiu Shi was a person who could not hide it in her heart. It was already very good that she could hide from Yuru the fact that she had pretended to be poisoned.

    Yuru nodded a little and said, ¡°Since things are already like this, you shouldn¡¯t overthink it. The most important thing now is to take good care of your health. For the rest, we¡¯ll talk about it when you get well.¡±

    Yuxi did not expect that Yuru woulde to her door at this time tofort her. At that moment, she smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Dajie.¡± This was the first time she had sincerely thanked Yuru. [+]

    Yuru sighed and said, ¡°We are sisters. It is a little bit too much for you to thank me. Moreover, Dajie has not helped you in any way, so Dajie doesn¡¯t even deserve these ¡®thank you¡¯ words.¡± What else could one do but admit it was one¡¯s bad luck when encountering something like this. With the case of Song Guifei and the Gongzhu, there was nothing that the State Residence could do to counter it.

    Yuxi smiled a little, ¡°I¡¯m happy that Dajie cane to see me.¡±

    Yuru kept Yuxipany for a while. Before she went back, she left some nutritional medicine for Yuxi. After Yuru left, Yuxi justy on the bed, without saying another word for quite a while.

    Zijin looked at Yuxi in a depressed mood and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Miss had been in a good mood for the past two days. Why would she abruptly be in a bad mood after meeting Eldest Miss?

    Yuxi sighed quietly. ¡°When Dajie was at home, she was not on good terms with me. Yet at this time, she was able to visit me¡­¡­¡± While Zhou Shiya, who was so close to her, did not evene to her door. She didn¡¯t ask Zhou Shiya toe to see her in person, but she could still ask her maid toe to visit or just write her a letter. There would always be a way that she could do it! Unfortunately, after waiting for several days, Yuxi did not even get a visit from Zhou Shiya herself or even her maid.

    Thest time Momo Quan had told her about Zhou Shiya¡¯s problems, she had been able to use the excuse that Second Lady Zhou was too strict in her control. But now, she no longer wanted to lie to herself. As Momo Quan said, Zhou Shiya was not worthy of her friendship. One had to admit that ginger would get spicier as it got older. Compared to Momo Quan, her eye for people was in dire need of improvement.

    When Zijin looked at Yuxi¡¯s grim expression, she remembered what Zisu had told her earlier about Zhou Shiya noting to see Miss, so she shared with her words of wisdom that she had once heard, ¡°Miss, it will be my luck if I get it. But if I lost it, then that is also my fate.¡±

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t helpughing as she asked, ¡°Zijin, where did you hear that?¡± She hadn¡¯t taught Zijin these kinds of words.

    Zijin answered, ¡°This is a saying that Master Yang once said.¡± She thought it made sense, so she wrote it down.

    Yuxi was silent. From these words, she could see that Master Yang must have gone through many hardships before. Otherwise, he would not have said such words. ¡°Zijin, this is not the way to use those words. Hmm, just forget it. Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Remember you once told me that you and Yu Si Ge had also hunted rabbits in the mountains? Can you tell me more about that?¡± It was better to hear and think less of bad things and hear and think more of happy things.

    When Zijin saw that Yuxi was interested, she told Yuxi in detail when Yu Si took her hunting in the mountains. Zijin was not as eloquent as Zisu, but Yuxi still listened to her with great interest.

 Chapter 282 - The Matter Settled Down (4)

    Chapter 282 : The Matter Settled Down (4)

    After breaking off the engagement with the Han family, Marquis Taining took the initiative to mention the matter of Chen Ran marrying the Gongzhu in front of the Emperor. However, Marquis Taining made a small request to allow Chen Ran to meet with Qinxin Gongzhu. He said that the two children had never met, so he would let them meet first, and if Gongzhu felt that Chen Ran was good, he would ask the Emperor to issue an Imperial Decree at that time. If Gongzhu did not think it was a good idea, they would treat the matter as if it had never happened.

    The Emperor naturally did not tell him that Gongzhu had already met Chen Ran on the day of the Pce Examination. When he saw that Marquis Taining was so sensible, he agreed with augh. As a result, when Qinxin Gongzhu looked at the red dots on Chen Ran¡¯s face, she was scared till she became like flowers out of colour.

    Chen Ran seemed not to see the difference in Qinxin Gongzhu¡¯s face and kept talking to her. ording to his information about her, he decided to speak about whatever she hated.

    Qinxin Gongzhu was so frightened with Chen Ran that she finally ran away from the meeting.

    Chen Ran turned to a deserted corner and showed his disgust. Such a woman would take too much space if he wanted to put her as a mere disy at home.

    A few dayster, Yuxi looked at Qiu Shi¡¯s expression and knew that something was wrong with her. ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong with you? What happened?¡±

    Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t hide anything in her heart, so when she saw that Yuxi had taken the initiative to ask her, she said, ¡°Chen Ran is discussing marriage with the Yu family.¡± This was the news she had just received.

    Yuxi let out a cry of ¡®oh¡¯. So Chen Ran had solved the matter regarding Qinxin. ¡°The Yu family¡¯s girl? If I remember correctly, Yu Xixian seems to be the 9th Wangfei¡¯s baomei?¡± The Chen family¡¯s action was swift, but that was understandable. They were probably afraid Qinxin Gongzhu would stir another trouble, so they wanted to settle Chen Ran¡¯s marriage in a hurry.

    Qiu Shi nodded her head and said, ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± She was worried that once the marriage between the Chen family and the Yu family settled, people would definitely say that Yuxi was not the blessed one.

    Yuxi smiled a little as she said, ¡°I¡¯ve met Miss Xixian. She¡¯s actually much better than me, and Chen Ran is also blessed to be with her.¡± Grand Chancellor Yu had a high and influential position, and so did his sons. One could say that the Yu family was still ahead of the Song family in terms of prestige. Song Guifei could poison Yuxi without fear, but she would never dare to do the same to Xixian. The Lady of Taining must have given much thought to this matter when she chose Yu Xixian.

    Qiu Shi felt that Yuxi¡¯s heart was too big.

    Unfortunately, the son did not ept the mother¡¯s painstaking efforts. Chen Ran said, ¡°Mother, the matter of Qinxin Gongzhu just settled. There is no need to be in such a hurry, and it is not toote to talk about my marriage in another two years.¡± He wasn¡¯t even in the mood to get married right now.

    The Lady of Taining stated, ¡°What if Qinxin Gongzhu has the urge to ask you to marry her again? Ran-er, settle the marriage with the Yu family first, and wait until the end of the year or next year before you get married to her.¡±

    Chen Ran was reluctant.

    This time, the Lady of Taining was no longer willing to obey her son, and her attitude was steadfast, as she said, ¡°You have to be willing even if you are not. If you had listened to me before, something like this wouldn¡¯t have happened right now.¡± When she thought of the Han family withdrawing from the marriage, she was full of anger. Fortunately, they hadn¡¯t be inws, or else they wouldn¡¯t have been able to see that the other party¡¯s character was even this bad. The Yu family trait was so good. Surely they wouldn¡¯t have done something like dropping stones on them when they fell into a well. [T/C]

    In the past, Chen Ran dared to make a scene and threaten Marquis Taining and his wife by saying that he would be a monk because he had no fear in his heart at that time. But now that he had grown up and known more, he had scruples in his heart and did not act with the same reckless courage he used to. Under the pressure of the Lady of Taining, he finally had to bow down his head.

    Yu Xixian reached marriageable age at the third lunar month this year, and the Yu family started to choose a husband for her. However, the Yu family was too demanding and had been unable to find a satisfactory husband. So when the Chen family showed their intention to marry their son to her, First Madam Yu mentioned it to her husband. Eldest Master Yu was well aware of the internal problem that caused the broken marriage arrangement between the Chen and Han families. At the same time, he also knew Chen Ran¡¯s n to drive Qinxin Gongzhu into giving up the idea of making him marry her. Thus, when the Chen family wanted to tie the knot with his own family, he just nodded his head in agreement without any hesitation. This was because he regarded Chen Ran to have an up-anding prospect.

    The marriage between the Chen family and the Yu family was soon fixed to be held on the third lunar month next year. As soon as this news spread, it firmly established Yuxi¡¯s reputation for having a bad fortune. Even those who knew the truth knew that it was not a recurrence of her old illness, but a plot to kill her by Song Guifei also felt that she was unlucky. However, Yuxi has been holed up in her courtyard, unaware of outside rumours. Of course, even if she knew, she would justugh it off.

    When Yuxi became tired of reading, she walked out into the yard and looked at the rosebuds in full bloom with a smile. She nted this rose garden in the second year after she moved in. Unfortunately, because the yard was not very big, it did not grow as well as in her old Rose Courtyard.

    Yuxi had just nipped a rose and put it on her hair when she saw Caidie rush in. When Caidie noticed that Yuxi was in a leisurely mood, she didn¡¯t know whether to be relieved by her Master¡¯s heart generosity or to be sad about what had happened to her. ¡°Miss, the Fifth Miss is here.¡±

    Yuxi handed the pink rose she had just pinched off to Xuntao beside her and asked, ¡°What is she doing here?¡± After she fell ill, Yurong hade over with Wen Shi only to go through the motions and immediately left after saying a few words. So this another visit from Yurong somehow surprised Yuxi.

    Caidie stated, ¡°Fifth Miss has also brought Miss Jiang with her. They¡¯re currently waiting outside the gate!¡± Caidie thought it was strange. Jiang Qi was not familiar with Miss. Hence, what was she even doing here?

    Yuxi said, ¡°Take them to the small parlour.¡± After saying that, Yuxi went into her bedroom. It was only natural that she needed to change her clothes and freshen up when she met her guests.

    Jiang Qi waited in the small parlour for about two-quarters of an hour, waiting for Yuxi to arrive. She had expected to see a haggard, pitiful person. But when Yuxi walked in, it was as if she was struck by lightning. She saw Han Yuxi dressed in a peach-coloured soft silk cross cor duijin, with vividly red coloured branches of peony entwined patterns decorating the white sleeves of her ruqun. Her long ink-coloured hair was gently pulled back into a bun and tied with a lotus-root coloured ribbon with a single phoenix-head green jadeite hair sp inserted to the side of it. She also wore the same colour and quality of jewellery for her ear clips and bracelet. She only put on light make-up, but it could not hide the elegance that came from within her.

    Jiang Qi was tempted to curse. If others hadn¡¯t told her that Yuxi had withdrawn from her marriage because she had rpsed from her old illness, then what was she seeing right now? This look from Yuxi was even more spirited than the one she had seen at the foot of Lingshan Templest time.

    Yurong spoke first, ¡°Si Jie, have you recovered from your illness?¡±

    Yuxi sat gracefully at the main seat as she answered, ¡°It¡¯s just a small cold. I got better a few days ago.¡±

    Yurong¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Small cold? It isn¡¯t an old illness?¡± But it was clear that Yurong believed this. Yuxi would not have healed so quickly if it had been an old illness. [+]

    Yuxi said, ¡°What old illness? I¡¯ve been in good health since I was a child. Where did this old illnesse from?¡±

    Yurong suddenly remembered Mama Chen saying that Si Jie had bizarrely withdrawn her marriage, and then it dawned on her. It seemed that there was indeed something bizarre about it. ¡°Then Si Jie, why did you withdraw from your marriage on the grounds that you were suffering from an old illness?¡±

    Asking such a question in front of Jiang Qi, Yurong honestly didn¡¯t treat Jiang Qi as an outsider. Yuxi answered with a fake smile on her face, ¡°If you want to know the reason, why don¡¯t you go ask Grandmother?¡± Even if she had withdrawn from her marriage, she was not someone that Yurong could easily bully.

    Yurong¡¯s face froze for a moment. Some days ago, the Old Lady had fallen ill and was still not well. These days, she and Wen Shi had been taking care of her. She didn¡¯t know what had happened, but her grandmother used to be quite good-tempered, but now she was getting even worse and even more unreasonable.

    Jiang Qi was aware of the reason, but she didn¡¯t bring up the subject. Instead, she said with a sympathetic look on her face, ¡°Yuxi Jiejie, the rumours outside right are so unpleasant to hear. They said you¡­¡­¡± She spoke until here, deliberately pausing for a moment, hoping that Yuxi would pick up on it.

    Yurong wanted to speak but was stopped by a sharp look from Yuxi. Yuxi also did not respond to Jiang Qi¡¯s words. She at once picked up the tea next to her and slowly took two sips. Then, she put it down and spoke casually, ¡°They have mouths on them, so they can say whatever they like, but what that has got to do with me?¡± Everyone liked to hear gossip. However, when no one mentioned it in a few days, it would pass on its own.

    Jiang Qi tried to see traces of hypocrisy on Yuxi¡¯s face but was unsessful. This person before her undoubtedly didn¡¯t care about her broken engagement. At this time, Jiang Qi was silently furious. The Second Master Chen was so good. Yuxi could engage with him because she somehow stepped on some freaking luck, but now she acted as if she did not care much about it. Who did she think she was? The good thing was that Jiang Qi could still control her emotions and immediately responded with a smile, ¡°Yuxi Jiejie is certainly good at looking on the bright side of things.¡±

    Yuxi still had the same indifferent expression on her. ¡°It will only make you feel bad if you think about it, so I might as well look on the bright side of the issue. Why bother to be sad every day? I also don¡¯t want to see my family worry about me.¡±

    Yurong felt that Yuxi had been hit too hard by this issue that she now had the gut to see through the world of mortal tendency. Jiang Qi didn¡¯t think so. She felt that Yuxi had never had any feelings for Second Master Chen. Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t she be so sad? It was also fortunate that Second Master Chen had not married her, or else Second Master Chen would have to suffer for the rest of his life.

    Yuxi looked at the two people and asked, ¡°Is there something Miss Jiang hase over here for?¡±

    Jiang Qi smiled and replied, ¡°It was Yurong Meimei who invited me over to y, and I heard that Yuxi Jiejie was sick, so I also came over to visit.¡±

    ying was just an excuse. Jiang Qi¡¯s real purpose was to see how miserable she was! Yuxi didn¡¯t know if her state mind suddenly turned rebellious, but she didn¡¯t want to show her weakness in front of Jiang Qi ever again. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have dressed up on purpose beforeing to see Jiang Qi. ¡°If it¡¯s okay for Miss Jiang, please return.¡±

    Jiang Qi was also unwilling to stay any longer and smiled as she stood up, ready to go with Yurong, but she then heard Yuxi say, ¡°Miss Jiang, please wait outside for a while. I have a few words to say to Yurong.¡±

    When Jiang Qi left, Yuxi¡¯s face sank as she looked at Yurong and scolded her, ¡°Asking me why I withdrew my marriage in front of outsiders? Are you out of your mind? Huh?¡± It was none of her business if Yurong wanted to please Jiang Qi, nor did Yuxi have the patience to do the same thing. But Yuxi couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that she was losing her face and points in front of Jiang Qi.

    Yurong didn¡¯t expect Yuxi to lose her temper, but she had her reasons. ¡°Jiang Jiejie is not an outsider.¡± Jiang Qi would be family with her in the future.

    Yuxi sneered. ¡°You already think of yourself as the Jiang family members before you even marry? Have all the things taught by your nurturing momo all these years gone into a dog¡¯s belly? Don¡¯t you even have the most basic reserve of a girl? It¡¯s none of my business if you want to curry favour with Jiang Qi, but don¡¯t disgrace our Han family. Next time, don¡¯t me me for not showing you any mercy.¡±

    Yurong left the Taoran House with both of her eyes looking red.

 Chapter 283 - Angrily Reprimanded

    Chapter 283 : Angrily Reprimanded

    After finishing her tea, Yuxi walked out of her house again and asked Zisu, ¡°Where is my wedding dress?¡± Seeing Jiang Qi today, Yuxi suddenly remembered that she had not yet disposed of many things. Those things were no longer in use, and not disposing of them would be taking up space in her ce.

    Zisu¡¯s heart thumped and said, ¡°Miss, the wedding dress is in the cupboard.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that it took me so much work, and I couldn¡¯t wear it in the end.¡± I would have let the maid help me make it if I had known. After all that work and effort, it still didn¡¯t work in the end. Fortunately, only the wedding dress and the head covering were made by her alone. The quilt and other things were made by the maids together.

    Zisu said cautiously, ¡°Miss, you will be able to wear itter on.¡± Although people knew that Yuxi had withdrawn from the marriage, it was not as if she would not marry in the future.

    Yuxi smiled a little as she said, ¡°I will just wear a wedding dress without any embroidery since I won¡¯t even wear it again.¡± It was not a question of inauspiciousness but rather of being ufortable. Looking at an embroidered wedding dress would only remind her of what had just happened to her!

    Zisu asked, ¡°What do Miss want to do with it? Does Miss want to burn it?¡± Some withdrew from their marriage usually burned all their wedding clothes and other things. But Zisu thought it would be too bad if they had to burn them all.

    After thinking for a while, Yuxi said, ¡°Not to mention my wedding dress, the clothes, shoes and hats made for the Chen family and the purses, all of them made of the finest materials. So it would be a waste to burn them. We will sell them all. Afterwards, we will send the money from the sale to the children¡¯s charity home, and it will be good to add a few dishes for the children there.¡± It wasn¡¯t much of a good deed, but it was better than destroying things.

    Zisu was a bit hesitant. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s okay to sell the other things, but should we sell the wedding clothes too?¡± She didn¡¯t think it was right to sell the wedding dress.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I won¡¯t sell the wedding dress. I will take it apart and collect the gold and silver threads. The dress material will be good for making purses and other things.¡± It was fine to sell the clothes, shoes and hats, but if she sold the wedding dress, Mother would be unhappy.

    When Momo Quan realised that Yuxi was going to sell the clothes, shoes and hats and then donate the money, she smilingly praised her, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, Miss. I thought that when Miss finallyes around, Miss will burn or throw these things away!¡± She had not thought that Yuxi would dispose of them in this way.

    Yuxiughed. ¡°It would be too bad to burn them.¡± She had suffered a lot while making them. Thus, she cherished everything.

    Momo Quan nodded secretly and stated, ¡°Miss, my nephew and his wife said they want to stay at Red Jujube Hamlet and have no intention to return to the capital. I wonder if that will be okay?¡± Momo Quan¡¯s nephew, Quan Dashan, used to be a farmer and had spent his whole life digging in the soil, so he felt very ufortable living in the big city. How could he even afford to live in the capital? Not to mention rice and vegetables, even water costs money. Before, he had no choice but to toughen his scalp. Now that he could stay at Red Jujube Hamlet, he was reluctant to go back to the capital.

    Yuxi smiled as she answered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? If there¡¯s anything they¡¯re not used to, just mention it.¡±

    Momo Quan had a reason for mentioning this to Yuxi. ¡°They want to live in Red Jujube Hamlet, so I want them to buy a piece ofnd for them to build a house on so that they can have a ce to stay. If they rent twenty-three acres ofnd from Miss, they will be able to make a living.¡± If they rented out their house in the capital, the rent would be their allowance, and they could make ends meet.

    Hearing this, Yuxi asked, ¡°What about Momo? Is Momo going to the countryside too?¡± Momo Quan was now at the Taoran House, with a young maid running errands for her.

    Momo Quan smiled a little and said, ¡°As long as Miss doesn¡¯t mind, I would like to stay and serve Miss.¡± She felt quite at home in the Taoran House. With Zisu to deal with the trivial matters, she would help Yuxi train the lower-level maids, and there was nothing else that she needed to do.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°As long as Momo is willing to stay, that is all I could wish for.¡± With the arrival of Momo Quan, not only was the management of Taoran House stricter than before, but the few low-level maids had be much more efficient. All of which was due to Momo Quan.

    ¡°Xie-er, Xie-er¡­¡­¡± The voice arrived first before the actual person.

    When Yuxi heard the urgent call, she smiled a little. ¡°Er Ge is finally back.¡± At first, Han Jianye was supposed to return from his errand at the beginning of the fifth lunar month, but something had dyed his return until now, which was twenty dayste than expected. She didn¡¯t know what had happened exactly, and she didn¡¯t n to ask.

    As she watched the bearded Han Jianye stride in, Yuxi greeted him, ¡°Er Ge, you¡¯re back.¡±

    Han Jianye looked at Yuxi seriously, from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. When he confirmed that Yuxi was still in good condition, his hanging heart finally dropped. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re okay. This is good.¡± He was worried when he heard that Yuxi had withdrawn from her marriage with the Chen family.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Er Ge came to the Taoran House immediately after Er Ge returned? I don¡¯t think Er Ge has seen Mother and Er Sao yet, right?¡± This gesture from Han Jianye warmed Yuxi¡¯s heart. Because of her mother and Er Ge¡¯s support, she was able to live so well even after breaking her engagement.

    When Han Jianye heard Yuxi¡¯s words, he rubbed his head in embarrassment and said, ¡°I was so anxious when I heard that you had broken your engagement with the Chen family that I hadn¡¯t had time to go and see Mother.¡±

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°Er Ge, I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    Anyone who looked at Yuxi¡¯s red lips, white teeth and rosy cheeks would know that she was fine! Han Jianyemented with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s better that you have back out of your marriage with that pretty boy. Men should rely on their skills. What¡¯s the point of looking so good? Don¡¯t worry. Er Ge will find you a better one.¡±

    Yuxiughed heartily. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for Er Ge to find me a better one. Now, let me go with Er Ge to see Mother first! Mother will be thrilled to see Er Ge.¡±

    Qiu Shi was naturally overjoyed to see her son back. She drew Han Jianye closer to her and asked many questions for a long time. The questions made Yuxi, who was standing next to her,ugh and say, ¡°Mother, let Er Ge go back and wash up first! Look at him. He¡¯s covered in dust, and he has a long beard on his face.¡±

    On this point, Qiu Shi was not attentive enough. ¡°Son, hurry up and wash up. I¡¯ll ask the kitchen to make you something delicious and thene over to eat when you¡¯re done.¡±

    Han Jianye didn¡¯t mind and answered readily, ¡°Mother, remember to tell the cook to make red braised pork!¡± Han Jianye was a meat lover, and he especially loved red braised pork.

    RED BRAISED PORK

    Qiu Shi sent Han Jianye out of the house with a smile on her face, then turned to Yuxi and asked, ¡°Why did youe out?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I was bored staying inside the house all day. It¡¯s just as well that Er Ge is back, so I¡¯ll apany Mother to dinner tonight.¡± Seeing that Qiu Shi was hesitant, she knew what her mother was worried about and reasoned with a smile, ¡°Mother, withdrawing from marriage due to an old illness is just an excuse. Those who believe it will believe it even if they see me intact, but those who don¡¯t believe it won¡¯t believe it even if I lie in bed every day. Besides, I am only walking around the residence, and I am not even going out. As long as the people in the State Residence don¡¯t go out and talk nonsense about it, it will be fine.¡± Even if they did, there was no need to worry, as she had already retired from her marriage, so who would be concerned about whether she was genuinely suffering from an old illness or not. [+]

    After Han Jianye washed himself up, he sat next to Lu Xiu and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on with Yuxi¡¯s broken engagement. Tell me more about it.¡± He knew that his family had withdrawn from the marriage, but he didn¡¯t know the reason for it. Besides, Yuxi was about to get married. If it weren¡¯t for something important, she wouldn¡¯t have done it.

    Lu Xiu told the story of how Yuxi withdrew from her marriage. ¡°At that time, there was no other way. If Si Mei didn¡¯t break her engagement, she might not even be able to save her life. So Mother told Dage (eldest brother) to go to the Chen family to withdraw from the marriage. Who would have expected that¡­¡­¡± If she had to say, Si Mei was indeed unlucky. This side just withdrew from the marriage, and the other side, Qinxin Gongzhu, was unwilling to recruit Chen Ran as her fuma. As a result, Yu Xixian was the one who took advantage of it. Si Mei¡¯s luck was honestly¡­¡­

    Han Jianye was furious when he said, ¡°It¡¯s good that we retired from the marriage much earlier. I¡¯ve said before, what¡¯s the point of a man looking so good? It¡¯s proof that it¡¯s nothing more than attracting bees and butterflies. Now look, it truly came true.¡±

    Lu Xiu couldn¡¯t help but roast him in mind. She didn¡¯t know who had been calling Chen Ran his meifu, treating him as if he was already a family member. After Chen Ran passed the examination and earned himself the title tanhua, he praised Chen Ran to the sky. But now, he was even saying that good-looking people like Chen Ran was not good. When Lu Xiu suddenly saw Han Jianye standing up, she hurriedly asked, ¡°Are you going out? At least eat something before you go out!¡±

    Han Jianye replied, ¡°I¡¯m going to eat at Mother¡¯s ce.¡±

    When Lu Xiu stood up to go with him to the Master Courtyard, Han Jianye helped her back to her chair and said, ¡°Don¡¯t go. It¡¯s inconvenient for you to move with your big belly. Just stay inside the house! I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Lu Xiu was also over seven months old now, and her belly was quite big. Plus, it would take a long walk from Xiuchun Courtyard to the Master Courtyard!

    After sending Han Jianye away, Lu Xiu felt a little ufortable in her heart. The couple had been separated for almost two months, so it was okay for him toe back to see Si Mei and her mother-inw first. She was not that stingy. But when he came back to his own courtyard, he didn¡¯t even say anything intimate to her, which was so aggravating.

    Old Woman Jian smiled as sheforted her, ¡°Er Nainai, since you have been married to the Second Master for so many years, you should have been clear about his temperament, so why would you be bothered with this? If you have something to say, just take your time and talk to the Second Master tonight.¡± Han Jianye had done well in all aspects. His only w was that he was not good at coaxing people. But as far as Old Woman Jian was concerned, if a man was too good at persuading people, he was either useless or too cunning.

    Lu Xiuughed a little and shook her head helplessly. ¡°He falls asleep as soon as he gets back at night. Where will he have time to talk to me? Forget it, as long as he¡¯s good to me.¡± Ahem, that was the bad thing about marrying such a rough husband.

    Old Woman Jian nodded her head and said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the way you should think about it. No one is perfect, as long as the Second Master thinks of you and the children and doesn¡¯t get some messy people in, this is already enough.¡± Master was still doing an excellent job in this regard. As for being tender and affectionate, no need to even think about it. As far as Han Jianye was concerned, if one expected him to be tender and loving, that would only happen in another life!

    After dinner, Han Jianye apanied Qiu Shi talking for a while in the Master Courtyard. When he heard that Han Jianye had returned, he said, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m going to talk to Dage about something.¡±

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t stop him. She was already satisfied that her son listened to her nagging and didn¡¯t even mind about it, so she responded with a smile, ¡°Go on then!¡±

    Looking at Qiu Shi, who was in a daze, Mama Li asked, ¡°My Lady, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing for me to worry about Jianming and Jianye anymore. The only thing that worries me now is Yuxi. I don¡¯t know what kind of family I should find for her.¡± Although she said she would support Yuxi for the rest of her life if she could not marry, that was just a mere talk. She was still unprepared to turn Yuxi into a spinster.

    Mama Li tried to console her, ¡°My Lady, don¡¯t worry, take your time, and you will find the right one.¡±

    Qiu Shi coughed and said, ¡°I hope so!¡± This girl¡¯s nature was not suitable for an ordinary family. But if she wanted to find one from a high-status family, with Yuxi¡¯s reputation like that, there was no hope. She sighed. Children were all the debts she needed to payback!

 Chapter 284 - Concubine Jia Gave Birth To A Son (1)

    Chapter 284 : Concubine Jia Gave Birth To A Son (1)

    When Han Jianming told Han Jianye about the two times Yuxi was almost killed, the atmosphere in the room became so oppressive that people could be out of breath.

    Han Jianye¡¯s face was full of anger: ¡°Just because that bullsh*t Gongzhu has a crush on Chen Ran, that malicious woman is going to kill Yuxi?¡± If Song Guifei and Qinxin Gongzhu were there, Han Jianye would have strangled them to death.

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°Er Di, this is the fundamental reason why I have been working to revitalise the family. Without power, one can only be amb that can easily be ughtered in this world.¡± If their family had the same power as the Yu family, Song Guifei would have never dared to touch Yuxi.

    ¡°Haha¡­¡­¡± The tables and chairs in Han Jianming¡¯s study were so sturdy that Han Jianye couldn¡¯t break them even with his strength. His anger burned his entire body, and he had no other way to vent his anger than tough.

    Han Jianming also had a hard time this time around, but he was the head of the family, so he had to bear all the tough things. ¡°Er Di, I have found a vacancy in the Ministry of War and will take up the post in a couple of days. What are your ns?¡±

    Han Jianye said, ¡°Dage, if you have anything to say, just say it.¡±

    Han Jianming said, ¡°Er Di, if you stay in the capital, you can¡¯t make any achievements.¡± A military general couldn¡¯t make a career in the capital. Only by going to the front line on the battlefield could one establish military achievements, and once one held the military power in the future, could one be counted as having a bright future. And when the world was in chaos, with military force in hand, there would be no fear of the family being destroyed.

    Han Jianye had long wanted to go to the border town, but there were always many things he had to abandon for him to do so. But this time, even though he was still unwilling to give up anything, he still had to. He did not want to wait until his family was bullied again, where he could only watch and do nothing. ¡°When Ah Xiu gives birth, I will go to Liaodong.¡± The reason why he said he was going to Liaodong was not that his brother-inw was there. He just wanted to kill those hateful Donghu people.

    Han Jianming thought he would have to go through a lot of trouble to persuade Han Jianye, but he didn¡¯t expect his didi himself would actually agree to do so. However, he disagreed with his choice of location. Han Jianming thought about it for a while before saying, ¡°Regarding the ce you will be going, let¡¯s take a look at the situation first. There is no hurry.¡± This matter had to be weighed first before it could be done.

    Han Jianye nodded his head and said, ¡°Dage, when I leave the capital, I will entrust everything at home to you.¡± Whether he was going to the northwest or Liaodong, Han Jianye had no intention of taking his wife and children with him. Those two ces were bitter cold ces. He couldn¡¯t let them go with him just for them to suffer.

    Han Jianming said, ¡°Needless to say, I will definitely take good care of them.¡±

    Han Jianye turned the topic back to Yuxi. ¡°Dage, after retiring from the Chen family, what will Yuxi do in the future?¡± No matter how careless he was, he knew it was not easy to talk about Yuxi¡¯s marriage.

    Han Jianming replied, ¡°For the time being, we can¡¯t talk about her marriage. Let¡¯s wait a year and a half first. Then we will discuss this matter after the wind has passed. With Yuxi¡¯s character and appearance, we do not have to worry about not finding a good family for her.¡± He wouldn¡¯t find a good one from civil servants¡¯ families. If a noble family didn¡¯t have any power, potential, or good prospects, he wouldn¡¯t choose them either. Therefore, in Han Jianming¡¯s mind, he thought of finding a powerful military officer for Yuxi. However, since there was not even the first stroke of the character b¨¡ [°Ë] yet, he did not dare to say it to Han Jianye.

    Yuxi was currently embroidering shoes and socks in her courtyard. Concubine Jia was about to give birth. Thus, she made some small clothes and shoes for the unborn child. As she was embroidering, she heard Zisue in from outside and say, ¡°Miss, Concubine Jia is about to give birth.¡±

    Yuxi calmly put down her needle and thread and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a look.¡± It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t know how much hope Qiu Shi had put on Concubine Jia¡¯s unborn child. Hence, she hoped this baby would be a son, or else Qiu Shi would keep harping about it.

    Walking out of the house, Yuxi paused for a moment and turned around to call Momo Quan. ¡°Momo Quan, you know the art of medicine. Can you follow me over there? Maybe you will be able to help!¡±

    Momo Quan guessed Yuxi¡¯s intention when she heard her call and questioned her, ¡°Miss, are you going to intervene in this matter?¡± If Concubine Jia had given birth to a son, Ye Shi would probably tamper with it. Yuxi had asked her to go with her, just in case, Ye Shi¡¯s people made a move during childbirth. But if this happened, Miss and Ye Shi might be enemies.

    Yuxi exined, ¡°I have carefully observed Concubine Jia these two years. She is a very measured person who knows what to do and what not to do.¡±

    Momo Quan was just reminding Yuxi, and seeing that Yuxi¡¯s mind already had the score, she said nothing more. ¡°In that case, let us go to the delivery room, and I¡¯ll lend my hand if they need it.¡±

    Yuxi and Momo Quan met Qiu Shi on their way. ¡°Mother, are you going to see Concubine Jia too?¡±

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°Yes, I rushed over when I got the news.¡± Just now, Qiu Shi had gone to the Main Courtyard. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be sote.

    When they entered the courtyard, Yuxi didn¡¯t hear any screams, so she was a bit rmed. ¡°Howe there is no sound?¡±

    Momo Quan took the initiative to speak, ¡°My Lady, Miss, why don¡¯t I go in and take a look?¡± Since Miss decided to help Concubine Jia, she would try her best to let Concubine Jia get through this difficult time. [+]

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°Alright. Then Momo, please go in and take a look.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Qiu Shi and asked in surprise, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re not going to get in too?¡± She was an unmarried youngdy and therefore was not allowed to go into the delivery room. But Qiu Shi had gone in to help her Dasao when she was giving birth.

    Qiu Shi shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not suitable to have so many people inside the delivery room. Besides, your Dasao has already gone in. With her there, it¡¯s enough for her to handle what¡¯s going on inside.¡±

    Yuxi instantly became speechless. She honestly didn¡¯t know what to say in this situation. The one who was giving birth inside was from the second room, so how could mother put so much trust in Dasao? However, Yuxi was not such an insensitive person. She smiled at once and said, ¡°Yes, since Dasao is inside, there will be no problem.¡±

    Concubine Jia listened to the midwife in the delivery room as she bit the towel to keep herself from screaming. She was facing a tough time right now. Not only did she have to give birth to the baby properly, but she also had to guard herself against Ye Shi¡¯s assassination attempt on her.

    Just at this time, Concubine Jia heard Shui Ping call out happily, ¡°Momo Quan, are you here to help my master deliver the baby?¡±

    Momo Quan said, ¡°I¡¯ll juste in to help. I¡¯ll leave the delivery to the midwives. They¡¯re more specialise in this.¡± She would just watch from the sideline.

    The fact that Momo Quan knew medicine was known to everyone in the State Residence. So, when Concubine Jia heard Momo Quan say she woulde and help, her heart was relieved. Since Momo Quan would be staying in the delivery room, Ye Shi and her people should not dare do anything.

    When Ye Shi and Old Woman Hua saw Momo Quane in and say she would help, their faces turned green. Ye Shi didn¡¯t know why Yuxi wanted to intervene in this matter, but she knew she couldn¡¯t do anything with Momo Quan around.

    Yuxi waited for half a shichen and then returned to her yard. She heard that the birth of a child takes a long time. Some even had to endure for two to three days before they gave birth! Since Yuxi couldn¡¯t help with anything by being here, so she might as well go back.

    That was until Yuxi was ready to go to bed. Caidie, who had stayed in Guihua Courtyard, came back and informed Yuxi, ¡°Miss, Concubine Jia has given birth to a big fat boy!¡± The First Lady had been looking forward to the birth of her eldest grandson!

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°How is Concubine Jia doing?¡± She hoped Concubine Jia did not encounter a difficult birth or something. Even if Momo Quan were here, it would only be useless.

    Caidie answered with a smile, ¡°Both mother and child are safe! But Concubine Jia was exhausted, and she had fallen asleep.¡± This event was also considered a great joy for the State Residence.

    Yuxi nodded her head and said, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± After passing this hurdle, with Concubine Jia¡¯s intelligence, Ye Shi couldn¡¯t harm her anymore.

    When Yuxi arrived at the Guihua Courtyard the next day, she saw Ye Shi¡¯s face looking ugly as she walked out of the courtyard. Yuxi was a little surprised and asked, ¡°Dasao, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Ye Shi suppressed the anger in her heart and said, ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just a little tired. I¡¯ll go back first. You can go in!¡±

    Only after entering the Guihua Courtyard did Yuxi learn that Ye Shi just argued with Qiu Shi. The child was born in the middle of the night. Ye Shi was concerned about taking the baby away in the middle of the night for fear that it would cause a hindrance to the child¡¯s health. Initially, she was prepared to take the child away in the morning, but Qiu Shi said that the child would be given to Ye Shi after his first bath, three days after his birth. This caused Ye Shi to be very annoyed, but since she couldn¡¯t contradict Qiu Shi, she could only leave in anger.

    Hai, Yuxi helplessly sighed. She sometimes could not understand Qiu Shi¡¯s thinking. She always felt that the mother-inw and daughter-inw were not on the same wavelength. ¡°Mother, what is the difference between Dasao carrying the child right now and three dayster?¡± Anyway, the child would still be carried over. It would still be the same, whether it was one day earlier or one dayter.

    Qiu Shi exined, ¡°I think it¡¯s a bit unbearable to let the mother and son separate right now.¡± Jianming was taken away not long after being born, so she knew how painful it was. Looking at Concubine Jia crying so pitifully, she suddenly feltpassionate for her.

    Yuxi said helplessly, ¡°Mother, a person must keep his word and not go back on it. We made this promise much earlier before. Now we¡¯re going back on our own words. How will Dasao feel?¡±

    Qiu Shi had a guilty conscience, as she told Mama Li, ¡°Take the child to Songxiang Courtyard!¡± She was also touched by Concubine Jia¡¯s pitiful appearance just now, which had stirred up her own painful memory. But she forgot that she had promised to give the baby to Ye Shi once it was born, and she could not be the one to break her word.

    Concubine Jia hugged the baby and cried, not letting go, putting Mama Li in a difficult position. When she saw Qiu Shi and Yuxi enter the room, Concubine Jia cried as she begged, ¡°My Lady, Fourth Miss, please let me stay with the baby for a little longer!¡±

    Since Yuxi had never given birth to a child, she couldn¡¯t understand the pain of separating a child from his mother. Hence, she didn¡¯t know what to say in the face of such a grieving Concubine Jia.

    Mama Li said, ¡°Concubine Jia, this has been agreed upon a long time ago, so you¡¯re not only making things difficult for the Lady but also the Lord Duke. The most important thing for you now is to get well.¡± If you get well, you will be able to conceive again soon, and then the child will be raised by your side!

    Qiu Shi also said, ¡°Concubine Jia, if you miss your little boy, just go to Songxiang Courtyard and have a look at him.¡± In fact, Qiu Shi¡¯s heart knew that once the child was taken away from here, it would be difficult for Concubine Jia to have the opportunity to be close to the child in the future. But, before weing Concubine Jia through their door, she already made a promise with Ye Shi that the child would be given to her to raise after he was born, and she could not be a person who made a vain promise.

    Concubine Jia was still holding onto the child and wouldn¡¯t let go.

    Yuxi saw that it was not a good idea to keep going on like this, so she finally said, ¡°Concubine Jia, this was decided a long time ago. If Mama Li didn¡¯t take the baby over now, it would be difficult if Dasao backed out from her promise of putting your little boy under her name.¡± If her mother and Dage took pity on Concubine Jia and did not give the child to Dasao, Dasao would not want to put the child in her name. This situation would mean that the child would hold the title of a child born from a concubine, and it would be difficult to say whether he could inherit the title in the future.

    When Concubine Jia heard this, her hand loosened. Mama Li took the opportunity to carry the child away from Concubine Jia and then walked out at a brisk pace.

    Wiping her tears, Concubine Jia said to Yuxi, ¡°Thank you, Fourth Miss, for what happened yesterday.¡± If not for Yuxi¡¯s help, herbour would not have gone so smoothly.

    Yuxi nodded slightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I am also a member of the family. So I hope this family can always be peaceful.¡± She did not favour anyone. Last night, she had helped Concubine Jia, and today, she helped Ye Shi. She only wanted her home to always be in peace and harmony. She never wanted it to be the scene of chickens flying and dogs jumping.

 Chapter 285 - Concubine Jia Gave Birth To A Son (2)

    Chapter 285 : Concubine Jia Gave Birth To A Son (2)

    After Ye Shi walked out of Guihua Courtyard and returned to her yard, she sat on a chair and panted heavily. She couldn¡¯t even make her move in the delivery roomst night, and today, her mother-inw said that she would send the baby to her after the baby¡¯s first bath in the next three days. All the promises agreed at the beginning had now be empty words.

    Old Woman Hua was also furious. But at this time, she knew not to pour oil on the mes and suggested, ¡°Da Nainai, let¡¯s wait for the Eldest Lord¡¯s decision on this matter!¡± They couldn¡¯t talk some sense to the First Lady. The more they tried to persuade her, the more strained it would be. So it was much more appropriate to refer the matter to the Eldest Lord.

    Ye Shi knew Qiu Shi¡¯s nature very well. If she went against her at this time, she would be the one to suffer. ¡°What if the Eldest Lord also favours Concubine Jia?¡± She had said that this Concubine Jia was a curse to keep, but she had failed to do anythingst night. Thinking of this, Ye Shi also resented Yuxi. If she hadn¡¯t intervened, what happened now would not have happened.

    As Old Woman Hua was about to speak, she heard the sound of hurried footsteps outside. Ye Shi had just stood up when she saw Mama Li walk in, carrying a tightly wrapped bundle in her arms. Ye Shi was a little startled. ¡°Mama Li, this is¡­¡­¡±

    After saying that, Ye Shi walked forward and carried the bundle over. Then she carefully lifted the hat, and when she saw that it was a child, Ye Shi couldn¡¯t help smiling. From now on, this child would be her son.

    Old Woman Hua was also thrilled that the child would not be carried out again once he delivered into the courtyard. At that moment, she urged with a smile, ¡°Da Nainai, let¡¯s put the child on the bed!¡±

    Putting the baby down, Ye Shi came out of the house and said, ¡°Thank you so much, Mama Li.¡± Mama Li must have talked her mother-inw into it, or else how could her mother-inw back down!

    Mama Li waved her hand and said, ¡°I can¡¯t take credit for this. It was the Fourth Miss who persuaded the First Lady just now. After listening to the Fourth Miss¡¯s advice, the First Lady let me carry the baby to Da Nainai.¡±

    Ye Shi¡¯s expression became somewhatplicated when she heard this. Having saved Concubine Jia¡¯s lifest night and persuaded her mother-inw to carry the child over today, she didn¡¯t know which side Yuxi was actually on.

    Mama Li also exined Qiu Shi¡¯s behaviour just now. ¡°Please don¡¯t take what happened just now to heart, Da Nainai. Da Nainai may not know that the Old Lady had carried the Eldest Lord away not two days after he was born. So just now, when the First Lady saw Concubine Jia cry so much while holding her baby, she remembered what happened back then and said that kind of thing in a moment of weakness.¡± At first, because Ye Shi had concealed her poor health, the mother-inw and daughter-inw hade into conflict, but overall, the mother-inw and daughter-inw still got along well. Mama Li did not want Concubine Jia and the baby to drive a wedge between the two of them, and then it would be impossible for her Lady to have such a calm and peaceful life from now on.

    The two had been getting along for years, and Ye Shi knew Qiu Shi¡¯s nature well enough to know that she was not deliberately using the child to suppress her. Now that the child had been carried over, Ye Shi would naturally not take the little friction they had just now to heart.

    Mama Li had not even stepped out of the Songxiang Courtyard yet when Ye Shi saw Yuxi. ¡°Fourth Miss, this is¡­¡­¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to see my nephew.¡± To see the child was just her excuse. The truth was, she wanted to take this opportunity to say a few words to Ye Shi.

    Mama Li greeted Yuxi and went back.

    Ye Shi couldn¡¯t see through Yuxi¡¯s behaviour, but she still greeted her with a smile and brought her inside to see the child. Yuxi looked at the child lying on the bed and smiled. ¡°He¡¯s sleeping soundly.¡±

    Ye Shi¡¯s smile had a little more sincerity this time around. ¡°The wet nurse also said that when she fed the baby with milk after he woke up this morning, he didn¡¯t spit any out.¡± The baby was born at full term, and there was not much of an ordeal when he was born. Since he could eat and sleep well, she should be able to nurture him better in the future.

    Yuxi smiled a little, and then she looked at the four maids standing in the room and Old Woman Hua and the wet nurse. The meaning was clear: she had something to say to Ye Shi.

    After everyone had gone out, Ye Shi asked, ¡°What does Si Mei want to say to me?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I wonder if Dasao ever heard about Empress Dowager Xiaoxian?¡± Seeing Ye Shi¡¯s puzzled face, she exined, ¡°Empress Dowager Xiaoxian was Emperor Zhezong¡¯s adoptive mother.¡±

    Ye Shi¡¯s face slightly changed when she heard the word adoptive mother.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t take notice of Ye Shi¡¯s facial expression as she continued, ¡°Empress Dowager Xiaoxian suffered every possible torment in raising Emperor Zhezong and even pushed him for the throne. But when Emperor Zhezong¡¯s wings were well established, not only did he keep the Empress Dowager Xiaoxian under house arrest in the Imperial Harem, but he also had her natal¡¯s family raided and destroyed. The reason why Emperor Zhezong did this to his adoptive mother was that Empress Dowager Xiaoxian killed his biological mother.¡± Of course, Empress Dowager Xiaoxian¡¯s poisoning of his biological mother was only one of the reasons he did this to her. The most important was that Empress Dowager Xiaoxian had exclusive control of the Imperial Court affairs and was unwilling to pass the power. Yuxi deliberately omitted only thistter sentence.

    Ye Shi¡¯s face turned from white to green, then to blue, andstly to purple.

    Yuxi looked at Ye Shi and said, ¡°Dasao, if the little boy is put under your name and raised by your side, then the little boy officially bes your son. No one can change that fact, right? As for Concubine Jia, as long as she is content with her lot, won¡¯t the advantages of keeping her outweigh the disadvantages? Dasao, you have always been a wise person. I believe you¡¯ll have a sense of propriety in what you should do next.¡±

    Ye Shi looked at Yuxi with aplicated look in her eyes. After half a second, she said, ¡°I will consider your words.¡± If she had to say, Yuxi¡¯s words just now had somehow touched her. Getting rid of Concubine Jia would indeed do more harm than good. Once the child grew up and people around him told him that she had killed Concubine Jia, the rtionship between mother and child would indeed be estranged. Therefore, she needed to make careful consideration regarding this matter.

    Yuxi smiled a little and turned to inquire, ¡°Where is Dage? Howe I don¡¯t see Dage early this morning?¡± This child¡¯s father was really irresponsible. Back then, when Er Sao gave birth, Er Ge had taken time off work to stand guard outside the delivery room.

    Ye Shi answered with a smile, ¡°Your Dage has been very busytely, and he has gone out before dawn today.¡± Ye Shi already knew that her husband was seeking a way to fill the vacant post of assistant minister in the Ministry of War. Still, the official paperwork regarding the position had not yet been released, so she could not say anything about it.

    Yuxi shared a few more gossip with Ye Shi before returning to her own ce.

    Ye Shi sent her off to the courtyard gate and said with a smile, ¡°If Si Mei is not busy, Si Mei cane and talk with me anytime.¡±

    Yuxi smiled as she replied, ¡°Okay.¡±

    When Old Woman Hua noticed Ye Shi¡¯s grave expression, she felt something was wrong. She immediately asked, ¡°Da Nainai, what did the Fourth Miss say to you?¡±

    Ye Shi answered, ¡°She just told me about the baby.¡± Ye Shi did not want to tell her about the rest. There were some things that only she should know about, and there was no need to tell anyone around her, not even to her most trusted subordinate. [+]

    When Yuxi returned to Taoran House, she saw Zisu carrying tworge chests out.

    Zisu exined aside, ¡°Miss, these are the things that I have done packed out and ready to be sold.¡± Inside the chests, some things should have been given to the Chen family and more than ten sets of clothes Yuxi had prepared to wear after her marriage. Zisu thought Yuxi would be too upset to look at them, so she put them all in these chests and was ready to sell them together.

    Yuxi still had confidence in how Zisu handled her work, as she instructed, ¡°Then, have someone carry them out and sell them. I don¡¯t know if these two big chests can be sold for more than a hundred taels of silver.¡±

    Zisu looked at the two big chests of clothes and opened her mouth to exim, ¡°No way! How can they be sold only for a hundred taels of silver?¡± The material used to make these clothes, shoes and socks were all of the highest quality, not to mention the time spent on embroidering the floral patterns. If they were to be bought, a single set of clothes for Miss would cost several tens of taels of silver. If they sold these many things for only a hundred taels, it would be too much of a loss.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°The things are naturally worth more than that, but if we were to take them to a pawn shop, they would naturally be sold at a low price.¡± Thinking of this, Yuxi suddenly remembered someone and requested with a smile, ¡°Will you give this job to Tian Yang? Let him take these things to sell.¡± That boy had been in residence for so long, and she wanted to see if he had made any progress. As far as Yuxi was concerned, Tian Yang was one of her people. If she gave him a lot of practice, he would be of great use in the future.

    It took Tian Yang two days to sell the tworge chests of goods, and he sold them for a total of four hundred and eight taels of silver, a sum that greatly exceeded Yuxi¡¯s expectations. She smilingly said, ¡°You¡¯re genuinely good at doing business, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Zisu asked, ¡°Miss, will all this silver be sent to the children¡¯s charity home?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t send the silver. Who knows if the people there will even use it for the children. Tell Tian Yang to buy some clothes, meats and vegetables to send over. Oh, that¡¯s right, also tell Tian Yang to send fish and other meat dishes once every few days.¡± Even if the people in the children¡¯s charity were greedy with the things they had sent over, the children could at least get some of them.

    Momo Quan nced at Yuxi in amazement. Miss had always been in the State Residence and never went out. Thus, how did she know so much about the outside world? Even though she had these questions in her heart, Momo Quan did not intend to ask them. Being cautious was something that had been ingrained deep into her bones.

    Qiu Shi knew what Yuxi had done as she put her arms around her and praised her, ¡°My child is so good. Heavens will surely reward you well.¡±

    Yuxiughed a little and said, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s just some clothes and food for those poor children. How can Mother consider me as a good person who will surely be rewarded?¡± Yuxi never thought she was a good person, but she wouldn¡¯t be evil either.

    Qiu Shi now believed that Heavens would reward evil with evil and good rewarded with good.

    On the second day after the baby was born, the Ministry of Justice issued a letter appointing Han Jianming as the Assistant Minister of War. First, Han Jianming had a newly born son, and now he had been promoted to the rank of Assistant Minister of War, which was a double blessing for the Duke¡¯s family.

    When the baby had his first bath after three days of his birth, Yuxi did not appear. As she was still recovering from her illness, she could not show up brightly and brushed up her presence in front of everyone. So on this day, Yuxiid in bed and pretended to be sick, just in case someone woulde to visit herter.

    Xuntao went out to help gain some info and came back bearing good news. ¡°Miss, the Duke of State has named his son Jia Chang.¡±

    ¡°Jia Chang¡­..prosperous family. This name has a good meaning.¡± It was also clear how much Han Jianming expected from this child just from seeing this name alone.

    Xuntao¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Miss is amazing. That¡¯s what that child¡¯s name truly means. Miss, many Ladies and Madams have attended the child¡¯s first bath ceremony today.¡± The Zhou family, the Chiang family, the Qiu family, the Jiang family, the Lu family, and the Zeng family¡­¡­all friends and rtives of the families had alle. Moreover, they were all thedies, madams and young mistresses in charge of their own families households.

    Yuxi smiled andmented, ¡°That was not that surprising.¡± Dage¡¯s promotion as the Assistant Minister of War was a signal to the outside world that this State Residence would rise. After all, the Ministry of War was an essential department at a time like this. Plus, the Assistant Minister of War was second only to the Minister of War and held much power.

    Xuntao said with a smile, ¡°Zisu Jiejie said that the child¡¯s full moon ceremony will be even more lively.¡±

    Yuxi nodded. ¡°That will absolutely be very lively.¡± Chang-er was Dage¡¯s eldest son and would be raised by Ye Shi. As long as nothing went wrong, he would be the next master of the State Residence. His full moon feast would undeniably be a lively affair.

 Chapter 286 - A Sadness And A Joy (1)

    Chapter 286 : A Sadness And A Joy (1)

    Caidie walked in from outside and said, ¡°Miss, the First Lady and Second Lady Zhou havee to visit Miss.¡± Since they hade for the newly born son¡¯s first bath ceremony, it was customary to drop by to see the sick Yuxi.

    Yuxi leaned against the head of the bed and put the pillow behind her back. ¡°Invite them in.¡±.

    First Lady Zhou looked at Yuxi and said softly, ¡°My child, you have suffered.¡±.

    Yuxi did not even pretend to be weak. She just smiled and said, ¡°Thank you foring to see me. I am much better now.¡± Everyone knew the cause of the matter, so there was no need to pretend to be sickly.

    Second Lady Zhou was surprised to see that Yuxi was looking well. If it were her Shiya, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to cope with such an event, but this girl still looked breezy. The Second Lady Zhou said, ¡°Yuxi, your Shiya Biaojie is not feeling well these days, so I didn¡¯t let here over. When she gets better, I¡¯ll let here over to see you.¡±.

    Yuxi smiled a little as she said, ¡°Please just tell Shiya to get well. I¡¯m alright here.¡± Not to mention that she did not believe that Zhou Shiya was not feeling well. Even if she was not feeling well, there was no way she could not even write her a letter. To put it bluntly, Zhou Shiya would only be around her when she had something to gain and shun her when her reputation would only ruin hers as well.

    When the Second Lady Zhou noticed the smile on Yuxi¡¯s face was without the slightest hint of fake at all, her heart chilled. If Yuxi had been cold towards them, she would have thought it was expected, but now it was not normal at all. The Second Lady Zhou thought that just because of her daughter¡¯s temper, it would be better for her daughter to stop interacting with Yuxi. Otherwise, who knew what else she would suffer in the future. Even though her mind was thinking of this, her face didn¡¯t show anything. She said with a smile, ¡°Such a good girl. You should also take good care of your illness.¡±.

    Yuxi smiled and nodded her head.

    Once the First Lady Zhou left Taoran House, she whispered, ¡°I always feel that this child has turned much different from before. It seems like she has be more constrained.¡±.

    The Second Lady Zhou responded, ¡°Of course she will change after experiencing such a thing.¡± If one was to ask Second Lady Zhou, it was not that Yuxi had be more constrained, but she had be much more undemonstrative. So undemonstrative that she could not even tell if Yuxi was truly happy or sad, which caused the Second Lady Zhou to be scared of her.

    Yuxi did not know that the Second Lady Zhou had raised her guard against her to another level. However, even if she did know, she couldn¡¯t care less.

    Not long after Chang¡¯s first bath ceremony, news reached the capital that the northwest had suffered a great defeat, with tens of thousands of dead and wounded. The one defending the city, Marshal Qin, had died after being seriously injured.

    Yuxi was very surprised to hear this news. However, no matter how surprised she was, no one would understand this if she told the people around her. Hence, she had to wait patiently until that evening to ask her Dage personally.

    A maid from Qiu Shi¡¯s side came over and told her, ¡°Miss, my Lady asks you toe over.¡±.

    When Yuxi arrived at the Master Courtyard, she realised that Qiu Shi had a visitor. When she realised that it was the First Madam of the Qiu family, Xiao Shi, she walked up and greeted her. ¡°Greeting, Jiumu.¡±

    Xiao Shi looked at Yuxi and inquired after her with a very kind smile, ¡°I heard from your mother that you have recovered?¡± In fact, just by looking at Yuxi¡¯s physique, one could tell that she was in good health!.

    Yuxi smiled and answered, ¡°My health is already greatly healed.¡±.

    Xiao Shi asked Yuxi many questions with great concern, and although Yuxi felt puzzled with all these questions, she still replied to each of them seriously.

    Qiu Shi urged with a smile, ¡°Yuxi, you should go back first!¡±.

    Yuxi was confused. What was her mother doing by calling her toe here and then telling her to go back? This was odd! But soon, Yuxi knew Qiu Shi¡¯s purpose in asking her to make this trip. It turned out that she wanted the First Madam Qiu family to match her to her youngest son, Qiu Lei.

    When Yuxi heard Qiu Shi¡¯s words, she froze in her tracks. In herst life, she and Qiu Lei had almost betrothed, but Jiang Hongjin had ended up stirring things up. She had never thought that she would be matched with Qiu Lei again after such a big detour. Yuxi¡¯s feeling was very subtle.

    When Qiu Shi saw that Yuxi was in a daze, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t think your San Biaoge is good enough?¡± If Yuxi had not withdrawn from her marriage, Qiu Shi would have rejected Dasao¡¯s proposal on the spot. But after all, Yuxi had broken her engagement, and that Qiu child was not bad in every way, so she was a little hesitant.

    Yuxi came back to her senses and shook her head, ¡°No, it¡¯s just that Dage won¡¯t agree.¡± Qiu Lei was too ordinary in every way for Dage to notice him.

    Qiu Shi didn¡¯t expect Yuxi¡¯s response would be like this. ¡°As long as you agree, it¡¯s useless if your Dage disagrees.¡±.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Mother, if Dage doesn¡¯t agree, it¡¯s useless even if I do agree.¡±.

    Qiu Shi understood what Yuxi was saying. ¡°You mean that if your Dage agrees, you are fine with it?¡±.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Yes, if Dage agrees, I will have no problem with it. However, Mother, Dage will surely disagree.¡± The Qiu family was originally Dage¡¯s maternal grandparents¡¯ home. Therefore, there was no need to cement old ties by marriage. What was more important than Qiu Lei being a loyal and honest person was that his future was limited, and Dage would turn his nose at him because of this. Even if she agreed, he would disagree. If he disagreed, the marriage between them would not be possible. That was why Yuxi didn¡¯t even think much about it.

    Qiu Shi nodded with a smile, then said to Yuxi, ¡°Your Dage is now the Duke of the State, so it¡¯s time to change how the servants address him.¡± The servants called him a mix of the Lord Duke and Eldest Master, which was messed up.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°It¡¯s up to Mother to decide.¡± Not only they should change the way the servants addressed him, so did the ces where they were currently living. For example, the Master Courtyard where Qiu Shi lived should also be vacated for Ye Shi. After all, she was now the mistress of the residence, and she was the one who should live here.

    It was not as if Qiu Shi wanted to upy the Master Courtyard and deny it from her daughter-inw. She was not such a person. It was just that, from the time Han Jianming took over the title until now, there had been too much going on. So there was no talk of her moving out of the yard. After all, changing the yard was an important matter, and an auspicious day had to be chosen before doing so.

    When Han Jianming returned to the State Residence, Qiu Shi called him to the Master Courtyard. As soon as he heard Qiu Shi telling him that she wanted to betroth Yuxi to Qiu Lei, Han Jianming refused without even thinking. ¡°Not going to happen.¡±.

    Qiu Shi asked, somewhat puzzled. ¡°Why not?¡±.

    Han Jianming¡¯s answer was straightforward. ¡°They are notpatible with each other. Qiu Lei has nothing to offer other than a better background. He is notpatible with Yuxi at all.¡± To put it simply, Qiu Lei was not a match for Yuxi. Although Yuxi had withdrawn from her marriage, with her looks and talents, he would not be worried about finding an equal match for her if he looked hard enough.

    Qiu Shi wanted to say more good things for Qiu Lei, but Han Jianming said, ¡°Mother, there is no need to talk about this matter. I have a n for Yuxi¡¯s marriage, so Mother doesn¡¯t have to worry.¡±.

    When she heard this, Qiu Shi said nothing more. Every time her son spoke to her in this tone, it meant that there was no room for discussion. Well, it was Yuxi who had the foresight. Qiu Shi also stopped dwelling on the matter. ¡°Now that Chang-er has gotten older, it¡¯s time to change how the family addresses each other. What do you think?¡± Seeing Han Jianming¡¯s nod, she talked about moving out of the courtyard again.

    Han Jianming had an indifferent reaction to this. ¡°If Mother doesn¡¯t want to move, then Mother doesn¡¯t have to. It doesn¡¯t make any difference wherever I live.¡±.

    Qiu Shi responded with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s not the same! The Master Courtyard is where the mistress lives, and now that the mistress of the Han family is your wife, she should be allowed to live here.¡±.

    Han Jianming answered the same way Yuxi did. ¡°It¡¯s up to Mother to decide on this matter.¡±.

    Qiu Shi was pleased. Both her sons were filial to her, and her two daughters-inw were also very good. Now that her eldest son also had Chang-er, it was time for her to put her burden down. ¡°I have already asked someone to pick an auspicious day. I¡¯ll move when the day is right, and I¡¯ve named my new courtyard Changle Courtyard!¡± The name Changle Courtyard symbolised longevity and happiness. [+]

    Han Jianming smiled as he said, ¡°As long as Mother is happy.¡±.

    Yuxi knew that Han Jianming had returned and immediately went to the front yard to look for him. When she met with Han Jianming, she asked, ¡°Dage, I heard from outside today that the northwest had suffered a great defeat and that Marshal Qin, the city¡¯s defender, had been killed in battle? Wasn¡¯t the result from there always good before? What with this sudden defeat?¡± There was a small victory in the northwestst month, and now there was a big defeat. The gap between before and after was this big, making Yuxi unable to respond.

    Han Jianming said, ¡°Marshal Qin was dragged down by his grandson Qin Zhao this time. Qin Zhao was so eager to advance his achievement that he fell for the Western barbarians¡¯ scheme, leaving his 5,000-strong army trapped. Marshal Qin personally led his troops to rescue him, but he was seriously injured after rescuing Qin Zhao. Marshal Qin lost his life before he could be carried back to the city.¡± Han Jianming was now the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War, so he naturally knew about the affairs of the border city in great detail.

    Yuxi was stunned. ¡°Qin Zhao is Marshal Qin¡¯s grandson. A person from such a family background should be cautious when marching to war. So how could he have fallen into the western barbarians¡¯ trap so easily?¡± The capital people also called the Northern Captives the western barbarians.

    A sneer shed across Han Jianming¡¯s eyes. ¡°Marshal Qin was already old. Qin Guan died of a battle wound a few years ago, and only Qin Zhao is left in the Qin family today. Qin Zhao has not yet umted enough military achievements to take over Marshal Qin¡¯s burden. In fact, he could have taken his time, but unfortunately, there was Yun Qing. Yun Qing is very brave in battle, which has threatened Qin Zhao¡¯s position.¡± Qin Guan was Qin Zhao¡¯s father.

    Yuxi remembered that when she was sent to the hamlet, Yun Qing had be themander-in-chief of the northwest in her previous life. When she arrived in the countryside, which was not very essible, not to mention the news of the northwest, she didn¡¯t even know about the capital news. As for the Qin family, she knew even less. ¡°So those people took advantage of Qin Zhao when he was having this kind of mentality?¡±.

    Han Jianming nodded a little. ¡°That¡¯s right. Qin Zhao was a little eager to get things done, and the western barbarians¡¯ spies learned about this point. Thus, they had designed a n to trap him.¡±.

    Yuxi was a little puzzled. ¡°Dage, the Qin family has been operating in the border city for so many years, and Yun Qing has been there not that long. So how could Yun Qing threaten Qin Zhao¡¯s position?¡± Counting on her fingers, it had only been eleven years since Yun Qing had gone to the border town. And it was only five years ago that Yun Qing genuinely emerged! How could he shake the Qin family¡¯s position in that border town in five years? That was an unimaginable feat.

    Han Jianming exined, ¡°What you don¡¯t understand is, the border city ispletely different from the capital city. To fight and win battles is fundamental to gaining a foothold there. Not only does Yun Qing often win battles, but every time he goes out to war, the number of casualties is much smallerpared to other generals, so he is very much supported by the lower-levelmanders and soldiers.¡±.

    A thought popped up in Yuxi¡¯s mind as she asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t the Qin family think of getting rid of Yun Qing?¡± Since he was threatening their position there, they should get rid of him before he grew entirely. This was the safest and most secure method.

    Han Jianmingughed a little and said, ¡°Do you think Qin Zhao doesn¡¯t want to? But Marshal Qin had always protected Yun Qing and always given him opportunities. Otherwise, Yun Qing wouldn¡¯t have been able to climb this fast. However, now that Marshal Qin is dead, it¡¯s anyone¡¯s guess as to what will happen in the future.¡± As a matter of fact, Han Jianming was keeping his eyes on Yun Qing. This man was born to be a leader. But also, as Yuxi said, the Qin family¡¯s ties in the border city were so intertwined that if Qin Zhao were toy his hands on Yun Qing, it was still unknown if Yun Qing would be able to escape.

    Yuxi frowned andmented, ¡°There is no ce that is truly peaceful and quiet.¡± No matter where you were, there was always a lot of rivalry and deceit.

    Han Jianming smiled and said, ¡°Where there are people, there will always be fights.¡±

 Chapter 287 - A Sadness And A Joy (2)

    Chapter 287 : A Sadness And A Joy (2)

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi¡¯s depressed face and told her another piece of good news, ¡°On my way back, I just received news of victory where we¡¯ve won a battle in Liaodong.¡± Looking at Yuxi¡¯sck of interest, he added with a smile, ¡°The general who won the battle has an interesting name, Qiu Dashan.¡±

    Yuxi froze for a moment. ¡°Qiu Dashan?¡±

    Han Jianming nodded and smiled, ¡°Not Qiu as in hatred, but Qiu as in qiu, called Qiu Dashan. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen this surname!¡±

    But Yuxi didn¡¯t see it that way as shemented instead, ¡°Qiu Dashan. In other words, this name implies that his hatred is as huge as a big mountain. He will carry it with him all the time so that he can¡¯t forget it.¡±

    Having developed a tacit understanding of each other for so long, Han Jianming knew what Yuxi meant. Qiu Dashan was probably Yan Wushuang. So he shook his head and said, ¡°Yuxi, Great General Tong, the defender of Liaodong, has been in Tongcheng for over twenty years and has frequent dealings with the Yan family. How could he not know Yan Wushuang? If this Qiu Dashan were Yan Wushuang, Great General Tong would have killed him long ago. How could he still be left alive?¡± When the Yan family was exterminated back then, Great General Tong was also their murderers from behind the scenes. With such deep hatred, how could Great General Tong possibly spare the members of the Yan family, not to mention Yan Wushuang, who was well versed in both polite letters and martial arts?

    Yuxi said, ¡°Dage, I¡¯ve heard that there is a skill where one can change one¡¯s appearance! Could he have changed his look?¡±

    Han Jianming couldn¡¯t helpughing as he responded, ¡°You¡¯re piling errors on top of errors. How could there be a skill of changing a person¡¯s appearance and physique? Moreover, for generals in the army, their ancestors have to be clearly checked. If it were so easy to impersonate them, there would be no telling how many spies could easily mix in.¡± The interrogation and examination for the general position in the border town were particrly harsh, something Yuxi could not have imagined. That was why Yun Qing¡¯s identity had to be exposed. He would have been arrested as a spy if he didn¡¯t reveal it.

    Yuxi, however, shook her head and said, ¡±Dage, you should still pay attention to this person in the future. Sometimes, the more you think there is no problem, the more problematic it will be. I have a hunch that even if he¡¯s not Yan Wushuang in disguise, he¡¯s definitely rted to him.¡±

    Han Jianming felt Yuxi¡¯s words made sense as he nodded and said, ¡°I will pay attention to this person in the future. By the way, I want your Er Ge to go to Liaodong. What do you think?¡±

    When Yuxi heard that she wanted Han Jianye to go to Liaodong, she reflexively shouted, ¡°No, you can¡¯t send him to Liaodong.¡± Er Ge had died in Liaodong in his previous life, and even his bones could not be found. This incident had left a big shadow on Yuxi.

    Han Jianming did not expect a strong response from Yuxi and thought she was worried about Han Jianye¡¯s safety. Thus, he tried to reason out with her, ¡°If your Er Ge stays in the capital any longer, his skill will be wasted.¡± Unless there were a change in dynasty, any further chaos would not reach the capital. So even if Han Jianye were sent to serve a local government, it would be much better than being in the capital. However, Han Jianming was very ambitious and felt that he had to let Han Jianye go to the border town so that he could umte military achievements faster.

    Yuxi shook her head and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that I want to keep Er Ge in the middle of the capital. I just think that we can¡¯t let Er Ge go to Liaodong. Dage, Liaodong is too chaotic. And you haven¡¯t found any news about the dark forces so far.¡± After a pause, she continued, ¡°Dage, if Yan Wushuang is not dead, then he must be hiding in the shadows preparing for revenge. Great General Tong and the Song family are all the people he wants to take revenge on. However, when he wants to deal with these people, he will absolutely involve the innocent ones. Although Er Ge is good at martial arts, scheming is his weaknesses.¡±

    Han Jianming was still a little hesitant.

    Yuxi knew that Lu Xiu¡¯s elder brother was in Liaodong and that he would have someone to look after him when he went there. The idea was good, but Yuxi was reluctant to let Han Jianye go to Liaodong. ¡°Dage, I think Er Ge is actually more suitable to go to the northwest.¡± Even if he weren¡¯t suitable, she would have to make him suitable. Furthermore, going to Liaodong and going to the northwest were both the same for Han Jianye.

    Hearing this, Han Jianming asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t the northwest just as chaotic? Aren¡¯t you afraid that your Er Ge will be involved in it?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°If Er Ge goes to the northwest, he will undeniably be involved in the power struggle.¡±

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t understand what Yuxi meant. ¡°Speak clearly.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Dage, don¡¯t you remember? Er Ge was very close to Yun Qing when they were younger.¡± Since Yuxi knew that the winner, in the end, would be Yun Qing, she naturally wanted Han Jianye to be on Yun Qing¡¯s side so that he could seek more benefits. As for whether Yun Qing would ept Han Jianye, Yuxi was not worried at all. For one thing, Han Jianye was an excellent martial artist, not just a mere skeleton, and he was very easy to get along with. For another, with an elder brother who was an Assistant Minister of War, Yun Qing would ept such an ally as long as he had a clear mind.

    With hesitation in his eyes, Han Jianming asked, ¡°Why do you think Yun Qing is much better? Yuxi, you have to know that Yun Qing¡¯s enemies are not only Qin Zhao but also the Song family.¡± If Yun Qing had only had one enemy, Qin Zhao, Han Jianming would have ced his treasure on Yun Qing. But the problem was that Yun Qing¡¯s enemies also included the Song family, and Yun Qing¡¯s hatred for the Song family was well known even to the Song family. Under such circumstances, how could the Song family allow Yun Qing to sit on the military power in the northwest?

    Yuxi said, ¡°Dage, I know that you want Er Ge to go to Liaodong because you think it will help him. But has it ever urred to you that this help from yours is also an obstruction? Since Er Sao¡¯s Dage is very capable of fighting, then Er Ge will be under the shelter of his eldest brother-inw forever. This situation is not good for Er Ge.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she was worried about people ndering Han Jianye for nepotism. But she thought that if Lu Xiu¡¯s brother didn¡¯t want Han Jianye to take risks and put him in a rtively safe position, wouldn¡¯t it be the same as making a fool of oneself in trying to be smart.

    Han Jianming shook his head and argued, ¡°This won¡¯t happen. Lu Gang is not the kind of person who tends to show favouritism, let alone stand in the way of your Er Ge¡¯s future.¡±

    Yuxi struggled with her words, but in the end, she only got one sentence from Han Jianming. ¡°I will consider it seriously.¡±

    Looking at Han Jianming¡¯s face, Yuxi knew that any more persuasion would only be useless. She didn¡¯t want to force the matter. It wasn¡¯t like her Er Ge was going to leave tomorrow anyway. Therefore, she would think for a way once she returned to her yard.

    Han Jianming then asked Yuxi a very personal question. ¡°Yuxi, do you have any thoughts about your marriage?¡± To be exact, he wanted to ask Yuxi what kind of person she was looking for.

    Yuxi looked up at Han Jianming, ¡°Dage, as long as the other person is of good character, nothing else is required.¡± There was no need to mention that he needed to be hardworking and motivated, and if he were not capable, Dage would not look at him. Therefore, the essential thing was his character.

    Han Jianming pondered for a moment and then said, ¡°Yuxi, I would like to choose a military general as your husband. What do you think?¡±

    Yuxi answered, ¡°That¡¯s fine! But it¡¯s best if I can follow him along when he is assigned a position out of the capital, so we don¡¯t have to be separated from each other.¡± The wives and children of senior generals had to stay in the capital as hostages. However, those senior generals were now grandfathers, and even the few young talents had started their own families. Even if Dage were more discerning, the candidate he chose would be at most between fifth or sixth rank officer. As long as the candidate was assigned domestically, it was still easy for her to follow along.

    Han Jianming smiled and nodded a little, saying, ¡°It¡¯s good that you can think like that.¡±

    Yuxi asked curiously, ¡°Dage, do you have someone in mind? Well, I hope Dage doesn¡¯t pick someone too ugly for me, and he can¡¯t be worse than Er Ge at any rate.¡± Han Jianye was like a king kong with ring eyes, and Yuxi did not want to find a husband who was worse looking than Han Jianye. It wasn¡¯t so much the looks she was looking for, but she was worried that she would die crying if she had a daughter who looked like her not-good-looking husband. With her daughter looking like that, she wouldn¡¯t be able to marry in the future. [T/C]

    When Han Jianming heard this, he smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll surely pick a good-looking one. By the way, Yuxi, what you said to Chen Ranst time, I think it was just to make him back off, right? You weren¡¯t serious about that, right?¡± [+]

    Yuxi smiled a little. Was she serious about it? She wanted to, but the question was, was there such a man in this world? There were men like that in the opera, but not real life. Of course, she could not confidently say that there was no such man. It¡¯s just that in thest two lifetimes, she has seen and never heard of men who didn¡¯t take concubines or tongfang and only stayed loyal with their wives. ¡°Dage, you¡¯re overthinking it. I just know that Chen Ran wouldn¡¯t agree to it. That¡¯s why I said so.¡±

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± He guessed that Yuxi was trying to get Chen Ran to back off, but it was never as reassuring as if Yuxi had said it herself.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°If I actually have such an idea, then it¡¯s better if I don¡¯t marry at all.¡± There was a saying that men were like cats. Where in this world where a cat never stole fish! Instead of letting him go out and steal, it would be better to let him stay at home infort. She had the backing of her mother¡¯s family anyway, and she could stand up for herself. Hence, she would not fear those concubines and tongfang from stepping over her head.

    Han Jianming handed a stack of information on the desk to Yuxi and said, ¡°Take it back and read it!¡± The contents were all recent events in the capital and the local government.

    Back at Taoran House, Yuxi put the things on the desk and pondered how to convince Han Jianming for a long time. It wasn¡¯t that Yuxi hadn¡¯t thought about going over to convince Han Jianye himself but felt that was the next best thing. The best way was to persuade her Dage.

    After thinking about it, she could not think of a good way, so she started practising her calligraphy. It was the easiest time for her to calm down when practising calligraphy. After spending all night, she still couldn¡¯te up with a good idea.

    When Yuxi woke up the next day, she put on her coat and walked out into the yard. There she saw Zijin practising. Zijin¡¯s broadsword danced with a flourish, and it was an exciting thing to see.

    As Yuxi looked at Zijin, she suddenly had a sh of an idea. She finally thought of a way to convince her Dage not to send her Er Ge to Liaodong, and this method would surely work.

    When Yuxi finished her morning practice, Zisu brought her water to rinse her mouth and clean her face, and when she saw Yuxi¡¯s smiling face, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What good things have you thought of, Miss? Why is Miss looking so cheerful?¡±

    Yuxi kept it a secret. ¡°This is confidential. I can¡¯t tell you.¡±

    In the evening, Yuxi approached Han Jianming and told him, ¡°Dage, I had a dreamst night where I dreamed something happened to Er Ge.¡±

    Han Jianming was startled. ¡°How can you have such a dream?¡± Han Jianming did not suspect that Yuxi had made up a lie to deceive him, and there was no need for that.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°As soon as you said you wanted to send Er Ge to Liaodong, I felt bad. Last night I had a nightmare again, dreaming that Er Ge was killed by the Donghu people and there were no bones left of him. I was so scared that I didn¡¯t dare to sleep again.¡±

    Han Jianming recalled when he told Yuxi yesterday that he wanted Han Jianye to go to Liaodong; her reaction was indeed violent. If someone else had said they had a nightmare that Jianye was gone, like his mother or Lu Xiu, he would have thought they were overly worried and thus had a nightmare. But Yuxi was different. When people dreamed, the reality would be the opposite. While Yuxi¡¯s dream was likely toe true.

    Seeing that Han Jianming was silent, Yuxi said anxiously, ¡°Dage, you can¡¯t let Er Ge go to Liaodong. I think he will have misfortune. If you think the northwest is bad, you can send him to the southwest.¡±

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°En, we can¡¯t let him go to Liaodong.¡± As for whether or not to send Han Jianye to the northwest, he still had to deliberate on it.

    Yuxi was finally relieved.

 Chapter 288 - Chapter 288 :

    Chapter 288 : Gossip

    At the end of the seventh lunar month, Lu Xiu gave birth to her second son.

    After seeing the baby, Yuxi muttered to Qiu Shi, ¡°On such a hot day, we can¡¯t even open the doors and windows, using a fan to get the wind, let alone put ice in. Mother, how can we live like this?¡± This situation didn¡¯t justst for a day or two, but a month! Just thinking about it made Yuxi feel so horrible.

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°It just happens that the baby was born in the seventh lunar month, so there is nothing we can do about it.¡± To have a baby in the seventh lunar month was indeed great suffering, but one couldn¡¯t pick a day to give birth to a baby.

    Within a few days after the baby¡¯s first bath ceremony, Han Jianye was preparing for his trip to the northwest. Han Jianming had been thinking about it for a long time, but he was still unsure about Yun Qing, so he wanted Han Jianye to go to the southwest.

    The southwest was thend of the Yi barbarians, and although they were also fierce, it was better than going to the northwest and letting his brother get mixed up with Yun Qing. But Han Jianye refused to go to the southwest, saying that if he couldn¡¯t go to Liaodong, he would like to go to the northwest. If he was not allowed to go to the northwest, it was just as well that he did not want to go to the southwest, so he wanted to go to Liaodong instead. In the end, Han Jianming could onlypromise and agreed to let him go to the northwest.

    If he were to go to a prosperous and peaceful ce such as Jiangnan, it would not be easy to find a vacant position. But there were plenty in the northwest, where wars were fought for years with many casualties in every battle. Han Jianming, himself, was in the Ministry of War, so he quickly found a vacancy for Han Jianye in a battalion. It was not that he couldn¡¯t find a better one, but Han Jianye didn¡¯t want to. A man¡¯s career had to be fought on his own ability. What was the point of always relying on his family? Though, Han Jianye didn¡¯t dare to inform Lu Xiu about his trip to the northwest. After thinking about it, he came to ask Yuxi for advice.

    When Yuxi heard Han Jianye¡¯s difficulties, she smiled and said, ¡°Er Ge, you don¡¯t need to think too much about it. Just tell Er Sao directly. She should have known all about it.¡± Even if the Lu family did not say anything to Lu Xiu, as his wife, how could she still not see any difference in her husband? Even if no one told her about it, it did not mean that she wasn¡¯t aware of it. She just pretended not to know.

    Han Jianye let out a sigh and asked, ¡°How did your Er Sao know? I¡¯ve told people to withhold the news.¡± He was afraid that Lu Xiu would be thinking nonsense. That was why he kept the news a secret.

    Yuxiughed a little and advised him, ¡°Just tell Er Sao straight away.¡± Han Jianye was a military general, so he would have to rely on his military achievements to earn a promising future for himself. Since the Lu family¡¯s people had followed this path, Han Jianye was no exception. Therefore, she had long been prepared for Han Jianye to be assigned a position outside of the capital.

    That same day, Han Jianye spoke to Lu Xiu about it. Initially, he was going to wait for Lu Xiu to finish her confinement. But the northwest suffered another defeat, and there was a significant shortage of men due to the heavy casualties. So the Ministry of War gave Han Jianye the paperwork, urging him to rush to the northwest as soon as possible.

    Lu Xiu was silent for half a second and asked, ¡°When are you leaving?¡± After Han Jianye had returned from outside, she had felt that something was wrong with him. At first, Lu Xiu was worried that Han Jianye was being dishonest and had fancied some woman outside. When she finally had someone check, she found out that her husband had been assigned a position outside of the capital.

    In the heart of it all, Lu Xiu naturally did not want Han Jianye to be sent away to a ce far from the capital, like a border town where there were deaths and injuries because of the continuous war. However, Lu Xiu knew very well that she could not stop his husband¡¯s footsteps. Since she could not stop him and he did not even tell her, she just let him assume that she did not know.

    Han Jianye said, ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving in ten days. ¡±

    Lu Xiu whispered, ¡°So soon?¡± After hearing Han Jianye¡¯s exnation, she asked, ¡°Why are you going to the northwest and not to Liaodong? Going to Liaodong, with Dage around, is better than going to the northwest with youpletely in the dark.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she was asking her Dage to give him the green light. It was just that it would be a lot easier for Han Jianye to act if he had someone he was familiar with at the top.

    Han Jianye exined, ¡°A few days ago, my Dage asked an eminent monk to read my fortune. The monk told him that it was inadvisable for me to go east. Otherwise, my life would be in danger.¡± This statement was Han Jianming¡¯s argument for not allowing Han Jianye to go to Liaodong. Although Han Jianye did not believe it, he could do nothing to deal with his elder brother.

    Women were generally prone to be more superstitious, especially when it involved this kind of life-threatening thing. After hearing his exnation, Lu Xiu stopped dwelling on him not going to Liaodong. ¡°I¡¯ll have Mama Jian pack your things for you.¡± After saying this, tears fell from her eyes.

    What Han Jianye feared most was a woman crying as his hands rushed to reassure and calm her. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. You can¡¯t cry when you¡¯re in confinement. Once I¡¯m firmly established there, I¡¯ll send someone to pick you and the children up if you want to go.¡±

    Lu Xiu wiped her tears and said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait until the baby is a bit older.¡± Not to mention the fact that her second son had just been born; her eldest son was only three years old and could not withstand such a bumpy ride.

    Han Jianye was not a good coaxer, but this day he had the rare opportunity to talk with Lu Xiu for a long time. Rather than talking with him, it was more like Lu Xiu was speaking by herself about all kinds of advice and what he should be concerned about. Hearing her words, Han Jianye felt sick at heart. He felt sorry for leaving his wife at this time. But even though he hated to depart with her, he still had to go when that time arrived.

    In the first half of the eighth lunar month, where one would have one¡¯s face streaming with one¡¯s sweat after taking just a few steps, Han Jianye left for the northwest with his twelve attendants. [+]

    In the middle of the ninth lunar month, the capital received a victory report from the northwest. The northwest had won a battle, killing 5,000 of the enemy, and as for prisoners, there were none.

    Yuxi looked at the information handed to her by Han Jianming and asked casually, ¡°Not a single prisoner? Were they all killed?¡± Yuxi would be particrly concerned about this, mainly because Yun Qing had too much reputation for killing prisoners back then.

    Han Jianming smiled and said, ¡°What are you going to do with them if you don¡¯t kill them?¡±

    Yuxi fell silent. In the past, when she did not know the world¡¯s affairs and heard numerous rumours, she thought that Yun Qing was addicted to killing others. But now that she knew more, she realised that keeping captives wasn¡¯t as simple as just saying a few words. If they did not kill the enemies, what would they eat? Where would they be housed? The money given by the Imperial Court was not enough to feed the soldiers themselves. Hence there was no way they could also provide for the enemies. Besides, if they didn¡¯t kill these people, it was also hazardous to capture them and lock them up. What if they found an opportunity to riot, or if they cooperated. Therefore, the easiest and quickest way was to exterminate all these people. If they were left alive, there would be all sorts of problems and hassles.

    Han Jianming shook his head. This girl was still soft-hearted in the end. ¡°The Imperial Court has already circted amendation order. Also, the Emperor has issued an Imperial Decree for Yun Qing¡¯s return to the capital.¡±

    Yuxi let out a cry of disbelief as she asked for confirmation, ¡°Asking for Yun Qing¡¯s return to the capital?¡± As far as Yuxi knew, until the time of her death, Yun Qing had never returned to the capital, and he had been staying put in the northwest!

    Han Jianmingughed a little. ¡°Unless Yun Qing is out of his mind, there is no way he would return to the capital.¡± If Yun Qing returned to the capital, the Song family would have plenty of opportunities to destroy him. Yun Qing wasn¡¯t stupid. He wouldn¡¯t throw himself into the. This Imperial Decree was just the Emperor¡¯s wishful thinking.

    Yuxi also felt that Yun Qing would not return to the capital as shemented, ¡°Then the Song family might use Qin Zhao¡¯s hand to get rid of Yun Qing?¡±

    Han Jianming nodded a little. ¡°If Yun Qing wants to fight Qin Zhao, there is only one way out.¡± Yun Qing¡¯s most significant capital was his youth and ability. There must be many people who valued his excellent prospect. So, there should be no worry for him to find a suitable marriage partner for himself.

    Yuxi said bluntly, ¡°Marriage is naturally the best and fastest way, but the problem is that Yun Qing¡¯s fierce reputation. Chen Xue was scared to death because of it before. I don¡¯t know if his new marriage partner will be scared to death this time too.¡±

    Han Jianming reminded, ¡°Yuxi, don¡¯t just take things only at their face value.¡±

    Yuxi quickly reacted as she asked, ¡°Could it be that there is an inside story to Chen Xue¡¯s death?¡± She hadn¡¯t thought that there would be something else going on with Chen Xue.

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°Yun Qing and the Song family have be sworn enemies. So how could Marquis Taining marry his daughter to Yun Qing? Wouldn¡¯t that make them be enemy with the Song family too?¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s mind suddenly turned imaginative, ¡°Could it be Chen Xue is not yet dead?¡± Then she shook her head and said, ¡°No, if Chen Xue hadn¡¯t died, Chen Ran wouldn¡¯t have been so sad in the first ce.¡±

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t go into too much detail with Yuxi but said, ¡°Chen Xue indeed died, but I don¡¯t know exactly why she died, but I know that even if she hadn¡¯t died, Marquis Taining wouldn¡¯t have married her off to Yun Qing. The so-called withdrawing from the marriage arrangement because she was scared to death by Yun Qing is just a pretence for the outside world.¡± The news from Marquis Taining Residence was so tightly concealed that he could not inquire the details.

    In response, Yuxi did not ask any more questions. ¡°Then this Yun Qing is already miserable enough.¡± Considering the rumours she heard about him from her previous life; she thought how unjust it must have been for him.

    Han Jianming didn¡¯tment on the matter and changed the subject, ¡°There was a drought in Hebei in the first half of the year, and the autumn¡¯s harvests have not been good. I estimate that many refugees will pour into the capital shortly. So, don¡¯t go out during this time.¡± He would purposely say these words to Yuxi because Yuxi had once said she wanted to stay in Red Jujube Hamlet for two days.

    The more Yuxi knew, the more frightened she was. If it were in peaceful times, even if there were a natural disaster in Hebei, as long as the Imperial Court provided sufficient reliefs, it would not be a big deal. But now, the state treasury was empty, so there was no money to spend on disaster relief. Of course, even if they could get the money together to provide any relief, they didn¡¯t know if even a tenth of it reached the victims¡¯ hands in the end.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°I know. I won¡¯t go out these days.¡±

    Han Jianming sighed slightly and said, ¡°Recently, Liaodong and northwest have been at war. At the same time, the people in the southwest and Province of Shu are still busy putting down rebellions. The people in the Ministry of War are all burnt out.¡± There were wars everywhere, and the treasury was so poor that it could barely pay out even the officials¡¯ sries. Han Jianming felt that perhaps the world would have to be in chaos before the current Emperor died.

    Yuxi asked him a question, ¡°Dage, I¡¯ve been thinkingtely. If the one in control of that dark force in Liaodong was really Yan Wushuang, and if he one day took control of Liaodong and then formed an alliance with Yun Qing, what do you think would happen?¡±

    Han Jianming thought that Yuxi had a huge mind. ¡°Although it is said that the Yan family and the Yun family used to have a deep friendship, Old Grandfather Yun still died for the Yan family. So these two can¡¯t form an alliance.¡± Yun Qing was trying to use his military achievements to umte capital to seek revenge on the Song family properly. Yan Wushuang was hiding in the shadows, looking for an opportunity to bring down the Song family. Although both of them were burdened with blood feuds and both wanted to seek revenge on the Song family, their temperaments were very different, and they could not even properly talk about it at all.

    Yuxi was not even a bit ashamed of her imagining the wildest thing just now. Some things can be thought of divergently. ¡°I wonder when this kind of thing will burst out? When this thing happens, what kind of turmoil will there be?¡±

    Han Jianming answered affirmatively, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this matter won¡¯t burst out. The 9th Prince will not allow it to happen.¡±

    Speaking of the 9th Prince, Yuxiughed. ¡°He thinks he¡¯s the clever one. What he doesn¡¯t know is that he is mistakenly wrong about the level of his cleverness.¡± The Song family and the Yu family were the 9th Prince¡¯s biggest helpers, but at the same time, they were also his most enormous resistance. If he wanted to do something, without their consent, the 9th prince couldn¡¯t do anything. He was no better than a puppet.

 Chapter 289 - Resisting The Decree

    Chapter 289 : Resisting The Decree

    Children quickly grew as they changed every day.

    When Yuxi saw Boy Ping in Changle Courtyard, she smiled and pinched his white and tender little face, saying, ¡°Mother, doesn¡¯t Boy Ping look bigger than he was a few days ago?¡± He was Lu Xiu¡¯s second son and was named Ping, hoping that Han Jianye¡¯s return would be smooth.

    Qiu Shi said with a smile, ¡°Children are like that. If you don¡¯t see them for ten days or even half a month, you probably won¡¯t even recognise them.¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little and said, ¡°Mother, when I went to see Grandmother yesterday, she was in a much better spirit.¡±

    Because of the marriage withdrawal, the Old Lady was so angry with Qiu Shi and had been ill for a long time. But fortunately, her health was still good, and she was well now. However, after recovering from her illness, her temper worsened. Every time she saw Qiu Shi, she didn¡¯t give her any good face, and she was even colder towards Yuxi. But she treated Wen Shi and Yurong, who had been at her bedside for these several months, much kinder.

    Qiu Shi used to serve the Old Lady with all her heart, but she never got a few good words from her, but now she has put her filial heart downpletely. If the Old Lady was disgusted with her, she just let her feel disgusted. Her son had already be the head of the family, and no one could shake her position. So, apart from the asional visit to the main room to show consideration for the Old Lady¡¯s face, she wouldn¡¯t go at any other time to avoid them from getting tired of looking at each other. She had served the Old Lady for most of her life, and her feelings for the Old Lady had worn off when the Old Lady hadpromised her face for Wen Shi, who only entered the household recently. Nowadays, Qiu Shi had left all the affairs of the residence to Ye Shi and spent half of her day chanting and the other half teasing her grandchildren. Howfortable her life had been.

    Qiu Shi nodded with a smile and said, ¡°Yes! The physician said that the Old Lady has recovered from her illness, but she is too old to move around anymore and must recuperate.¡± The Old Lady could not die yet. Her two sons would have to mourn for the Old Lady if she did. Qiu Shi¡¯s eldest son had just managed to secure the post of Assistant Minister of War. So, he couldn¡¯t be held back because of this.

    When Qiu Shi thought of this, she suddenly remembered Han Jianye, who was probably eating sand in the northwest. ¡°I wonder how your Er Ge is doing in the northwest. He has no one to take care of him, and the environment there is harsh. Just thinking about this makes me nervous for him.¡± When she found out that Han Jianye was going to the northwest, Qiu Shi didn¡¯t say anything to stop him from going. She knew that her son hadn¡¯t studied martial arts for years just for him to stay in the capital. Despite her unwillingness to let him go far, she could not stop him from seeking his future and finally had to send him away with tears in her eyes.

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry about Er Ge. He was sent to the mountains to train in martial arts when he was just eight years old and learned to cook while he was there. So Mother doesn¡¯t have to worry. He will be able to take good care of himself in the northwest. Furthermore, the one Er Ge admires most is Waizufu, and he hopes to be like Waizufu in the future.¡± Qiu Shi¡¯s old man was the Lord General of Minnan, stationed in Minnan for more than ten years. Hence, he could be said to be the emperor of thend there.

    Qiu Shi was a bit depressed as she said, ¡°Your Waizufu? I haven¡¯t seen him for more than ten years.¡± It had been sixteen years since her father hadst returned to the capital, and it had also been sixteen years since he had seen anyone. She wondered what his father was like now? Her hair had almost turned grey, so her father must be even older. When she thought of this, her eyes burst into tears.

    Now that Qiu Shi was fasting and chanting, how could she not hope Buddha would bless her father and youngest son? ¡°I only hope that your Waizufu will be healthy and that your Er Ge will be safe and sound.¡± Her father had been operating in Minnan for almost 20 years. Hence, apart from worrying about his health, he didn¡¯t need to worry about anything else. Her younger son was going to the northwest, but he was unfamiliar with the area and had to start from scratch.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Mother, Waizufu will definitely live a long life, and Er Ge will certainly return safely.¡±

    Their conversation ended with the sound of Boy Ping¡¯s crying.

    In the evening, Han Jianming called Yuxi to his study. She took a letter from Han Jianming¡¯s hand, opened it and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s a letter from Er Ge.¡± Han Jianye¡¯s handwriting was so unique that she knew it at first nce.

    Han Jianming waited for Yuxi to finish reading the letter and said, ¡°Yun Qing is quite impressive. Your Er Ge has only been in the northwest for a short time, and he has already won him over.¡± The way Han Jianye called Yun Qing xiong in the letter was enough to exin everything.

    After speaking, Han Jianming gave Yuxi a deliberate nce. He wondered why Yuxi was so confident in Yun Qing. Where exactly did this confidencee from?

    Yuxi hadn¡¯t asked Han Jianye to befriend Yun Qing before he left for the northwest. There were things she could tell Han Jianming, but not Han Jianye. Because with Han Jianye¡¯s temperament, if she told him to befriend Yun Qing for the sake of interest, he would absolutely despise it. Yuxi responded, ¡°This is also Yun Qing¡¯s ability.¡± If he wasn¡¯t capable, how could he end up bing themander-in-chief of the northwest?

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi and said, ¡°Yun Qing used the excuse that his injury had reurred to not return to the capital.¡± That man was pretty much courageous. Han Jianming couldn¡¯t believe Yun Qing would use the recurrence of an old injury as an excuse not to return to the capital. Even though this reason sounded dignified, Han Jianming still didn¡¯tment on howmendable Yun Qing¡¯s gut was.

    Yuxi smiled as she pointed it out, ¡°Dage, isn¡¯t this what you guessed a long time ago? But, won¡¯t the Emperor be angry with him?¡±

    Han Jianming gave a rare smile and said, ¡°The 9th Prince said a few good words for Yun Qing in front of the Emperor, saying that if they forced Yun Qing to return to the capital, it would chill the hearts of the officers and soldiers in that border town.¡± What the 9th Prince said was right, but the problem was, no one else besides the 9th Prince dared to say that.

    Yuxi was very surprised. ¡°The 9th Prince? There¡¯s no way for the 9th Prince not to know the feud between the Yun family and the Song family. How could he put in a few good words for Yun Qing?¡±

    Han Jianming exined, ¡°He is not speaking up for Yun Qing. He did so because the Song family had already made private contact with Qin Zhao. Great General Tong is Song Huaijin¡¯s brother-inw. If the Song family is also allowed to take control of the northwest, will the world be surnamed Song or Zhou?¡±

    Yuxi understood. ¡°Is the 9th Prince guarding against the Song family?¡± The 9th Prince wasn¡¯t the Crown Prince yet, so he took extra precautions against the Song family. But the Song family was not foolish people. They only needed to wait for the 9th Prince to be Emperor for them to have a more unconstrained life than they had now.

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°You can¡¯t say it that way. The 9th Prince is probably looking at the big picture. Yun Qing is indeed a man he can send to fight in the war. Keeping him alive has more advantages, outweighing the disadvantages.¡± The 9th Prince was a prince who was likely to ascend to the throne, so he naturally hoped to keep a few more valuable talents around him.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°Advantages outweigh the disadvantages?¡± To the 9th Prince, Yun Qing was a talented man, but to the Song family, Yun Qing was their mortal enemy.

    But in her heart, Yuxi muttered, the 9th Prince had an ident in his previous life, and she wondered if the Song family was behind it. To the Song family, the 9th Prince was the same as the 10th Prince, where both were their nephews. If the 9th Prince did not listen, it would be the same if the 10th Prince, who would listen to them, took the throne instead. Only that, these were only her guesses, and no one ever knew the absolute truth.

    Compared to the northwest, the situation in Liaodong was much better. After all, the current defender of Liaodong, Great General Tong, was Song Huaijin¡¯s brother-inw. No matter how the Ministry of Revenue would¡¯ve paid for their rations and supplies first. And General Tong was not a straw man. He had lost and won some on the battlefield, but his winnings and losses were equally divided since he was not as impressive as Marshal Yan.

    After talking about these general matters, Yuxi spoke about things that happened in the capital. ¡°A lot of refugees have gathered outside the capital. It¡¯s the eleventh lunar month, and the weather is getting cold. Dage, do you think we can send some rice, food and quilts over there so that they can survive the winter?¡± It was forbidden for refugees to enter the capital for fear of disturbing the peace and order of the capital. Most importantly, the Imperial Court was afraid that these people would riot. However, they also decided not to take care of the refugees gathered outside the capital for the time being. Still, some official families and wealthy families had privately sent some rice, grain and quilts over. Although there were many vicious people around the capital, there were still many kind-hearted ones.

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t send any more for now. It¡¯s impossible just to rely on private donations alone. The Imperial Court also has to step in to settle this matter.¡±

    Yuxi looked up at Han Jianming and asked, ¡°The Imperial Court? Does the court even have money?¡± It was said that only rats could be found inside the treasury. [+]

    Han Jianmingughed a little and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Even if there is no money, the Ministry of the Revenue has to squeeze it out.¡± Seeing Yuxi¡¯s confused look, Han Jianming said, ¡°There are many corrupt officials in the dynasty who are busy scrambling for power and profit, but there are also officials who still have a conscience.¡± They couldn¡¯t just let the refugees freeze and starve to death outside the city. Besides, if these people were not given any food and water, it would be a big deal if there was a riot.

    Yuxi said, ¡°I hope so!¡±

    Han Jianming smiled a little and suggested, ¡°But someone shoulde forward to raise money for charity. So if you have a heart, you should donate more!¡±

    Yuxi frowned and argued, ¡°Donating more is not a problem. I am just worried that some people will embezzle them.¡± It would be ufortable to think of the corrupted ones feeding the pests with the money others had spent on good deeds!

    Han Jianming shook his head helplessly as he stated, ¡°Even if they are corrupt, they won¡¯t go too far.¡± There were good-hearted officials, but too few of them, and too many pests. At that time, he could only hope that an incorruptible official would be sent from above to handle the corrupted ones.

    When Yuxi heard this, she felt even more distress with it and said, ¡°Then we might as well buy more rice, food and quilts and send them over ourselves!¡± They did good deeds, hoping that those refugees would suffer less, but they felt pretty ufortable when they knew they were being exploited.

    Han Jianming shook his head and disagreed, ¡°No, we can¡¯t. We can send some things over, but not too many.¡± He was not willing to let himself be set up as a standard. Moreover, even if he sent more things privately, it would not solve the fundamental problem. Only when the Imperial Court came forward could the issue be settled.

    Yuxi knew this was true, but she felt miserable. When she returned to Taoran, she sat in her chair and thought about these things. The world was a difficult ce, and the people at the bottom always suffered the most.

    When Momo Quan noticed that Yuxi¡¯s face did not look good, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss? What did the Lord Duke say to Miss, making Miss look so grave.¡±

    Yuxi came back to her senses and said, ¡°I was thinking about the refugees. By the way, Momo Quan, your nephew¡¯s family is still at Red Jujube Hamlet. Why don¡¯t you just pick them up and bring them to the capital?¡± Ever since Yuxi had taken over the Red Jujube Hamlet, the tenants there had been having an even smoother time. For no other reason than Steward Chen would ept everything that everyone grew, such as peanuts and beans. Because of this, the tenants wouldn¡¯t have to worry about sales. So, they fully utilised every piece ofnd around the Red Jujube Hamlet, and over time they even had a few spare cash on hand. When they had more money, everyone tried to keep more grains. There was an old saying that said, if one had food in one¡¯s hands, one wouldn¡¯t panic. That was why every family in Red Jujube Hamlet had saved a lot of grain.

    Momo Quan answered with a smile, ¡°When I first found out about the refugees, I did tell them to go to the capital. But they didn¡¯t want to and said that there were more than a hundred families in Red Jujube Hamlet, with two to three hundred able-bodied people there. With so many people guarding the ce, those refugees won¡¯t dare to cause trouble in the hamlet.¡±

    Once people got hungry, not to mention the bark and roots of trees, they would even dare eat other human beings. Once these people targeted the Red Jujube Hamlet, there would be a massive incident. Yuxi said, ¡°We need to have someone remind Steward Chen about this so that he can keep the estate well guarded.¡± There were many refugees that were worthy of helping hands, but one still had to be wary of those who had malicious intentions.

    Momo Quan nodded and said, ¡°I have that worry too. I am afraid that if the hamlet bes a sheet of loose sand, things will easily go wrong. If Steward Chen can step in and organise everyone, then we won¡¯t have to be worried.¡±

 Chapter 290 - Vomiting Blood (1)

    Chapter 290 : Vomiting Blood (1)

    Song Guifei spearheaded the fundraising, and all thedies from the wealthy families in the capital were scrambling to donate money and materials. Yuxi originally wanted to donate 2,000 taels, but she didn¡¯t contribute a single penny when she found out that Song Guifei had taken the lead. The more people donated, the more Song Guifei¡¯s name would be known. Yuxi did not want to add flowers to Song Guifei¡¯s brocade.

    Speaking of which, Yuxi was particrly puzzled. Why did the Emperor obey and act docile with Song Guifei, but he didn¡¯t make her the Empress and the 9th Prince the Crown Prince? She had also asked Han Jianming about this question. Unfortunately, even he couldn¡¯t guess the Emperor¡¯s mind.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t spend her two thousand taels of silver, but she did want to make some quilts for these refugees and send them over. Two thousand taels would have been enough to buy ten or twenty thousand quiltsst year, but now that the price of everything had gone up, the purchasing power of two thousand taels was only half of what it was before.

    Han Jianming disagreed with Yuxi¡¯s n to buy quilts. ¡°The Imperial Court already bought them.¡± There was no need for them to donate when the Imperial Court had already done so. Otherwise, it would make people think they were not doing a good job.

    Yuxi thought for a moment and said, ¡°Dage, since we can¡¯t buy quilts, then, let¡¯s buy some herbs and send them over! It¡¯s already freezing cold. At least they can boil some herbs to prevent themselves from getting sick.¡± Once these refugees fell ill, they couldn¡¯t survive and only had to wait for death. So Yuxi felt it was necessary to purchase some herbs to send over there. Of course, they should buy cheap herbs to prevent colds and other kinds of things.

    Han Jianming said, ¡°I will have Han Hao buy the herbs, but not in your name. It should be under Mother¡¯s name.¡± Yuxi was the one who had caught Song Guifei¡¯s eyes, so they could not use her name. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if Song Guifei heard about it and thought of her.

    It was not that Yuxi wanted to use her name. She just wanted to help the refugees. Back then, she had waited with bated breath for relief. She still remembered how she felt when she drank that bowl of porridge. Now that she could do something, she would do more to help them.

    After Qiu Shi knew about this, she also took out 2,000 taels of silver from her private coffers. ¡°This is also a token of my appreciation.¡± In fact, she had already donated a thousand taels of silver when she collected donations earlier. Luckily, she had a thick private saving, so three thousand taels of silver weren¡¯t too much for her.

    Han Jianming did not like to stand out. He submitted a formally folded booklet to the Emperor, proposing that the Imperial Court buy some medicinal herbs. Of course, he knew very well it would not lead to any result. He was just making a statement. So when he saw that the Emperor had not written any approval to his proposal, he had people buy some herbs such as Bangen and Huo Xiang and send them outside the city. This move of his received a lot of praise.

    It was not long before Yuxi heard from outside that most of the rice sent to the refugees was old rice, and some even had wormholes. Yuxi was not surprised by this rumour. ¡°It was to be expected.¡± But even if they were old rice, to the refugees, it was enough to fill their stomachs. She just wondered if those who had corrupted the money were not afraid of retribution.

    That day, Qiu Shi called Yuxi over and told her about something. She disclosed to her that Second Lady Lu had a nephew who was very good in every way, and Second Lady Lu intended to match Yuxi to the other party.

    When Yuxi heard that the other party was Lu Xiu¡¯s biaoge, she blinked and asked, ¡°Mother, Er Sao is twenty-one this year, so how old is this person?¡± Since he was Er Sao¡¯s biaoge, he must be older than Lu Xiu.

    Qiu Shi coughed and said, ¡°Young Master Fu is twenty-two years old, one year older than your Er Sao. But he has been fighting in Liaodong, which is why he has put his marriage on hold.¡± Qiu Shi also thought that the other party¡¯s age was a bit too old. He was seven years older than Yuxi! But then she felt that there was an advantage to being older. At least he knew how to dote on his wife.

    Yuxi was not interested. He was seven years older than her, which was too much.

    Qiu Shi stroked Yuxi¡¯s head and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that he is older. He somewhat knows how to care for other people. Besides, your Dage also thinks the other party¡¯s condition is pretty good and says he can go and have a look at him. If he is not bad looking, they can settle this matter down.¡±

    Yuxi nodded as she epted. ¡°It¡¯s up to Mother and Dage to decide.¡± Yuxi wasn¡¯t too sure about Qiu Shi¡¯s eye for people, but she was still confident with Han Jianming. If the other party did not meet Han Jianming¡¯s requirements, it would be impossible to get his approval.

    Qiu Shi was satisfied with Yuxi¡¯s attitude, and she did not want to hear Yuxi say something like she didn¡¯t want to get married. Unless she was unmarriageable, which youngdy would want to stay at home? ¡°I heard from Second Lady Lu that the Third Young Master Fu will return to the capital once next year at the beginning of spring. By then, if your Dage thinks the other person is good, then the marriage can be arranged.¡± If her son fancied him, then the marriage should be done without losing time, and there must be no more mishaps.

    Yuxi looked up and asked, ¡°Then, should I also follow him to Liaodong when the timees?¡± Because she knew so much, she was resistant to make a trip to Liaodong.

    Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t bear the thought of marrying her away, but it was hard to find a suitable match in the capital with her reputation, and that could satisfy her son. If she were to turn down the wealthy family¡¯s third young master, who knows how long she would have to wait to find the right one for Yuxi. Hence, as long as the other party was good, she could marry Yuxi away from the capital.

    Unfortunately, Yuxi did not need to wait for Fu Gongzi (son of nobility) anymore since an Imperial Decree sanctioning her marriage had arrived instead.

    Yuxi was reading a book in her room when she heard Caidie rushing in. She couldn¡¯t even speak clearly and was so excited. ¡°Miss, the Imperial Decree. The Emperor issued an Imperial Decree. Asking Miss to receive it.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s mind was suddenly filled with bad things. ¡°Receive what Imperial Decree?¡± It could not be a good thing if it were an Imperial Decree for Dage. At the same time, it would be strange if it was a good thing for her to receive it.

    Caidie shook her head as she answered, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    The two of them were talking about this when Qiu Shi arrived. The Emperor had issued an Imperial Decree, and it was addressed to Yuxi by name, so naturally, Qiu Shi had toe over and give Yuxi some pointers. ¡°What are you doing? Quickly take a shower and change your clothes.¡±

    To receive the Imperial Decree, one had to bathe and dress, and incense had to be burned as well. Incense was already burning in the main hall in the front yard. She was only waiting for Yuxi to go there.

    Yuxi suppressed the uneasiness in her heart and freshened up as quickly as she could, then went with Qiu Shi to the front yard to receive the decree. As soon as she reached the main hall, she saw a white and clean eunuch shout in a shrill voice, ¡°Receive the decree.¡±

    Yuxi followed Qiu Shi and knelt, her head on the ground, not daring to move. Then she pricked up her ears and listened to the eunuch read the Imperial Decree. The eunuch read in a loud voice, ¡°By the grace of Heavens, the Emperor had issued an Imperial Decree that said: Zhen has heard that Han Yuxi, the younger sister of the Duke Han, is skilful, generous, gentle, kind, and also with outstanding character, which Zhen is very pleased to hear. As General Pingbei is now at the right time for marriage, he should be matched with a virtuous daughter. Since such a worthy person, Han Yuxi, has been waiting patiently in her boudoir, together with General Pingbei, they be a match made in heaven. And for the sake of her beauty, with this, Zhen betrothed you to General Pingbei as his wife. Thus, you are required to leave for the northwest at once toplete your marriage. As written by the Emperor, himself.¡±

    When Yuxi heard that she had to head northwest toplete her marriage, how could she have not known that this General Pingbei was Yun Qing? She just didn¡¯t know what the Emperor was singing by giving her to Yun Qing as his wife? She had nothing to do with him! Moreover, hadn¡¯t Dage said that Yun Qing was already looking for an alliance and that this marriage would only disrupt Yun Qing¡¯s ns? If Yun Qing got angry, her life would be at stake. [+]

    Qiu Shi was also dumbfounded. Who was this General Pingbei? Why did the Emperor give Yuxi to him as his wife? However, Qiu Shi was old enough to have experienced many things, so she quickly realised that the most important thing right now was to receive the decree, and it was not toote to find out who this General Pingbei waster on. At that moment, she tugged at Yuxi¡¯s arm. It was called a tug, but in reality, it was a pinch, as she saw that Yuxi was still in a daze.

    Yuxi felt the pain in her arm before she came back to her senses. She collected all her thoughts, kowtowed and then shouted, ¡°May the Emperor lives and reigns for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand of ten thousand years.¡± Then she stood up and held the Imperial Decree in both her hands.

    It was the first time she had received an Imperial Decree in herst two lives, but unfortunately, she did not feel any joy at this moment. This decree, if Song Guifei had not been the mastermind behind it, she could have torn her head off and kicked it like a ball. She thought it was over, but it turned out she hadn¡¯t forgotten and was just looking for the right opportunity to fix her! Momo Quan was right. This was the type of vengeance that Song Guifei would give to her.

    The eunuch said with a smile on his face, ¡°It is also because Guifei Niangniang loves the Fourth Miss and has spoken many good things about the Fourth Miss in front of the Emperor. Otherwise, the Fourth Miss would not have gotten such a good marriage.¡±

    First, Song Guifei had tried to kill her twice, with herst attempt was to poison her. This time, she pushed her into the pit fire, and now she wanted her words of gratitude? Yuxi used her utmost willpower to restrain herself and said with a smile, ¡°Many thanks to Guifei Niangniang for her kind thoughts. Yuxi owes Guifei Niangniang a debt of endless gratitude.¡±

    Qiu Shi sort of understood that this Imperial Decree was issued with bad intentions; it was just that she did not know until now who this General Pingbei was.

    The eunuch looked at Yuxi, who had a smile on her face and didn¡¯t say anything more, without knowing whether Yuxi smile was genuinely authentic or not. Han Yuxi showed no disgust and was still looking joyful that he couldn¡¯t pick any fault with her. At that moment, he snorted and walked out with the other two young eunuchs.

    As soon as the eunuchs left, a fishy smell gushed out from Yuxi¡¯s throat. ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡± She vomited a mouthful of blood and fell limply to the ground.

    Qiu Shi looked at a bright red mass on the ground and was horrified. She rushed forward and hugged Yuxi while calling out, ¡°Yuxi, Yuxi, what happened to you? Quickly, have someone get a physician. Hurry up, get a physician¡­¡­¡±

    The eunuch who issued the decree had not yet gone far, and Qiu Shi¡¯s screams were so loud that he naturally could hear it. The corner of the eunuch¡¯s mouth curled up into a sneer. Going against Guifei Niangniang was the same as seeking death for oneself.

    Physician Bai soon came and took Yuxi¡¯s pulse, then listened to Qiu Shi¡¯s detailed description of the scene. He nodded andforted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Old Lady. Although for the Fourth Miss to vomit blood is appalling, it is good for her. By vomiting it out, the depression in the Fourth Miss¡¯s heart has also been dispersed.¡± Some people said that young people who vomit blood do not live long, but this was not entirely true. One could only say this to those who were naturally not well. Yuxi¡¯s body was fine. She only had depression in her heart. He also knew where her depression came from, and no one else could guide her on such matters. She could only figure it out herself.

    Qiu Shi was stunned. ¡°Depression in the heart? My Yuxi has always been¡­¡­¡± said Qiu Shi, revealing a look that was more unsightly than when she cried. Although Yuxi had withdrawn from the marriage, as usual, she didn¡¯t show her grief, so Qiu Shi thought she didn¡¯t care about it. But to her surprise, this child deliberately showed that she was fine in front of her while suffering her grief alone by hiding it deep in her heart.

    After Physician Bai had given Yuxi a few acupunctures, Yuxi opened her eyes. When she looked at Physician Bai, she remembered what had just happened. She asked, ¡°Did I just faint?¡±

    Physician Bai responded, ¡°Miss vomited blood just now. But Miss has derived blessing from the disaster this time. By vomiting, it has also dispelled the depression in Miss¡¯ heart.¡± After saying that, he could not help but say a few words of advice, ¡°Miss, you should rx even if you encounter difficult things in your life. Miss should know that even the biggest hurdles in this world will pass.¡±

    Physician Bai had also watched Yuxi grow up. The first time he saw her was when she had smallpox, and over the years, he knew everything she had been through. He could only say that the Fourth Miss was indeed unlucky. But, even if she had terrible luck, she still had to take care of her health.

    Yuxi sincerely expressed her gratitude, ¡°Thank you, Physician Bai.¡±

    Physician Bai nodded once, then called for Momo Quan to follow him out. Yuxi was not ill, so she did not need a prescription. However, some things required Momo Quan to pay attention to.

 Chapter 291 - Vomiting Blood (2)

    Chapter 291 : Vomiting Blood (2)

    ¤­¤Ä¤Í£ºA special end-of-the-year extra chapter. Thank you for your support these years. ??

    Qiu Shi hugged Yuxi and cried, ¡°My child, I am sorry for you. I thought you didn¡¯t care, but I didn¡¯t expect you to swallow your suffering all by yourself.¡± She was so ipetent as a mother.

    Yuxi said softly, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m fine, aren¡¯t I?¡± It would be a lie to say that she didn¡¯t hate anyone. But she didn¡¯t hate the Chen family. She was just an outsider to them, so it was natural for them to throw her out first when things went wrong. The one she hated was the person who, by using her power, had no regard for her life or death, and that person was the high and mighty Song Guifei, an existence that everyone had to look up to. To Song Guifei, killing her would be as easy as crushing an ant. Even if this ant had escaped twice, it would still be easy to kill as long as she moved her hand.

    Qiu Shi was in tears.

    Yuxi could only change the subject and said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t cry. Crying won¡¯t solve the problem.¡± If crying could solve her problem, then she would cry too. Unfortunately, tears were the most useless thing at this time.

    Qiu Shi wiped her tears and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Crying won¡¯t solve this problem. The most important thing now is for your Dage to find out who this General Pingbei is.¡± She didn¡¯t know who he was, as she had never heard of him.

    Yuxi said quietly, ¡°General Pingbei is Yun Qing.¡± She had never dreamed that she would be involved with Yun Qing one day. It was a good thing that she had a stronger tolerance now. If it were her in her previous life, she would have been scared to death knowing that she would marry Yun Qing.

    Thinking about what Chen Ran had asked her that day if she were Chen Xue, Yuxi felt that fate was truly magical. Chen Ran¡¯s what-ifs hade true for her. She just didn¡¯t know if Yun Qing was really as murderous as he was rumoured to be? She honestly didn¡¯t know if she had to run for her life when that time came.

    Qiu Shi was startled. ¡°What? Yun Qing? That Yun Qing who likes to kill people?¡± The current rumour in the capital only said that Yun Qing liked to kill. The title ¡®murderous devil¡¯ was given after Yun Qing had ughtered a whole city.

    Yuxi nodded, conforming to Qiu Shi¡¯s inquiry. ¡°It¡¯s the rumoured Yun Qing who likes to kill people.¡±

    This time, Qiu Shi finally exploded with curse words, ¡°The people of the Song family are all ck-hearted things, for even thinking of such vicious methods. These people, after death, all will go down to the eighteenth level of hell.¡±

    ¤­¤Ä¤Í: Wow, there¡¯s even a theme park about the 18 levels of hell.

    Hearing these words from her mother, Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Mother, there is no point in talking about this. The Imperial Decree said that I should leave for the northwest toplete my marriage immediately, so I think I should start within these few days.¡± Yun Qing could resist the decree because he had something to fall back on. He had used the excuse that he could not enter the capital because of his old injury. If the Emperor had issued an Imperial Decree to punish him severely for this, it would have chilled the soldiers¡¯ hearts in the northwest. The Emperor might have been foolish, but not Grand Chancellor Yu and the important officials of the Imperial Court. Therefore, Yun Qing could be fearless because he had something he could rely on. But she was different. Even if Song Guifei gave her a cup of poisoned wine today, at most, her death would be talked about privately.

    Only then did Qiu Shi respond, ¡°Yes, I have to pack your things for you.¡± After saying that, she called Momo Quan and Zisu, asking them to pick and choose things in Taoran House. The lighter items were packed and taken away, while the heavier things were put aside for the time being.

    After Qiu Shi gave out this instruction, she hurried back to her courtyard.

    Momo Quan looked at Yuxi and said softly, ¡°Miss, actually going to the northwest may not necessarily be a bad thing. General Yun is young and talented, and by marrying him, Miss won¡¯t have to suffer in the future.¡± When the others didn¡¯t know, how could Momo Quan not know? Yuxi had been holding back, even to this day. Momo Quan felt distressed whenever she looked at Yuxi.

    Hearing this, Yuxi raised her head and asked, ¡°Momo, isn¡¯t it rumoured outside that Yun Qing is murderous? Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will kill me in a fit of rage?¡± The rumours of Yun Qing now only said that he was murderous, andter, the stories became even more horrifying and mysterious. As to whether it was true or not, Yuxi was unsure.

    Hearing this, Momo Quan said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Monk Liao Tong even say that Miss¡¯ fate was bad? But does Miss believe that Miss has a bad fortune?¡±

    Yuxi answered after a moment of silence, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Although she had been unlucky in both of her lives and had always experienced sudden changes whenever she was close to happiness, she did not believe that she was a person with bad fortune. If she also thought that she had a bad fate, she would undoubtedly be unhappy for the rest of her life.

    Momo Quan said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Is Yun Qing really murderous? Miss will only know when Miss gets to the northwest.¡± After a pause, she said, ¡°Miss, the people of the border town are more open-minded. So if you go there, you may be more at ease than when you¡¯re in the capital.¡±

    Yuxi nced at Momo Quan and argued, ¡°Momo, there is often war there.¡± The environment in Shaanxi and the Western Sea was not bad, but the weather in the border town was harsh,cking in necessary materials, and there were wars all year round. Not to mention that she would have to eat sand if she lived there. The most worrying thing was the high probability that the northern captives woulde and kill her. By going there, she would be risking her life all the time.

    Momo Quan wanted tofort Yuxi, but after hearing her argument, she did not continue. She felt that the northwest was not as scary as rumoured, but she forgot that Yuxi was going to a border town instead of Shaanxi.

    Ye Shi and Lu Xiu had gone out to attend a dinner banquet today and returned in a hurry when they got the news. As soon as they entered the house, they heard that Yuxi vomited blood and were so startled that they hurried to Taoran House. When they saw her, her face looked pale.

    The two of them already knew about the bestowed marriage. If someone else¡¯s family hade to their door proposing a union, they could have refused. But this marriage was sanctioned through the Imperial Decree, and there was nothing they could do about it.

    Yuxi smiled andforted them, ¡°Dasao, Er Sao, I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± There was no point in worrying and being afraid when things had happened.

    When Ye Shi looked at Yuxi, her nose was sore. ¡°Then you should rest well. Dasao will see you againter.¡± The decree for the marriage had already been issued, and Yuxi had to leave the capital immediately, so she had to hurry up and pack things for Yuxi right now.

    Lu Xiu stayed behind to talk to Yuxi. ¡°Yuxi, if it¡¯s too difficult to bear, you can just cry.¡± It was now the eleventh lunar month, and Yuxi had to leave for the northwest immediately. Song Guifei was clearly trying to kill Yuxi.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s useless to cry. If I think about it, it¡¯s better to marry in the northwest. At least, Er Ge can take care of me there.¡± Speaking of which, she felt that fate was quite miraculous. She had let Han Jianye go to the northwest because of the shadow of her past life. Now that her Er Ge was in the northwest, even if he couldn¡¯t help her much, it made her feel grounded and not like she had no one to turn to.

    Lu Xiu patted Yuxi¡¯s hand and said in a soft voice, ¡°It¡¯s good that you can think like that.¡± Only Yuxi could be this tenacious and strong-willed. If it were anyone else, she would have cried her eyes out if she knew she had to marry in the northwest. s, Lu Xiu honestly felt that Yuxi¡¯s luck was so terrible that she coulde across anything as bad as this.

    Yuxi urged, ¡°Er Sao, you¡¯d better go check on Ping and the others! Maybe they are currently looking for their mother!¡± She didn¡¯t like seeing people pitying her because it would only be useless. [+]

    Han Jianming soon got the news of the sanctioned marriage, but he couldn¡¯t get away from the magistrate¡¯s office, and it was only when he had a break at noon that he went back to the State Residence.

    When he arrived at the Taoran House, Han Jianming saw people inside rummaging through boxes and packing up things. When they finally noticed Han Jianming, they hurriedly came forward to greet him.

    Han Jianming waved his hand to disperse them and strode into the house. When he was inside, he saw Yuxi sitting on a stool reading a book.

    Yuxi looked up and said, ¡°Dage, you¡¯re back? I thought you wouldn¡¯t be back until the evening!¡± After saying this, she turned around and ordered Zisu to serve tea.

    Han Jianming did not expect Yuxi to be so calm and asked, ¡°You already knew about the marriage?¡± If she didn¡¯t know, she wouldn¡¯t have packed up her things.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°I received the Imperial Decree myself. How could I not know?¡±

    Han Jianming looked ugly as he spoke, ¡°I also got the news when I was on an errand, that Yun Qing was preparing to join the Zhao family in marriage.¡± Obviously, the Song family was much faster on the news than he was. Otherwise, there would be no such thing as this sanctioned marriage.

    Yuxi actually had this suspicion beforehand. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal with the Zhao family?¡± Those who could make Yun Qing look at them were certainly not ordinary families.

    Han Jianming¡¯s expression was gloomy and uncertain. ¡°There are two families with distinguished ancestry in Ganzhou. One is the Zhao family, and the other is the Xu family. The one Yun Qing was originally nning to marry was Zhao Jing, the youngest daughter of General Zhao, the younger brother from the same parents of Master Zhao, the head of their family.¡± After saying this, he added, ¡°Qin Zhao¡¯s wife is from the Xu family. As far as I know, the Xu family and the Zhao family have always been at odds.¡±

    Yuxi understood. ¡°The Song family and Qin Zhao did not want Yun Qing to marry a girl from the Zhao family to get the Zhao family¡¯s support, so they wanted to bestow a marriage for Yun Qing? And I was chosen purely because Song Guifei has a grudge against me?¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°Or perhaps, Song Guifei believed the words of Monk Liao Tong and felt that I was carrying a bad fate. So she gave me to Yun Qing, hoping that I would also bring Yun Qing down?¡±

    Song Guifei was such a vengeful person. She could not kill Yuxi twice in a row, but Yuxi had killed three of her people. Although one could say that these three people were just mere dogs to Song Guifei, when one beat a dog, one must answer to its master. For Yuxi to have gotten her people killed was not putting her in her eyes. This time it just so happened that Eldest Master Song brought up to her about Yun Qing¡¯s marriage alliance. Thus, Song Guifei felt that Yuxi was the best candidate to disrupt it.

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s pretty much it. Yuxi, you don¡¯t need to have anyone pack right now. It¡¯s already the eleventh lunar month. I¡¯ll let you start your journey to the northwest next spring.¡±

    Yuxi was a little surprised and asked, ¡°Dage is not joking? The Imperial Decree said that I should leave for the northwest immediately!¡±

    Han Jianming said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just vomit blood? Let¡¯s just say you are seriously ill and need to be cured first. Otherwise, you will die halfway through your journey with this broken body of yours. The Song family is unwilling to let Yun Qing get the support of the Zhao family, and if you die, Yun Qing can marry a Zhao girl just the same. So, they won¡¯t disagree if you stay in the capital for a while to recover from your illness.¡± The marriage had already been decided, and as long as Yuxi was not dead, Yun Qing could not marry the Zhao family girl.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Dage, since I have ruined Yun Qing¡¯s ns, do you think he will kill me with his sword when I get to the northwest?¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°No. We might not be able to protect you from the capital, but you still have your Er Ge, right?¡± Others said that Yuxi was unlucky, but he felt that Yuxi could not have been luckier. Otherwise, how could his Er Di have gone to the northwest instead of Liaodong because of Yuxi¡¯s premonition? Now, his Er Di had be her biggest assistant.

    To be honest, Yuxi was still a little scared of Yun Qing. After hearing Han Jianming¡¯s words, she muttered softly, ¡°I hope he doesn¡¯t take it out on me!¡± Although she was innocent, if Yun Qing felt that she was in the way and had to move her out of the way, she guessed she would have to run for her life then. Of course, this was the worst possible oue.

 Chapter 292 - Preparation (1)

    Chapter 292 : Preparation (1)

    Yuxi looked at Han Jianming and said, ¡°Dage, did you just say I could go to the northwest at the beginning of next spring? Who knows what changes will happen in the meantime? I¡¯d better set off for the northwest in a few days!¡± She couldn¡¯t stand the irritation that she felt any longer.

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°No, you don¡¯t know how chaotic it is out there. If you go to the northwest now, the failure to keep what you bring is secondary. What I¡¯m afraid the most is that you won¡¯t even get there safely.¡± Now there were bandits and robbers everywhere. If Yuxi took so many things with her and didn¡¯t have enough people to protect them, it would be strange if her belongings were not being stared at by bandits and robbers.

    Yuxi was depressed. ¡°What if something happens in these three months?¡± Yuxi really didn¡¯t want to stay here for another day. She had to leave quickly.

    Han Jianming shook his head. ¡°No. Nothing will happen. It¡¯s also a good time to prepare and pick out something useful to take with you. I¡¯ll go and arrange an escort for you.¡± He didn¡¯t know if it would take the year of the monkey and the month of the horse for Yuxi to return from this trip this time.

    Yuxi said, ¡°I heard that Xinglong Escort Agency is good. Dage, apart from the people from the residence, let¡¯s hire some escorts. It will be more secure.¡±

    Han Jianming also thought it was a good idea. ¡°That¡¯s doable.¡±

    Yuxi thought for a moment and added, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the border town either, so can Dage help me gather information on this so that I won¡¯t be in the dark when I arrive in the northwest?¡±

    Han Jianming nodded, ¡°This is natural.¡± After saying this, Han Jianming looked at Yuxi and said, ¡°Yuxi, you have to remember that if you don¡¯t want to be cut up like fish and meat on the chopping board, then be the one who holds the knife.¡± This meant that if you didn¡¯t want someone to dominate your life, then be the one who dominated others.

    Yuxi¡¯s heart jumped, and she deliberately pretended not to understand. ¡°Dage, what does that mean?¡±

    Han Jianming looked at Yuxi and slowly said, ¡°I mean them literally. What you¡¯ve learnt will be of use when you get to the northwest.¡± By marrying Yun Qing, all the history books and strategies that Yuxi had read and learnt over the years would have a use in the future.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°Dage, I was worried that I would be killed by Yun Qing¡¯s sword, but you¡¯re already thinking so far ahead.¡±

    Han Jianming smilingly said, ¡°I have faith in you.¡± Yuxi was so intelligent. If she had put her mind to it, Yun Qing would not refuse to ept her.

    Yuxi muttered, ¡°But I don¡¯t have confidence in myself!¡± Although she was braver now, the thought of facing a man full of murderous aura made her fearful. That was the legendary murderous devil! When she thought of the first time she saw Yun Qing, ahem, she honestly didn¡¯t want to think about it. Remembering it would only make her in tears.

    After the brother and sister duo finished talking, Han Jianming went out. ¡°I¡¯ll go and plead for leniency. The Imperial Pce will definitely send down Imperial Physician to check on you, so be prepared.¡± One had to have evidence to prove what one had brought forth. The people in the Imperial Pce definitely wouldn¡¯t believe the evidence from the physician of the State Residence.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Song Guifei knew that Yuxi was seriously ill, so she smiled and had the Imperial Hospital send two Imperial Physicians to pay a visit to Yuxi. In fact, there was no need to send the Imperial Physician to look at her. The eunuch who had gone to announce the Imperial Decree had already told her about Yuxi vomited blood. This was just a precautionary measure.

    Momo Hua, who was beside Song Guifei, said, ¡°Niangniang, the Emperor has already issued an Imperial Decree. Even if she is seriously ill, she must be rushed immediately.¡± Qinxin Gongzhu had abandoned Chen Ran and chosen the young master from the Tang family, so Song Guifei no longer had her heart set on Yuxi. It had been this Momo Hua¡¯s idea that Yuxi had been chosen this time. Momo Tian had once saved Momo Hua life, so she had always wanted to seek revenge on the murderer who had killed her. It was rare toe across such an excellent opportunity to take advantage of this darned girl. Hence, how could she let it go? [T/C]

    Song Guifei fiddled with her exquisitely carved red and gold nails as she said indifferently, ¡°If this girl is really seriously ill, once she dies on her way, Yun Qing can still marry the girl from the Zhao family. Therefore, this girl cannot die just yet.¡± If she wanted Yuxi to die, Yuxi would have to die in the northwest after her marriage to Yun Qing. If Yun Qing were to remarry, it would be at least a yearter.

    When the two Imperial Physicians arrived at Taoran House, they saw that Yuxi looked pale, like she was about to die. When they checked Yuxi¡¯s pulse, it was still faint. After taking her pulse, the two Imperial Physicians looked at each other and then mulled over the prescription.

    There was a downside to Yuxi pretending to be sick, that was, one of the two Imperial Physicians would go back to the Imperial Pce, and the other would stay at the State Residence. It was good that they didn¡¯t have to stay at the Taoran Residence. Otherwise, it would have been inconvenient for Yuxi to do anything.

    When Song Guifei heard the Imperial Physicians¡¯ diagnose, she was somewhat surprised. ¡°About to die from her illness?¡± She had thought that Yuxi would have been overstimted and scared at most.

    The Imperial Doctor dared not lie to Song Guifei. ¡°In reply to Niangniang¡¯s words, the Fourth Miss Han has a weak pulse, and her heart has been petrified. If she does not recuperate properly, her life will be in danger.¡±

    Song Guifei nodded. ¡°Then you should go and check on her every now and then during this period! We can¡¯t let this girl die. When she recovers, she must go to the northwest toplete her marriage with General Pingbei.¡±

    The Imperial Doctor lowered his head as he promised, ¡°I will do my best to cure Fourth Miss Han.¡±

    Song Guifei leaned back in her chair and saidnguidly, ¡°Withdraw!¡± Even if Yuxi was cured, her body still suffered great blood loss. After a long journey of several months, Han Yuxi would not survive for much longer. [+]

    The news of Yuxi had been sanctioned a marriage soon spread, and there was not a person who heard the news who didn¡¯t say that Yuxi was unlucky. Great Master Liao Tong¡¯s face reading was urate. Just look, who would have a worse fate than this?

    When Marquis Taining got the news, he asked his Shizi, ¡°Hasn¡¯t the Song family ever thought about how much help it would give to Yun Qing by marrying Han Yuxi to him?¡± Marquis Taining was a real man who did not think much of women. Although he knew that Yuxi was intelligent, he hadn¡¯t thought too much about it. He just thought that marrying Yuxi to Yun Qing would be tying the Han family to Yun Qing. One should know that marriage was the best and fastest way to make an alliance. Although the Han family was not that powerful, they were a centuries-old family, and their inws were all particrly influential. As long as a situation did not harm their own interests, they would always give some convenience to their inws.

    Marquis Taining¡¯s Shizi shook his head and said, ¡°It was very sudden. Even the 9th Prince found out about it after the Imperial Decree had been issued.¡±

    Marquis Taining stated objectively, ¡°Even if the 9th Prince knew about it, he would not stand in their way.¡± The 9th Prince had said a few good words in favour of Yun Qing in front of the Emperor. The 9th Prince¡¯s move had already caused discontent from the Eldest Master Song.

    Marquis Taining¡¯s Shizimented, ¡°The Song family is currently amassing a lot of money and gathering power in the military, and the Yu family is also pulling in officials to expand their power.¡± He was worried that even if the 9th Prince were to ascend to the throne and be Emperor, he would have to be a puppet by then.

    Marquis Taining sighed. ¡°The Emperor is obedient to Song Guifei and heavily favours the words from Marquis Song.¡± They, the old ministers, had tried to persuade the Emperor, but unfortunately to no avail.

    Marquis Taining¡¯s Shizi said worriedly. ¡°Duke Han of State became the Assistant Minister of War because he followed the path of the Yu family. The Yu family has always wanted to get their hands on the military, but they have no way to do so. This time, when Song Guifei married Han Yuxi to Yun Qing, it was an opportunity for the Han family. A chance for them to get their hands on the military power in the northwest.¡± Han Jianming was able to walk through the Yu family¡¯s path not by spending a lot of money on, let alone because he was a Duke of State, but because of the resources in the Han family¡¯s hands. These resources were the things the Yu family needed the most.

    Marquis Taining sneered as he pointed out, ¡±If Yun Qing was that easy to control, the Song family wouldn¡¯t have this headache. Don¡¯t end up losing your bride and your soldiers to the enemy as well.¡±

    Marquis Taining¡¯s Shizi did not see it that way. ¡°Father, Yun Qing hates the Song family, a hatred that he has never concealed. If an alliance with the Han family would allow the Song family to be brought down, how could Yun Qing not agree?¡±

    Regardless of this spection, both father and son were clear about one thing, and that was that Song Guifei had just made a stinky move. This Imperial Decree regarding the sanctioned marriage had built a bridge between the Han family and Yun Qing.

    When the Lady of Taining heard that Yuxi had been given in marriage to Yun Qing, she smiled a little but did not say anything. For there was no need to say anything else, as her son was already engaged to the girl of the Yu family girl and was now staying well at the Hanlin Academy. As for what would happen to Han Yuxi, it had nothing to do with the Chen family.

    The only person with mixed feelings was Chen Ran. Thinking of the words he had asked Yuxi back then at the Lingshan Temple, he never thought what he had assumed at the time would nowe true.

    Ah Li grunted and said, ¡°Second Master, Fourth Miss Han deserved this. If Fourth Miss Han hadn¡¯t withdrawn her marriage with you, Master, there would be no need to go to the northwest to eat sand.¡± The northwest winds were full of sand, which would be blown into a person¡¯s mouth. That was why people in the capital often said that going to the northwest meant eating sand.

    Chen Ran said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t ever say that again.¡± Even though the Han family had withdrawn from the marriage, they hadn¡¯t wronged the Chen family. At least the Han family hadn¡¯t done that right after Han Yuxi had almost been assassinated for the first time. Of course, the Chen family owed just as much to the Han family for proposing marriage. All that could be said was that the two were destined to meet but not fated to be together.

    As for the story about Yuxi vomiting blood, Chen Ran didn¡¯t know if it was true or not? It was because the rumours were so realistic that he couldn¡¯t even say that she was faking it. He felt it was better not to say anything in this regard.

    The day after the marriage was given, before dawn, Yuxi got up from her bed, put on a piece of clothing and then felt that something was wrong. She was still in a severe stage of illness! If she ran to the Main Courtyard like this, the news would probably reach the ears of Song Guifei right away. Yuxi said to Zijin, who was waiting beside her, ¡°Zijin, go and call Dage toe over and say I have something important to ask him.¡±

    Zijin didn¡¯t ask anything. She just turned and went out at a brisk pace.

    ¡°Bang bang bang¡­¡­¡± The vigorous knocking on the door woke up all the people in the Main Courtyard. Han Jianming heard the sound and hurriedly got up from his bed. He didn¡¯t need to guess that the person knocking on the door was here to find him, and he didn¡¯t know what was wrong.

    Han Jianming got dressed and came out of his bedroom to see Zijin. He asked anxiously, ¡°Has something happened to Yuxi?¡± If something hadn¡¯t happened, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible for Zijin toe and call for someone before dawn. He didn¡¯t know what was so important about that she had her maid hastily called him over.

    Zijin shook her head and said, ¡°Miss said she had something important to ask the Lord Duke.¡±

    Hearing this, Han Jianming hurried to the Taoran House.

    Women¡¯s clothes are more cumbersome to put on, so they were a step slower. When Ye Shi came out, she could no longer see Han Jianming¡¯s figure around.

    Old Woman Hua said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening on the Fourth Miss¡¯s side. Does my Lady want to go over and take a look?¡±

    Ye Shi shook her head and said, ¡°No, I¡¯ll go and see her after dawn!¡± Ye Shi knew very well in her heart that Yuxi was pretending to be sick.

    Old Woman Hua shook her head and said, ¡°Speaking of which, the Fourth Miss is really unlucky.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for Song Guifei¡¯s interference, the Fourth Miss would have been the daughter-inw of the Chen family by now. There was no need to marry in the northwest, a ce no ordinary person could bear.

    Ye Shi sighed faintly andmented, ¡°Who could say otherwise!¡± Originally, Ye Shi was very angry with Yuxi for sticking her nose into Concubine Jia¡¯s affairs. However, now she was thankful that she had not poisoned Concubine Jia that day because of the presence of Mom Quan. Otherwise, her life would not have been as good as it was. Since Concubine Jia had given birth, the Lord Duke had not been to Concubine Jia¡¯s courtyard. Apart from being busy with his official duties, he spent most of his time in her courtyard. Even if he did not rest in her yard, he woulde to see the two children and talk to her. If her husband knew she had killed Concubine Jia, he would have been outraged. Although he would not turn against her, there would have been a rift between them. If this happened, it would be impossible for them to have a warm and happy life just like right now.

 Chapter 293 - Preparation (2)

    Chapter 293 : Preparation (2)

    Han Jianming hurried to Taoran House, where Yuxi was already fully dressed and waiting for him in the small parlour. She had just remembered something she had overlooked. It was of vital importance, and if she dyed it, it would be a big deal.

    Seeing Yuxi¡¯s anxious face, Han Jianming asked, ¡°Yuxi, what¡¯s wrong?¡± This was the first time he had seen Yuxi so nervous.

    As Yuxi tugged at Han Jianming¡¯s sleeve, she asked, ¡°Dage, have you sent someone to deliver a letter to Er Ge, informing him that I¡¯ve been given in marriage to Yun Qing?¡±

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I already did.¡±

    Yuxi hurriedly asked again, ¡°When will the letter arrive? Can it be delivered within half a month?¡± It would take more than half a month to go through the marriage process, from finding a matchmaker, submitting a formal proposal, wenming, and naji. After all these, the date of the union could be set, and the marriage would be considered finalised.

    Yuxi was not worried about Yun Qing and the girl of the Zhao family already tying the knot. This was because armies stationed at the border town would not stop fighting until it started to snow heavily. It was only during this cease-fire period that Yun Qing would have time to spend on his personal matters.

    Han Jianming shook his head and said, ¡°How can it be delivered within half a month. It will take a month to get to the border town at the earliest!¡± In fact, the Emperor¡¯s decree had already been delivered, but it was just that it was not a military report. The eunuchs transporting it from the capital to the border town wouldn¡¯t arrive before the end of the year because of this winter. Therefore, Han Jianming automatically ignored this.

    Yuxi shook her head. ¡°No, it has to be within half a month. Dage, if the news gets through toote, Yun Qing and the Zhao family will already be engaged, and it will be a problem then.¡±

    Han Jianming was not stupid and immediately understood what Yuxi had said, ¡°You are worried that even if the Imperial Decree grants marriage for Yun Qing, he will still marry the Zhao family girl by then.¡± After saying this, Han Jianming felt that it was not impossible. When Yun Qing married the girl from the Zhao family, it was not because he liked her but for the sake of an alliance. Therefore, once the two families were betrothed, even if there was an Imperial Decree sanctioning marriage for Yun Qing, he could still marry the Zhao family girl just the same. As long as he said he had to abide by morality and could not be a man who went against his own word.

    Yun Qing was not stupid either, so naturally, he would not explicitly disobey the decree and still marry Yuxi. Only then it would be Yuxi who would be on an equal footing with the Zhao girl.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Yes, as long as Yun Qing negotiates with the Zhao family, the phenomenon that Dage said will ur.¡± Let alone the fact that Yuxi was not willing to sit on an equal footing with another woman. Once Yun Qing married the Zhao girl, she would be in danger of her life at any moment. The Zhao family was a prestigious n in Ganzhou. As the saying went, a strong dragon could not repress a snake, and the Zhao girl had all the means to harm her if she wanted to.

    If it came to that, she would have no choice but to run away. Only, running away was the next best thing. For one thing, Yun Qing would send someone after her; for another, running away would tarnish the Han family¡¯s reputation, and although Dage was good to her, it was based on her being useful. If she failed to bring benefits but brought harm to the family, then Dage would definitely be the first to step forward to clean up the family reputation.

    Han Jianming had been busy all day yesterday and hadn¡¯t had time to think about this matter. Thus, he overlooked this. ¡°I¡¯ll write now and tell your Er Ge about this so that he can spread it.¡± As long as this matter was publicised, Yun Qing¡¯s marriage with the Zhao family would be impossible.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Yes, the sooner, the better.¡± Sometimes, Yuxi wondered if she was really unlucky. If not, how else could shee across all kinds of bad luck!

    Han Jianming also felt that this was a big problem. ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry, I will have the letter delivered to your Er Ge as soon as possible.¡±

    After sending Han Jianming away, Yuxi said to Zijin, ¡°If the letter is deliveredte, I will have to be on an equal footing with someone by then.¡±

    Zijin knew Yuxi well enough. ¡°What are your ns, Miss?¡± She knew Yuxi¡¯s nature. Although she appeared easy-going on the surface, Yuxi was also arrogant to the core. It would be impossible to put her on an equal footing with another woman.

    Yuxi looked at Zijin and said, ¡°If I escape the bestowed marriage stated in the Imperial Decree, it will implicate Mother and Dage. So there is only one way to do it: to fake my death. And if I were to go forward with it, then I would no longer be the Fourth Miss Han.¡± If she wanted to fake her death and escape, she could only do it while still on the road. Once she arrived at the border town, she could not do it. Once she seeded in faking her death and disappeared, she would have to live in this world as a different person. Since she had be ustomed to being the Fourth Miss Han, not to mention having to throw it away, just thinking about it made Yuxi¡¯s heart ache.

    The present situation was different from that of her previous life. Her mother and Er Ge loved her so much. If she faked her death, she might not be able to return to the capital to see them again in this lifetime.

    Zijin said, ¡°Miss, if we n well, we can still escape without any problems. But things haven¡¯te to that yet.¡±

    Yuxi exined, ¡°I am also nning for the worst.¡±

    Zijin uttered, ¡°Miss, wherever you go, I will follow you.¡± Her life belonged to Miss. Naturally, wherever Miss was, she would also be there.

    Yuxi nodded her head gently, then looked down and thought carefully back to the rumours she had heard about Yun Qing in her previous life. Unfortunately, no matter how much she thought about it, there was no information. s, she was too ignorant and inexperienced in her previous life. If she had been living the same as she did now, she wouldn¡¯t have been so passive.

    Zijin said, ¡°Miss, our journey makes us go through an unsafe road. I want to go to the mountains and ask Master Yang and Yu Zhi Ge for help.¡± Whether Yuxi wanted to escape or not, it was always right to ask Master Yang and Yu Zhi Ge to help protect Miss. The road was not peaceful, and having two more martial artists with good martial arts skills would provide an additional guarantee.

    Naturally, Yuxi thought this was a good idea, but she thought it was alreadyplicated enough. ¡°Will Master Yang and Fourth Brother Yu agree?¡±

    Zijin answered, ¡°I think they ought to agree, but it¡¯s always a good idea to give a shot in asking them.¡± There was nothing to lose if they disagreed. It would only be a wasted trip.

    Yuxi looked outside. The sky was starting to show the sign of light. ¡°You have to be more careful when you¡¯re going out.¡± Song Guifei hated her. She might also be angry with Zijin for killing Momo Tian and her two subordinates! Although this was unlikely, one could sail for thousands of years if cautious.

    Han Jianming sent his most trusted subordinate, Han Hao, to deliver the letter.

    Thirteen dayster, Han Jianye looked at the unrecognisable Han Hao and asked, ¡°Why do you look like this? What happened?¡±

    Han Hao¡¯s throat had dried up, and he could not speak at all. He handed the letter in his hand to Han Jianye. His eyes were eager, indicating that it was very important.

    Han Jianye hurriedly opened the letter and shouted after reading it, ¡°That old man Emperor has actually given Yuxi¡¯s hand in marriage to Yun Qing?¡±

    Han Yi was beside him when he heard this and quickly asked, ¡°Second Master, isn¡¯t General Yun about to be betrothed to Miss Zhao? Second Master, if the Emperor has bestowed a marriage between the Fourth Miss and General Yun, then a betrothal between General Yun and Miss Zhao should not happen!¡± While the two families were not yet betrothed, they should hurriedly deliver this matter. Otherwise, even though this marriage was not their own wish, the Emperor had bestowed it. It would not be a pleasant thing to hear about someone snatching someone else¡¯s fianc¨¦.

    Han Jianye was also shocked by the bestowed marriage that he suddenly forgot the other big event. He patted his head and said, ¡°I have to tell Yun Qing quickly.¡± Because of their childhood friendship and they were of the same age, Han Jianye still called him by his first name, even though Yun Qing¡¯s official position was higher than him.

    Hearing this, Han Hao fell to the ground. Since he had been rushing for the past ten days, he was exhausted to the point of exhaustion, and now he could finally sleep in peace.

    Yun Qing was now a third-ranking general and had his own residence. When Han Jianye entered the general¡¯s residence, he saw a woman of about forty walking out of it. Looking at how the woman dressed, Han Jianye guessed that she was a matchmaker.

    Han Jianye called the other party to a halt and asked, ¡°Are you a matchmaker?¡± Seeing that the other woman was indeed the matchmaker for Yun Qing and Miss Zhao, Han Jianye asked Han Yi to give the matchmaker two taels of silver. He then said, ¡°General Yun¡¯s marriage to Miss Zhao is not going to work out, so this is money for your hard work.¡±

    The matchmaker¡¯s face changed, and she asked in a loud voice, ¡°Where did this persone from? How can you say such things casually? What do you mean the marriage is not going to work out? Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s better to tear down a temple than to destroy a marriage? Furthermore, do you have the right to decide the marriage between General Yun and Miss Zhao? If you don¡¯t exin everything clearly today, this betrothal is not going to end.¡± She didn¡¯t even pause while giving her long speech. As expected of a matchmaker. [+]

    Han Jianye¡¯s face was stiff as he responded, ¡°The Emperor has issued an Imperial Decree bestowing a marriage between my Meimei and General Yun. Say, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s my right to decide about this matter?¡± He was now Yun Qing¡¯s second older brother-inw.

    The matchmaker was dumbfounded for a moment. When she came to her senses, she looked at Han Jianye suspiciously and asked, ¡°The Emperor has sanctioned a marriage? Nevertheless, a marriage between your Meimei and General Yun? Who are you?¡±

    Han Jianye said, ¡°I am the Second Master of the Duke Han of the State Residence, and my Meimei is the young miss of the Duke Han of State Residence.¡±

    As soon as the matchmaker heard about the State Residence, she knew that the matter was nine times out of ten true. She didn¡¯t know how high the status of the State Residence was, but it was certainly higher than the Zhao family.

    Thinking that the other party did not believe him, Han Jianye added, ¡°False transmission of the Imperial Decree is a great crime that can cause the extermination of the entire n, so I would not joke about such a thing.¡±

    The matchmaker said, ¡°Thank you, Your Excellency, for informing the old woman of this matter.¡± After saying this, she hurriedly left the general¡¯s residence. This marriage between General Yun and the Zhao family would truly be impossible if this was indeed true. She had to hurry and tell Madam Zhao.

    What had happened in the courtyard soon reached Yun Qing¡¯s ears. When he saw Han Jianye, Yun Qing asked with an expressionless face, ¡°You said that the Emperor gave your Meimei to me as my wife? When did that happen?¡± Yun Qing did not think Han Jianye would lie, nor could he lie about such things.

    Han Jianye looked at Yun Qing¡¯s cold expression and knew that the other party was unhappy. However, this was understandable, as Yun Qing was now discussing marriage with the Zhao family, and suddenly an Imperial Decree for a sanctioned marriage appeared. No one would be happy about this. ¡°The marriage was granted half a month ago, and I just got the news.¡±

    The look in Yun Qing¡¯s eyes was even colder. The Emperor had suddenly issued an Imperial Decree to bestow him a marriage, and it was to break off his marriage alliance with the Zhao family. The Song family had really gone to such a great length.

    Han Jianye looked at Yun Qing¡¯s cold expression, and all of a sudden, he became worried for Yuxi. If this matter was between brothers, it was fine for Yun Qing to be cold. But as a husband and wife, could Yuxi stand to be confronted with such an indifferent husband? Han Jianye said to Yun Qing, ¡°Yun Qing, my family did not know about the marriage. I hope you won¡¯t me my Meimei.¡±

    Yun Qing asked calmly, ¡°Has your Meimei ever offended anyone from the Song family?¡± No girl from the capital would be willing to marry away to a bitter coldnd of the border town. If the Han family girl was bestowed with such marriage, nine times out of ten, she had offended someone from the Song family.

    Han Jianye smiled bitterly and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to hide it from you, but my Meimei was originally betrothed to Chen Ran, the second di son of Marquis Taining. However, it was unexpected that Qinxin Gongzhu, Song Guifei¡¯s daughter, had fancied Chen Ran and wanted to recruit him as her fuma. The Chen family was unwilling and used my Meimei as a shield, so Song Guifei wanted to get rid of her.¡± This was something that Yun Qing could find out even if he didn¡¯t talk about it now.

    Yun Qing asked, ¡°How did your Meimei escape?¡± If she didn¡¯t manage to escape, this bestowed marriage wouldn¡¯t have happened.

    Han Jianye let out a bitterugh, ¡°It was also luck.¡± He didn¡¯t exin how she escaped, and Yun Qing did not ask any more questions.

    Yun Qing said, ¡°Please go back first, Brother Han. I have matters to deal with here.¡± This Imperial Decree for the sanctioned marriage had disrupted all of his ns, and he had to sort it out properly.

 Chapter 294 - Yun Qing

    Chapter 294 : Yun Qing

    Yun Qing went back to the backyard and spoke to Huo Changqing about it. ¡°Uncle Huo, the Emperor has given me a marriage to the Fourth Miss of the Duke Han¡¯s Residence.¡± [E]

    The Song family would not want to watch Yun Qing rise to power, so it was no surprise to Huo Changqing that the Emperor would give Yun Qing a marriage. He asked, ¡°When did this happen?¡± Hearing that it was half a month ago, Changqing frowned. ¡°The marriage had been given half a month, and the newses through now?¡±

    Yun Qing said, ¡°It was the Han family who had someone send a letter to Han Jianye post haste. This matter will probably spread all over Yu City tomorrow.¡±

    Huo Changqing asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Yun Qing had long honed his skills over the years, and after hearing Huo Changqing¡¯s question, he said, ¡°It should be that Duke Han was afraid that I would get engaged with the Zhao family, which is why he had the news sent over as soon as the Imperial Decree was issued.¡± He had joined with the Zhao family in marriage for an alliance. Once they were betrothed, it was impossible to withdraw from the union, even with the Imperial Decree granting him marriage. Otherwise, it would create enmity between him and the Zhao family. And right now, the two families were only discussing possible marriage, not settling it down yet. Since the news of the bestowed marriage hade through, betrothal between him and the Zhao family could not happen. The fact that Duke Han reacted so quickly showed that he was also apetent man.

    Huo Changqing shook his head and said, ¡°Han Jianming is a man with a lot of ambition but limited ability. For him to react so quickly, he should have found a good helper.¡± By saying Han Jianming had a good helper, he meant that Han Jianming had found a good aide. Huo Changqing had always wanted to acquire some suitable aides for Yun Qing, but unfortunately, it was challenging. He had managed to find one two years ago, only to be assassinated. After that, there were no more good aides.

    Yun Qing was only ten years old when he left the capital. Thus, he did not know much about the people of the capital. When he heard Huo Changqing¡¯s words, he said, ¡°Han Jianming has gotten such a powerful aide, so he has some merits. Uncle Huo, the marriage with the Zhao family, must be withdrawn.¡±

    Huo Changqing pondered for a moment and said, ¡°If you can¡¯t marry their di girl, you can still marry their shu girl as your second room.¡± Since the Imperial Decree had granted a marriage for Yun Qing, the Zhao family would absolutely not let their di daughter marry over. Even if they discussed the marriage much earlier, with the Imperial Decree in front of them, they would unquestionably have to abide by Han Shi first. Therefore, Yun Qing could not marry the Zhou family di daughter, but their shu daughter was still possible.

    Yun Qing shook his head as he reasoned out, ¡°Obeying the Imperial Decree to marry Han Yuxi as the first wife and then marry the Zhao family as the second wife. Although on the surface it¡¯s the best of both worlds, it¡¯s literally the most precarious method.¡± How could Han Yuxi be of one mind with him when she had to face a noble concubine before she could even enter the house? On the other hand, on the Zhao family¡¯s side, the second wife was different from the principal wife, and the position significantly reduced the effect of the marriage. Marriage was just the fastest and most effective way to make an alliance. But alliances did not necessarily have to be made through marriage. They could still be made when there are interests at stake.

    Huo Changqing looked at Yun Qing and asked, ¡°But what did Han Jianye say to you?¡± There must be a reason for Yun Qing¡¯s sudden change of attitude.

    Yun Qing ryed what Han Jianye had told him andmented, ¡°That poisonous woman is so ruthless. For that girl to escape from her twice would not be by luck alone.¡± The first time she escaped could be considered luck, but to evade twice was not as simple as luck.

    Huo Changqing asked in a deep voice, ¡°You mean this girl is hiding something?¡±

    After a moment of silence, Yun Qing said, ¡°I have met the Fourth Miss Han. She was only five years old at the time.¡± After saying that, he told what had happened when he had met Yuxi on several asions, and then said, ¡°Han Yuxi is the girl from the Second House, yet she was able to receive that kind of love from the Han brothers. In this world, no one will be good to other people for nothing.¡± Yun Qing was no longer the naturally bright and cheerful teenager eleven years ago. After all these years of trials and tribtions, he would think about many things more deeply. [T/C]

    Huo Changqing looked at Yun Qing and said, ¡°Are you that optimistic about this Han Shi?¡±

    Yun Qing was silent for a moment and said, ¡°She should be better than Miss Zhao.¡± He had met Miss Zhao, and it wasn¡¯t that Miss Zhao was bad. She was raised too delicately. When she saw him, her face turned white before he could say anything. Could a couple get along well after marriage, with her acting like that? But since this was the condition of alliance proposed by the Zhao family, and there was nothing wrong with Miss Zhao except that she was a bit timid, he did not refuse. The main reason was that he had no reason to refuse.

    Huo Changqing sighed slightly and said, ¡°I hope that this girl is bold and physically fit as you said.¡± He did not know that Yun Qing was not satisfied with Miss Zhao, but this was a reasonable and sensible condition for the Zhao family to offer an alliance, and they could not refuse. Otherwise, if the Zhao family were to side with Qin Zhao, the situation would be even more unfavourable for Yun Qing. It was naturally good to have a justifiable reason to refuse now. Moreover, Huo Changqing knew in his heart that Yun Qing still wanted to marry a girl from a noble family. It was not that Yun Qing despised a girl from the border town, but Master Yun wanted his grandson to marry a noble girl. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have decided on a girl from the Marquis Taining Residence for Yun Qing in the first ce. Although the Imperial Decree giving the marriage was diabolical, it was an indirect way to satisfy Yun Qing¡¯s request.

    After talking to Huo Changqing, Yun Qing went to the Zhao family and spoke to them about the Emperor¡¯s bestowing him a marriage. The Zhao family was a prestigious n in Ganzhou, so how could they allow a girl from their n to be a concubine. Even if the Zhao family agreed, General Zhao would not agree. So, naturally, the marriage alliance would be impossible.

    The Zhao family was also forced to form an alliance with Yun Qing by the Xu family. The eldest daughter of the Xu family¡¯s head was Qin Zhao¡¯s wife, and since the death of Marshal Qin, the Xu family had used Qin Zhao to suppress the Zhao family. As for why they must join in marriage, the reason was also very simple. They found Yun Qing to be quite good looking. This time there was an ident, and they should not proceed with this valueless marriage. But the Zhao family still needed Yun Qing as an ally. It was just that they couldn¡¯t make it through marriage. Then, the terms of the alliance would have to be renegotiated.

    Once he resolved the Zhao family¡¯s problems, Yun Qing went to find Han Jianye for a drink. Even though Han Jianye was like thick stems and broad leaves, he knew that Yun Qing hade to fish out information on Yuxi.

    Han Jianye did not like to go round the curves and skirt the corners. While he drank, he told Yun Qing all the good things about Yuxi. She was smart and lovely, pretty and capable, gentle and considerate, and all the words Han Jianye could think of to praise her. He praised Yuxi as if she were a fairy descended from heaven. Finally, he put his arm around Yun Qing¡¯s back and said, ¡°Yun Qing ah, it¡¯s your blessing to marry my family Xi-er!¡±

    Yun Qing threw Han Jianye¡¯s handoff from his back and asked Han Yi to help the drunken Han Jianye back. And as he, himself, went back, hisplexion eased up quite a bit. As long as Han Yuxi was half as good as Han Jianye said she was, he would be content. [+]

    If Yuxi had known that Han Jianye had sold her clean in one drink, she would have facepalm herself. Unfortunately, Yuxi didn¡¯t know anything about this.

    Zijin came back from the mountain and said to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, this is a letter from Master Yang to you.¡± As for what was written in the letter, Zijin did not know since she did not open it.

    Yuxi smiled a little after reading the letter and handed it to Zijin, saying, ¡°Read it yourself!¡± Master Yang promised that he and Yu Zhi could send her to the Northwest, but on one condition. The condition was that Yuxi would let Zijin be hisst disciple.

    After reading it, Zijin was annoyed. ¡°I¡¯ve told him that I won¡¯t be his disciple.¡± It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if it was just to be an apprentice with Master Yang. The key was that he wanted her to disassociate herself from Miss. Who did he think he was to make such a ridiculous offer?

    If Master Yang had just said he would take Zijin as hisst disciple, Yuxi would definitely release Zijin from her ve status. However, since he even asked her to send Zijin away and not have anything to do with her in the future, she would not be that stupid. How could she agree to such a condition? She had not spent so much effort and money to train a disciple for others. Yuxi spoke unconcernedly, ¡°Since he doesn¡¯t want to, then just forget about it.¡±

    Zijin nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t go to them anymore.¡±

    On Yuxi¡¯s journey to the northwest, many things needed to be prepared. Likewise, the people to be brought there had to be selected. The northwestern border town had been at war for years, and it was rumoured that the ce was all windy and sandy. They would have a mouthful of sand when they left the house, so nine out of ten people were unwilling to follow them to the northwest. In addition to Zijin and Zisu, Yuxi also picked four maids, one was Tian Ju, and the other three were personally trained by Momo Quan, all of whom were loyal.

    Yuxi told Qiu Shi, ¡°Mother, six maids are already enough. The only thing we need now is a cook.¡± The maids could be bought directly from the border town, but a cook was essential. It would be difficult to find a cook in the border city who could cook the capital cuisine. Moreover, the cook bought outside the city would not be safe for Yuxi to use. If Guo Daniang had not been a child born from another servant in the family but hired from outside, she would not have confessed but would have poisoned her. Therefore, they had to be careful in choosing a cook.

    Qiu Shi patted Yuxi¡¯s hand and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother will find a proper cook for you.¡± At first, Qiu Shi¡¯s heart was a little hard to bear with this situation, but the feeling soon passed after Yuxi soothed her. She initially found the Third Young Master Fu to have a good prospect for his merit in leading a troop and fighting in a battle. Besides, there was not much difference between Liaodong and the northwest. Of course, the main thing was that Yuxi was very open and did not cry about it. Instead, she was busy thinking about what to bring with her every day. Yuxi was only asking, but Qiu Shi was the one who carried out the work. Hence Qiu Shi was also busy with it. Where would there be time for Qiu Shi to continue to grieve?

    Yuxi smilingly expressed her gratitude, ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡±

    Qiu Shi asked, ¡°Is Momo Quan not following you to the northwest?¡±

    Yuxi nodded and replied, ¡°Momo Quan is too old to withstand the long journey, so she can¡¯t go with me to the northwest.¡± Momo Quan¡¯s family were all in the capital, so how could she possibly go with her to the northwest?

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°You can¡¯t go to the northwest without an experienced stewardess by your side!¡± Zisu was good, but she was too young andcked experience.

    Yuxi smiled and shook her head, rejecting the notion. ¡°No, but thank you, Mother. It will take more than three months to travel from here to the northwest! Those who are old can¡¯t stand such a torment.¡± She had chosen only these four maids, not that the other maids were not loyal, but these four maids were the best physically.

    Qiu Shi shook her head and uttered adamantly, ¡°No, I still have to choose a stewardess for you.¡± It didn¡¯t matter that there was no stewardess in Yuxi¡¯s house before since she was there to look after her and the servants anyway. Now that Yuxi was going to the northwest, she didn¡¯t even have an experienced stewardess to help her. Where could Qiu Shi feel rest assured?

    Yuxi didn¡¯t refuse. ¡°If Mother wants to find one, Mother must find one that suits me. If not, I¡¯d rather not have one!¡± It would save her from having one more person whining in her ear.

    Qiu Shi promised, ¡°I will find you one that suits you.¡± There were so many servants in the house. She didn¡¯t believe that she couldn¡¯t find someone that suited Yuxi¡¯s heart.

 Chapter 295 - Dragon And Phoenix Twins (1)

    Chapter 295 : Dragon And Phoenix Twins (1)

    Ignorance was sometimes a kind of blessing. On the other hand, the more one knew, the more one would worry. After reading the information Han Jianming had given her, Yuxi felt a long road ahead of her. She had been prepared for the hardships of living in the border town, and she was not someone who could not bear hardship, but she did not expect that Yun Qing would be in danger all the time. It was already enough to risk his life in war, but every now and then, there would be assassination attempts on his life. From the information that Han Jianming had given her, Yuxi learned that Yun Qing had faced assassination attempts more than ten times, and she wondered why Qin Zhao had never sent someone to assassinate Yun Qing. It turned out that it wasn¡¯t that Qin Zhao didn¡¯t use this method, but all the assassination attempts had been unsessful.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Dage, do you think I¡¯ll also be assassinated in the future?¡± She wondered why there were only rumours of how many people Yun Qing had killed, but nothing about his wife and children. It was strange that his wife and children could survive in such a situation. When she died in her previous life, she knew that the Song family was still fine!

    Han Jianming wanted Yuxi to be mentally prepared for Yun Qing¡¯s difficult situations. This was also the reason Yan Wushuang had to hide in the shadows. It was really because the Song family¡¯s methods were too poisonous, and for Yun Qing to survive this long was because of his skill alone. ¡°These people are targeting Yun Qing. As long as you be more careful, you should be fine.¡± To earn a high reward, one naturally had to take risks.

    Yuxi knew it was unrealistic to rely on Han Jianming for all things. But she only had Zijin by her side, and Zijin was a human being, not a God. So she couldn¡¯t take care of everything for her all the time. Yuxi put these thoughts aside and asked Han Jianming, ¡°How did Dage get this information?¡± The information was tooplete to be obtained in such a short period with Han Jianming¡¯s current ability.

    Han Jianming coughed before answering, ¡°I have my own ways.¡±

    Seeing this, Yuxi didn¡¯t ask any more questions. Han Jianming would naturally tell her when he felt it was the best time to speak. ¡°Dage, what did the Xinglong Escort Agency say?¡±

    Han Jianming said, ¡°We are still negotiating.¡± They could not negotiate on the price.

    Yuxi thought for a moment and said, ¡°Dage, the road is not safe, and I¡¯m going to bring many things. It doesn¡¯t matter if I have to spend more money. The most important thing is safety.¡± There was no need to bring heavy furniture, but she needed to take her jewellery, herbs, books, and other misceneous things. All of these would require at least 20 carts or so. The journey was long, and the risk of having more things was much higher, so it was reasonable for the other party to offer a higher price.

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. I know the situation fairly well. You shouldn¡¯t worry too much either. I will transfer some people from the mansion then.¡±

    Yuxi hesitated for a moment but finally said what was in her heart, ¡°Dage, I want to ask Er Sao to borrow some guards from the Lu family.¡± There were too few good guards in the Han family, and half of those men had been taken away by Han Jianye, and half had to protect Han Jianming. The rest could deal with ordinary people but had enough trouble dealing with bandits. Those guards of the Lu family were different. It was said that many of them had been on the battlefields, thus, dealing with bandits was undoubtedly not a problem.

    Han Jianming questioned her request, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hire the escort agency? These people are enough to protect you.¡± Going to the Lu family to borrow men for use was quite humiliating, to say the least.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t care if it was humiliating or not. What she wanted was a guarantee of her own safety. ¡°Dage, although Xinglong Escort Agency has a good reputation, in this world, who knows if the people inside will not have any evil intentions. This time, the things I brought with me are worth tens of thousands of taels of silver for jewellery and herbs alone. If those people have evil intentions and rob the items on the way, then won¡¯t we be the ones to cry when they ran away?¡± If she had brought only a thousand or eight hundred taels worth of stuff with her, she wouldn¡¯t have worried. However, this time she was bringing things with arge sum of money, and who knew if these people would be greedy for them. It would be most foolish to pin one¡¯s hopes on the conscience of others. As for the guards of the Lu family, Yuxi was not worried at all. The wives and children of these guards were all staying with the Lu family. Hence, it was unlikely that they would have any ill will.

    When Han Jianming heard what Yuxi said, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You¡¯ve been buying medicinal herbs all this time? What are you buying so many herbs for?¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°There is a shortage of medicine in the border town, so buying more will be more reassuring.¡± She didn¡¯t buy all kinds of herbs. She mainly bought some valuable herbs, such as musk, ox gallstones, ginseng, bei mu, velvet antler, bear gall, etc. Of course, caterpir fungus, bird¡¯s nest and other tonic products were also necessary.

    When Qiu Shi saw that Yuxi was on a buying spree, she gave her most of the precious herbs in her private storehouse, and Ye Shi and Lu Xiu also gave her a lot. Together with the ones Yuxi bought herself, there were severalrge boxes of herbs.

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°If you really don¡¯t feel secure, then you should go!¡± It was indeed safer to have a few more capable people escorting her.

    After sending Han Jianming away, Yuxi went to see Lu Xiu. Yuxi said sincerely, ¡°Er Sao, it¡¯s a long way to the northwest, and the road is not safe. If I don¡¯t have reliable people around me, I won¡¯t be able to sleep at night.¡±

    As Lu Xiu thought that Yuxi had helped her a lot over the years, she hesitated for a bit before nodding in agreement. ¡°Si Mei, I will ask my Father tomorrow before giving you an answer.¡± Yuxi wanted to borrow people from the Lu family, so her father had to agree first. But since it was only a loan and these people would return after sending Yuxi safely to the northwest, her father ought to not refuse. [+]

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Er Sao.¡±

    As the two were talking, they heard a maid from outside announcing, ¡°It¡¯s a great joy, Second Lady. It¡¯s truly a great joy. Wangfei has given birth to a dragon and phoenix twins.¡±

    Yuxi froze. A dragon and phoenix twins? What¡¯s going on here? Yuchen had both children in her previous life, but she hadn¡¯t had a dragon and phoenix twins! A lot of things had turned out differently. [T/C]

    Lu Xiu smiled and stood up, saying, ¡°This is a great joy. Yuxi,e. Let¡¯s go to the Main Courtyard with Er Sao. The Old Lady will definitely be very happy to hear this news.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and nodded her head. ¡°It is indeed a great joy.¡±

    When the Old Lady heard that Yuchen had given birth to a dragon and phoenix twins, she couldn¡¯t stop smiling, ¡°My Yuchen, she is a person with great fortune!¡± A dragon and phoenix foetus was an auspicious omen!

    When everyone heard this, they all looked very subtle. Wen Shi and Yurong¡¯s reactions were the same. Both of them could not help but look at Yuxi. Seeing the standard smile on her face, they both thought she was too good at pretending.

    Back at Taoran House, Zisu looked at Yuxi carefully and was relieved to see that she did not look too different.

    Yuxi asked with amusement, ¡°What? Afraid I¡¯ll be sad?¡± Speaking of which, Yuchen really had a good life. Yuchen seemed to have all the good things in the world. And her? It seemed like she had taken all the bad luck in this world. She and Yuchen were really two extremes.

    Thinking of this, Yuxi rubbed her temples. Wasn¡¯t this show that she was indeed unlucky? Other girls who got married worried about whether their future mother-inw and sister-inw would get along with them or whether their sisters-inw would deliberately make their lives difficult. What about her? She was worried about whether she would be assassinated in the future.

    Momo Quan interjected at this point and said, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s not good to have a very smooth life.¡± If things went too smoothly, then when things suddenly turned worse, there might be nothing one could do about it, unlike her Miss, who had gone through everything. There was nothing left that could hurt her.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. ¡°Momo Quan, from what you say, you believe that it¡¯s a good thing that I¡¯ve been through so many bad things. I don¡¯t know how many people out there wish they had a smooth life just like San Jie!¡± Likewise, no one would wish to be as unlucky as she was.

    Momo Quan said, ¡°Miss, the river flows thirty years to the East, and thirty years to the West.¡± If Yuchen was living a good life right now, it did not necessarily mean that she would have it good in the future. And if Miss¡¯ life was terrible now, she would definitely have a good life in the future.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°Momo is really good atforting people. Speaking of which, I can¡¯t bear to let Momo go again.¡± It was just an excuse to tell Qiu Shi that Momo Quan was not well. In fact, Momo Quan was perfectly healthy. It was just that she did not want to run around anymore as she wanted to live a peaceful old age.

    Momo Quan said, ¡°Miss, I was just about to tell you about this. It just so happens that there is someone I know who I think would be quite suitable.¡±

    Yuxi became interested in this. ¡°Momo, please tell me about this person.¡± Anyone who could get Momo Quan¡¯s attention must have been someone outstanding.

    The person Momo Quan rmended to Yuxi was surnamed Qu, who used to work as a petty official in the Wardrobe Service Bureau and had been released three years ago. She was not as lucky as Momo Quan, as her brothers and nephews were all jackals, wolves, tigers and panthers. None of them really wanted to look after her during her old age. They only wanted her money. Those who could survive working in the pce until they were released always had a few tricks up their sleeve. After staying in her hometown for over a year, she saw that no one in her natal¡¯s family could be relied upon, so she simply returned to the capital, looking for a good master¡¯s house who would give her a job and look after her in her old age.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t quite believe it. ¡°She hasn¡¯t found a suitable family after all this time?¡±

    Momo Quanughed. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to find a suitable family overnight. Besides, she used to work in the Wardrobe Service Bureau, not like me.¡± Momo Quan knew how to cook medicinal food and help people with their health, so many hired her for this skill! While Momo Qu was in the Wardrobe Service Bureau, in charge of clothes, essories and so on, which was not in demand.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Can we rely on her?¡±

    Momo Quan said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I wouldn¡¯t rmend her if she couldn¡¯t be relied on.¡± Yuxi was her disciple, so she would not harm her in any way.

    Yuxi asked uneasily, ¡°Will shee with me to the northwest?¡± The northwest was a ce that made people turn pale from hearing about it. Many people instantly refused to go there when it was mentioned. If not, then why Qiu Shi had not yet found a suitable stewardess and a cook up until now?

    Momo Quan said, ¡°I¡¯ll personallye forward, and she¡¯ll agree.¡± Seeing Yuxi¡¯s puzzled face, she exined, ¡°I have helped her in the pce before.¡± It wasn¡¯t just because she had helped her before; she had even saved her life.

    Yuxi nodded her head and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be grateful to you, Momo.¡± Since she had found a stewardess, the only thing left was to find a cook. If she couldn¡¯t find one, then she would just have to buy one. Herst way would be her cooking for herself.

    As she was thinking, Caidie came over and said, ¡°Miss, just now, the Old Lady sent out a message that everyone in residence would attend His and Her Little Highness¡¯ first bath in three days¡¯ time.¡± Naturally, this ¡®everyone¡¯ included Yuxi.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°I understand.¡± It was good for her to go and say goodbye to Yuchen.

 Chapter 296 - Dragon And Phoenix Twins (2)

    Chapter 296 : Dragon And Phoenix Twins (2)

    Lu Xiu went back to her natal¡¯s house the next day and mentioned borrowing bodyguards for Yuxi with the Second Lord Lu.

    Hearing Lu Xiu¡¯s words, Second Lord Lu asked in a deep voice, ¡°Did Duke Han mention this himself or did the Fourth Miss in your house request it?¡± As the head of the family, Han Jianming would certainly not borrow people from another family, so in all probability, it was the Fourth Miss Han¡¯s intention.

    Lu Xiu said, ¡°It was Si Meimei¡¯s intention. She said it wasn¡¯t safe on the road, so she wanted to bring more guards.¡± Lu Xiu knew that the outside world was not peaceful, but she didn¡¯t know precisely how dangerous it was. After all, she had never been far away from the capital before.

    Second Lord Lu asked, ¡°Does Duke Han know about this?¡±

    Lu Xiu nodded and said, ¡°Dabo doesn¡¯t object to it. Father, if there is no shortage of people in our residence, let¡¯s lend her a few people. They¡¯ll be back in half a year anyway.¡±

    In other words, Han Jianming did not approve, nor did he oppose. Second Lord Lu remembered what had happened before andmented, ¡°This little younger sister-inw of yours, she is quite special.¡± As an elder, he would not be paying any particr attention to other people¡¯s girls. But this girl from the Han family was genuinely extraordinary. First, she was almost killed twice by Song Guifei, then she decided to withdraw from her marriage, and now she had been bestowed a marriage to the northwest. If her ce were exchanged with any ordinary girl, if that girl didn¡¯t end up dying, she would have been driven mad. But this girl from the Han family was good. She didn¡¯t weep her eyes out, grieve, and wasn¡¯t even frightened by it. She even calmly considered that the journey would not be safe and had to bring more guards with her while on the road! She even thought of borrowing bodyguards from them. Her actions showed that she was not afraid of marrying to the northwest.

    Lu Xiu smiled and said, ¡°Si Meimei is a stalwart and strong-willed person.¡±

    Second Lord Lu nodded his head for a moment. If Yuxi had a weaker temper, even just a bit, she would have copsed after encountering all the bad things that happened to her, and where would she still be in the mood to n on bringing more people. ¡°I will select twelve good men from the residence for her.¡± What harm would it do to sell this girl a favour?

    Lu Xiu nodded and expressed her gratitude, ¡°Thank you, Father.¡±

    Yuxi was relieved to hear that she would be given twelve good bodyguards. ¡°Er Sao, when the timees, I want these men to protect me closely!¡± She would hand over the safety of the goods to the escort agency and the guards from the State Residence, and she would entrust her safety to these people.

    Lu Xiu nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s not a problem.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Er Sao, if there is anything you want to give to Er Ge, you should also prepare it as soon as possible. If the weather is good, I¡¯ll have to leave the capital at the end of the first lunar month.¡± Even though the outside world was treacherous, the danger could be foreseen. However, in the capital, it was all about killing people without leaving a trace. So Yuxi was worried that something terrible would happen again, so she wanted to depart from the capital as soon as possible. In the northwest, the mountains were high, and the Emperor was far away, so she would no longer need to be afraid. As for those assassinations and so on, she would deal with them using how one confronted soldiers with generals and stemmed water with earth.

    Lu Xiu nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get everything ready. By the way, how is the embroidery of your wedding dressing along?¡± Yuxi had previously disposed of her wedding dress and other things, so she would have to embroider another one.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°I haven¡¯t finished it yet. But by the time we leave the capital, it should be almost ready.¡± The quilts and other things were left to the embroidery room. At the same time, the wedding dress and the head covering were embroidered by Yuxi and her few maids. The previous wedding dress was embroidered with a phoenix among peonies, but this time, it would be mandarin ducks. Her maids embroidered the decorative design on the wedding dress, and Yuxi only needed to finish up the mandarin ducks. As a result, their working speed had be much faster.

    Lu Xiu nodded gently, then said, ¡°If Si Mei doesn¡¯t want to attend tomorrow¡¯s first bath ceremony, then Si Mei doesn¡¯t need to go.¡± Yuxi said that her body had recovered a few days ago, so it would be fine even if she went out of the residence. It was just that Lu Xiu was worried that the strange looks given by the people outside would make Yuxi ufortable.

    Yuxi smiled a little and said, ¡°If I don¡¯t see San Jie and her children this time, I¡¯m not sure I have the opportunity to do so in the future.¡±

    On the day of Yuchen¡¯s children¡¯s first bath ceremony, all women and girls from the Han family went out, except for Lu Xiu, who stayed in the house to look after the residence. Qiu Shi was not there to see Yuchen, but she felt uneasy after what happenedst time, so she had toe along this time. When it was time for them to travel to the wangfu, Qiu Shi asked Yuxi to share a carriage with her.

    When they arrived at the wangfu, they saw the mour of carriages and horses outside the residence and heard a boiling cauldron of voices, making the ce extremely lively. The Old Lady was relieved to see that the Emperor and Song Guifei cared for Yuchen. Thus, royal families and top noble families in the capital attended the first bath ceremony for Yuchen¡¯s children. Otherwise, it would not have been this lively.

    Wen Shi said, ¡°Mother, I heard that the Emperor has already given the two children their names. The Third Girl is truly blessed.¡± After saying that, she even gave Yuxi a particr nce. But Yuxi didn¡¯t even spare her a look.

    The group was then guided by Momo Gui to meet Yuchen.

    Yuchen looked very well and was very happy to see the Han family, especially the Old Lady. She got up and asked, ¡°Grandmother, what brings you here?¡±

    The Old Lady restrained Yuchen from moving any further and said, ¡°Go back to bed. Don¡¯t get cold!¡± Now Yuchen was too precious to let her act inappropriately.

    Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°Grandmother, I am not that delicate!¡± She turned around and instructed the maid to have the wet nurse carry the two children out.

    Yurong was the most impatient one. When she saw the two children, she couldn¡¯t help eximing, ¡°His and Her Little Highness are so beautiful looking.¡± Although they were only three days old, the two children looked particrly beautiful. Their appearances were something that the other children could notpete with. Of course, other children did not have two parents with outstanding looks either, so it was normal for their children to look this good.

    Yuxi looked at the two children and said with a smile, ¡°San Jie, the two children look different!¡± People said some twins looked identical, and outsiders could not tell them apart.

    Yuchen smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s good to look different. If they were identical, others wouldn¡¯t even be able to tell any difference.¡± Being different had the advantage of being different.

    The Old Lady looked at the group of people behind her and said, ¡°All of you go out. I need to talk to Yuchen.¡± She hadn¡¯t been able to speak properly with Yuchen since she returned on the third day after her marriage.

    A smile crossed the corner of Yuxi¡¯s mouth. The Old Lady had indeed gotten older. Did she think they were in their own residence? This was the wangfu. Yet she still gave orders here.

    Yuchen didn¡¯t mind. She smiled towards Qiu Shi and the others. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had a good talk with Grandmother. So I would like to invite Eldest Aunt, Mother and others to sit in the drawing-room first.¡±

    After leaving the house, Qiu Shi told Yuxi, ¡°We will go back as soon as the first bath ceremony is over.¡± The wangfu was not a nice ce to stay longer either.

    Yuxi smiled and nodded her head. ¡°Okay.¡± In fact, she originally wanted to talk to Yuchen, but seeing how the Old Lady did not wish Yuchen to speak with her alone, her wish hade to nought.

    When she went out to socialise, Yuxi ran into Zhou Shiya.

    Zhou Shiya came over and called out, ¡°Yuxi.¡± After calling out, she said guiltily, ¡°Yuxi, I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t visit you after all that happened to you some time ago.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all in the past. But you, why have you lost so much weight?¡± Her face, which used to be filled with baby-fat, was now pointy.

    Zhou Shiya looked at Yuxi and asked carefully, ¡°Yuxi, don¡¯t you me me?¡± It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to see Yuxi during this time, but her mother had kept her too tightly confined that she couldn¡¯t even leave through her yard gate. [T/C]

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°me you for what? I know your mother wouldn¡¯t let youe and see me. You haven¡¯t told me why you¡¯ve lost so much weight?¡±

    Zhou Shiya rubbed her face and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been embroidering the dowry all this time, and I was not even allowed to go anywhere, so I don¡¯t know how I lost so much weight. Yuxi, do you think I¡¯m prettier now than before?¡± She had always wanted to be thin but couldn¡¯t lose weight. She didn¡¯t expect a mistake due to a strangebination of circumstances to contribute to losing her weight. [+]

    Yuxi smiled a little and said, ¡°Yes, you look much prettier than before.¡± Although the slimmer Zhou Shiya was prettier, Yuxi still felt Zhou Shiya looked better with her baby fat.

    Zhou Shiya took the initiative to ask, ¡°Yuxi, when are you nning to depart for the northwest? I was told life was very hard there. Not only because of the constant fighting, but there was not even enough food to eat.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and answered, ¡°It¡¯s not that exaggerated. Besides, no one can starve me.¡± It was no joke if even a general¡¯s wife would starve. Furthermore, even if she couldn¡¯t rely on Yun Qing, she wouldn¡¯t let herself go hungry.

    Even after exchanging a few words, Zhou Shiya was not as talkative as before. Yuxi suddenly remembered that she had promised to provide her with an additional dowry and said apologetically, ¡°Too many things have happened recently, so I didn¡¯t have time to embroider the screen you asked for.¡± Even if she had time, she was not in the mood for it.

    When Zhou Shiya realised that Yuxi still kept this matter in her mind, she felt somewhat ashamed and hurriedly waved her hand and stated, ¡°I¡¯m already satisfied that you don¡¯t me me, so no need to remember it anymore.¡± As a matter of fact, she was ashamed that she hadn¡¯t been able tofort Yuxi after all that had happened to her.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°All right. Let¡¯s not talk about it. After walking away for so long, my mother must have been looking for me. Then, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± The two had been together for more than ten years. Even if they had to part, they had to do it peacefully. They didn¡¯t have to start scratching each other¡¯s faces, which was unnecessary.

    Looking at Yuxi¡¯s back, Zhou Shiya¡¯s heart became sad. ¡°Yuxi is still ming me.¡± Even though Yuxi said she didn¡¯t me her, she was clearly distancing herself from her.

    Zhou Shiya¡¯s maid uttered, ¡°Don¡¯t think so much about it, Miss. Let¡¯s go find the Lady!¡± Like the Second Lady Zhou, the maid was convinced that Yuxi was a person with bad fortune. Otherwise, why else would all the bad luck have happened to her alone. It was better to have minimum contact with people having such luck as not to bring bad luck to her Miss.

    Qiu Shi knew Yuxi had been talking to Zhou Shiya for a long time and asked, ¡°What¡¯s there to talk to her about? You¡¯ve been sick for so long, and have you seen her show her face? Such a person is not worthy of your friendship.¡± Although it was known among friends and rtives that Yuxi was pretending to be sick after withdrawing from her marriage, Yuxi and Zhou Shiya had been friends for ten years or so. Hence, how could Zhou Shiya not even bother to ask or listen to Yuxi? Such a person was not worth dealing with at all.

    Yuxi leaned on Qiu Shi and said softly, ¡°Mother, I just had a few words with her.¡± It was sad to think that a ten-year friendship had ended just like that.

    Qiu Shi put her arm around Yuxi and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. it¡¯s not worth being sad for someone like her.¡± She initially felt that the Zhou family was pretty good, but she despised them after seeing how they treated Yuxi. Especially that Second Lady Zhou who went after you if she could gain any profits and the first one to avoid you if you were in trouble. Qiu Shi didn¡¯t even think that the Zhou and Yun families could live well off forever! Once they were no longer in the limelight, there would surely be people who would throw stones at them when they had fallen down the well.

    Yuxi whispered, ¡°Mother, I want to go home now.¡±

    Qiu Shi said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go home.¡± She turned around and asked the maid beside her to inform Yuchen and the Old Lady of their departure while she took Yuxi back with her.

    The Old Lady was very angry when she knew that Qiu Shi had left andint to Yuchen, ¡°Just look. Do you still think she put me in her eyes?¡± Ever since Jianming became the Duke of State, Qiu Shi had finally torn off her mask and revealed her true face. It had been a waste of her energy that she prided herself on her uracy in reading people, but she had never thought that she had misread Qiu Shi. This woman was so good at disguising herself.

    It was after Yuchen hadforted her that the Old Lady¡¯s anger finally subsided.

 Chapter 297 - Leaving The Capital (1)

    Chapter 297 : Leaving The Capital (1)

    After sending the Old Lady away, Yuchen leaned against the precious blue engraved silk cushion, sighed slightly and said, ¡°Grandmother is getting old, and her nature has be a bit contradictory.¡± Eldest Aunt had informed them that she had to go back first because she was feeling unwell, and her grandmother could still chastise her for it. If it had been in the past, her grandmother would not have been acting like this.

    Momo Guimented, ¡°Ever since the Eldest Master inherited the title and became the Duke of the State, the Old Lady has indeed been neglected. And several masters of the Main House are not as respectful towards her as they used to be.¡± Qiu Shi, in particr, used to be very respectful and filial to the Old Lady, but now she was unconcerned and shifted everything to her two daughters-inw. It was only reasonable that the Old Lady would be displeased. [T/N]

    Yuchen shook her head gently and pointed out, ¡°Eldest Aunt has never shortchanged Grandmother¡¯s portion, and she always goes over to pay her respects regrly. So if we want to find her fault, we won¡¯t be able to find any.¡± Qiu Shi was just not as respectful to the Old Lady as she used to, but she didn¡¯t treat the Old Lady poorly in terms of food and clothing. Every time she did something, she would focus on the Old Lady¡¯s needs first. Therefore, Yuchen could not use her of doing anything wrong.

    Momo Gui said, ¡°When people are old, they want their children and grandchildren to linger around their knees. They don¡¯t care much about eating and things they¡¯re using.¡± To put it bluntly, older people like to have a lively life.

    Yuchen was already a married woman. Thus, it was inappropriate for her to interfere in her natal family affair, and she could not find any fault in Qiu Shi for anything other than her attitude. ¡°I wanted to talk to Yuxi this time!¡± Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t get the chance.

    Speaking of this, Momo Gui was worried. ¡°Wangfei, do you think it is a disaster or a blessing for Guifei Niangniang to bestow the Fourth Miss to Yun Qing?¡± The Fourth Miss was a master of revenge. When Wu Shi tried to make her life difficult, she was the one who was made a fool instead, leaving her head and face filthy with grime, and she even lost her life in the end. Guifei had tried to murder the Fourth Miss twice in a row, so it would be strange if she didn¡¯t have any grudge against her. Assuming that the Fourth Miss was incapable of retaliation and would have to put up with it, it was said that Yun Qing was very capable of fighting. If she were to marry him, it would be a great disaster if she encouraged him to rebel in the future.

    It wasn¡¯t a wonder that Momo Gui could have this kind of thinking. It was true that Yuxi¡¯s behaviour had been hical so far. The Fourth Miss had separated herself from the Third House just to be adopted by the Main House. If she didn¡¯t even want her biological father, how could one expect her to be faithful to the ruler and love her country? What utter nonsense. So it didn¡¯te as a surprise to Momo Gui when Yuxiter encouraged Han Jianming to scheme against Han Jingdong to inherit the title.

    Not only did Momo Gui have this fear, but so did Yuchen. Yuchen was not worried that Yuxi would plot a rebellion but that Yun Qing hated the Song family. Marrying Yuxi to Yun Qing would be an excellent addition for Yun Qing. ¡°This time, I would have liked to have a good talk with Yuxi.¡± Yuchen wanted to persuade Yuxi with the primary principle by letting her know that bringing chaos in the border town would involve many innocent people. [T/N]

    Momo Gui suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask the Fourth Miss toe to the residence in a couple of days.¡± If her Master could talk some sense to the Fourth Miss, then it would be to everyone¡¯s delight and satisfaction.

    Yuchen bitterly smiled as she asked, ¡°Do you think Yuxi wille to the wangfu alone?¡± Yuxi was willing toe to the wangfu this time around because a group of people was apanying her. If Yuxi were to go alone, not to mention Yuxi herself would note, even her Eldest Aunt would not let her do so.

    Momo Gui nodded her head and said, ¡°Then we can only wait for the two little Masters¡¯ full moon feast.¡± At that time, the Old Lady probably would note, and Wangfei could have a good talk with the Fourth Miss.

    Yuchen nodded, and after a pause, she could not help questioning, ¡°What do you think Guifei Niangniang is thinking? How could she give Yuxi¡¯s hand in marriage to Yun Qing?¡± Yuchen actually couldn¡¯t even understand Song Guifei¡¯s way of thinking. Wouldn¡¯t a marriage between Yuxi and Yun Qing make two people who both had a grudge against her unite as husband and wife and make them share the same enemy? It would be fine if they were both stupid, but they were capable people.

    Momo Gui paused for a moment and let out her opinion on it, ¡°Guifei Niangniang should have believed Monk Liao Tong¡¯s words and felt that the Fourth Miss was a person with a bad fate. Therefore, she thought that marrying the Fourth Miss to Yun Qing would not only bring bad luck to Yun Qing, but Fourth Miss would not live long either!¡± Yun Qing¡¯s reputation for being murderous was well-known in the capital. Hence, if Yun Qing knew that he had married a woman with a bad fate, it was not impossible for him to immediately end the Fourth Miss¡¯ life.

    Yuchen also agreed with Momo Gui and felt that, in all likelihood, this was what Song Guifei¡¯s thought. Because she agreed to this, she didn¡¯t even know how to spit it out. ¡°How do you think Guifei Niangniang won the battle against thete Empress and the Crown Prince?¡± If Yun Qing was such a shallow person, would he still be alive now? It was surprising that she didn¡¯t even know such a simple truth.

    Momo Gui shook her head and said, ¡°Wangfei, Guifei Niangniang was not like this before.¡± If Song Guifei had been like this before, she would have died many times. Perhaps it was because Song Guifei was now the one reigning supreme in the harem, so she had acted a little recklessly.

    No matter what happened to Song Guifei, she had changed beyond recognition, and there was no one to hold her in check. Yuchen felt particrly depressed when she thought of this.

    Momo Gui hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Wangfei, I guess it is probably because Song Guifei was so deeply impressed with Fourth Miss¡¯ pathetic little girl appearance that day that she did not pay particr attention to her. If we let Guifei Niangniang know that the Fourth Miss is a tough and outstandingly intelligent person, then this will definitely¡­..¡± She had to swallow her following words when she noticed the cold and detached look in Yuchen¡¯s eyes.

    Yuchen coldly said, ¡°If Guifei heard these words of yours, Yuxi wouldpletely lose her life.¡± If Song Guifei knew Yuxi¡¯s true nature, she would cut her like weeds by eliminating her from the roots.

    Speaking of which, Yuchen also wondered, did Yuxi deliberately misbehave in the Imperial Pce back then? Because she knew what would happenter? Thinking about it, Yuchen immediately dismissed it. If Yuxi had that skill, she would not have ended up in the situation she was in now.

    Momo Gui¡¯s heart fluttered, but she still spoke the words she had in her heart, ¡°Wangfei, to speak against taboo, I have always felt that the Fourth Miss will harm Niangniang* in the future.¡± It was her intuition. There was no reason for it. She could only say that she just thought it would be so. [*]

    Yuchen did not expect Momo Gui to hate Yuxi to this extent and said at once, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the fact that what you say are only your worries. Let¡¯s say that if you truly do it, have you thought about the consequences?¡± Once Yuxi died, there would be no damage to Yun Qing, but the damage to Yuchen would be very significant. To brutalise closely rted kin because of a baseless concern, just the slightest whisper of this would not only have her natal¡¯s family turning their backs on her, but even her pillow-mate would have to be wary of her.

    Momo Gui sincerely admitted her mistake, ¡°I was being thoughtless.¡± In fact, she was just saying it, that was all, and she was not secretly plotting to have Yuxi killed.

    After a pause, Momo Gui added, ¡°Niangniang, why don¡¯t we put a few people around the Fourth Miss? In the future, if she has that intention in mind, we can at least be prepared.¡±

    Yuchen was silent for a moment and then nodded, ¡°You can arrange this. Yuxi is very vignt. You must carefully choose the people you put in so that there won¡¯t be any slightest w.¡±

    Momo Gui nodded and assured her, ¡°Wangfei doesn¡¯t have to worry. There will be no mistakes.¡±

    The day before the New Year, Momo Quan led Momo Qu into the State Residence to see Yuxi. Momo Qu was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with a round bun, two silver hairpins on her head, and wearing a sixty per cent new raven-coloured dress. She was a little thin, but she looked very calm. [+]

    Yuxi looked at Momo Qu and asked, ¡°Do you hate your brothers and nephews when they treat you like this?¡± Honestly, just by looking at Momo Qu¡¯s expression, Yuxi already knew her answer, but she had deliberately asked this question.

    Momo Qu said, ¡°I don¡¯t hate them. To me, they are already a bunch of insignificant people.¡± It would be a lie to say that she didn¡¯t hate them at all, but if she were to take revenge, she couldn¡¯t do so. After all, those were the Qu family¡¯s people, and she couldn¡¯t do that to them, so it was better for her to stay away.

    Yuxi asked again, ¡°I am going to marry to the northwest and will probably not be able to return to the capital for the rest of my life. Momo Qu, are you willing to go with me to the northwest?¡±

    Momo Qu said, ¡°If I were unwilling, I would not havee.¡± The conditions in the northwest were bitter, but even if they were, it would not be like that for the General¡¯s wife, nor would those who served them.

    Yuxi looked at Momo Qu and asked thest question, ¡°If you want to stay with me, you must sign the servant deed. I can assure you that I will still support you when you¡¯re getting older.¡±

    Momo Qu nodded without even thinking, ¡°Alright.¡± She had been prepared for this before she came. Since she knew what Yuxi had done to her other mama, she had let go of thest of her worries. She no longer worried about being abandoned by her Master¡¯s family when she was too old even to move. This cautiousness was not because Momo Qu was acting like a man of Q¨« who feared the sky was falling, but there were many precedents.

    When Momo Qu signed the servant deed, she officially became the housekeeper of Taoran House, and naturally, her title changed from Momo Qu to Mama Qu. This time, all that was left was to find a cook.

    A few days after the New Year, Qiu Shi told Yuxi that she had found someone who was an excellent cook. This person was also the offspring of a family servant, twenty-seven years old, already a mother of three children, and a wonderful cook. Thus, Qiu Shi had taken a fancy to her.

    When Yuxi heard that the other person was the mother of three children, she shook her head and said, ¡°This person won¡¯t do.¡± The three children could not go with their mother, and Yuxi could not do such a thing as to separate people from their flesh and blood. Moreover, if this person did not go with them sincerely, it would leave a scourge in the future.

    Mama Li said, ¡°Miss, I have a candidate here, but I don¡¯t know if Miss will use her?¡± The candidate Mama Li suggested was the daughter of her husband¡¯s distant sister-inw. That woman had a miserable life. Her husband had passed away from an ident and was followed by her daughter¡¯s death because of illness. Now, that woman had gone back to her natal¡¯s house and had a hard time there.

    Before Yuxi could say anything, Qiu Shi spoke first, ¡°No. It¡¯s unlucky. So no.¡± A dead husband and a dead daughter would generally be fine. It was bad luck to have such a person with Yuxi when she was going to get married.

    Mama Li looked at Yuxi and was disappointed to see that she did not say anything.

    Yuxi did not care whether the other party was a widow, nor did she think that woman was unlucky. It was just that she felt that a woman who had been so traumatised must not be in good health. If Yuxi allowed that woman to travel with her for a few months, she would notst long enough to reach the border town, and by then, she would only be a burden.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Mother, let¡¯s put the cook¡¯s affairs aside for now!¡± In fact, from today¡¯s incident, Yuxi realised that she hade to a dead end. Why did she have to find someone who was particrly good at cooking? She could just find someone who had a talent for cooking and just train her well.

    Momo Gui was a little frustrated to know that neither of their two candidates had been chosen andined to Yuchen, ¡°I wonder what kind of cook the Fourth Miss wants?¡±

    Yuchen was not surprised. ¡°The kitchen is of the utmost importance, and nowadays it is different from the past, so Yuxi must be very cautious.¡± Yuchen was overthinking it. Yuxi was considering many things at this time, but she hadn¡¯t considered the possibility of someone nting a spy on her side, as her status hadn¡¯t changed yet. But just because Yuxi didn¡¯t realise it, it didn¡¯t mean that those around her didn¡¯t.

    That evening, Mama Qu reminded Yuxi to be on the lookout for someone to be nted on her side. In other words, she told her to be on the lookout for someone who would put a spy on her side.

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes widened at first, and then she came to her senses. Naturally, the Fourth Miss Han family was not worthy for someone to ce a spy, but the future general¡¯s wife was a different story. ¡°Thanks, Mama, for reminding me.¡± This was the benefit of having someone with a lot of experience around.

    Mama Qu said, ¡°This is what I should do. Miss, it is not necessary to find a cook who knows how to cook, but a maid who has a talent for cooking can also be trained.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I think so too. But this is not something that we should publicise.¡± It would be better to choose the candidate privately, not make it known to the public.

 Chapter 298 - Leaving The Capital (2)

    Chapter 298 : Leaving The Capital (2)

    Yuxi¡¯s departure from the capital was scheduled for the first day of the second lunar month.

    As the first lunar month would end soon, the State Residence was also starting to get busy. All the things they should pack have been packed, and now these things would all be taken away.

    Yuxi looked at the pile of things and became a bit helpless. There were sixteen big chests, which was the number of things that Qiu Shi had picked out.

    After looking at it, Yuxi said, ¡°Mother, if I bring this much stuff now, it won¡¯t be good if we need to rush.¡± All these skins and satin would only be a burden, and Yuxi did not want to carry them. If she brought so many unimportant things on the road, it would take a long time before she could reach the northwest. Besides, it was not a good thing to have a lot of stuff, as it was easy to attract bandits. Yuxi picked and chose and ended up with four boxes. She was unwilling to take any more.

    Qiu Shi felt terrible. She had prepared so many things for Yuxi, clothes, cloths, furs and silks, furniture, paintings, antiques, porcin and fine rouge and so on, all of which Yuxi could not take with her. Qiu Shi took Yuxi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°My child has been wronged.¡± If she continued speaking, her tears woulde out again.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t feel wrong. Mother can temporarily keep these things for me. When I return to the capitalter, I will have someonee and take them away.¡± Except for the essential things like golds, silvers and jewellery, Yuxi did not want to bring anything else. However, not everything was left untouched. Yuxi symbolically took one or two of each. In addition, she picked out a box of rouge and powder. She was worried that she could not buy such good ones as the capital when she arrived in the northwest. She would also need them when she got married. To be on the safe side, she had brought a box with her.

    Qiu Shi wiped her tears and said, ¡°Alright. Mother will seal all these dowries of yours in Taoran House. When youe in the future, Mother will send them to you.¡±

    Mama Li suggested, ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t we have someone send the things to you after you leave. I heard that there is a shortage of clothes and food in the border town.¡±

    Yuxi waved her hand and said, ¡°If there is a shortage of clothes and food in the northwest, how can they dare to make me have a shortage too? Besides, it¡¯s not as bad as Mother and Mama Li think, it¡¯s just that the best satin there is more expensive than in the capital. If we send the stuff to the northwest, the cost of the round trip would be enough to buy several carts of satin.¡± It was an utterly uneconomical deal.

    Even after Yuxi made even more streamlining, she still came out with more than fiftyrge chests. She muttered, ¡°Why is there still so much stuff?¡± This amount was already the result of her reducing many things. Some things could be left behind, but she had to bring along items such as her wedding dress with the embroidered quilt, her four seasons clothes, the clothes she would wear after the wedding, and the fourrge chests of silk and satin. Qiu Shi refused to let these things be cut down no matter what. She argued that all these represent a youngdy¡¯s family¡¯s dignity, thus, should never be less. These items already took nearly twenty chests.

    Zisu muttered, ¡°If Miss could take out Miss¡¯ books, writing brushes, inks and inkstones, Miss could reduce quite a number of chests.¡± There were two big chests just for books alone, but only one chest for writing brushes, inks and inkstones. [T/C]

    Yuxi conceded. ¡°You can take everything out, except for the books.¡± How could she not bring these books with her after all her years of hard work? [T/N]

    Zijin said, ¡°Miss, it should not be safe to put the jewellery in the back of the carriage, is it? Or should we put it in the carriage we are sitting in?¡± Yuxi had quite a lot of jewellery, bought using the family public ount over the years; some were personally bought by Qiu Shi and gifted by Ye Shi and Lu Xiu, which had umted for more than ten years.

    Yuxi had streamlined everything else, but jewellery was the only thing that she had not lessened. Yuxi called for Zisu and asked her to sort out the jewellery. She intended to put the jewellery boxes in long boxes with cushions on top as stools. In this way, only a few people would think that she had ced the jewellery on their personal carriage. And this way, it would also save some space.

    Zisu thought it was a good idea too. With this idea, the jewellery would not be easy to be discovered. ¡°We need Han Ji¡¯s cooperation in this matter!¡± Han Ji was the one Yuxi had brought with her to Red Jujube Hamletst time, and Han Jianming had noticed that Yuxi wasfortable using him, so he had given Han Ji to Yuxi.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Han Ji already knows about it.¡± It must have gone through him first. Otherwise, where else would they have found just the right box.

    That day, Qiu Shi told Yuxi, ¡°Tomorrow, all your friends and family wille over to add to your dowry, so you should not be busy tomorrow.¡±

    Yuxi let out a sigh. ¡°Adding to my dowry?¡± She had been so busy all this time that she had forgotten about it.

    Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t resist knocking on Yuxi¡¯s head and said, ¡°Even if you marry to the northwest, you can¡¯t leave out the adding of the dowry ceremony!¡± She had gifted out so many things, so she had to let Yuxi take them all back.

    The first people toe to add to the dowry were Ye Shi and Lu Xiu, who hade together. Both of them were very practical, picking up precious stones and jewellery worth a lot of money. Yuxi didn¡¯t want to ept them, as they had already given her a shop each. Hence, she didn¡¯t want to take anything from them anymore.

    Ye Shiughed. ¡°I knew you would say that. Just take it! These gifts are also our wish as your sisters-inw. It¡¯s nothing much anyway. I just hope that you will be safe and sound and that you and meifu will forever be in peace and happiness.¡±

    Lu Xiu put the item into Yuxi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Here, just take it!¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Dasao and Er Sao.¡± After a pause, she said, ¡°Mother will have to be taken care of by Dasao and Er Sao from now on too.¡± She was so far away that she could no longer take care of Qiu Shi.

    Ye Shi held Yuxi¡¯s hand and promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will take good care of Mother.¡± Now that Qiu Shi was no longer managing the household with her spending her days chanting sutras and taking care of the children, she had no more conflicts with Ye Shi. The mother-inw and daughter-inw got along very well now.

    Lu Xiu also nodded beside her.

    Not long afterwards, Yuchen had something sent over. She had always been a big spender, and this time was no exception. Yuxi looked at the ten different kinds of jewellery lined up side by side on the tray, each of them exquisite and valuable. At that moment, she smiled and said, ¡°San Jie is truly thoughtful.¡±

    Momo Gui said, ¡°Wangfei said that the day Misd leaves the house, she will personallye to see Miss off.¡± By the time Yuxi went out, Yuchen was also out of her confinement.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°It will be freezing. Don¡¯t let San Jie out even if she¡¯s out of her confinement.¡± It would not be a joking matter if Yuchen got cold because of the wind.

    Momo Gui, who had been sizing up Yuxi since she entered, saw that Yuxi was not anxious, nor was she being hot-tempered. When she heard Yuxi¡¯s words, she responded with a smile, ¡°If Wangfei had heard what Miss said, she would have been pleased.¡±

    Yuxi felt that this was not right. What did Momo Gui mean by Yuchen would be pleased when she heard her words? But Yuxi didn¡¯t think much about it. She might as well do something else with this foolish effort.

    Not long after Momo Gui left, a reward came from the Imperial Pce. Song Guifei gave Yuxi a pair of jade ruyi. This pair of jade ruyi made from suet jade were glittering and translucent, worth a thousand pieces of gold. [+]

    After Yuxi thanked Song Guifei for her favour, she looked at the pair of jade ruyi, and a smile appeared on her face.

    Zisu was a bit uneasy. ¡°Miss, we can put this thing as a disy for now, and you can do whatever you want with it after we leave the capital, even if you wish to smash it. But this time, Miss must not be touched by her gift!¡± Miss had endured for so long; thus, she shouldn¡¯t waste all her previous efforts at this juncture. [T/N]

    Yuxi nced at Zisu. She smiled a little and said, ¡°I was thinking, if this jade ruyi is sent to a pawn shop, I wonder how much it will be worth?¡±

    Zisu¡¯s heart thumped as she advised, ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t send it to a pawn shop. It¡¯s from the Imperial Pce, and the pawnbrokers wouldn¡¯t dare to ept it.¡±

    Mama Qu said, ¡°It¡¯s not that they wouldn¡¯t dare to ept it, but it all depends on the pawnshop. No one dares to ept it in a normal pawnshop, but as long as they have a strong background, they will dare to ept it.¡± After that, she told Yuxi and Zisu that some powerful eunuchs or momos in the pce would secretly transport things out of the Imperial Pce for money.

    Zisu was shocked. ¡°Won¡¯t they be caught?¡±

    Mama Qu shook her head and said, ¡°Naturally, there are those who got caught.¡± There was always a risk in doing anything, let alone this kind of shady thing. Once caught, there was only one way for them: death.

    Yuxi had little interest in this matter. ¡°Just put these things in the house!¡±

    It was unknown if the news about Song Guifei and Yuchen hade to add to Yuxi¡¯s dowry had spread, but by afternoon, there were more significant peopleing to add to her dowry, and the things they sent out were not cheap. [T/N]

    After two days, Yuxi¡¯s gain from her makeup dowry was not bad. ¡°Put this jewellery in the box and take them with you.¡± All the previous items had already been sorted and packed away, so there was no room to put the extra things with them.

    Han Jianming came over to Yuxi and informed her, ¡°The escort agency will send out thirty armed escorts, and all of them are the best-armed escorts of Xinglong Escort Agency. The one leading the team will also be their chief armed escort. The leader armed escort of the Xinglong Escort Agency has some reputation among the people, so if he leads the team, it will be much safer on the road.¡± This time, Han Jianming had spent a lot of money. However, for the sake of Yuxi¡¯s safety, he had to fork out even if it would make things difficult for his finances. As for how much it cost to hire these escorts, Han Jianming didn¡¯t tell Yuxi, and Yuxi didn¡¯t ask because there was no need to ask. As long as she lived, what her Dage had paid for would be repaidter. Just in case she was dead, eh, there was no use of thinking such thing as just in case.

    Yuxi nodded a little and said what she intended to do, ¡°The armed escorts will be responsible for overall matters. The guards from our residence will be responsible for the safety of the goods, and the twelve guards of the Lu family are mainly responsible for my safety.¡± The division ofbour was clear so that no conflicts would arise when the time came.

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s a good arrangement you¡¯ve made. I¡¯ll talk to Escort Master Huang about it.¡± Although he was ashamed, he had to admit that the Han family¡¯s guards were not even half as good as the Lu family¡¯s. By leaving Yuxi¡¯s safety in their hands, Han Jianming could put half his mind at ease.

    Yuxi said, ¡°The twelve guards from the Lu family wille over on the day of departure.¡± Since Lord Lu had said he would lend her twelve good men, Yuxi believed that the other party would never skimp on the job and stint on materials.

    Han Jianming nodded for a moment, then said, ¡°Yuxi, I have already sent a letter to your Er Ge, and he will bring someone to pick you up when the timees.¡± Han Jianming also knew that the journey would not be a safe one. Shaanxi and Shanxi were two ces where bandits were notoriously numerous.

    Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°That¡¯s naturally good.¡± But she couldn¡¯t count on Han Jianye. Han Jianye was a general who would be busy leading the army, so how could he just leave his post? Even if he came to pick her up, he would at most be waiting in the Gansu area. But the ces she had to pass through, such as Shanxi and Shaanxi, were ces where bandits and pirates were prevalent. This situation was why she dared to beg her Er Sao to borrow some people from the Lu family. Without a reliable person to protect her, she would not feel at ease!

 Chapter 299 - Leaving The Capital (3)

    Chapter 299 : Leaving The Capital (3)

    Everything was packed, and the day of departure was already set. Two days before departure, Yuchen went back to the Han residence.

    Yuxi looked at Yuchen, who was looking even more radiant in her pce dress, and asked with a smile, ¡°San Jie is here to see me off?¡±

    Yuchen waved her hand, and all the people who had followed her withdrew from the room. Yuxi gave a slight nod towards Zijin, who took Yuxi¡¯s other maids and retreated. There were only two sisters left in the room.

    Yuchen said, ¡°Meimei, I don¡¯t know when I will see you again after this trip of yours. I can¡¯te tomorrow to say my farewell, so I came over today to personally talk to Meimei.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°San Jie is being considerate.¡± She just didn¡¯t know what Yuchen had to say to her and hoped it wasn¡¯t to tell her not to hold a grudge against Song Guifei.

    Yuchen sighed softly and said, ¡°Yuxi, I¡¯m sorry for what happened this time. If I had known that Fu Huang would grant a marriage between you and Yun Qing, I would have asked Wangye to advise him.¡± These words were not an excuse. The sanctioning marriage decree had been given too suddenly, without any sign at all. If not, Yuchen would have asked Jing Wang to convince the Emperor.

    Yuxi smilingly responded, ¡°The Imperial Decree has already been issued. What¡¯s the use of talking about this now?¡± It was all nonsense to talk to her about this now.

    Yuchen froze for a few seconds, Yuxi had always spoken courteously with her, but today these words from her seemed a bit impolite. Holding down the strange feeling in her heart, Yuchen continued, ¡°Yuxi, I know you are upset. I also feel really bad about this.¡±

    The smile on Yuxi¡¯s face remained unchanged as she chuckled, ¡°San Jie, San Jie doesn¡¯t need to feel bad for me. It¡¯s my fate. It¡¯s all my fault for having such a bad fate.¡± Since they all thought she had a bad fate, she might as well just admit it. It wasn¡¯t like a piece of her flesh would fall off if she did anyway.

    When Yuchen heard what Yuxi said, she became even more worried instead of relieved. Yuxi could still smile and say that she had a terrible fate. It was clear that she hated this matter to her bones. However, Yuchen also knew that if she advised Yuxi not to encourage Yun Qing to rebel, she estimated that Yuxi would flip out by now. Yuchen smiled slowly and said, ¡°Yuxi, some of the things Guifei did were very excessive. But there are many innocent people, and you should not implicate them because of your grudge against Guifei.¡± Momo Gui¡¯s fear that Yuxi would rebel was too much of a stretch, but there was one thing that Yuchen had to admit. Yuxi only learnt about these three principles and five virtues just to add to her knowledge. She wouldn¡¯t even take them to her heart at all.

    Yuxi broke intoughter. ¡°Is San Jie worried that I will implicate the innocent while taking my revenge on Guifei Niangniang? San Jie thinks too highly of me. I¡¯m just a small ant. With just a slight twirl from Guifei Niangniang¡¯s finger, I would breathe out myst breath without even a chance to struggle.¡± After a pause, Yuxi added with a smile, ¡°As you know, San Jie, I am a person who values my life and will not do anything that is out of my league. Therefore, San Jie¡¯s worry is unnecessary.¡± She had gotten to know Yuchen so well. It would be too fake to say that she would not take revenge or hold a grudge, so she might as well be honest. She wanted to take revenge but unfortunately couldn¡¯t do so.

    Yuxi had made her words so clear that Yuchen had nothing more to say. ¡°Yuxi, when you get to the northwest, if you have any difficulties, you can write to me, and I will never refuse to help with what I can.¡±

    Yuxi nodded with a smile and said, ¡°San Jie, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be polite to you if there¡¯s indeed a problem.¡± Both of them knew that this was just a polite statement.

    This was how the matter came to light. Yuchen taught Yuxi a lot about getting along as a couple, all of which was from her own experience.

    Yuxi listened attentively and responded with a smile after hearing her words, ¡°Thank you, San Jie.¡± Yun Qing and Jing Wang were two very different men, and Yuchen¡¯s ways of getting along as a couple would be of no use to her. But since it was Yuchen¡¯s good intention, she wouldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to it.

    After talking for a short while, Yuchen went back. When Yuchen got into the carriage, Momo Gui asked, ¡°What did the Fourth Miss say?¡±

    Yuchen said a little tiredly, ¡°Yuxi said that she would not do something out of her league. There¡¯s no urgency on this matter since Yun Qing hasn¡¯t gained power yet. We¡¯ll see how it goes in the future.¡± To tell the truth, she felt Momo Gui had somewhat influenced her, making her worried too much about this issue. Even if Yuxi didn¡¯t care about the three principles and five virtues, she would naturally have scruples once she married and had children. To conspire against the state would cause her family to be punished with confiscation of their family¡¯s property and extermination of an entire family. For the sake of her husband and child, Yuxi wouldn¡¯t dare do it.

    Momo Gui nodded.

    If Yuxi had known what Momo Gui was thinking, she would have found it ridiculous. Instead of worrying about the rebellion and the hardship of the people outside, she was concerned that Yuxi would encourage Yun Qing to rebel, which was kind of a ridiculous thing to do.

    The day before they left, a man came from the Lu family, a man named Luo who was the leader of the Lu family¡¯s group of bodyguards to the northwest. This man was probably around forty, with a dark face, calluses on his hands, and a very ordinary look. Just by looking at the man alone, one could not tell the details of his background.

    Lu Xiu smiled and took Yuxi¡¯s hand, introducing them to each other, ¡°Yuxi, this is Uncle Luo. Uncle Luo, this is Yuxi.¡±

    Yuxi was startled to hear Lu Xiu call the other person Uncle Luo. However, she reacted quickly and gave a younger generation courtesy towards the other party and called out, ¡°Uncle Luo, this time it¡¯s going to be hard for you.¡±

    In response, Luo Shuigui nodded slightly at sight. Then he acted very neatly and responded quickly, ¡°There is no need to be so polite, Fourth Miss. I am also under the Second Lord¡¯s orders. I heard that the Han residence has also hired armed escorts from an escort agency, so I came here this time mainly to ask you what the rules are.¡±

    Yuxi exined to him her earlier n. ¡°The armed escorts will take care of everything. The bodyguards from the Lu family will only need to take care of my safety. Of course, if there is anything on the road that needs your help, please give me a hand.¡± What Yuxi meant was, the armed escorts would be responsible for the outer perimeter, and the Lu family¡¯s bodyguards would take charge of her personal safety.

    This arrangement was a good idea, but it would take two to three months to get to the northwest, and there would surely be disputes on the way. Luo Shuigui then asked, ¡°If there is a conflict between us and the armed escorts, who will be the mediator then?¡± Luo Shuigui had gone through a lot of things. He had also been on the road for a long time, and he had never met any friends. So there would undeniably be disputes on the road.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°My Dage has given me a steward called Han Ji. If you have any conflicts, you can go to Han Ji. If he can¡¯t handle it, then you can speak to me.¡±

    Luo Shuigui nodded a little at Yuxi¡¯s words andmented, ¡°It¡¯s good that Miss has such rules.¡± Hearing this tone of voice from the Fourth Miss, it was clear that she had thought about it for a long time. It was a good n since the journey would be long and uneventful, and it would be a headache if he came across a master who did not know what he was doing.

    After sending him away, Yuxi asked Lu Xiu, ¡°Er Sao, who is this person? Why do you call her Uncle Luo?¡± Anyone who could make Lu Xiu call her uncle was not an ordinary person. [+]

    Lu Xiu smiled as she answered, ¡°Uncle Luo saved my father¡¯s life, so he is different from the others at home. Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect my father to send Uncle Luo to see you off. But with Uncle Luo going along with you, I can be relieved at least half as much.¡±

    Yuxi, however, couldn¡¯t be relieved. She hoped that the rest of the Luo family¡¯s bodyguards would not be as old as this Uncle Luo. It was better to have younger bodyguards. Still, Yuxi only thought about this in her mind, as she did not dare to say it out loud.

    Returning to Taoran House, Yuxi said to herself, ¡°If I leave tomorrow, I don¡¯t know how long it will take me to return.¡± Perhaps she would not be able toe back for the rest of her life.

    That evening, Momo Quan waved everyone away and spoke to Yuxi in private.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Momo, from now on, you must also take care of yourself, and if you encounter any difficulties, you cane to my mother. I have already told my mother that if youe to her, she will help you.¡±

    Momo Quan smiled and stated, ¡°When Miss leave, I will also go to Red Jujube Vige. Later, if the situation is not right, we¡¯ll move back to the capital.¡± There would still be no problem within a few years. As for saying several yearster, they could only talk about it then. Even if there were indeed rebels or refugees in the capital by then, they wouldn¡¯t take out their anger on the ordinary people.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Good.¡± She had previously given Momo Quan a sum of silver for her retirement, but Momo Quan did not ept it. Yuxi didn¡¯t want to force the matter, so she gave the money to Mama Fang and told her to give it to Momo Quan after she had left.

    Momo Quan hadn¡¯t said much before, but tonight was an exception. ¡°Miss, you need to be more patient when you get to the northwest and marry General Yun. People like General Yun, who have experienced the destruction of their families, will be warier of others people. That¡¯s why he will be cold at first, and time will reveal a person¡¯s heart. As long as you wholeheartedly treat him good and make him feel your kindness, he will certainly treat you well too.¡± When she finished, Momo Quan advised softly, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t go believing those rumours outside. You have to believe that you are blessed and blessed in a big way.¡± With Yun Qing¡¯s ability, he would keep his family safe even in troubled times.

    Yuxi smiled, ¡°I will remember these words from Momo.¡±

    Momo Quan pulled out a booklet from her sleeve, with no writing on the cover, and just handed it to Yuxi, saying, ¡°I wrote this book myself. It contains several secret recipes that are not passed down in the Imperial Pce and some recipes for maintenance and toning. It would be best if you kept it safe. You will truly need it in the future.¡± One of the recipes was on achieving smooth and fair skin like Yuchen. As for the recipes for maintenance and toning, most of them had been worked out by Momo Quan herself.

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes lit up and asked, ¡°San Jie has never gained any weight from her pregnancy to her one-month confinement. Is it the effect of these secret recipes?¡±

    Momo Quan nodded her head and said, ¡°More or less! There are many things to pay attention to if you don¡¯t want to gain weight during pregnancy. It¡¯s also written here so that Miss can refer to itter.¡±

    Yuxi was overjoyed. ¡°Thank you, Momo.¡± Many women got fat after giving birth, and she hoped she would not be one of them. All women loved beauty, and Yuxi was no exception. She wouldn¡¯t be afraid of gaining weight in future pregnancies if she had this recipe.

    Momo Quan gave a reminder, ¡°These forms are not everything. Some people use them, but they only be useless. Moreover, not everyone can use them either.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I know.¡±

    At this time, Yuxi heard Qiu Shi¡¯s voice and immediately said with a smile, ¡°Mother is here.¡± After saying this, she put the booklet into the box.

    Qiu Shi hade to keep Yuxipany. Yuxi would be leaving tomorrow, and Qiu Shi did not know how long it would take to see her again, so Qiu Shi was prepared to stay with Yuxi, and the two of them would sleep together.

    As a result, the two of them talked for most of the night, and when Yuxi had just squinted her eyes, Zisu woke her up. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s time to get up.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t hesitate and got up immediately.

 Chapter 300 - Leaving The Capital (4)

    <strong>Chapter 300 : Leaving The Capital (4)</strong>

    ¤­¤Ä¤Í: Sorry for thete posting. ?? I¡¯m having a kind of personal issue right now, plus with the increase of my workload. So the chapters released for this week will be a bitte (day/time) than usual. This will also affect the early release on my ko-fi page. I¡¯m seriously sorry for this and the inconvenience this will cause to everyone. I will try my best to settle my personal issue first so that everything will be back to normal. ?????¡â?

    On the first day of the second lunar month, Yuxi set off for the northwest. Apart from the Old Lady and Han Jingyan, everyone else came.

    Yuxi¡¯s belongings, together with those brought by the others, made up a total of fourteen vehicles. In addition to the thirty armed escorts and twelve guards from the Lu family, the Han family also sent more than twenty people, plus the eight people brought by Yuxi, making a total of more than seventy people.

    Before she got on the carriage, Yuxi looked at the crowd while holding back the tears that were about to fall and said, ¡°Take care, everyone.¡± After saying that, she got into the carriage without looking back.

    Qiu Shi choked back tears and said, ¡°Be careful on the road.¡± As she watched the carriage move away, Qiu Shi cried so hard that she couldn¡¯t even stand up, for she didn¡¯t know when Yuxi would return. In the end, it was Ye Shi and Lu Xiu who persuaded her to return home.

    Zijin looked at Yuxi in silence and asked in a small voice, ¡°Miss, do you feel ufortable?¡± Miss had not left the capital since she was a child, and now she would be going thousands of miles away in a border city. Although Yuxi didn¡¯t show it on her face, Zijin knew that she was still a bit scared and terrified in her heart.

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes were also astringent, and if she hadn¡¯t been forced to hold them back, her tears would have fallen down. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± It would be a lie to say that she wasn¡¯t scared, but what was the point of being afraid? She still had to face it all the same.

    At the gates of the city, she met Mama Fang, who had been waiting for her. She hugged Yuxi while crying and then presented her with tworge bags of prepared things. But because Yuxi had to hurry, she didn¡¯t have much time to catch up with Mama Fang.

    Mama Fang wiped her tears and said, ¡°Take care of yourself on your journey, Miss.¡± She didn¡¯t know if she would see her again in this lifetime.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Take care of yourself too, Mama.¡±

    After the carriage and the people had left, Mama Fang wiped her tears and said to Lian Shan, ¡°Husband, let¡¯s go back!¡± Miss¡¯ life was terrible. The Lady passed away soon after she was born, and she was not liked by her biological father and grandmother. It was not easy for her to be adopted by the Main House, and after spending happy days there for a few days, she came across such a bad day. When Mama Fang thought about this, her tears came out again.

    Lian Shan said, ¡°Why are you crying? Miss didn¡¯t even cry, so why are you the one who ended up crying?¡± Yuxi could note out; thus, Mama Fang had to get into the carriage to say goodbye to Yuxi. However, when Lian Shan heard Yuxi talking from outside, her voice was very calm, and she definitely had not cried.

    Mama Fang said, ¡°If Miss had cried, I would have been more at ease. Miss is the kind of person when she breaks her tooth, she would just swallow it with the blood into her stomach.¡±

    Lian Shan couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°It¡¯s useless for you to cry! We can¡¯t help her in this matter either. Moreover, if you ask me, I think she should marry to the northwest than to be criticised in the capital.¡± Mama Fang did not know that the broken engagement between Chen Ran and Yuxi involved Qinxin Gongzhu. She only thought that Yuxi had been unlucky enough to fall ill before her wedding date.

    Mama Fang was choked with sobs as she argued, ¡°The northwest is a barbard where not even grass can grow. How can Miss be well after going there? And I¡¯ve heard that Yun Qing is a murderous man?¡± Thinking of this situation gave her heartache, and because of this, she didn¡¯t dare to visit Yuxi the other day.

    Lian Shan let Mama Fang cry and did not advise her anymore. It would be over when she had cried enough. In fact, if Lian Shan had to say, Mama Fang¡¯s worry was too groundless. An intelligent person like the Fourth Miss wouldn¡¯t have a lousy life wherever she went.

    Yuxi was now sitting in a half-bigger carriage than a normal one. Hence, after moving everything out of the way, there was enough room for two people to sleep on a quilt in the middle, and if they were willing to squeeze, it could support three people. As for the jewellery, Han Jianming had put them all in between doubleyers of the carriage floor, which was a more secure method than Yuxi had thought.

    Since the carriage was big enough for Yuxi to sleep in, the journey afterwards could be much easier. Apart from the carriage in which Yuxi was sitting, there were two other small light carriages, and the other six people in Yuxi¡¯s entourage were in those light carriages. The other two carriages had a dozen quilts in them in addition to the people riding them, so they were not as spacious as Yuxi¡¯s carriage.

    After leaving the city gate, Yuxi fell asleep.

    When Luo Shuigui came looking for Yuxi, he heard she had fallen asleep and sighed with emotion. If other women were to marry out of the country or to a ce like the northwest, they would be heartbroken. But the Fourth Miss Han family was okay with it. Not only did she not cry, but she was also sleeping soundly. This Fourth Miss Han had a huge heart, if he had to say.

    Zijin lifted the curtain and said, ¡°My Miss didn¡¯t sleep all nightst night and is too tired right now. I wonder what Guard Luo wants from Miss?¡±

    Luo Shuigui replied, ¡°It¡¯s not an urgent matter. Let¡¯s just wait until your Miss wakes up!¡±

    As Yuxi¡¯s side had just set off on their journey, the sanctioning marriage decree had just arrived in the northwest. Because Yunqing was hated by the Song family, the eunuch who issued the Imperial Decree didn¡¯t like Yunqing either, making the meeting have a somewhat cold tone. Unfortunately, the northwest was not the capital. Yun Qing took the Imperial Decree and ignored these people from the Imperial Pce.

    The eunuch who issued the decree sneered, ¡°Such an ungrateful thing would only be worthy of someone with a bad fate.¡±

    Yun Qing didn¡¯t like the eunuchs who issued the decree, but someone else did! Qin Zhao invited these people to stay at the best inn in Yu City, treating them well and asking them about Yuxi. Han Jianye would tell Yun Qing about Yuxi because he was already her designated husband. He wouldn¡¯t speak about her to other people.

    Naturally, the eunuch did not hold back and told him about Yuxi having a bad fate.

    Qin Zhao¡¯s eyes lit up as he asked, ¡°Did you say Han Shi had a bad fate?¡± It was good to give Yun Qing a bride with a terrible fortune. If she could bring down Yun Qing¡¯s luck, he wouldn¡¯t even have to do anything since Yun Qing would do it to himself.

    The eunuch drank another cup of wine, which was far worse than the one in the pleasure house. But in this barren ce, it was just as good. ¡°Thises from a highly respected Great Master Liao Tong of Huangzhi Temple himself. How could it be false? If not, how could Guifei Niangniang marry her to Yun Qing.¡±

    Qin Zhao was interested to know how bad Han Shi¡¯s fate was.

    The eunuch began to talk about Yuxi¡¯s childhood where she had been abused by Han Jingyan and Old Lady Han, all the way to the time when Yuxi withdrew from her marriage until she had vomited blood after the Emperor sanctioned her marriage. He described Yuxi¡¯s life as miserable as he could. [+]

    After listening to this, Qin Zhao drew an image of a wretched little girl before his eyes. Such a poor little thing. In that case, let¡¯s hope that Yun Qing enjoyed taking care of this little wretch!

    Before the eunuch who issued the decree had even left, word spread through the streets of Yu City that the Fourth Miss Han was an unlucky person with a terrible fate. Naturally, this news also reached Yun Qing and Huo Changqing¡¯s ears.

    When Huo Changqing got this news, he asked Yun Qing, ¡°What do you think about this?¡± Inwardly, Huo Changqing did not quite believe it. Perhaps this was another deliberate attempt by the Song family to get Yun Qing to lose his mind and achieve their goal.

    Yun Qingughed coldly. ¡°Uncle Huo, didn¡¯t an old wandering monk say that since I had killed too many people, I had lost a lot of my secret good deeds merits, and I would not end well in my life? I was told to do more good deeds. Then what happened?¡± It turned out that the old wandering monk had been instructed by someone to say such things on purpose to shake his determination to build up his career and take revenge.

    Huo Changqing asked, ¡°Are you saying that this information is false?¡±

    Yun Qing nodded and said, ¡°That old bald donkey Liao Tong has some skills when he is actually that poisonous woman¡¯s running dog. He will do whatever the poisonous woman tells him to do.¡± He suspected that the news was deliberately released by Song Guifei to ruin the marriage between Yux and Chen Ran. Without a doubt, the poisonous woman had achieved her goal. However, he wouldn¡¯t eat this kind of stuff.

    Huo Changqing also thought it was possible. ¡°The rumour could be false, but her body is just too bad.¡± Yuxi had vomited blood at a young age, so it was clear that she was not in good health. The climate was not good in this northwest part, and Huo Changqing doubted that Han Shi could adapt to the Yu City environment. No. This ce was thousands of miles away from the capital, and it was unknown whether her body could even endure the journey to the northwest.

    Yun Qing shook his head and said, ¡°No, I¡¯ve heard from Han Jianye that Fourth Miss Han has excellent health as she has been doing the wuqinxi every morning and evening, and she doesn¡¯t get sick all the year-round.¡± So, the vomiting of blood must have been a fabrication too.

    Huo Changqing asked with some disbelief, ¡°Really?¡±

    Yun Qing said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for Han Jianye to lie to me. Whether it¡¯s true or not, we¡¯ll know when Fourth Miss Han arrives in the northwest.¡±

    After hearing Yun Qing¡¯s words, Huo Changqing questioned, ¡°Is she really as good as Han Jianye said? How could that poisonous woman let her marry you if she was such a good girl? Could there be some kind of conspiracy here?¡± It was no wonder Huo Changqing would be puzzled. It was really because this situation was out of the ordinary. They had experienced too many conspiracies. They had survived until now was half because of their own strength and another half because of luck.

    Yun Qing disagreed and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. As for what the truth is, Fourth Miss Han should know it all too well, and when she finally arrives, we will naturally know the truth.¡±

    On this side, Yun Qing was calm, but on the other side, Han Jianye was not so when he got the news. If Yun Qing also thought that Yuxi¡¯s fate was terrible, that would be dreadful! If she was disliked by her fianc¨¦ even before she married him, it would be a tragic life for Yuxi.

    Han Jianye told Yun Qing, ¡°Yun Qing, don¡¯t believe the nonsense of those eunuchs. My Yuxi is not someone who has a bad destiny. This is all the poisonous n of that tramp Song Shi, who ruined Yuxi¡¯s marriage in the first ce, and now wants to ruin the rest of her life.¡± Song Guifei was indeed the most vicious woman in the world.

    Yun Qing asked, ¡°Then why did the eunuch say that your sister¡¯s fortune was tainted with bad luck?¡±

    Han Jianye had always said good things about Yuxi to Yun Qing, but he never told him about the bad ones. But since things hade to stage, it wouldn¡¯t work if he decided not to speak about them. At that moment, Han Jianye told Yun Qing about how Yuxi didn¡¯t get Han Jingyan¡¯s love since she was a child, and when he finished, he questioned, ¡°Sometimes I wonder if my Si Mei is his real daughter. No matter how biased you are, you can¡¯t be that biased, right?¡±

    Yun Qing had heard many instances of biased parents. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say Old Lady Han didn¡¯t like your sister either? Is it not?¡±

    Han Jianye shook his head. ¡°Naturally not, my grandmother treated all of my sisters the same, except for my San Mei.¡± After saying this, he sighed again and said, ¡°Perhaps because of this, my Si Mei has been sensible and clever since she was young, and my mother has been particrly fond of her. s, to say the least, I still don¡¯t understand. They are both my San Shu¡¯s biological daughters. How can he be so biased?¡±

    Yun Qing was silent. What else could one do when encountering such a biological father but admit that one was unlucky.

    Han Jianye added, ¡°It¡¯s also because my Si Mei has a strong nature. If she was someone with a slightly weaker temper, she would have been unable to bear it.¡±

    Yun Qing couldn¡¯t help but think of the Yuxi he had seen that year, small, round and adorable. Only he didn¡¯t know that she had gone through so many ups and downs too!

 Chapter 301 : - Master Yang

    Chapter 301 : Master Yang

    Yuxi slept until noon before she woke up. There was water in the kettle on the carriage, but it was not hot water, but excess cold water.

    Yuxi washed her face before Zijin informed her, ¡°Miss, just now, Guard Luo came looking for you, saying that he had something to tell you. But looking at him, he didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°Since it¡¯s not urgent, let¡¯s wait until lunchtime.¡± She had just woken up and was still a bit confused, so she could only talk when her mind was particrly clear.

    It was already past wushi, but Chief Huang of the armed escorts hadn¡¯t let everyone stop yet, and Zisu was starving to the point of death. ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t we stop for lunch yet? My stomach is getting hungry.¡± After saying that, Zisu even touched her stomach.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°They have arrangements for how long to walk and where to rest. It¡¯s not like you can just take a rest whenever you say so.¡± Yuxi only made one request in the first ce, which was to go whichever route was safe and to listen to the chief armed escorts¡¯ arrangements for everything else.

    Zijin pointed out, ¡°There are pastries in the food box. You can have a pastry to pad your stomach first.¡± For convenience, a food box was ced on the carriage.

    Zisu shook her head and said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to eat those. I want to eat something warm right now.¡± The pastries had been cold for a long time, and she had no appetite to eat them.

    Zijin looked at Zisu and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so particr about what you eat when you go out. This is just the beginning. When we get halfway down the road, we won¡¯t see any dwelling for days, and we will have to sleep out in the open. Then we will have to eat dry food to survive!¡±

    Zisu gave Zijin a nk look and said, ¡°Miss has already told me that. I just want to eat something warm right now.¡± It was just that her stomach was a little upset, so she wanted to eat something warm.

    Something shed in Yuxi¡¯s mind, making her ask, ¡°Are you having that little day?¡± Seeing Zisu nod a little, Yuxi said helplessly, ¡°How could it be such a coincidence? If that is so, you really need to eat something warm!¡±

    Before Yuxi could ask Chief Huang, she heard him shout, ¡°There¡¯s a ce for lunch up ahead. Let¡¯s give ourselves another push.¡±

    After an hour, the party sat down for lunch in a shabby shed. In fact, everyone had brought dry food with them, so here they just had a couple sips of hot soup and ate with their dry food. Yuxi was treated better, as the shop owner stir-fried two dishes for her and brought her another bowl of hot soup.

    Yuxi wasn¡¯t picky about her food, so she asked Zijin and Zisu to eat with her. After eating, the group went back on their way. As they left, Yuxi looked at the shed and pondered over it.

    After the journey, Yuxi called Luo Shuigui and asked, ¡°Uncle Luo, what did you want to see me about just now?¡±

    Luo Shuigui shook his head and said, ¡°There is something minor. I just spoke to Steward Han, and it has been resolved now.¡±

    Yuxi saw this and didn¡¯t ask any more questions.

    Ancient China Post Station

    Ancient China Post Station

    Its primary function was to deliver official documents to the Imperial Pce and only be used by officials and the Imperial Family. There were three types of post stations, including post stations, delivery offices and express delivery shops. The express delivery shop was used to transfer urgent documents, while the post station was used for the deliverer to rest and change the transportation. The delivery office is in charge of transporting supplies and dispatching guests.

    Image Credit | To its rightful painter via Baidu

    That night, the group stayed at a post station. Since Yuxi was sanctioned a marriage by Imperial Decree, it was justified for the party to stop at one. Yuxi chose to stay at the post station not because she could not afford to pay for the room but felt that the ce was much safer. Chief Huang and Guard Luo had no objection to this decision.

    Before having her dinner, Yuxi approached Chief Huang. Chief Huang was a bald man. When he didn¡¯t talk and was somewhat smiling, he looked a lot like a Maitreya Buddha.

    When Yuxi met Chief Huang, she asked, ¡°Chief Huang, do you think we should buy a pot so that we can have hot soup when we have to sleep out in the open?¡± Yuxi had never been out before, so she didn¡¯t know much about what to bring.

    Chief Huang replied with a smile, ¡°Miss, we¡¯ve brought a pot, but it¡¯s not very big.¡± There were more than seventy people here, so their pot was not big enough to support these many people.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go and buy a big one, and buy some vegetables and meat as well. Buy some more bacon and sausages, so that they can be put away.¡±

    Chief Huang said, ¡°Miss, you can buy all those things at the halfway point. We only need to bring a pot and salt for now.¡± They were familiar with the terrain and knew where to replenish their rations, so they usually only brought a few days¡¯ worths of dry food.

    Yuxi blushed and said embarrassedly, ¡°I¡¯ve just made Chief Huangugh at me.¡± She had only considered the possibility that someone might fall ill on the way, so she had brought some spare medicinal herbs and had not really thought about food or anything else. Therefore, it was better to travel thousands of miles than read thousands of books.

    But Chief Huang responded with a smile, ¡°It must not have been easy for Miss to think this much.¡± This was a true statement, as young misses from prominent families like Yuxi had never put their fingers under the sun nor in the river. Thus, it was not easy for them to even think of buying a pot to cook soup for everyone.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t ask Chief Huang to buy the pot. She asked Han Ji instead. She didn¡¯t only ask him to get a pot, but also things like red dates, wolfberries, cinnamon and soybeans. There weren¡¯t that many things to purchase, but there were all sorts of goods, and by the time Han Ji finished buying them all, he could fill another big chest with them.

    After three days of travelling, it was still looking all sunny, and Yuxi felt lucky. If it had been raining, it would not have been possible to make a smooth journey. But at this time, Luo Shuigui came forward and informed her, ¡°Miss, I suspect someone is following us?¡±

    Yuxi cried out in surprise, ¡°Aren¡¯t we still not that far from the capital? There should be no bandits, right?¡± Since they were still near the capital, the bandits were not that rampant.

    Luo Shuigui shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not bandits. If my guess is correct, these two men have been following us since we left the capital. They seem to have good martial arts skills, and I wonder if they are friends or foes? An average person would have been caught by him long ago, but these two men had followed their party for three days before he discovered them, which proved that the other party was strong. [+]

    Yuxi was a little puzzled. ¡°Two people? Why two people?¡± If it was stalking, one person would be enough. If they wanted to rob something, two people would not be enough! There was something fishy about this.

    Luo Shuigui also shook his head, saying he didn¡¯t know, and also felt that this was very strange.

    Yuxi thought for a while and said, ¡°Let¡¯s confront soldiers with generals and stemmed water with earth. Since they won¡¯t show themselves up, we can¡¯t catch them right now. Then, we should just let them follow us. If they keep on doing so, they will reveal themselves sooner orter.¡±

    Luo Shuigui was reluctant. ¡°If they have evil intentions, we must get rid of them as soon as possible.¡± He then told Yuxi about his n.

    Yuxi originally thought it would be troublesome, but the two showed up easily, to her surprise.

    Before Yuxi could say anything, Zijin was shocked and angry when she saw the two men and questioned, ¡°Uncle Luo said it was the two of you who were following us?¡±

    Yuxi looked at the old man and the young man. Remembering Zijin¡¯s initial description of the two men, she smiled as she greeted the two of them, ¡°Master Yang, Fourth Brother Yu.¡± [E]

    When Yu Zhi heard Yuxi call him Fourth Brother Yu, he cracked a smile. His smile revealed a few snow-white teeth, and with the way he touched his head, he looked remarkably naive. ¡°Zijin has always said that her Miss is too intelligent, and when I met her today, it was true.¡± Otherwise, how else would Miss Han know their identities without even being introduced by Zijin?

    Luo Shuigui was a little surprised and asked, ¡°Does Miss know them?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I do. This Master Yang is my Er Ge¡¯s mentor, my elder.¡± She didn¡¯t expect Master Yang and Yu Zhi would be following them. But they must have been well-intentioned to do so.

    It suddenly dawned on Luo Shuigui. No wonder he felt something wrong with how easy it was for them to show up. It was like they were just letting him off the hook and not taking him seriously. ¡°Then you guys can talk.¡±

    After Luo Shuigui and his group left, Zijin asked with an unpleasant look on her face, ¡°What are you two doing here? I can tell right now that I am not going to go with you.¡±

    Master Yang was furious when he heard these words. What did she mean by not going with them? If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Yu Zhi, this useless one, had been harping every day about how it would be a perilous journey for Zijin and that he would escort Zijin and Han Yuxi to the northwest, Master Yang wouldn¡¯t agree to it. He just didn¡¯t want his ears to get calloused. When did he ever be willing to follow them?

    In response, Yuxi hurriedly tugged at Zijin¡¯s sleeve and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m sure Master Yang and Fourth Brother Yu haven¡¯t eaten yet. Han Ji, please ask the shopkeeper to fry up some good dishes for them.¡±

    Master Yang snorted coldly, ¡°You sure know how to conduct yourself.¡± If she didn¡¯t know how to conduct herself, how else did she manage to make Zijin be dead set on her? He had even tried everything to persuade Zijin to ept him as her teacher!

    What Zijin disliked most was people ndering Yuxi. ¡°Don¡¯t be mean to my Miss.¡±

    In front of Master Yang, Yuxi could not reprimand Zijin but said with a smile instead, ¡°Zijin, Master Yang is an elder, so don¡¯t be rude.¡±

    The meal soon came up, and Master Yang and Yu Zhi devoured it with great gusto. It was a bit hard for Yuxi to watch them. ¡°Why do you people look like you haven¡¯t eaten for days?¡±

    Zijin responded grumpily, ¡°Don¡¯t mind them, Miss. They always eat like this.¡± The way they ate was so humiliating.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t take it to heart either, as she said with a smile, ¡°This is quite good.¡±

    When Master Yang had eaten and drunk enough, he asked, ¡°Where is the guest room? This old man is tired and needs to take his rest.¡± There was no post station in this town, so Yuxi¡¯s group had the small inn to themselves.

    Han Ji immediately took Master Yang to the guest room where he was initially sleeping in. Other people didn¡¯t know about Zijin, but how could Han Ji not know? The ones who could get along with Zijin must not be ordinary people!

    Zijin was not polite to Master Yang, but even more so to Yu Zhi. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He had been sneaking around their group for two days.

    Yu Zhi smiled and rubbed the back of his head again while saying, ¡°I heard that you are going to the northwest. There are a lot of bandits on the way from the capital to the northwest. I couldn¡¯t rest assured, so I pestered Master to apany you to the northwest with me.¡± It was just that Master Yang wanted to save face and did not want to show himself. However, after watching Yuxi and her party eating and drinking, while they could only gnaw on steamed cornbread, they felt suffocated. Hence, they deliberately revealed their horse¡¯s hoof so that Luo Shuigui could discover their whereabouts and they could show up naturally.

    CHINESE STEAMED CORNBREAD/WOTOU/WOWOTOU

    Yuxi also guessed that Master Yang intended to send them to the northwest. Otherwise, there would have been no need to follow them as soon as they left the capital. Yuxi sincerely expressed her gratitude, ¡°I really feel grateful for you two.¡± With the addition of Master Yang and Yu Zhi, there would be two more helping hands.

    Yu Zhi smiled and waved his hand, ¡°No need to be so polite. Besides, by going to the northwest, I can meet my Third Senior Brother by chance.¡±

    Yuxi knew that Yu Zhi had said this on purpose, and she decided not to expose his lies. ¡°I remember that you two have a good friendship. If there is anything I can do to help in the future, just ask. As long as I can do it, I will definitely do it.¡±

    Yu Zhiughed, ¡°You are acting too serious, Fourth Miss.¡±

    Zijin gave Yu Zhi a nk look and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be polite to him, Miss. It¡¯s enough for us just to provide them with delicious foods and tasty drinks.¡±

    Yuxi felt that Zijin¡¯s tone was weird! When she saw that Yu Zhi was only smiling nervously and didn¡¯t refute, she turned her mind around and said with a smile, ¡°Zijin, you can stay with Yu Zhi and talk to him. I¡¯ll go back first.¡±

    It was about two-quarters of an hourter that Zijin finally came back. When Yuxi noticed Zijin looking magnanimous, she felt that she must have been overthinking just now.

 Chapter 302 - Difficult Journey (1)

    Chapter 302 : Difficult Journey (1)

    The next day when they went on their way, there was an extra old man and a young man in the convoy. Since the man in the lead didn¡¯t say anything, naturally, the others didn¡¯t ask too many questions.

    After travelling for half a day, Master Yang had a suggestion and told Han Ji, ¡°When we get to the next ce, go and buy another carriage! This carriage is too bumpy for my old bones.¡±

    Yuxi had already instructed Han Ji to meet whatever Master Yang¡¯s request was, so Han Ji just smiled and said, ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll buy a carriage when we get to the next ce.¡±

    It was just good that their next resting ce was a county town. Han Ji exined to Chief Huang and took Master Yang and Yu Zhi to buy a carriage.

    It ended up costing over a hundred taels of silver to buy a carriage, but the good thing was that Master Yang and Yu Zhi could drive the carriage on their own and did not need to add an extra coachman. In addition, Master Yang also asked Han Ji to buy more easy-to-carry meat and vegetables. After Han Ji had purchased them all, Master Yang asked him to put them in his carriage. The others didn¡¯t have a problem with this, as the master was willing to pay for it, and it didn¡¯t dy their journey, so they simply didn¡¯t talk too much about it.

    Sitting in the carriage, Master Yang said to Yu Zhi with a sigh of relief, ¡°This girl is truly good at what she does!¡± The hand that took others¡¯ possessions was shortened, and the mouth that ate others¡¯ food was softened. She let them spend her money as they pleased, but then she would ask them to put forth their strength protecting her!

    Yu Zhi said with a smile, ¡°Master, I genuinely think Miss Han is quite nice. Look at how she treats Zijin. She doesn¡¯t act like she is her master at all, but treat her more like a sister.¡± Zijin had spoken so nonchntly just now, and Fourth Miss Han had not uttered a word of rebuttal.

    Master Yang smiled a little. ¡°If not, how could that Zijin girl be so devoted to her like that.¡± Even when Zijin had a promising future, she wouldn¡¯t even want it. She was dead set on following the Han girl but having seen that Han girl himself today, she was undeniably not a simple one.

    The first road was still good for them to move on, and there were still people around, so it was easy to find amodation. However, after travelling for half a month, the road worsened.

    The road was bumpy, but the most important thing was that they couldn¡¯t find a ce to stay and had to sleep outside at night. That night, everyone had to sleep outside.

    When it was dark, Chief Huang called out in a loud voice, ¡°Everyone stop. We will rest here tonight.¡±

    When Yuxi got out of the carriage, she saw Chief Huang and a few other armed escorts carrying out something unknown to her from one of the carts and couldn¡¯t help but ask Zijin, ¡°What is that?¡±

    Zijin shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    Master Yang stuck his head out of the carriage, took a look and said, ¡°That is a rain tarp. With that, you can build a simple shed so that you can sleep at night without fear of the wind and rain. You truly are a youngdy who has never left her home. You don¡¯t even know what a rain tarp is.¡±

    Yuxi wasn¡¯t embarrassed at all. ¡°It¡¯s surely a learning experience.¡±

    Some people erected overnight shelters, with others unloading some nks from carriages. Other people went to collect stones to build the cookstove, and some went to collect firewood. None of them was idle anyway.

    As Yuxi watched, she turned towards Mama Qu and a few others who had gotten off their carriages and instructed, ¡°All go over and help.¡± They couldn¡¯t do the heavy work, but they could still help with the cooking.

    Mama Qu went up to the armed escort building the stove and told him that he could leave the cooking to them. The man couldn¡¯t wait to get out of this job, so he agreed.

    An armed escort named Da Mao watched as Mama Qu and the others went to wash the pots and pans and asked, ¡°Can thesedies do it? They better not let us wait, and then they end up snivelling in the end.¡± Cooking outside was not the same as cooking at home.

    Chief Huang said, ¡°Whether they are capable or not, we¡¯ll knowter.¡± Even if they weren¡¯t capable, their attitude was still outstanding. At least they weren¡¯t just waiting around to eat.

    Those whom Yuxi chose were not the kind of people who were too dainty to suffer. They washed pots and vegetables and even rinsed rice for cooking without a singleint.

    Master Yang looked at the group of busy women and nodded his head, ¡°This girl¡­¡­¡± He initially thought that only Zijin was so devoted to Yuxi. He did not expect all the people around her had been so well-trained and obedient.

    In addition to Mama Qu, there were two more mamas, with one surnamed Bai and the other Xi. Mama Bai was twenty-three, and Mama Xi was thirty-five years old. Mama Bai was a good cook, but she was not from the residence and was bought outside. As for Mama Xi, she was good at serving pregnant women and children, Qiu Shi¡¯s preparation for Yuxi¡¯s future childbirth.

    Since Mama Bai knew how to cook, she was the one who did the cooking, and the others worked as her assistants. However, Mama Bai did not need to cook because everyone had dry food in their hands, so all she had to do was prepare a pot of soup and let everyone eat it with their dry food.

    Seeing this situation, Zisu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Miss, what are we going to eat then? Do we eat dry food too?¡± The steamed buns and bean cakes were as hard as rocks, so it was hard to bite into them. She didn¡¯t mind, but she was worried that her Miss wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it.

    Yuxi smiled and asked back, ¡°If everyone can eat them, why can¡¯t we?¡±

    Zijin said, ¡°Miss, isn¡¯t there a small pot? We can just cook and stir-fry our own food.¡± There was no need to suffer along with them. They were all grown-ups and were used to eating dry food to satisfy their hunger, but Miss had never suffered like this. Thus, she would not be able to endure it for long.

    Yuxi thought for a moment, tomorrow morning, they had to travel early. Hence, she had to consume dry foods in the morning and afternoon. If she had to continue devouring that kind of food, she honestly couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°Then, we will cook a pot of rice to eat.¡± There was no need to stir-fry dishes or anything since they were not in the suitable condition to do so. It was already very delicious to have a bowl of fragrant rice with two pieces of bacon.

    When the rice was ready, Yuxi had someone send two bowls of it to Master Yang and Yu Zhi. These two were her guests, and she could not afford to neglect them.

    The others did not object to Yuxi¡¯s move. Well, these women, for sure, could notpete with them, the experienced older men. Besides, Mama Bai¡¯s soup was tastier than their own, which was an unexpected pleasure.

    When she finished eating, Zisu whispered, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t you need to clean yourself?¡±

    Yuxi was not used to it either. She had to bathe every day before she went to bed, but there was no ce to clean herself now that she had to stay outside. ¡°Since we¡¯re staying outside tonight, let¡¯s hold on for now. We¡¯ll wash when we get to an inn!¡± As they were in the middle of nowhere, there was no need to pay particr attention to it.

    When it reached xushi, everyone went to bed.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t sleep in the small shed that had especially been built for her but slept directly on the carriage. Although the shed provided shelter from the wind and rain, it was very basic and not as good as inside the carriage! At night, the three of them slept squeezed inside, which was a bit cramped but warmer, particrly in the cold of the night.

    In the middle of the night, Yuxi was awakened by wild animal crying, and just then, a weeping sound came from the carriage behind her. Hearing the sound of someone crying in the middle of the night was rather horrifying.

    Zijin pressed on Yuxi¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll go out and take a look.¡± After saying that, she put on her outer coat, pushed open the carriage door and walked out. [T/C]

    The cold wind poured in, and even as she huddled under the nket, Yuxi still shivered. Zijin came back after a short while, and by this time, the crying was gone. [+]

    Yuxi asked softly, ¡°Did someone cry from fear?¡± Apart from Tian Ju, the other maids who had followed her out had never suffered before. Even though all of them hadn¡¯t cried out of pain and tiredness on this journey, it hadn¡¯t been easy for them to make it this far.

    Zijin answered, ¡°They did. But I¡¯ve told them that they should not affect others even if they are scared. We all have to travel early in the morning! Don¡¯t worry, Miss. This is a process they have to get through. They will have to get used to it.¡± Just think of this as an experience. It was good to let the maids experience more.

    The next day, before dawn, Mama Qu got up to cook breakfast. The breakfast was just a pot of congee with some dried vegetables and minced meat.

    On Yuxi¡¯s side, a small stove was opened as usual. It didn¡¯t matter if the grown-ups ate poorly, but the few maids who came with her had eaten and drank well every day at the residence, so if they ate these poor things every day, they wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it. Therefore, Yuxi put red dates and dried longan to the congee.

    Yuxi looked at her maids, who looked a bit haggard and urged, ¡°You must eat even if you have no appetite. There will be no cooked food to eat at noon, so if you don¡¯t eat now, you will have to wait until evening.¡±

    These maids, except for Tian Ju, were all eating and shedding tears at the same time. Zisu was angry when she looked at their actions. ¡°Why are you crying? Why are you crying when Miss does not even cry? Or do you think you are more delicate than Miss?¡± Miss hadn¡¯t said a word ofint from yesterday until today, but these people were crying all the time until it was ufortable to hear. These days, Zisu also suffered a lot. When she left home, she had a small day, which was very ufortable, and lying in the carriage was unbearable. But the only thing that she was d for was that she had a ce to sleep at night for a few days at least, unlikest night when they had to sleep out in the open in the middle of nowhere.

    Yuxi did not reprimand her but said instead, ¡°Hurry up and eat. You still have to wash the pots and pans afterwards! If you didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday, you can catch up on your sleep in the carriage today.¡± The journey was just a little harder now, but if they had encountered bandits, there was no telling what would have happened!

    Thinking of this, Yuxi couldn¡¯t help whisper to Zijin, ¡°Do you think there¡¯s something wrong with me?¡± Everyone else was scared like hell, but she was not scared at all.

    Zijin asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Could it be that Miss is not feeling well?¡± Zijin had known that Yuxi was courageous. Therefore, she didn¡¯t think there was anything unusual about her.

    When Yuxi heard the same answer from Zisu, she was relieved.

    The next afternoon, the group passed by a vige. Yuxi saw that Chief Huang did not let everyone stop, and after thinking for a while, she spoke with Luo Shuigui, ¡°Uncle Luo, you should ask someone to go to the vige to buy some fresh vegetables, some chicken, duck and oil. It is also good to fry some dishes to eat in the evening.¡± She couldn¡¯t bear to eat and drink dried meat congee all the time.

    Luo Shuigui had no objection and immediately called for someone to go to the vige to buy food. After hearing this, Chief Huang called for Da Mao. ¡°You follow them to the vige to buy food.¡± Chief Huang thought that Yuxi would ask to stay in the vige tonight! Unexpectedly, the other party just asked the men to go shopping and did not make any further requests.

    For this action of hers, Chief Huang was still satisfied. It was not that he was unkind, but it was just past noon, and if they had to stay there overnight, their journey would be dyed for another afternoon. These days were sunny, and the roads were good, so naturally, they could walk a bit more, but they wouldn¡¯t be so lucky when it started to rain.

 Chapter 303 - : Difficult Journey (2)

    Chapter 303 : Difficult Journey (2)

    Half an hourter, Luo Shuigui said to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, we¡¯ve bought everything. I bought two hens and four ducks.¡± There were also many different kinds of vegetables, including cabbage, pumpkins, eggnts and radishes, plus a jar ofrd.

    When Yuxi heard him say that there were pumpkins, she smilingly said, ¡°We can have pumpkin congee tomorrow morning.¡± If they had to eat meat congee every day, they would suffer from excessive internal heat.

    It was getting dark, and Yuxi hadn¡¯t heard Chief Huang say anything about resting. She was a bit surprised and called for Chief Huang. ¡°Why can¡¯t we stop at any of these ces?¡±

    Chief Huang said, ¡°We need water to cook, so we have to find a ce with water to rest our feet.¡±

    Yuxi suddenly realised that one couldn¡¯t just stop anywhere to rest. One must find a ce with a water supply. Well, she wouldn¡¯t know what she should be doing until she went out of her home!

    When it was about to get dark, the group found a pool of water next to the road. Chief Huang decided to stay there for the night.

    Once they stopped, everyone got busy, even the youngest Tian Ju, working for Mama Bai. Yuxi didn¡¯t stay idle either, asking someone to open a box and take out angelica root and wolfberries from it to make chicken soup.

    Mama Bai¡¯s movements were swift, as the rice was almost cooked on one side, the dishes were stir-fried on the other. There were three small pots of fried cabbage, fried bacon with eggnts and braised duck. Although each person only got a small share, they all ate well.

    After eating, Da Mao couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I thought bringing a few girls with us was a burden, but I didn¡¯t expect them to have this kind of skill!¡± The food was just like the restaurant they always went to!

    Another one of his colleagues asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t there any movements from those who cook the two chickens?¡±

    Da Mao pped the man on the head and admonished, ¡°They must have saved them for themselves! She¡¯s a delicate girl, so she has to give herself a tonic.¡± The most important thing was that those chickens were other people¡¯s purchases.

    It would take a long time to boil a chicken soup, so it would not be possible to drink it at night. Hence, Yuxi would ask Mama Bai to stew the two chickens for one night, and the vour would be strong enough to drink the next day.

    The idea was good, but Master Yang made fun of it. ¡°If you¡¯re going to stew these chicken, it will smell so good that those old men unable to sleep. How will they have the energy to rush tomorrow? Why don¡¯t you just boil it today and let everyone have a bowl so that they can sleep afterwards?¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little and said, ¡°It was my poor consideration.¡± At that moment, she changed her mind and asked Mama Bai to boil the chickens into a soup and give it to everyone when it was ready.

    Chief Huang was the first to drink it, and looking at the ck object floating in the soup, he asked Yuxi, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s in it?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I put angelica root and wolfberry in it. Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re good for your health.¡±

    A bowl of a hot soup made the whole body feel much better. Chief Huang said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your trouble.¡± It was not that they had never escorted thedies fromrge families before. But thosedies had either wept endlessly orined about feeling unwell and ufortable here and there, which dyed their journey and gave headaches to the armed escorts. The Fourth Miss Han was a good one. Not only did she not cause any trouble, but she also helped out a lot, which made her quite special.

    Yuxi smiled a little and said, ¡°This is what I should do. Tell your brothers to get up and have some of the soup! If they¡¯rete, there won¡¯t be any left.¡± There were so many people and so little soup that each one of them could only have a small bowl. But because of the herbs, everyone said it was good after they drank it.

    When it was all done, it was already very dark. Yuxi didn¡¯t mind the dy in sleeping, but the men had to sleep, as they had to drive and ride the horses during the day. She could just catch up on her sleep in the carriage during that time.

    Mama Bai came over and gave Yuxi a bowl of chicken soup she had hidden. ¡°Miss, you can have this soup in the morning!¡± Mama Bai was also an unfortunate person. She had been married to her husband for five years without having any children. Because of this, she was extremely disliked by her mother-inw and husband. Her husband eventually divorced her and remarried. As a divorced woman, she was also shunned by her natal family.

    Her eldest brother wanted to sell her to a butcher in his forties, who had beaten his two wives to death. If she were sold to the butcher, she would die. She had to sneak away from her natal house in secret to find a job, but it was difficult for a woman to find one. In the end, it was Mama Fang who took pity on her and let her work for a living in her small shop. Mama Bai has been with Mama Fang for three years. After three years of work, she was able to make baozi and mantou and also perfected her cooking skills. When Mama Fang found out that Yuxi was looking for a cook but could not find one, she thought that Mama Bai¡¯s qualifications were just right and asked for Mama Bai¡¯s opinion. Knowing Yuxi¡¯s identity, she agreed without even thinking about it. If she didn¡¯t go to such a generous master, she wouldn¡¯t be able to find another one as good as her.

    The most important things Yuxi looked at in a cook were clean family background and reliability. Although she trusted Mama Fang, she still asked someone to inquire carefully and saw that Mama Bai was not far from what Fang had said. Besides, Mama Bai was truly good at cooking and not too old, so Yuxi asked her to stay.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m already full. Try to ask Tian Ju and let them share it. It has been hard for them all this time.¡± The daytime rush was already tiring, but they still had to help with the work, so it was naturally hard.

    Mama Bai nodded at these words and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go now.¡±

    Because of the chicken soup, the group sleptte that night. The next day before dawn, Mama Bai got up again to prepare congee, but she was already used to doing this; hence, she had noints. Hearing Yuxi¡¯s words yesterday, she added pumpkin to the congee this morning.

    While on Yuxi¡¯s side, Yuxi made arge pot of red date porridge and reserved some in a small pot for lunch. It was a real ordeal to eat those cakes that looked like stones.

    After three days of sleeping out in the open, the travellers finally arrived at an inn on the fourth day. It was the first time that Yuxi had not taken a bath for four days straight, so the first thing she did when she was at the inn was to take a hot bath.

    When Yuxi had eaten and drunk enough, she wrote under themp. Zijin asked curiously, ¡°Miss, what are you writing?¡±

    Yuxi smiled as she replied, ¡°I¡¯m writing down everything I¡¯ve seen and heard on the way, so when I get to the northwest, I¡¯ll write them down for Mother.¡± Only when she left home did she realise that she was so poorly informed that she didn¡¯t know anything about the outside world. [+]

    At this moment, there was a knock on the door. After opening the door, Zijin opened it, turned to Yuxi and said, ¡°Miss, Master Yang is calling me. I will be back.¡± She was not worried about Yuxi¡¯s safety, as there were the Lu family¡¯s bodyguards staying just next door.

    It was an hourter that Zijin returned. Yuxi saw her looking grave and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What did Master Yang say to you?¡±

    Zijin shook her head and said, ¡°Nothing. Miss, it¡¯s veryte, we still have to rush tomorrow. You should go to bed early!¡± Zisu was already asleep.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to sleep now.¡±

    In the middle of the night, there was amotion outside. Yuxi was busy getting up and was just about to light themp. Zijin leapt up from the bed, grabbed Yuxi¡¯s hand and warned, ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t light themp.¡± After giving out this warning, Zijin exined, ¡°If you light themp, we might be a target for those thieves.¡±

    Luo Shuigui and his party were only responsible for Yuxi¡¯s safety. They would not bother with the chaos outside. After a while, Han Ji called from outside. Only then did Zijin light themp and open the door.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°What happened just now?¡±

    Han Ji answered, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, just that there were some petty thieves who wanted to steal something, and they had already been arrested. I¡¯m afraid Miss would be worried, so I¡¯m reporting the situation to Miss.¡± Although the armed escorts didn¡¯t know what was in Yuxi¡¯s box, they knew the items must be precious without making any guesses. Therefore, even if they were staying at the inn, there would still be people on a night watch.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡±So it was like this! Okay, I know. You should also withdraw and have a rest!¡± Yuxi knew that the journey would not be peaceful, and it was lucky that she had not encountered anything in the past half month.

    Having been prepared for this, she was not frightened. Shey back down on her bed and soon fell asleep. The next day, she woke up before dawn.

    When she had finished eating, the carriage was all loaded and ready for her toe down and leave.

    As soon as she stepped out of the inn, she saw two children aged about ten dashed out from the side. The two children were dressed in rags and were frighteningly thin. But before they could get close to Yuxi, they were stopped by Luo Shuigui.

    The two children knelt on the ground and asked for money. ¡°Miss, we haven¡¯t eaten for two days. Please give us something to eat!¡±

    Da Mao wanted to go forward but was stopped by Chief Huang. ¡°Let¡¯s see what Miss Han will do with them?¡±

    Yuxi looked at the two children. They had an unwashed appearance and were still wearing thin clothes when it was already the second lunar month, looking so pitiful. After inspecting the two children, Yuxi said to Luo Shuigui beside her, ¡°Uncle Luo, please ask someone to go to the inn and get some food for these two children!¡± If she had been in the capital, she would have dared to give them some money. But out here, it was better to be careful.

    Luo Shuigui told one of the men beside him to do it.

    Da Mao was amazed. ¡°I thought she would give them money?¡± He remembered that they had once escorted a wife of an official, who also saw some children begging for food. When she took pity on them, she had a table of good food served to them and gave those children two taels of silver each. As a result, they encountered many people with the same concerns on their journey, which added a lot of trouble to the armed escorts for nothing.

    Chief Huang: ¡°Don¡¯t think so much, hurry to work!¡±

    After travelling for a while, Yuxi asked Zijin, ¡°What did Master Yang say to youst night? Tell me straight! So that I know the score.¡±

    Seeing that Yuxi had asked, Zijin didn¡¯t hide anything from her. ¡°Master said that the bandits on the road we are walking now are all small-time bandits. With so many people in our convoy, these people wouldn¡¯t dare to make a move. But if we go a little further, we will enter Shanxi territory. There are a lot of bandits there. We should not be afraid of the small bandit groups, but we should be afraid of horse thieves. In addition, there is a group of bandits on the border between Shanxi and Shaanxi, located in Menghu Mountain. It was rumoured that there are several thousand of them.¡±

    Hearing that several thousand bandits had gathered at Menghu Mountain, Yuxi was frightened. She had always known that there were bandits before, but she did not know that there would be such arge group. Hearing this, Yuxi was a bit scared inside, not to mention Zisu, who was by her side. Zisu asked nervously, ¡°Miss, what should we do then?¡±

    Yuxi weighed the information in her heart and asked, ¡°What else did Master Yang say?¡±

    Zijin continued, ¡°Master Yang said that although we don¡¯t have a lot of things since we only have twelve carriages with us, if people knew your identity, it would attract horse thieves and that group of bandits from Menghu Mountain.¡± The young miss from the Duke of the State¡¯s residence would be married off to the northwest, and she would surelye with dowries. By hearing this news, one would know that this convoy was a fat sheep.

    Yuxi pondered for a moment and then asked again, ¡°What else did Master Yang say?¡±

    Zijin shook her head and said, ¡°Nothing more.¡± Master Yang only mentioned the bandits within the Shanxi border. He had not yet informed her regarding the bandits much ahead!

    Yuxi said, ¡°I¡¯ll go ask Chief Huang tonight and see what he says.¡± With thousands of bandits, having to fight them hard was definitely out of the question. She only hoped that Chief Huang had a much better idea.

 Chapter 304 - Chapter 304 :

    Chapter 304 : Difficult Journey (3)

    As luck would have it, the group passed by a small vige just as the sun was setting, so they stayed in a farmhouse.

    There was no need for Yuxi to worry about buying food and cooking. At that moment, she asked Chief Huang toe and ask him about the horse thieves and the bandits from Menghu Mountain.

    Chief Huang froze for a moment and asked, ¡°Who told you this?¡± He had instructed his subordinates, Luo Shuigui and the others, not to tell Yuxi about these things because he feared that Yuxi would be afraid if she knew about it. Once that happened, something could easily go wrong.

    Yuxi stated, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who told me. I just want to know if Chief Huang already has a countermeasure?¡±

    Seeing that Yuxi was not rmed, Chief Huang nodded and said, ¡°There is no need to worry about the bandits from Menghu Mountain. The only thing we have to watch out for is the horse thieves, but there are so many of us that there is no need for us to be afraid of them.¡± As to why they didn¡¯t have to worry about the horse thieves, Chief Huang did not borate.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°How many horse thieves are there in general?¡± Of the twenty or so people who came from the State Residence, apart from a few people like Tian Yang, who was rtively young, all the others had martial arts background. Even if they could not kill the enemy, they could at least hold them back. As for the women, they were automatically ignored by Yuxi.

    Chief Huang answered, ¡°The most are over a hundred, but so many people will not go out unless it is a big business. The average horse thief is like 30 or 40 people. But these horse thieves are very fierce. They kill people without even blinking their eyes, so we have to be careful and watch out for them.¡± Looking at the group of people escorting Yuxi, he knew that these people had seen blood. Thus, Chief Huang didn¡¯t worry too much.

    When they returned, Yuxi muttered to Zijin, asking, ¡°Why do you think this Chief Huang said he didn¡¯t have to worry about the group of bandits from Menghu Mountain? Do they know each other?¡±

    Zijin shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. But people who have always travelled on escorting trips know a lot of people from all over the world, and it¡¯s not unusual for them to have friendships with bandits.¡±

    Yuxi was silent.

    Master Yang¡¯s words had caused Yuxi to be on high alert. After dinner, Yuxi called both Chief Huang and Han Ji, and of course, Luo Shuigui.

    Yuxi asked Chief Huang, asking, ¡°If we run into horse thieves, what should we do then?¡±

    Han Ji was the one who would do whatever Yuxi said. Luo Shuigui and Chief Huang looked at each other, and in the end, it was Luo Shuigui who said, ¡°There is no harm in saying what Miss has to say.¡±

    Chief Huang didn¡¯t hesitate and nodded along.

    Yuxi did not have a particr n, but she felt that she should be alerted to this matter. ¡°Look, there are seventy-six of us. Excluding the nine women and the four younger ones, there are still sixty-three of us. If you encounter horse thieves and others who are not easy to deal with, can the sixty-three of you work closely together?¡±

    Luo Shuigui stated, ¡°Miss, I am mainly here to protect you.¡±

    Yuxi waved her hand and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about my safety. The main thing to consider now is how to deal with horse thieves if we encounter them.¡± With Master Yang and Yu Zhi, plus Zijin, Yuxi was not worried about her safety. So, what should be considered right now was how to preserve their belongings. Other things were fine, but the herbs and jewellery had to be kept.

    Luo Shuigui was not a fool and knew what Yuxi meant. One should not be fooled by Master Yang, who has been drinking and humming a little tune all the way here. This person had deeply hidden his actual skill! With these two people protecting Yuxi, there was no need for Luo Shuigui to worry. Thinking of this, Luo Shuigui also stopped hesitating and said, ¡°We are not afraid of the small group of horse thieves. We just have to be wary when it is a group of fifty to sixty or more thieves.¡± There were more than forty of them who could fight, and if twenty or thirty horse thieves dared toe, those thieves would have no chance to return.

    Chief Huang also had this worry.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Uncle Luo, you are the one who killed the Donghu people in Liaodong with Second Lord Lu. I think that killing Donghu people is simr to killing horse thieves. If wee across arge group of horse thieves, what should we do when that timees?¡±

    As soon as Chief Huang heard that Luo Shuigui had killed the Donghu people, he looked at Luo Shuigui. The horse thieves had one thing inmon with the Donghu people. They both fought on horseback. The only thing was that the Donghu were all very good at riding, shooting and fierce in battle, several times better than the horse thieves.

    Afterwards, the only voices heard in the room belonged to Luo Shuigui and Chief Huang. Luo Shuigui would talk about the n to fight the horse bandits, and Chief Huang would add something in between that Luo Shuigui had overlooked. There was still a difference between the horse thieves and the Donghu people, and Chief Huang had experienced in fighting the horse thieves. The two men kept discussing their ns and making amendments.

    Yuxi listened with great relish, having read books on warfare previously, which were merely military tactics on paper. Now that she had heard the real battle n, she realised the gap between reading and the real thing.

    As for Han Ji, he was listening with starry-eyed. He didn¡¯t understand a single word about the vanguard, bringing up the rear and attack by ambushing. He was ayman when it came to warfare.

    After Luo Shuigui finished his discussion with Chief Huang, he saw Yuxi¡¯s eyes shining brightly and asked, ¡°Does Miss understand our words?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t understand much.¡± Where couldn¡¯t she understand it? It couldn¡¯t even be any clearer. It was just that Yuxi did not want to show off too much.

    Luo Shuigui¡¯s heart was relieved. This was only normal. It would be too scary if she even knew the art of war, and it was not something a young girl should know.

    What Yuxi didn¡¯t expect was that Luo Shuigui would take the group for a drill next! ording to his intention, if they rehearsed, they wouldn¡¯t be too flustered when the horse thieves appeared.

    Because it was sunny for most of the month, it went a lot faster than Chief Huang had nned for. Unfortunately, before they could be happy for too long, raindrops started to fall from the sky.

    When Yuxi saw that it was raining, she called Chief Huang and asked, ¡°How long will it be before the next town?¡± The roads were not easy for the horses to walk on when it rained, and their journey would be slow and unsafe.

    Chief Huang said, ¡°Originally, we are supposed to reach Baiqiao Town tomorrow afternoon, but now that it¡¯s raining, I estimate we¡¯ll be there the day after tomorrow.¡± If it rained, the road would not be good, and it would be hard for people to walk fast.

    The more it rained, the heavier it got. If it had been in the capital, Yuxi would have said that spring rain was as expensive as oil when she saw the rain. But now, Yuxi was worried about the rain. If it continued to rain, it would affect their journey. And they would have to travel in the rain all day tomorrow.

    Zijin spoke with relief, ¡°Miss, we¡¯ve been fortunate. We¡¯ve been out for twenty days before it starts to rain.¡± Everyone else said that her Miss was unlucky, but Zijin thought her Miss could not be any luckier.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I hope it will stop raining tomorrow.¡±

    A night without rain was already hard enough, but with rain pouring down was even harder. Before it got dark, Chief Huang stopped the caravan. Once it stopped, the men had a tough time building the shed in the rain.

    You couldn¡¯t cook outside in the rain. Chief Huang let the pots be ced under the shed and let Mama Bai prepare the food there. Yuxi was very surprised. ¡°How will you sleepter if we cook here?¡± There would be ashes all over the ce, so how could they sleep?

    Chief Huang replied, ¡°Justy the nks on top, and it will be fine.¡± There was no need to be so fussy when one was away from home.

    Yuxi was silent for a moment and let Mama Bai go and wash the pot while she ran to the carriage and rummaged through a packet of herbs. Because it was too slow to cook using only one pot, she bought another one from the town they had stopped by before. This would free up a pot to boil the medicine. Yuxi didn¡¯t do it herself. She let Mama Qu do it while she watched. It wasn¡¯t that Yuxi didn¡¯t want to do it herself, but the people next to her wouldn¡¯t let her.

    Chief Huang looked at the big pot of ck stuff and asked, ¡°What is this?¡± She must not have made it for them to drink. Even the smell already made him want to vomit.

    Yuxi exined, ¡°This is the medicine I boiled. Each of you should drink a bowl. It will prevent you from catching a cold.¡± These were the herbs she had specially prepared just for use on rainy days.

    Chief Huang looked at Yuxi with suspicion in his eyes. ¡°You know how to heal others?¡± No one who did not know the art of healing would dare to boil medicine for other people to drink.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I have studied pharmacology with my momo for a while.¡± She did not dare to treat major illnesses, but she could still know how to prevent others from catching a cold.

    Chief Huang asked, ¡°Then what did you put in this?¡±

    Ginger Syrup made with ginger and brown sugar

    Image Credit | éÙ×ÓÏãÎ¶ via Xiangha

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Huoxiang, with a few herbs added on top of that. The smell is rather unpleasant and hard to drink, but it can prevent cold and is very effective.¡± The conditions here were rustic. If they were at home, they would have used ginger syrup. [+]

    Zisu said grumpily, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to drink it, then just forget about it.¡± After saying that, she went to call Tian Ju, Shiliu and the others came over to drink the medicine. [T/C]

    Chief Huang was a bit embarrassed as he said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have theme over to drink itter.¡± Yuxi had never interacted with the other armed escorts. She always looked for Chief Huang if something happened.

    Luo Shuigui did not squirm like Chief Huang. he simply made each of his men drink a bowl of the bitter medicine with him. This kind of medicine, if you drank it, would not have any side effects, but you would only suffer the bitterness for a while. If it worked, you would benefit from it.

    Originally, one pot of medicine was not enough, but the armed escort people could not trust Yuxi and half of them were unwilling to drink it. Those who were willing to drink it were just trying it out. Seeing this oue, Yuxi did not force the issue. She also did it just in case, as these people were in good health and might not catch a cold even if they got wet.

    Unfortunately, two of the armed escorts came down with fever during the night. The most fearful thing about escorting was getting sick halfway through the journey, but usually, the customers got ill more often than their own people.

    Da Mao said, ¡°Chief, doesn¡¯t that Han girl know how to heal? It¡¯s better to let her take a look rather than to let Qiangzi and the others endure it with all their will.¡± Da Mao was also a bit annoyed. He should have persuaded them to drink the bitter medicinest night, and they wouldn¡¯t be in this current condition right now.

    Although Chief Huang felt ashamed, he still toughened his scalp and went to look for Yuxi to ask for her help.

    When Yuxi heard someone had a fever, she hurriedly put on her coat and climbed down from her carriage. Even though it was the end of the second lunar month, it was still cold. Zijin put on the satin and green overcoat she had left in the carriage to use as a nket. Zisu was left in the carriage by Yuxi. Zisu could not help much even if she came with her.

    When Luo Shuigui heard themotion, he also got up. Knowing that someone from the armed escorts was sick, he didn¡¯t say much and just followed Yuxi.

    When Yuxi looked at the two men¡¯s symptoms, she knew that the rain had triggered the fever. She went back to the carriage and rummaged around for a bit, then took two pills from it and asked Mama Qu, who had followed them, to boil them.

    A thin armed escort saw this and questioned, ¡°How can you prescribe medicine when you don¡¯t even check Qiangzi¡¯s pulse? What if it¡¯s not right for him?¡±

    Yuxi nced at the man, then said to Chief Huang, ¡°Both of them have high fever triggered by the cold. These medicines had been prepared before I started my journey, in case it rained and I had fevers because of the cold. If the Chief doesn¡¯t trust me, you may not let them use the medicine.¡±

    A little embarrassed, Chief Huang said, ¡°Thank you very much, Miss.¡±

    When Yuxi had gone away, Da Mao pped the man who had just spoken on the head, ¡°I say, Houzi, are you out of your mind? How dare you say such things?¡±

    Houzi felt very wrong and argued, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything wrong.¡±

    Chief Huang looked at Houzi helplessly and said, ¡°You are right, but Miss Han is not a physician. She is just here to help. A rich family like hers pay particr attention to the teaching that men and women should not touch hands when they give or receive things. How could you even ask her to take Qiangzi¡¯s pulse?¡± Taking a pulse required physical contact, which people from Yuxi¡¯s kind of background were definitely unwilling to do.

    After drinking the medicine, the fever of the two armed escorts, with one of them called Qiangzi, went down that night. The following day they got up and drank the medicine again, and with a little more rest, they recovered as they were before. Of course, the fact that the treatment worked so quickly was part of the reason, and another part was that all these men had excellent health in the first ce.

    Yuxi said to Chief Huang, ¡°The two of them are not fully recovered yet, and it is still raining outside. I have already asked someone to vacate a carriage. You can let them take it. It is also a good time for them to rest so that they can get better faster.¡±

    Chief Huang wasn¡¯t an unreasonable person either. The two sick men were just getting better, and they had just told him that they were still weak and had little energy. If they could rest in the carriage, it would naturally be good. At that moment, he sped his hands together and thanked her sincerely, ¡°Thank you, Miss Han.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°There are many inconveniences when we are away from home, so we can only rely on and take care of each other.¡± Although she had paid them for their services, it would be troublesome if some did not do their best.

    Master Yang took it all in and couldn¡¯t help butment, ¡°This girl truly has a talent.¡± It¡¯s just a pity that she was born with the wrong gender. If she had been a boy, she would have made a career out of it, but unfortunately, she was a girl.

    Yu Zhi disagreed with this and said, ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong with her being a girl? As long as she has the will, she can still make a career out of it.¡±

    Master Yang snorted coldly and said, ¡°What do you know? If you are a girl, you have to get married, and when you get married, you have to give birth to children and take care of the household. So what else can you do?¡± Like Han Yuxi, no matter how powerful she was when she married Yun Qing, she would have to stay in her piece of 1.3 mund in the backyard; eventer when Yun Qing would have a young concubine and she had to fight with that concubine all day long. These kinds of things were what she had to take care of a lot.

    Yu Zhi smiled cheerfully. ¡°Didn¡¯t Master say back then that Master wouldn¡¯t take Zijin Meimei as Master¡¯s disciple, but hasn¡¯t Master changed Master¡¯s mind right now too?¡± So what Master said was not always correct.

    Master Yang was nearly choked to death. He murmured to himself, what kind of apprentice have you taken? He was angry with himself for epting such an apprentice. He wouldn¡¯t have received half of the disciples that year if he had known.

    It was a good thing it wasn¡¯t raining heavily that day, as it was only light rain. But eating dry food and drinking cold water in the cold wind was a real torment. By this time, Yuxi could not help but mutter, ¡°Fortunately, the people selected that day were all in good health.¡± Otherwise, they probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to carry the burden.

    Zijinughed, but the most crucial thing for was Miss herself. Everyone else was secondary.

    By the time the night was over, the rain had stopped. But that wasn¡¯t all, as Chief Huang took the initiative to ask Yuxi to boil them medicine to drink. Drinking the medication would be more reassuring, and he didn¡¯t want two more sick people.

    Yuxi smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

 Chapter 305 - Bandits (1)

    Chapter 305 : Bandits (1)

    At the beginning of spring in the third lunar month, the sun shone brightly, warming the body.

    While sitting in the carriage, Yuxi mumbled, ¡°It would have been nice if this weather could be like this every day.¡± They had already travelled more than a third of the way, and it had rained twice in their journey. Both times it rained, they were people who got colds and went down with a fever, so the herbs Yuxi had prepared came in handy.

    Zijin said with a smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t Miss hear Chief Huang say that rain usually falls for a few days in a month? With our condition, we can be considered as lucky.¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little, ¡°The weather is getting warmer and warmer, and we no longer have to worry about eating cold food.¡± Since they could not cook at lunchtime, they had to eat cold food every day. Shiliu and Tian Ju both had diarrhoea, yet the journey could not be dyed. Fortunately, they had prepared a bucket in the carriage, but even so, the maids had to suffer a lot.

    The caravan stopped for a quarter of an hour at lunchtime to eat. After Yuxi had eaten her fill, she said to Zijin, ¡°I want to go down for a walk.¡± She had been in the carriage all this time and started to get suffocated.

    Zijin looked at Yuxi and disagreed, ¡°No. If Miss has to go, then Miss has to change Miss¡¯ clothes.¡± Walking down the road in such nice clothes, the onlookers would surely take a second look.

    A little frustrated, Yuxi said, ¡°Okay then. When we get to the next town, we will go and buy two ordinary clothes.¡± Yuxi was about the same size as Zijin, but their figures differed. Inparison, Yuxi was a little more voluptuous, so she could not wear Zijin¡¯s clothes.

    The two were talking when they suddenly heard an ear-piercing sound of arrows. Before Yuxi could question it, she heard Chief Huang shout, ¡°Horse thieves areing. Everyone gets ready.¡± Chief Huang and his men had brought weapons with them. Some of which were on their carriages and some on their horses.

    Luo Shuigui¡¯s group even had bows and arrows ready, but they were all ced in the carriage and were never taken out regrly.

    Yuxi was also shocked and lifted the curtain to take a look, but there was no one there. At this moment, Luo Shuigui went to the side of her carriage and said to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, you should always stay in the carriage. No matter what happens, nevere out. With us here, we will make sure that you will be alright.¡±

    Hearing these words, Yuxi hurriedly called Mama Qu and several others over. Although Yuxi¡¯s carriage was huge, it would still be challenging to squeeze nine people into it.

    Seeing this condition, Mama Qu suggested, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s too crowded. We¡¯ll take another carriage!¡± In fact, Mama Qu knew that the safest ce was definitely to be with Yuxi.

    Luo Shuigui nced at Yuxi with admiration in his eyes. Yuxi¡¯s standard of training her servants was indeed not ordinary.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Let¡¯s squeeze a little! It will not be scary if we all stay together.¡± When Mama Qu and Mama Bai heard Yuxi¡¯s words, they climbed into the carriage. As soon as they came up, everyone huddled together, and there was no ce for a single person to turn around.

    Soon, the sound of horse hooves could be heard,ing from far away. Zijin looked at Yuxi¡¯s gloomy face and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Miss. It will be fine.¡±

    Yuxi coldly replied, ¡°I am not afraid.¡± She just wanted to go and kill all these horse thieves who had done so much evil. She wanted all of them to die. Back in the day, these horse thieves had killed and burned down the hamlet where she was staying, sparing not even the older people and children. These people deserved to die for their evil deeds.

    When Luo Shuigui heard Yuxi say that she was not afraid, he sighed in his heart. He had never seen a woman with more courage than Miss Han, who was not even scared to face the horse thieves.

    Yuxi lifted the curtain of the carriage and asked, ¡°How many people havee?¡± Yuxi asked this because they also had more than sixty men who could kill the enemy. Besides, they had rehearsed it before and were confident in dealing with them.

    Luo Shuigui said, ¡°There are more than sixty horse thieves.¡± Even though they had rehearsed, Luo Shuigui was still a bit worried.

    Yuxi coldly requested, ¡°If you can, kill them all.¡± It wasn¡¯t enough to kill these people a hundred times as they were all evil people.

    Luo Shuigui looked at Yuxi as if he was looking at a monster. He initially thought that Han Yuxi was just courageous, but he didn¡¯t expect that she would even dare to take another human¡¯s life. But right now, the situation was urgent, and it was not the time to think about that. ¡°We¡¯ll try our best!¡± They would try their best. Even if they couldn¡¯t kill them all, they could still beat those horse thieves away.

    At this time, Master Yang staggered over and said, ¡°You, little girl, truly has a big mouth. How dare you ask them to kill over sixty horse thieves? Do you know that each one of these horse thieves has taken dozens of lives, and they will kill without even blinking their eyes?¡± Horse thieves would not keep anyone alive, except for women, gold and jewellery. It was equivalent to saying that the horse thieves would exterminate everything and everyone else as long as they had taken other people¡¯s money and women.

    Yuxi spoke with an even colder tone in her voice, ¡°Then they deserve to die even more.¡± They should punish such people for killing innocents.

    Hearing these words, Master Yang could not help but give Yuxi a serious look. Seeing that the other party was not frightened and only had anger in her eyes, he was overwhelmingly shocked. In his imagination, Yuxi was the kind of person who was very intelligent but only thought of herself and was selfish. But he did not expect this girl to hate evil deeds as if they were her enemies.

    Yuxi said to Master Yang, ¡°Master Yang, please help.¡±

    This condition was the best time for him to make an offer, but Master Yang could not open his mouth for some reason. Perhaps it was because of the seriousness in Yuxi¡¯s eyes, or maybe it was because of what Yuxi had just said. Anyway, he could not take advantage of the situation, so he just nodded his head as he agreed, ¡°Okay.¡± After saying this, he said to Zijin, ¡°Come down and take this opportunity to practise your skills and see if they have gone rusty or not.¡±

    Yuxi nodded towards Zijin and urged, ¡°You can go! Master Yang and your senior brother are here!¡± There was no harm in letting Zijin have a little more experience as it would not be peaceful when they were in the northwest.

    However, Zijin was reluctant and disagreed, ¡°No, I can¡¯t just leave Miss.¡± Even when they told her to kill the thieves, Zijin was unwilling to do so. She would rather stand guard at the door of the carriage.

    Master Yang, who knew Zijin¡¯s stubborn nature, told Luo Shuigui, ¡°Leave the people on the carriage to us. You should concentrate on dealing with the horse thieves.¡±

    Luo Shuigui had been reminded by Yuxi much earlier, and when he heard Master Yang¡¯s words, he nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Since Master Yang was so sure of himself, they could kill the horse thieves to their hearts¡¯ contentter on. [+]

    As they spoke, the horse thieves had already reached the front of the caravan. Master Yang told Yuxi, ¡°Girl, hurry up and put down the curtain.¡± Seeing that Yuxi did not move, Master Yang felt amused and annoyed at the same time. ¡°You, yourself, are not afraid, but it does not mean that they are not afraid either.¡± This incredibly audacious girl.

    After hearing this urge from Master Yang, although Yuxi was reluctant, she still closed the carriage window and lowered the curtain while Tian Ju and several other maids all huddled into a ball. Seeing this situation, Yuxi advised, ¡°If you are afraid, put your handkerchief or clothes into your mouth and bite them, and never make a soundter.¡±

    Hearing this advice, all of them immediately covered their mouths.

    The horse thieves had been informed that a fat sheep was passing by, so they hurriedly came over. When they reached the caravan, the leader of the horse thieves spoke to Chief Huang, ¡°If you are sensible, you can leave your things and women behind, and I can let you live.¡±

    Chief Huang sneered. ¡°What¡¯s the point of talking so much nonsense? If you have what it takes, just try to grab the thing we¡¯re escorting.¡± There was no use in reasoning with the horse thieves, so there was no need to talk more nonsense with them. At this time, the armed escorts formed a circle ording to what they had rehearsed before. The group of people from the Han family, except those few younger ones, were also holding weapons in their hands, and they were inside the circle. Of course, the one carriage in the middle naturally belonged to Yuxi.

    The leader of the thieves sneered, and without saying a word of nonsense, he directly called out, ¡°Kill.¡± As soon as the words left his mouth, an arrow shot towards him. Immediately afterwards, a dozen more arrows were shot over.

    Luo Shuigui had been on the battlefield and the same for the other eleven men with him. They were all first-ss riders and archers. The bandits¡¯ leader reacted very quickly, but this did not mean that the others were as quick. Seven of them fell off their horses, and three others were wounded.

    Chief Huang shouted, ¡°Go¡­¡­¡±

    However, the thieves¡¯ leader shifted his direction and looked at Luo Shuigui, who held a bow and arrow with a murderous gaze shed in his eye. ¡°Baozi, you guyse with me.¡± He dared to kill so many of his men so he would take care of him first.

    The horse thieves did not fight as Chief Huang Dart Head had expected, and he quickly broke up the formation. The leader of the thieves rushed towards Luo Shuigui¡¯s group with more than twenty men as he looked at Luo Shuigui with a jeer and said, ¡°Today, I will dismantle you into pieces.¡±

    Master Yang looked at Zijin and said, ¡°With your senior brother and me here, we won¡¯t let anything happen to your Miss. You hurry up and help them.¡± With that said, in all the years that Zijin had learnt martial arts, she had yet to kill anyone.

    If Zijin had known what Master Yang was thinking, she would probably have justughed. She had pped a few people to death in the wangfu, and she would even be less gentle with these horse thieves. It was just that she was still worried about Yuxi¡¯s safety and was reluctant to leave the carriage.

    Master Yang said with some annoyance, ¡°Go quickly. These horse thieves have a powerful fighting capacity. If we don¡¯t eliminate them at the fastest possible time, our damage will be enormous when the timees. This is only halfway. What will happen to your Miss and the others for the rest of the journey without these people protecting them?¡±

    Hearing Master Yang¡¯s words, Yuxi quickly called Zijin out, ¡°Zijin, listen to Master Yang¡¯s words.¡± As soon as Yuxi¡¯s words ended, a knife struck the carriage window. The curtains of the car shook and swung up. When Shiliu and Tian Ju looked at the bloodied knife, their eyes rolled back, and they fainted. The others trembled, biting their lips to death and didn¡¯t dare to make any sound.

    A thief saw a group ofdies through the raised curtain of the carriage and at once excitedly called out, ¡°Leader, there are some beauties inside¡­¡­¡± He had just uttered these words when someone cut his head off.

    Master Yang took the knife back into his hand and said with a smile towards Zijin, ¡°Don¡¯t worry now! With me here, no one will get a step closer to the carriage.¡±

    Only then did Zijin leave the carriage and join the fight.

    Just after leaving the carriage, a man shed towards Zijin¡¯s head. Zijin ducked, dodging her opponent¡¯s attack, and then pped the horse in the stomach. The p caused the horse to let out a miserable hissing sound. The horse was frightened, and the man on the horse was startled. In his carelessness, he was yanked off his horse and punched in the head by Zijin.

    After finishing off one of the thieves, Zijin quickly snatched therge sword from the thief¡¯s hand, then mounted an unupied horse and began to fight with the other thieves as well. The sword that Zijin usually used was over one hundred and sixty pounds, but now with a thirty-pound sword, it was just like holding a kitchen knife. She became invincible as she ughtered six horse thieves at once.

 Chapter 306 - Bandits (2)

    Chapter 306 : Bandits (2)

    This move from Zijin scared the thieves and shocked Chief Huang¡¯s team. This woman was too cruel, killing people just like cutting tofu. [T/C]

    Compared to Zijin¡¯s high-profile attack, Master Yang¡¯s side did not attract much attention. After all, Master Yang didn¡¯t actively kill people unless they hit the people in the carriage. Furthermore, Zijin drew the thieves¡¯ attention.

    The thieves¡¯ leader looked at Zijin and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Zijin looked coldly at the leader of the thieves and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you who I am, but if you want what¡¯s here, it depends on whether you have the life to take it?¡± Her words were quite domineering.

    The thieves¡¯ leaderughed a few times and smashed the wolf bone stick in his hand towards Zijin. Zijin used the knife in her hand to block it, but it cracked instead. Making an instant decision, Zijin threw the knife away and then immediately jumped off her horse. The crowd thought she would flee. Even the leader of the bandits thought the same. However, instead of running away, she pped the thieves¡¯ leader horse in the stomach.

    The leader of the thieves was also swift to react. He leapt off the horse and then smashed the wolf bone stick towards Zijin¡¯s head once more. As long as itnded on Zijin¡¯s head, she would surely die.

    Chief Huang didn¡¯t have time even to scream.

    ¡°Dingdang¡­¡­¡± There was a shower of sparks, and only then did the crowd see clearly that a knife had blocked the thieves¡¯ leader¡¯s wolf bone stick.

    After retrieving the knife, Master Yang looked at Zijin and said, ¡°When I said youck experience, you stubbornly wouldn¡¯t admit it. Now you know, right?¡± Zijin would not have escaped this cmity had it not been for him.

    Zijin gritted her teeth and did not say anything. Just now, she was so sure she could avoid the wolf bone stick but could not guarantee that she would not be injured.

    The thieves¡¯ leader looked at the thin old man standing in front of him and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± Although it was only one move from that older man, an expert would know that it was authentic martial arts as soon as he made his move.

    At this time, the thieves¡¯ leader secretly cursed the eighteen generations of ancestors of the person who inquired about this information. It was not just the daughter of a high-ranking official in the capital who married out with a generous dowry. There were not only a dozen guards other than the armed escorts of Xinglong Escort Agency, while the others weren¡¯t worth much to be mentioned. But why would there be such experts mixed in with them? Darn it! When he returned, he would definitely clean up those rice buckets.

    It was just a pity that this idea was not destined toe true, as he, himself, could never go back. Master Yang only made one sh, and the thieves¡¯ leader copsed into a pool of blood. [T/C]

    After killing the man, Master Yang still had time to lecture Zijin, saying, ¡°See? To get to my level, you still need to practice more.¡±

    Zijin had no time to listen to Master Yang¡¯s lecture and continued to kill the enemy.

    Chief Huang bellowed, ¡°Kill.¡± Because of the wind, the water wheel had turned, and it was their turn to be the killer.

    The horse thieves saw that all these armed escorts had murderous expressions on their faces. On top of that, the ones on Luo Shuigui¡¯s side were also looking more formidable, and as for Zijin, needless to say, she was simply the goddess of killing.

    The horse bandits did not want to fight anymore. They would only die if they continued to do so, and some of them even started to run away. In the end, only a few of them managed to escape. Of course, it didn¡¯t mean that all the horse thieves were dead, as some were injured and currently lying on the ground moaning.

    Luo Shuigui called out, ¡°Chase.¡±

    Chief Huang was just about to say that they should not pursue the poor bandits, but before he could say anything, Luo Shuigui¡¯s team had already chased after the rest of the bandits. After thinking about it for a while, Chief Huang didn¡¯t dwell on it anymore but led the other armed escorts to finish off all the injured horse thieves.

    After killing all the horse thieves, Da Mao eximed, ¡°Darn, that was a good kill!¡± In the past, when he encountered arge group of horse thieves, he was lucky to escape with his life. He never thought he could kill a bunch of horse thieves this time around. It felt extremely fantastic!

    Chief Huang said in a loud voice, ¡°Count the wounded,¡± and the results were soon avable. This time, the losses were not particrly heavy, with six lightly wounded and two seriously injured on the armed escorts¡¯ side. Eight people were lightly injured, four seriously wounded, and five died on the Han family¡¯s side. As for Luo Shuigui¡¯s side, only two were lightly wounded while the remaining chased after the fleeing bandits.

    After the scene was cleared, Luo Shuigui returned with his men and brought back five horses. Apparently, the ones who had escaped had also been killed.

    When the horse thieves came out to rob, they couldn¡¯t have brought anything extra on them. The only things that were worth anything were their horses and weapons. Excluding the few horses injured by Zijin, they got a good haul of 60 horses, which was kind of a profitable deal.

    Yuxi got off the carriage when she knew the horse thieves were gone. Zijin rushed to her side, just in case something happened to Yuxi.

    Master Yang just looked on and then grunted coldly.

    When Yuxi got off the carriage, she immediately turned towards the people in the carriage and instructed, ¡°Zisu, Tian Ju, a few of you stay in the carriage and don¡¯te down.¡± Yuxi was worried that they would have nightmares after watching this scene.

    A few people, such as Mama Qu and Mama Xi, came down. When Mama Qu noticed the corpses and blood all over the ground, her face instantly turned white. But seeing Yuxi standing there calmly andposed, everyone felt slightly more at ease.

    Yuxi walked forward, inquired about the situation, and after a moment of silence, she asked Chief Huang, ¡°Can we cremate the dead people and bring their ashes back?¡±

    Chief Huang shook his head and said, ¡°No, we must leave this troubled ce as soon as possible.¡± It wasn¡¯t that he was worried about these people returning for revenge. With so many horse thieves ending up dead, the rest must have been badly wounded. It was just that this ce was not safe, so it was better to leave quickly.

    Luo Shuigui, however, thought it was eptable to do so. ¡°Leave a few people to cremate the dead people, while the rest will continue the journey.¡± If they did not take the ashes of the fallen people away this time, there would be no more chances.

    Once they took care of this, Yuxi asked Chief Huang again, ¡°How are the six seriously injured people?¡±

    Chief Huang¡¯s expression was somewhat heavy as he answered, ¡°Four of them are still conscious, but two of them are in aa. I don¡¯t know if they can make it.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°Let me take a look.¡±

    Of the six seriously injured, four were still sober, so there would not be in any danger to their lives. Of the remaining two, one was still unconscious, and the other was having trouble breathing properly.

    Yuxi said, ¡°I still have ginseng slices here. Let¡¯s see if using them will help somehow?¡± The ginseng slices could help one hang on to one¡¯s life. As for the rest, one could only leave it to fate.

    When Chief Huang heard Yuxi¡¯s words, his eyes lit up, and he turned towards her as he praised, ¡°Miss Han is very righteous.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for the people around Miss Han this time, there was no way the loss would be this small.

    The crowd saw Yuxi picking out more ginseng slices from therge wooden box and knew that she probably filled the carriage with medicinal herbs. Yuxi wasn¡¯t being petty either. Each of the seriously wounded ones had a piece in their mouth. As for the lightly wounded, there were given none.

    Master Yang watched Yuxi¡¯s movements and said nothing. After Yuxi and Zijin had re-entered their carriage, Master Yang handed Zijin a green bottle.

    Zijin regarded it with disdain.

    Yuxi hurriedly took it and said, ¡°Many thanks, Master Yang.¡±

    Master Yang grunted twice and said, ¡°It¡¯s not for you. What are you thanking me for?¡± He was secretly annoyed with Zijin. This darn girl had wasted his hard work.

    When the caravan was about to leave the incident¡¯s location, Yuxi called for Mama Qu and the others to get in first. ¡°You guys can go inside first. I¡¯lle back upter after I put some medicine to Zijin.¡±

    Naturally, they had no objection.

    Zijin¡¯s arm was slightly injured, not to the bone, but both of her inner clothes had turned red. With her eyes already red, Yuxi gave Zijin the medicine, and when she noticed the way Zijin gritted her teeth and endured it, she hurriedly said, ¡°Bear with it. I will finish it soon.¡±

    After putting on the medicine, Zijin looked at Yuxi as she wiped her tears andforted her with a smile, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s just a small injury. It won¡¯t be a problem, and it will quickly heal.¡±

    Yuxi nodded with a forced smile.

    It was already dark when the group arrived at a small town. Chief Huang was familiar with the area and quickly found an inn to stay.

    Han Ji came over and reported something to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, on the way here, the armed escort who was too badly injured had passed away.¡± The carriage was so bumpy, and there was no physician around that the armed escort couldn¡¯t make it.

    Yuxi sighed and said, ¡°Howe the carriage didn¡¯t even stop just now?¡±

    Han Ji said, ¡°Chief Huang said he couldn¡¯t dy the journey, so he left a few people behind to deal with it.¡± The men who had dealt with the corpse had also returned.

    Yuxi said after a moment of silence, ¡°I just hope the rest of the road will be peaceful.¡± She hoped that no more people would die. It was just that the world was in such a mess that it was not easy to keep people from dying. [+]

    After dinner, Chief Huang looked for Luo Shuigui and Yuxi, telling them, ¡°Miss Han, we can¡¯t take the sixty horses along with us. It¡¯s better to sell them here.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t have much opinion on it. ¡°It¡¯s up to you, Chief Huang.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°Don¡¯t use any money from the sale of the horses. Save them for those who are seriously injured and for the families of those who have lost their lives!¡±

    Chief Huang expressed his gratitude, ¡°Thank you very much, Miss.¡± Generally speaking, if the employer had paid the armed escorts for their service, they would then be responsible for delivering the goods to their destination. The employer was not responsible for any casualties that happened in between. But to their surprise, Yuxi would even share the spoils of war with them.

    Luo Shuigui didn¡¯t care much about the money, but after hearing Yuxi¡¯s words, he suggested, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t sell all the horses either. Just leave three or four to use as spares.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°You two should discuss this.¡± She was more concerned about whether the horse thieves woulde back for revenge and whether there would be another group of horse thieves ahead of them.

    Chief Huang shook his head andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. We¡¯ve taken care of over sixty horse thieves with this one-shot. Ordinary bandits won¡¯t dare to hit on us again.¡± With a few experts like Master Yang, Chief Huang had a little more confidence in his heart.

    Yuxi did not have the same confidence as Chief Huang and reminded, ¡°But we still have to be more careful.¡± The ordinary bandits wouldn¡¯t dare to hit them, but if they did, then it meant they were nomon bandits, which was not good news for Yuxi.

    When Da Maotou heard that the horses were for sale, he said, ¡°Chief, it¡¯s hard to find these kinds of horses. Since they¡¯re for sale anyway, why don¡¯t you sell the one I¡¯m riding! I¡¯ll pick a new one from these good horses.¡± The horses of these horse thieves were of good quality, two grades higher than the ones they rode on.

    Seeing that Chief Huang disagreed, Da Maotou tried to reason out, ¡°Are Chief worried about the price difference? We¡¯ll just make up for it.¡± No matter what, both sides still earned from it.

    The other armed escorts also had the same opinion. It was hard to find a good horse. All of them requested for one, and Chief Huang could only nod his head in the end.

    How the horses were dealt off was unknown to Yuxi. All she knew was that she rested for the night and set off again early the next day. Seriously injured ones were ced in the town by Chief Huang to recuperate. With such severe injuries, they would not survive another bumpy ride.

 Chapter 307 - Bandits (3)

    Chapter 307 : Bandits (3)

    The spring rain slowly sprinkled down, falling like countless fine needles and sprinkling in every corner. Yuxi stood outside the window, looking at the hazy thin threads of rains and the peopleing and going outside.

    Zisu brought a cup of tea to Yuxi and said, ¡°Miss, have a cup of hot tea!¡± After rushing for over a month, everyone was exhausted. It just happened that day it was raining, so they could stay here and wait until it stopped raining before going on their way.

    Yuxi took the tea, and after taking a couple of sips, she bowed her head and thought for a while before saying to Zijin, ¡°Go and ask Master Yang toe over.¡±

    Master Yang was a little surprised to hear that Yuxi had been asking after him, but he gave her a face and asked, ¡°I don¡¯t know what Miss Han wants from this old man?¡±

    Yuxi asked Zisu to wait at the door while she said to Master Yang, ¡°Master Yang, I¡¯m not going to lie to you. There are so many bandits in Menghu Mountain, and I am very uneasy about passing through there.¡± Although Chief Huang had assured her, Yuxi was still not at ease. There were thousands of bandits, not the 60 or so bandits just like whom they met before. Once those thousand bandits caught up with their group, there was no telling what might happen.

    Master Yang chirped, ¡°Miss, Chief Huang has a life-long friendship with the second leader of Menghu Mountain, so you don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    Yuxi froze but then shook her head and said, ¡°Even if the second leader of Menghu Mountain has a lifelong friendship with Chief Huang, he is not the one who is really in charge. Then again, a mountain fortress of that size must have people fighting and scheming against each other.¡± Yuxi was not familiar with the bandits of Menghu Mountain, but human nature was like that; where there were many people, there would also be many disputes. And as Master Yang had said, in the eyes of those bandits, she was a fat sheep. The other bandits in Menghu Mountain might be unwilling to let a fat sheep like her go just because Chief Huang was familiar with their second leader, and this was the reason Yuxi felt uneasy.

    Hearing Yuxi¡¯s analysis, Master Yang smiled a little. ¡°You¡¯re not stupid enough.¡± Seeing Yuxi¡¯s puzzled look, Master Yang said, ¡°You have put a lot of gold and silver jewellery inside your carriage, right?¡± It was not even a question but an affirmation.

    A look of astonishment appeared on Yuxi¡¯s face. ¡°How did Master Yang know that?¡± This was something that no one else knew about except a few people. Nor did Yuxi believe that these people would have leaked it.

    Master Yang smiled a little and said, ¡°It was Zijin who told me.¡±

    Yuxi said without even thinking, ¡°Impossible.¡± Zijin would never leak information about her to anyone, and no matter how Master Yang knew, Yuxi believed that Zijin would not have told him.

    With a cold snort, Zijin said, ¡°Old man, stop stirring up trouble. Miss won¡¯t believe your nonsense!¡± Speaking of which, Zijin had been particrly respectful of Master Yang when she first went to the mountain. Later, when Master Yang hid the letter that Yuxi had given her and tried to take her on as a disciple, she became less kind to Master Yang, but deep down, she still respected him.

    Instead of getting angry, Master Yang asked, ¡°Tell me, how much gold and silver jewellery did you put in your carriage?¡±

    Yuxi replied in a low voice, ¡°There is a box of jewellery worth 70,000 to 80,000 taels of silver in total.¡± These did not include the other jewellery she obtained from other people.

    Master Yang¡¯s eyes grew wide and round as he thought how bold Yuxi was to bring all of those pieces of jewellery with her.

    Feeling that it wasn¡¯t honest enough, Yuxi whispered, ¡°In addition to that, there are some precious herbs.¡±

    Master Yang asked, ¡°For example?¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°Among them was a nearly four centuries old Changbai Mountain ginseng.¡± Of all the medicinal herbs, this ginseng was the most valuable. This treasure had been given to her by Qiu Shi. Yuxi had refused it at first, telling Qiu Shi to keep it for herself, for such a treasure could be a family heirloom. However, Qiu Shi still foisted it off to Yuxi, saying it would be more beneficial to Yuxi.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s way of thinking was simple: if Yuxi had not protected her courtyard at that time, all these things would have been gone. Therefore, she would not be reluctant to part with whatever items she gave to Yuxi.

    Master Yang couldn¡¯t helpughing. Nearly four centuries old ginseng, that was almost a fine thing. One could not buy such a thing for any money because it could save lives in times of crisis. Not to mention there must be other valuable herbs, plus 70,000 to 80,000 worth of jewellery. Oh right, he should not forget about the ten or so carts of stuff behind. When Master Yang counted everything, his head got a little dizzy.

    Master Yang immediately eximed, ¡°No wonder you hired so many armed escorts. So that¡¯s why.¡± After saying that, he looked at Yuxi and said, ¡°There are advantages and disadvantages to having more people. The good thing is that small groups of bandits don¡¯t dare to move against you, but the bad thing is that when others see so many people, they know that you are a fat sheep. Speaking of which, you sure have a lot of guts.¡± She was the exact definition of a very fat sheep. After catching this fat sheep, even if there were thousands of bandits on Menghu Mountain, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about their expenses for a year long.

    Yuxi looked anxiously at Master Yang and said, ¡°I am just worried about any mishaps. It¡¯s tolerable to lose the other things, but the things inside my carriage must not be lost.¡±

    Master Yang muttered in his heart. If it weren¡¯t for Han Jianye and Zijin¡¯s face, he would have grabbed the nearly four centuries year old ginseng. ¡°These things have long since fallen into the eyes of those who have an interest.¡±

    Zijin asked, ¡°How do these people know about it?¡± From the time they set out from the capital until now, they hadn¡¯t opened it at all. Thus, how could old man Yang know that there would be valuable things on their carriage?

    Master Yang couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°This is something a youngdy from a wealthy family who has never gone away from her home will understand. If the carriage weight is different, will it leave the same track as a normal carriage? Those who make a living by robbing others, can they not guess that there are valuable things in the carriage?¡± Master Yang originally thought that there was ten to twenty thousand worth of jewellery on it, but he didn¡¯t expect that this girl had put more than one hundred thousand worth of things in it. This kind of boldness was not something that ordinary people could have. [+]

    Yuxiughed bitterly at this. Yes, how could she have forgotten that the load-bearing would not leave behind the same track as the other carriages? So it was useless to read a lot of books. Without practical experience, one would only reduce to a bookish fool. Yuxi asked, ¡°Master Yang, so what now?¡±

    Master Yang said, ¡°If you have confidence in this old man, you can leave them to me. There is no other better way than that.¡±

    Zijin asked, ¡°If we give them to you, they won¡¯t check your carriage?¡±

    Master Yang chirped, ¡°You still don¡¯t want to admit that you are a foolish girl? Once you give those things to me, I will not be going together with you people. Besides, the two of us, Yu Zhi and I, are not eye-catching. Us two will be rather safe by ourselves than going on with you guys.¡± He was just an ordinary old man, and Yu Zhi was also unimpressive. Hence, they would not attract any attention with just the two of them.

    After saying this, Master Yang looked at Yuxi and pointed out, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the other things. Just by looking at your carriage, I can tell that you are rich.¡±

    Yuxi nodded her head and said, ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll have to trouble Master Yang.¡±

    Master Yang froze and then asked with a smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I will sweep all the stuff up?¡± More than 100,000 taels of silver worth of things wouldst for a lifetime.

    Hearing this question, Yuxiughed a little and said, ¡°There¡¯s no harm. If you take my things away, Master Yang, I will ask my Er Ge for them.¡± Of course, she said this in jest. Yuxi knew that Master Yang would not care about this little thing of hers. Some people valued money, others saw it as dirt, and Master Yang was thetter type of person.

    Hearing her answer, Master Yangughed out loud, ¡°I¡¯m beginning to like you a little.¡± Such a valuable item was given to him for safekeeping just because of his words, and he must say that this was a talent. But it was also because of this trust that made Master Yang¡¯s heart feelfortable.

    Zijin thought a little more. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to swap things out without anyone knowing. Besides, after changing everything out, the carriage will be empty.¡±

    Yuxi was not worried about this. ¡°If we don¡¯t put anything of value at all, people will be suspicious.¡± She would put the additional dowries given by others into thepartment and then select some not too valuable herbs toy on top of it.

    When Master Yang knew what Yuxi was nning to do, he said, ¡°There is no need to put the herbs in.¡± If they could put it together with the oldest ginseng, how bad could it be? Even though they were not his, he still could not bear it. It was okay if they lost the jewellery, but one could not buy these rare herbs with money, and they could use them to save lives in critical times!

    Yuxi thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± After lowering her head for a moment, she smilingly said, ¡°Apart from the jewellery, let¡¯s put in inks and inkstones as well. Many of them are antiques and not light in weight.¡±

    Master Yang thought that Yuxi was indeed a talent. ¡°You mean to exchange them for stones?¡± How much worth were those antiques? To Master Yang, those inks and inkstones were still stones even after a thousand years. Of course, the bandits of Menghu Mountain would think the same too.

    Yuxi looked at Master Yang and stated, ¡°The best one of these inkstones is worth more than a thousand taels of silver!¡± Of course, only this one piece had any value, and it was still from Han Jianming¡¯s collection.

    Master Yang couldn¡¯t help but smile happily again. ¡°Fine, if you say it¡¯s worth something, it¡¯s worth something. When the timees, just take out that spirit and go talk to them about them.¡± He didn¡¯t even need to think that if the people of Menghu Mountain heard these words from Yuxi, they would be so angry until they vomited blood.

    Yuxi said, ¡°I¡¯m taking precautions just in case!¡± Perhaps, it would be possible to get past Menghu Mountain without any problems! Of course, after hearing Master Yang¡¯s words, Yuxi felt that this was too unlikely.

    That evening, Yuxi had several boxes containing pens, ink, inkstone and books brought into her room. Someone who was carrying the stuff couldn¡¯t help but ask Han Ji, ¡°What¡¯s in this? Why it¡¯s so heavy?¡±

    Han Ji replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± These things were all locked, so Han Ji didn¡¯t know what was inside.

    The following night, with the assistance of Chief Huang and Han Ji, Master Yang and Yu Zhi sessfully took out most of the things hidden in the carriage.

    After all the items carried to the two men¡¯s room, Master Yang couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing they were all contained in small boxes; otherwise, we would have trashed the good stuff.¡± Whether it was the jewellery boxes or the boxes containing herbs, they were all specially made.

    Yu Zhi looked at the pile of boxes and asked in a small voice, ¡°Master, what about the one containing that four centuries-old ginseng?¡± Not interested in the other things, Yu Zhi was full of interest in that old ginseng.

    Master Yang felt that his disciple was hopelessly stupid and pointed to the rectangr box, saying, ¡°Ginseng is long. Surely it¡¯s in that thing?¡±

    Yu Zhi picked up the box, and Master Yang couldn¡¯t even stop him before he opened the box. The ginseng was wrapped in brocade, and when he plucked the brocade away, Yu Zhi looked at it and secretly eximed, ¡°It¡¯s really good stuff!¡±

    Master Yang pped Yu Zhi¡¯s head and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that nonsense?¡± Nearly four centuries years of ginseng, that was a great treasure! The ginseng was very well preserved, with the primary root,teral roots, reed head, ringlets and adventitious roots all intact and undamaged, definitely the best of the best. s, he honestly wanted to take it out to make wine. What to do?

 Chapter 308 - Menghu Mountain (1)

    Chapter 308 : Menghu Mountain (1)

    Master Yang and Yu Zhi only had their eyes on the ginseng. They didn¡¯t even make any movements towards the other boxes.

    Yu Zhi looked at the jewellery boxes and asked, ¡°Master, which jewellery box that Miss Han said that she wanted to bring back?¡± They looked all the same to him!

    Master Yang already felt powerless even to criticise this stupid apprentice of his. He swept a nce, pointed to a small box of yellow pear wood carved with begonia flowers and said, ¡°That¡¯s the one. Wait for Zijin toe over tonight and let her take it back.¡±

    After thinking for a moment, Yu Zhi nodded and said, ¡°Master, since we have taken these things out, how will Miss Han fill them back up!¡±

    Master Yang grumpily said, ¡°Is this kind of thing you should be worrying about?¡± That girl was full of tricks. Surely she could solve it without any problems.

    Zijin didn¡¯t quite understand Yuxi¡¯s behaviour. ¡°Miss, since the Menghu Mountain is dangerous, why don¡¯t we just follow Master? Miss, I heard that the great leader of Menghu Mountain was forced to go up to the mountain as a bandit because officials had ruined his family. So, the bandits¡¯ number 1 great leader especially hates the officials.¡± Zijin was worried that this great leader would make things difficult for her Miss.

    Yuxi responded, ¡°I am not an official.¡± It was not that the Imperial Court did not want to exterminate the bandits, but it was just that their hideout was easy for them to defend and difficult to attack, and the bandits inside were not afraid of dying. Therefore, they hadn¡¯t been shot down after many years of fighting. Of course, Yuxi wouldn¡¯t believe those rumours. If the Imperial Court set that mind in doing so, wouldn¡¯t they be able to beat them down? Not to mention if Yun Qing had asked her Er Ge to fight, he would have been able to destroy the bandits in no time. If no one from Imperial Court hadn¡¯t exterminated them until now, there must be something fishy going on. Of course, it was urate that there were too many bandits around, and they could still appear again after being exterminated. Once ordinary people couldn¡¯t make a living, there would go into the woods and be bandits!

    Zijin persuaded, ¡°Who knows if he will lose his mind and take his anger out on Miss! Miss, I think it¡¯s better to follow Master and Fourth Brother Yu!¡± *A skilled person and *a master were two different concepts.

    Yuxi responded with a wry smile, ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t want to, but I just can¡¯t go with them right now!¡± If she could, she would naturally want to follow Master Yang. It was the safest way to leave this dangerous ce unnoticed, but it was already toote.

    Zijin asked coldly, ¡°Is Miss implying that someone is watching us?¡± If someone were watching them, then, wouldn¡¯t that mean Old Man and Fourth Brother Yu have been discovered when they went out to fetch those things?

    Yuxi said, ¡°I can¡¯t exactly say that we are being watched, but if Master Yang and Yu Zhi had taken more people with them when they left, they would have been spotted by someone. Even if they are good at martial arts, each of them can¡¯t beat two persons simultaneously. With all the fishes and dragons mixed in together in this ce, their lives will be in danger if they are not careful. It¡¯s better to follow Chief Huang and the others as they are so many people that can protect us. At least there will be no danger to their lives.¡± If she followed Master Yang and his disciple, she would be targeted as soon as she stepped out of the inn gate. There was no way for her to predict what would happen in the future. But she knew that a random bandit could put her to death once she was unprotected. She did not dare to take such a risk. For her, losing money would only be a minor thing, but her life would be much more significant.

    Zijin was a bit puzzled as she asked, ¡°Miss, how can you be so sure that the people of Menghu Mountain will not harm you?¡±

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Chief Huang say that the bandits of Menghu Mountain still have their morals and only want money, not other people¡¯s lives?¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t that the bandits of Menghu Mountain didn¡¯t kill people, but for them, killing corrupt officials and evil gentry was chivalry, while robbing wealthy merchants and passing caravans was the act of robbing the rich to help the poor. Yuxi didn¡¯t know how to evaluate such behaviour, except to say that the bandits of Menghu Mountain were better than horse thieves. The horse bandits would kill and rob at the same time. At least the people of Menghu Mountain could still let people have their life.

    Zijin felt very uneasy. These bandits could turn hostile as fast as one flipped over a book. However, she also knew that Yuxi was right. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m just worried that they will turn against us.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°No, since Chief Huang said that the people of Menghu Mountain still have morals, they won¡¯t take our lives. At most, they will rob us of all our things.¡± It was safer to follow Chief Huang¡¯s group than to run away with Master Yang.

    Master Yang and Yu Zhi went out early the following day and did not return until night. When Chief Huang saw that Yuxi didn¡¯t say anything, he pretended to be deaf and dumb.

    Da Maotou was somewhat baffled by the situation. ¡°Chief, these two men touched the carried goodsst night, and today they are gone. Could there be something wrong here?¡±

    Chief Huang replied, ¡°Mind your own business.¡± Yesterday, Miss Han asked him to cover up for Master Yang and his disciple when the two men took something from the carriage. Now that the two, master and disciple, were gone, Miss Han must have known about it in advance. Since that was the case, there was no need for them to be bothered about it.

    It rained for three days until it finally cleared up, and the caravan set off again.

    Looking at the big sun hanging in the sky, Yuxi asked Chief Huang, ¡°I heard that this ce is more than two hundred miles away from Menghu Mountain?¡±

    Chief Huang nodded and said, ¡°We have to spend the night here today. We will not reach Menghu Mountain until tomorrow. Don¡¯t worry, Miss. Everything will be fine.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°I hope we can cross Menghu Mountain smoothly.¡± After Menghu Mountain, they would be under the jurisdiction of Shaanxi, where the banditry was not as severe as it was here. With so many people protecting her, she was not worried.

    Chief Huang said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. We will go through it smoothly.¡± As a matter of fact, even though Chief Huang spoke out these words, his heart was a little heavier. The day before yesterday, he had sent Da Mao to Menghu Mountain to seek a meeting with the bandits¡¯ second leader, wanting to greet him first so that their group could cross Menghu Mountain smoothly. Still, to his surprise, Da Mao could not enter the mountain fortress. This situation made him feel a little more worried, and he didn¡¯t know what was going on inside the bandits¡¯ hideout.

    That night, they had to stay out for the night. After dinner, Luo Shuigui approached Yuxi and said, ¡°Miss, tomorrow when we cross the Menghu Mountain, I think there may be a fierce battle.¡±

    Yuxi nodded her head in agreement. ¡°There are two to three thousand bandits in Menghu Mountain, so we can¡¯t beat them with our strength. If they want wealth, we will have to give it to them.¡±

    Luo Shuigui added, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that they won¡¯t only want wealth. They probably want a few of our people.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face changed as she asked, ¡°What do you mean? Are they like the horse thieves who will snatch women to be brought back to their hideout? Didn¡¯t Chief Huang say that they were very moralistic?¡± It seemed that there would still be an error in one¡¯s judgement after all.

    Luo Shuigui answered, ¡°I was worried that there might be an eventuality. It was only this afternoon that I found out that the wife of the third leader on Menghu Mountain was originally a young miss from an official¡¯s family. She passed by Menghu Mountain one day and was snatched by the bandits¡¯ third leader.¡± Luo Shuigui was worried that the bandits would also take a liking to Yuxi and steal her as their leader¡¯s wife.

    How could Yuxi not understand Luo Shuigui¡¯s implication as she said, ¡°If they want money, why don¡¯t we just give it to them? If they want something else, then we will fight them to the death.¡± She loved her life, but she would rather die if forced to marry a bandit. [+]

    When Luo Shuigui heard Yuxi¡¯s words, he knew what to do next.

    After sending Luo Shuigui away, Yuxi sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t rx even for a moment.¡± During the few days she stayed at the inn, she had asked Han Ji to ask for information on the bandits, but all she found was positive news, not even a single negative one. This information, coupled with the words of Chief Huang, had made her lower her guard.

    Zijin grabbed Yuxi¡¯s hand andforted her, ¡°Miss, I will protect you.¡± If these people dared to target her Miss, they would have to step over her.

    But Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°This is only the worst possible oue.¡±

    Zijin said, ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t we have Zisu pretend to be you tomorrow¡­¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Yuxi shook her head and rejected her idea.

    Yuxi said, ¡°Pretending won¡¯t work.¡± The other part must have known about her height and all that. She was half a head taller than Zisu; hence anyone could see through Zisu at a nce. Yuxi truly regretted this situation. She should have found someone with a simr body type to follow her so that the other person could be her stand-in.

    At the same time, Yun Qing had won another battle, and everyone celebrated their victory with drinks that evening. Of course, those who had families had gone home, and those who gathered for drinks were all bachelors and those whose families were not in Yu City.

    As they were drinking, Han Yi entered the room and muttered to Han Jianye. Han Jianye told Yun Qing, ¡°Someone hase from the capital, so I have to go out for a while.¡±

    Yun Qing looked at Han Jianye for a moment and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡± There should be news about Han Shi at this time.

    Hearing that Yuxi was leaving on the first day of the second lunar month, Han Jianye looked at the messenger and asked, ¡°Why did the newse only now?¡± It had been more than a month since then.

    The man answered with a sobbing face, ¡°We met bandits on our way.¡± Those bandits had robbed them of their horses and money, so they were lucky to get here this quickly.

    Han Jianye ignored him and read the letter written by Han Jianming. After reading it, he handed it to Yun Qing while saying, ¡°There are bandits all along the way. That girl hase with so much dowry, making her too dazzling. It will not be a safe journey for her group.¡± How could twelverge carts of dowry not be that shy?

    Yun Qing said, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to support them!¡± He and Han Jianye had military duties, and neither could leave, so they could only send someone to meet them.

    Han Jianye asked, ¡°Then, who are you going to send?¡±

    Yun Qing answered, ¡°Pick twenty men from the military camp and have Xu Wu bring those men to support them.¡± Xu Wu was Yun Qing¡¯s personal bodyguard, and his martial arts skills were excellent.

    Yun Qing felt that with more than twenty men to support, plus Yuxi¡¯s original escort, it would be enough for the caravan to reach Yu City safely.

    Han Jianye thought for a moment and suggested, ¡°Don¡¯t let Xu Wu go. Just let Han Hao take the men to meet them! Xu Wu should stay by your side.¡± Han Jianye had been in Yu City for so long. How could he not know that Yun Qing¡¯s life was always in danger, and Xu Wu was Yun Qing¡¯s most capable bodyguard?

    Yun Qing said, ¡°There is no harm in that. There are still Guo Xun and the others!¡± Back then, Huo Changqing had adopted many orphans. He had fed and clothed them, and he also taught them martial arts to give Yun Qing a boost. Xu Wu, Guo Xun and the other four were the most outstanding martial artists among them all, so they became Yun Qing¡¯s personal guards.

    Seeing this, Han Jianye did not refute him anymore. ¡°Then, that¡¯s fine.¡± He hoped that Yuxi could be safe all the way.

    Yun Qing waited for a while, and when he noticed that Han Jianye wouldn¡¯t say anything else, he asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t told me which road Miss Han will be using?¡± There were many roads, and he should tell those he sent to pick them up which way to go! The letter didn¡¯t even mention which route would Han Yuxi take.

    Han Jianye smiled and replied, ¡°My fourth girl is cautious in nature, so she must have taken the official road!¡± Although there were also bandits on the official road, it was much safer than other minor roads.

    The messenger, who had been trying to lower his presence, heard this and said, ¡°Second Master is right. The Fourth Miss is taking the official road.¡±

    Yun Qing frowned. Taking the official road would inevitably involve passing through Menghu Mountain. Although it had been rumoured that the bandits of Menghu Mountain were moralists, bandits were still bandits, and the so-called moralism was just a cover-up. The only thing he could do was send Xu Wu on his way as soon as possible.

 Chapter 309 - Menghu Mountain (2)

    Chapter 309 : Menghu Mountain (2)

    At the sound of people shouting, Yuxi opened her eyes. She got out of the carriage and looked up at the sky, which was just showing the colour white of a fish¡¯s belly. Everything was pure and refreshing, as if it were a light ink painting, permeating the pleasant fragrance of grass.

    Seeing Yuxi¡¯s preupied look, Zijin said, ¡°Miss, it will be alright.¡± She knew Miss had stayed up half of the night.

    After letting a cry of agreement, Yuxi said, ¡°Let¡¯s go wash up!¡±

    After the group had done eating, they set off on their way. Knowing that they were going to cross the Menghu Mountain, except for those from the Xinglong Armed Escort, the rest were all tensed up, especially Luo Shuigui and his party, who were heavily armed.

    It was not long before the sun rose. The red sun signalled another fine, clear and bright day.

    Yuxi leaned back on her pillow and said, ¡°Call me if something happens. I¡¯ll rest for a while.¡± Last night, she reflected on the situation and had spent half the night deliberating, resulting in not sleeping well and being in poor spirits.

    Zisu urged, ¡°Then, Miss should have a good rest.¡±

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t get a good rest, as the road was mountainous and particrly bumpy, making the whole carriage sway left and right. Despite that, she kept her eyes closed.

    ¡°Stop¡­¡­¡± An unfamiliar voice rang in everyone¡¯s ears.

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes immediately opened when she heard the voice. Zijin wanted to lift the curtain, but Yuxi stopped her. ¡°Listen to the movement outside first.¡± After saying this, she took out a small and delicate dagger under the quilt and put it in her sleeve.

    Zisu¡¯s face turned a little pale, but she didn¡¯t make a sound. The effect of the experience earned during this period was still remarkable. At least Zisu had be bolder than ever.

    Luo Shuigui and his party were all gathered around Yuxi¡¯s carriage, while Chief Huang went forward to negotiate with the person who blocked their caravan. Looking at the leader, Chief Huang stepped forward and cupped his fist, ¡°Great Leader, long time no see. I trust you have been well since west met.¡±

    Great Leader Yi smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s indeed been a long time. Recently, Old Chuang has been talking a lot about you! I didn¡¯t expect you woulde. Just in time. Come and stay in the mountains for a few days, and you two can have a good chat.¡± If it were an ordinary caravan, they would have let it go for the sake of Old Second. But this time was different. It was said that a young miss from the State Residence was getting married, bringing with her arge dowry of no less than 70,000 to 80,000 taels of silver. The dowry, which was worth thatrge sum of money, was enough to cover their mountain fortress¡¯ expenses for a year. [T/C]

    Nowadays, making a living in this world was every bit a challenge for the bandits as the number of trade caravans that came and went had been very pitiful. Last year, they didn¡¯t earn much ie. Without any earnings, the food and drinks for thousands of people on Menghu Mountain turned into a big issue. Under such circumstances, how could they let go of such a fat sheep?

    When Chief Huang heard this, his heart thudded. What did the Great Leader mean by asking them to stay in the mountain fortress for a few days? Suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, Chief Huang replied with a smile, ¡°Alright, when Ie back, I will definitely go to the mountain fortress and drink with Great Leader and Elder Brother Zhuang for three days and three nights.¡±

    Both Chief Huang and Great Leader Yi¡¯s voices were so loud that they could be heard a mile away, not to mention Yuxi, who was sitting inside her carriage. [+]

    Yuxi¡¯s expression sank. Only she was the one stupid enough to believe that these people were righteous while forgetting that they were still bandits to the core. However, it would just be a waste of time to regret it at this juncture. They had to find a way to solve this problem. They couldn¡¯t rely on Chief Huang either. As Yuxi thought of this, she winked at Zijin.

    The master and servant had a good understanding of each other, so Zijin opened the carriage window, lifted the curtain and asked Luo Shuigui, who was right outside, ¡°How many bandits havee?¡±

    Luo Shuigui answered in a deep voice, ¡°There are more than a hundred people down here, and there are also many of them lying in ambush on the mountain, many of whom are archers hiding in the dark.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s face turned very ugly when she heard this. There were even archers outside. These people were not ordinary bandits, and she didn¡¯t know what kind of change had happened. Yuxi let out a bitter smile and said towards the outside of the window, ¡°Uncle Luo, I¡¯ve caused a big trouble to you all.¡± This time it was not just big trouble, but a life and death situation.

    Luo Shuigui said, ¡°Miss doesn¡¯t need to say such things. Things haven¡¯te to that yet.¡± When he first took up the job, he knew that the journey would not be peaceful, and he had prepared for the worst.

    Zisu held Yuxi¡¯s hand andforted, ¡°Miss, something like that won¡¯t happen. We will get out of here safely.¡±

    Yuxi was not in the mood tofort people at this time. She was busy thinking about how to solve this crisis. If they did not solve it correctly, she would genuinely die here.

    Outside, Chief Huang and Great Leader Yi had already fallen apart. The attitude of Great Leader Yi was evident. He invited Chief Huang and his party to be guests at the mountain fortress. He said they were guests, but they were merely hostages so that he could exchange them for more money. Just looking at the people lying in ambush around them, Chief Huang was afraid to act rashly no matter how much he hated their current situation.

    A woman beside Great Leader Yi raised her voice and suggested, ¡°Great Leader, why do you have to waste so much time talking to him? If he doesn¡¯t listen to you, don¡¯t be polite to him anymore. Just let the brothers deal with them.¡± They had brought more than 300 brothers with them this time. If they couldn¡¯t take care of these many people, they wouldn¡¯t have to stay at Menghu Mountain in the future.

    Chief Huang was not a person without any temper. When he saw their current standing, he said, ¡°In that case, there is nothing else for us to talk about.¡± He did not expect that Old Zhuang would not even show his face.

    As soon as Chief Huang uttered these words, an arrow came down from the hill. It wasn¡¯t aimed at Chief Huang but at the carriage Yuxi was riding.

    Great Leader Yi was very annoyed. He hadn¡¯t even given any order, yet who the hell told this b*stard to release his arrow. Only now was not the time to pursue this matter because this arrow had thoroughly angered Chief Huang.

    Chief Huang raised the huge sword in his hand and said towards the armed escorts behind him, ¡°Brothers, even if we die here today, we cannot disgrace the reputation of Xinglong Escort Agency.¡± The honour of the Xinglong Escort Agency resulted from so many people¡¯s painstaking efforts. Even if they died, they could not disgrace it.

    Luo Shuigui was also ready for a big battle.

    In the nick of time, Zijin pushed open the carriage window and said towards Chief Huang, ¡°Hold on, our Miss has something to say to your Great Leader.¡±

    Zijin¡¯s voice was boisterous. When Chief Huang heard her shout, he did not charge forward but stayed put, tense and ready to fight.

    Great Leader Yi also stopped the men on his side. He had his scruples, as Chief Huang had saved the life of the second leader, Old Zhuang. If Chief Huang died in their fight, he would have no way to exin to Old Zhuang. Therefore, Zijin¡¯s words gave him a chance to ease their current condition.

    The woman who had just raised her voice was called Li Niang, and seeing this situation, she immediately snorted coldly and said, ¡°Since you have something to say, get out of the carriage and say it.¡±

    Yuxi heard Li Niang¡¯s shout and was prepared to get out of the carriage.

    Zisu tugged at Yuxi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Miss, we will live together and die together.¡± She was not going to stay in the carriage no matter what.

    Yuxi nodded her head as she answered, ¡°Okay.¡±

    As the carriage door opened, hundreds of pairs of eyes looked on while imagining what kind of great beauty woulde out of the carriage. When the actual person finally made her appearance, everyone became somewhat disappointed. Nothing could be seen on Yuxi¡¯s face except for her eyes, as a veil covered her face. But her figure was slender.

    When Li Niang saw Yuxi with a veil on, she sneered. What she hated the most in life was this kind of indulged youngdy who thought she was a cut above others. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any face to see people or what? Take off your veil now. If not, don¡¯t me this Great Aunt for not being polite¡­¡­¡± She said as she raised the whip in her hand.

    When Zijin noticed the whip in Li Niang¡¯s hand, a burst of murderous aura instantly appeared in her eyes. ¡°Who are you? How dare you act rude to my Miss?¡±

    Li Niang was Great Leader Yi¡¯s woman. It was merely because Great Leader Yi felt sorry towards his wife, who had died tragically, that he swore he would never remarry for the rest of his life. Therefore, Li Niang could only be considered Great Leader Yi¡¯s concubine. Even if she was just a concubine, she still had a very high status in Menghu Mountain, and no one dared to mess with her, and everyone was always obedient to her. When Li Niang heard such unkind words from Zijin, she raised her whip and rushed forward to strike Yuxi.

    As it was so sudden, Great Leader Yi did not manage to stop Li Niang, and even Chief Huang was unable to do so since he was pretty far away. As for the people on Luo Shuigui¡¯s side, they didn¡¯t stop her at all and just let her rush over to Yuxi. Well, since the battle hadn¡¯t officially started yet, this woman was left for Zijin to deal with.

    The whip didn¡¯t reach Yuxi but was grabbed by Zijin instead. With a tug from Zijin, Li Niang was dragged to their side. Zijin choked Li Niang¡¯s neck and said, ¡°I forgot to tell you just now, those who have dared to treat my Miss unkindly, I have sent them to meet King Yan in theherworld.¡±

    Li Niang was not a timid person. Even when she had already fallen into Zijin¡¯s hands, she still had no fear. ¡°If you have the ability, you can just kill me, erk¡­¡­¡± Zijin strangled her to the point of her being speechless.

    Great Leader Yi did not expect Yuxi to have such an expert by her side. The expression on everyone around him had also changed. It was not good news when their leader¡¯s woman fell into the hands of the enemy.

    The first one to stabilise himself was a clean looking man beside Great Leader Yi. Upon seeing this situation, he raised his voice and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t Miss Han have something to say just now? I wonder what Miss Han wants to say to us?¡±

    Yuxi looked at Great Leader Yi and said, ¡°Great Leader, if my guess is correct, this woman should be yours, right?¡± Yuxi had made this guess because, for one thing, the woman had just stood so close to Great Leader Yi that she had made physical contact with him. For another, everyone¡¯s expressions when the woman got arrested were quite ugly. So, this woman carried a lot of weight in Menghu Mountain.

    Hearing her words, Great Leader Yi asked, ¡°What do you want?¡± With this question, he indirectly admitted that Li Niang was his woman.

    Yuxi looked at Zijin and instructed, ¡°Let her go!¡±

    Zijin never went against Yuxi¡¯s orders, so she pped Li Niang and said, ¡°This is to punish you for being disrespectful to my Miss! If there is another time, even if Miss gives the word, I will not spare your life.¡±

    Li Niang¡¯s face instantly swelled up. However, everyone didn¡¯t care much about whether her face swelled or not. They cared more about seeing Yuxi release Li Niang just like that.

    The graceful man standing beside Great Leader Yi had a deep fear for Yuxi when he saw that she had simply released her captured person. She didn¡¯t even scream when the arrow shot at her carriage just a moment ago. Now, she could see through Li Niang¡¯s identity in an instant. Despite that, she still let her go with ease. This woman was not a simple one.

 Chapter 310 - Menghu Mountain (3)

    Chapter 310 : Menghu Mountain (3)

    Great Leader Yi held the wretched-looking Li Niang, then sped his hands and said towards Yuxi, ¡°Thank you for your mercy, Miss.¡± Yuxi obviously could have used Li Niang as a hostage, but instead, she released her. Since they were in front of so many people, he must ept this favour.

    Yuxi knew very well that taking Li Niang as a hostage was ineffective. In the face of interests, anyone could be sacrificed. How could they back off just because of a single person like Li Niang? Instead of doing that, it was better to be good to Great Leader Yi. This way, it would be conducive for their subsequent negotiations. Yuxi said, ¡°I heard Chief Huang say, although you are bandits, you people never robbed non-ill-gotten wealth? I wonder if that¡¯s true?¡± Yuxi was trying to shift the argument. Chief Huang told Yuxi that the people of Menghu Mountain only want money, not to harm other people¡¯s lives. When it came to Yuxi, these bandits suddenly became people who wouldn¡¯t rob non-ill-gotten wealth.

    Li Niang did not utter a single word at this time, as she had just lost a few teeth. It was so painful that she didn¡¯t have any strength to speak.

    The schrly-looking man was the military counsellor of the Menghu Mountain, surnamed Lu, called Lu Kai. This person often gave Great Leader Yi¡¯s advice and could be considered the military mentor for the Menghu Mountain people. When Lu Kai heard this, he asked, ¡°Miss dares to say that your family have properly obtained all these dowries of yours and not bought them using unjust wealth?¡± Who would believe that? He wouldn¡¯t count on it anyway.

    Yuxi¡¯s voice was icy as she replied, ¡°These were the dowry my mother had saved for me. Not a single one of them was earned from using unjust wealth.¡± This was not a false statement. Qiu Shi had appropriately purchased half of these things.

    Lu Kai questioned, ¡°Your mother must be very good at making money to be willing to give you tens of thousands of taels as a dowry, isn¡¯t she?¡± This statement made her words sound so fake.

    Yuxi sneered, ¡°Oh, so when you want to rob someone, you falsely use that person of buying things from unjust wealth? Is this what you call not robbing non-unjust wealth?¡± Who said these bandits were the most moralistic? It turned out to be nothing but a group of shameless people who just fished for undeserved fame. She was also foolish enough to listen to the rumours outside. Eh, to be exact, she was easily influenced by Chief Huang¡¯s words.

    Lu Kai mockingly smiled as he spoke in a raised voice, ¡°Miss Han, if your Dage doesn¡¯t hold a high and powerful position as an assistant for the Minister of War, will you dare say your family can still afford to buy so much dowry for you? How dare you say that your pieces of dowry aren¡¯t bought using unjust wealth?¡±

    As soon as these words fell, the faces of those in the Menghu Mountain changed. Those who became bandits in the mountains were either forced to die by the government soldiers or the gentry. Therefore, nine out of ten people here hate the officials. The meaning behind Lu Kai¡¯s words was also pretty obvious. All Yuxi¡¯s dowry were bought using Han Jiangming¡¯s embezzled money.

    Yuxi sneered. ¡°Why do you only talk about my Dage, not my Er Ge? My Er Ge is also an officer and is now a fifth-rank officer in charge of a regiment in Yu City. Fromst year to now, he has won several battles with his subordinates by killing hundreds of northern captives. You used my Dage, the Assistant Minister of War, of being corrupted by bribes, and my dowryes from ill-gotten gains. What about my Er Ge? What about my Er Ge, who holds his head up by killing northwest barbarians in Yu City? I guess in your mind, that is the most stupid thing to do, right? If I have to say, why does he need to bother himself in killing those barbarians? If he acts like you guys by directly upying a mountain and just lives there like a king, he can have hot food and drinks every day. If he is short on money, he can just go out and rob the passing caravan. Even the public can still say he has a good reputation for robbing unjust wealth. How good will that be?¡±

    Zisu felt that Yuxi was too powerful. She could even curse those vicious bandits and did it so smoothly.

    Chief Huang looked at Yuxi while secretly sighing in his heart. In the past few years, Great Leader Yi had been quite well-known in the jianghu, and could be regarded as a top figure. Still, today, she cursed him so much that he could not retaliate. Chief Huang had to admit that this Fourth Miss Han was a talent when it came to this.

    Lu Kai lightlyughed and said, ¡°Miss Han is pretty eloquent, and this Lu truly admires Miss for that. However, no matter what you say, you can¡¯t change the fact that your family obtained the dowry from savagely oppressing themon people.¡±

    Yuxi did not bother to waste any more words with this person, as she stated, ¡°Do not give me that nonsense again. If you want to rob my dowry, just say so. There is no need to feed me with those grand excuses. It will only make people feel extremely disgusted just from hearing them.¡±

    Lu Kai still had a smile on his face. ¡°Miss had misunderstood. We do not want Miss¡¯ dowry. We just want to invite Miss to the mountain fortress as our guest.¡±

    Yuxi did not look at Lu Kai anymore but spoke directly to Great Leader Yi, ¡°I can give you my things, but you must let us pass.¡±

    Great Leader Yi answered, ¡°The words of Military Counselor Lu are also my meaning.¡±

    Yuxi asked, ¡°What if I disagree?¡±

    Great Leader Yi answered apologetically, ¡°Then, this Yi has no other choice but to offend Miss.¡± The people of Menghu Mountain knew Yuxi¡¯s identity and were ready to go all out to get her. Not only did they want Yuxi¡¯s dowry, but they also wanted to use Yuxi as a hostage to demand more money from Han Jianming.

    By this time, if Yuxi did not understand these people¡¯s true intentions, it would be considered she had been living in vain. Yuxi looked at this group of people and smilingly said, ¡°You want to capture me just to use me as a hostage so that you can ask my Dage for more money? You guys are pretty stupid. If I enter your bandits¡¯ den, my innocence will be ruined, and I will no longer be worthy of any marriage, and so are the reputation of my unmarried sister. How do you expect my Dage spend money to redeem me then?¡±

    Lu Kai sneered. ¡°Miss Han, this is not something you need to worry about.¡± When the time came, they naturally had a way to make Duke Han pay the ransom.

    Yuxi said to Great Leader Yi, ¡°If you want my money and things, I can give them to you. If you think you can make me go to the mountain fortress with you, you can continue to dream. I will not go there even if I have to die.¡±

    When Great Leader Yi heard Yuxi¡¯s words, he became hesitant. What Yuxi just said was quite reasonable.

    The dark and thin man standing behind Great Leader Yi urged impatiently, ¡°Great Leader, don¡¯t talk so much nonsense with her and let¡¯s just kidnap them all. I¡¯m sure that dog official will pay for the ransom.¡± He knew that the dog official liked this sister of his the most.

    Hearing this, Yuxi put the dagger to her chest in front of everyone and said, ¡°If you guys try toe over, I will stab myself.¡±

    The people of Menghu Mountain called the thin dark man Heizi because his body was dark all over. When he heard Yuxi¡¯s words, heughed a few times before saying, ¡°If you want to die that much, then do it fast. Don¡¯t waste other people¡¯s time. This old man has to go up the mountain to drink and eat meat next!¡± Once they were done with this job, they could have a delicious meal.

    Yuxi¡¯s words were full of sarcasm as she countered, ¡°You should not rejoice too early. Once I die, Yun Qing will certainly raze the Menghu mountain to the ground to avenge my death. Speaking of which, it¡¯s not a loss to have several thousand of you to be buried together with me.¡± Yuxi didn¡¯t say that Han Jianming or Han Jianye would avenge her, but Yun Qing and that was because he had a massive reputation for being the God of Killing.

    Heiziughed loudly and questioned, ¡°What are you to him? How dare you say that General Yun Qing will avenge your death?¡±

    The location of Ganzhou in Ming Dynasty Map

    Image Credit | Paul and Bernice Noll via Theo Skolnik @ World History Project (Apr 25 1644, The End Of Ming Dynasty)

    When Chief Huang saw this situation, he interjected, ¡°Miss Han is General Yun¡¯s fianc¨¦e. This time, she goes to Yu City toplete her marriage with General Yun.¡± On their journey, the party did not announce Yuxi¡¯s actual identity. They only released the news that Yuxi wouldplete her marriage in Ganzhou. After all, the bigger the name, the more memorable she would be.

    As soon as Chief Huang had done speaking, Yuxi said towards him and Luo Shuigui, ¡°Uncle Luo, Chief Huang, when I die, no matter which one of you manage to escape, go find Yun Qing. Tell him that these bandits killed me.¡± Yuxi deliberately said this to give these people something to worry about. In any case, Yun Qing¡¯s reputation as the God of Killing was not just being blown out of proportion since it resulted from his actual killings record. Ordinary government soldiers couldn¡¯t deal with these bandits, but if Yun Qing were the one who woulde, it wouldn¡¯t take even a day to destroy all these bandits. At the end of the day, these people of Menghu Mountain were just a flock of crows that only gathered temporarily.

    Luo Shuigui said, ¡°Miss, even if we all die here without anyone reporting to General Yun, he will still know that these people killed you.¡±

    Great Leader Yi and the other people¡¯s faces instantly changed their colour. They didn¡¯t expect that the woman in front of them was Yun Qing¡¯s fiancee, and they wouldn¡¯t have a peaceful life once they annoyed that God of Killing. As for whether Yun Qing woulde to take his revenge, he would not be a true man if he didn¡¯t do so! As for whether Yun Qing was a true man or not, everyone already knew the answer to this question without even the need to discuss it.

    The first person to question her statement was Heizi. ¡°Are you serious? Are you honestly Yun Qing¡¯s fianc¨¦e?¡± If she was indeed General Yun¡¯s fianc¨¦e, then they couldn¡¯t rob her.

    Yuxi thought the question was idiotic. ¡°You think I have to lie to you when ites to this juncture?¡± It seemed that she could use Yun Qing¡¯s reputation to intimidate other people.

    Hearing this, Heizi said towards Great Leader Yi. ¡°Great Leader, we should release the people and let them pass!¡± Yun Qing was his idol. Only that, this woman was too hot for them to handle, and he didn¡¯t know if General Yun could stand it if they messed with her.

    The change was so fast that Yuxi was unable to enjoy it even for a moment. Was Yun Qing¡¯s reputation this easy to use?

    Lu Kai disagreed. ¡°No, Heizi. Did you already forget what we discussed before we went down the mountain? With this money, we can buy not only arge amount of food but also many weapons. When there is enough food and weapons, we can recruit more people and expand our team.¡±

    When Yuxi heard this talk, she knew that it was impossible to stop herself from bleeding. At that moment, she could only raise her voice and stated, ¡°Just like I said before, I can give you my things, but you can¡¯t harm our lives.¡± As for going to Menghu Mountain as a guest, that was even out of the question.

    Hearing these words from Yuxi, Great Leader Yi said, ¡°We only want money, not harming other people¡¯s lives.¡± Originally, Great Leader Yi only wanted the money, not to capture Yuxi as a hostage. It was Lu Kai who kept on lobbying the matter to him for a long time. He told him that after they captured Yuxi, they could ask for more money from the Han family. However, at that moment, Great Leader Yi knew that by capturing Yuxi, they would not be able to get any money, but also created a feud with Yun Qing. Naturally, Great Leader Yi did not want to tear his own face. But, if he just released the people like this, it wouldn¡¯t work. After all, there were many brothers he needed to feed on Menghu Mountain. [+]

    Yuxi instructed Han Ji, ¡°Remove my wedding clothes and books, then take out your people¡¯s daily necessities, and give them all the rest.¡±

    Luo Shuigui nced silently at Heizi¡¯s sullen-looking face, and after turning it over in his mind, he uttered, ¡°Miss, we cannot give the two carts of medicinal herbs to them. These herbs are to be given to the military camp in Yu City. Although the two carts of herbs are not much, they can save the lives of many soldiers.¡± Although Yuxi didn¡¯t put that many medicinal herbs in these two carts, they were all carefully selected and of the highest quality. If Yuxi was unwilling to give them up, they could indeed save quite a few lives.

    When the one called Heizi heard this, he immediately advised, ¡°Great Leader, we can¡¯t take these two carts of medicinal herbs. If we do, we will lose our moral righteousness.¡±

    Luo Shuigui turned toward Heizi and expressed his gratitude, ¡°I thank this brother on behalf of the people of Yu City.¡± He should put a high hat on this man first, and if the other bandits objected, they should settle it in their nest.

    Heizi said toward Great Leader Yi, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one will touch those herbs as long as I, Heizi, is here.¡±

    Luo Kai nced at Luo Shuigui. This person was also not a simple person. If he insisted on taking those herbs, this Old Leader Hei would turn against him, and then there would be a fight in their nest. Luo Kai raised his voice and said, ¡°We won¡¯t touch the herbs, but you must give us the things in Miss Han¡¯s carriage.¡±

    Yuxi coldly stated, ¡°My carriage has nothing but bedding.¡± It would be a foolish act to admit that there was something else in her carriage.

    Lu Kai questioned coldly, ¡°Miss Han, we have already taken a step back and no longer insist on inviting you to our mountain fortress as a guest, and you want to take us for fools?¡± His words could be considered a threat to Yuxi.

    Yuxi always felt that this person had deep hostility against her. Thus, she said, ¡°In my carriage, besides the bedding, there are just a few books. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can have someone check them. However, it can only be limited to women.¡± She absolutely could not let men set foot inside her carriage.

 Chapter 311 - Menghu Mountain (4)

    Chapter 311 : Menghu Mountain (4)

    Two women came out from the side of the Menghu Mountain. These two women were pretty good-looking. Even though they wore coarse clothes, they were still very clean.

    Zijin was full of anger and had nowhere to vent. She could only look coldly at Zisu and said, ¡°You should go up first. Don¡¯t let them damage the things inside the carriage.¡±

    The shorter one of the two women red at Zijin when she heard this, but Zijin nced coldly at her back. ¡°If you damage the things inside, don¡¯t me me for being rude.¡± This time, he would hate to cut off the hands and feet of these two female bandits as it would only dirty their carriage.

    The short woman was somewhat scared of Zijin¡¯s skill. Hence, she gingerly climbed into the carriage. When she looked at the contents of the carriage, her eyes were full of awe.

    The two women fumbled around in the carriage for a while, knocking east and west, and finally, the taller woman called out, ¡°Great Leader, this carriage has a hiddenpartment!¡± If these people ced things inside the hiddenpartment, then the items must be something good.

    As soon as the taller woman uttered these words, Luo Shuigui¡¯s group raised their weapons. In response, the Menghu Mountain¡¯s side was also ready to fight. At this moment, the situation went back to an emergency state.

    Lu Kai looked at Yuxi and said with a smile, ¡°Miss Han, if you don¡¯t keep your promise, then don¡¯t me us for not keeping our word.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Lu Kai and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± This person not only had a deep mind but also seemed to be eager to capture her to be a hostage. It appeared that this person either had a grudge against the Han family or Yun Qing.

    Lu Kai said with a smile, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am, Miss Han. Do you give us all the things inside this carriage or not? If not, then don¡¯t me us for not being polite.¡±

    Yuxi looked back at Great Leader Yi and saw that the other party did not say anything. Then she changed her sight towards the Menghu Mountain people rubbing their fists and wiping their palms. She knew that it was impossible not to give them those things. ¡°Zijin, carry out the chests.¡±

    Zijin was reluctant as she argued, ¡°No, Miss. Didn¡¯t the Lady have saved these things for you for more than ten years? If you give them to these people, wouldn¡¯t that be a waste of the Lady¡¯s efforts?¡± If they just gave away the things, these people would be suspicious.

    Yuxi clutched the hem of her dress tightly, showing that she was struggling inside.

    Zisu was also full of tears as she begged, ¡°Miss, this dowry is the foundation of your life. Without these things, what will you do in the future, Miss?¡±

    When Han Ji heard this, he shouted, ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t just give it to them for nothing. If the worstes to worst, let¡¯s fight them to the death. If they kill one of us, we will kill two of them to show them that we¡¯re not joking.¡± To others and people like him who did not know the truth, they thought the hiddenpartment inside the carriage had the most valuable things, while the other carts were just to confuse the public. If those thieves took these things, there would be nothing left for his Miss.

    In response, Chief Huang said, ¡°Great Leader Yi, a woman¡¯s marriage life depends on her dowry. Isn¡¯t it too unkind for you to take away all the things that Miss Han has to rely on in the future?¡±

    Lu Kai coldly snorted. ¡°This is what she just promised herself.¡±

    When Yuxi heard these words, she knew that this person did not want to let her go at all. Yuxi closed her eyes, opened them again after a while, and said to Zijin in an unquestionable tone, ¡°People are more important than things. Just give them those things.¡± Luckily, they had changed the stuff inside thepartment. Otherwise, it would have been a significant loss.

    Zijin looked at Great Leader Yi and Lu Kai with her eyes full of killing intent. For them to force her Miss like this, she would surely kill them one day.

    Zijin took one small and tworge chests out of the carriage.

    As soon as the chests came out, they caught everyone¡¯s attention, and these people didn¡¯t know what rare treasures were in them.

    The two women came out of the carriage towards Great Leader Yi, and Lu Kai reported, ¡°Great Leader, Military Counsellor, there is no more stuff inside.¡±

    Yuxi looked at the burning heat in the eyes of the Menghu Mountain people, and then she looked at Lu Kai. Her mind turned for a moment and then said, ¡°Mama Qu, pleasee over and take out all the things from inside the chests.¡±

    Lu Kai¡¯s intuition told him that Yuxi was up to no good, so he immediately put a stop to it. ¡°Qin Gu, bring the things over.¡± After saying that, he said to Yuxi, ¡°Miss Han, give us all the things, and we will let you go.¡±

    Yuxi did not take his words for it, as she tried to reason out, ¡°I just want to take onest look, and after that, I will give them all to you guys.¡±

    Zijin used the knife in her hand to break the key of the small chest. This thing would not be theirs anymore anyway, and if it were already damaged, then she would just let it stay damaged.

    Mama Qu, Mama Xi and the others took out the jewellery boxes from the first chest. After they opened them up, they put them on the ground¡ªseveral small jewellery boxesid in a row.

    Under the sunlight, jewellery pieces inside the eight small jewellery boxes emitted a blinding light. In particr, the exquisite head ornament bestowed by Yuchen, produced by the Imperial Household Department and the pair of jade ruyi from Song Guifei. Not to mention women, even the men¡¯s eyes were shining. No matter how illiterate people were, when they saw these kinds of things, they also knew that they were worth old money.

    The crowd looked at the bigger chests, eager to know what was inside. Yuxi did not let them down as she looked at Zijin.

    Zijin opened one of the big chests with a cold face. The second chest was not filled with gold or silver jewellery but a blueish-green phoenix crown Yuxi would use for her wedding. When Yuxi said to fill the chest with inks and inkstones that day, she was merely joking. Anyone knew that one would ce only precious items in a sandwichedpartment. If she put one or two pieces of inks and inkstones, that would be normal. However, if she put too much, that would not be normal.

    When the woman called Qin Gu looked at such a gorgeous and rich phoenix crown, her eyes couldn¡¯t stay focused. There were so many thumb-sized pearls on it. Just one was enough for her family to chew for a year. These rich people deserved to die. As the wealthy families enjoyed exotic food from mountains and seas every day while dressed in gold and silver, the poor ones did not even have enough food to eat. They were also exploited and oppressed by the riches.

    But all the cynicism in her heart dissipated at once under Zijin¡¯s eyes that were full of murderous intent.

    However, Lu Kai wasn¡¯t blinded by these things and said, ¡°Miss Han is Duke Han¡¯s most beloved sister. How can Miss only have this much dowry?¡± It was much less than he had expected. Yuxi must have hidden the rest elsewhere.

    Yuxi looked at Lu Kai, with the corners of her mouth full of mockery. ¡°Naturally, there are more than this. Half of them have been left at home. If you have the ability, you can go to my house to grab them.¡±

    Great Leader Yi felt that to take all these were already good enough. Just when he wanted to open his mouth, Lu Kai spoke first before he could. ¡°Everyone, check everything. If you have no private stash, then we will let you pass.¡±

    Chief Huang took his stand as he questioned, ¡°Great Leader Yi, when did the rules of Menghu Mountain be like this? Also, I would like to ask, are you the Great Leader, or is it this man?¡± It seemed that the change in the Menghu Mountain happened because of this person.

    Heizi looked at Lu Kai and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t look for an excuse to snatch those herbs. Since I promised to let them take the herbs away, I will stick to my words.¡± He couldn¡¯t tolerate this sinister gentleman, but the Great Leader had special trust in him. When Heizi thought about it, he felt depressed.

    Great Leader Yi finally spoke, ¡°Just put those things down, and let them go.¡±

    Finally, the things were left behind. Except for tworge carts of medicinal herbs, Yuxi¡¯s wedding clothes and books, and the daily clothes worn by everyone, everything else was robbed by the Menghu Mountain people.

    With them losing so many things, Zisu felt so distressed that she started to weep. It seemed like her tears streamed down as much as the money they had lost. ¡°If the Lady knows about this, how sad will she be!¡±

    In Yuxi¡¯s heart, she believed it was fortunate that she did not listen to her mother. Otherwise, the loss would have been even greater. ¡°Since those things are gone, let them be gone, as long as everyone is safe and sound.¡± Although it was a little more thrilling, no one was injured. [+]

    Zisu wiped her tears andined, ¡°Forget about the others; they even took the phoenix crown away. These people are too hateful.¡±

    Yuxi responded helplessly, ¡°How could they let go of the gold, silver and pearls iid on the phoenix crown?¡± She knew that these bandits would not give it up and did not even bother to talk more about it. If it was gone, then it was gone. She still had her wedding dress, head covering and the wedding quilt.

    When Zijin saw Zisu kept on crying, she became a little cranky and coldly scolded her, ¡°What¡¯s the use of crying? Can you snatch those things back by just crying?¡± This feeling of powerlessness truly made her feel terrible.

    Yuxi knew why Zijin was angry and consoled, ¡°The enemy is strong while I am weak. We have to endure it.¡± The other side hade with hundreds of people, and these people also had archers. Fighting with them could only result in heavy death and injury on their side.

    Zijin said, ¡°I know. I just feel so useless.¡± She was depressed that she couldn¡¯t protect Yuxi.

    Hearing this, Yuxi couldn¡¯t helpughing as she said afterwards, ¡°If you are useless, then I won¡¯t have no one else to rely on. Alright, don¡¯t think much about it. Right now, you have to cheer up. It does not mean that the danger is over even after we passed through the Menghu Mountain.¡±

    When Zijin heard this, her whole body went cold. She asked, ¡°Miss, is it possible that these bandits are still not willing to let us go?¡± If the bandits dared toe at them again, they would have to kill them all.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°No. I just think that the schr-like man is the only one unwilling. I¡¯m suspicious of him, and that man is bent on capturing me to the mountain fortress as a hostage.¡± As for why he wanted to do so, the reason was not apparent for the time being.

    When Zijin thought about it, she also had the same feeling for that man. ¡°The man called the Great Leader Yi seems to be very convinced of him. If Miss hadn¡¯t pushed with Miss¡¯ death and said that Yun Qing would avenge Miss, he wouldn¡¯t have given up the idea of catching Miss.¡±

    Yuxi thought for a moment and called for Chief Huang. ¡°Who is that white-faced schr-like man? Why do I feel that he has full of malice towards me.¡±

    Chief Huang shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think this man has been here long. I passed by here in the fourth lunar monthst year, and there had not been such a person then.¡± Thus, Chief Huang didn¡¯t have any details on this person.

    Yuxi¡¯s face was a bit gloomy as she urged, ¡°Let¡¯s speed up and get out of here.¡± She always had a feeling that something else would happen next.

    A group of people from Menghu Mountain returned to the mountain fortress and moved everything they had robbed into the hall. Lu Kai looked at the food and clothing that filled half of the hall. Unfortunately, they were all of little value. Lu Kai wondered, ¡°Great Leader, I always feel that these pieces of jewellery are too little. How can a young miss from the state residence only bring these much to her wedding? She should have at least brought along 20 to 30 boxes?¡±

    Great Leader Yi asked, ¡°Do you mean they had ced the other jewellery inside the medicinal herbs carts?¡± At that time, because of Heizi¡¯s disapproval in taking the medicinal herbs, he felt it was not good to force them to leave the herbs carts behind.

    Lu Kai nodded and said, ¡°Great Leader, let me bring a hundred brothers and make sure to get those gold and silver jewellery.¡±

    Great Leader Yi shook his head and said, ¡°These things are already enough to support the mountain fortress for a while, so there is no need to kill them for them.¡± Great Leader Yi did not want to have a feud with Yun Qing. The so-called God of Killing, not to mention bringing a few thousand people with him, just by bringing 700 or 800 people over would be enough to destroy them. Moreover, Great Leader Yi always felt that they should not do anything else to those people. Otherwise, there would not even be a way back for themselves.

    Lu Kai¡¯s eyes showed hostility, but he could not continue to persuade the Great Leader since he had already made up his mind. At that time, he said with a smile, ¡°Since Great Leader has said so, then we can just let them go!¡± If they couldn¡¯t do it in the open, they could still do it in the dark!

 Chapter 312 - Menghu Mountain (5)

    Chapter 312 : Menghu Mountain (5)

    In the evening, Yuxi¡¯s caravan came across an inn on the side of the road.

    After getting off the carriage, Yuxi looked at the surroundings and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not stay at the inn tonight and just continue ahead.¡± She would rather suffer one more night than take the risk.

    Chief Huang did not object. ¡°We can do that.¡± He turned around afterwards and yelled at the crowd to continue to go forward. Having less stuff also had an advantage: their speed had be faster.

    The puzzled Zijin asked, ¡°Miss, is there something wrong with this inn?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and exined, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s any problem, but this inn must have a great rtionship with those bandits in Menghu Mountain. So we shouldn¡¯t stay in such a ce.¡±

    The group walked for another hour and settled in a vige. After everyone had enough to eat and drink, Luo Shuigui and Chief Huang doubled the number of people on night duty, just in case someone from Menghu Mountain came to attack them.

    If it were before, Chief Huang would have assured Yuxi that the people of Menghu Mountain would not do anything to kill them all. But with Lu Kai as a variable, any guarantee was useless. Strengthening their vignce was the safest way. Unexpectedly, nothing happened that night. The breeze was still, and the waves were quiet all night long.

    After everyone freshened themselves up, the meal was ready. Mama Bai brought them congee with red dates and two savoury crepes.

    Yuxi picked up the spoon. With only a bite, her expression changed slightly. She immediately put down the spoon to stop the Zijin and Zisu from eating. ¡°Do not eat it anymore. This thing is not clean.¡±

    Hearing this, Zijin immediately threw away her chopsticks. Zisu was so frightened that her face turned pale again. ¡°Miss, is there any poison in these meals?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it shouldn¡¯t be.¡± They would have died a long time ago if there were any poison.

    Zijin immediately told the others not to eat the food. When Mama Bai heard this news, her face turned a little white. She instantly knelt in front of Yuxi and said, ¡°Miss, I made all these things myself. I didn¡¯t ask someone else to make them.¡±

    Mama Qu also said next to her, ¡°Miss, we checked the rice and those vegetables to make sure there was no problem before using them. If there is a problem, it¡¯s definitely not from the rice or vegetables.¡±

    Naturally, Yuxi would not suspect Mama Bai and Mama Qu. They were people she brought in by herself. How could they suddenly conspire with the bandits? After hearing Mama Qu¡¯s words, Yuxi asked, ¡°Water. Where did you fetch the water from?¡±

    Mama Bai replied, ¡°The well in the courtyard. Miss, I have tested the water with a silver hairpin, and there is no problem with it.¡± It was also because she had tried it that she was relieved to use it.

    Luo Shuigui immediately fetched a bucket of water and looked at the crystal clear water. Mama Bai went to the yard and caught a chicken, which they would eat that night. She fed the chicken half a scoop of water, and after a while, the chicken was still looking fine.

    In response, Yuxi said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be poison.¡± If they put some other things into their food, as long as they could make their body sick and unable to fight back would have been enough. Once they were sick, where would they have the energy to fight with the bandits? In this situation, their enemies could clean them up in a jiffy.

    Zijin coldly snorted. ¡°Such an underhanded method.¡±

    Luo Shuigui said with a smile, ¡°Since they are bandits, what else can¡¯t they do?¡± One should never expect these people to have any moral character.

    Da Maotou was somewhat reluctant. He was so hungry that he couldn¡¯t bear to see so many good foods! So at that moment, he could not help but ask, ¡°Miss Han, how do you know this stuff is not clean?¡±

    Yuxi looked at Da Maotou and said, ¡°If you do not believe me, you can continue to eat.¡± There was a particr way to cook a medicated diet. One must put the medicinal materials just right, neither too much nor too little, and the temperature must be well controlled. Every preparation step couldn¡¯t be wrong, and the final brew medicated food woulde out the best. Yuxi had been trained this way by Momo Quan. After several years, she was susceptible to medicinal materials and such things. Today, when she tried the red date congee, even though the fragrance of the red dates managed to cover medicine, she could still taste it. As for what kind of medicine, it was too shallow for her to detect, but it must be harmful to one¡¯s body.

    Chief Huang also didn¡¯t say nonsense as he shouted, ¡°Pack up. We¡¯re leaving this ce.¡± Missing a meal wouldn¡¯t kill them, but they would be in a dangerous situation if the food were problematic.

    Yuxi instructed, ¡°Take everything with you.¡± The owner of the house must also be an aplice of the bandits. If they left the food behind, the bandits would be suspicious. Fortunately, they gave the owner money to vacate the house and did not let the owner know what was happening inside the house.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t find it surprising that the house owner would help the bandits in harming them. The owner lived near Menghu Mountain. It was customary for the owner to listen to the bandits of Menghu Mountain.

    Since they didn¡¯t have many things, it only took them less than a quarter of an hour to pack up. After they travelled for about a shichen, the chicken that Mama Bai had fed with water before kept emptying its bowel on the board and was looking beyond recognition. Since it pooped too much, the chicken appeared too sickly and not a bit energetic. [+]

    When Da Mao looked at that chicken, he could only exim, ¡°Miss Han is amazing.¡± Because of the aroma of the meal they ate, they did not find anything wrong. Even their Chief, who had journeyed north and south, could not discover anything amiss about the food at all!

    Chief Huang looked at Yuxi¡¯s carriage and secretly wondered, ¡°Isn¡¯t Miss Han the Duke of State¡¯s meimei? How could she know so much?¡± Her performance along the way didn¡¯t look like a youngdy who never went out of the second gate. If not for Han Ji¡¯s respectful attitude towards her, Chief Huang suspected that this person was an impostor.

    When the caravan arrived at a ce where there was a water source, Yuxi told Chief Huang, ¡°Since everyone did not eat this morning, we¡¯re going to cook two pots of rice for everyone to eat.¡± They should have eaten and drunk enough to kill the enemies. Even without making any guesses, there must be an ambush up ahead.

    As Yuxi predicted, when they had eaten enough to continue their journey, less than half a shichenter, they encountered an ambush by the bandits. These people had hidden in the shadows with their bows and arrows. If Yuxi¡¯s caravan had not prepared themselves, they would have suffered an enormous loss.

    These people had hidden in the mountains for a long time. Thus, they had a geographical advantage. However, when they saw a group of people looking sickly and unhinged, thinking that the powder they put had worked, they let down their guard. Because of the need to capture Yuxi alive, a few became impatient toe down the mountain. At any given time, the one who underestimated the enemy would always pay a heavy price in the end.

    Chief Huang and the other armed escorts from Xinglong Escort Agency were holding their breath. Darn it, this time, they had been humiliated to the extreme. Since they couldn¡¯t keep the humiliation out of their minds right now, they became so angry that they killed the bandits right away.

    Zijin did not take the initiative to kill the enemies this time around as she just stood in front of the carriage. Her big knife would be waiting for the bandits who dared to approach the carriage. After cutting down seven or eight people, no bandits dared toe near the carriage anymore.

    More than twenty out of sixty bandits managed to escape. These people were familiar with the terrain; hence, they fled to the hills as the caravan bodyguards did not dare chase after them.

    Yuxi stepped down from the carriage and looked at the bandits lying on the ground with their arms and legs broken. Her eyes fixed on them while the others did not know what she was currently thinking.

    Luo Shuigui suddenly opened his mouth and said, ¡°Miss, this is not right¡­¡­¡±

    This statement pulled Yuxi from her thoughts. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there something wrong?¡±

    Luo Shuigui spread one of the bandit¡¯s hands and pointed out, ¡°Miss, the calluses on this hand, at a nce, you can tell that they are left from years of him holding weapons.¡± He didn¡¯t tell her his other suspicions since he believed that Yuxi had already realised the big problem.

    Yuxi¡¯s pupils shrank before she suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we hurry up in getting out of here?¡± Earlier, she was still specting whether Lu Kai had a grudge against the Han family or Yun Qing. She couldn¡¯t help guessing that Lu Kai indeed had a grudge with Yun Qing. But in the end, what kind of hatred he had with Yun Qing, she would have to ask Yun Qing himself in Yu City if she genuinely wanted to know more.

    By this time, Yuxi could not help swearing in her heart. She had not yet married Yun Qing, yet she had already met his number 1 personal enemy. How could she live peacefully after that? In the past, she was adamant not to believe when people said she had terrible luck. But now, she did think she had that fate as she would be married to Yun Qing. It was already like this even when they were not married yet. As one could imagine, after she finally married Yun Qing, she could estimate that such a thing would happen often.

    After everyone had their dinner, they held torches to continue their journey. They all had the same thought: hurry up and leave this ce. They could rest after they had passed the boundary.

    When Lu Kai heard that he had just lost many of the men he had sent, his hatred increased tenfold. These people were all his trusted subordinates, and unexpectedly, they all suffered defeat in the hands of that woman.

    The person who came back to report still had a lingering fear as he said, ¡°Master, we didn¡¯t imagine that they would hit us back. The dozen or so guards escorting Han Shi all had bows and arrows, and they were urate with their shots. We couldn¡¯t beat them at all. In addition, her maid was even more vicious. She alone had killed seven of our brothers.¡±

    Lu Kai broke the writing brush in his hand and coldly said, ¡°This woman is so powerful. If we just let her get to Yu City safely, won¡¯t Yun Qing be like a tiger that has grown wings in the future? No, this woman must be removed at all costs.¡± That woman was too dangerous.

    Lu Kai¡¯s real surname was Zhang. He was called Zhang Yong and originally came from Yu City. Because of his weak health, he could not participate in the war. His brother, who held a position in the regiment, found him a job in the military supply depot. Their family had a good life, but unfortunately, it was all ruined by Yun Qing. Not only did Yun Qing kill his brother, but he also led people to raid his home. Since Zhang Yong had nowhere else to stay, he had to hide in this bandit den.

    Zhang Yong originally wanted to capture Yuxi to be a hostage of the Menghu Mountain and use her to humiliate Yun Qing. However, he did not expect Yuxi chose to die than go with them and even made a bold statement that Yun Qing would take revenge for her. The bandits of Menghu Mountain were cravenly clinging to their life and fear of death, fearing retaliation from Yun Qing. Thus they did not dare to kill Yuxi. Since he had onlye to the Menghu Mountain for more than half a year, his roots were not yet stable, and he could not go against the others.

    In response, the subordinate spoke worriedly, ¡°Master, in two days, this group of people will cross the boundary of Menghu Mountain, and it will be even harder for us to kill her.¡±

    Lu Kai sneered. ¡°No worries. I¡¯m not the only one who has a grudge against Yun Qing.¡± The ones with the most grudge against Yun Qing were those northern captives. Those barbarians had long wished they could eat Yun Qing¡¯s flesh and drink his blood. As long as he revealed this information to them, he believed those barbarians would stop at nothing to capture Han Shi. He wondered, what would Yun Qing do once he knew that the northern barbarians had captured his fianc¨¦e? Would he save her or treat it with a cold shoulder?

    When Lu Kai¡¯s subordinates heard his words, their hearts became tense. For revenge, Master turned his back on his state and even dared to take advantage of the northern captives for it. They didn¡¯t know what crazier things their Master would do in the future.

    Yuxi did not know that Lu Kai would be using the northern captives to deal with her, but she realised that she was currently in a dangerous situation. So, she was considering following Zijin¡¯s previous proposal.

    When Zijin heard that Yuxi wanted to follow Master Yang and Fourth Brother Yu, she couldn¡¯t agree more with that decision. ¡°Miss, if you follow Master Yang and Fourth Brother Yu, not only will it be much faster, but it also won¡¯t attract unwanted attention.¡± On the contrary, following the caravan, not only would they be slow, they would continue to be a live target.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Wait until I see Master Yang.¡± She had agreed to meet Master Yang in Dongping Town before. They were still more than 100 miles away from reaching Dongping Town from their current ce!

 Chapter 313 - Leaving The Team

    Chapter 313 : Leaving The Team

    When they arrived in Dongping town, Master Yang and Yu Zhi did not show up but instead handed a letter to Han Ji.

    That night, Zijin went out and returned a shichenter. Zijin told Yuxi, ¡°Miss, Master Yang said you can follow him, but only you and I can leave.¡± If too many people left the caravan, it could easily attract other people¡¯s attention.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Okay, but the only problem now is that it¡¯s difficult to find a stand-in to take my ce.¡±

    Zijin suggested, ¡°Why the need to find a stand-in? Just directly ask Zisu to pretend to be Miss and Shiliu to be her maid. Other people do not know the root of the matter. As long as the other party does not reveal the details, who will know, right?¡±

    Yuxi thought for a moment, nodded, and said, ¡°You are right.¡± After saying that, she turned to look at Zisu, who was already dumbfounded.

    Zisu hastily waved her hand in disapproval and argued, ¡°No, I can¡¯t pretend to be Miss. Moreover, I can¡¯t leave Miss¡¯ side. If only Zijin can follow Miss, who will serve Miss then?¡±

    Yuxi responded, ¡°I don¡¯t need to be served.¡± She could take care of herself.

    Zijin spoke, ¡°Zisu Jiejie, this journey will certainly be very unsafe. We have had a lucky escape before, but no one can predict what will happen to us next. If Miss leaves the team to follow Master Yang, it will be safer for Miss.¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°Zisu, if you disagree with this, then let¡¯s just forget about it. We will think of another way.¡±

    When Zisu heard Yuxi¡¯s words, she gritted her teeth and finally gave in. ¡°Okay, Miss. Then you have to take good care of yourself.¡± Although she didn¡¯t want to give up on trying to follow Yuxi, she could still tell which was more important right now.

    Yuxi asked Zijin to call Luo Shuigui and Chief Huang over. She then told the two that she was ready to leave. Yuxi also had no choice. If she did not tell them, it would undoubtedly cause a riot, andter, it would be a troublesome matter to handle.

    Zijin said, ¡°There are three people, Master Yang, Fourth Brother Yu, and me, enough to protect Miss¡¯ safety.¡± Zijin felt that if there were more people, the more cumbersome it would be.

    Luo Shuigui looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°Has Miss made up Miss¡¯ mind?¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°From here to Yucheng, there is still more than a month¡¯s journey. I¡¯m troubled about any unforeseen events along the road.¡± Instead of being noticed by being in a big group, it was better to follow Master Yang¡¯s team. There were advantages to having fewer people. At least it would not be that eye-catching.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°I have already decided.¡±

    Luo Shuigui nodded and said, ¡°Since Miss has already decided, I won¡¯t say much.¡± He did feel that it was safer for Yuxi to follow Master Yang¡¯s group. For one thing, with fewer people, she would be less conspicuous, and for another, they could use the caravan to attract the attention of those who had ulterior motives.

    Chief Huang, as the hired one, did not have much say. However, he made a suggestion. ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to let Miss Zisu pretend to be you. The bandits of Menghu Mountain had seen Miss before. Although they didn¡¯t know Miss¡¯ face, they knew Miss¡¯ height. To find a body double, we have to find someone with a simr figure.¡±

    Yuxi hesitated. ¡°But, can it be that easy to find a woman who is about the same height as me?¡± She was considered very tall among women.

    Chief Huang responded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. As long as Miss has money, we can find one.¡±

    Yuxi had lost all her gold and silver jewellery, but she still had silver tickets. Thus, she asked Zijin to give Chief Huang two hundred taels of silver tickets, which he could exchange for silver in many ces. Yuxi said, ¡°If this town can not exchange them for silver, then I have to bother Chief Huang to pay first in advance.¡± The bandits of Menghu Mountain had also robbed Yuxi¡¯s money box. Now, she only had silver tickets left. To be safe, she had ced all her silver tickets in Zijin¡¯s hands at that time.

    Chief Huang spoke with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. I¡¯ll get things done by tonight.¡± When they were at Menghu Mountain, because Yuxi had covered her face with a veil, the bandits did not know what she looked like. Therefore, he should just find someone with a simr body shape. Such a person was still rtively easy to find.

    In the middle of the night, Han Ji came over to report the matter to Yuxi with a very ugly-looking expression, ¡°Miss, Chief Huang bought two people from a brothel back.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°In the end, it¡¯s the people who often travel outside who can be this thorough.¡± Zijin had made a name for herself in Menghu Mountain, and she was also Yuxi¡¯s personal bodyguard. If she were also not with the caravan, it would inevitably make people think more.

    Han Ji, however, felt that Chief Huang did this to damage Yuxi¡¯s reputation. Therefore, he felt very ufortable. ¡°Miss, if the woman¡¯s behaviour is not good, won¡¯t you be angry that she has ruined your reputation?¡±

    Yuxi smiled. ¡°She¡¯s merely a stand-in, so what¡¯s the point of talking about how she will ruin my reputation? It would be best if you also stopped ming Chief Huang. It¡¯s already good that he could find stand-in people in just one night.¡±

    As Zisu recalled her own dark experience, her expression also turned extraordinarily unsightly. ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t want to serve her!¡±

    Yuxi said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to. You¡¯ll be in the same carriage with Mama Qu and the otherster on.¡± Anyway, to outsiders, Zisu was an insignificant person, and no one would pay attention to her.

    Zisu nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Before dawn, Yuxi left the inn with Zisu and went to a small farmhouse where Master Yang was currently staying.

    Master Yang looked at Yuxi, who was wearing grey male clothes, andmented, ¡°As long as people are not blind, they can still know that you are a woman at a nce.¡± The clothes did nothing to hide Yuxi¡¯s shapely woman figure. Even spacious clothing could notpletely cover her body shape.

    Yuxi also knew that she could not pretend to be a man as she said, ¡°I can pretend to be a couple with Zijin.¡± Zijin did look more like a man. If she and Zijin masqueraded as a couple, they would not arouse anyone suspicion.

    Master Yangughed. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± After that, he stood up and said, ¡°It¡¯s still early. Go to sleep for a while. Don¡¯t feel so anxious to hasten on with our journey.¡±

    Although the house was very shabby, as long as Yuxi had a ce to shelter her from the wind and rain, she wouldn¡¯t be picky. After washing up, Yuxi went to sleep with Zijin.

    Yuxi had a good night¡¯s sleep. When she went out of the house, she saw Master Yang and Yu Zhi were ying chess. They looked indescribably leisurely.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know why but watching the two of them ying so casually had removed a lot of the jittery feeling she had in her heart. Perhaps it was because she knew that Master Yang was a straightforward person, so she was not worried about her safety! Yuxi smiled and greeted the two, ¡°Master Yang, Fourth Brother Yu, good morning!¡±

    Chinese Tobo Pipe

    Image Credit | Chinese Items

    Master Yang took his tobo pipe and poked it upward while saying, ¡°You still think it¡¯s early morning? The sun is already three-pole high? I have heard that a youngdy from big wealthy families sleeps until the beginning of maoshi before she wakes up.¡± He pointed out that Yuxi was beingzy. [T/C]

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep well on the way because I was always scared and on edge. I finally got a good night¡¯s sleep yesterday till I overslept, and this is all thanks to Master Yang for being around me.¡±

    This speech of hers was unmistakably an act of ttery. Master Yang knocked the tobo pipe on the table and said, ¡°Hurry up and pack. We still need to get on with our journey!¡± If it were not for Yuxi and Zijin particrly looking exhaustedst night, he would have woken them up much earlier, not allowing them to sleep until the sun was three-pole high.

    After packing, Yuxi got into the carriage. There was a big box inside with a quiltid on it. Besides them, there were two oversized packages and a square stool. The carriage was not exceptionally spacious. With so many things put inside it, there was only enough room for one person to sit. Good thing Yuxi¡¯s tolerance was very high. If it was another youngdy, she certainly could not stand this crammed space.

    Master Yang got on the carriage and asked, ¡°Young Mistress, are you already seated?¡± The identity of the four people had already been decided. Yuxi and Zijin disguised themselves as husband and wife, with Yu Zhi as their personal attendant and Master Yang their chauffeur.

    Yuxi instructed softly, ¡°You can go now.¡±

    Not long after, Yuxi heard yelling from outside the carriage. Soon, the carriage stopped. Master Yang said, ¡°Young Mistress, let¡¯s have something to eat here.¡± The way he called her as a young mistress sounded particrly strange to Yuxi¡¯s ears.

    In a short while, Zijin brought in a bowl of noodles and a basket of steamed cakes for Yuxi. [+]

    CHINESE STEAMED CAKES

    Yuxi put the small stool in ce. Then she ced the noodles and steamed cakes on it with a smile. After that, she sat down and ate them slowly.

    In the beginning, the road was rtively smooth, but the more the carriage, the bumpier it became. Finally, Yuxi could not stand it any longer, so she lifted the curtain and asked, ¡°Master Yang, why is it so bumpy?¡±

    Master Yang said, ¡°We are taking a small road, not an official road, so naturally, it is a little bumpy. You should bear with it for a while. It will soon be fine.¡±

    Zijin rolled her eyes at Master Yang and said toward Yu Zhi, ¡°Fourth Brother Yu, you should drive the carriage and let Master ride the horse.¡± Zijin and Yu Zhi were both riding horses.

    Master Yang snorted coldly andined, ¡°If you dislike me, then why do you still follow me?¡± Although he uttered thisint, he still threw the horsewhip in his hand to Yu Zhi.

    Yu Zhi slowed down the speed, and Yuxi felt better sitting inside the carriage. At noon the four people ate roujiamo with water, which was very convenient.

    ROUJIAMO

    It was almost dark when the group saw a vige, and Master Yang said, ¡°Tonight we will spend the night here.¡± They were not in a hurry anyway.

    Yuxi did not object.

    When the caravan stayed overnight in a farmhouse, they would borrow the whole ce, and their people did all the cooking. This time, when Master Yang asked for lodging from the farmhouse owner, they didn¡¯t have to prepare their own meals. Master Yang politely asked the owner, Yang Qing, to prepare them. That night, Yuxi ate mutton paomo, a speciality cuisine of Shaanxi.

    Mutton Paomo or in this video, it¡¯s beef paomo.

    Yuxi ate arge bowl of it. After she finished eating, she smilingly said, ¡°I have never eaten this much at night.¡± Yuxi usually ate sixty per cent full for evening meals, but today was an exception.

    Master Yang touched his stomach as he spoke, ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s delicious. Next time, I¡¯ll let you try the minced beef noodles. Its taste is also a masterpiece.¡±

    MINCED BEEF NOODLES

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Okay, then next time we have to try it properly.¡±

    That night, after the two of themy down, Zijin suggested to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, if you want to leave, now is the best opportunity.¡±

    Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°Are you sure you can convince Master Yang and Yu Zhi?¡± Master Yang and Yu Zhi were not unknown people. If they helped her escape, they would be in a lot of trouble.

    Zijin was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Miss, not to mention that Yu City is always at war, making it a not safe ce to stay; it also has a lot of Yun Qing¡¯s enemies. Will Miss have a peaceful life after marrying him? Instead of being dragged down by him in the future, why not Miss take this opportunity to escape?¡±

    Yuxi was silent for a moment before she spoke, ¡°Let me think about it first.¡± Because of Zijin¡¯s words, Yuxi tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep all night.

 Chapter 314 - A Great Hero

    <strong>Chapter 314 : A Great Hero</strong>

    Yuxi got up at dawn.

    Zijin also got up and asked, ¡°Miss, have you made your decision?¡± Yuxi had not slept all night, and neither did Zijin.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Not yet.¡± Faking her death and disappearing. Once she did this, not only could she discard the identity of Fourth Miss Han, but also her family and the responsibility that came with it. It was something easy to say, but it was not that easy for her to make a decision. There were too many scruples and too much that she had to give up.

    Zijin did not say anything else but went out to Master Yang to discuss this matter. ¡°Master, I want to take my Miss away.¡±

    Master Yang reacted quickly and asked, ¡°You want to take her away? Where do you intend to go?¡±

    Zijin replied, ¡°I do not know. Maybe to Jiangnan or Minnan. I haven¡¯t decided on the specific ce.¡± The main thing was that Miss had not decided to go or not to go yet!

    Master Yang looked grave as he continued to ask, ¡°Is this your idea, or Han Yuxi?¡± If they want to leave, it would not be a small matter.

    Zijin answered, ¡°My idea.¡± With her Miss¡¯ ability, they could live well anywhere once they left that ce riffed with troubles.

    Master Yang nced at Zijin. How could he still not know how straightforward Zijin was? If Han Yuxi hadn¡¯t put the idea first, Zijin would never have suggested this. Thinking of this, Master Yang walked into the house and looked at Yuxi, who was still washing her face and rinsing her mouth. He said, ¡°I have something to say to you.¡± Surprisingly, this girl was nning to leave, and he did not know what was in her head.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Master Yang stared at Yuxi and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t want to go to Yu City anymore?¡± It was unexpected that this girl wanted to escape from her marriage.

    Yuxi was silent for a moment and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go anymore. Yun Qing has too many enemies. I¡¯m afraid that if I¡¯m not careful, one of them will kill me.¡± Not to mention that Yu City was often at war and unsafe, the situation with Yun Qing was as bad as it could be.

    Master Yang did not expect Yuxi would be so blunt. After a while, he finally asked, ¡°Then, where do you want to go?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Nowadays, there is no peacefulnd in this world. If we don¡¯t go to Yu City, just Zijin and I alone may not be able to live safely in these troubled times.¡± In addition to the responsibility of giving up her family and identity, this was one of the main reasons why Yuxi hesitated.

    Master Yang questioned, ¡°You mean, if there is a peacefulnd, you¡¯re willing to cut yourself off and leave your family?¡±

    Yuxi still shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s just that when I think of going to Yu City and having to face so many things, my heart bes restless.¡± Once she married Yun Qing, there would be no more peaceful days in her life. Yun Qing was out to avenge his blood feud, but the Song family was not a vegetarian either.

    Master Yang now knew why Yuxi wanted to leave. To put it bluntly, in just a few words, she had a fear of death. This fear of death, all ordinary people were afraid of dying. However, to run away from the marriage because of it didn¡¯t usually happen.

    After waiting for a long time, Yuxi could not wait for a word from Master Yang anymore. She could not help but say, ¡°Master Yang, if you have anything to say, just say it.¡±

    Master Yang hung his tobo pipe on his waist and said, ¡°I have nothing to say. If you are determined to leave, we will go our separate wayster. Until then, we¡¯ll go in the direction of Yu City.¡± It was going to rain, and one¡¯s mother was determined to remarry, while Yuxi wanted to escape from her marriage which was something he was unable to stop. Of course, he would not stop it either.

    After travelling for a long time, Yuxi found that the road had be much smoother. She lifted the curtain to look outside and asked, ¡°Master Yang, are we going back to the official road?¡±

    Master Yang nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! We are not in a hurry anyway. Might as well take thefortable official road.¡± When this old man wanted to save some time to get to Yu City early, he would ride on the bumpy road.

    Yuxi was silent.

    That night, Master Yang did not stay in a farmhouse, let alone an inn, but slept out in the wild. After the group stopped, Master Yang instructed Yuxi, ¡°Go cook something.¡± He was trying to wear Yuxi out.

    After taking the two packages from Master Yang, Yuxi realised that it didn¡¯t contain any Master Yang¡¯s clothes, but rather iron pots and pans, with rice, flour, oil, vegetables, and other things, which were quite neatly prepared.

    When Zijin saw Yuxi take the iron pot to wash, she interrupted, ¡°Miss, you should rest. I will do this.¡± Miss had never done this kind of menial work. [+]

    Master Yang spoke up at this time, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were leaving? Once you leave, you are no longer the precious youngdy who could not put her ten fingers under the sun or touch the water. You have to learn to do all these things.¡± He had to let this youngdy know that without the identity of the youngdy of State Residence, she would be struggling to live outside.

    Yuxi smiled a little as she carried the iron pot to the pool to wash it.

    Yu Zhi helped Master Yang build the stove. He watched Yuxi rinse the rice and whispered, ¡°Master, are you truly letting Miss Han cook our meal?¡± It was strange to eat the rice cooked by Miss Han! He did not want to have diarrhoea.

    Master Yang knocked on Yu Zhi¡¯s head with his tobo pipe and scolded him, ¡°You only think about eating. Hurry up and do your work.¡± What an ignorant guy.

    Master Yang¡¯s eldest apprentice was brilliant and highly skilled in martial arts. Unfortunately, he was too bright. In the end, he felt that his master was in his way and wanted to get rid of him. This act by his student left a heavy shadow in Master Yang¡¯s heart. He resolutely refused to ept those intelligent disciples and preferred to take stupid and honest disciples.

    Yuxi had previously learned with Guo Daniang. Thus, rinsing rice was not difficult for her to do, but she had a problem starting the fire. To show her strong points and hide her weaknesses, she tasked Zijin to start the fire while she went to wash the ingredients for their meals.

    Yu Zhi, who was building the shed on the side, watched Yuxi usibly do her job and could not help eximing, ¡°Master, Miss Han seems to know how to cook!¡±

    Master Yang rolled his eyes at Yu Zhi. He was not blind. How could he not see it?

    When Yuxi saw that the rice was almost cooked, she prepared the dishes. She stir-fried two cuisines, one with radish and one with slices of bacon. Once done, she brought the two tes of food to the small square table and said, ¡°Actually, the slices of bacon smell more fragrant when they are steamed.¡±

    Yu Zhi finally couldn¡¯t help himself and blurt out, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Miss Han can cook.¡± Looking at the style of these dishes, they were even a bit better than the ones made by Zijin.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I have learned needlework, cooking, and managing household. But I only know how to cook a few simple dishes. I can¡¯t do tooplicated ones.¡±

    Master Yang silently clipped a piece of radish, ate it and did not say anything. In the end, he had underestimated this girl. This time, Master Yang advised, ¡°You have to know that if you absolutely want to leave, you will have to live your life circling the pot and stove in the future.¡±

    Yuxi asked with some confusion, ¡°Master Yang, do you disapprove of me leaving?¡± She felt that even if she escaped from this marriage, it had nothing to do with Master Yang. For this reason, she did not understand why Master Yang would be so disgusted with her decision.

    Master Yang looked at Yuxi and said, ¡°You are a smart person. I¡¯m not going to talk to you about any big theory. I just want to ask you, if everyone is afraid of death and not willing to go to the military, who will protect this country?¡±

    Yuxi muttered in her heart that she was going to marry someone, not to be a soldier. But she was not stupid. She knew that Master Yang would say more than that, so she did not interrupt him.

    Master Yang continued, ¡°Yun Qing has many enemies, but they are not created personally by him. Putting his grudge against the Song family aside, let¡¯s just talk about Qin Zhao and the Xu family. The reason they regard Yun Qing as a thorn in their side is that Yun Qing has disrupted their benefits for the sake of the lowly rank soldiers.¡±

    Yuxi froze at these words. After quite a while, she finally managed to ask, ¡°Master Yang, how do you know all this?¡± Who was this person that was so familiar with the affairs of the border city?

    Master Yang shook his head and said, ¡°Han girl, the resentment people have against Yun Qing is not because he does it for his personal gain. From here, we can see that Yun Qing is straight-up a forthright and upright man.¡± After a pause, he continued, ¡°Have you ever thought about what kind of impact you will have on Yun Qing after you run away from this marriage? Han girl, I know that being married to Yun Qing will put you in a dangerous situation, and you are worried about your safety, but you can¡¯t be a person who only cares about yourself and not other people¡¯s life.¡± If everyone only cared about themselves and not others, the world would have been in chaos.

    Only then did Yu Zhi understand what Yuxi¡¯s departure represented, and hurriedly said, ¡°Miss Han, General Yun is a great hero who can support both heaven and earth. If you don¡¯t marry him, you will regret it.¡± Yun Qing was his idol! This time, he had ground his Master to apany him to the northwest; one was to escort Zijin, the second was to see his hero. [T/C]

    Yuxi had met one who worshipped Yun Qing on Menghu Mountain. She did not expect Yu Zhi had adoration for Yun Qing too. Well, Yuxi had to admit, men and women¡¯s brain circuits would never be on the same line.

    While Yuxi¡¯s side was calm and quiet, Chief Huang¡¯s side was not as peaceful. Lu Kai let out news saying that Yun Qing¡¯s fianc¨¦e was on her way to Yu City to marry him, bringing tens of thousands of taels worth of medicinal herbs and several boxes of gold and silver jewellery.

    People died for money, and birds killed each other for food. Before those bandits and horse thieves knew the full details, they only knew that this caravan was a fat sheep, without questioning the real motives behind the sudden release of this news as they were anxious that other people would rob it first before themselves. Now, since they knew the other party¡¯s details and the several gold and silver jewellery boxes that they were carrying, it was natural for them not to let go. As a result, Chief Huang and his party had a terrible time. First, the road was blocked by trees. While clearing the blocked path, a group of bandits tried to rob them. Once the caravan destroyed them, they stayed in a county¡¯s inn for a night. As a result, the inn was hit by a fire that night, and everyone was busy putting it out. After tossing for a day and a night, the party was not in good spirits.

    In response, Chief Huang felt something was wrong with this situation. He immediately issued a message, saying everyone was too tired to continue and rest another night in the county town. They changed their inn, and Chief Huang immediately ordered the other armed escort to unload the medicinal herbs. He also asked the innkeeper to call a physician to help check the herbs. The herbs had be wet after being hit by rain, and they could have lost their medicinal properties.

    The intention was obvious. Chief Huang wanted to let everyone outside know that they did not have a few gold, silver, and jewellery boxes. They only had two carts of medicinal herbs, and they were not something that valuable and rare, which wasn¡¯t worth it for everyone to fight for them.

    This method worked very well. The caravan¡¯s next trip became smoother as the bandits and horse thieves made no more road robberies.

 Chapter 315 - Hostage (1)

    Chapter 315 : Hostage (1)

    Xu Wu took twenty men and rushed his way day and night. Since he had to inquire about the caravan news in every ce, it somewhat dyed his journey. Half a monthter, he finally found Chief Huang and his party on the road.

    Luo Shuigui looked at Xu Wu and asked somewhat hesitantly, ¡°Are you the one sent by General Yun?¡± Without proof, he could not believe it.

    Although Yun Qing was not very old, his reputation was resounding. Most people from the martial arts world were very respectful of him. Of course, those who didn¡¯t join the martial arts world also had a lot of admiration for him.

    Tang Dynasty Bronze Military Dispatch Tokens

    An example of military tokens. These are Old Tang Dynasty bronze Military dispatch tokens.

    Image Credit | Catherine Antique via Aliexpress

    Xu Wu nodded and showed the Northwest Army¡¯s military token for Luo Shuigui to see.

    Luo Shuigui was also a martial arts practitioner, so he knew the token¡¯s authenticity when he saw it. At that moment, he smiled and said, ¡°May I ask your name, brother?¡± He didn¡¯t expect Yun Qing to be so kind.

    Xu Wu introduced himself and asked, ¡°Is Madam inside the carriage?¡± After saying that, his eyes fell on thergest carriage.

    There were other people on the official road, so Luo Shuigui didn¡¯t tell Xu Wu that the one inside the carriage was just a double for safety¡¯s sake. After hearing Xu Wu¡¯s question, he just nodded his head.

    After Xu Wu got an urate answer, he spoke towards the carriage, ¡°Madam, the General is worried about your safety and has sent me to pick you up.¡±

    If Yuxi were here, she would have scolded Xu Wu. None other than the fact that there was no marriage yet between her and his general. How dare he call her Madam! It was a pity that the woman inside the carriage, Yue Hong, wasn¡¯t aware of this. Hearing how Xu Wu¡¯s addressed her, she smiled and said, ¡°My husband is considerate to¡­¡­¡± She had to swallow back her following words under Mama Qu¡¯s knife-like eyes.

    When Xu Wu heard these words, his face immediately darkened. It wasn¡¯t because Yue Hong called Yun Qing her husband, but her voice was flirtatious to the bone, with a seductive vour. Although he had not seen the real person, she had made Xu Wu feel disgusted only from hearing her voice.

    Luo Shuigui naturally saw Xu Wu¡¯s displeasure and hurriedly said, ¡°Guard Xu, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to go on the road?¡± He was afraid that stopping in the middle of the road with this cadre of people would block other people¡¯s way.

    Xu Wu nodded and said, ¡°Alright.¡± Although Xu Wu was ufortable in his heart, he did not think much of it. He merely thought that this woman was born to be like this.

    Mama Qu shared a carriage with Yue Hong because she was worried that Yue Hong would do something bad and smear Yuxi¡¯s reputation, so she kept her eyes on Yue Hong. After the caravan continued on its way, Mama Qu coldly said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to speak? Are you treating my words like wind past your ear?¡±

    Yue Hong was a bit aggrieved as she argued, ¡°People havee this far to pick up your master. It would be unkind of me if I didn¡¯t even say a word.¡±

    Mama Qu was not angry after hearing her words. What kind of people she had not seen while she worked in the pce before. At that moment, she just coldly warned, ¡°Don¡¯t forget your identity. If you treat what I said as wind past your ear next time, don¡¯t me me for being rude to you.¡±

    When Yue Hong saw Mama Qu¡¯s reaction, she did not dare speak again.

    The twenty men Xu Wu had brought with him were all veterans. Each of them had washed their hands with enemies¡¯ blood, and all of them were looking fierce. Having such a group of impressive killers added to the caravan, where would those horse thieves and bandits dare to approach them.

    At lunchtime, the group of people stopped to eat their dry food. On the fourth lunar month, the weather was perfect. Eating dry food with cold water did not feel as ufortable as before.

    Yue Hong took advantage of this opportunity to get out of the carriage to get some air. Mama Qu initially disagreed, but Yue Hongined bitterly, ¡°Mama Qu, my legs are numb. Please let me go down for a walk.¡±

    Mama Qu thought for a moment and nodded her head in agreement afterwards, but she didn¡¯t allow Yue Hong to go far. She only allowed her to stay next to the carriage.

    Yue Hong took a few steps and felt someone was looking at her. When she turned around, she saw a big, burly man in a military uniform staring at her, and she returned with a bright smile.

    When Mama Qu saw this, the veins on her forehead started to stand up. She immediately stopped and instructed, ¡°Hurry back to the carriage.¡± She wanted to save this woman from making a fool of herself here.

    Yue Hong was reluctant, but she was dragged back to the carriage by Mama Qu.

    The soldier looking at Yue Hong was called Mading. This guy was already twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old this year. He had no wife. After the war, he had nowhere to vent his energy, so he liked to go to the brothel. He just felt that the way Yue Hong walked was not right. Plus, she talked so charmingly to the bone before, making him suspicious of Yue Hong¡¯s identity. Then, after looking at the other party throwing a wink at him, there was no need for him to confirm it anymore. This woman was 100% problematic. He also noticed the old woman¡¯s attitude when serving around her, and he finally knew the score. One shouldn¡¯t think that soldiers were mere louts. They had their way to survive peacefully until now.

    Thinking of this, Mading went straight at Xu Wu and said, ¡°Xu Daren, there¡¯s something wrong with that woman.¡±

    Xu Wu turned his head and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Not only Xu Wu but the other soldiers also looked over at him. Since they had been entrusted to pick Yuxi up, they were obviously trustworthy people.

    Mading made his guess. ¡°Xu Daren, you also know my preferences. My eyes will not make any mistakes. This woman 100% can not be Madam.¡± Madam was a youngdy of the state residence. Thus, how could she behave in such a loose manner?

    At this time, Luo Shuigui came over. Just now, when Mama Qu looked at Mading¡¯s expression, she knew they were suspicious of Yue Hong. In order not to cause misunderstanding, she asked Luo Shuigui to exin to Xu Wu¡¯s people.

    Luo Shuigui told Xu Wu the whole story. ¡°Miss insisted on taking the smaller path, so there was nothing we could do about it. It¡¯s safer for Miss to follow Master Yang as this journey has been very dangerous so far.¡± No one knew that General Yun would send someone to pick them up! If they knew, they would not have let Miss go with Master Yang.

    Xu Wu looked at the five carriages behind him and asked, ¡°Are you saying that the bandits took Madam¡¯s dowry?¡± How dare they even rob their Madam¡¯s dowry! If not for his current priority was to escort Madam, he would have led his men to kill the bandits of Menghu Mountain right away.

    Luo Shuigui looked at Xu Wu¡¯s expression. How could he not understand his mind? He hastily said, ¡°Guard Xu, we know that this person is only a double, but the others don¡¯t know. The most important thing now is to send her to Yu City so that Miss¡¯ journey will be safer.¡±

    Xu Wu nodded his head for a moment and said, ¡°Okay. Then let¡¯s go ahead.¡± Since that woman was not Madam, there was no need to worry too much.

    Even though Yuxi¡¯s group currently took the official road, it wasn¡¯t without any twist and turn. As they were making a turn at a corner, a few bandits blocked their way.

    Yuxi lifted the curtain and looked up ahead. She saw six people in front of them, each holding arge knife, which looked quite frightening.

    Just at this time, one of the bandits said to them, ¡°I opened the mountain and nted these trees. If you want to cross this road, pay me with your monies.¡±

    Yuxi snorted andughed. This jingle was well made up.

    Zijin was not in a good mood these days. When she saw someone dare to block her way, she jumped off the horse and was ready to vent her anger.

    In response, Master Yang reminded her, ¡°Don¡¯t kill them.¡± These people were not real bandits. They just wanted to make a profit! The real bandits wouldn¡¯t talk nonsense with you. They would directly chop you down.

    After listening to Master Yang¡¯s words, Zijin did not kill the fake bandits. She just beat them up until theyy on the ground, wailing.

    Yuxi urged, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The four people stayed at an ordinary inn for the night. They had put the contents of therge chest into two small boxes. Zijin efficiently carried the boxes in each of her hands like she was carrying toys. This view gave the illusion that there were light things inside the boxes or else, where one could lift them effortlessly. For this reason, it saved the group from a lot of trouble.

    After putting the things down, Zijin informed Yuxi, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll go order two dishes and have Xiao Er send them up.¡± Yuxi was not going to eat downstairs. She wasn¡¯t concerned that women shouldn¡¯t show their faces in public, but rather etiquette had already been nted deep to her bones. Besides, if she had her meals downstairs, she would indeed be seen by someone.

    Yuxi nodded her head and said, ¡°You go ahead!¡±

    It didn¡¯t take long for Zijin toe back, with Master Yang and Yu Zhi following behind her. When Yuxi saw them together, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there something wrong?¡± The three people looked unusually serious, showing that something had gone wrong.

    Master Yang turned to look at Zijin¡¯s darkened face that was dark as charcoal, then sighed and said, ¡°The people below are talking about Yun Qing¡¯s fianc¨¦e, whom the northern barbarians have kidnapped.¡±

    Yuxi was shocked. ¡°How did this happen?¡± If they said that bandits had robbed her, Yuxi wouldn¡¯t feel anything. But to be taken away by the northern barbarians, whose idea was this? How could they know her identity and take her away at the halfway point on her journey? Someone must have unquestionably tipped the barbarians off.

    Master Yang said, ¡°Your news has not been disclosed before. I think the problem should lie with the bandits in Menghu Mountain.¡±

    Yuxi reacted very quickly as she said, ¡°Not should, but definitely. That military counsellor, Lu Kai of Menghu Mountain, must have refused to live under the same sky with Yun Qing. Since he couldn¡¯t catch me himself, he wanted to use the hands of the northern captives. Otherwise, without urate information, they would not have risked sneaking troops into the inner city to kidnap people.¡± The northern captives hated Yun Qing to the bone but could not do anything about it. When they heard that she was going to Yu City toplete her marriage with Yun Qing, they wanted to capture her to be their hostage. Even if they could not break Yun Qing¡¯s bones, they could at least make him lose his face.

    As soon as Zijin heard this, she immediately spoke out, ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t go to Yu City.¡± Yun Qing had a dangerous life. Whoever got close to him would have bad luck.

    Hearing this urge from Zijin, Yuxi turned her head to look at Master Yang and asked, ¡°Master Yang, do you think I should go to Yu City?¡±

    Master Yang gave a bitter smile and answered, ¡°Han girl, you should make your own decision.¡± This time, Yuxi was fortunate to escape the kidnapping. Who knew if she would still be so lucky next time. To marry Yun Qing was indeed very dangerous. If one were not careful, one would be doomed forever.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Master Yang say that I only think about myself and don¡¯t even care about Yun Qing?¡± How many people in this world would still jump into the fire pit despite knowing that they might lose their life at any time? Maybe there were people like this, but not her. [+]

    Master Yang did not know that Yuxi would be this spiteful. She immediately refuted him with his own words. He could only cough a few times before saying, ¡°This is your business. You should make up your mind on it.¡±

    Yu Zhi looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°Miss Han, are you truly not going to Yu City?¡±

    Yuxi smiled a little and replied, ¡°I¡¯m going. Why should I not? Didn¡¯t you say that if I miss a man like Yun Qing, I will regret it for the rest of my life?¡±

    Yu Zhi was a little surprised to see Yuxi decided to continue going to Yu City with such a crisp and clear look on her face. This action from her waspletely different from her previous attitude, which he could not help but ask, ¡°You are not afraid of being implicated by General Yun?¡±

    Yuxi looked up through the window and looked out. After a while, she turned her head and said, ¡°Of course I¡¯m afraid. However, why should I fear death when he is someone worthy for me to die for?¡±

 Chapter 316 - : Hostage (2)

    Chapter 316 : Hostage (2)

    Yuxi solemnly bowed towards Master Yang and Yu Zhi as she said, ¡°Master Yang, Fourth Brother Yu, I have an ungrateful request, which I hope you can agree with.¡±

    Yu Zhi asked nervously, ¡°What are you going to request from us, Miss Han?¡±

    Yuxi answered, ¡°You also know that Yun Qing has many enemies, and once I marry him, my life will always be in danger. It will not be enough to have Zijin alone to protect me, so I hope Master Yang and Fourth Brother Yu can also stay beside me. That way, I won¡¯t worry much about my safety.¡± What Yuxi meant by this was that she wished Master Yang and Yu Zhi would protect her at her new home.

    Fourth Brother Yu turned to Master Yang. This matter had to be decided by him.

    Master Yang did not say anything as his eyes fell on Yuxi. This girl. He did not expect she woulde up with an idea of using them both master and apprentice as her guards.

    Yuxi continued, ¡°Master Yang, didn¡¯t you say that in this world, people can¡¯t just only care about themselves while disregarding other people¡¯s lives?¡± Anyone could say anything that was just awe-inspiring, but how many people could ignore their own life and death for the sake of righteousness?

    Master Yangughed at these words of hers. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good, really good. Fine, Yu Zhi and I will stay until you have enough ability to protect yourself. After that, we will leave.¡± It was him who dug this pit in the first ce. Therefore, he still had to jump in even when he was unwilling.

    Yuxi responded with a grateful face, ¡°Thank you, Master Yang and Fourth Brother Yu.¡± With Master Yang and Yu Zhi around, she felt much at ease.

    Master Yang waved his hand and said, ¡°Do not give me this fake gratitude. Go to bed early. We have to continue our journey tomorrow!¡± After saying that, he took Yu Zhi out of the house.

    Back in their room, Yu Zhi could not help but ask, ¡°Master, what exactly does Miss Han mean by this? Before, she was so afraid of dying, but now, she has be fearless.¡± He was so confused.

    Master Yang knocked on Yu Zhi¡¯s head with his tobo pipe while feeling disappointed that iron could not turn into steel. ¡°How did I ept such a stupid apprentice as you?¡±

    Despite that, Yu Zhi still pestered Master Yang for an answer. ¡°Master, I don¡¯t understand. Just tell me. What exactly does Miss Han mean?¡±

    Master Yang¡¯s greatest fear was Yu Zhi¡¯s follow-up manoeuvre. If he did not answer Yu Zhi¡¯s question, he would ask him the same thing all day long and wouldn¡¯t even let him sleep at night. ¡°Han girl¡¯s meaning is to see whether Yun Qing is worth the risk. If he is, then she won¡¯t be afraid of any danger.¡±

    Yu Zhi still has a question mark on his face. ¡°Then, how can he be considered worthy?¡±

    Master Yang turned speechless and said, ¡°If you want to know, you can just ask her yourself.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°If this girl can live with Yun Qing wholeheartedly, then it is also his blessing! I think thete Old Man Yun can also rest assured.¡± The advantages of marrying such an outstandingly intelligent wife surely outweigh the disadvantages.

    After Zijin sent Master Yang and Yu Zhi away, she instantly asked Yuxi, ¡°Miss, do you truly want to go to Yu City?¡± Knowing that Yu City was a tiger¡¯s nest and her Miss still wanted to go there made Zijin don¡¯t feel good.

    Yuxi sighed and said, ¡°Zijin, as matters stand, I have no other way to retreat. I can only proceed to Yu City.¡± Her stand-in was a woman from the brothel. Thus, Yuxi had no expectations that the other party would choose to die rather than give in. Once the other party sumbed to the northern captives¡¯ obscene power and died, while the real one did not show up, there was no way to prove that the one northern barbarians had taken a mere substitute. When that time came, Yun Qing might just suffer some humiliation, but the Han family would undergo the most devastating blow. She changed her mind, not for Yun Qing, but her mother, Dage, and Er Ge¡¯s sake. They were the reason she couldn¡¯t just walk away like that.

    Zijin was silent.

    Yuxi added with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Didn¡¯t Master Yang and Yu Zhi promise to stay to protect me? With them around, I¡¯m not worried. When we get to Yu City, we will ask Yun Qing to find me some more guards for more protection.¡± At this point, there was nothing else more important that she should be thinking about, other than to n earnestly on how to get a firm foothold in Yu City!

    When Zijin heard Yuxi talk about guards, she immediately told Yuxi that Yun Qing had sent people to fetch her caravan. ¡°I heard from the people downstairs that the northern captives had infiltrated with 70 to 80 people, all of whom were elites. Both Guard Xu and Uncle Luo¡¯s people fought with them, and the battle was quite fierce.¡±

    As soon as Yuxi heard this, she asked, ¡°How many casualties on our side?¡±

    Zijin replied, ¡°More than half the people on our side are dead and wounded. But Miss should rest assured. Most of the northern barbarians had been killed and wounded,¡± As for who had been the casualties on their side, Zijin was not very clear.

    Yuxi¡¯s face turned grave.

    Zijin was somewhat thankful. ¡°Miss, fortunately, at that time, we had used stand-ins.¡± If not, it would have been Miss who the northern barbarians captured. Even if Miss did not end up dead after falling into their hands, it would still ruin her innocence.

    And at this time, Yun Qing got the news that the northern captives had captured Yuxi. At first, he thought it was fake news, but when the other side sent out an envoy to say that they wanted to negotiate with him, Yun Qing realised that this might have been true. However, before Xu Wu returned, he would not respond to it. As for the provocations from the northern captives, he would just bear with them for the time being.

    Huo Changqing asked, ¡°If this is true, what are you nning to do?¡±

    Yun Qing gave his answer without thinking, ¡°Naturally, I want to save her.¡± What kind of man would he be if he didn¡¯t save his own wife?

    Huo Changqing said, ¡°I won¡¯t stop you if you want to save her, but before you do anything, you should give priority to your safety first. If you can¡¯t save her, get out immediately. Don¡¯t let yourself be killed instead.¡±

    The news of Yuxi¡¯s capture soon spread in Yu City. When Han Jianye heard it, he rushed to find Yun Qing, asking the authenticity of this information.

    Yun Qing had someone show Han Jianye the clothes sent by the northern captives. ¡°Sukhbaru had just sent them.¡± Sukhbaru was the Garrison General for the barbarians of the north.

    Han Jianye looked at the cerise garment and asked, ¡°How can you be sure that person is my Si Mei with just this one dress? Is there anything else to prove it?¡±

    Yun Qing shook his head and said, ¡°No.¡±

    Although Han Jianye was anxious, he didn¡¯t lose his head. ¡°How can such a few pieces of torn clothes prove that it¡¯s my meimei? Let theme up with more reliable evidence.¡±

    Yun Qing looked at Han Jianye and asked, ¡°Do you suspect that they are only faking it?¡±

    Han Jianye answered, ¡°No, I just want to make sure. Since my Si Mei came from the capital, her caravan must have kept her identity secret from the public. How did they know about it, though?¡± Not only were they aware of it, but they also managed to capture her, which already smelled fishy to him. Furthermore, he thought Yuxi had brought so many guards with her; hence how could those northern barbarians catch her that easy? Of course, this was also his way of escaping from epting the truth. Deep inside, he was unwilling to believe that the northern barbarians had captured Yuxi.

    When Sukhbaru heard that they could not use the clothes to confirm the girl¡¯s identity, he asked someone to bring Yue Hong in and asked, ¡°Tell me, what other things can be used to prove your identity?¡±

    Yue Hong fainted when these barbarians seized her. When she finally woke up, she knew she was in the middle of their army camp and instantly lost her mind. She also did not understand what Sukhbaru was saying in their meeting right now as she was merely shouting uncontrobly, ¡°I am not Yun Qing¡¯s fianc¨¦e. I am only Han Shi¡¯s stand-in.¡± Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Yue Hong cried bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. Why don¡¯t you believe me? I¡¯m genuinely not Yun Qing¡¯s fianc¨¦e!¡±

    Sukhbaru gave Yue Hong a disgusted look. He didn¡¯t know what kind of vision Yun Qing had, wanting to marry such a useless woman. At that moment, he impatiently ordered, ¡°Tell her to shut up.¡± His voice was so sharp that it sounded very unpleasant to the ear.

    The guard beside Sukhbaru asked, ¡°General, what should we do now?¡± The other side wanted evidence, but this woman had nothing other than her clothes to prove her identity.

    At this time, Sukhbaru¡¯s aide, Nie Sheng, proposed, ¡°Cut her hair and send it over. If they still don¡¯t believe it, send her fingers next time.¡± Nie Sheng was a native of the Central ins. However, when Marshal Qin found out that he was selling military supplies to the northern captives, he fled to the enemies¡¯ side and became Sukhbaru¡¯s aide.

    When Han Jianye looked at the hairs sent by the other side, he almost strangled the northern barbarians¡¯ envoy. ¡°What have you done to my meimei?¡±

    Seeing this reaction from Han Jianye, the envoy was relieved and said, ¡°We have not done anything to her. But our General wishes to sit down and have a good talk with General Yun.¡±

    When Yun Qing saw Han Jianye¡¯s reaction, his heart sank. ¡°I will not talk to a despicable and disgusting evil person.¡± After saying that, he had people drive the northern barbarians¡¯ envoy away.

    As soon as they left, Yun Qing asked, ¡°Is this beyond doubt your meimei¡¯s hair?¡± This hair was even more unreliable than the clothes. At least the clothes might still have their characteristics, but how could this hair be distinguished? But from Han Jianye¡¯s reaction just now, it did not look like it was fake. This matter was indeed tricky. No matter how difficult it had be, he still had to save his wife!

    Han Jianye shook his head and replied, ¡°No, my Si Mei¡¯s hair is as smooth as satin. Look at these hairs. They are as dry as straws¡­¡­¡± He might exaggerate a bit by saying the hair was as dry as straw when its tail was just slightly yellowish.

    Yun Qing didn¡¯t bother to look since he couldn¡¯t make out the difference anyway. ¡°Are you sure this is not your meimei¡¯s hair?¡± As long as it was not Han Shi¡¯s hair, he did not have to be concerned about it that much.

    Han Jianye nodded and said, ¡°This hair sure as hell does not belong to my Si Mei¡¯s. Moreover, if they had captured her for real, there was no way she would just go quietly.¡± Seeing Yun Jianye¡¯s puzzled look, Han Jianye exined, ¡°If it undeniably happened that way, she would have tried her best to send me any news. That girl has a lot of ideas and a very meticulous mind.¡±

    Yun Qing rxed a lot when he heard these words. It was good that she was a bold one. If she was a timid person, he worried that he couldn¡¯t endure her in the future. ¡°Since we are sure that this person is not your meimei, we can take advantage of the situation.¡± It would be great if he could take this opportunity to kill Sukhbaru and dampen the northern barbarians¡¯ morale. [+]

    Huo Changqing nodded and reminded them of one more thing. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that the person surnamed Nie is still with them. That dirty swine is suspicious by nature. If we just agree so easily, it will make him wary.¡±

    Yun Qing nodded a bit and said, ¡°With Han Jianye¡¯s performance just now, even if I don¡¯t admit the identity of the Fourth Miss Han, the other side will only assume that I¡¯m just unwilling to rescue her.¡±

    Guo Xun asked, ¡°What if they don¡¯t look for the General but Han Daren?¡± After Han Jianye came to Yu City, he was also courageous in killing the enemy. For the northern barbarians, a general who could fight them back should be disposed of first.

    Yun Qing shook his head and said, ¡°No, Sukhbaru¡¯s main target is me.¡±

    Huo Changqing reminded Yun Qing, ¡°Sukhbaru is not that stupid to just grab someone and say she is your fianc¨¦e. There must be something fishy about this. You must be cautious. You can¡¯t let them beat you at your own game, causing you to end up in their trap instead.¡±

    Yun Qing nodded and said, ¡°We won¡¯t know the whole story until Xu Wues back.¡±

    As Yun Qing expected, the northern barbarians sent a finger over the next day. Yun Qing¡¯s eyes sparkled with fire when he looked at the bloody finger. ¡°Tell Sukhbaru, is he a true man for bullying weak women? If he has what it takes, let¡¯s see what he can actually do when meeting me on the battlefield.¡±

    Han Jianye saw the finger and informed Yun Qing, ¡°This person is 100%, not my Si Mei.¡± Both the hair and finger didn¡¯t match with Yuxi.

    Seeing Han Jianye use such an affirmative tone, Yun Qing nodded his head and said, ¡°I know.¡± Since this was the case, there was nothing more for him to worry about.

 Chapter 317 - Yu City

    Chapter 317 : Yu City

    When Yuxi heard the news that Yun Qing had seriously injured the northern barbarians general, Sukhbaru, she had already arrived at the border of Ganzhou. Now, she was only about ten days away from reaching Yu City.

    Zijin was justing back from outside, asking for information, and her whole body exuded a murderous air. When she saw Yuxi, she informed her, ¡°Miss, the northern barbarians wanted to use your stand-in, Yue Hong, to negotiate with Yun Qing. He agreed on the surface, but behind the scenes, he was using the meeting as a reason to strike a damaging blow to Sukhbaru. Those northern barbarians were so furious that they f*cking beat Yue Hong to death and then delivered her tattered corpse to Yu City.¡± When she thought of Yun Qing disregarding Miss¡¯ death and using her to scheme the northern barbarians¡¯ general, she was full of anger.

    In response, Yuxi tried to exin, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. If my guess is correct, Yun Qing should have known that the one the barbarians caught was not me, but just a stand-in.¡±

    Zijin did not believe it. ¡°Impossible. How did he know that she was just a substitute and not Miss in person?¡± Zijin didn¡¯t know what had happened to Miss. She now even knew to speak up for that person.

    Yuxi smilingly said, ¡°Yun Qing might not know, but would Er Ge not know it too? Don¡¯t forget, Er Ge is now serving under Yun Qing. Moreover, even if Yun Qing doesn¡¯t care about my life, can my Er Ge do the same?¡± As they had be siblings for more than ten years, there was still tacit understanding between the two of them.

    No matter what Yuxi said, Zijin still felt ufortable.

    Yuxi, however, was interested in the follow-up and asked, ¡°The corpse was sent to Yun Qing. What did he do with it?¡±

    Zijin grumpily replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t Miss say that he knew it wasn¡¯t you? Since he knows, then he certainly won¡¯t care about it.¡± Perhaps he even threw it outside for the wild wolves.

    Yuxi looked at Zijin and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. If he knew that she was my double, he would have given her a good burial.¡± On the surface, it was to appease the person who had passed away, but in reality, it was to stabilise the northern barbarians and those who had enemies with him in Yu City. Otherwise, if the news leaked out and those people knew that she was still alive and well, she would not be as safe as she was now.

    Zijin questioned with some annoyance, ¡°Miss, is Yun Qing truly that reliable?¡± After this incident, she had no single trust for Yun Qing.

    Yuxi nodded her head as she said, ¡°He is. Didn¡¯t you hear Fourth Brother Yu say that Yun Qing is a great hero that can support both heaven and earth? How can he not be reliable?¡± In fact, Yuxi was a bit repulsed by Yun Qing, the great hero. The world worshipped and respected heroes, but no one knew how much trouble the woman behind the heroes had to face. [+]

    Zijin spoke discontentedly, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t believe whatever Fourth Brother said. It¡¯s not like he had any contact with Yun Qing before, so how does he know what Yun Qing is truly like?¡± Thinking about this, Zijin had a lot ofints about Yu Zhi. It was not right for him to say that Yun Qing was a great hero. How could he be a hero? If it weren¡¯t for that man, her Miss wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much!

    In order not to let Zijin continue to dwell on the fact that Yun Qing used her, Yuxi immediately changed the subject and wondered, ¡°I wonder how Zisu and Mama Qu are doing?¡± ording to the information they heard on the way, 40 northern barbarians died that day, and more than 20 were killed on their side. What made Yuxi depressed was that two-thirds of these twenty people were from the State Residence. Only a few people left from the group who followed Yuxi from the State Residence.

    Zijin hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°They should be fine.¡± Even she couldn¡¯t believe it. The battle was vicious, so how could it not involve Mama Qu, Zisu and the other girls. She just hoped they were lucky and their injuries were light.

    The people Yuxi and Zijin were talking about, Mama Qu and Zisu, were currently in a small county less than a hundred miles away from Yuxi. There were quite a few injuries on Guard Luo and Chief Huang¡¯s side, and many of them were seriously wounded. Hence, Xu Wu could not bring them to Yu City, and he had to ce the group of people in the nearest county to receive medical treatment. With these many patients, the pharmacy did not have enough medicine. Therefore, the medicinal herbs brought by Yuxi for the border town soldiers had to be used first by their people.

    Zisu was also injured. From the very beginning, those barbarians¡¯ goal had been the carriage Yue Hong was riding; thus, they didn¡¯t fiercely attack the two carriages behind it. Besides, Guard Luo and Chief Huang were also trying their best to protect them. The majority of the women were wounded, but their injuries were only slight.

    Because of the few earlier attacks, they had trained Zisu to be braver. Although the caravan had to face the northern barbarians¡¯ ambush this time, she did not be scared. But she was anxious for Yuxi, as she asked Mama Qu, ¡°I do not know how Miss is right now? Is she safe?¡±

    When Mama Qu encountered the ambush, and after knowing that they had been stopped on the road by the nefarious northern barbarians, she decisively jumped off the carriage from the back. However, as she did so, one of the barbarians managed to cut her in the arm using his sword. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t suffer any injury to her other body part. Mama Qu endured the pain and stated, ¡°Miss will certainly be fine.¡± The danger only happened on their side. Besides, the northern barbarians thought they had caught Miss. Therefore, it was the safest for Miss¡¯ whereabouts to be unknown.

    Zisu was still very worried. ¡°Mama, do you think Miss will be safe when she arrives in Yu City? I¡¯m afraid it will be not only unsafe but also more dangerous for her.¡±

    Mother Qu looked at Zisu and said, ¡°She will definitely be safe.¡± Even if it was not safe, so what? Could Yuxi still escape from it? This marriage had been bestowed by the Emperor.

    Xu Wu returned to Yu City on the same night that Yun Qing had severely injured Sukhbaru, and when he met with Yun Qing, he told him the whole story.

    Yun Qing¡¯s face turned very ugly as he asked, ¡°You don¡¯t know where Miss Han is either?¡±

    Xu Wu nodded his head and said, ¡°General, don¡¯t worry, the three people following Miss Han are all experts, so there is no need to worry about Miss Han¡¯s safety. General, it¡¯s also fortunate that Miss Han used a double this time, or else it was her who would be in danger.¡± Although more than seventy people were on their side, their overall strength was more than a notch below the other party. If Miss Han was really on the carriage, even if he put all his strength to push the enemy away, he might not be able to keep her safe.

    What Yuxi did not know was that she was the reason Xu Wu and the others had only minor casualties. Since the group had already been informed that the one inside the main carriage was an impostor, they could focus their attention on killing the enemies. At the same time, the northern barbarians mainly wanted to capture her alive. In this case, it was natural for the barbarians to lose.

    Huo Changqing was more interested in the matter of Yuxi leaving the team. ¡°Do you know who proposed to let Han Shi leave the team?¡±

    Xu Wu nodded and said, ¡°I heard the guards say that it was Miss Han herself. And one thing is bizarre, after crossing the Menghu Mountain, Miss Han became particrly restless that she even asked the caravan to rush through the night.¡± Speaking of this, Xu Wu retold the story of how Yuxi¡¯s group passed through Menghu Mountain, and after he finished, he said, ¡°If the armed escorts chief and the bodyguards didn¡¯t mislead me, there should be our enemies on Menghu Mountain.¡± Miss Han was a girl from the capital who had never stepped outside the second gate; thus, she couldn¡¯t make any enemies outside. Combined with the recent attack on their group, this person must be their general¡¯s enemy. [T/N]

    Huo Changqing smiled and said, ¡°So it seems that this girl is brave and resourceful.¡± Facing hundreds of bandits and retreating in one piece was not something that mere guts could do.

    Xu Wu nodded and said, ¡°If they didn¡¯t lie to me, it would be like that.¡± Xu Wu changed the way he addressed Yuxi because Mama Qu had ordered him to. She said that he could not call her Miss Madam before she married Yun Qing.

    After Yun Qing asked everyone to withdraw and then became silent, Huo Changqing asked him, ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± When he heard what Xu Wu had said, he had an excellent impression of Han Shi.

    Yun Qing answered, ¡°I was thinking about when Miss Han will arrive in Yu City. Counting the days, she should have arrived in Ganzhou as well.¡±

    Huo Changqing said, ¡°No need to send someone to look for her. Once you do, you will only beat the grass and scare the snake, which is not good for her. You don¡¯t have to worry, this girl has her n, and she will be fine.¡± He believed that this maid would have also arrived in Yu City in just a few days. [T/N]

    As the two talked, Yu Cong walked in and said, ¡°General, Master, Qin Zhao is here.¡±

    Huo Changqing turned to look at Yun Qing. How could he not know that he was in a bad mood? For Qin Zhao to drop in at this time was the same as a weasel went to pay his respects to the hen. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Speaking of which, although Qin Zhao didn¡¯t mean much to them, Marshal Qin had never been mean to them. In those years, if not for Marshal Qin¡¯s protection, even if Yun Qing had ten lives, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop him from dying. Therefore, there were some things they could still tolerate. If they could not ept it, they could talk about itter.

    Ten dayster, Yuxi finally arrived at Yu City. Looking at the two big words of ¡®Yu City¡¯ on the city tower, which was dull and colourless, Yuxi let out a long breath. ¡°We finally here.¡± It had been almost three months since they left the capital, and it had not been easy.

    When they entered the city, soldiers checked them, and anyone who passed through the city gate would face the same thing. Yuxi didn¡¯t know where and when Master Yang got the household registry and the records, but no one had given them any hard time. Every time they entered a city, they were safe and secure.

    After entering Yu City, although Yuxi wanted to lift the curtain to look outside, in the end, she resisted the urge. She would stay in the city soon, so she did not want to bring any more mishaps to her way before that.

    After walking for about half a shichen, the carriage finally stopped. Master Yang said towards Yuxi. ¡°Miss, here we are.¡± By now, there was no need to pretend to be her chauffeur anymore.

    Yuxi stepped off the carriage, looked at the house before her and asked, ¡°Is this the house where my Er Ge lives?¡± The two walls were bare, and the door was a heavy wooden nk door, a very simple house.

    How could Master Yang not know what Yuxi was thinking? He said, ¡°This house is sturdy. The most important thing for a house in this ce is its sturdiness.¡±

    When Han Yi heard the gatekeeper report that some people from the capital hade, he hurriedly went outside. He was excited after seeing Yuxi in the flesh. ¡°Fourth Miss, you have finally arrived. The Second Master has been worried about you for all this time that he is unable to eat and sleep.¡± This expression was not an exaggeration. Since knowing that Yuxi had left her caravan to follow his Master, Han Jianye never had any peace of mind, not even for a single day.

    Yuxi asked as she walked inside, ¡°Where is Er Ge?¡± When she walked into the courtyard, she noticed how simple the house¡¯s condition was, as there was no furniture inside. It waspletely bare.

    Han Yi said, ¡°The Second Master is in the barracks. I¡¯ll send someone to ask him to return right away.¡± It was good that the Fourth Miss was here, as they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her unknown well-being anymore.

    Han Jianye now lived in a house with two courtyards, which he picked because of Yuxi¡¯s uing marriage. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t even need a ce if he was alone.

    When Yuxi walked in, she found several boxes inside. She asked curiously, ¡°What are these things? Did Er Ge buy them?¡±

    Han Yi smiled and exined, ¡°These are the things that Second Master bought for Miss¡¯ daily necessities. There are not many good things here in this city, so the Second Master asked me to go to Ganzhou City to purchase them.¡± Han Jianye wanted to buy a dowry for Yuxi, but he didn¡¯t have much money in his hands, so he could only let Han Yi go to buy some daily necessities. As for the dowry, they would see what they would do once Yuxi arrived.

    Yuxi smiled a little and said, ¡°Er Ge is indeed thoughtful.¡±

 Chapter 318 - Meet (1)

    Chapter 318 : Meet (1)

    After Han Jianye knew that Yuxi had arrived, he didn¡¯t care about anything else as he just left the matter at hand and rushed out of the barracks. When he got home, he called out, ¡°Si Mei, Si Mei¡­¡­.¡±

    Yuxi came out from the kitchen and said, ¡°Er Ge, I am here!¡± Han Jianye did purchase this house, but the problem was that he did not live and cook here. So, if Yuxi wanted to eat, she had to clean out the kitchen first.

    Han Jianye looked at Yuxi from head to toe. After checking on her twice, he breathed a long sigh of relief and said, ¡°Yuxi, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re okay.¡± During this period, he worried a lot about her, afraid that something had happened.

    Yuxi responded with a smile, ¡°What could have happened? By the way, Er Ge, howe you don¡¯t even have a servant in this house?¡±

    Han Jianye said with a smile, ¡°What do I need a servant for? I don¡¯t even live here that much.¡± He told Han Yi to stay in the house these days in case Yuxi came to the door and no one would recognise her. Otherwise, if it were not for the gatekeeper or Han Yi around, he would have simply locked it up and been done with it.

    Yuxi helplessly smiled when she saw that Han Jianye had something else to ask her and said, ¡°Er Ge, let¡¯s talk inside.¡±

    It just so happened that Han Jianye also had a belly full of things to ask Yuxi, so he swiftly walked into the house.

    Yun Qing immediately knew about Yuxi¡¯s arrival in Yu City. It was because he had put someone to be on guard outside Han Jianye¡¯s house.

    When Yun Qing heard that Yuxi had finally arrived, he asked, ¡°Are the few people who came with her not well?¡± The meaning of his question was whether the people with Yuxi were injured or something.

    The person who inquired about the news shook his head and replied, ¡°No.¡±

    Yun Qing waved his hand to let the person withdraw, and only when no one around him did his expression finally rx. It was good that Han Yuxi had arrived at Yu City safely, and he had to find a chance to meet her.

    Huo Changqing knew that Yun Qing wanted to see Yuxi. However, looking at the long beard on Yun Qing¡¯s face, he gave him a few words of advice, ¡°Before you meet Han Shi, it¡¯s better to clean yourself up a bit.¡±

    When Yun Qing heard this, his body stiffened.

    Huo Changqing rarely teased Yun Qing as he said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be disliked by your wife, you should hurry and clean yourself up.¡± Although real men did not make a living by using their appearance, no girl would be happy to see a man full of beard in their first meeting. It was always good to leave a favourable impression on the other party when they first met.

    Yun Qing let out a cry of realisation afterwards.

    After Han Jianye listened to what Yuxi had to face while she was on the road, he pped the table and vowed, ¡°Yuxi, you don¡¯t have to feel bad. I will lead my troop to destroy those group of b*stards in the Menghu Mountain in the future.¡±

    Yuxi stared at Han Jianye. It had not yet been long for him to be in the barracks, and he had already learned to curse. ¡°Er Ge, now is not the question of whether or not should I be sad, but the fact is, I¡¯ve lost everything! In addition to my wedding dress, everything else is gone. How can I get married in this condition?¡±

    Han Jianyeforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you need anything, Er Ge will have someone go to Ganzhou City to buy it.¡± Marriage was a lifetime event. It could not be too shabby.

    Yuxi smiled and asked, ¡°Is Er Ge that rich?¡± As far as Yuxi knew, Han Jianye¡¯s sry was not much, and he also didn¡¯t bring much money when he left the State Residence.

    Han Jianye¡¯s face twitched. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t have money, I will raise enough to buy a dowry for you.¡±

    Yuxiughed a little. ¡°I was only joking with Er Ge. Although bandits have robbed the ones I brought, my stores and property in the capital are still there!¡± These assets were the big ones that she owned.

    After the two siblings talked for a long time, Han Yi came in and reported, ¡°Second Master, Miss, General Yun is here, and he is waiting outside!¡±

    Han Jianye pped the back of his head and said, ¡°Look at me, I forgot about such a big thing. Since Yun Qing is already here, then let him in!¡±

    But Yuxi called out to Han Yi and stated, ¡°Let¡¯s forget it this time. We¡¯ll do it next time!¡± She didn¡¯t want to see Yun Qing dressed in rough clothes and with a tired face on!

    Han Jianye didn¡¯t think about her look that much. When he heard Yuxi¡¯s words, he tried to reason with her, ¡°Yuxi, this ce is unlike the capital. Both of you will marry each other anyway. There is no harm in seeing each other much earlier.¡± [T/C]

    Yuxi, who knew Han Jianye very well, pointed directly at her clothes and hair as she asked, ¡°How can I meet a guest like this?¡± Not to mention meeting her fianc¨¦ for the first time, she still had to freshen herself up even when meeting an ordinary guest. Otherwise, how rude would she look?

    Han Jianye let out a cry of understanding. ¡°Just look at me. I¡¯ve be silly because of joy. Alright, you two should meet next time. I¡¯ll go out and tell him first.¡±

    No matter how foolish Han Jianye was, he knew he could not tell the real reason to Yun Qing. He only informed him, ¡°My Si Mei is exhausted after making a long, arduous journey and is currently resting. Please meet her at another time.¡±

    Yun Qing also grew up in the capital. How could he not know that the capital girls strictly followed the etiquettes? This time, he just came over to inquire after her, considering his fianc¨¦e had been on the road for three months. It would not be alright if he didn¡¯t pay a visit. Of course, his visit this time also had anotheryer of meaning, which was to tell the people of Yu City that his fianc¨¦e was still alive and well. ¡°Then let her rest well! By the way, I¡¯ve also brought something here.¡± Yun Qing was referring to the medicinal herbs that Yuxi brought along with her wedding dress and her favourite daily clothes.

    Han Jianye smiled at this and said, ¡°That¡¯s just right.¡± He did not know if the clothes he had purchased were satisfactory to Yuxi, but it would be good if Yuxi could wear the ones she used regrly.

    Yun Qing asked Han Jianye, ¡°Since Miss Han has arrived, I would like to go find someone to set the wedding date. What do you think?¡± Because it was a bestowed marriage, all other procedures had been omitted. Besides, since they could not estimate the actual time of Yuxi¡¯s arrival, they could not settle on the wedding date.

    Han Jianye hurriedly responded, ¡°There is no hurry.¡± He would ask Yuxi after she had well-rested. Otherwise, if he agreed without asking for her permission, it would not be fun for him once that girl lost her temper.

    Yun Qing did not say anything else. After all, Yuxi had just arrived. Meeting her two dayster would also be eptable. He and Han Jianye were talking when they saw someonee out of the house. That person was wearing a bluish-green short gown, with matching coloured pants.

    Yun Qing didn¡¯t know if it was just his illusion, but he felt that person¡¯s eyes were full of ill will. He looked at Han Jianye and asked, ¡°Who is this?¡±

    Han Jianye introduced the person with a smile, ¡°This is Zijin, my Si Mei¡¯s personal maid. Well, don¡¯t underestimate her. This girl is actually very good at martial arts.¡±

    Zijin greeted with an expressionless face, ¡°General Yun.¡± She already had a bad impression of Yun Qing, and when she finallyid her eyes at him, her perception of him got even worse.

    Yun Qing was extraordinarily tall, and his back was straight. He looked very imposing when he wrapped himself in his official uniform embroidered with a leopard. But the problem was, one could not see his facial features with that long beard on his face. Since Zijin had seen all bandits with long beards on their way here, naturally, seeing this same kind of look on Yun Qing made her regard him with more disdain. If not for his air of righteousness, this person could pull out as a perfect bandit.

    Noticing the unconcealed dislike on Zijin¡¯s face, Yun Qing felt somewhat regretful. He knew he should have listened to Uncle Huo¡¯s words and cleaned up himself a bit beforeing over.

    At this time, Yu Zhi came out from inside and looked at Yun Qing with an excited face and eximed, ¡°Are you, General Yun Qing?¡± Just now, Yu Zhi was forced by Zijin to clean up the kitchen together. When he saw Zijin go out, he followed along from behind her.

    Yun Qing looked at Yu Zhi, who had a naive face and nodded his head, ¡°I am.¡±

    Yu Zhi smiled and burst out, ¡°General Yun exactly as I have imagined.¡± He imagined General Yun to be so imposing and handsome. Well, if Zijin knew what he was thinking, she would have scolded him for having such lousy eyesight.

    Yun Qing responded expressionlessly, ¡°I¡¯m ttered.¡±

    Han Jianye urged with a smile, ¡°Yun Qing, I knew that there are many things you have to do in the military camp. You can go ahead and get your hands on them!¡± He knew how busy Yun Qing was, but it showed his sincerity towards his sister when he had quickly came over.

    Zijin turned back inside and said to Yuxi, ¡°Miss, that Yun Qing is looking like a bandit.¡± Not to mention Chen Ran, even if one picked any random young man of the capital, he could still beat Yun Qing at a distance of one hundred and eight thousand li in terms of appearance.

    Yu Zhi didn¡¯t look happy when he heard these words from Zijin. ¡°Nonsense, where does General Yun look like a bandit? He had stood there, in all his righteousness. How can that bepared to bandits?¡± This girl had a terrible vision!

    Yuxiughed and asked, ¡°Does he look that scary?¡± She remembered that Yun Qing did not look bad and thought, had he ruined his appearance when he grew up? It should not be so. If he were indeed that ugly, there would be rumours about this outside.

    After Han Jianye sent Yun Qing away, he was about to walk in and ask Yuxi where she put her things when he heard the word ¡®scary¡¯ and asked, ¡°What¡¯s scary?¡±

    Yuxiughed and said, ¡°Zijin said that Yun Qing looked like a bandit and that he was scary. Er Ge, is Yun Qing that scary?¡±

    8 Guardian Deities in Chinese Buddhism

    Image Credit | The real image owner via Baike Sogou (°Ë´ó½ð¸Õ)

    Han Jianye red at Zijin and asserted, ¡°Nonsense. Si Mei, don¡¯t listen to Zijin¡¯s absurd idea. Yun Qing is quite good-looking, better than Er Ge!¡± This statement was not convincing as Han Jianye himself was like an angry guardian deity.

    Zijin looked scornfully at Han Jianye. ¡°Does Second Master know Yun Qing¡¯s real appearance?¡± Just by looking at Yun Qing¡¯s beard, she knew it had grown at least for two to three years.

    Han Jianye didn¡¯t know what a shaved Yun Qing would look like, but he wouldn¡¯t be baffled by Zijin¡¯s question. ¡°Why does a man has to be so good-looking when he is alreadypetent?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and sent Zijin to continue her work, then she asked Han Jianye, ¡°What is Yun Qing doing here?¡± He was so well-informed that he visited immediately after Er Ge returned.

    Han Jianye answered, ¡°Yun Qing sent your things over. By the way, he also asked about the wedding date. Yuxi, when do you think the wedding date should be?¡±

    When Yuxi heard this question, she turned speechless. ¡°The betrothed gifts have not yet been given. How can the wedding date be set?¡± She had never heard of anyone asking for a wedding date without following the previous proper procedure first. Yuxi was not angry with him, but it was not good that they didn¡¯t have any elders around for them to refer. If they didn¡¯t follow the marriage protocol, the actual wedding would be a mess. [+]

    Han Jianye groaned and said with some embarrassment, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him about itter on.¡± Not to mention Yun Qing, even he, a married man, had forgotten about this.

    Yuxi spat out helplessly, ¡°Besides, I have not yet prepared anything beforehand. It will take at least two to three months for me to prepare everything again.¡± Other than that, it was always necessary to sew two new clothes for her future husband, and some other odds and ends had to be added.

    Han Jianye had always avoided these kinds of chores whenever he could. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll also talk to him about thister.¡± This situation was a sad reminder that they did not have any elders around. If his mother were here, he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about these kinds of things! s, Han Jianye truly missed his mother this time around.

    Yuxi nodded her head and inquired, ¡°By the way, can you also ask him when he will be avable? I want to talk to him.¡± Although this was a bestowed marriage, there was something they should discuss in advance.

    Han Jianye did nothing other than nod his head.

 Chapter 319 - Meet (2)

    Chapter 319 : Meet (2)

    Because it took a long time to do the cleaning, Yuxi and the others could only make do with a simple lunch. They just had arge pot of noodles, plus four small dishes.

    Although their meals were very simple, Han Jianye alone finished three big bowls of noodles. After eating, he rubbed his belly and said to Yuxi, ¡°Si Mei, since you¡¯re here, from now on, there will be nothing else for me to worry about.¡± Although grown men would not be so particr about food, as long as they could eat, he was still not used to the food here.

    Yuxiughed as she said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be this unrestrained even if they are delicious, remember? How can you already be this big and still act like a child?¡±

    Although her words were reproachful, Han Jianye was still particrly happy to hear them. Yuxi came to Yu City to get married. Even though the environment was not very good, he was still delighted to have a family around him.

    After lunch, Yuxi did not take a nap but began to tidy up the house. Han Jianye had someone clean it up before, but Yuxi still couldn¡¯t stand the standard of cleanliness after seeing the inside and got it done one more time.

    Han Jianye also helped, but after sweeping two rooms, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Yuxi, why don¡¯t we buy two tough old women servants to do the menial work?¡±

    Yuxi was unfamiliar with the situation in Yu City and suggested. ¡°Then, why don¡¯t Er Ge go get a yapo and have her bring over a few tough old women servants.¡± She didn¡¯t need to buy another personal attendant as she could just wait for Mama Bai and the other girls to arrive, but she had a huge shortage of old women servants.

    Han Jianye put down his broom and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡± After living for more than 20 years, it was the first time he had to do any cleaning work. These chores were truly tedious, and he would prefer to go outside doing errands instead.

    Han Yi didn¡¯t dare to bezy. He was very obedient as he did whatever Yuxi told him to do. But Yu Zhi stated impatiently, ¡°Miss Han, why don¡¯t you let me help Han Yi to carry the boxes in!¡± There were still more than twenty boxes in the outer courtyard!

    Zijin said fiercely, ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± She couldn¡¯t do anything to Han Jianye, but she could still deal with Yu Zhi.

    Yuxi lowered her head and smiled a little. It seemed like she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Zijin¡¯s once in a lifetime event. As for Zisu, there is no hurry.

    When Han Jianye brought the yapo, Yuxi had already cleaned up several rooms in the inner courtyard. As Han Jianye looked at the newly cleaned inner courtyard, his heart was a bit moved. He wished he could bring Lu Xiu over. This ce needed a woman for it to look more like a home! But thinking of his still young sons, he put this idea down.

    The yapo surname was Ai. As soon as she walked in, she seamlessly sized up Yuxi. There was nothing good to say about how Yuxi dressed herself up, but her appearance was first ss. The yapo reckoned that Yuxi was probably a girl who had met with misfortune. The yapo pressed this thought down. Ai Yapo asked Yuxi with a smile on her face, ¡°I wonder what kind of old women servants does Miss want?¡± The yapo knew that Han Jianye was a gongzi from the capital, so when she saw Yuxi, she thought she was Han Jianye¡¯s concubine.

    Yuxi was still quite experienced in picking people. ¡°Clean family background, good health, and most importantly, able to work without being choosy, and nothing else.¡±

    Ai Yapo smiled and nodded in response. She then asked another question, ¡°I wonder if Miss want any more maids? I have just a few well-trained maids on hand.¡± The yapo¡¯s eyes were also good. Once she saw Yuxi, she knew that Yuxi was used to being served.

    Yuxi thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°They should not be too old, probably around six to ten years old, but also have a clean family background.¡± It was best to train a maid around this age.

    Ai Yapo inquired with a smile, ¡°I wonder when Miss wants them to be here?¡± Once she was done with this business, she would make a fortune.

    Yuxi replied, ¡°Please send them tomorrow!¡± Han Jianye really couldn¡¯t do his job well. Since he knew she needed people, he should have asked the yapo to bring over the servants for her selection, but now, she still had to wait for another day. She had never expected that this Second Master would be so obtuse!

    Strings of Cash Coins

    Ancient strings of copper coins

    This image was taken by Gary Todd at Handan City Museum in Hebei, China.

    When sending off the yapo, Yuxi had Zijin give the yapo a string of cash coins for carriage fee. This ce was not like the capital, where ordinary people used copper coins, nor gave out golds and silvers.

    This was also when Yuxi asked Yu Zhi to help bring the boxes in with Han Yi and Zijin. As for Master Yang, he went outside and wandered around.

    Han Jianye rubbed his hands and asked with a smile, ¡°Si Mei, what are you going to do with these medicinal herbs?¡±

    How could Yuxi not know what Han Jianye had in mind when she looked at his expression. She replied, ¡°Er Ge can take these herbs, but I have to pick some first to leave behind as a backup.¡± Since she said she would send these herbs to the military camp, she naturally had to keep her word.

    Hearing this, Han Jianye was relieved and said, ¡°Then you pick them first, and I¡¯ll send the rest to the barracks once you¡¯ve done picking.¡±

    When Yuxi heard this, she frowned and asked, ¡°Are there no medicinal herbs in the barracks?¡± She knew that there was a shortage of medicine, but looking at Han Jianye¡¯s appearance, he seemed very anxious.

    Tian Qi

    Tian qi or notoginseng/Panax notoginseng

    Image Credit | frontiers in Pharmacology

    Han Jianye exined, ¡°It¡¯s not that there are no medicinal herbs, just that they are iplete. There are herbs in short supply but highly demanded, such as tian qi that are no longer avable.¡±

    Tian qi could stop bleeding, heal wounds, reduce inmmation and swelling. And it was also very effective for knife wounds. So it was not too much to say that it was a scarce medicinal herb. Only, Yuxi looked at Han Jianye suspiciously and asked, ¡°How do you know I have tian qi here?¡± For Han Jianye to know about the herbs in the box, there could only be one exnation for it. He had opened all the boxes containing these herbs.

    Han Jianye exined, ¡°Your caravan have used your herbs while they were on the road, so I know what herbs you have here. I originally wanted to send them directly to the barracks, but Yun Qing disagreed. He said it¡¯s your stuff, and you have to give your consent first.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry as she said, ¡°Are you so sure that I will hand over the herbs? Er Ge, these two carts of medicinal herbs are worth more than six thousand taels of silver!¡± Of course, the six thousand taels that Yuxi said included valuable herbs such as ginseng slices.

    Han Jianye said, ¡°You can consider this as a loan to your Er Ge, and Er Ge will return them to youter.¡±

    Yuxi rolled her eyes at Han Jianye and said, ¡°You owe me a lot for evening out with that suggestion!¡± After saying that, Yuxi added, ¡°By the way, tomorrow I¡¯m going to buy a few old women servants and maids. Can you give me some money?¡±

    Han Jianye was dumbfounded.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Er Ge, where did all your sry go?¡± She knew that Han Jianye wouldn¡¯t have any money on hand. In the past, when he was in the capital, he constantly invited his friends for a drink or something. Thus, his sry had never been enough. He often had to ask his mother to make up for it. Since he hade here, no one would control him, and his habit became even more severe.

    Han Jianye said, ¡°That little sry is not enough for me to have a few drinks.¡±

    When Han Yi heard this, he interjected, ¡°Miss, the Second Master uses his sry to help others.¡± Han Jianye was already old enough to feel ufortable asking his family for money when he was out on duty. Hence, he was now living on quite a tight budget.

    Yuxi was not angry with Han Jianye for using his sry to help others. After all, the family didn¡¯t live by relying on his money. ¡°If those people are indeed in difficult situations and worth any help, it is also good for Er Ge to lend a hand.¡± His life in the capital these years had not been in vain. At least Han Jianye didn¡¯t turn out as someone who would use his money to try to be on good terms with everyone. He genuinely used it to help people who were not well off.

    When Han Jianye saw that Yuxi did not pursue this matter, his heart let out a sigh of relief. He was worried that Yuxi would scold him for it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a n in mind.¡± If the person he helped did not deserve it, he would not have lent his hand.

    At midnight, Han Jianye returned.

    When Yuxi knew he hade back, she instructed someone to serve him a meal. The evening meal was rtively rich. There were four dishes and one soup¡ªred braised pork belly, Yuxiang shredded pork, mapo tofu, stir-fried cabbage, and mushroom chicken stew. The main dish was still noodles. These noodles were all handmade and tasted very good. Of course, they were not made by Yuxi but by Zijin.

    Since it was in the evening, Yuxi did not allow Han Jianye to overeat. She only allowed him to eat a bowl and a half of noodles. Eating without restraint was not good for the stomach.

    After a full meal, Han Jianye told Yuxi, ¡°Just now, I ran into Yun Qing at the barracks. He said he had free time the day after tomorrow. I wonder what your opinion is?¡±

    Yuxi nodded her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m okay with that.¡± Two days were enough for her to tidy up the house.

    On the following day, Ai Yapo brought some people to the house. This time, her attitude toward Yuxi became more respectful. At first, she thought that Yuxi was Han Jianye¡¯s concubine, and she had somewhat looked down on her. But now she knew that Yuxi was the youngdy of Duke Han¡¯s Residence and General Yun¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Where would she dare to treat her half-heartedly?

    Yuxi finally picked four tough old women servants and two aged six young maids. When she heard Ai Yapo say it cost a total of 30 taels of silver, she raised an eyebrow. She did not expect it to be that cheap.

    Seeing this situation, Yu Zhi felt it was a bit wasteful and said, ¡°Miss Han, Mama Qu and the others will being in a few days. So, you don¡¯t need to buy so many people, right?¡± Having Mama Qu and Mama Bai was already enough. There was no need to buy six more people; a few old women servants would do at most.

    Zijin red at Yu Zhi and said, ¡°Miss will marry the general. How can it be enough only to have Mama Qu to serve Miss?¡± Even these few people were still not sufficient! The only thing was, Miss only picked this few. [+]

    Yu Zhi was a little awkward. He was used to doing everything himself, and he would be ufortable if he had to be served.

    The woman looked at the silver ticket handed over by Zijin, shook her head and said, ¡°Miss, we only ept cash, not silver tickets.¡± It¡¯s not that the woman suspected that the silver ticket was fake, but if she cashed the silver ticket at a money changer, the thirty taels of silver would cost nearly two taels of silver in handling charges. Moreover, there was no money bank in Yu City. Therefore, she had to go to Xinping City, which was hundreds of miles away, to exchange it.

    When Yuxi heard these words, she thought that she couldn¡¯t do business with this yapo at all. But she didn¡¯t say anything more as she just nced at Zijin.

    Only then did Zijin enter the house and take thirty taels of silver. Fortunately, when they came over, Miss had asked her to go to the money changer to change three hundred taels of silver cash, or they would have lost face this time.

    After sending the yapo away, Yuxi ordered the four old women servants to clean all the rooms in the outer courtyard. She wrote a list and asked Han Yi to buy things ording to it.

    After three days of work, they finally tidied up the house.

    When the appointed time came, Yun Qing cleaned himself up and came over. This time, he no longer had a full face beard. But when he shaved off the beard that he had saved for more than three years, he felt sad to do so. But then he thought, just in case, Yuxi would look at him with a face of disgust just like Zijin. He forced himself to be ruthless enough to shave his beard off.

 Chapter 320 - Meet (3)

    Chapter 320 : Meet (3)

    As soon as Yun Qing walked into the main hall, he could smell a sweet scent. It was light, yet it made people feelfortable. Since Yuxi had note out thus far, he became bored and decided to survey the drawing-room. Two days ago, there was nothing except tables and chairs in this room. This time, there was a portrait of Guanyin on the wall, with couplets hanging on both of its sides. Under it, a bronze furnace pot was burning on top of a long table, and the light fragrance that he just smelled emanated from it.

    A young maid brought over a cup of tea. She did her best to suppress the fear in her heart as she said, ¡°General, please have a drink. My Miss asks you to wait for a moment.¡± Yuxi didn¡¯t know that Yun Qing woulde over this early as she was still doing her hair! No one else could entertain him since Han Jianye had taken off right away after breakfast for fear that he would only be in the way and left the space for the young couple.

    Yun Qing nodded his head, indicating that he knew.

    This was the first time Zijin saw Yuxi dressing herself up so seriously. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s just a meeting!¡± There was no need for Miss to be this fussy, and she had not stopped doing her hair since early this morning. Of course, there was a reason for Yuxi to be so meticulous. Zijin couldn¡¯t evenb her hair, let alone put on her makeup. So, Yuxi had to do everything herself. It was a good thing that she had learned to do this beforehand. Otherwise, she would have been caught unprepared today.

    When Yuxi eventually put the por woodb down, she smilingly told Zijin, ¡°This is the first time we¡¯re going to meet. Nevertheless, it¡¯s better to leave behind a good impression.¡± Although Er Ge said that Yun Qing was not good with beautiful women, she believed that no man would dislike his wife having a good look. Of course, women were the same. They all wanted their future husband to be good-looking. It was a pity that this was impossible for Yun Qing. The only good thing was, as long as Yun Qing had the ability, it could make up for hisck of appearance.

    Zijin looked at Yuxi, who had finished dressing up, and marvelled, ¡°Miss, when Yun Qing sees youter, I can guarantee that he won¡¯t be able to blink.¡± This time, Miss¡¯ face was glowing, and she looked so beautiful.

    This reaction was the effect that Yuxi wanted. Or else, she would not have woken up early in the morning to make a fuss of herself. It was also because of their simple condition. Otherwise, the effect would have been better.

    As they walked to the outside of the drawing-room, Zijin spoke up, ¡°Miss, I won¡¯t go in.¡± Although she was highly dissatisfied with Yun Qing, she was not a person without measure. Since Yuxi wanted to see Yun Qing, she obviously must have wanted to speak with him about something, and since this would be the first time the two met, Zijin wouldn¡¯t want to be an eyesore.

    An example of arrow-sleeved ancient Chinese¡¯ clothes.

    Image Credit | nihao2015 via ebay (Men¡¯s Ancient Chinese Han Dynasty Traditional Hanfu Robe Cosy Costume)

    When Yuxi, atst, walked into the drawing-room, she caught the sight of Yun Qing standing in the middle of the room. He wore an arrow-sleeved military officer¡¯s daily wear with a bluish-green belt around his waist. His features were clear and three-dimensional, making him look extraordinarily heroic. His gaze was sharp and profound, as it gave people a sense of oppression without him being aware that he was doing so!

    Looking at this kind of Yun Qing, Yuxi sighed in her heart. Fortunately, she had gone through many things nowadays, contributing to her strong ability to bear anything. If she had seen such a man full of fury in her previous life, she would have fainted from fear.

    Yun Qing turned around after he heard the sound of footsteps. When he saw Yuxi crossing the threshold, he froze for a moment.

    Yuxi wore an orchid-coloured muslin long dress, making her look elegant and refined. Her fine, ck jade hair was simplybed into a flying fairy bun, with a purple jade hairpin inserted diagonally to make her ck, beautiful hair look softer and brightly moist. Her skin was as delicate and smooth as warm jade, her beautiful eyes were full of splendour, and a light smile filled her red lips.

    D.I.Y. SIMPLE FYING FAIRY BUN

    Seeing that Yun Qing couldn¡¯t stop looking at her, Yuxi didn¡¯t know why she suddenly thought of Yuchen. Men would always look at Yuchen with this kind of rapt attention in the past, and Yuxi never believed that she would receive the same engrossment one day. Yes, it did make her feel good, especially when it came from her fianc¨¦.

    Yuxi greeted Yun Qing with a bow and called out to him with a decent smile on her lips, ¡°General Yun.¡± Looking at such a frozen Yun Qing with a dumbfounded expression, Yuxi couldn¡¯t help feeling a little smug with herself.

    When Yun Qing heard her calling for him, he returned to his senses and blushed slightly. Even when he blushed, other people wouldn¡¯t be able to detect it. Yun Qing nodded his head and said, ¡°It is very polite of Miss Han.¡±

    Yuxi waited for a long time for Yun Qing to continue talking. When it didn¡¯t happen, she turned helpless as she took out a painting from her sleeve and handed it to Yun Qing, asking, ¡°I wonder if General Yun knows this person?¡±

    Yun Qing did not answer but stated seriously instead, ¡°My courtesy name is Qing Ming. So you can just call me Qing Ming.¡± After saying this, Yun Qing took what Yuxi was handing out to him.

    When Yuxi heard this, she frowned and asked, ¡°Who gave you this courtesy name? How can you just ept it?¡± Qing Ming was a tomb-sweeping day! It was too unlucky to have such a name.

    Yun Qing did not expect Yuxi would dislike his courtesy name, so he tried to exin, ¡°This is the courtesy name that Uncle Huo gave me, which means pure and bright.¡±

    Recalling how Yun Qing ended up being branded as God of Killing, she didn¡¯t wish for him to be famously known worldwide as a murderous devil again as he did in her previous life. Yuxi did not even want to care about some rules and how Yun Qing would think of her at that moment, as she directly said, ¡°With all due respect, this courtesy name of yours is so horrible for having such heavy inauspiciousness. If you can, please change it!¡± During Qingming Festival, one would sweep the tomb. Even though cleaning the grave did not correspond with the dead, it was still heavy with inauspiciousness.

    Uh, Yun Qing did not know how to answer this request. Last time, he was scorned for his beardy appearance, and today, Yuxi disliked him for the courtesy name Uncle Huo gave. This situation made him feel so bad.

    Yuxi also knew it was inappropriate to point this out, but she couldn¡¯t help herself. She didn¡¯t know what the person was even thinking when he chose Qing Ming as a courtesy name.

    Yun Qing was silent for half a second before suddenly asking, ¡°Then what kind of courtesy name do you think I should take?¡± As long as he was not asked to change his real name, it was okay for his courtesy name to be altered.

    Yuxi did not expect Yun Qing would ask her this question. After pondering for a moment, she finally responded, ¡°What do you think about He Rui? The word for peace is He, and the word for auspiciousness is Rui.¡±

    After hearing this, Yun Qing felt that these two words did have an excellent meaning, so he nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay, you can call me He Rui from now on.¡± After saying that, he asked, ¡°What courtesy name did you take?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I did not have any courtesy name, but you can call me by my first name.¡± The two were given in marriage by Imperial Decree, and since neither of them faked their death nor disappeared, they could not avoid the marriage. Hence, there was nothing wrong with letting Yun Qing call her by her first name.

    Yun Qing nodded his head and said, ¡°Okay.¡± After uttering this word, he had the time to look at what Yuxi handed him.

    Hearing this agreement from him, Yuxi¡¯s good feelings towards Yun Qing soared. If she had said the same thing to the men in the capital, even if they weren¡¯t scolding her, she would suffer from their disdain. Not only did Yun Qing not get angry with her, but he epted it quite easily. From this incident, she could see that Yun Qing was very broad-minded. Of course, she did not rule out that he probably did not care much about it.

    Yuxi¡¯s guess was right. Military officers were unlike civil officials as they did not pay too much attention to words. The name Qing Ming was also chosen randomly by Huo Changqing.

    After talking about these things, Yun Qing looked at the thing that Yuxi gave him. At first nce, it turned out to be a portrait. He asked somewhat strangely, ¡°This man is called Zhang Yong, who used to work as an officer over at the military supply depot. How did you get your hand on his portrait?¡±

    Yuxi exined, ¡°That day when I passed by Menghu Mountain, this man tried every possible way to bring me to their mountain fortress. I think this person should have a grudge against you and want to capture me as a hostage. By the way, this man is currently the military counsellor of Menghu Mountain, named Lu Kai.¡±

    Yun Qing had known that Yuxi was very intelligent. So he was not that surprised when he heard Yuxi¡¯s exnation and told her, ¡°Two years ago, someone in the army had sold provisions, medicinal herbs and other military supplies to the northern barbarians army at high prices. Zhang Yong and his brother were the ones involved in this. At that time, Marshal Qin ordered a thorough investigation, with me leading my team to arrest and raid Zhang Yong¡¯s home. I had killed his brother while he managed to escape. I did not expect that his flight led him to be a bandit.¡± The border city army wasn¡¯t the only one who had a shortage of food and medicine, so did the northern barbarians. [+]

    When Yuxi heard this, her expression became very unpleasant. This border town did not onlyck physicians and medicines, but their provisions and military pay had also been dyed. Despite everything, those people even dared to provide the enemies with the things that were rightfully belonged to their own soldiers. This act was no different from treason. ¡°What happened to those people involved in the end?¡±

    Yun Qing¡¯s expression looked graved and stern. ¡°All have been killed.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Yun Qing, who was full of fury and shivered. She had to say, this man standing before her was indeed the God of Killing. Just by looking at him, one already became afraid. Yuxi steadied herself and asked, ¡°Such a big thing as selling grain and medicinal herbs can¡¯t be done by just a few people. Who is the mastermind behind it?¡±

    Yun Qing paused for a moment before answering, ¡°The mastermind has been killed, and his home has been raided.¡± It meant that this matter had already be the thing of the past.

    How could Yuxi not see Yun Qing¡¯s hesitation? She was afraid that there was something else going on with this matter. Since Yun Qing did not wish to tell her, she also had the sense not to ask him any longer.

    Yun Qing was reluctant to talk about this matter and stiffly changed the subject. ¡°I have asked Xu Wu to bring twenty people to guard outside of this house. Unrted people can nevere near here.¡± It meant that Yuxi would have to worry about her safety no more.

    Yuxi had known about this two days before and immediately nodded her head at that moment.

    Yun Qing hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°I can provide all the betrothal gifts within half a month. So I suggest we set the wedding date for the end of the sixth lunar month. What do you think?¡± Currently, they were only at the end of the fourth lunar month. It should be enough if he gave her another two months to prepare.

    Yuxi was a bit helpless. Since when did the groom and the bride arrange their own wedding date? This situation was the downside of not having elders around. ¡°The end of the sixth lunar month is fine.¡± It was impossible to marry in the seventh and eighth lunar months because it would be too hot by then. That would leave them with the ninth lunar month. If they dyed the wedding until that time, the period would be too long. If they did it in two months, all the preparations should be almostplete.

    When Yun Qing saw that Yuxi agreed, he was relieved and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have someone pick the exact date.¡± After a pause, Yun Qing asked, ¡°What kind of things do you like?¡± If he knew what Yuxi liked, he could buy the betrothal gifts ording to her preferences.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like anything, in particr. Just buy me something practical!¡± For someone who had even forgotten about matching their eight characters, it was better to stop expecting that he would deliver betrothal gifts to her liking. Furthermore, Yuxi didn¡¯t think Yun Qing was that rich in the first ce. She could infer this opinion of hers just from looking at Han Jianye.

    After hearing her answer, Yun Qing instantly answered, ¡°Okay.¡± She asked him to buy something practical. When Yun Qing listened to this, he knew this person was clear on how she wanted to live her life.

    As he was leaving, Yun Qing expressed, ¡°If you need anything, just have Xu Wu send someone to inform me.¡±

    Yuxi finally showed a genuine smiling expression. These words from him sounded like sweet words to her heart. ¡°If there is anything, I will not be polite with you.¡±

    After sending Yun Qing away, Yuxi couldn¡¯t help but shake her head a little.

    Upon seeing Yuxi¡¯s reaction, Zijin asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there something wrong?¡± A few days ago, when she looked at Yun Qing¡¯s face full of beard, he reminded her of a bandit. However, today, she noticed that he had shaved his beard off, making him look like a different person and much more pleasant to the eyes.

    Yuxi smiled as shemented, ¡°It feels weird to do everything for my wedding without having any elders around.¡± No wonder it would feel odd since the wedding date had been a negotiation between the two persons who were directly involved with the marriage. This kind of thing would be imaginable if they were still in the capital.

    Zijin said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. The Second Master can not do anything, so Miss has to be the one to take care of everything.¡± Even a married person like Han Jianye did not know the necessary procedure before settling the wedding date. If they put their hopes on him, it would be the same as having Miss herself go to the battlefield.

    Yuxi was a little disappointed when she heard these words from Zijin. If only her mother were here, then it would have been great. She wouldn¡¯t have to worry about anything and just wait for the day she would get married.

 Chapter 321 - Guest (1)

    Chapter 321 : Guest (1)

    The news of Yuxi¡¯s arrival in Yu City soon spread out. Originally, those who had secretly implied Yun Qing to be a cold-blooded and ruthless person and even used these as a pretext to strike at him suddenly didn¡¯t feel good when they heard the news. The one who reacted the most was Qin Zhao.

    When Qin Zhao got the news, he did not believe it. He immediately spoke with his wife, Xu Shi. ¡°You should meet with this Han Shi and check where shees from.¡± Sukhbaru would not be so stupid as to use an impostor to threaten Yun Qing. Nine times out of ten, there must be something wrong with this Han Shi.

    When Xu Shi heard this, she nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I will send an invitation to Han Shi to be our guest. If there is any problem with her, we will definitely see the clues.¡± Han Shi was a youngdy from the State Residence. No ordinary people could impersonate her. They had also found out a lot about Han Shi. Thus, if this Han Shi were fake, she would take this chance to expose her immediately.

    Yuxi was very much surprised when she received an invitation from Xu Shi. She knew that Yun Qing was currently at odds with Qin Zhao, and she was sure Xu Shi¡¯s invitation was full of evil intentions. However, it was not Yuxi¡¯s style to escape. She immediately epted the invitation and said with a smile, ¡°I will be on time for the banquet.¡±

    Zijin frowned as she pointed out, ¡°Miss, this invitation from Xu Shi is just like a weasel goes to pay his respects to the hen.¡± She didn¡¯t know what kind of idea that woman had in her mind.

    Yuxiughingly said, ¡°There is no way for me to refuse. I still have to deal with her, sooner orter.¡± Qin Zhao was the Commander-in-chief of the border city, and Yun Qing was only his subordinate. When she married Yun Qing, she would surely deal with Xu Shi.

    Of course, Qin Zhao could be the Commander-in-chief of the border city because he had the support of the Song family, not because he had such outstanding military achievements. The Qin family had been operating in this ce for many years, and Marshal Qin had been kind to many people, including Yun Qing. As a result, this gave Qin Zhao an easy chance to secure the position of Commander-in-chief.

    Zijin worried Xu Shi would use some underhanded tactics during the banquet.

    Yuxi assured her with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Xu Shi is not so stupid to do that. Moreover, I am not a person that other people can easily calcte.¡± As long as they didn¡¯t try to assassinate her with poison, there was nothing that Yuxi should be afraid of.

    When Han Jianye knew that Xu Shi had invited Yuxi for a gathering, he reminded her. ¡°Yuxi, I heard that this Xu Shi is very clever dealing with people that she is currently on friendly terms will all the importantdies in the city. You should be extra careful.¡±

    Yuxi nodded her head after hearing Han Jianye¡¯s reminder. If that woman could even make her Er Ge know her name, she could see that the other party was skilful. ¡°I know.¡± Even if Han Jianye didn¡¯t remind her, she wouldn¡¯t dare underestimate Xu Shi.

    Han Jianye also gave Yuxi a few heads up for the banquet, and when he saw that Yuxi truly listened to every word he said, he spoke no more. Only that, there was something he became interested in. ¡°Yuxi, I heard that you do not like Yun Qing¡¯s courtesy name, and you gave him a new one?¡± The courtesy name was usually given by the elders, but he had never heard of a fianc¨¦e giving one to her partner. Yuxi was a pioneer in this aspect.

    Yuxi was a bit puzzled. ¡°How did Er Ge know?¡± Yun Qing would not have told Han Jianye about it, right? Furthermore, she didn¡¯t think anyone would call Yun Qing by his courtesy name.

    Han Jianye smiled and asked, ¡°So it¡¯s true?¡±

    Yuxi nodded a little and said, ¡°Do you know what courtesy name Yun Qing had taken? Qing Ming, Er Ge. Qing Ming is the day when we visit the grave. Don¡¯t you find it unlucky to have such a name? When I heard it, I thought it was inappropriate. So I suggested that he change it.¡±

    Han Jianye roared withughter as he said, ¡°If you¡¯re like this, I won¡¯t have to worry that he will bully you in the future.¡± How could Yuxi be bullied by Yun Qing when she was already acting so tough before she even went through the door? When the time came, it wouldn¡¯t be nice if Yuxi took advantage of Yun Qing instead. Well, as Han Jianye imagined the scene of Yun Qing being henpecked, it became a wonderful picture that he didn¡¯t dare to think much about it.

    Yuxi did not listen to Han Jianye¡¯s teasing and went into the house and gave Han Jianye the list she had written, saying, ¡°Er Ge, these are the things that I need Er Ge to purchase.¡± Even if she currently didn¡¯t have any furniture or otherrge items, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to purchase anything she liked here. However, she still needed to buy clothes, quilts and other daily necessities. If she didn¡¯t buy them now, she would still have to buy them after getting married.

    Han Jianye took the list, read the dense handwriting on the piece of sheet, and his scalp began to tingle. ¡°Why do you need this much?¡± He even had to buy needles and threads, and then those threads were also divided into different thicknesses. Furthermore, she even requested them to be in red, blue, green, and purple, which gave him a headache.

    Yuxi nced at Han Jianye and said, ¡°I am only asking for these daily necessities, and I have left out all those big, rare pieces of furniture. If you can buy these things in Yu City, you can buy them here directly. If you can¡¯t, then please go to Xinping City to buy them.¡±

    Han Jianye, who was impatient to deal with these matters, said, ¡°Just leave it to Han Yi to do the shopping.¡± After saying that, he took out a pouch of silver from his sleeve and handed it to Yuxi. ¡°This is the money returned to me by a friend of mine. I¡¯ll let you use it first. In a few days, my sry will also be issued. I¡¯ll give you all of them.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and let Zijin take it. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this money for Er Ge first. When the timees, I¡¯ll buy some special local products to be sent home.¡± Men were genuinely thoughtless. Ever since Han Jianye came to the border city, he never sent anything other than a letter telling his family that he was saved and sound.

    Han Jianye questioned, ¡°What is there to send from here? With the long road home, who knows if the things will meet some bandits instead?¡± They would rather conveniently spend their money for the bandits at that time.

    Yuxi waved her hand and said, ¡°I have a sense of proportion.¡±

    That night, there was a letter from the capital. Because Han Jianye was not in, the letter went directly to Yuxi¡¯s hand. After reading it, Yuxi¡¯s face looked very odd.

    Zijin asked, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Yuxi handed the letter to Zijin and exined, ¡°Heshou Xianzhu saved the 9th Prince, and the Emperor has bestowed a marriage between them, letting Heshou be the 9th Prince¡¯s Ce Fei.¡± Heshou Xianzhu, who was initially fasting and praying for blessings at Wutai Mountain, unexpectedly led someone to save the 9th Prince from an assassination.

    ording to the original trajectory, the 9th Prince unexpectedly died at the end of the third lunar month. After the 9th Prince¡¯s death, the Emperor was stimted by the death of his beloved son, that his health turned bad, while the Song family gave their full support for the 10th Prince. The 10th Prince had been crowned as the crown prince at the end of that same year. However, now, because of Heshou¡¯s intervention, everything changed. She had directly altered some people¡¯s fates and the future pattern. There was no telling what the future would be this time.

    After reading it, Zijin asked with some concern, ¡°Miss, Heshou somehow tried to kill you for no reason back then. Do you think she will try to do it again now?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. However, her biggest enemy now is not me. It¡¯s the 9th Prince¡¯s main consort.¡± Yu Xiyu was so intelligent. How could she not know how dangerous the woman who had saved her husband and lived a bizarre life was? With Yu Xiyu being on guard against Heshou, Yuxi believed that Heshou couldn¡¯t do much. At least for the time being, Yuxi had no time to worry about her.

    Zijin felt very troubled. That woman was too weird. It was a pity that she couldn¡¯t kill her that day. She didn¡¯t know what would happen once that woman could stand up on her feet again this time. [+]

    Yuxi was also anxious. Heshou and the Han family had a deadly feud, and now Heshou had risen once more. Yuxi had no fear for herself since she was far away from home. She only worried that Heshou would retaliate against the Han family.

    Yuxi wasn¡¯t the only one who had such worries. Mr Zhao was troubled with this too. ¡°Lord Duke, Heshou Xianzhu can be said to be our deadly enemy. If she bes the 9th Prince¡¯s Ce Fei, she will use His Highness¡¯ hand to retaliate against the Han family. So we have to n early.¡±

    Han Jianming nodded. ¡°It is necessary to take any precautions, but there is no need to be too rmed. Heshou may have the ability to foresee, but her ability also has a limit.¡± If Heshou had been so powerful in foreseeing the future, the Qiao family would not have fallen that day, and she would not have been sent to Wutai Mountain. After this incident, Heshou must have caused the Yu family to be high alert. It would be impossible for Heshou to act with the same recklessness as she did before.

    Mr Zhao felt that Han Jianming had a point. ¡°Lord Duke, how is my Lord going to respond to the Yu family¡¯s proposal?¡± The Yu family had long wanted to draw Yun Qing to their side. Except that Yun Qing had rejected the olive branch that their people had extended, hence they had to use this indirect approach.

    Han Jianming responded, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Let¡¯s wait until Yuxi gets a firm foothold in Yu City.¡± As long as Yuxi hadn¡¯t married Yun Qing, any talk of cooperation would only be futile.

    As they were discussing, Han Hao announced from outside, ¡°My Lord, the Old Lady is here.¡±

    Han Jianming was startled. His mother always asked someone to call for him. This was the first time she came to the study to find him. Han Jianming hurriedly went out. As soon as he was out, he saw Qiu Shi¡¯s face full of panic and asked, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    When Qiu Shi saw her son, she grabbed his arm and questioned, ¡°Ming-er, Yuxi has been captured by bandits. Why didn¡¯t you tell me about such a big thing?¡±

    Han Jianming answered with a gloomy face, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not true. From who did you hear this news?¡± He knew about this rumour when it first appeared in the capital. He tried to suppress it, but unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work.

    Qiu Shi inquired, ¡°Ming-er, what do those bandits want? If they want money, we will give it to them, and you must protect Yuxi and make sure she is safe.¡± How could that child be so disaster-prone even to encounter such a thing? After this incident, Yuxi could only be a nun and live the rest of her life worshipping the Buddha.

    Han Jianming helplessly replied, ¡°Mother, Yuxi is fine. She was robbed of her dowry by those bandits when she crossed the Menghu Mountain, but currently, she is alright!¡± Han Jianming was afraid Qiu Shi would worry. That was why he concealed the news. If he had known this would happen, he might as well tell his mother early this morning!

    Qiu Shi asked hopefully, ¡°Are you telling the truth? Yuxi is indeed fine? Then why is it rumoured outside that the bandits have taken Yuxi, and they want to ask us for ransom?¡±

    Han Jianming hurriedly soothed her, ¡°Mother, why would I be lying to you? After a while, Yuxi¡¯s letter reporting her well-being will soon arrive.¡±

    After he had finished coaxing Qiu Shi, it was the former Old Lady¡¯s turn to look for Han Jianming. Her attitude waspletely different from Qiu Shi¡¯s, as she said, ¡°Now it is said outside that bandits have taken the Fourth Girl to their den. Is this true or not?¡±

    Han Jianming gave her the same answer he had given to Qiu Shi.

    The Old Lady heard this and said, ¡°If it¡¯s fake, then that is good. If it¡¯s true, you know how to deal with it, right?¡± Her meaning was clear: the Han family would never admit that one of their youngdies had entered a bandit¡¯s den. If this rumour were true, the Han family would pretend that there had never been a Han Yuxi in their family.

    Han Jianming nodded and said, ¡°Grandmother, I know what to do.¡±

    When Han Jianming returned to his study, he muttered coldly, ¡°What a nasty thing to do.¡± This rumour had spread several days ago, and he had someone check it out. After a few days, he found out that the person who fanned out the rumour was the Song family¡¯sckey. This rumour might not have been aimed to annoy Yun Qing but him instead.

 Chapter 322 - Guest (2)

    Chapter 322 : Guest (2)

    It was a good day to go out as the sun was shining brightly, and the scenes of springtime were beautiful.

    When Yuxi took Zijin to the Qin residence, she saw several carriages parked outside, and she was not that surprised. The fact that Xu Shi had invited her in the name of the chrysanthemums appreciation event, she must have also requested other people¡¯s attendance. That was fine. Yuxi would take this opportunity to know more about these officialdies of Yu City.

    When Yuxi got off the carriage, she didn¡¯t see any small carriage or a pnquin. It was apparent that they would have to walk in.

    An olddy greeted her and ushered, ¡°Pleasee with me, Miss Han.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and nodded her head. Initially, she wanted to have a good look at theyout of the Qin Mansion. After all, the houses here were different from the ones in the capital. Unfortunately, before she could even begin to look around, she ran into a plump woman wearing a silvery red dress.

    When the woman saw Yuxi, she came over with a smile on her face and inquired, ¡°Oh, whose girl is this, looking so beautiful and bright? Howe I haven¡¯t seen her before?¡± The way this girl dressed was different from the other married women in the city, so there was no way she couldn¡¯t recognise her.

    Yuxi bowed in greetings towards the woman and smiled appropriately. ¡°I am the Fourth Miss of the Duke Han residence. May I know who this Madam is?¡±

    The woman let out a cry of surprise as she asked, ¡°How is that possible? Wasn¡¯t The Fourth Miss of the Duke Han residence killed by the northern captive barbarians, and now has been properly buried?¡±

    Yuxi exined with some sadness, ¡°My Dage heard that the road was unsafe and was worried that something might happen to me. So, he found someone to pretend to be me, who would travel on the official road with the dowry while I took a few of my trusted servants to take the smaller road. I didn¡¯t expect to hear that the northern captives had taken my double away halfway on my journey. Speaking of which, I also feel sorry for her.¡± It caused her to exert great mental effort to give a partly true and partly false statement.

    The woman was stunned but quickly reacted as she took Yuxi¡¯s hand and said affectionately, ¡°Ah, it turns out you¡¯re indeed the young girl of the Han family! I was saddened to hear that Miss Han had been killed by those b*stard northern barbarians before. The otherdies of Yu City also said that Miss Han was a beautiful woman who suffered a harsh life, but I did not expect it to be just a false rm.¡± After a pause, she introduced herself, ¡°My husband¡¯s surname is Xia, who is in charge of the military provision.¡±

    Although Yuxi was not used to being held like this by a stranger, she still bore the difort as she nodded and said, ¡°Yes! Fortunately, I took the smaller road. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know what would have happened to me right now?¡± After saying that, she revealed a frightened look.

    Madam Xia smiled and said, ¡°This is also Meimei¡¯s good fortune.¡± Madam Xia muttered in her heart. Her husband had felt that there was something fishy about the situation back then. She did not expect the deceased girl was not even the actual person.

    When they went to the garden together, Madam Xia pretended to be casual. She said, ¡°I heard from Madam Qin that Han Meimei was very good at needlework and could embroider double-sided embroidery several years ago. I wonder if this is true?¡±

    Yuxi could hear the sound of probing from her question and answered with a smile. ¡°I am only somewhat talented in embroidery, but I am not good at anything else.¡±

    Madam Xia was surprised. ¡°I have never assumed Madam Qin was genuinely telling the truth. I didn¡¯t believe it at that time! Han Meimei is undoubtedly handy, and Assistant General Yun is fortunate to marry Meimei.¡± Only Madam Qin could get her hand on a double-sided embroidery, and she even showed it off to them before! She didn¡¯t expect someone from Yuxi¡¯s background could embroider something like that, which she couldn¡¯t evenpare.

    Yuxi smiled shyly and didn¡¯t answer Madam Xia¡¯s words. This person¡¯s husband must not have been close to Yun Qing. Otherwise, he would not have addressed Yun Qing as Assistant General Yun. [+]

    Soon after, they finally arrived at the garden. Even though one couldn¡¯t say beautiful purples and brilliant reds filled with the Qin residence¡¯s small garden, it still had a lot of blossoming flowers on the green willows, which shone with their redness, giving them outstanding scenery. The chrysanthemums, especially, were in full bloom. Yuxi didn¡¯t know why, but looking at the brilliantly blooming chrysanthemums made them seem unsightly to her. [T/C]

    Madam Xia led Yuxi to a woman wearing a lc coloured dress. She smiled and introduced, ¡°Miss Han, this is Madam Qin.¡±

    When Yuxi walked in, she saw Xu Shi surrounded by many people. This Xu Shi had a small melon face, fair skin and thin red lips. Although her appearance could be considered delicate and pretty, she had a gentle temperament of a woman from a river town, making her an easy person to get close to.

    Yuxi had done my homework before and knew that Xu Shi¡¯s birth mother was a Jiangnan woman. Thus, it was not surprising that Xu Shi would look like this. She greeted Xu Shi with her signature smile on her face, ¡°Hello, Madam Qin.¡±

    Xu Shi said with a smile, ¡°I wanted to invite Meimei to our door two days ago when I knew you were in Yu City. But I thought about your long-distance travel, so I just gave up. I wonder if Han Meimei is already used to living in Yu City?¡±

    A modern duijin with panels skirt.

    Image Credit | To a seller at XM680

    When Yuxi came in just now, Xu Shi had already seamlessly sized up Yuxi. Today, Yuxi wore a ruyi patterned summer duijin shirt and a moonlight coloured skirt with twelve light blue panels, embroidered with iris orchid patterns sprinkled in gold. Shebed her hair into a woduoji, inserted with gold dotted jade phoenix hairpin. A pair of sapphire earrings were on her ears and a suet jade bracelet on her wrist, making her wrist as white as jade. She didn¡¯t adorn that much jewellery, but everything she put on was made of fine quality.

    Woduoji

    In front of strangers, Yuxi always adhered to the principle that talking too much would lead to many mistakes. Hence, Yuxi smiled while giving a simple answer. ¡°The weather is a little dry, but everything else is fine.¡±

    While they were are talking, they heard the sound ofughter. ¡°I¡¯mte.¡± The person did not yet arrive, but the voice came first.

    Xu Shi smiled and introduced the owner of the voice to Yuxi, ¡°That is my n younger sister, Ah Gu, who is a bright and cheerful person.¡± She only introduced her as her younger sister, not even mentioning her husband¡¯s surname and official position.

    Lantern hanging on a golden string hairpin

    Image Credit | The jewellery seller of this hairpin

    Soon, the said person finally showed up. Yuxi looked at thedy who just came with a very subtle feeling. This person, introduced by Madam Qin, was dressed in crimson coloured clothes. She inserted the front of the bun atop her head with antern hanging on a golden string hairpin and long golden hairpins iid with gemstones decorating both sides of it. At the back of her burn, she attached a bluish-green lotus flower. She adorned her ears with jade coloured cat¡¯s eye stone golden ear pendants. She also put on soft golden bracelets mounted with pearls and jade on her wrists, making her look extremely rich. Even though her dress was extravagant, she still looked gorgeous.

    Yuxi greeted her with a smile, ¡°Hello, Madam Hong.¡± Although Madam Qin didn¡¯t give a detailed introduction of thisdy to her, Yuxi had done her homework in advance. She had a rough idea of the wives¡¯ characteristics and surnames of the fifth rank and above officers in Yu City. The wife of Deputy Prefect Hong, Xu Shi, was Madam Qin¡¯s n younger sister and known to many people in Yu City. This kind of homework was an essential part of social interaction.

    Madam Hong looked at Yuxi and spoke with a smile, ¡°You must be Assistant General Yun¡¯s fianc¨¦e, Fourth Miss Han? As expected, knowing somebody by their reputation can¡¯t bepared to meeting them in person. You¡¯re truly a great beauty.¡±

    Yuxi was a little ufortable with such blunt words but responded with an unchanged expression, ¡°Madam Hong is overpraising me.¡± One by one, they both said she was beautiful as if she was a vase, and she didn¡¯t know what these people were implying.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t return until she finished her lunch in the Qin residence. The morning passed smoothly, and there was no conspiracy nor trickery as Zijin had feared.

    Zijin was a bit puzzled and asked, ¡°Miss, all morning they¡¯ve been talking about flowers, pastries, and tea. What is this woman nning by inviting Miss here?¡±

    Yuxi answered somewhat tiredly, ¡°They wanted to investigate me.¡± After saying that, she rubbed her temples. Going out to socialise was the most tiring thing to do.

    Zijin said, ¡°Miss, howe all the vice prefect, the leaders of garrisons and battalions in Yu City are friendly with the Qin family?¡± She might be slow to react, but even she knew something was wrong with this situation.

    Yuxi said with a bit of a headache, ¡°The water in this Yu City is deeper than I¡¯ve imagined.¡± Qin Zhao¡¯s power was even greater than she thought. In this case, for Yun Qing to still manage to survive without being killed by him, she had to say that he was skilful!

    As Yuxi thought about it, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh. This was the downside of marrying far away from her home, to a strange ce where she knew no one and had to figure out everything by herself slowly. Being bestowed a marriage to Yun Qing was the worst. There was not even a person around that could help her, and she had to fight everyone alone. And, through today¡¯s social interaction, Yuxi could see that Yun Qing¡¯s poprity was not even good. If not, more than tendies had watched her being asked questions continuously by Madam Xia and Madam Hong today. However, none of them came forward to help her. All of them chose to watch from the sidelines.

    After Yuxi left, Madam Hong said to Xu Shi, ¡°Jiejie, this Han Shi can¡¯t be a fake. She¡¯s the real person.¡± No one could impersonate an unmarried youngdy of a noble house.

    Xu Shi didn¡¯t think Han Yuxi was fake from the very beginning because there was no need for Yun Qing to do so. Even if the one killed by those b*stards was Yun Qing¡¯s fianc¨¦e, so what? Once Yuxi moved into her husband¡¯s house, Yun Qing would be the one who killed her instead. ¡°This Han Shi seems harmless, but she has made sure that not a single drop leaks out from her mouth.¡± At the banquet, she had introduced Yuxi to a dozen people in general ways. However, Yuxi was stillposed and able to give appropriate responses instead. This kind of skill was not something that an average person could achieve.

    Madam Hong nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Madam Xia and I talked to her for a long time, but we couldn¡¯t get any useful information at all.¡± Han Shi would either simply pass their questions with a few words or just smile shyly in response. She genuinely didn¡¯t let anything slip and wouldn¡¯t show her hand.

    Xu Shi was a little worried. ¡°I just hope that it will always be this calm.¡± Although her husband was the Commander-in-chief of the northwest army, many people under him wouldn¡¯t want to ept it. While Yun Qing was on the side, ring at him like a tiger watching its prey. Therefore, her husband¡¯s situation was actually quite tricky. It was also fortunate that Yun Qing did not marry the girl from the Zhao family. Otherwise, their situation would be even more unfavourable right now.

    Madam Hong reacted with a smile, ¡°Jiejie, you worried too much. Although this woman has a few tricks, they are only the inner courtyard tricks. What kind of waves can she create anyway? Furthermore, doesn¡¯t Jiejie know that this Han Shi is a bearer of ill luck? Even before she marries Yun Qing, she has made him lose the Zhao family¡¯s support for him, and a few days ago, she had made him lose all his face. Once she gets married to him, I don¡¯t know how disgusted Yun Qing will be!¡±

    Xu Shi gazed at her n younger sister and shook her head helplessly. Not to mention that Han Shi was gorgeous where no men would not sway just from looking at her; just knowing that she came from the Duke Han of the State Residence was enough to make Yun Qing treat her well. Duke Han was a powerful Assistant Minister of War, and Yun Qing was not that foolish to throw away such a powerful n behind his wife.

    There was a saying that good things wouldn¡¯te out of the gate, but bad things spread a thousand miles. The news about Fourth Miss Han being robbed by bandits had just dissipated in the capital when it was revealed it didn¡¯t happen that way. Instead, she had been taken away by northern barbarians.

    When Han Hao told Han Jianming about this rumour, he asked, ¡°Lord Duke, what should we do about this?¡± The talks outside were so vivid that Han Hao could not help but believe them.

    Han Jianming answered in a deep voice, ¡°It¡¯s just a rumour. Just ignore it.¡± He knew about this newsst night, but he believed that with Yuxi¡¯s intelligence, it would not be that easy for her to fall into the hands of the northern barbarians. The only thing they could do now was to wait for the news from the border city.

 Chapter 323 - Guest (3)

    Chapter 323 : Guest (3)

    A mass of dark clouds rolled at the edge of the sky, and the rain instantly poured down from the sky. Soon, the rainwater that flowed down from the house¡¯s eaves gathered into a stream in the courtyard.

    Yuxi put down the needle in her hand, came out, looked at the bean-sized raindrops and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s been almost ten days since I came, and it¡¯s finally raining.¡± She could still tolerate the food here since she could prepare it herself. Still, the weather made her a bit ufortable as it was different from the capital. Especially when it hadn¡¯t rained for so long, it made people feel a little more irritated.

    Zijin said, ¡°I heard that it rarely rains here in Yu City, and it¡¯s very dry.¡± It was also because of the harsh environment that food supply had to be brought in from outside.

    Yuxi gave out a slight smile.

    Zijin frowned and wondered, ¡°Miss, you have reached the border city for ten days or so, but howe Zisu, Mama Qu, and the others have not yet arrived?¡± Originally, they should have turned up two days ago, yet they didn¡¯t, and Zijin was worried that there had been idents. All the events they faced on their way here had also left a shadow inside her.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°Something must have dyed their arrival. Just think about it. Who would have a hard time travelling along with a few maids anddies?¡± She guessed that some of them must have been injured, so they had to move slowly.

    As they were talking, Han Hao came in from outside and informed her, ¡°Miss, the Zhao family has sent an invitation card for Miss.¡± After saying that, he handed the card to Yuxi.

    Yuxi took it after a moment. In two days, it would be the birth anniversary of the Zhao family¡¯s Da Nainai, Ping Shi, so Yuxi was invited. After thinking for a moment, Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Tell the people of the Zhao family that I will be there then.¡±

    Zijin frowned and questioned, ¡°Miss, what does the Zhao family have in mind when they sent you the invitation? We should just find an excuse to push it away!¡± She didn¡¯t find this invitation to be a good thing.

    Yuxi shook her head as she replied, ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Although her appearance had interfered with the marriage between Yun Qing and the Zhao family, it was not entirely her fault. If the Zhao family members were sensible, they would not have made things difficult for her. If they were being unreasonable, Yuxi would have to be more careful when dealing with them in the future.

    When Zijin heard Yuxi¡¯s exnation, she felt her hair would fall out just from thinking about it. ¡°Why is this matter so troublesome?¡± Heck, she believed it was better to face the bandits since she could go and just beat the hell out of them. It was not like dealing with those official wives, who fought using their minds, which was exhausting for her to watch.

    Yuxiughed and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, then don¡¯t concern yourself with it.¡± Zijin¡¯s primary duty was to protect her, and she did not need to do anything other than that.

    As they were talking, the sound of rushing footsteps could be hearding from outside. Zisu appeared in the courtyard in no time, and when she noticed Yuxi, her tears immediately fell. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re okay.¡± Their separation this time really scared Zisu enough.

    Zijin didn¡¯t know why, but nowadays, she always felt a little cranky whenever she saw Zisu cry. What was she crying for? It wasn¡¯t like the problem could be solved by weeping.

    Yuxi supported the injured Mama Qu and softly said, ¡°I¡¯ve made you suffer.¡± The people who followed her to Yu City had indeed suffered enough this time.

    Mama Qu shook her head as sheforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss, we¡¯re fine. It¡¯s just that Steward Han was wounded and is still over there recovering from his injuries, so he can¡¯te over.¡± There was something else that Mama Qu did not mention. The four maids that Yuxi took with her had all been very frightened. Fortunately, Tian Ju and Shiliu were now fine and had recovered. The other two maids were overly terrified and still had nightmares from time to time. As a result, she didn¡¯t bring them here to save Yuxi from being annoyed by looking at them.

    Yuxi nodded andmented, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    The arrival of Mama Qu, Mama Bai and others made it easier for Yuxi. She didn¡¯t need to worry much about internal affairs anymore and could concentrate on making clothes. Not only did she have to make clothes for Yun Qing, but she also had to make some for herself. Even if she didn¡¯t want to pay particr attention to it, she still couldn¡¯t wear old clothes once she got married.

    Zisu looked at the materials used by Yuxi and was a bit distressed. ¡°Miss, why are these materials so rough?¡± The clothes made of such materials were so ufortable to wear.

    Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°When you enter a vige, you should follow the local customs.¡± This ce was definitely notparable to the capital. But since she was already here, she had to settle down. If she alwayspared things with the ones in the capital, she would lose her mind in the end.

    Hearing this, Zijin instantly became upset and pulled Zisu away out into the yard to give her a piece of advice. ¡°Zisu Jiejie, don¡¯tin in front of the girl in the future. And also, please don¡¯t cry at every turn.¡±

    Zisu was a bit aggrieved andined, ¡°I am just feeling distressed for Miss.¡±

    Zijin felt that Zisu was really getting back to her old self. ¡°I didn¡¯t say you shouldn¡¯t care about Miss, but what can you solve byining and crying in front of her? It did nothing other than making Miss feel gloomy.¡±

    Zisu was rendered speechless because of these words.

    Zijin added, ¡°Miss is currently in a difficult situation. It¡¯s fine if you can¡¯t solve her problems, but you can¡¯t add more trouble for her.¡± These words were already rtively straightforward for her to say.

    Ever since Zijin returned from the mountain, she always felt that Zisu¡¯s behaviour had be somewhat abnormal as she turned even more melodramatic. Zijin had put up with it for so long, and now was the only time she ever let it out. Her endurance could be considered first-ss.

    Zisu raised her head, looked at Zijin¡¯s moody eyes, and smiled bitterly, ¡°I know, I won¡¯t repeat such things.¡± She did not have any other thoughts, but her heart ached for Miss. Her Miss was one of the best in appearance and talent but had to marry a military man. But as Zijin had said, no amount ofining could change Miss¡¯ current situation. Hence, Zisu could only ept their present reality.

    No one told Yuxi about this episode between the two of them.

    In the blink of an eye, it was the day of Zhao Da Nainai¡¯s birthday celebration, and Yuxi took Zijin and Zisu along with her to the banquet. General Zhao was a veteran general who followed Marshal Qin and had a high reputation in Yu City. Thus, many people attended the banquet today to congratte Zhao Da Nainai on her birth anniversary celebration.

    Yuxi just got off the carriage when an old woman servant wearing an indigo dress with a round bun and a gold hairpin on her head came over and greeted her.

    It was clear from the first nce that this woman was a handy person, and the family¡¯s attitude could be seen in the kind of people they sent to entertain their guests. By this time, Yuxi finally breathed out a sigh of relief. The Zhao family¡¯s attitude towards her was pretty good, proving that they did not have bad blood with Yun Qing because of her. ¡°Mama, no need to be polite.¡±

    Siheyuan

    Image Credit | The rightful owner via Researchgate

    Yuxi followed the old woman servant to the second gate. There, she caught sight of a woman dressed in numerous butterfly patterns, red clothes, with a beizi with flowers embroidered in golds thread at all of its hems on top of it, walking towards her.

    The old woman servant introduced her to Yuxi, ¡°Miss Han, this is our residence Er Nainai.¡±

    Beforeing here, Yuxi had done her homework. General Zhao had two sons and one daughter. Both of his sons were already married, and their wives were the daughters of his colleagues. His daughter, Zhao Jing, was the one who was initially promised to Yun Qing and currently waiting in her boudoir for betrothal. Of course, General Zhao wasn¡¯t that worried about his daughter¡¯s marriage.

    When Zhao Er Nainai saw Yuxi, she smilingly praised her. ¡°These days, I have been hearing people talk about Miss Han, saying that once Miss Han arrived, she would outshine all the girls in our Yu City. Today, when I finally got to see her myself, I have to say that the saying was indeed true!¡± This godly, impressive manner truly proved Yuxi to be the youngdy of the Duke of the State Residence.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t hear any malice from Er Nainai¡¯s words. As a result, she responded with a smile, ¡°Er Nainai is overpraising me.¡± The way the Zhao family had sent their daughter-inw to wee her showed how much they valued her. By now, Yuxi was genuinely relieved.

    Zhao Er Nainai said with a smile, ¡°Miss Han, you don¡¯t have to be so polite. When youe to our house, just make yourself at home. No need to be so formal!¡± Seeing Yuxi smiled, nodded, and did not say much, Zhao Er Nainai didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. Still, she asked Yuxi whether she was already used to being in Yu City instead. ¡°If you need anything, just ask.¡±

    Yuxi wouldn¡¯t push those who were willing to befriend her. She answered with a smile, ¡°If I need anything in the future, I¡¯ll definitely ask Jiejie for help.¡±

    Zhao Er Nainai was also very satisfied with Yuxi¡¯s attitude. The two of them walked towards the main courtyard while they talked. After travelling for a few minutes, the two already talked andughed together.

    When they entered the main courtyard, Yuxi looked inside the room and saw severaldies in attendance. She knew one of them, that was Garrison Xia¡¯s wife.

    After Madam Xia waited for Yuxi to greet everyone, her eyes went to the jewellery worn by Yuxi. Sheplimented her with a smile, ¡°Miss Han, your phoenix hairpin made of twisted gold thread is really beautiful.¡± Not only did the phoenix hairpin look beautiful, but the red bead drop jade earrings on her ears were also very attention-grabbing. Madam Xia was a bit puzzled. Didn¡¯t rumour say that the bandits had robbed all of Yuxi¡¯s things? Howe she still had this much jewellery?

    At the time when Yuxi entered the room, everyone had already taken notice of how Yuxi dressed herself up. Her clothes were fine, not particrly novel, but the jewellery she wore was exceptionally eye-catching. They couldn¡¯t help themselves since all women were born with no resistance to beautiful clothes and jewellery. No one would believe that no woman would dislike such exquisite jewellery.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m ttered by Madam Xia¡¯s words. These jewellery are all bought for me by my mother.¡±

    The one with a quicker mouth among the women present asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t all Miss Han¡¯s jewellery robbed by the bandits?¡± Everyone in the attendant had heard the news of Yuxi¡¯s dowry being stolen.

    Yuxi sighed slightly and exined, ¡°All the others had been robbed away, and I can only keep this much jewellery. If my mother knew about this, I don¡¯t know how upset she would be! The stolen ones were what her elders had carefully prepared for years.¡±

    If it wasn¡¯t for her being on the wrong asion, Madam Xia would haveughed. What did Yuxi mean by she could only keep this much jewellery? All the most valuable ones were saved, and the rest were just scraps. [+]

    Madam Zhao said with a smile, ¡°I envy Lady Han for raising such a filial and considerate child.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t expect Madam Zhao to tter her, and she smilingly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t deserve such apliment from Madam Zhao.¡±

    Madam Zhao shook her head gently and said, ¡°I¡¯m notplimenting you. I¡¯m just telling the truth. Money is just an external thing, and you can earn it again when you lose it. As long as you are safe and sound, it is better than anything else. I believe your mother must be thinking the same way.¡± All parents had the same mindset. [T/C]

    When Yuxi heard these words, her smile became two times more natural.

    It was still a pleasant trip to the Zhao House for Yuxi. In any case, she had made her first friend this time around. At least, when she went out in the future, she wouldn¡¯t be caught unprepared any longer.

    The people of the Zhao family were actually puzzled when they finallyid their eyes on Yuxi. Zhao Er Nainai told Madam Zhao. ¡°Mother, when I heard Song Guifei persuaded the Emperor to bestow marriage to General Yun, I thought they would choose a spiteful girl for him. But this Miss Han is outstanding in every way. Doesn¡¯t anyone find anything wrong with this situation?¡± Her xiaogu wasn¡¯t bad, but she was obviously inferiorpared to Miss Han.

    Zhao Da Nainai said, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? It seems like this Miss Han has a bad fate?¡±

    Zhao Er Nainai countered disdainfully, ¡± Dasao, I may not know how to read other people¡¯s fortune, but I can tell by looking at Miss Han that those are all nonsense! Mother, what do you think?¡±

    Madam Zhao did not express her opinion but instead said, ¡°Just get along well with her from now on.¡± Han Shi was pretty good at dealing with people she had just met, but Madam Zhoao couldn¡¯t make out Han Shi¡¯s actual characteristics for the time being. However, there was one thing that she was sure of, Han Shi was smart and had a sense of decency.

 Chapter 324 - Family Disturbance

    <strong>Chapter 324 : Family Disturbance</strong>

    The news that the Fourth Miss Han was taken and killed after being sexually assaulted by the northern barbarians soon spread throughout the capital. This time, even Han Jianming could not calm himself up.

    When Zhou Shi got this news, she did not seek Han Jianming directly but had someone go to Jing Wangfu to inquire the truth of this matter from Yuchen.

    Yuchen was ridiculed by many people these days because of how Yuxi died at the hands of the barbarians. Song Ling-er was even more unrelenting in her burning satire and freezing irony upon Yuchen as if this would vent all her pent-up anger. When Yuchen heard that someone from the State Residence hade to question the authenticity of the news, she told Mama Luo, ¡°I have asked His Highness, and he confirmed that this is true.¡± When she got the information, she didn¡¯t believe it at first, but when His Highness verified it, she couldn¡¯t help but trust his words.

    Mama Luo¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Wangfei, what should we do?¡± Because a young miss from the Han family had died after being sexually assaulted by the barbarians, the Fifth Miss and the other young masters¡¯ marriage would also be affected.

    Yuchen gave out a bitterugh and said, ¡°What else can we do?¡± Since that person was already dead, they were the ones who had to bear the consequences.

    After Mama Luo left, Momo Gui wondered, ¡°Wangfei, that old ancestor has specially asked Mama Luo to inquire about this matter. Is she nning something?¡±

    Yuchen shook her head and said, ¡°What can she n? That person is already dead. Moreover, Yuxi was also a victim in this matter.¡± She and Yuxi had gotten along very well over the years, but she never thought that Yuxi would end up in such a miserable situation. Her death was already unsightly enough, and she was even humiliated after losing her life. When Yuchen recalled this, she got so flustered that she felt suffocated in her heart.

    Momo Gui also sighed and said, ¡°No one would have thought that Fourth Miss would end up like this. If only she had not withdrawn from her previous marriage.¡± If Yuxi hadn¡¯t withdrawn, even if Song Guifei killed her, she would at least pass away with a clean reputation. Unlike now, she was humiliated after her death and implicated all Han family members.

    Yuchen let out a long sigh. ¡°Who could figure out that it would be like this?¡± If anyone could, she was confident that Da Tangge would not let Yuxi withdraw from her previous marriage.

    Hearing these words, Momo Gui immediately shifted their topic to the one they could still fight for and figure out. ¡°Niangniang, Heshou Xianzhu will enter Xuan Wangfu at the end of this month.¡±

    Yuchen sneered as she said, ¡°Let her bounce around for a few more days first. When she has no more use, she will die in the hand of 9th Prince, even without us going through the 9th Wangfei.¡± If they didn¡¯t kill Heshou, Yuchen would also find a way to end her life. She had not yet taken revenge for the night of the pce rebellion back then! Because of Heshou, she and her grandmother suffered heavy losses, and many of their people died. If Heshou had been hiding in Wutai Mountain, it would have been fine, but now that she was back in the capital, Yuchen must take her revenge.

    Momo Gui nodded and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why the Buddha didn¡¯t just take this scourge away.¡± She knew that the 9th Prince kept Heshou around because he thought she still could be of any use. Otherwise, how would such a strange woman be left alive?

    After Mama Luo got the exact news from Yuchen¡¯s side, she immediately returned to the Han family and told Zhou Shi about it.

    When Zhou Shi got the news, a fierce light shed in her eyes. ¡°Go and call Jianming over. If he¡¯s not at the residence, have someone call him back.¡± How dare he hide such a significant matter from her? Did he think that his wings had hardened and that she couldn¡¯t control him anymore?

    When Han Jianming was made aware that Zhou Shi was looking for him, his heart shed with fear that his grandmother had heard of Yuxi¡¯s new rumour. He didn¡¯t know what she would do next after discovering it.

    Zhou Shi looked at Han Jianming and asked, ¡°What are you going to do about this?¡±

    Han Jianming said, ¡°Grandmother, this matter is only a rumour. There is not enough evidence to prove that the dead woman is Yuxi. If anything, we better wait until the letter from Er Di arrives.¡± Before Han Jianye¡¯s news arrived, he still had a glimmer of hope that the woman sexually assaulted until she died was not Yuxi.

    Zhou Shi had not lost her temper for many years, but today she could not hold back any longer. She mmed her most cherished teacup on the ground at once and cursed furiously, ¡°Yuchen has already said that the dead one is Yuxi, and you¡¯re still nning to fool me?¡±

    Han Jianming did not utter a single word of reply.

    Zhou Shi suppressed her anger and instructed, ¡°The Han family could not afford to have someone leaving behind such a stain. Immediately removed her from the family tree.¡± If Yuxi were out of their family tree, she would no longer be the young miss of the Han family. Although this only made them plug their ears while stealing a bell, it was better than hearing people mutter about a girl of the Han family who died after being forcibly taken by men.

    Han Jianming¡¯s expression kept on changing, and only after a while did he manage to argue, ¡°Grandmother, I can¡¯t agree to this. Grandmother, even if those barbarians had killed Yuxi, it was not of her own free will.¡± If they were to remove Yuxi from the n, it would appear that they were being too fickle and heartless.

    When Zhou Shi heard this, her anger rose once more. ¡°If she had moral integrity, she should have killed herself after being caught by those barbarians to save her reputation. She wouldn¡¯t have disgraced the Han family.¡± If she had known this much earlier, she would not have let Qiu Shi save her, and there would not have been today¡¯s incident.

    No matter what Han Jianming said, he could not put some sense to Zhou Shi. Finally, he said helplessly, ¡°Grandmother, this matter has not been decided yet, so we can¡¯t just remove Yuxi from the n hastily.¡±

    Before Zhou Shi could say anything, a maid rushed into the room and said, ¡°My Lord, the Old Lady fainted after hearing about the passing of the Fourth Miss.¡±

    Han Jianming immediately went to the Changle Courtyard to visit Qiu Shi in haste.

    Qiu Shi had already woken up by now, and when she saw Han Jianming, she asked, ¡°Ming-er, even with all those rumours out there, your Si Mei is still alive and well, right?¡±

    Han Jianming was silent for a moment before answering, ¡°Mother, I, myself, am not sure how Si Mei is currently doing. Now we can only wait for a letter from Er Di.¡± He was also unconfident that the person who died was not Yuxi. After all, the news came from an official source, and he had no proof to contradict it. .

    Qiu Shi instantaneously burst with hope as she repeatedly muttered, ¡°Right, right, your Si Mei is a bright one, and she has that maid Zijin by her side, so she will certainly be fine. Although your Si Mei has faced numerous adversities and cmities, she always manages to head off any of the dangers. This time she will be fine too.¡± After saying that, Qiu Shi reassured herself once more, ¡°Yes, Yuxi will be fine. She will be fine.¡± Saying it this way was the only way to make her feel at ease. [+]

    When Han Jianming heard Zijin¡¯s name, he suddenly reacted and said, ¡°Mother, I still have something to take care of. I¡¯lle and see youter.¡±

    In his study, Han Jianming browsed over the message Han Ji managed to send back. He did not mention Zijin in his letter or Master Yang and his apprentice who had followed them along to the northwest.

    By this time, Han Jianming murmured to himself, ¡°How could I have forgotten such an important thing?¡± That girl Yuxi could foretell her own bad luck. Thus, she could use this ability of hers to avoid any danger. Therefore, that girl must have left the team earlier, and that dead girl was 100% her double.

    As Han Jianmimg thought of this, his entire body finally loosened up. His nerves had been stretched taut from when he heard Yuxi was gone until now.

    At that moment, Han Hao scrambled into the study and reported, ¡°My Lord, please go to the main courtyard quickly! There has been amotion over there because of the matter of removing the Fourth Miss from the n.¡±

    Han Jianming hurried up to the main courtyard without dy. When he arrived there, he could see how chaotic the inside of the house was. Han Jianming asked with an ashen face, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    Qiu Shi came out of the house with tears in her eyes as she replied, ¡°I heard your grandmother say that she wanted to remove Yuxi from the family, so I came over to have a few words with her. I didn¡¯t expect your grandmother to scold me angrily, so I retorted with a few sentences¡­¡­¡± She was beside herself with rage. It wasn¡¯t even sure if the dead person was indeed Yuxi, but the one who lived here already called for Yuxi¡¯s removal from the n. Not to mention that Yuxi probably was not dead, Qiu Shi would still go against the suggestion even if they confirmed that it was truly Yuxi.

    When Han Jianming heard these words, he suddenly felt his head could explode. ¡°Mother, you go back first. I will take care of things here.¡±

    Qiu Shi wiped her tears, looked at Han Jianming and said, ¡°Ming-er, no matter what, you can¡¯t agree to remove Yuxi from the n.¡±

    Han Jianming stated, ¡°Mother, the person killed by the northern captives was not Yuxi, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Since the one who died was only a double, even though their grandmother hated Yuxi, she still could not remove her from the n.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s eyes lit up as she grabbed Han Jianming¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°Really? Did your Er Di write that to you?¡±

    Han Jianming shook his head and answered, ¡°No. This is only my spection.¡± As for how he came out with it, he didn¡¯t have to exin it to Qiu Shi.

    Qiu Shi did not bother to pursue the root of the matter, and after listening to Han Jianming¡¯s words, she covered her chest and stated, ¡°It¡¯s good that your Si Mei is okay.¡± She knew her eldest son¡¯s nature very well, and he would not have said this to her if he, himself, was not confident enough. Therefore, Yuxi must still be alive and well.

    The physician soon came and gave Zhou Shi a prick of the needle, and she woke up not before long. However, Zhou Shi had a stroke because of this incident and could not speak smoothly.

    Qiu Shi felt a little guilty after knowing that Zhou Shi had suffered a stroke.

    Upon seeing this reaction from Qiu Shi, Mama Li tried to console her, ¡°She was going to remove the Fourth Miss from the n even before the exact news came from the border city. How can there be such a cruel grandmother?¡± Once they removed the Fourth Miss from the n, she was no longer one of the young misses of the Han family. If Yun Qing didn¡¯t marry the Fourth Miss because of this, would he not be driving her to her death?

    After hearing Mama Li¡¯s words, the guilt in Qiu Shi¡¯s heart was gone. However, thinking about the dangers that Yuxi had to face along the way, where she nearly died three to four times, Qiu Shi was furious as she let out. ¡°If it were not for that poisonous woman, Yuxi would have married into the Taining Residence by now, and her life would be so beautiful. Where would she have suffered these many trials and tribtions?¡±

    Even if Yuxi married into the Taining Residence, Mama Li felt that her days would still not be good. ¡°Master, since Song Guifei rewarded the Second Master Chen with a noble concubine, Taining Residence is now in hell of an uproar, and the Lady of Taining has been infuriated because of this.¡± Chen Ran¡¯s little trick could fool Qin Xin, but not Song Guifei. Not only the treasure of her heart had been regarded with disdain but had also been schemed against. How could Song Guifei swallow this anger? Hence, not long after Chen Ran married Yu Xixian, Song Guifei bestowed a noble concubine to Chen Ran.

    The concubine¡¯s father was also surnamed Song and rted to the main Song family by many turns of generations. Song Guifei gave that woman to Chen Ran because this concubine was extraordinarily spirited and acted very boldly, not at all a submissive person. One could well imagine how harmful such a person was. Ever since she arrived at the Marquis Residence, the Marquis Taining household had never been peaceful.

    Qiu Shi felt that Song Guifei was such a ridiculous person as shemented, ¡°Song Shi does not even put the Yu family in her eyes.¡± When she bullied the Han family, they could still say that the Han family had lost its power, and when they were forced, they had no way to fight back but to put up with it. But the Yu family and the Song family were two armies with equivalent banners and drums! One could imagine how foolish this move was.

    Mama Li responded, ¡°Although the Yu family has power and influence, their eldest girl is the 9th Prince¡¯s consort. No matter how angry the Yu family is with this act, they still have to endure this grievance.¡± That was why women had to give birth to helpful sons. How would Song Guifei dare to be so arrogant if she didn¡¯t have a powerful son to rely on!

    As for the woman inciting troubles in the Taining Residence, she would have withdrawn and lived the rest of her life like that if she had even a little brain. She should not think that Taining Residence was where she could act arrogant. It was estimated that it would not be long before this woman ended up dead. As long as one could grab any information that one could use against her, who would care about her being Song Guife¡¯s bestowment.

    Qiu Shi¡¯s eyes shed with disdain as she said, ¡°You¡¯ll see. Sooner orter, there will be retribution.¡± Evil had its retribution, and virtue had its rewards. If the retribution was not forting, it was because the time had not yete.

 Chapter 325 - : Betrothal Gifts

    <strong>Chapter 325 : Betrothal Gifts</strong>

    Ever since Yuxi became a guest in a banquet held by the Qin and Xu families, invitations cards from other families kepting in. However, Yuxi politely declined all the invites on the grounds that she had to prepare for her wedding. She epted the invitation from the Qin and Zhao families, not because they were very powerful in Yu City, but she wanted to find out the truth about Yun Qing¡¯s situation. As for the other families, there was no need to rush to know them. When she married Yun Qing, she would definitely deal with them often.

    Yuxi was doing embroidery inside the house when she heard Shiliue in and inform her. ¡°Miss, Zhao Er Nainai hase to visit Miss.¡±

    Yuxi put down the needle and thread in her hands, stood up and said, ¡°Please invite Zhao Er Nainai in and ask her to sit down.¡± Thest time they met, Zhao Er Nainai had left an excellent impression on her. This time, Zhao Er Nainai had taken the initiative toe to her door, so it was apparent that she intended to make friends. Since this was the case, Yuxi was also happy to befriend her.

    Zhao Er Nainai asked with a smile, ¡°Han Meimei, I¡¯m not disturbing you, am I?¡±

    Yuxi asked Zisu to make a cup of scented tea and said with a smile, ¡°What are you talking about, Er Nainai? I am a stranger in an unfamiliarnd, and I don¡¯t know many people here. I¡¯m so d that you¡¯vee to see me!¡± It just so happened that she had something she wanted to ask Zhao Er Nainai to save herself from being caught unprepared in the future.

    Zhao Er Nainai saw that Yuxi was genuine and sincere, that she honestly smiled. ¡°What are you doing calling me Er Nainai? It sounds so weird. If you don¡¯t mind, we should call each other sisters.¡±

    Yuxi willingly epted other people¡¯s views as she immediately called her jiejie. It was better to have one more friend than one more enemy. Furthermore, she really needed to break into thedies¡¯ circle through someone. There was a saying that when a family have a virtuous wife, the husband would have fewer woes. A virtuous wife¡¯s responsibilities were not only managing the household and raising the children but also broadening her social circle to gain more information.

    Tu Shi said with her face beaming with a smile, ¡°I used to regret not having a meimei, but now I don¡¯t have that regret anymore.¡± Tu Shi only had one older and one younger brother from her maternal family. She didn¡¯t have any blood sisters, but she had many older and younger female cousins.

    The two talked like this all morning, and to say they talked, it was basically Yuxi asking questions and Tu Shi answering them. Tu Shi was a native of Xinping City and had been married to Yu City for several years, so she was extremely familiar with the area. Therefore, she clearly understood Ganzhou District and Yu City¡¯s local customs, precisely what Yuxicked. One should not be fooled by the fact that Han Jianye had been in Yu City for more than half a year. If Yuxi had questioned him on all these things, he would have been baffled. Hence, it wouldn¡¯t do her any good if she wanted to rely on Han Jianye regarding this kind of matter.

    The whole morning passed unconsciously. At noon, under Yuxi¡¯s relentless urging, Tu Shi decided to stay for lunch.

    Their lunch was not rich, but they were not shabby either as they had six dishes and one soup. The six dishes were cooked by Mama Bai. She only had an average cooking skill and could not bepared to Guo Daniang. But the pot of chicken soup with caterpir fungus made Tu Shi sigh with admiration. ¡°Meimei, I¡¯m not afraid if you¡¯re going to think that I¡¯m a joke. I¡¯ve eaten a lot of chicken soup, but I¡¯ve never had such a delicious chicken soup! I wonder how you made it?¡± If she could learn it, she could make a pot of chicken soup for her mother-inwter to show her filial piety.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°The main thing is to choose the right ingredients for the chicken soup and pay attention to the fire and the timing. It¡¯s not that difficult.¡±

    Zijin, who was listening to the side, turned a little speechless. Notplicated? Not to mention the precautions one had to take when selecting the ingredients and when the soup was simmering, the temperature of the fire and the timing had to be on point. She didn¡¯t know how much work had been put into just one pot of soup.

    Tu Shi was shocked to hear this exnation from Yuxi. ¡°Did Meimei boil this chicken soup?¡±

    Yuxi nodded with a smile as she exined, ¡°I¡¯ve learned to cook several soups with the cook at home, but they are not thatplicated.¡± Yuxi didn¡¯t really cook the soup. Not because of her identity, but because she was swamped right now. Where would she have the time to cook any soup? This pot of soup was cooked ording to Yuxi¡¯s instructions, and the one who did all the cooking was Mama Bai.

    Once Tu Shi returned home, she told Madam Zhao. ¡°I often heard that the capital¡¯sdies are not only proficient in the four arts, but also feminine arts, cooking, managing household and everything else. I did not think it was true at first. However, after today, I know that I am a frog at the bottom of the well.¡± In the past, she heard that the young girls in the capital city knew everything, which she despised them for it. If they could do everything, were they still human? Well, today, she just met an exceptional one.

    Madam Zhao smiled and asked, ¡°Why does daughter-inw suddenly speak about something like this?¡±

    Tu Shi replied, ¡°Mother, do you know that Miss Han not only can write and draw, her embroidery work is also exquisite. She can also handle the inside and outside of cooking, and her cooking is also first-ss.¡± Afterwards, she continued to tell Madam Zhou what she saw and heard from Yuxi. ¡°Really, after I have lived so many years, this is the first time I meet a girl who is outstanding in all aspects!¡±

    Zhao Da Nainai questioned with some disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re not being fooled by her, are you?¡±

    Tu Shi shook her head and said, ¡°There¡¯s no one here for her to fool. Moreover, why would she even want to deceive me?¡± Unless she was initially a fool, why else would Yuxi need to fool her? There was always a day when the lies woulde apart.

    Madam Zhao said, ¡°Miss Han started to study with a teacher at the age of four, and she has studied with her for five years. She has also been carefully taught for several years by the nurturing momo from the pce, so it¡¯s not surprising that she knows this.¡± Some of Madam Zhao¡¯s natal family members also worked as officials in the capital, so she knew a lot.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know that everyone was talking about her. She was currently bowing her head, seriously concentrating on doing her embroidery! s, other people only made clothes for her future husband once, while she had to do it thrice.

    The sixth day of the sixth lunar month was when the Yun family would deliver their betrothal gifts.

    Nowadays, one would pay much attention to betrothal gifts selection, even in border cities where the people were rtively open. Yun Qing did not know anything about this, so he specially asked the wife of General Fu Jian, the vice general of Yu City, to help him. When it came to the betrothal gifts, he requested Madam Fu to buy more practical things.

    On the day the Yun family delivered the betrothal gifts, Han Jianye stayed behind to greet the guests. As for the women¡¯s side, Yuxi took care of them herself. Although she had a good rtionship with Zhao Er Nainai, it was better to avoid it because of the previous affairs between Yun Qing and the Zhao family.

    In fact, it was onlyter that Yuxi realised that she had overthought it. Madam Zhao actually opposed the marriage between her daughter and Yun Qing. It was because his situation was too dangerous, and her daughter could be widowed at any time if she married him. Nheless, General Zhao insisted on tying the knot. For that reason, she had no choice but to do her best to enlighten her daughter. Then the marriage did not work out. She could not be happier! How could she not?

    The betrothal gifts from the Yun family were quite generous. There were two pairs of golden calves, two pairs of golden dragon and phoenix bracelets, two pairs of golden dragon and phoenix hairpins, golden earrings, golden nes, golden locks and so on. Everyone¡¯s eyes were going to get blurred from all of the gold glitters. In addition, there were teas, wines, a t betrothal cake, three sacrificial animals, fishes, fruits, four-colour candies, silk, etc., that were also very well prepared. Among the betrothal gifts, the most conspicuous ones were the pair of croaking geese.

    Yuxi asked someone to bring the geese to the house and smilingly eximed, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen live geese!¡± In the capital, when giving betrothal gifts, people would use other livestock instead of geese, and they had never sent over geese. This was because it was pretty tricky to catch them alive.

    After reading the bride price list, Yuxi nodded andmented, ¡°Not bad?¡± She thought Yun Qing would be like Han Jianye, who didn¡¯t even know how to save money! Now, it seemed that he was pretty good at managing his finances.

    In fact, Yuxi¡¯s thought was actually wrong. These betrothal gifts were not bought from money saved by Yun Qing himself but had been prepared by the Old Master Yun beforehand. When Yun Qing left the capital, Old Master Yun took out all their family money. The money had been kept by Huo Changqing ever since that day, and it was he who took out the money to purchase these betrothal gifts.

    Zisu looked at the betrothal prices and said with a face full of disgust, ¡°Apart from being made of gold, their workmanship still look so rough. How can one wear such jewellery outside? If this was in the capital, people would haveughed non-stop at Miss!¡± If one didn¡¯t know, one would think that her Miss had married a newly rich man!

    When Yuxi heard thisment, the smile on her face immediately faded. She expressionlessly said, ¡°You said these betrothal gifts would make other peopleugh? What kind of joke will theyugh at? They will joke about Yun Qing being a newly rich man?¡± It wasn¡¯t like she was unaware of Zisu¡¯s asionalints. It was usual for Zisu to be ufortable at first as they had just moved from the flourishingnd of the capital to the barrennd of the border city. It always took time for one to ustom to the changes. She could give Zisu time to adapt, but she could not tolerate her disdain towards Yun Qing.

    Zisu¡¯s heart jumped as she lowered her head and said, ¡°Miss, I was wrong.¡±

    Yuxi coldly said, ¡°I can forgive you this once. If there is another time, you should not me me for being unforgiving.¡± Zisu was loyal to her, but if she started to act up, Yuxi could not let her stay. [+]

    Zisu¡¯s face turned pale.

    Zijin waited for Yuxi to return to her room before she couldn¡¯t help but say with a sigh, ¡°Yun Qing is Miss¡¯ future husband. It¡¯s natural for her to get angry when you say that.¡± It would be strange if Miss was not angry when Zisu even spoke those words in a disdainful tone.

    Zisu wiped her tears and said, ¡°I know that, but I just feel wrong for Miss.¡± The food and clothing here couldn¡¯tpare with those prepared by the respectable mama in charge of the Duke of the State Residence.

    Considering their many years of friendship, Zijin gave Zisu a piece of advice. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t want to waste her time talking nonsense to her. ¡°Zisu Jiejie, you should always remember your position. You are Miss¡¯ maid, not her older sister. It¡¯s your job to serve Miss well. The rest is not something you and I should be worried about.¡± In fact, she also felt that it was a pity that Miss had to marry Yun Qing, but what could she do? They had been bestowed the marriage through the Imperial Decree and could not escape from it. As her Miss¡¯ maids, they could only try to adapt.

    When Zisu heard these words from Zijin, she froze in ce.

    Zijin looked at Zisu and added, ¡°Zisu Jiejie, you should think about it!¡± If Zisu still couldn¡¯t understand it, Miss would definitely not keep her around anymore. In fact, this was the oue Zijin wouldn¡¯t like to see.

    That afternoon, Han Jianye handed Yuxi a piece of a jade pendant, and he even said, ¡°This is what Yun Qing asked me to give you.¡±

    Yuxi took a look at it, and the style of the jade pendant told her that it came from a pair. Yup, this jade pendant should be considered a betrothal token.

    Since that person had sent a token of betrothal, how could she express her feelings? Yuxi took out one of the clothes she made for Yun Qing and told Han Jianye, ¡°Er Ge can send this to him tomorrow!¡± The garment was made of fine cloth, and it had the advantage that it could absorb sweat and be breathable.

    Han Jianye deliberately teased, ¡°Yuxi, only for Yun Qing? What about Er Ge?¡± He was also happy to see that Yuxi epted the marriage.

    Yuxi rolled her eyes at Han Jianye. ¡°If Er Ge doesn¡¯t want to send it, then I¡¯ll have Han Ji to do it.¡±

    Han Jianye chirped, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just send me off now? I¡¯m going to send it right away, and I¡¯ll make sure that Yun Qing is so happy that he can¡¯t find where the north is.¡±

    To Han Jianye¡¯s disappointment, Yun Qing didn¡¯t show much joy or say anything when he looked at the clothes. This was the first time that someone had made clothes for him with her own hands in all these years! He was unable to express this sensation, this feeling in words.

    Upon seeing Yun Qing¡¯s reaction, Han Jianye patted Yun Qing¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Once you marry my , you can live a happy and prosperous life in the future!¡±

    When Huo Changqing knew about the clothes that Yuxi made for Yun Qing, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°This girl, she¡¯s a thoughtful one. In the future, you have to treat her well.¡± No matter what, to have this kind of heart proved that she was ready to live with Yun Qing wholeheartedly.

    Yun Qing nodded and said, ¡°I will.¡± In fact, during this period, when Yun Qing had free time, he would also go over to visit her. Still, unfortunately, Yuxi did not want to see him for the reason that it wasn¡¯t suitable for man and woman to meet before the wedding day.

 Chapter 326 - Good Mood

    <strong>Chapter 326 : Good Mood</strong>

    Han Jingyan knew that the culprit was Qiu Shi, and he was furious. But he was the younger brother-inw, so he couldn¡¯t have a row with his dasao directly. So he went to see Han Jianming.

    Han Jianming didn¡¯t want his mother to be branded as disobedient and unfilial, that he said. ¡°Sanshu, Mother only argued with Grandmother about removing Si Mei from the family. She wasn¡¯t being disobedient and unfilial.¡± It was wrong for his mother to argue with her grandmother. But she was also a loving mother, and she didn¡¯t say anything too much at that time. She just disagreed with removing Yuxi from the n.

    Han Jingyan¡¯s face was full of anger as he questioned, ¡°Are you not going to take care of this?¡±

    Han Jianming was also angry when he asked, ¡°What does Sanshu mean by this?¡± Take care? Take care of what? How dare he ask him to take care of his mother?

    In response, Han Jingyan stopped talking nonsense and directly stated, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re not going to care about it, I¡¯ll move out after a while anyway. Your grandmother has also said that she is willing to live with me.¡±

    The blue veins on Han Jianming¡¯s forehead started to pop out. ¡°What does Sanshu mean by this?¡± No one was going to stop Han Jingyan from moving out. Still, if he was bringing his grandmother along, this was akin to forcing the Main House to bear the reputation of being unfilial.

    Han Jingyan was going to make Han Jianming pressure Qiu Shi to admit her mistake. ¡°Just literally.¡± After saying that, he no longer paid attention to Han Jianming, turned around and walked away.

    Han Jianming was so angry that his face turned blue.

    After Qiu Shi knew about this incident, she didn¡¯t want her son to be embarrassed. Thus, she took the initiative to admit her mistake to Zhou Shi. Although Zhou Shi was mad at Qiu Shi, she was not ready to move out of the State Residence. She only wanted Qiu Shi to give in and acknowledge her mistake. When she saw that Qiu Shi had really recognised her error, she opened her mouth and told Qiu Shi to reflect on it.

    Qiu Shi knew that there was no more possibility of reconciliation between her and her mother-inw. In order not to make her son¡¯s life difficult, she offered to go to Lingshan Temple to fast and pray to Buddha.

    When Han Jianming found out about this, he tried to persuade his mother. ¡°Please don¡¯t, Mother. How can you bear to be in the mountains at such an old age?¡±

    Qiu Shi said with a smile, ¡°Although you said that Yuxi is fine, so long as there is no news of her, my heart is still unsure. Ming-er, Mother originally nned to go to the mountain to seek peace for Yuxi. It¡¯s also the right time to go to the mountains now. The summer is about to start, and it¡¯s cool on the Lingshan Temple. So you can think of it as Mother going to the Lingshan Temple to escape the summer heat.¡± She was not saying that she wanted to live in the Lingshan Temple. She intended to be there only for three to five months. If she was going to stay at the mountain for a long time, she couldn¡¯t afford it. Her son and grandson were still at home!

    Han Jianming suppressed the grievance he had in his heart. However, seeing Qiu Shi¡¯s insistence, he had no choice but to nod his head in agreement.

    Qiu Shi was unusually straightforward. She packed her clothes that day and took Mama Li and two maids to Lingshan Temple the next day.

    When Yuchen heard that Qiu Shi had gone to the temple for a long stay, she sighed andmented, ¡°Grandmother¡¯s nature has truly gotten entric.¡± She also heard about the removal of Yuxi from the n. That person had already died. What was the use of removing her from the family? Not only was it useless, but also disgraceful. Yuxi was robbed and sexually harassed till her death. It was not like she ran to the northern barbarians by herself. If her grandmother used this reason to remove Yuxi from the n, they would be theughing stock once the outsiders heard about this.

    Momo Gui didn¡¯t know how toment on this. The Old Lady couldn¡¯t even tolerate Qiu Shi, her generous daughter-inw. You expected her to get along well with others? You must be daydreaming.

    The two of them were talking when Jing Wang came in from outside and informed Yuchen with a smile, ¡°Chen-er, your Si Mei is fine. She arrived safely at Yu City five days ago.¡±

    Yuchen looked astonished. ¡°Really? Then, what happened before?¡± The reason why she believed Yuxi was gone before was because of Jing Wang¡¯s confirmation. [+]

    Jing Wang smilingly exined, ¡°The one who died was your Si Mei¡¯s double. She found someone to pretend to be her, while she, herself, took the smaller road with a few escorts.¡± To say the least, that woman was fortunate to have escaped this great cmity. What with the matter saying she had a piece of bad luck? He would have said that Yuxi was lucky if anyone had ever asked him.

    Yuchen let out a long sigh of relief and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that she¡¯s okay. It¡¯s terrific.¡± As long as she thought of Yuxi¡¯s miserable death, her heart became unusually sad during this time. Now that she knew that Yuxi was fine, she was thrilled.

    Jing Wang knew that Yuchen had been sulking for a long time because of Yuxi¡¯s death, so he came to tell her as soon as he received the news. At that moment, he said with a smile, ¡°Well, your Si Mei is fine, so you don¡¯t have to be sad anymore.¡±

    Yuchen smiled as she nodded. Then she turned her head to have someone pass the news to the Han family. Yuxi was fine, the Han family did not have to beughed at, and the previous conflict would no longer exist.

    When Qiu Shi heard that Yuxi had arrived safely at Yu City, she covered her chest and eximed, ¡°I¡¯ve told you that my Yuxi could head off any disaster.¡±

    Mama Li asked, ¡°Master, are we still going to Lingshan Temple?¡±

    Qiu Shi answered, ¡°Of course, why not? Stay until mid-autumn, and then we will return.¡± She was getting impatient with her entric mother-inw. She had to listen to her on everything as if she was a mere puppet. Wen Shi was willing to bear her current behaviour, but she couldn¡¯t. If Qiu Shi lived in the mountains for a while, she could also get some peace.

    It was good news for the Han family when they found out Yuxi was safe. At least they didn¡¯t have to be ridiculed and pointed out by the public.

    There were some who were unhappy, such as Heshou Xianzhu who wanted Yuxi to die early. Hearing that Yuxi did not die, she was very disappointed and grumbled, ¡°I can¡¯t believe she didn¡¯t die.¡± She was happy for nothing!

    When Qingyang Gongzhu saw Heshou in this state, she advised her, ¡°You should stop focusing on Han Yuxi. That girl may really be a variable, just as you said, but she has no influence on you, so you should stop doing stupid things.¡± Although she had been staying behind the closed door these few years, she had known all that she should have known. If Han Yuxi was really like her daughter, how could she have suffered from being victimised three to four times? Therefore, Qingyang Gongzhu did not believe what Heshou said about that girl.

    By now, even Heshou had also given up the idea that Yuxi was reborn as she was. The reason was also very simple. If Han Yuxi was indeed the same as her, she certainly would not have married Yun Qing, that murderous devil. Only that, Han Yuxi was still a variable in the end. If she was dead, then would Heshou be more at ease.

    Qingyang Gongzhu snapped, ¡°You should not put your mind on those messy things in the future. What you should be thinking right now is how to give birth to an heir and create a strong foothold for yourself as soon as you enter the Xuan Wangfu.¡± Her daughter had be the 9th Prince¡¯s saviour, but being his saviour was not that all-powerful.

    When Heshou heard her mother¡¯s words, her heart became bitter. If she wanted to be the 9th Prince¡¯s Ce Fei, she wouldn¡¯t have to wait until now. She only saved him because she just wanted him to be indebted to her, andter, he could thoroughly protect her, that was all. She had no other ideas. But the Emperor¡¯s bestowal of marriage had disrupted all her ns.

    Heshou was now somewhat at a loss. When she came back to life, she wanted to live a reckless and happy life but never expected she would end up being someone¡¯s concubine. Being a concubine, even if her husband was a prince, her status was still lower than others.

    Qingyang Gongzhu looked at the dazed Heshou and sternly reminded her, ¡°Don¡¯t be confused anymore. If you¡¯re still this muddled after entering the wangfu, you will end up dead.¡±

    Hearing the word dead, Heshou¡¯s body trembled with fear. She didn¡¯t want to die. ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want to die.¡±

    Qingyang Gongzhu advised, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, then listen to your mother. You must be careful when you get into the wangfu since Yu Xiyu is not a person you can easily get along with.¡± The Yu family was too powerful. If not for her daughter¡¯s act of saving the 9th Prince¡¯s life and he could safeguard her daughter, she would have worried even more.

    As Qingyang Gongzhu thought about this, she became annoyed. When Heshou married into Xuan Wangfu, she not only had to face Yuxiyu. There were also many other enemies, such as the 10th Prince consort, Han Yuchen.

    The capital¡¯s disturbances had nothing to do with Yuxi, who was making clothes inside the house peacefully! Even though Zisu and Shiliu did lend their hand, they only did simple work like preparing thread that she would be using. Other things were done by herself.

    Zijin came in from outside and told Yuxi, ¡°Miss, General Yun has sent a sheep over. Let¡¯s roast the sheep for dinner tonight, Miss.¡± Since Yuxi had angrily reprimanded Zisust time because of the betrothal gift, Zijin had changed how she called Yun Qing to General Yun.

    Mama Qu disagreed. ¡°That won¡¯t do. It will be easy for a person to suffer from excessive internal heat from eating roasted mutton. Miss will be getting married at the end of the month, so it¡¯s not a good time to eat something like that.¡± During this period, Yuxi had constantly been having soup and water.

    Yuxi smiled and asked, ¡°A whole sheep? I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to eat some today.¡± Even in a border town like Yu City, as long as one had money, one could still have brocade garments and jade meals. But Yuxi had never let herself have big hands and big feet, which was why the food here was iparable to the ones in the capital. Of course, Yuxi would not wrong herself.

    Zijin looked at Yuxi and said with a smile, ¡°Then we¡¯re going to have someone call the Second Master back?¡± Ever since Yuxi arrived in Yu City, Han Jianye woulde back at night if he had nothing else to do.

    Yuxi replied with a smile, ¡°Tell Er Ge that if he isn¡¯t busy with military affairs, ask him toe back early.¡± Because Yun Qing had inflicted severe damage to Sukhbaru, there had been follow-up battles in the past few months. However, they were only small-scale fights, and Yu City could still be considered a tranquil environment.

    In the evening, when Han Jianye came, Yun Qing also followed along. Yun Qing did note alone, though, as he also brought several of his bodyguards over.

    Han Jianye exined with a smile, ¡°I called Yun Qing over because he was the one who gave this sheep. We must not leave him behind!¡±

    Yuxi was speechless. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Since you¡¯re already brought them here, it¡¯s only a matter of adding a few more pairs of chopsticks to the table. It would make her look petty if she told Han Jianye that.

    Han Jianye said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid you¡¯ll be embarrassed! Yuxi, do you know, several of Yun Qing¡¯s subordinates have told me that he is much better temperedtely and is not as harsh as before. Yuxi, this is all because of you!¡±

    Yuxi ignored this weird brother of hers and went busy with her own business.

    Their dinner was extraordinarily sumptuous. There was a pot of mutton soup, braised mutton, minced mutton with sauerkraut, saut¨¦ed mutton with green onions, four colours stewed mutton and several assorted vegetables. The main course was mutton paomo and arge te of mutton dumplings with green onions.

    Yun Qing¡¯s Favourite Dish : (Lamb/Mutton) Dumplings

    When the dumplings were served, Mama Bai said, ¡°Second Master, General Yun, the dumplings were specially made by Miss just now.¡±

    Yun Qing¡¯s expression remained unchanged. But Guo Xun, the bodyguard standing next to him, knew that his General was in a good mood. His General loved dumplings, and now Miss Han had specially prepared some for his General. Therefore, how could his General not be happy?

    The days in the sixth lunar month were already sweltering. Han Jianye was sweating profusely, but he still couldn¡¯t put down his chopsticks. ¡°Yun Qing, do you know, since my Si Mei came to Yu City, my standard of living has gone up. Two days ago, Meng Hu evenughed at me for gaining weight.¡± Since his food intake went up, so did the meat on his body.

    The food smelled good, but Yun Qing ate very modestly, unlike Han Jianye, who gobbled it up. He clipped a piece of mutton dumpling with green onion into his mouth. After swallowing it, he said, ¡°Then you can do a drill for a shichenter on, and the meat will surely go down.¡±

    Han Jianye reacted cheerfully, ¡°Keep that to yourself! When Yuxi marries you, don¡¯t get fat and be a ball instead.¡± Of course, he was only joking. It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t know how much physical effort Yun Qing had spent exercising every day. Yun Qing would never get fat even if he wanted to.

    On the way back, Yun Qing¡¯s guard Jiang Bo said with a smile, ¡°When Miss Han marries over, we won¡¯t have to eat Old Yu¡¯s cooking anymore.¡± Old Yu was the cook at Yun Qing¡¯s residence. He had broken his leg and had nowhere else to go, so Yun Qing left him to cook at his home.

    Guo Xun smilingly countered, ¡°Don¡¯t let Old Yu know, or else he won¡¯t leave you any food for the next few days.¡± Today¡¯s meal was delicious, not much worse than the food in the restaurant. And they would all have the luck to eat more delicious food like today in the future.

 Chapter 327.1 - Get Married (1)

    <strong>Chapter 327 : Get Married (1)</strong>

    On the twenty-seventh of the sixth lunar month was the day of the wedding. But before one could get married, there were too many things to prepare. The dowry was one of them, and the need to invite the quanfu people and the xiniang.

    One could spend money to hire a xiniang, but it wasn¡¯t easy to find quanfu people. This person should not have a low status. She must at least be an official wife. Luckily, Zhao Er Nainai helped Yuxi solve this problem by inviting her saozi from her maternal family, the Tu family¡¯s Da Nainai, Luo Shi.

    Yuxi looked at Tu Shi and gratefully said, ¡°Thank you, Tu Jiejie.¡± This was the disadvantage of being in a foreignnd where it was not convenient for one to do anything.

    Tu Shi responded with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? My Saozi is the one willing to listen to my request. She said she would be happy to act as your quanfu people, as she agreed in one breath. By the way, do you have your dowry ready?¡±

    Yuxi nodded and answered, ¡°They are all ready. There aren¡¯t many things. The furniture, antique paintings and calligraphy that my mother prepared for me have not been brought over, so all my dowry this time only consist of daily necessities.¡±

    Tu Shi was a little surprised. She asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t bring them all? But I heard that the bandits have taken away all your dowry?¡± She thought that Yuxi¡¯s dowry included everything, but she didn¡¯t expect that the ones taken were less important.

    Yuxi smilingly exined, ¡°Those antique paintings and calligraphy need to be well preserved, so what I brought were only my clothes for changing, some satin and leather.¡±

    When Tu Shi heard her exnation, she asked Yuxi a question that had been bothering her mind. ¡°I heard that the girls in the capital only wear the clothes they make once. Is this true?¡± Although Master Tu was now a fourth-ranking official, that was what he fought for with his own life. The Tu family used to be an ordinary military family and lived a tough life. When Tu Shi was a child, they hadn¡¯t yet made their fortune. Thus, she had also suffered days of hardships. So, she couldn¡¯t think how these people could easily waste their things so much.

    Yuxi replied with a smile. ¡°No. Like our State Residence, the girls will have eight sets of clothes every quarter of a year. You can add more if you have generous personal savings. But if you wear the same clothes when you go out as a guest, you will beughed at.¡±

    Tu Shi nodded her head and said, ¡°That¡¯s understandable.¡± It was understandable that you had to wear new clothes every time you went out for a visit. But if you didn¡¯t wear the same clothes every day at home, that would be mind-boggling.

    Yuxiughed as she added, ¡°There is no such thing as wearing new clothes every day, except for those who are distinguished or especially favoured. For example, Song Guifei and Qinxin Gongzhu can¡¯t repeatedly wear the same clothes and jewellery every day.¡±

    Tu Shi¡¯s expression turned unsightly when she heard this. Most border city military families were particrly disgusted with the Song family but especially displeased with Song Guifei for supporting the Song family.

    At this time, Zisu brought a cup of chrysanthemum tea with wolfberry over.

    Chrysanthemum tea was not a drink she was fond of, in particr. Hence she only drank it once in a while. But this time, there was a unique fragrance in the tea. Tu Shi asked, ¡°This chrysanthemum tea tastes excellent. Where did Meimei buy it?¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°I made the chrysanthemum tea myself. If Tu Jiejie likes it, Jiejie can bring some back to drink.¡± In this dry weather, one needed to drink more chrysanthemum tea to get rid of agitation.

    Tu Shi smiled and said, ¡°Meimei is really capable.¡± Tu Shi felt that there was nothing that Yuxi couldn¡¯t do, and she felt that only a century-old family like the State Residence could produce such a girl.

    Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°Tu Jiejie is overpraising me. The majority of people in the city can make this scented tea.¡± She honestly didn¡¯t make a modest remark. All the girls around her knew how to make tea and mix fragrances.

    The two talked for a little more than half a day before Tu Shi returned.

    Tu Shi brought her saozi, Luo Shi, over the next day. Luo Shi looked kind, had a round face and still had a smiling expression when she did not speak. Yuxi usually went out with a smile on her face. Still, hers was just an act of propriety, while the smile on Luo Shi¡¯s face emanated from the inside out.

    Luo Shi did not stay long at Yuxi¡¯s ce either. She only came to familiarise herself with the surroundings. On the day of the wedding, she would be ready to remove the fine hairs on Yuxi¡¯s face and neck, tidy up the hairline at her temples and help out Yuxi with putting on makeup and wedding dress.

    Kailian = (of a girl on the eve of marriage) remove the fine hairs on the face and neck and tidy up hairline at temples

    After sending the two away, Yuxi was a little tired. If she was in the capital, she could just be a bride and be done with it. But here, s, it was too exhausting to do all the work herself, inside out!

    As the wedding date approached, Zijin was a bit worried. ¡°Miss, won¡¯t it be bad if no guests areing at that time?¡± If they were in the State Residence, they could open at least 50 or 60 seats. But here, even five to six tables would be a problem.

    Yuxi smilingly spoke, ¡°Just leave it to Er Ge!¡±

    Zisu also expressed her doubts. ¡°Miss, should we send the dowry in advance?¡± In the capital, the dowry was sent in advance. But only two days left before Yuxi departed for her wedding, and there was no movementing from the Yun family.

    Yuxi smiled a little. ¡°The custom here is no need to send the dowry in advance. The dowryes with the bride to the groom¡¯s door. Moreover, I don¡¯t have that much dowry.¡± Here, it was already a great thing if a girl got married with dowries on thirty-six carriers. Unlike the capital, the dowry would require more than a hundred carriers. With that much dowry, the situation would beplicated and chaotic if they were to carry over on the wedding day.

    Zisu felt wrong for Yuxi. No one could me Zisu for having that kind of feeling. Even though Yuxi had added many things for these two months, she could only stuff her dowry to eighteen carriers. But this amount wouldn¡¯t simply look too shabby in the capital. No matter how aggrieved Zisu felt, she didn¡¯t dare to show it. She could only restrain herself from saying anything. Unfortunately, Zijin was right. What was the use ofining about her dissatisfaction? At the end of the day, Miss still had to marry.

    Yuxi added with a smile, ¡°There is nothing topare. How well you live in the future is not measured by how many dowries you have. Moreover, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have any dowry. I just didn¡¯t bring them here.¡± She was not inferior to anyone else with just her genealogy and property in hand.

    At first, she was also a little nervous since she became a duck driven onto a perch. In the beginning, she proposed to see Yun Qing because she actually wanted to negotiate terms with him. She already felt sorry for herself since she had no feelings for him, and her life would always be in danger all the time. Only when she saw how Yun Qing treated her that she changed her mind and didn¡¯t mention those conditions. And after these two months, she became even more confident that she would have a good life in the future.

    Zijin said, ¡°That is extremely true, Miss.¡±

    While Yuxi¡¯s side was at a loss, Yun Qing¡¯s side fared much better. Although he said that his parents were already deceased, had no other elders, and was too busy to care for his own marriage, he still had some connections here after staying so many years in the border city. As a result, he asked for Madam Fu¡¯s help.

    Yun Qing had saved the life of the Eldest Young Master Fu, so Madam Fu brought her two daughters-inw over to help, inside and out. It was Madam Fu who made all the arrangements. As for the chief steward, it was handed to Huo Changqing.

    The night before the wedding, Yun Qing looked at the newly decorated mansion, and his heart turned sour. If grandfather, father and mother were still around, today must have been a lively and joyful day.

    Huo Changqing came out of the house, noticed the grieving look on Yun Qing¡¯s face, and said, ¡°You¡¯re going to have a family. When you open branches and scatter leaves for the Yun family, the old man can finally rest in peace under the ground.¡± If in the capital city, a twenty-two-year-old man would have already been considered an old man, but it was still not toote to marry at this age in the border city.

    Yun Qing looked in the direction of the capital and did not reply.

    On Yuxi¡¯s wedding day, it was drizzling. It didn¡¯t rain much, but the grey weather made people feel somewhat depressed.

    Zisu muttered to herself, ¡°Why is it raining today?¡± It was inconvenient to get married on a rainy day. Still, superstitious people would feel that it was not very auspicious.

    This was overheard by a tough old woman servant, who smiled and said, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s good for it to rain! It¡¯s a blessing for Miss Yuxi to get married on a rainy day.¡±

    Zisu froze in ce. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    A different ce would have different customs. Because it rarely rained in this generation of Yu City, it had be a dry ce. Every time the rain came, it made the city¡¯s people very happy.

    Zisu didn¡¯t even know what to say at that moment.

    At this time, Luo Shi had arrived. Before she started to remove fine hairs on Yuxi¡¯s face, she cautioned her in advance, ¡°There will be some painter on. Hope Miss can bear it.¡±

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°I will.¡±

    After clearing away fine hairs on her face, it was time to apply makeup. This task was left to Mama Qu. It was good that the box of rouge and powder she brought from the capital was still there, which was the one she used. [+]

    The Han family had no rtives here. Han Jianye invited his subordinates over to have wine to make up for the numbers so that the wedding didn¡¯t feel too deserted. The mary gift had to be omitted, which caused him to say it tearfully.

    A red-eyed Zisu stood at the door with the bored Zijin and said, ¡°I really feel sorry for Miss.¡± She remembered the Third Miss¡¯ grand wedding scene, where rtives and friends came to be guests. With this multitude of people attending, the event became bustling with noise and excitement. But when it came to her Miss, she had to invite people she didn¡¯t know just to make up for the numbers.

    Zijin was also depressed by Miss¡¯s current situation, but being depressed wouldn¡¯t stop the wedding from happening again. ¡°Don¡¯t cry on Miss¡¯ big day.¡± Since they hade to this point, they had to deal with all the grievances.

    Zisu wiped her tears and argued, ¡°I¡¯m not crying.¡± Nevertheless, inside, she felt inexpressibly painful.

    Zijin reminded, ¡°Miss has not eaten since she got up this morning. Why don¡¯t you go to the kitchen to see what is there for her to eat?¡± More people wereing over to be guests, so Yuxi took the lead and invited a restaurant to cook and take charge of the food.

    Zisu nodded and said, ¡°Mama Bai is making snacks, which should be ready soon.¡± When one had makeup on, one shouldn¡¯t eat anything, or one would easily spoil one¡¯s makeup. Therefore, the snacks could not be big.

    Yuxi¡¯s personal maids mostly screamed for her aggravation, but she didn¡¯t feel much. In her previous life, she married Jiang Hongjin, and the asion was big. The guests were like the clouds in the sky. People were envious and jealous of her, but what happened in the end? The result was that Jiang Hongjin treated her as an ornament and let her stay as a widow for more than six years. Finally, she ended up dying without leaving any bones behind. Now, her wedding was a bit shabby, but Yun Qing liked her and sincerely wanted to marry her, which was better than anything.

    Everyone inside the room looked at the finished makeup of Yuxi, and their eyes were flowing with amazement. Yuxi was genuinely beautiful. Tu Shi was the first toe back to her senses andplimented. ¡°When you enter the bridal chamber, General Yun will certainly not be able to take his eyes off.¡± Yuxi was a beauty. No one could deny this. However, before, she was not as morous as she was today.

    Hearing this praise, Yuxi bowed her head shyly.

    Mama Qu was not affected by everyone¡¯s stares at Yuxi. Still, she instructed Zisu instead, ¡°Go and bring Miss¡¯ wedding dress over.¡± Yuxi was afraid of ruining the wedding dress when she put on makeup, so she only put on a coat that she usually wears outside. It was also because Mama Qu had confidence in Yuxi¡¯s craft; therefore, she dared to do the opposite .

 Chapter 328.2 - Get Married (2)

    <strong>Chapter 328 : Get Married (2)</strong>

    Yuxi¡¯s wedding dress was not as beautiful as the first one, which had taken half a year of her time and effort to make. But this new one was embroidered in just two months; one could imagine the difference. Even so, after Yuxi put on the wedding dress, Tu Shi¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°This wedding dress is gorgeous.¡± The mandarin ducks on the wedding dress were as vivid as life, and one could not find such craftsmanship in the whole of Ganzhou.

    Luo Shi turned speechless at her xiao guzi¡¯s words. What did she mean by a beautiful wedding dress? It was apparent the wearer was the one who was beautiful, right? But she didn¡¯t expect the mama beside Miss Han to have this skill. Her maiden family¡¯s younger sister was getting married at the end of the year. She could ask Miss Han¡¯s mama to help her with the make-up. The oue was guaranteed to be good.

    At this time, everyone in the room could hear the sound of firecrackers outside. ¡°The groom is here. The groom is here¡­¡­¡±

    If they were in the capital, when the groom came to pick up the bride, the bride¡¯s family would ask him to create a poem, urging the bride to wear her make-up hurriedly and then give him all other kinds of difficulties. But this time, the bride¡¯s side decided to skip it. If you asked a big old uncouth man to do the poem, it would kill him.

    Zijin came in from outside and told Yuxi, who was sitting on the wedding bed, ¡°Miss, Guye brought many people with him to pick you up this time.¡± All of them were burly and imposing to look at. If Yuxi knew what Zijin was thinking, she would probably cry. She didn¡¯t know where her aesthetic had gone wrong.

    Yun Qing entered the room with the xiniang, and when his sight fell on Yuxi in her wedding dress, his eyes turned soft. Since thest time they met, he had been thinking of her, but unfortunately, Yuxi was unwilling to meet him alone. Fortunately, he was finally going to marry her and bring her to his home.

    After performing the ceremony and going through the necessary process, it was time for the bride to leave her house. When they reached the door, Han Jianye carried Yuxi onto the bridal sedan. He said, ¡°Si Mei, after you get married, everything will be fine. If Yun Qing dares to bully you, just tell Er Ge. I¡¯ll find a venue for you to get back at him.¡±

    Other brides would have cried at their wedding, but Yuxi didn¡¯t cry at all. It was not that she didn¡¯t want to cry. She just couldn¡¯t. Hearing Han Jianye¡¯s words, Yuxi let out an ¡®en¡¯ and said, ¡°Ge, don¡¯t worry. I will live a good life.¡±

    After getting into the sedan, Yuxi lifted her head covering. That said, there was an advantage to not wearing a phoenix crown. The crown weighed several pounds and was very ufortable to wear.

    While sitting inside, Yuxi was surprised not to feel even the slightest bump on the road. She could not help but exim that the sedan bearer was quite skilled to walk this steadily.

    After walking for less than two-quarters of an hour, Yuxi heard a high voice calling out from outside, ¡°Put down the sedan¡­¡­¡±

    Then, the sedan jolted a little. It was good that Yuxi had already prepared. Otherwise, she would have fallen off the stool. After that, she could hear a few murmursing from the front of the sedan. She knew someone had shot an arrow. Of course, it was a false shot.

    When she got off the sedan, a big hand had stretched over. Yuxi froze for a moment. If she remembered correctly, shouldn¡¯t she be holding a silk fabric? How could the bride and groom hold each other¡¯s hands?

    It seemed the customs here were different from those in the capital. When one entered a vige, one should follow the local customs. With that in mind, Yuxi reached her hand out. Soon, a great and powerful hand grasped her hand. His hand was a little wet but also a little awkward. He had calluses in his hands, and it was also wet? As she was thinking of this, a smile appeared on Yuxi¡¯s face. She did not expect Yun Qing would be nervous too.

    After striding over the brazier, she walked with Yun Qing into the wedding hall step by step. Yun Qing walked very slowly, so Yuxi did not worry about keeping up with him.

    The wedding etiquette in the border city was not asplicated as in the capital. The master of ceremonies inside the wedding hall didn¡¯t even follow the usual sequence. He just shouted as soon as he saw the newlyweds enter.

    ¡°First, bow to heaven and earth¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Second, bow to the parents¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Husband and wife, bow to each other¡­¡­¡±

    After the couple hadpleted the bowing ceremony, Yuxi was again led by Yun Qing into the bridal chamber.

    As Yuxi took small steps forward, she could hear a burst of mighty footsteps following behind her. She could not help but frown a little. These footsteps did not belong to women. Could there be other men in the wedding roomter? This thought made her squirm a little. The customs here were difficult to get used to.

    Although Yun Qing was happy in his heart, he did not show it on his face. After the group of people entered the bridal chamber, a man called out pratingly. ¡°Yun Qing, hurry up and lift the head covering. Let us see the bride.¡±

    As soon as the man spoke these words, more than a dozen men¡¯s eyes immediately fixed on Yuxi, whose head had been covered. They heard that Yun Qing¡¯s bride was a great beauty. Today, they had to take a good look.

    Mama Qu tried to suppress the unhappiness in her heart. There was nothing that she could do anyway. This was the border city, and she couldn¡¯t do it ording to the capital. She just hoped Miss would not lose controlter on.

    The xiniang did not dare to hesitate and immediately handed the wedding steelyard to Yun Qing.

    The head covering was lifted to reveal a gorgeous peach blossom face with a pair of beautiful eyes and red-painted cherry lips slightly pursed up. Her white skin was as bright as moonlight, her slender waist was like a tightly bound silk belt, and her ten fingers were soft like the tips of fresh green onions.

    As soon as the head covering was pulled off, Yuxi reflexively raised her head. The first thing she saw was Yun Qing, dressed in a big red wedding outfit. His expressionless face also had some joy against the backdrop of the happy coloured clothes. Before Yuxi had time to feel anything, she saw a group of big, burly men behind him. She quickly lowered her head, looking like she was indescribably shy.

    When Yun Qing looked at Yuxi, he felt his mouth had gone dry, and his throat rolled involuntarily. The group of people who came to disturb the privacy of the bridal chamber went silent for a while.

    After a while, the man with the loud voice shouted again. ¡°Yun Qing, what good fortune you have! You¡¯ve married such a fairy-like youngdy.¡± Then there were a lot of echoes and sounds of people giving their congrattions. With all voices mixed together, Yuxi felt somewhat dizzy from listening.

    Mama Qu took a deep breath. It was said that the northwest was a barbariannd. The people here were not that educated and did not know the etiquette. The rumours were really true!

    Yun Qing¡¯s friend, Fu Tian Lei, noticed the change in the mama¡¯s expression next to the bride. He immediately coughed vigorously and urged, ¡°Well, since everyone has seen the bride, it¡¯s time to go out!¡±

    Hearing these words, Yun Qing also came back to his senses. He turned his head and instructed, ¡°Everyone out.¡± His tones sounded like how he was giving out an order in a military camp, and everyoneughed at the sight as they left the bridal chamber.

    After those rough men went out, xiniang brought in the tangyuan. She fed them to Yuxi and smilingly asked, ¡°Are you willing to give birth to his offspring?¡±

    TANGYUAN

    Yuxi hesitated at first but then swallowed the tangyuan and whispered, ¡°Yes.¡±

    The xiniang shouted loudly to the people watching the ceremony, ¡°The bride has said yes!¡± Once these words were out, a good-natured smile appeared in the room.

    Afterpleting the ceremony, Yun Qing looked at Yuxi and said, ¡°I will be back soon.¡± As soon as he let out these words, the room was filled with a burst ofughter.

    After the groom left, a woman wearing a cerise coloured dress and a golden hairpin approached Yuxi. She asked Yuxi with a smile, ¡°Dimei, are you feeling tired?¡±

    Yuxi looked at the woman and answered with a smile, ¡°Thank you for asking, Saozi Fu.¡± She had known from much earlier that the wedding ceremonies on the groom¡¯s side had been the work of Madam Fu and her daughters-inw. Yuxi was a little surprised at first. She didn¡¯t expect Yun Qing to be that close to the Fu family. Of course, to Yuxi, the more families Yun Qing befriended, the better.

    Da Nainai (da=eldest, nainai=young mistress of a family) Fu nodded in her heart. The rumours outside were true. She hadn¡¯t met Miss Han before, but she didn¡¯t expect Miss Han would recognise her at first nce. Not anyone had this kind of eyesight. Da Nainai Fu said with a smile, ¡°There is nothing to thank me for. If you are tired, you should rest first. General Yun won¡¯t be back until after a while.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and nodded her head. It was true that she was a bit tired after suffering physically from morning until now.

    After Da Nainai Fu left, Mama Qu said, ¡°Miss, the Yun family has invited quite a few guests this time.¡± More than forty tables were opened. There were not too many, but not too few either. The main reason was that the more guests there were, the more popr Yunqing was.

    Yuxi nodded a little and requested, ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry. Can Mama have someone go to the kitchen to see if there¡¯s anything to eat?¡± She had eaten a few pastries in the morning and didn¡¯t dare drink much water, so she was starving.

    Mama Qu left Old Woman Xi behind while she went to the kitchen. As a result, after looking inside the kitchen for a long time, she could only bring a bowl of noodles over. ¡°Miss, the dishes in the kitchen are too greasy. You should eat a bowl of noodles first to fill your stomach!¡± The meat was rtively cheap in the border city, but vegetables and fruits were quite costly.

    Yuxi ate the noodles, rinsed her mouth and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take a little nap. Call me if there¡¯s anything.¡± She was too sleepy. At that moment, she justid down on the bed without taking off her wedding dress.

    Watching Yuxi fall asleep in a short while, Old Woman Xi whispered, ¡°Miss is too calm.¡± A bride should be shy or nervous, but none of these traits could be seen in her Miss.

    Mama Qu didn¡¯t respond to her words. ¡°Mama Xi, you¡¯ve also been working hard today. Why don¡¯t we get something to eat too?¡± If Yuxi hadn¡¯t calmed herself down, she would have long lost her mind. It was good that she could hold on until now.

    Yuxi also did not know how long she slept, but it was already dark outside when she woke up. She froze for a few seconds before asking, ¡°Why is it so quiet outside?¡± It was abnormal that there was no sounding from outside. Moreover, it was even more unusual when the groom did not return to the room.

    Mama Qu did not know how to exin it to her. ¡°There has been an enemy attack. The General and his guests have gone out to meet them.¡± These northern barbarians were really good at picking the day. They didn¡¯t do it early orte but chose today to attack instead. [+]

    Yuxi was a little surprised. However, when she thought that war could happen here at any time, and it was customary to encounter enemy attacks, she asked, ¡°When did this happen? Why didn¡¯t you wake me up at that time?¡±

    Mama Qu replied, ¡°When the General came in and saw that Miss was asleep, he prevented me from waking Miss up, saying I should let Miss sleep well.¡± When Yun Qing came in and saw that Yuxi was asleep, he was very relieved. Otherwise, he really did not know how to tell her.

    Yuxi paused for a second and then said, ¡°Please ask the maids to bring in hot water. I want to take a bath.¡± Her body felt sticky. If she wasn¡¯t being too tired just now, how would she be able to sleep that easily?

    Yuxi first went to bathe and then calmly took her dinner. After napping for a little while in the afternoon, she already had enough of her sleep. Thus, she was unable to doze off right now. Therefore, she asked Zijin to bring her books over.

    Zijin spoke up and said, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t be sad.¡± It was unfortunate that the groom had gone off to war with his army on his wedding day.

    Yuxi responded with an indifferent expression, ¡°I¡¯m not sad. Just go and bring the books here. I want to read some books.¡± Was she feeling sad? It was hard for her to say. After all, the situation was not something that Yun Qing could control. But she couldn¡¯t tell Zijin that she was not sad either. She had been left alone in the bridal chamber on her wedding night in her previous life. She guessed she would have to be alone again in this life. She really couldn¡¯t exin what her current feeling was.

    The time Zijin had been serving beside Yuxi wasn¡¯t too short. Hence, she could still tell whether Yuxi was sad or not. But because of this reaction from Yuxi, she became even more confused. Zijin said with some exasperation, ¡°Miss, this must be Qin Zhao¡¯s intention. There are so many generals in the border city. Why should the General be the one to meet the enemy?¡± This method was truly disgusting.

    Yuxi looked at Zijin and said, ¡°The future is still long. Now you should just go and bring in the box containing the books.¡± This matter must have been deliberately done by Qin Zhao. Still, the other party was the Commander-in-chief of Yu City. Since he had given the order, Yun Qing had to go even if he didn¡¯t want to. But this matter, she would make a note of it.

    Zijin felt very frustrated. ¡°Miss, when will this kind of day end?¡± Her Miss had always been wronged, even on her big wedding day. She couldn¡¯t express how ufortable her heart was.

    Yuxi walked to the window, looked at the bright moonlight outside, and softly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t go on like this forever.¡± Song Guifei¡¯s force was too powerful. Not to mention revenge, one could even get killed just by expressing something amiss. Therefore, Yuxi could only endure it and pretend nothing had happened. But now, it was different. Yun Qing was equal to Qin Zhao in terms of strength. The only way Qin Zhao could suppress Yun Qing right now was by using external force.

 Chapter 329 - Night Attack

    Chapter 329 : Night Attack

    It waste at night, but the lights were still on in the main courtyard of the officer¡¯s residence.

    Zijin couldn¡¯t just watch and endure it any longer, so she said, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s already past hashi, and it¡¯s about time for Miss to sleep.¡± You can¡¯t read all night!

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy. You can go to sleep first!¡± It was better to read a book than lie in bed and think about it. She would go to bed again once she got tired of reading.

    Zijin persuaded, ¡°Miss, I know you are sad, but no matter how sad you are, you can¡¯t skip on your sleep! You¡¯ve been so busy this time around, and if you stay up like this, your body will not be able to stand it.¡± Miss didn¡¯t even look sad when her groom was not here on their wedding night, and no one knew what Miss was currently thinking, other than Miss herself.

    Yuxi smiled as she asked, ¡°You still don¡¯t know what kind of person I am?¡± When did she ever be the person who did not take good care of her own body?

    At this moment, Zisu brought over a bowl of steamed egg custard and said, ¡°Miss, eat something first!¡± Yuxi had developed a habit of having a midnight snack for so long now.

    STEAMED EGG CUSTARD

    After Yuxi finished eating the steamed egg custard, she returned to her seat and continued reading.

    Zisu coaxed, ¡°Miss, didn¡¯t you always say that one should cherish one¡¯s eyes? Reading too many books at night will only hurt your eyes. Why don¡¯t you read them tomorrow?¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°You guys go to sleep first! I don¡¯t need anyone to keep watch of me here.¡±

    When Zijin heard this, her nose went sore, and her tears came out as she was choked with emotion, ¡°Miss, if you are sad, just cry out. Don¡¯t hold everything inside your heart.¡± Miss loved reading books, but she never did itte at night. Miss was clearly sad, but she had suppressed her sadness in her heart and forced herself not to show it.

    When Yuxi noticed Zijin¡¯s appearance, she was startled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I can¡¯t sleep right now because I¡¯ve slept too much during the day. Let me read a few books first, and I¡¯ll go to bed when I tired.¡±

    Zijin did not believe her. ¡°Miss, if you¡¯re not going to sleep, I¡¯m not going to either and will always be here to guard you.¡±

    Zisu chimed in, ¡°Me too.¡± Miss had gotten too stubborntely.

    In response, Yuxi had no other choice but to give up her reading. ¡°Okay, okay, I will go to sleep right away!¡±

    It was not that easy for Yuxi to fall asleep as she justy on the bed without feeling a bit sleepy. She stared at the still-burning wedding candle and sighed gently. She had gotten married twice. And at both times, the groom had been absent on their wedding night, and she had to be alone inside the bridal chamber in her new home. This feeling of abandonment was very unbearable. Although rationally, she knew that Yun Qing couldn¡¯t return that night in spite of himself, deep inside, she still hoped that he coulde back so that it wouldn¡¯t let her leave any regrets behind again. Unfortunately, this wish was destined to fall short.

    When Yuxi was thinking about these things, she could hear a strange sound outside. She hurriedly put on her coat, stood up and inquired, ¡°What¡¯s going on out there?¡±

    Zijin answered with an ugly expression on her face, ¡°Miss, this is the sound of swords. I¡¯m afraid some assassins have barged into the yard. These people must being for Miss.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s heart trembled with fear, but she didn¡¯t forget to remind, ¡°Beware of these people using underhanded tricks.¡± What happenedst time should not be allowed to happen one more time. She didn¡¯t want to be a guest of the northern barbarians.

    Zijinforted her, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry, Master and Yu Zhi are guarding the courtyard.¡± As soon as Master Yang and Yu Zhi heard that something was amiss, they immediately went into the inner courtyard. Of course, this was per Yuxi¡¯s instructions. Otherwise, the situation outside would have been silent.

    Yuxi was just about to speak when she heard the chaotic sounds of footsteps from outside. Her face turned very unsightly. Someone had found their way to the inner courtyard. Yuxi didn¡¯t know how many people hade, but they had reached the inner courtyard quite fast. It seemed that the General¡¯s residence guards were incapable of doing their job!

    Xu Wu led his men to the inner courtyard. Since his men were holding torches, they saw several corpses lying in the yard as soon as they arrived at their destination.

    Master Yang looked at Xu Wu and asked, ¡°Have you done solving all the people outside?¡± Seeing Xu Wu nod, he waved his hand and said, ¡°Then you can clean up the mess here. This Old Man is going to sleep.¡± As for other things, he did not want to bother himself with them.

    Xu Wu stated, ¡°Thank you, Master Yang and Brother Yu.¡±

    Master Yang gave a shortugh and went back to bed with Yu Zhi. On the way, Yu Zhiined, ¡°Master, aren¡¯t these people so bad at guarding this residence?¡± The guards¡¯ speed was too slow. If it weren¡¯t for them both, he was afraid Miss Han¡¯s life would have been in danger. No wonder she begged them to stay. The bodyguards in this ce were truly unreliable.

    Master Yang nced at his disciple and scolded, ¡°This is not a problem you should be worried about.¡± Knowing he and his apprentice were personally looking after the Han girl made Xu Wu too assured. However, this was not a good habit. Tomorrow, he would have to bring up this matter with that Han girl.

    When Master Yang thought about this, he felt at a loss. Originally, he wanted to spend his old age livingfortably but didn¡¯t expect to end up as a little girl¡¯s bodyguard. That was why he hated these people who had a lot of things in their minds. They had constantly outwitted people like him, which had happened to him so many times.

    Xu Wu didn¡¯t pay much attention to Master Yang¡¯s unreasonable behaviour. At that moment, he just gave out instructions to the other guards. ¡°Drag all the dead bodies down, and then clean up the courtyard.¡±

    When Yuxi came out of the house, she acted as if she didn¡¯t see corpses dragged by the guards and the blood on the ground. She directly asked Xu Wu, ¡°Have all the thieves been dealt with?¡±

    Xu Wu did not expect that Yuxi would be so calm. She was indeed worthy of being the General¡¯s wife. ¡°Answering Madam¡¯s inquiry, all of them have been taken care of.¡± Those in the outer courtyard had all been killed. As for those in the inner courtyard, seeing Master Yang and his disciple walk away in such a rxing manner, Xu Wu knew there were no more thieves.

    Yuxi asked another question, ¡°So how many casualties are there on our side?¡± With so many people ending up dead on the enemy¡¯s side, there was no way their side only had minor damage.

    Xu Wu froze for a moment. He didn¡¯t expect Yuxi would be asking about their losses. ¡°Madam, this subordinate is still unclear for the time being.¡± There were sure to be casualties, but he hadn¡¯t checked up on it yet. Thus, he couldn¡¯t provide an answer to Yuxi¡¯s question.

    Yuxi did not say much but said instead, ¡°Have someone to call for a physician immediately, and you should find a ce for the wounded.¡± Then, she ordered Mama Bai and Mama Qu to boil water and asked Zisu to prepare white clothes.

    Xu Wu also did not ask. What Madam wanted to do was not something he should inquire anyway, and without any dy, he went to work on the wounded.

    Soon, the casualties were all counted. This time, the assassins¡¯ skills were good. Four people died from the General Residence, three were seriously injured, and more than a dozen were slightly wounded. [+]

    Not too long after, the physician also arrived. The three seriously injured people were handed over to the physician for treatment. As for the dozen lightly wounded, Yuxi asked Mama Qu to clean their wounds with boiled towels and then bandage them up after applying for some medicine.

    Mama Qu did not object either. She was already in her thirties, nearing her forties. There was nothing wrong with her cleaning and applying medicine to these young boys¡¯ wounds. Furthermore, this was the northwest, not the capital, and outsiders would not nitpick over this matter. ¡°Miss, it will be too much for Mama Xi and me to handle this alone. Please ask Old Woman Wan to bring the others to help too!¡± Old Woman Wan was the tough old woman servant recently bought by Yuxi.

    Mama Qu had her own reason for making this suggestion. Although the northwest folk were more open-minded, this kind of thing still couldn¡¯t be left to unmarried girls. No matter where one was, it would forever be taboo for the unmarried ones.

    When Xu Wu knew what Yuxi had done, he froze once again and then at once instructed Xu Daniu, a guard beside him, ¡°Go and tell those injured about this so that they can be prepared.¡±

    Therefore, when the injured bodyguards looked at a few mamaing over and said they were going to take care of them, they felt a bit awkward. But in the past, they always had to wait for the physician to finish treating those who had the most severe injuries before it would be their turn. Even if they were hurting, they had to bear it. Now, some people coulde to clean their wounds so soon. They would have to toughen their scalp, though, as they had been reminded and warned by Xu Wu that they would be treated by women.

    A quarter of an hourter, Feng Baihu came over with fifty men. Seeing Xu Wu intact and hearing that the thieves were killed, he asked, ¡°Was Madam frightened?¡± Feng Baihu was one of a group of children adopted by Huo Changqing. However, his martial arts skills were not as good as Xu Wu and the other four. Therefore, he joined the military camp and rose to his current rank in hispany solely on military merit.

    A smile emerged on Xu Wu¡¯s serious face. ¡°Madam did not suffer any shock and has also let the people around her help with putting medicine and bandaging the wounded.¡±

    Feng Baihu¡¯s eyes widened as he asked, ¡°She let her maids bandage the wounded?¡± The people around ady were naturally her maids.

    Xu Daniu snorted coldly. ¡°How can she let pure, innocent girls bandage the wounds on rough men like us?¡± No matter howx the northwestern folk customs were, it was still impossible to allow a girl to touch a man¡¯s body. However, if it was true, it would have been too good.

    Xu Wu answered grumpily, ¡°It¡¯s a few mama serving around the Madam.¡±

    Feng Baihu said with a smile, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just make it clear from the beginning? But, can those mama do it?¡± They didn¡¯t make the injuries even worse, did they?

    Xu Wu also did not say much. He just let him go into the house to see it for himself. When Feng Baihu walked inside, he saw a row of wounded people lying on the kang. These people had various injuries on their legs, shoulders, and arms. No matter where their injuries were, all of them had been treated.

    Feng Baihu carefully looked at the wound on a man. Not only it had been cleaned well, but it had also been dressed perfectly. Feng Baihu eximed incredulously, ¡°Is this really done by the people around Madam?¡± Looking at the dressing, it was not much worse than the military physicians in the barracks!

    Seeing Xu Wu nod, Feng Baihu cried out, ¡°Our General has really picked up a treasure.¡±

    Xu Wu nodded his head, indicating that he agreed with this statement.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know that after this night¡¯s incident, the people around Yun Qing had raised their opinion of her by several heights. When she heard that all the wounded had been taken care of, she had Mama Bai take a few maids to prepare breakfast. Yuxi told Mama Bai, ¡°Let¡¯s make mantou and mutton congee for everyone. But the wounded can¡¯t eat mutton congee. So let¡¯s prepare a pot of meat congee for them instead!¡±

    Mama Bai nodded as she answered, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Just after dawn, the exhausted guards ate big mantou and aromatic mutton congee after a very tiring night.

    While biting into the fat, white mantou, Guard Xu Daniu spoke to Guard Xu. ¡°I just heard the maid say that the mutton porridge was personally boiled by Madam. I didn¡¯t expect that Madam¡¯s cooking skills were also this good. Our General will be blessed in the future.¡±

    Xu Wu nodded and added, ¡°Not only is it a blessing for the General, but also for us.¡± Madam was talented and beautiful, with remarkable courage. She had medicinal and cooking skills. She also cared about and sympathised with them, which was a great blessing to the General¡¯s family.

    Yuxi ate a piece of mantou and drank a bowl of meat porridge. Then she went back inside to rest. After exhausting herself physically for the night, she didn¡¯t have the spirit of thinking about anything else as she fell asleep on the bed right away.

    Zijin covered Yuxi with a nket and walked out softly. Zisu whispered, ¡°is Miss asleep?¡± From midnight up till now, everyone had been busy.

    Zijin nodded. ¡°She is.¡±

    ¡°s, it¡¯s already this eventful on the wedding night. What else will we face in the future?¡± By this time, Zisu began to believe Monk Liao Tong¡¯s words. If her Miss¡¯ luck was not so bad, why else would she keep running into these unfortunate things? On her wedding night, the groom had been absent, and then she encountered assassins¡¯ sneak attack. What could be much worse than these? There was undoubtedly none, right?

    Zijin also felt ufortable. However, no matter how upset she was, Miss had already married over, and there was no room for turning back. As everyone knew, once one was bestowed a marriage, one couldn¡¯t even leave. Therefore, one could only bear it. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink about it. It will be all right.¡±

    Zisu was not optimistic about the future. There had not been a day of peace from the moment they left the capital until now. She did not know what else had been in store for them in the future. This uncertainty and dangerous tomorrow was the issue that turned Zisu¡¯s mood particrly depressed.

 Chapter 330 - Bridal Chamber

    Chapter 330 : Bridal Chamber

    The news of the attack on the Assistant General¡¯s residence soon spread, and Zhao Er Nainai came over as soon as she got the news. When she arrived at the General¡¯s mansion, Yuxi was still sleeping and had not yet gotten up.

    Mama Qu said embarrassingly, ¡°Er Nainai, I¡¯m sorry, Miss didn¡¯t sleepst night and just closed her eyes.¡± It hadn¡¯t been easy for Yuxi to finally fall asleep, so no one wanted to wake her up.

    Zhao Er Nainai looked sympathetic and asked, ¡°Han Meimei was frightened, wasn¡¯t she?¡± The groom had gone to war on the wedding day, and his residence was also attacked. With so many bad things happening simultaneously, she guessed Yuxi was also mentally and physically exhausted. When she remembered how joyous the groom¡¯s home was when Yuxi married over, the more Zhao Er Nainai¡¯s heart pitied Yuxi.

    What Yuxi wasn¡¯t aware of yet, Yun Qing was actually an undesirable bachelor here, despite his brilliant, outstanding military achievements. Otherwise, he would not have gotten married thiste. On the one hand, it was also because he was too devoted to his official duties. In addition, his ever-challenging situation made it too difficult for others to marry their daughters to him.

    Mama Qu smiled bitterly, without giving any reply. It was an attitude that allowed others to freely imagine many things.

    Yuxi slept until it was almost noon before she finally woke up. She opened her eyes and looked around the room, then lowered her head and tried to suppress the disappointment in her heart.

    After lunch, Yuxi instructed, ¡°Go and call Xu Wu over.¡± Seeing Xu Wu, Yuxi asked, ¡°Who sent those assassins? Northern barbarians or other enemies of the General?¡± Yun Qing¡¯s enemies were too many to count, even with both of one¡¯s hands.

    Xu Wu was silent for a moment before he gave his answer. ¡°It¡¯s a man of the northern barbarians called General Sukhbaru. He was the one who wanted to kill Madam.¡± Because of Yuxi, Sukhbaru was calcted by Yun Qing. Not only did Yun Qing injure him, but he also made him lose his face. So he wanted to kill Yuxi to vent his anger. Of course, Sukhbaru also knew that he couldn¡¯t capture Yuxi alive. Thus, he tried to kill her to get back at Yun Qing.

    Yuxi thought it was Yun Qing¡¯s personal enemies. Well, Sukhbaru was also one of his enemies. ¡°Since they were the northern barbarians, someone must have passed them the information. Did we manage to catch their spies?¡± Without the information passed by the spies, these people could not have known the pattern of the Assistant General¡¯s residence so well and to find the inner courtyard so smoothly and quickly.

    Xu Wu shook his head and replied shamefully, ¡°No.¡± Yu City had a rigorous investigation, but numerous spies were still around. It was impossible to prevent them.

    Yuxi did not make things difficult for Xu Wu as she changed the subject and asked, ¡°How long have you been following the General?¡± Hearing that Xu Wu had been with Yun Qing for ten years, Yuxi asked, ¡°Is it possible for you to tell me about the General¡¯s past?¡± She knew about Yun Qing mostly from the rumours outside and what Han Jianye had told her. She didn¡¯t know anything else about him.

    Xu Wu shook his head and said, ¡°If Madam wants to know anything, Madam can ask the General himself when he returns.¡± He was worried that if he said something wrong, he would be losing more than gaining anything after being punished by Yun Qing.

    Yuxi gave out a small smile. ¡°Okay. Go ahead with your work then!¡±

    Xu Wu let Yuxi know before he left. ¡°Madam, Feng Dajun has left fifty people behind. Madam doesn¡¯t have to worry about the residence¡¯s safety anymore.¡±

    Yuxi nodded for a moment. ¡°I know.¡±

    After Xu Wu left, Yuxi rubbed her temples as she genuinely got a headache. There were too many things that had happened, and there was no single clue. Moreover, her current situation was a little too challenging to deal with.

    Not long after lunch, Han Jianye dropped by. Seeing Yuxi intact and looking normal, he said with a heartfelt expression, ¡°I¡¯ve let you suffer.¡± On the wedding night, the groom was not even there, and it must be hard for Yuxi to be left alone in the empty room.

    Yuxi smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Er Ge, this is just the beginning!¡± Afterwards, she started to worry about Yun Qing. After all, no one could guarantee toe back in one piece after going to war. The good thing was that she had some peace of mind knowing that at least for the next few years, Yun Qing would be fine.

    Han Jianye knew that Yuxi had always been bright. Hence, it was useless for him to say anything reassuring. ¡°You can set your mind at ease. The Su Yuan Army is extremely courageous, and Yun Qing¡¯s martial arts skills are very high. So you don¡¯t have to be worried.¡± The army that Yun Qing led was called Su Yuan Army.

    Yuxi wasn¡¯t concerned about that. What she cared about was how long Yun Qing would be busy outside. ¡°When will he be back?¡±

    Han Jianye weighed it in his heart and said, ¡°He should be back tomorrow. Don¡¯t worry. After this battle, there won¡¯t be any more big battles until the ninth lunar month.¡± One would be covered with sweat just from walking in the seventh and eighth lunar months. Where would any troops have the endurance to fight during that period?

    Yuxi felt relief after hearing Han Jianye¡¯s words and her frame of mind became a lot better. As soon as Han Jianye left, she was in the mood to start cleaning up the East Room, ready to be used as her own study.

    It waste at night, and the lights were still on in the main courtyard of the Assistant General¡¯s residence. When Zijin heard footsteps outside the room, she immediately went out and caught sight of Yun Qing, dressed in full armour. She sized him up and saw that he was not injured before she smilingly weed, ¡°General, you¡¯re back.¡±

    Yun Qing let out a sound of acknowledgement and asked, ¡°Where is your Madam?¡±

    Zijin responded with a smile, ¡°Madam is in the study reading a book. I¡¯ll go inform her.¡± After saying that, she prepared to go into the study.

    Yun Qing paused before intercepting, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll go in by myself.¡± On their wedding day, he didn¡¯t return to the room yesterday, and he didn¡¯t know what Yuxi thought about it in her heart.

    Zijin smiled and said, ¡°Alright.¡±

    When Yun Qing entered the study, he noticed Yuxi holding a thick book. She was sitting on the table quietly and elegantly, looking gentle and focused. The reflection from the soft candlelight on her made her appear extremely holy.

    When Yun Qing looked at such a beautiful scene, he could not bear to disturb it.

    At this time, Zijin called out from outside, ¡°General, the hot water is ready for you to take bathe.¡± Zijin didn¡¯t know how to think far ahead, but there was still Mama Qu beside her!

    Zijin¡¯s loud voice brought Yuxi back from the sea of books. As soon as she looked up, she realised Yun Qing was standing right in front of her. He was wearing heavy armour, with a long sword at his waist. The de was unsheathed, which reflected a cold light. This aura emitting from Yun Qing made him appear very imposing. If this look could already scare the general public, he would have given Zijin a fright just now.

    Yun Qing looked at Yuxi and said with shame, ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±

    Yuxi opened her mouth to speak, but her tears fell first before her words coulde out. She didn¡¯t know why she was crying, but the tears rolled uncontrobly.

    The tears struck Yun Qing¡¯s heart, making him feel unbearable pain. He took a giant stride to Yuxi¡¯s side, clumsily wiped her tears and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you suffer.¡±

    Hearing his words, Yuxi¡¯s tears resembled a fountain, increasingly turbulent as she cried even more. At first, her voice was small, but slowly, it became louder and louder. Even Zijin and Mama Qu could hear it from outside as if she wanted to cry out all the grievances she felt in her two lifetimes.

    When Zijin heard Yuxi weeping, she thought Yun Qing had bullied Yuxi and wanted to rush in. But Mama Qu was quick to catch her. ¡°What are you doing interfering with the affairs of the General and his wife?¡± Unlike Zijin, Mama Qu was relieved to hear that Yuxi finally cried. Although Miss acted calmly, she did not believe that Yuxi honestly didn¡¯t care! What woman could be calm when she was a newlywed and staying in an empty home? The more indifferent Yuxi was, the more Mama Qu worried. Now that Yuxi had cried out, everything would be alright.

    Zijin was embarrassed. She was just acting on reflex, and she had already reflected on this. Miss must be feeling too aggrieved that she had cried! Thinking of this, Zijin wondered, ¡°This is the first time I see Miss cries! We¡¯ve met many bad things in the past, but Miss has never cried!¡± Even when Yuxi did tear up, she only did it in silence, unlike today when she cried so loudly and sadly.

    For what happened to Yuxi before, Mama Qu also knew about them. But now, she could only say, ¡°That was before, and now is now.¡± From having no one cared about her Miss to having someone who cared about her, naturally, different situations would produce different reactions.

    After Yuxi finished crying, she came back to her senses and realised that she was being held by Yun Qing. At that moment, her face reddened, and she tried to push Yun Qing away, but unfortunately, she could not. Yuxi lowered her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯ve just made youugh at me.¡± Although they were a couple now, she still couldn¡¯t get used to this intimate contact.

    Yun Qing was unhappy when he heard this and spoke heavily, ¡°Yuxi, we are a couple.¡± Couples shouldn¡¯t be so polite with each other.

    Yuxi tidied up her emotions. Then looked up and asked, ¡°Er Ge said you woulde back not until tomorrow? Is it okay for you toe back now?¡±

    Yun Qing shook his head and said, ¡°I have fended off all the northern barbarians, so they won¡¯te back anytime soon.¡± At that time, Yun Qing held his anger in his heart. So in the battle this time, he became even more murderous. He killed numerous iing enemies, and not many managed to escape.

    Yuxi was worried that Yun Qing would onlye back to inform her and then leave again, but she was relieved after his words. ¡°You should go and take a bath first. I¡¯ll go to the kitchen and see if there is anything for you to eat.¡±

    Yun Qing nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Zisu went to the house to get Yun Qing¡¯s change of clothes and prepared to send them to the cleanroom. When she saw Zijine in from outside, she requested Zijin to help her send the clothes in. The first time Zisu saw him, she was already terrified of him, not to mention having to be in close contact with him.

    Zijin frowned, but she still agreed. And all this fell on Mama Qu¡¯s eyes. Only a master could regard his servant with disdain, so when could it be the servant¡¯s turn to be picky and choosy? It was just that Mama Qu also knew that Zisu and Yuxi had many years of mutual affection. If it wasn¡¯t for this particr situation, it wouldn¡¯t have been hard for her to speak over this small thing, or she would be suspected of sowing discord between Yuxi and Zisu.

    When Yun Qing came out of the shower, Yuxi¡¯s noodles were not ready yet. The main reason was that Yun Qing took his bath too quickly. Not even a quarter of an hour had passed before and after he came out.

    Looking at Yuxi, who was busy in the kitchen, an indescribable warmth came out of Yun Qing¡¯s heart. This ce was not the same as it was before. Before, this was just a house where he usually used to sleep. Now, this ce had be his home.

    Yuxi came in with a big bowl of noodles, put it on the table and told Yun Qing, ¡°There¡¯s nothing else left to eat. So you should have these noodles to pad your stomach!¡± Since Han Jianye informed her that Yun Qing wouldn¡¯te back until tomorrow, there was no food left in the kitchen.

    Yun Qing said, ¡°This is already very generous.¡± The noodles were not only filled with vegetables but also with two fried eggs, which was really remarkably generous for him.

    Zijin came in with a bowl of bird¡¯s nest congee and two small dishes this time. The bird¡¯s nest congee was Yuxi¡¯s midnight snack, and the small dishes were for Yun Qing to eat with his noodles. [+]

    After putting down the stuff, Zijin consciously withdrew.

    Yun Qing ate quickly and, with slurping sounds, finished up arge bowl of noodles. Once he was done with his food, Yuxi had only eaten a third of the bird¡¯s nest congee!

    Yuxi put down her spoon and softly asked, ¡°Are you full?¡± She couldn¡¯t finish that big bowl of noodles even in two sittings, and she didn¡¯t think it would be enough for Yun Qing. It seemed that Yun Qing¡¯s appetite was even better than she had imagined.

    Yun Qing smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m already full. You can take your time eating, don¡¯t mind me!¡± Yuxi¡¯s skill in preparing soup was pretty good, and her skill in stir-frying and cooking the noodles could be considered not bad, but Yun Qing still found it to be delicious.

    Even though a man beside her was watching without blinking his eyes, Yuxi toughened her scalp and finished the bowl of bird¡¯s nest congee. It was not that Yuxi hadn¡¯t even thought of avoiding eating in front of him, but she felt that the couple would always have to eat together in the future. Thus, instead of avoiding it, she should try to adapt.

    After finishing the meal, Yuxi called someone to clean up the table. Mama Qu came and informed her, ¡°Madam, the water is ready for you to take a bath.¡±

    If it were before, Yuxi wouldn¡¯t feel anything when hearing such a phrase. But this time, with Yun Qing standing next to her and thinking about what would happenter, her face started to burn.

    Yun Qing looked at the blushing Yuxi and said indifferently, ¡°You can go ahead!¡± Last night, they didn¡¯t do anything in the bridal chamber. But today, he would make sure to make up for it.

 Chapter 331 - Wedding Candles

    Chapter 331 : Wedding Candles

    It was only when the sun was up that Yuxi finally woke up. After waking up and feeling sore all over, she turned her head to look at the other side, but unfortunately, her side was empty. Yuxi didn¡¯t think anything of it. After all, it was already a pleasant surprise that Yun Qing came backst night, and this time, she was afraid that he might have rushed back to the military camp.

    Hearing noises from inside the room, Mama Qu walked in. She said, ¡°Madam, the General is in the outer courtyard and instructed me to tell him whenever Madam wake up.¡± What this meant was that Yun Qing was still in the mansion.

    Last night, Mama Qu had sent both Zijin and Zisu out, and she waited in the courtyard, along with Mama Xi. It was also apparent in her mind what happened inside the roomst night.

    There was a smile in Yuxi¡¯s eyes. She thought Yun Qing had gone back to the military camp, and she didn¡¯t expect him to remain in residence. ¡°Go prepare water. I want to take a bath.¡±

    As if she didn¡¯t see Yuxi¡¯s strange appearance, Mama Qu said, ¡°I¡¯ll go have water prepared.¡±

    When Yuxi got out of bed, she felt unsteady on her feet, and her back was very sore. Mama Qu came forward and helped Yuxi into the cleaning room.

    Looking at the bathtub sprinkled with dried flower petals, Yuxi smiled a little. Mama Qu¡¯s preparation was still insufficient. She should have prepared some medicinal herbs from yesterday so that her body wouldn¡¯t still be ufortable after soaking. Therefore, Yuxi could only say that Mama Qucked experience. If only Momo Quan was here.

    Usually, when Yuxi was bathing, the person who delivered the clothes would either be Zisu or Zijin. But this time, despite Zisu¡¯s discontent, Mama Qu was the one who brought the clothes into the cleaning room. ¡°Madam, Miss Zisu isn¡¯t married yet, so she was not allowed toe in.¡±

    Knowing that Mama Qu meant well, Yuxi nodded her head and said, ¡°I know.¡± She also knew that Zisu had many problems, but now she didn¡¯t have the energy or time to deal with this matter.

    After taking a bath, Yuxi did feel somewhatfortable. Yun Qing was also seemed to be able to calcte her timing. When Yuxi had fully dressed, he came over. He looked at his wife like a freshly bloomed peach blossom, and he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her.

    Yuxi asked with some embarrassment, ¡°Howe Husband didn¡¯t call me when Husband has gotten up?¡± As a wife, the first thing one had to do was served one¡¯s husband well. Although Yuxi didn¡¯t think that a woman¡¯s life was only about her husband and children, she still had to behave when she had to.

    ¡°You were tiredst night, so I just let you sleep more.¡± After saying that, Yun Qing took Yuxi¡¯s hand naturally and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe with me to meet with Uncle Huo first?¡±

    Yuxi knew that this Uncle Huo was referring to Huo Changqing and nodded towards Mama Qu. Mama Qu knew that Yuxi was asking her to bring the prepared things over with them.

    The Assistant General¡¯s residence was empty inside and out, simr to the ce that Han Jianye had bought. Although Yun Qing often rested here, this big man also had another ce to sleep in. Moreover, he was also busy and did not have time to do any decorations. As Yuxi walked from the inner courtyard to the outer courtyard, she thought it would take her some time to adorn such a vast mansion.

    Yun Qing looked at Yuxi with her head down and asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±

    Yuxi wondered softly, ¡°What if Uncle Huo doesn¡¯t like me?¡± It was said that Huo Changqing brought Yun Qing to the border city. When Yun Qing managed to grow up safely, he personally admitted that Huo Changqing had hugely contributed to the achievements he received today.

    Yun Qing smiled a little and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Uncle Huo likes you very much.¡± He knew Uncle Huo was delighted with his wife.

    Yuxi replied softly, ¡°Then that¡¯s good.¡± She was worried that their bestowed marriage would upset Yun Qing¡¯s marriage with the Zhao family. In return, it would have harmed Yun Qing¡¯s interests and made Huo Changqing displeased with her.

    As soon as Yuxi entered the house, she saw a person standing in the middle of the room. He wore grey clothes and was about forty years old. The corners of his mouth were pursed, his waist was straight, his gaze was very sharp, and the lines on his face were rigid. At first nce, he looked like a person who was hard to get along with.

    Yun Qing naturally called out, ¡°Uncle Huo¡­¡­¡±

    Yuxi performed a junior greeting towards Huo Changqing, ¡°Greetings to Uncle Huo.¡± Huo Changqing was different from Yun Qing, so she would treat him like an elder from today onwards. Even if he didn¡¯t like her, she still had to do what a junior should do to one¡¯s elder.

    Mama Qu stepped forward and presented the clothes and shoes prepared by Yuxi. Since they would treat Huo Changqing as an elder, all preparation for meeting an elder should not be left behind.

    The look on Huo Changqing¡¯s face softened a bit before saying, ¡°In the future, you husband and wife should live peacefully and harmoniously so that you can open branches and scatter leaves for the Yun family as soon as possible.¡±

    Yuxi blushed and lowered her head. Then, she answered softly, ¡°Yes.¡± She also wanted to have her own child sooner. Only by having a child could she be considered to have aplete family.

    When Huo Changqing returnedst night, Xu Wu told him what had happened on Yun Qing and Yuxi¡¯s wedding night. For Yuxi¡¯s disposition, Huo Changqing couldn¡¯t be more satisfied. Having such a wife that could hold things together, Yun Qing would have nothing to worry about in the future. At first, Huo Changqing was worried that Yuxi was one of the aggressive women. However, now that he had seen the actual person, his worry was finally gone. He said, ¡°You are now the mistress of the mansion. All the mansion¡¯s affairs will be left to you in the future.¡±

    After the meeting with Huo Changqing, Yuxi returned, bringing along ount books with her. It was not yet time for her to go through the ount but instead the time to have breakfast.

    Yuxi knew that Yun Qing hadn¡¯t eaten breakfast either, and his act of waiting specifically to have it with her made her feel his action to be a little sweet. She didn¡¯t even want to tell Yun Qing not to be like this either. Because of what happenedst night, it was the first time she got upte this morning, and she vowed that she would not wake up thatte again. Later, it turned out how naive this idea of hers was!

    After finishing breakfast, Yun Qing informed Yuxi, ¡°I may return a bitte in the evening, so you should rest early.¡± No matter how busy he was with military affairs, he still had to go home. It did not mean much to him in the past, but now it did matter.

    Yuxi¡¯s jade-like face blushed again as she responded softly, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you toe back.¡± It was only natural for a wife to wait for her husband.

    Yun Qing felt that everything was fine with Yuxi, but it wasn¡¯t good for her to blush at every turn. She was a little too shy.

    Yuxi was about to look at the ounts when Xu Wu had someone bring in arge box. Xu Wu smilingly said, ¡°Madam, these are first time meeting gifts from Yifu to Madam.¡± The bride was expected to prepare a gift for her first meeting with the elders in the capital. Having been in the capital before, Huo Changqing was also well aware of this, so he had prepared a return gift.

    Yuxi was a little surprised. She thought that the Old Master would not care about this small thing. The main thing was that the first impression that Yun Qing had left on Yuxi was too deep. Since he didn¡¯t even know about the process of inquiring whether their marriage was good or not through their birth dates, how could she expect him to be aware of other things?

    The people in the courtyard staggered when they looked at a box of things. Other people would give the same or slightly different things as the return gifts, but this elder was good enough to deliver a box of them.

    Zijin couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What is this stuff?¡± Seeing Xu Wu¡¯s embarrassed face, she was a little surprised and went up to open the box.

    What Huo Changqing had sent over was a box of jade, and all of them were Hetian jade. Thergest one was as big as a washbasin, and the smaller one was only the size of a fist. Their colour also varied. There was white jade, green with white jade, green jade, topaz coloured jade, ink coloured jade and several other colours, but most were white jade.

    Yuxi smiled a little. She had been worrying about what to send back home! This was good. With thisrge box of jade, she didn¡¯t have to worry anymore. It was a good thing that these jade stones had never been carved. She could just send them back to her mother and dasao and let them ask a master to sculpt them into any style they liked. As for why Huo Changqing would have so much of them, Yuxi was not surprised. The western region was rich with jade. It was usual for them to get a box of jade during their year-long war expeditions.

    After looking at the jade, Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°These things are good. I like them very much. Please help me thank Uncle Huo.¡± She didn¡¯t expect that Uncle Huo, who looked so serious, had quite a good heart.

    Qiu Shi, who was on Yuxi¡¯s mind, happened to return to the State Residence from Lingshan Temple. Her original intention was to stay in the mountains until mid-autumn but did not expect to catch a cold. After Han Jianming found out about this, he personally went to bring her back.

    She couldn¡¯t resist her son¡¯s persuasion, so she had to follow him back. Back in residence, when her sight fell on her grandchildren, she threw her point of dissatisfaction to the back of her head. In the mountains, everything else was good. The only bad thing was she could not see her grandchildren.

    Seeing Qiu Shi¡¯s appearance, Ye Shi said, ¡°Mother, since Mother has gone down the mountain this time, please do not go there again. As long as one¡¯s heart is sincere, it¡¯s the same as doing it at home.¡± Seeing Qiu Shi became a bit hesitant, Ye Shi added, ¡°Does Mother know that ever since Mother went to the mountain, the Lord had not been at ease. He was worrying about Mother until he had a headache. When he heard that Mother was sick this morning, he had be so anxious.¡±

    Qiu Shi held her youngest grandson, Boy An, and said, ¡°Then, I¡¯m not going anymore. I¡¯ll just stay home.¡± It was the same for her to fast and pray for Buddha at home, and she could even see her grandchildren.

 Chapter 332 - Designating A Crown Prince

    <strong>Chapter 332 : Designating A Crown Prince</strong>

    That evening, Mama Li told Qiu Shi what she had just heard. ¡°Old Lady, that Concubine Song of the Marquis Taining Residence is gone.¡± Qiu Shi was mainly interested in this matter. So the first thing she reported was this matter.

    When Qiu Shi was clear that the woman was truly gone, she asked, ¡°How did it happen?¡±

    Mama Li replied, ¡°It is said that she lost her life because of a strange disease. Song Guifei had also dispatched an Imperial Physician to check up on her. However, the result was, she still could not be saved either.¡±

    Qiu Shi sighed and said, ¡°Fortunately, Yuxi did not marry into the Marquis Taining Residence.¡± Even a person like Yu Xixian, who already had such a hard backer, could also suffer such anger. If her position was reced by Yuxi, Qiu Shi did not know how Yuxi¡¯s day would be! Although Yuxi was now married to the notoriously disreputable Yun Qing, and her life in the border city was bitter, it was not as bad as this.

    Mama Li nodded and said, ¡°Who said it wasn¡¯t? Thanks to you, Master, who had made a prompt decision to back out from the marriage with the Chen family.¡±

    The master and servant talked enthusiastically when they heard the maide in and announce that Concubine Jia was expecting. How could Qiu Shi not be happy when she heard such a piece of good news upon her return to the residence! She immediately took Mama Li to visit Concubine Jia at the Guihua Courtyard.

    When Qiu Shi arrived at Guihua Courtyard, Ye Shi was already there. She was delighted to see Ye Shi was currently appeasing Concubine Jia.

    Ye Shi showed enough favourable gestures before going back to the Main Courtyard. As soon as she returned to her room, her face fell. ¡°It¡¯s been more than two months, and I didn¡¯t even notice this? How in the world did those servants do their work?¡± They were all a bunch of trash.

    Ye Shi didn¡¯t mind if Concubine Jia was alive. Still, if Concubine Jia had another son, it would be a significant threat to her.

    Mama Hua¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t good either. ¡°Didn¡¯t Concubine Jia change her clothesst month? When I look at it now, it seems like it was a cover-up on her part.¡± After a pause, she suggested, ¡°My Lady, do you think we should privately get rid of it?¡±

    Ye Shi red at Old Woman Hua and said, ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. Both Mother-inw and the Duke of the State value their heirs. If something happens to this child, the first one to be suspected is me.¡± If this news didn¡¯te out and they got rid of the child during that time, it would have been fine. Now, since the word about this had spread out, it would be her responsibility if they suddenly lost the child.

    Old Woman Hua didn¡¯t know what to do at this point.

    After thinking for a while, Ye Shi said, ¡°Let¡¯s put this aside for a while. In addition, go and ask a physician to take a look at Concubine Guan and the others. Why is there no movement from them for so long?¡± Since the birth of Big Boy Chang, Ye Shi had stopped giving contraceptive medicine to the concubines. But after such a long time, there was still no movement from them. On the other hand, she already had people tempered with Concubine Jia¡¯s side. However, somehow, she still managed to get herself pregnant.

    Old Woman Hua hesitated. ¡°My Lady, this is not appropriate, right?¡±

    Ye Shi did not want to exin this time as she instructed, ¡°Go!¡± With more concubine sons, even if Concubine Jia had another one, hers wouldn¡¯t be so conspicuous anymore.

    In the Marquis Taining Residence, the Marquis was gloomy as he ordered his attendant, ¡°Go and call the Second Master over.¡±

    Chen Ran had not long ago sought a sixth-ranking official position in the state capital of Jilin. His original intention was to stay at Hanlin Academy for three years. Although the incident with his noble concubine did not cause any substantial harm to his career, it still made him unspeakably sick. Therefore, he wanted to be posted outside and have a peaceful life far from the capital. When he came back after a few years, he estimated that the poisonous woman wouldn¡¯t hold on to what happened before.

    It was good for him to be posted out of the capital, but another problem somehow arose. Yu Xixian was pregnant and couldn¡¯t go along with him. To show her consideration, she was willing to give one of her close maids to be Chen Ran¡¯s concubine and let her follow him in his appointment.

    Chen Ran was not keen on this kind of thing and said to Yu Xixian, ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡± He had never cared about his household¡¯s internal affairs anyway.

    A page boy came from outside and said, ¡°Second Master, the Lord Marquis asks you to go to his study.¡±

    Once Marquis Taining saw his youngest son, he informed him, ¡°Yourmission has changed. It is not possible for you to go to Jilin. However, there is a vacancy for a local magistrate in a government office situated in Shandong. If you think it¡¯s good, I¡¯ll go and request it for you.¡± If his son didn¡¯t find it suitable, he had to look around again.

    Chen Ran¡¯s face changed and asked, ¡°Is this the work of that poisonous woman again?¡± Hismission was already set, and then that poisonous woman hade up with this. What exactly was she trying to do?

    Marquis Taining shook his head and answered, ¡°No, it¡¯s my idea.¡±

    Chen Ran did not quite understand and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± He thought it was a dirty trick done by the Song family, and he didn¡¯t expect it to be his own father¡¯s intention.

    Marquis Taining¡¯s face was cold as he said, ¡°The Emperor has decided to make the 9th Prince as the Crown Prince. It is estimated that the decree will be issued in a while.¡± As to whose side should everyone stand on, this was no longer a matter of debate. One should not look at the way where the Song family and the Yu family were currently fighting privately like a flock of crows. They still shared amon interest. Unless the 9th Prince died, they couldn¡¯t change their shared benefit.

    Chen Ran became even more confused. ¡°Father, shouldn¡¯t it be a happy event for the 9th Prince to be established as the Crown Prince? Why does Father look worried?¡± Intuition told him something that he feared, which was something had changed.

    Marquis Taining looked at Chen Ran and told him, ¡°The details of the group of people who tried to assassinate the 9th Prince have clearly been found out. It is Yan Wushuang.¡±

    Chen Ran froze for a moment. A person who had been dead for many years suddenly appeared. How could one not be surprised? ¡°Marshal Yan¡¯s son Yan Wushuang? Didn¡¯t Father say he was dead?¡±

    Marquis Taining exined, ¡°It is estimated that the dead one was his double. Yan Wushuang hates the Song family and the 9th Prince to the bone. I¡¯m afraid the crowning ceremony this time will not be as still as the wind and quiet as the waves (Chinese idiom: peaceful).¡± It was hard to say that there wouldn¡¯t be a river of blood again.

    Chen Ran was not stupid. Once he heard this, he knew that something must have happened. ¡°Does Yan Wushuang have some leverage over the 9th Prince and the Song family in his hands?¡±

    Marquis Taining responded, ¡°I also only got the news today. Yan Wushuang has evidence of the 9th Prince and the Song family¡¯s collusion with the Donghu people.¡± He really felt that the 9th Prince had lost his head for doing such a thing with the Song family. No matter how young you were, you should nevermit any treason. From this incident, one could see that the 9th Prince had acted without any lower limit just for his profit. Unfortunately, they knew about this a bit toote. Marquis Taining Residence had been tied to the 9th Prince, and they had no way out of it.

    Chen Ran¡¯s face was full of shock. ¡°Father, is this true?¡±

    Marquis Taining gently nodded his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s true. The Yan family has been operating in Liaodong for several generations, so it is hazardous for you to go to your originalmission location.¡± His eldest son was the 9th Prince¡¯s trusted aide, and Marquis Taining was worried that it would be harmful to Chen Ran if he genuinely went to Jilin.

    Chen Ran was a little worried and asked, ¡°Father, if Yan Wushuang announces these things to the world, won¡¯t the 9th Prince and the Song family be med by thousands of people?¡±

    Marquis Taining shook his head and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± With the support of the Song family and the Yu family, even if the evidence was actual, they would make sure that it would turn out false.

    Chen Ran still had a sense of proportion in his heart and agreed to serve in Shandong at that moment.

    When Chen Ran left, Marquis Taining¡¯s face revealed his tiredness with the situation. The fact that Yan Wushuang was able to build such arge force under Tong Chunlin¡¯s nose was proof of this man¡¯s skill and ability. If it wasn¡¯t for Lord Heshou, the 9th Prince would have died in his hands. Having such a ruthless enemy was really not a good thing.

    The matter in the capital had nothing to do with Yuxi. This time, she was looking at the ount books Huo Changqing gave her! She learned a lot from exploring these books. They were very general, as they only recorded how much money was spent every day and what things were bought. As for the price and quantity of these things, they were not jotted down.

    There was nothing for Yuxi toin about. It was already good enough that they kept track of the daily expenses. This was better than her Er Ge. When Er Ge spent all his money, he did not even know what things he had used them on. However, there was something special about these books. They only had records of expenditure but none on the ie. Yuxi would not be stupid enough to ask why.

    After reading all the ounts, Yuxi helplessly shook her head. Such record of ounts simply could not do. She had to rebuild all of them. Luckily, Huo Changqing didn¡¯t just pay the bill; he also gave her the silver bnce for safekeeping. It wasn¡¯t much. It was more than 2,400 taels of silver. If this money was ced in the State Residence, it would be enough for two months¡¯ expenses. But in Yu City, as long as one didn¡¯t spend the money indiscriminately, it would be enough to use for a year.

    When Yuxi left the house, she asked Mama Qu, ¡°Are all the ingredients ready?¡± Yuxi was going to make dumplings for Yun Qing.

    Mama Qu nodded and said, ¡°Still kneading the dough, but it will be ready soon.¡± For Yuxi to prepare food for Yun Qing with her own hands, Mama Qu was very much in favour of it. The man could care less about the food, but he cared about how it was made with the thought for him.

    It was half-past midnight when Yun Qing returned. Looking at Yuxi, who had not slept yet, he unhappily asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to rest early?¡± If she did this once or twice, it would still be fine. But how could her body endure if she did this freaking more time?

    Yuxi put down the book in her hand and responded with a smile, ¡°When I was at home, I always went to sleep at the end of haishi. If it didn¡¯t reach that time, I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep even when I forced myself to lie on the bed.¡±

    Yun Qing did not quite believe Yuxi¡¯s words. ¡°How could you sleep sote at home?¡± If he remembered correctly, those girls in the capital usually go to bed at xushi hours.

    Yuxi exined with a smile. ¡°When I was studying, the teacher spoke quickly. So if I was not diligent, I could not keep up with the lessons. I¡¯ve gotten used to it over the years and unable to change it.¡± Because of Yun Qing¡¯s feud with the Song family and the 10th Prince being the Song family¡¯s nephew, Yuxi had simply omitted Yuchen. [+]

    Yun Qing did not have a good feeling about this teacher who taught Yuxi. ¡°Was this teacher of yours also strict with you?¡± As for being strict, how old was Yuxi when she attended school? She was just five to six years old!

    Yuxi didn¡¯t say anything terrible about Teacher Song but stated instead, ¡°I can¡¯t me Teacher Song. I was too stupid, so I could only make up for my mistakes with hard work.¡±

    Yun Qing did not like to hear this, as he admonished, ¡°Who said you were stupid?¡±

    Yuxiughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I was stupid, but I just began to learn, and I haven¡¯t started anything yet. I was fine after studying for a while.¡± After a pause, she continued, ¡°Go take a shower first, and I¡¯ll make you some dumplings.¡±

    Yun Qing held Yuxi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Just let the maid do this menial work. Don¡¯t get yourself tired.¡± He couldn¡¯t bear to see Yuxi tired!

    Hearing these words from him, Yuxi felt they were so sweet and said softly, ¡°All the ingredients are already being prepared. I¡¯m just putting them in the pot, and I¡¯m not going to get tired. You should have your shower first. After that, you can eat.¡±

    Looking at Yuxi¡¯s face, even if Yun Qing was exhausted, he still felt it was worth it. Thus, he stopped persuading her and went to the cleanroom to take a bath.

 Chapter CHapter 333 - Warmth (1)

    CHapter 333 : Warmth (1)

    Yuxi made crystal dumplings and watched Yun Qing eat them with great joy and some fret. Previously, she had explicitly asked to inquire about Yun Qing¡¯s preferences, such as what he liked to eat. As a result, Han Jianye told him that Yun Qing was not a picky eater. His preference for dumplings was only rtive.

    After Yun Qing had eaten therge bowl of dumplings, Yuxi asked, ¡°Does Husband like this kind of crystal dumpling or mutton dumpling?¡±

    Yun Qing put down his chopsticks and answered, ¡°I like both.¡± This was really not a perfunctory statement. Compared to the food in the military camp, the food here was much better.

    Yuxi let out a cry of ¡®Oh!¡¯. She thought that it was genuinely easy to raise this guy!

    Looking at the half bowl of fish porridge left in Yuxi¡¯s bowl, Yun Qing urged, ¡°Eat quickly! This porridge will smell fishy when it turns cold.¡± Yun Qing was very appreciative that Yuxi would eat at night. Eating a lot was good for the body! Mmm, and it would make one¡¯s body very meaty.

    After eating, Yuxi retreated to the cleanroom to take a bath. Before entering their room, Yuxi couldn¡¯t help but blush at the thought of yesterday night¡¯s events. But when she got inside, she found that Yun Qing was reading her book.

    Yun Qing closed the book in his hand and asked Yuxi, ¡°You¡¯ve been reading this book?¡± When he looked at the thick book on the table, he picked it up and tried to read it. He didn¡¯t expect it to be ?Zizhi Tongjian?, which was rarely read by men, let alone women.

    Yuxi answered with a smile, ¡°Not always, asionally. It was a way to pass my time. Does Husband like to read these kinds of books?¡±

    A smile appeared on Yun Qing¡¯s face as he replied, ¡°I actually don¡¯t like to read, but my grandfather said I can¡¯t just be blind all my life, so I still had to do it even when I didn¡¯t want to.¡± Thinking of his dead grandfather, Yun Qing¡¯s heart was clogged again. But looking at Yuxi with her interested look, he suppressed this affliction of his.

    How could Yuxi not see the difference in Yun Qing? There were some things that the more you didn¡¯t let go and suppress in your heart, the more significant the repercussions would be. It would be just like her, where she never forgot the pain of her previous life and buried it deep inside her. Yesterday, Yun Qing had drawn out the aggression in her heart that caused her to lose control. But after crying and venting out the pain in her heart, she felt a lot more rxed.

    Yuxi said with some astonishment. ¡°Do you know, to motivate my Er Ge, my Dage would use you as an example? He said you were good at your study and martial arts and rebuked my Er Ge for being toozy. If my Er Ge heard this, I¡¯m certain he would have been very depressed.¡± [T/C]

    Yun Qing listened to this with some curiosity. ¡°Your Dage used me to motivate your Er Ge? How did you know about this?¡±

    Yuxi grunted. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? The first time you saw me, you pinched my cheeks. At that time, it scared the hell out of me. I had never been pinched before in my life!¡±

    Yun Qing remembered the incident and also found it fascinating. ¡°I thought you had already forgotten? Then, surely you didn¡¯t forget that we happened to meet twice in one day on the day of the Lantern Festival, right?¡± He could clearly remember the events of that day because Yuxi¡¯s behaviour was too unique. At first, she treated him like a tiger, and her whole body would shake; the second time, she returned to her normal self; the third time, she treated him as if he was nothing. Her attitude changed so fast that it was hard for him to forget her!

    Yuxiughed. ¡°Sometimes, I wonder if this is our destiny!¡± Everyone liked to hear good words! She believed Yun Qing was no exception.

    Yun Qing also thought these meetings between them were their destiny!

    With a good start, the conversation went smoothly. Still, Yuxi felt it was alreadyte and hurriedly said, ¡°I reckon the time has reached zishi. It¡¯s about time we go to sleep!¡± It didn¡¯t matter to her since she still could catch up on her sleep if she sleptte, but Yun Qing had to work in the morning!

    Half-past maoshi, Yuxi woke up without being called. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw the person lying next to her. Last night, she could not see him much, but now, she could see his body clearly. There were several interlocking hideous wounds, which looked particrly horrible. As she gazed at these many wounds, she felt a little distressed as she didn¡¯t know how many times he had been injured.

    As soon as Yuxi¡¯s hand touched the scar on Yun Qing¡¯s chest, it was grabbed by arge hand. Yun Qing smiled and asked, ¡°Awake?¡±

    ¡°Mhmm, let¡¯s get up and practice, okay?¡±

    Zijin chatted with Mama Qu about some family matters, ¡°Mama, do you think we should learn to speak in Yu City dialect?¡± They could only understand the officialnguage, but there were not too few people who actually knew how to speak it here. She couldn¡¯t even understand what the group of guards whom Xu Wu brought were talking about!

    Mama Qu smilingly said, ¡°If you are willing to learn, of course, it would be best.¡± She had gotten older, and her memory was not as good as before. Plus, she wouldn¡¯t go out much and mostly stay around in the inner courtyard. Thus, she didn¡¯t need to learn the dialect spoken here, unlike Zijin, who had to deal with people outside more.

    Zijin actually had nothing meaningful to say. Hence, she just chatted casually with Mama Qu. After talking for a little while, she finally heard someone inside the room calling for water to be prepared.

    It was effortless for Yun Qing to take a bath. He just needed to rinse himself with cool water a few times, and he was done. While on Yuxi¡¯s side, she had to soak herself in a medicinal bath for two-quarters of an hour. The first time, she was inexperienced and unprepared. Yesterday, she had prepared the medicinal herbs beforehand and passed them to Mama Qu. She then watched Mama Qu decoct them.

    The sun was hanging high when Yuxi came out of her bath. When she realised Yun Qing had not eaten his breakfast and was waiting for her, Yuxiined, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to wait? So why are you still waiting? What if you get hungry?¡± Yuxi told Zijin to let Yun Qing eat first when she was bathing just now.

    Yun Qingughed and said, ¡°If I couldn¡¯t even wait for you this much, I would have been starving outside all the time. Okay, let¡¯s not talk about it. Let¡¯s hurry up and eat!¡±

    After finishing breakfast, Yun Qing said to Yuxi, ¡°You have not been out in Yu City yet, right? I¡¯ll take you out for a walk and have a look at this city.¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll go change my clothes.¡± She didn¡¯t expect Yun Qing to take her out shopping, which was a pleasant surprise. [+]

    Because they were newlyweds, Yuxi wore a red jacket embroidered in kesi technique, with a silver silk pleated skirt underneath. Her hair wasbed as smooth as mist. It was then attached with a nting magnolia flowers jade hairpin, making her look delicate and charming.

    Yun Qing did not pay any particr attention to how he dressed. He just put on a sky blue form-fitted garment with fortune bat patterns and a long sword tied to his waist, making him look extraordinarily heroic.

    As they emerged from the courtyard, Yun Qing naturally took Yuxi¡¯s hand. Yuxi was a little embarrassed that she tried to pull her hand out. Unfortunately, the strength of her hand was not as strong as Yun Qing¡¯s. She whispered, ¡°Everyone is all watching us!¡±

    With a smile at the corner of his mouth, Yun Qing said, ¡°Just let them.¡± He was holding his own wife¡¯s hand, not someone else¡¯s. If they wanted to watch, then just let them be!

    Zijin, Yu Zhi and the others acted like they were blind when they saw their behaviour.

    Although Yuxi felt very awkward and embarrassed, she wouldn¡¯t sweep Yun Qing¡¯s face in front of everyone. However, when she got to the gate and didn¡¯t see the carriage, Yuxi couldn¡¯t stop herself and asked Zijin, ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to tell others to prepare the carriage?¡±

    Yun Qing said, ¡°I told them not to.¡±

    Yuxi was dumbfounded. ¡°How can we go out without a carriage?¡± Could it be that they were going to walk? But Yu City was not too big, nor was it too small. She didn¡¯t know if she could walk to every nook and cranny of the city in one day!

    Seeing Yuxi¡¯s confused look, Yun Qing was in an excellent mood. He responded, ¡°Naturally, we¡¯ll be riding on the horse.¡± Xu Wu had already told the other person to bring Yun Qing¡¯s horse over.

    A woman on a horseback wearing a weimao.

    Image Credit | The rightful image owner via NewHanfu (Introduce of Hanfu Face Veil: Mili & Weimao, Oct 13th, 2020)

    How could Yuxi not know that Yun Qing was nning to take her on a horseback ride around Yu City with him? It was already her limit to go out without wearing a weimao to cover her face. There was no way she would be riding on a horse with someone outside, even if that person was her husband. It was true that the people of Yu City were open-minded, but not to this extent, and they would undoubtedly be criticised at that time.

    Yun Qing did not expect such a strong reaction from Yuxi. Still, he had topromise when he thought about the difference between life in the capital and the northwest. ¡°Then, how about you and Zijin share a horse?¡±

    Yuxi did not want to spoil the fun. It was already rare for Yun Qing to be willing to take her out. If she did not go this time, and in case Yun Qing did not take her out in the future, it would be her loss. ¡°Okay.¡±

    Yu Zhi asked, ¡°Miss Han, you can¡¯t let Zijin take you every time, can you?¡± Yu Zhi blurted out ¡®Miss Han¡¯ when he should have changed how he addressed her.

    Yuxi answered without thinking, ¡°No, I¡¯ll learn to ride a horse in a couple of days.¡± Riding a horse was much faster than riding in a carriage. If there was an emergency, she could ride a horse to escape.

    When Yun Qing heard this, he inserted, ¡°Then I will teach you.¡± It was naturally good that Yuxi was willing to learn how to ride a horse. It was fortunate that he had nothing to do these few days, so he could give her some guidance.

    Yuxi smiled happily. ¡°Okay!¡± Although it was said that Yun Qing¡¯s situation was extremely unsafe, it was worth the danger to have such a loving husband.

 Chapter 334 - Warmth (2)

    Chapter 334 : Warmth (2)

    It was okay to share a horse with Zijin, but when it came to a crowded ce and being watched by so many people, Yuxi was still a little panicky inside.

    Zijin said with a smile, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s okay. Can¡¯t Miss see quite a few women are riding out on horses? They look at Miss not because Miss is riding a horse, but because Miss looks beautiful.¡± As soon as her Miss came out, she would bepared to all youngdies and young mistresses of Yu City.

    Yuxi chided her, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±

    Zijin was in a good mood as she replied, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. If Miss doesn¡¯t believe me, why doesn¡¯t Miss ask the General himself?¡± Seeing Yuxi¡¯s face redden again, Zijin¡¯s mood became even more cheerful. ¡°Miss, I think it¡¯s actually quite good to be here. In the future, when we have time, we can alsoe out and stroll around.¡± It would be suffocating to shut up inside the house all day and not go out.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thatter!¡± It was indeed better here than in the capital as their movement was free since there were not so many restraints.

    Yun Qing took Yuxi to one of the busiest streets in Yu City, Mugu Street. Hearing the name, Yuxi asked Yun Qing curiously, ¡°Why is it called Mugu Street? Is there any origin?¡± This name was fascinating, and she did not know who chose it.

    Yun Qing shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. This street has a history of hundreds of years in Yu City.¡± Why was it called Mugu Street? He really did not have time to pay attention to its name.

    Mugu Street was very bustling, and as soon as Yun Qing¡¯s group walked in, they heard the sound of hawkers peddling their wares and the lively sound of peopleing and going. There were also many shops on this street, with a wide range of jewellery shops, rouge and powder shops, as well as silk and other shops.

    Yun Qing walked to the front of a jewellery shop and stopped. It was not that he hadn¡¯t thought of adding a few expensive and beautiful pieces of jewellery as betrothal gifts, but he didn¡¯t know what Yuxi liked, so he thought he would bring her here to buy them himself once she married him. This way, she could also buy what suited her heart.

    Yuxi tugged at Yun Qing¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°No need. Let¡¯s go see something else!¡±

    Yun Qing looked at the jade hairpin on Yuxi¡¯s head and said, ¡°No need to save money for me. Just buy whatever you like.¡± He had heard from his subordinates that no woman did not like gold, silver, jewellery and beautiful clothes. This was why he brought Yuxi here for her to buy something.

    Yuxi turned helpless. She really wasn¡¯t trying to save money for Yun Qing. But seeing that he insisted on buying something for her, she also appreciated it. The stuff was secondary. His intention made her in a very cheerful mood.

    When Zijin saw this situation, a smile also appeared on her face. She didn¡¯t know what the future would hold for this couple, but Yun Qing¡¯s performance made her very satisfied, at least right now.

    The jewellery shopkeeper had first-ss eyesight. He knew that a big customer had arrived with just a nce at Yuxi¡¯s dress. The best jewellery pieces in the store were all brought out at once. The material of this jewellery was good, but the workmanship was not. Since Yuxi was already used to delicate and beautiful jewellery, these slightly crude ones were unable to enter her eyes. However, as this was their rare visit here, Yuxi picked a pair of silver bracelets engraved with a pattern she hadn¡¯t seen before and nothing else.

    Yun Qing frowned.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like anything else.¡± Even with this pair of silver bracelets, she thought the patterns were intriguing and unique. Even she wouldn¡¯t dare wear them after buying them.

    The shopkeeper looked at the white magnolias jade hairpin that Yuxi was wearing on her head. The hairpin was so finely carved that its craftsmanship overwhelmed most of the things in his store. The shopkeeper said, ¡°Madam, I have some jade here. If Madam is interested, we can go to the side room so that Madam can see them.¡± The woman¡¯s temperament before him matched very well with jade stones.

    Yuxi was a little surprised and said with a smile, ¡°Then bring out your best jade stones for me to see.¡± She was wondering why there were so few jade jewellery in the store, but it turned out that they were not even put for a show!

    Yuxi didn¡¯t know that ordinary people in Yu City didn¡¯t like jade jewellery. What they favoured the most was gold and silver jewellery. Because the rich people of Yu City didn¡¯t prefer ordinary jade jewellery, the store only put out a few pieces of them.

    Once they entered the side room, the shopkeeper personally took out pieces of jade jewellery shelved in the bottom of a chest.

    At a nce, Yuxi spotted a green jade bracelet that was so green it looked like the colour was about to drip out. Yuxi took it out and asked, ¡°How much is the price for this bracelet?¡±

    The shopkeeper answered, ¡°One thousand two hundred taels.¡±

    Yun Qing heard this and thought it was too expensive. It was not because he couldn¡¯t afford it, but because he didn¡¯t believe such a bracelet was worth that much. He had seen many of this type of stone before. Where would it be worth this price? But seeing that Yuxi liked it, he did not say anything.

    It also depended on one¡¯s fate when one wanted to buy something, and Yuxi really liked this bracelet.

    Zijin noticed Yuxi¡¯s expression and said, ¡°Boss, eight hundred taels. If it is eight hundred taels, my Madam will buy it.¡± If such a bracelet was sold in the capital, it would not be impossible for its price to reach several thousand taels. And twelve hundred taels was not that expensive. But who made jade unfashionable here!

    The shopkeeper was at a loss. In the past, those officials¡¯ wives always paid at once for the ones they fancied, but this was the first time he came across someone bargaining! The shopkeeper weighed his options and said, ¡°One thousand taels. That¡¯s the lowest price.¡±

    Zijin also spoke directly and to the point. ¡°Eight hundred and eighty taels. Boss, this eighty-eight means ¡®make a huge fortune¡¯. What a good omen!¡± Seeing the shopkeeper¡¯s hesitation, she continued with a smile. ¡°My Madam has just arrived in Yu City and will need to buy much more jewellery in the future. If you don¡¯t give us an inch, there will be no stopping by here next time.¡±

    Just looking at Yun Qing and Yuxi¡¯s clothes, it was clear that they were from a wealthy family. The shopkeeper replied with a smile. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s eight hundred and eighty taels then. I also hope that Madam will patronise our business more in the future.¡±

    Seeing that the two people had agreed on a price, Yuxi immediately slipped the jade bracelet onto her hand. The bracelet looked even more delicate and white when worn on her wrist.

    After leaving the shop, Zijin looked at the bracelet on Yuxi¡¯s hand and eximed, ¡°Miss, did your bracelet just change colour?¡± One minute it waske green, thenke blue, and now it was bluish-green. This bracelet was indeed a rare thing. Her Miss had an excellent vision.

    Yuxi smilingly responded, ¡°Such is the case with this jade. It will have different colours under different light intensity.¡± Yuxi did not have such top quality jade jewellery, but Yuchen had a set of such headdresses.

    Yun Qing went out of the store and asked, ¡°Do you like jade?¡± Seeing Yuxi nod, he put this matter on his mind. When he got the spoils of war in the future, he would not give them all to his subordinates anymore. He would have to pick some good ones to keep for himself.

    After the shopkeeper sent Yuxi¡¯s group off, he immediately asked people to inquire about these people¡¯s backgrounds. When he knew that the man just now was Yun Qing, and the woman was his new wife, at once, his eyeballs nearly fell. Yun Qing was very famous, but few people had seen him, let alone a shopkeeper like him. The shopkeeper wondered incredulously, ¡°General Yun was actually apanying his wife to buy jewellery?¡± The more he listened to his own question, the more unreal he felt.

    The young male servant said smilingly, ¡°It¡¯s true. Boss, isn¡¯t there a saying that even heroes have a weakness for the charms of a beautiful woman?¡± Therefore, it was not that surprising.

    The shopkeeper said fiercely, ¡°What a mess. Hurry up and get on with your work.¡±

    Yuxi didn¡¯t go into the rouge and powder store. She was not used to using rouge and powder bought from outside, and even if she had to use it, she would have made one herself. Instead, she spent more time in the silk store picking out a lot of fabrics.

    It was a cloudy day when they left home, and the sun had risen when Yuxi finished buying fabrics. Since it was the beginning of the seventh lunar month, it was too hot to walk a few steps outside.

    Yun Qing¡¯s group had their lunch outside. Yun Qing deliberately took Yuxi to eat northwestern dishes such as hand-held mutton, sheep liver mixed with green onions, fish andmb savoury soup, braised beef brain, and braised hump. The main course was beef noodles.

    The vours were all authentic and delicious, but Yuxi tried to refrain and ate until she was eighty per cent full. After eating, she smiled and said, ¡°Husband, the food here tastes delicious. Do youe here often?¡± The foods were tasty, but one could only have them once in a while, not often. Eating light and more vegetarian foods were the right way to nourish one¡¯s body.

    Yun Qing shook his head and said, ¡°If you like it, I¡¯ll bring you here again next time.¡±

    Yuxi smiled as she responded, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait!¡±

    Instant-boiled mutton served in Donishun, Wangfujing main branch, Beijing

    Image Credit | Deadkid dk, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Yun Qing thought for a moment, and then he said, ¡°Wait until the tenth lunar month, and I will take you to instant-boiled mutton. Yang Ji¡¯s instant-boiled mutton is very good. I believe you will like it.¡± It was too hot to eat instant-boiled mutton in this season.

    Yuxi felt that Yun Qing was a little stiff in saying these words. She was afraid that he was not used to speaking this way either, but it was very rare for him to be able to go this far for her. She immediately responded with a big smile.

    Originally, Yun Qing still wanted to take Yuxi strolled around again, but the sun was too hot for Yuxi to bear. She urged, ¡°Husband, let¡¯s go back! It¡¯s not toote to look around when you¡¯re free next time.¡±

    The first thing Yuxi did when she returned to the residence was bathing. Her body was so sticky that she couldn¡¯t sleep without bathing.

    Yun Qing knew that Yuxi had the habit of taking a nap and said, ¡°Then you go to sleep! I¡¯ll discuss something with Uncle Huo.¡± He didn¡¯t have the habit of taking a nap.

    Huo Changqing knew that Yun Qing took Yuxi out and said, ¡°I won¡¯t say anything now since you¡¯re newly married, but you mustn¡¯t indulge in tenderness.¡± If Yun Qing indulged in tenderness, he would lose his fighting spirit. Without the fighting spirit, how would he be able to take revenge for Old Master Yun in the future?

    Yun Qing said, ¡°Yuxi came by herself to Yu City to be married. She was a stranger in a strangend. While I have a few days off, I want to spend more time with her.¡± There would be no time to apany her in the future, even if he wanted to.

    Huo Changqing also did not say anything more. ¡°It¡¯s good that you have a sense of propriety.¡± For Huo Changqing, revenge had to be avenged, but one could not disregard anything for revenge. [+]

    Yun Qing nodded his head.

    Huo Changqing said, ¡°What did Qin Zhao say about the army provisions and pay for the fall and winter seasons?¡± It was still tolerable to be half a month behind for their pay. But without food and straw, there was no way they could get through this winter peacefully. Previously, when Marshal Qin was around, it was not Yun Qing¡¯s turn to worry about this matter, but now it wouldn¡¯t do. And they also had to be wary that Qin Zhao would use this issue to cause trouble.

    Yun Qing¡¯s face was a bit heavy. ¡°Qin Zhao said he would go to the capital personally.¡± He told him that he was going to the capital to ask for military pay and provisions. Still, only he, himself, knew what exactly he was going to do in the capital.

    Huo Changqing¡¯s face was also somewhat grave as he asked, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Qin Zhao went to the capital to definitely meet with the Song family. This was very unfavourable for them.

    Yun Qing answered, ¡°I am going to write a letter to Duke Han so that we can also know what Qin Zhao is doing in the capital. With preparation, we won¡¯t be caught off guard.¡± Marshal Qin¡¯s kindness towards him was as weighty as a mountain. Therefore, Yun Qing could only tolerate all the suppression given by Qin Zhao for the time being.

    After a moment of silence, Huo Changqing said, ¡°That¡¯s not the proper way. Tell your wife about this matter. She will know how to do it.¡± Yun Qing had just gotten married to Han Shi, and he already wanted to ask something from her family. This would put him in a disadvantageous position in the future. If the letter was written by Han Shi, the situation would be different.

    Yun Qing was hesitant. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to get involved in these things.¡±

    Huo Changqing thought differently. ¡°Your wife is a capable person. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have asked you to do this. Moreover, a couple should share the sweet and the bitter and always support each other. And with your wife¡¯s nature, if you don¡¯t tell her anything and hide it from her, it will make her more worried.¡± It must be said that having an elder around to advise would make Yun Qing take a lot fewer detours.

 Chapter 335 - Warmth (3)

    Chapter 335 : Warmth (3)

    Just after dawn, Yuxi followed Yun Qing to a horse ranch. The ce was on the outskirts, some distance away from Yu City. Yuxi did not take a carriage and still rode a horse with Zijin.

    Riding a horse was not the same as riding a carriage. Looking at the azure sky as if it had been washed away by rain and smelling the fresh air was something that Yuxi had never experienced before.

    They arrived at the horse ranch after walking for about half a shichen. The horse ranch was built on a hill with farnd below.

    Yuxi looked at arge field before her and asked Yun Qing, ¡°Husband, can we also buy a small estate?¡±

    Yun Qing shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t buy one.¡± There were very few good fields in the northwest, and it was easy to buy a few acres ofnd. However, if you wanted to purchase an estate, you would never be able to buy it unless you used improper means.

    Yuxi let out an ¡®oh¡¯ and put the matter to the back of her mind. Since it was not easy for them to buy an estate here, you didn¡¯t even need to think about having 1800 mu () ofnd. Just purchase a few dozen mu, then grew vegetables and raised some chickens and ducks in that tiny hamlet so that you didn¡¯t have to buy everything outside. As for saying that they were not able to buy one, as long as you had the mind to, you could always obtain it. However, Yuxi didn¡¯t want to bother Yun Qing with these trivial matters. Just now, it was just her asking casually.

    Before they reached the horse ranch, they heard the sound of horse hooves. Yuxi was a little surprised. ¡°Are there other people in the horse ranch?¡± Yuxi knew that this horse ranch belonged to the Fu family.

    Yun Qing replied, ¡°No harm. It should be someone from the Fu family.¡±

    When they arrived at the horse ranch, they saw a woman wearing red clothes riding on a horse, waving a whip in her hand. She was bright and mboyant.

    When Yun Qing looked at the person on the horse in the distance, his face stiffened. He did not expect this woman would also be present. Upon seeing this situation, Yuxi asked with some curiosity, ¡°Husband, is this youngdy from the Fu family?¡±

    Yun Qing nodded a little as he said, ¡°It¡¯s Fu Qing Luo, the eldest young miss of the Fu family. I didn¡¯t expect she would be here instead of being in Xinping City.¡± He wouldn¡¯t have brought Yuxi over if he knew she was here. To prevent this woman from leading Yuxi ashtray.

    The woman saw them and rode her horse to their side quickly. After dismounting, she threw the horse¡¯s rope onto the horse¡¯s back and giggled. ¡°Yun Qing, I didn¡¯t expect that you, a lump of problematic wood, could also be enlightened at times!¡± After saying that, she looked at Yuxi and introduced herself with a smile, ¡°I am the eldest young miss of the Fu family, Fu Qingluo. My Dage and he are close friends.¡±

    Yuxi looked at the woman with her full, high chest, slender waist and plump hips. Her figure was extraordinarily fit and enchanting. She wore a close-fitting red garment, and her hair was held in ce with a pure golden hairpin. Although herplexion was slightly dark, that could not hide her bright features. Her whole self was like a red rose in bloom. People couldn¡¯t even turn their eyes once theyid their eyes on her.

    Yuxi smiled as she also introduced herself, ¡°My name is Han Yuxi. Miss Fu can call me Yuxi.¡± It was the first time that Yuxi saw someone dressed this boldly. However, it made this woman look truly beautiful.

    Yuxi was also wearing riding clothes today. Her top part was covered with a moonlight coloured long gown embroidered with daisy patterns. While on the bottom, she wore ck pants. She looked very fresh, but her clothes were not form-fitting. In fact, Yuxi had a very good figure, not even inferior to Fu Qingluo. But since she usually wears loose clothes, no one else had seen her body shape except for Yun Qing.

    Yun Qing questioned with a frown, ¡°Why are you here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in Xinping City?¡±

    Fu Qingluoughed. ¡°I cane back whenever I want to.¡± After saying that, she ignored Yun Qing and asked Yuxi, ¡°Are you here to learn how to ride a horse? Do you want me to teach you?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and shook her head. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Miss Fu. He Rui is also good at riding and shooting, so it¡¯s better to let him teach me.¡±

    Fu Qingluo was surprised for a moment. ¡°Yun Qing, you¡¯ve changed your name?¡± Hearing Yun Qing being called He Rui, she felt even more strange. ¡°I remember your courtesy name is Qing Ming, right?¡±

    Yuxi was aware of Yun Qing¡¯s impatient look and said good-naturedly, ¡°Miss Fu, I¡¯ll go pick a horse with He Rui, and we¡¯ll talk againter, is that okay?¡±

    Fu Qingluo smiled, raised the whip in her hand and said, ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you guys any longer. You two have fun.¡± After saying that, she nced at Yun Qing with a slight smile and swaggered off.

    Yuxi smiled as she remarked, ¡°Miss Fu¡¯s nature is so straightforward!¡± Looking at Fu Qingluo¡¯s behaviour, she truly felt that the northwest differed from the capital. If a capital girl dressed like this, she would have been sent to the nunnery or the family temple the next day.

    Yun Qing did notment on Fu Qingluo and urged instead, ¡°Let¡¯s go and choose a horse for you.¡±

    Yuxi was not good at this, so she let Yun Qing pick for her. Yun Qing ended up choosing a date red mare. The mare had a gentle temperament and was suitable for beginners. [+]

    Yun Qing said, ¡°First grab onto the reins, then hold the saddle with both your hands and after that, put your foot on the stirrup. This way, you can easily sit on the back of the horse.¡± After teaching her that, he also did a demonstration.

    Yuxi was not a timid one, and she quickly got on the back of the horse ording to Yun Qing¡¯s words. Yuxi joyfully stomped hard on the saddle and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that hard!¡± As soon as she spoke these words, the horse swayed, and Yuxi¡¯s whole body leaned back.

    Yun Qing¡¯s quick eyes and quick hands held Yuxi at bay. He thought she would be scared, but he didn¡¯t expect her to cheerfully exim, ¡°This is quite interesting.¡±

    After learning to ride in less than a shichen, the sun was bright and getting hot. Thus, Yun Qing¡¯s group returned to the ranch. When Yun Qing was made aware that Fu Qingluo was still there, he grumbled, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go back?¡±

    Fu Qingluo cried out, ¡°I can go back whenever I want. Do I need to report to you?¡± She then said, ¡°I always thought that all the girls in the capital were delicate and fragile, and they would cry when something happened to them. However, when I saw you, I realised my eyes had been obscured by a single leaf.¡± She looked at Yuxi, whose face was flushed, but her eyes were extremely bright.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°I just find riding fascinating.¡± Actually, Yuxi was worried that if there was a contingency in the future and she could ride a horse, her chances of escaping would be higher. She always adhered to the principle that having more skills was better than having less.

    Fu Qingluo let out a loudugh. ¡°Not only is it fascinating, but when you finally learn it, you¡¯ll know how great it feels to ride fast on a horse.¡±

    While they were talking, Fu Qingluo¡¯s maid served them watermelon and grapes. Fu Qingluo said, ¡°This watermelon and grapes have been soaked in the well water and just taken out.¡±

    Yuxi smilingly nodded and said, ¡°Thank you, Miss Fu.¡± After saying that, she first picked a big piece and handed it to Yun Qing before taking one for herself.

    Fu Qingluo curled her lips in discontent as sheined, ¡°Why did you give it to him? It¡¯s not like he doesn¡¯t have any hands.¡± She could not even stand looking at this pretentious act.

    Yuxi smiled gently and didn¡¯t respond to this question.

    Fu Qingluo ate two grapes and asked, ¡°By the way, I forgot to ask you. How old are you this year?¡± When she heard Yuxi answer seventeen, she smiled brightly. ¡°I am eighteen this year. From now on, you can call me Jiejie!¡±

    Yuxi gently shook her head and said, ¡°This is not possible. He Rui is older than you. So you should call me saozi.¡± Naturally, the rank should follow Yun Qing¡¯s side.

    Fu Qingluo nced at Yuxi and chirped, ¡°You are quite interesting. I won¡¯t hinder you anymore. I¡¯m going back.¡± After saying that, she left.

    Fu Qingluo¡¯s maid Qiushuang wondered with a surprised face, ¡°This Madam Yun is not afraid of General Yun at all?¡± From her memory, it seemed that her Miss was the only one in Yu City who wasn¡¯t afraid of General Yun. She didn¡¯t expect that the seemingly soft and weak Madam Yun was also a courageous one.

    Fu Qingluo said, ¡°Yun Qing has gotten such freaking luck.¡± She thought that the poisonous woman, Song Guifei, would give a spiteful and willful woman to Yun Qing. She wanted to see Yun Qing being made into a joke! She didn¡¯t expect the result to go beyond her expectations. This Han Yuxi was reportedly outstanding in appearance and very good in temperament. She also attached the most importance to Yun Qing in everything. This time, it was impossible for her to make a fool of Yun Qing.

    When Qiushuang, who had grown up with Fu Qingluo, heard this, she asked with a smile, ¡°Is Miss still bitter about what happened at the beginning?¡± In the beginning, General Fu intended to marry Fu Qingluo to Yunqing. Unfortunately, Yun Qing was unwilling. Therefore, the matter ended up with nothing definite.

    Fu Qingluo coldly snorted and said, ¡°He made me lose face, so how can I let him off so easily?¡± She also didn¡¯t like Yun Qing, much less willing to marry him. But only to be rejected by Yun Qing without leaving any room for error, making her feel very disgraced. Before, she never had the chance to get back at him, but now she had one! Yun Qing disliked her? Then she would let Han Yuxi be the same as her, and let¡¯s see what he would do by that time.

    Qiushuang knew what Fu Qingluo meant, but she felt that this matter was mysterious. ¡°Miss, this Madam Yun doesn¡¯t look like a person who can easily be fooled.¡±

    Fu Qingluoughed. ¡°No need to worry about it. I have my own ideas.¡± She didn¡¯t believe that she couldn¡¯t handle a woman who never took a step out of the second gate.

    Yuxi did not know that Fu Qingluo had the desire to train her to be a great independent woman. If she had known about this, she would indeed have augh.

    They stayed on the ranch for two days and did not return until the second day¡¯s afternoon. When it was time to go back, Yuxi rode her own horse, but she couldn¡¯t make it move very fast, only slowly. She was not in a hurry anyway. Hence it is okay for the horse to walk slower.

    ¡°Drive¡­¡­¡± Halfway through, she heard a loud female voice.

    Zijin had a good memory. When she heard that voice, she informed Yuxi, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m afraid that it is Miss Fu.¡±

    Soon, Fu Qingluo caught up with them.

    Yuxi smiled and asked, ¡°Miss Fu, didn¡¯t you go back to Yu City yesterday?¡± Although Fu Qingluo was very mboyant and different from the girls in the capital. But Yuxi was still envious of her to be able to live so freely and carefree.

    Fu Qingluo answered with a smile, ¡°I had nothing to do at home, so I went out for a walk.¡± After looking Yuxi up and down, she smiled and praised, ¡°Not bad. You can ride a horse by yourself in two days.¡±

    Yuxi smilingly responded, ¡°I haven¡¯t learned it properly yet, and I only dare to ride with He Rui by my side. Otherwise, I would not dare to ride the horse alone.¡± After saying that, she also deliberately nced at Yun Qing with a touch of shyness on her face.

    Looking at such a situation, Fu Qingluo felt that there was a long way to go to reform Yuxi. She waved her horsewhip and said with a smile, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back first. I¡¯ll talk to you some other day.¡± After saying that, she rode away. She indeed came and went like the wind.

    Yun Qing had a loathsome expression as he spoke to Yuxii, ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to her.¡± It was better for Yuxi to stay away from her so as not to lead her astray.

    Yuxi was curious and asked, ¡°Why does Husband hate Fu Qingluo so much?¡± Yun Qing¡¯s dislike for Fu Qing Luo had all been shown on his face. [T/C]

    If Yun Qing¡¯s attitude wasn¡¯t so obvious, Yuxi would have been worried. Fu Qingluo looked beautiful and had a mboyant nature. Such a woman was actually very popr with men.

    Yun Qing did not exin, only said: ¡°You should not have any contact with her anymore.¡± He also could not tell her the specific reason. It was not decent for a grown man to talk about a woman¡¯s rights and wrongs behind her back.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Okay.¡± But in her heart, she was curious and decided to go back and let someone inquire about this Eldest Young Miss Fu¡¯s deeds.

 Chapter 336 - Gossip

    Chapter 336 : Gossip

    That evening, Yun Qing told Yuxi about Qin Zhao going to the capital.

    Yuxi asked, ¡°Husband, is it possible for you to tell me about your rtionship with the Qin family?¡± When Yun Qing went to Marshal Qin for shelter, this act was equivalent to him owing Marshal Qin a great favour. Debts were easy to pay, but not when it came to owing favours. So Yuxi must know the causes and consequences beforehand.

    After a moment of silence, Yun Qing told her, ¡°Marshal Qin and my Grandfather were sworn brothers. It was onlyter they had a fall out for some reason.¡± As for what the reason was, Yun Qing himself was unclear.

    Yuxi understood and asked, ¡°Then how did Marshal Qin treat you over the years?¡±

    Yun Qing said, ¡°His favour is tantamount to giving me a new lease of life. If it weren¡¯t for Marshal Qin, I would have died long ago. Moreover, if it wasn¡¯t for Marshal Qin¡¯s cultivation, I wouldn¡¯t have achieved what I have now.¡± As long as Marshal Qin had the intention to suppress his military achievements, he would not have risen this fast.

    Yuxi had a question in her heart. ¡°Marshal Qin is so benevolent and righteous, but why is Qin Zhao¡­¡­hmm, there is nothing good to say about him?¡± Nothing good was her tactful way of describing him. However, how could he be considered anything good when he could even collude with the Song family?

    Yun Qingughed bitterly. ¡°Qin Zhao actually had two brothers. Apart from Qin Zhao, his older brother and younger brother were talented in literature and martial arts. Even their temperaments were pretty good. Unfortunately, when the two went to Xinping City, the Qin family¡¯s enemies knew about their whereabouts, and they were assassinated. On the contrary, Qin Zhao had not been well when he was a child and was raised by the Luo family, his maternal grandparents¡¯ family in Xinping City. Old Madam Luo truly doted on him.¡± With the loss of his two outstanding grandsons, which left him with Qin Zhao, the unskilled one, one could imagine what a blow this was to Marshal Qin.

    When Yuxi heard his words, her heart turned cold. Not only Yun Qing and her life were in danger, but their future child¡¯s safety would also be a big issue. ¡°When Qin Zhao goes to the capital this time, he must be up to no good. Does Husband have any ns? We can¡¯t keep putting up with it, can we?¡±

    Yun Qing knew what Yuxi meant and said after a moment of silence, ¡°Marshal Qin has shown great kindness to me. I can¡¯t do something that can make me forget favours and vite justice.¡±

    Yuxi was speechless after hearing this. Without the protection of Marshal Qin, Qin Zhao became a thorn in the flesh of the eyes by colluding with the Song family. The Song family had long hated that they could not get rid of Yun Qing quickly. That person, however, was unable to send Qin Zhao to his death because he owed a favour to Marshal Qin. This act gave Qin Zhao the tempo to properly n for Yun Qing¡¯s death instead. Yuxi wondered, when she died in her previous life, Yun Qing was still alive and well! How much luck did Yun Qing have to live that long?

    Yuxi stated, ¡°I will write to Dage to keep an eye on Qin Zhao¡¯s movements.¡± It was useless to be anxious about that right now. This current urgent matter had to be solved first.

    After undergoing a rough experience while riding the horse, Yuxi fell asleep once she finished talking. Yun Qing looked at the sweetly sleeping Yuxi, smiled a little and also fell asleep.

    The following day, Yuxi got up without seeing Yun Qing around. After dressing herself up, she asked Zijin, ¡°When did the General leave?¡±

    Zijin said, ¡°He got up when the rooster was crowing. But Miss doesn¡¯t have to worry. The General had his morning meal before he left.¡± The so-called morning meal was actually a bowl of noodles. After all, it was too early, and Mama Bai had just gotten up!

    Yuxi blushed with shame. She was too irresponsible as a wife. Fortunately, there was no mother-inw. If there was one, she would definitely be disliked.

    After breakfast, Yuxi wanted to go to the study to write a letter. Still, unexpectedly a young page came over, inviting her to the front courtyard and telling her that Huo Changqing was looking for her. Yuxi wondered, what did Huo Changqing want from her?

    Huo Changqing didn¡¯t go round the curves and skirt the corners when it came to talking to Yuxi. ¡°You should know about Yun Qing¡¯s situation, right?¡± How could she not know? She nearly suffered two murderous schemes because of him.

    Yuxi didn¡¯t need to hide her true self and fabricate an excuse when talking to an intelligent person like Uncle Huo. She nodded and said, ¡°I know everything. I also asked He Ruist night, and he said that Marshal Qin was very kind to him and he could not do anything ungrateful back.¡± To ept any beating passively had never been the best long-term solution.

    Huo Changqing looked at Yuxi and asked, ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±

    Yuxi gave out an awry cry as she shook her head. ¡°I have nothing for now.¡± No elders liked having their daughters-inw be too capable. [+]

    Huo Changqing had experienced so many things, so how could he not see that Yuxi was not answering him truthfully. He immediately asked, ¡°Is Duke Han very close with the Yu family?¡±

    Yuxi¡¯s mind was sharp, but she still nodded and replied, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not sure if my Dage was able to get the position of Assistant Minister of War without the Yu family approach. I don¡¯t know why Uncle Huo is asking this?¡±

    Huo Changqing stated very bluntly, ¡°If Qin Zhao doesn¡¯t die, Yun Qing will always be in danger.¡± As for the other matter, he had no intention of telling Yuxi.

    Yuxi originally thought that Huo Changqing wanted to get in touch with the Yu family through her Dage, but now, she saw that this was not the case at all. ¡°What does Uncle Huo mean?¡±

    Huo Changqing exined, ¡°The Yu family has always wanted to rope in Yun Qing, but Yun Qing refused. As long as the Yu family can promise to get rid of Qin Zhao, I will talk to Yun Qing.¡±

    Yuxi looked at Huo Changqing. Ginger got spicier as it got older. This move was not only asking for the Yu family¡¯s help but also to use their hands to get rid of Qin Zhao. That way, Yun Qing would not have to bear the reputation of being an ungrateful person. ¡°Will He Rui agree?¡± Although the time she spent with Yun Qing wasn¡¯t that long yet, she could see that Yun Qing was a very principled person. He would not easily change for external reasons.

    Huo Changqing voiced out, ¡°You can rest assured about this.¡±

    Listening to these words, Yuxi went silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Uncle Huo, I can¡¯t put this matter in my letter home. If the Yu family truly wants to draw He Rui to their side, they will surelye to your door sooner orter.¡± To take advantage of someone wasn¡¯t the same as selling and buying. The first one to take the initiative would fall into a disadvantageous position. The Yu family had never been good-natured people. Once they had the upper hand, the other party would suffer a significant loss in the future.

    Huo Changqing was very satisfied with Yuxi¡¯s answer. ¡°Yun Qing has a rigid way of thinking. If he does not do something right, you can give him some guidance.¡±

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°What kind of words are you saying, Uncle Huo? I don¡¯t know anything about what¡¯s going on outside. Where would I dare to criticise He Rui¡¯s business?¡±

    Huo Changqing just shrugged her argument off as he reasoned out, ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short. I believe you have this ability. By the way, if you want to know what¡¯s going on outside, you can go directly to Xu Wu, and he will tell you everything he knows.¡± It was the same as letting Yuxi keep track of the outside movements.

    Yuxi was somewhat baffled by how Huo Changqing had such high confidence in her.

    It was not only Yuxi who had this doubt, but also Xu Wu. He wondered, ¡°Yifu, isn¡¯t it inappropriate to let Madam know so many things just after she married into the family?¡± He just thought Madam should focus more on managing the internal affairs.

    Huo Changqing argued, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Han Shi is Yun Qing¡¯s wife, so there is no harm in her knowing these kinds of things. Besides, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know Yun Qing¡¯s temperament. Some things can¡¯t just be left to him.¡± If he let Yun Qing have his way with that temperament of his, he was afraid Yun Qing would have long been gone.

    Xu Wu had nothing else to say to dispute.

    When Yuxi returned to her study, she wrote a letter to Han Jianming, asking him to keep an eye on Qin Zhao¡¯s movements and nothing else.

    Zijin went out for a walk and came back to tell Yuxi about Fu Qingluo. ¡°Miss, this Fu Qingluo is a real heroine!¡±

    Yuxiughed. ¡°A heroine?¡± What had that woman done to everyone¡¯s satisfaction that Zijin would call her ¡®heroine¡¯.

    Zijin said, ¡°What Miss does not know, this Miss Fu has killed the northern barbarians. It is said that she has learnt the 36 styles of the Fu family¡¯s marksmanship much better than the Eldest Master Fu.¡±

    Yuxi nodded. With these characteristics, Fu Qingluo was worthy of being called a heroine. ¡°How does she usually act?¡± She thought that Miss Fu must have acted inappropriately. Otherwise, Yun Qing would not have that kind of look.

    Zijin said: ¡°Miss Fu is cynical and fierce.¡± The reason Fu Qingluo was said to be a fierce person was that she had personally turned her fianc¨¦ into a eunuch, which caused a big stir back then.

    Yuxi felt that she must be overthinking. What did it mean by turning her fianc¨¦ into a eunuch? That was the same as making the other person incapable of having s*xual intercourse any further.

    Zijin chuckled as she retold the story, ¡°Miss Fu was previously engaged to marriage. Her fianc¨¦ was the Tenth Young Master Qu, from Miss Fu¡¯s zumu ()¡¯s maiden family. When the Tenth Young Master Qu was fifteen years old, he fell in love with amoner and made the girl pregnant. Because of this, Miss Fu knew that she would have to withdraw from the marriage, and both families had epted her request. As a result, the Tenth Young Master Qu was unwilling to break off the engagement. Thus, he met Miss Fu face to face, using themoner girl of seducing him for his glory and wealth. He liked Miss Fu the most and wanted to marry only her. In a fit of rage, Miss Fu beat the Tenth Young Master Qu family until he was incapable of having any s*xual intercourse.¡± Since The Tenth Young Master Qu could no longer provide an heir to himself, he had no other choice but to marry themoner woman as his wife. Luckily for him, the woman gave birth to a son. But it was also this incident that made Fu Qingluo famous.

    Yuxi frowned a little. Fu Qingluo must have felt pleasure in trashing the Tenth Young Master Qu, but how would the two families interact with each other in the future? Even if they still could, they did it while having a knot in their heart. ¡°Apart from this, is there anything else?¡± There must be more than just this one thing that could make Yun Qing find Fu Qingluo to be annoying.

    Zijin hesitated before answering, ¡°Miss Fu abhors evil as if it is her deadly foe. When she met the local ruffians and hooligans who bullied gentlewomen, she also castrated them.¡±

    Yuxi couldn¡¯t help but touch her nose. ¡°What else?¡±

    Zijin said, ¡°Miss Fu does not bother about trifles unrted to principles. She treats many people in the army as if they are her brothers.¡± This was what Zijin has modified. Actually, the rumours outside were awfully unpleasant to hear. However, Zijin felt that Fu Qingluo was living quite well, unrestrained and free, unlike her Miss, who was highly oppressed.

    Yuxi sort of knew why Yun Qing did not like Fu Qing Luo and forbade her to get close to her. As it turned out, this must have been the reason. ¡°Do the Fu family people not care about her?¡±

    Zijin shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that.¡±

    Yuxi felt that the Fu family people could not control this girl anymore. Otherwise, they would not have let her act so carelessly.

    Zijin paused before saying, ¡°Miss, in fact, General Fu initially wished to propose Miss Fu to be with the General, but the General rejected it.¡± Not only did Yun Qing refuse, but even the other two young generals that General Fu had his eye on also did the same thing. It was okay for Fu Qingluo to break her engagement. It was justifiable to beat the Tenth Young Master Qu until he was incapable of having s*xual intercourse. However, to act brotherly with other men was something that not many men could ept.

    Yuxi felt a little pity for Fu Qingluo. She feared that what the Tenth Young Master Qu did back then had left a deep shadow on Fu Qingluo and made her act a little extreme. If she kept on behaving like this, she would be the one who suffered in the end.

 Chapter 337 - Crisis-ridden

    Chapter 337 : Crisis-ridden

    As soon as Yun Qing arrived at the barracks, he saw Fu Tianlei, Fu Qingluo¡¯s elder brother.

    Fu Tianlei smiled and joked, ¡°Yun Qing, nowadays everyone in Yu City knows that someone has wrapped the high-grade well-tempered steel General Yun has around her finger.¡± He didn¡¯t expect that a grown-up man like Yun Qing would apany his wife to go shopping. Not to mention other people, even he felt incredible after knowing about it.

    Yun Qing had a good rtionship with Fu Tianlei, so he didn¡¯t feel embarrassed by this statement at all. He reasoned out. ¡°She is a stranger in a strangend, so I brought her out to let her get familiar with Yu City. It will be difficult for me to have the opportunity to do so in the future.¡±

    When Fu Tianlei heard his words, he pretended to be helpless. ¡°Do you know, when my wife heard about what you¡¯ve done, she keptining to me, saying I was not as good as you were!¡±

    Yun Qingughed. Fu Tianlei and Da Nainai Fu grew up together as green plums and hobby-horse. Thus, their rtionship had been particrly good, and he used to envy them! However, now that he had Yuxi, he didn¡¯t have to be jealous of Fu Tianlei anymore.

    Fu Tianlei came to find Yun Qing this time because he had something important to inform him. ¡°Yun Qing, I got news this morning that Qin Zhao will bring Qin Yue along with him to the capital this time.¡± Qin Yue was Qin Zhao¡¯s biological younger sister. She was sixteen years old this year, just reaching marriageable age.

    Yun Qing¡¯s expression changed. He asked, ¡°What does he want to do?¡± Qin Yue was Marshal Qin¡¯s most beloved granddaughter. Still, he never thought Qin Zhao would reduce her to a tool for his own interests.

    Fu Tianlei said, ¡°I guess he wants to marry Qin Yue to the Song family!¡± Without Marshal Qin, no one could suppress Qin Zhao anymore.

    Yun Qing shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s unlikely. With Qin Zhao¡¯s ambition, he will not marry Ah Yue to the Song family. If he really wanted to marry Qin Yue off, he would marry her to a prince.¡±

    Fu Tianlei looked at Yun Qing and smiled bitterly. ¡°If it happened like that, does this mean he is really incorrigible?¡± Although Qin Yue was good looking, she had grown up in the border city since she was young and had a simple nature. Wasn¡¯t the act of sending Qin Yue to join a prince¡¯s residence the same as delivering amb into a tiger¡¯s den?

    Yun Qing sighed. ¡°With the Marshal gone, no one else can stop him.¡± Because of this, Qin Zhao had acted even more recklessly now.

    Fu Tianlei had anotheryer of worry. ¡°My father said that if Qin Zhao continues like this, it might implicate all of us.¡± Seeing Yun Qing looking at him, he made his meaning clear, ¡°Yun Qing, my father said that if Qin Zhao continues on like this, Yu City may be the second Tong City.¡± Today¡¯s Tong City had been entirely under the control of the Song family.

    Yun Qing¡¯s expression turned ugly. The Tong City tragedy had left him without parents and a family, which had caused a permanent pain in his heart. ¡°What does General Fu mean?¡±

    Fu Tianlei shook his head. ¡°I asked my father, but he wouldn¡¯t exin.¡± His father always liked to speak only half a sentence and then left the other half out, which could annoy others to death.

    Yun Qing¡¯s mood was heavy.

    When Yun Qing got home that evening, he didn¡¯t look happy. Yuxi noticed his condition and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen in the military camp?¡±

    Yun Qing thought for a moment before giving an exclusive ount of Fu Tian Lei¡¯s words to her. ¡°The Song family is like a wolf cub with a savage heart. It isn¡¯t unreasonable for General Fu to have this kind of fear.¡± He did not want the Northwest Army to fall into the hands of the Song family.

    Yuxi, however, asked a question that was totally unrted, like wind, horse and ox. ¡°Husband, what kind of person is General Fu?¡± She didn¡¯t know what General Fu had in his mind by saying something that could poke into Yun Qing¡¯s heart. He was fully aware that the Qin family¡¯s favours towards Yun Qing were weighty as a mountain. For this reason, Yun Qing couldn¡¯t do anything to Qin Zhao.

    Yun Qing¡¯s assessment was quite pertinent. ¡°General Fu is a frank and straightforward person who fought bravely in battle. But now that he is old and wounded, he cannot go into war anymore.¡±

    These words had little practical value. Yuxi asked curiously, ¡°Qin Yue is sixteen years old this year. Why didn¡¯t the Marshal betrothed her before?¡±

    After listening to Yun Qing¡¯s exnation, Yuxi realised that half of the girls in the border city were not arranged to be married until they were over sixteen. For one thing, this side of the border city was unlike the capital. There were more men and fewer women here, with women being rtively delicate. Secondly, men would have to go to war when they came of age. If the woman settled their marriage much earlier, just in case their fiance died on the battlefield, the women¡¯s reputation would be damaged. This was also the reason why Qin Yue did not settle down.

    Yuxi stated, ¡°Currently, the only prince in the capital that can burn your hand and make you feel the heat is Xuan Wang. If Qin Zhao really wants to marry Qin Yue off, the most likely candidate for her husband will be Xuan Wang.¡±

    Yun Qing had no favourable impression of anyone in the Song family, including the 9th Prince, Xuan Wang, and the 10th Prince, Jing Wang.

    Yuxi stated, ¡°Husband, Qin Yue is Qin Zhao¡¯s biological sister. And Qin Zhao is an elder brother who is just like a father to her. If he wants to marry Qin Yue away to the capital, we are in no position to stop it. As for the rest, let¡¯s wait and see what will happen.¡± Yun Qing was obviously unable to deal with Qin Zhao. Otherwise, he would hold the reputation of someone who had forgotten favours and vited justice. With such a name, not to mention revenge, it would be impossible for Yun Qing to gain a strong foothold in Yu City.

    Yun Qing did not care about Qin Yue in any way. What bothered him the most was what General Fu said. He could not let Yu City repeat the mistakes of Tong City.

    After knowing Yun Qing¡¯s concerns, Yuxi softly said, ¡°It hasn¡¯te to that yet, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± After a pause, she continued, ¡°Husband, Yu City is not Tong City. As long as we take enough precautions, nothing like that will happen.¡± However, Yun Qing¡¯s concern was also justified. The Song family could even betray the Yan family by colluding with the Donghu people for their benefit. This time, it was likely that they could plot with the northern barbarians just to get Yun Qing killed. There was no need for them to make any profit from it. Yuxi was sure they would already be satisfied by giving the northern barbarians the chance to kill Yun Qing. Therefore, they had to be on guard against Qin Zhao. It was also necessary for them to protect themselves from the Fu family.

    Yuxi¡¯s head hurt a little. She originally wanted to live a peaceful life, but she never expected to be in aplicated situation.

    Bai tie a.k.a Ming chi (name card)

    It was originally written on a piece of bamboo before the paper was made.

    Image Credit | Ô­Æ½¹ÊÊÂ (»Ø¹Ë | Çå´úÃûÈË¡°°ÝÌû¡±, July 5th, 2019)

    The next day, Yuxi was settling the household ount inside the house. Mama Qu walked in and handed her a bai tie. It was from the Qin family, saying they wanted to visit Yuxi. She didn¡¯t know what this visit meant.

    Yuxi looked at the bai tie, thought back to what Yun Qing told her yesterday, and guessed why Madam Qin wanted to visit her. ¡°Take the bai tie and tell the person who sent it that I am free tomorrow.¡±

    Zijin snorted coldly as she asked. ¡°Miss, when a weasel gives new year¡¯s greetings to a hen, doesn¡¯t it usually have ulterior motives?¡± This visit from Madam Qin must definitely be up to no good.

    Mama Qu also felt that this was not right. ¡°Madam, this is indeed not right.¡± If they were just talking and chatting, they would have sent a qingtie to her Madam, rather than a bai tie.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Husband told me yesterday that Qin Zhao wanted to send his sister to the capital. I guess Madam Qin should want to ask me about the affairs in the capital when she sent me the bai tie. Since there is something she wants to ask, it is natural for her to take the initiative to visit.¡± If Qin Zhao really wanted to send Qin Yue to Xuan Wangfu, naturally, he wanted to know more about something. Even if they only knew some superficial things, it was still better than knowing nothing.

    Yuxi¡¯s guess was not wrong, but what she did not expect was that Xu Shi did not onlye by herself but also brought Qin Yue with her.

    Qin Yue had a dainty appearance, her eyes were like a vast of clear water, and herplexion was fair and delicate. Such a goodplexion was rarely found in this northwest area.

    After Qin Yue bowed to Yuxi, she said with a smile, ¡°I have always heard Saozi talk about Madam. Today I finally have the honour to meet Madam.¡± Thest time Yuxi went to the Qin Residence as a guest, Qin Yue was sick and could note out.

    Nobody didn¡¯t like to hear good words, and Yuxi was no exception. She inquired with a smile, ¡°I wondered what Madam Qin said about me?¡± No matter what nastiness one had in private, one should still show how harmonious and happy one was on the surface.

    Qin Yue replied, ¡°My Saozi said that Madam is not only beautiful, but also proficient in the four arts painting, and Madam¡¯s embroidery is also unparalleled.¡± While she said these words, she looked at Yuxi with adoring eyes. Fortunately, Yuxi was a woman and did not be confused. If it had been a man, it was guaranteed that he would have grovelled at the feet of her pomegranate-coloured skirt.

    Yuxi said with a smile on her face, ¡°Those who know will know that you are talking about me. But those who didn¡¯t know will think you¡¯re talking about a fairy that has descended down to earth! Only a fairy would be this perfect.¡± Her face was smiling, but she had a new perception of Qin Yue in her heart. She thought Qin Yue would be like Fu Qingluo and the others, a straightforward and bright woman. However, now she knew she was wrong. Qin Yue was fair-looking but also impatient. Even if they married her to Xuan Wang, she should at least get the position as his Ce Fei with the Qin family as her backer.

    Qin Yue praised sincerely, ¡°In my heart, Madam is indeed a fairy descended down to earth.¡± Looking at how Qin Yue spoke, no one would suspect that she was telling any lies. [+]

    Yuxi was so ttered that she felt she was about to fly to the sky.

    Zisu brought up tea and snacks. Xu Shi ate a piece of sweet pumpkin glutinous rice with jujube filling. The pastry was sweet, glutinous and tasted very good. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve eaten this kind of pastry.¡±

    Qin Yue also ate a piece. After eating, she inquired. ¡°Madam, I have never been to the capital, but I only heard from my Dage that the capital is huge, several times bigger than Yu City. And I heard that the capital is very prosperous and has everything. As long as you have money, you can buy anything? Madam, is this true?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s true that the capital is much bigger than Yu City. I don¡¯t think one could finish walking to its every corner in three days. There was also a wide range of goods avable. They sold everything from the north to the south, such as velvet antlers and ginseng from Liaodong, silk and rouge from Jiangnan, Pu¡¯er tea and caterpir fungus from Yunnan, pearls from the South China Sea and so on. All kinds of snacks are also avable. If you want to eat them all, you will have different kinds for each day in a month.¡± After saying that, she smiled and pointed at the phoenix hairpin with emerald gemstone on her hair bun andmented, ¡°Two days ago, I went to look at the jewellery store. The workmanship of all the jewellery pieces there was too rough, not even half as delicate as the treasured Linglong Pavilion in the capital.¡±

    Xu Shi said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s right. The capital city is prosperous that even the northwest can¡¯tpare. By the way, if I remember correctly, Madam¡¯s jiejie seems to be the 10th Prince¡¯s fei, right?¡±

    Yuxi smiled and nodded. ¡°My San Jie is married to the 10th Prince and gave birth to a pair of dragon and phoenix twins at the end ofst year.¡±

    Xu Shi eximed, ¡°What a blessing!¡±

    Qin Yue said with an admiring face, ¡°Madam, I have heard that Jing Wangfei is very attractive. I don¡¯t know if I will have the chance to meet her in the capital this time.¡±

    Finally, they got down to business. However, Yuxi acted surprised and asked, ¡°Miss Qin is going to the capital?¡±

    Qin Yue nodded. ¡°Yes, my Gege said he would take me to the capital to see the world. I don¡¯t know anything about the capital. I wonder if Madam can tell me more about it.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and nodded while saying, ¡°I can tell you everything, as long as I know about it.¡± Even if she didn¡¯t tell her these things, the Qin family could just as easily ask others.

    Qin Yue asked Yuxi a lot of questions. Yuxi was cooperative and answered with all that she knew. Though Qin Yue asked more about Xuan Wang and his wangfei.

    They chatted until the day reached wushi (11 am-1 pm) hours. After lunch, the two people went back.

    After sending people away, Yuxi said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m used to dealing with Zhao Er Nainai and the others, but now, I¡¯m a little unustomed to dealing with this Miss Qin.¡±

    Mama Qu shook her head andmented, ¡°As far as Miss Qin¡¯s scheming is concerned, it is not enough for her to survive once she enters the Xuan Wangfu.¡± Not to mention Xuan Wangfei, even Heshou Xianzhu was not a benevolent person either.

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s just the thing.¡± But this was what she could say at that moment since she knew that as long as Qin Zhao was still around, it was enough to keep Qin Yue safe and sound in the Xuan Wangfu.

 Chapter 178 : Yujingéˆ¥æªš Betrothal (3)

    Chapter 178 : Yujing¡¯s Betrothal (3)

    The First Madam Song first kneaded the Old Madam¡¯s leg, then whispered, ¡°Why is Mother so furious? Although Si Dimei is a bit greedy for money, she is still very filial to Mother.¡± The Fourth Madam Song had always curried favour with the First Madam, and the First Madam had a share in the money that the Fourth Madam Song earned, which was why Fourth Madam Song had asked the First Madam to help intercede.

    Old Madam Song impatiently pushed away First Madam Song, ¡°What do you know? The Tenth His Highness has taken a fancy to a Young Miss Han and their marriage will probably be sanctioned next year.¡±

    The First Madam Song had three sons and no daughters, so she had nothing against the 9th and 10th Princes, ¡°Mother, the Ling girl has been waiting to marry the 10th Prince for the past two years!¡± The two eldest sons of the Song family were born to Old Madam Song, but Old Madam Song did not like Second Madam Song.

    Old Madam Song answered, ¡°I also want the Prince¡¯s Fei toe from the Song family. But you need to have the best daughter for it. Just look at that Ling girl, can she hold a candle to that girl of the Han family? Not to mention her talent, just her look alone can throw the Ling girl three streets away.¡±

    Remembering the appearance of the Third Young Miss Han, First Madam Song had nothing more to add up to her argument. ¡°Mother, is there really nothing that can be done?¡±

    Old Madam Song took a sip of tea and said, ¡°If Ling girl wants to marry him for real, then she can only be a Ce Fei! Zeng Fei is out of the question.¡±

    When First Madam Song heard this, she hesitantly said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid Er Dimei will be unwilling to do so.¡± The difference between a Zeng Fei and a Ce Fei was not just the tiniest bit. Zeng Fei was a formal wife, while a Ce Fei was a mere concubine.[+]

    Old Madam Song sneered, ¡°Even if I were to let Ling-er be the 10th Prince¡¯s Ce Fei, I would have to put this old face of mine on the line just to talk to Niangniang. Otherwise, she won¡¯t even be able to be his Ce Fei.¡± It was not that Old Madam Song had belittled Song Linger, it was because Song Linger had a bad temperament and her reputation for being arrogant and rude had spread to the outside world. Song Guifei would not want her son to marry a woman with such a temperament, even if she was her niece.

    First Madam Song didn¡¯t care too much about the bad side of Song Linger. What she cared about was her face. ¡°Han Jingyan is only a fourth-ranking official. If we let his daughter step on Linger¡¯s head, when the timees, they will think our Song family is weak!¡±

    Old Madam Song grunted, ¡°Han Jingyan¡¯s position is not high, but Marquis Pingqing holds a lot of power. The most important thing is that the 10th Prince, Qixin Gongzhu and Niangniang all like that girl.¡± Thetter sentence was the main point, the previous one was just piggybacking.

    Hearing this, First Madam Song muttered, ¡°That girl¡¯s skill is excellent enough to make both Niangniang and the Gongzhu like her.¡± As far as Han Yuchen¡¯s appearance was concerned, men would surely like her when they saw her. But to make even the Guifei Niangniang and the Gongzhu like her, that would depend on her skill. [T/N]

    Old Madam Song agreed with this, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the trouble that Ling girl caused, I wouldn¡¯t have let her marry the 10th Prince. That Han girl is extremely skilful, and Ling girl cannot fight her.¡± The fact that Song Linger liked the 10th Prince was no longer a secret. Everyone who should know had known about it.

    First Madam Song felt that it would be better for Song Linger to be the 9th Prince¡¯s Ce Fei. After all, he was the one most likely to im the throne. At that time, Song Linger¡¯s status should be Guifei. However, Song Linger liked the 10th Prince and was determined to marry him.

    Old Madam Song said, ¡°Just for the sake of the 10th Prince, you should also be polite to the Han family. The Han family is indeed weak now, but the Han Shizi, the Second Master Han all have good prospects.¡±

    First Madam Song understood her words, ¡°I know Mother.¡±

    The next day, the Fourth Madam Song took an official matchmaker to the Han family.

    The Old Lady was not at ease because of Qiu Shi¡¯s temperament, so she took over this matter herself. Knowing that the Fourth Madam Song had brought an official matchmaker to their door, she immediately asked Mama Luo to greet her, and no matter what, she had to put the Fourth Madam Song back down to her ce.

    The Fourth Madam Song waited in the living room for a long time, but only an old stewardess came out.

    Mama Luo said with a smile on her face, ¡°Fourth Madam Song, my Old Lady has said that the Han family does not let their girls be other people¡¯s concubines. Even if they have to be oilmps before the statue of Buddha for a while, we will not let them disgrace the family. So, please go back, Fourth Madam Song!¡±

    The Fourth Madam Song was also a person who was able to bow and submit or stand tall as at that moment she said all the pleasant words to Mama Luo. Unfortunately, even so, Mama Luo did not relent, saying only that she had sent Yujing to apany the Buddha.

    The Fourth Madam Song went back in disgrace.

    Old Woman Luo went back and told the Old Lady about the situation, then worriedly asked, ¡°Old Lady, what if the Fourth Madam Song doesn¡¯te back?¡±

    The Old Lady wasn¡¯t worried about this at all. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯lle back.¡±

    Sure enough, the next day the Fourth Madam Song came again, and not only did she, herselfe, but even the First Madam Song came too. This time, the Han family didn¡¯t be pretentious any longer.

    Qiu Shi was still sick because of anger, so she couldn¡¯t entertain the two people. As for Ye Shi, she was not yet out of her confinement! Therefore, the task of receiving the guests was left to the Old Lady herself.[+]

    The Old Lady was only pretending at first to save their family face. It was not like they were absolutely unwilling to tie the knot between the families, for they had already lost their face. Only by tying the two families through marriage could she save her family reputation. As for whether the Fourth Madam Song would vent her anger on Yujing, it was no longer the scope of the Old Lady¡¯s consideration.

    By noon, Yuxi knew that the two families had made a verbalmitment, and she knew that the marriage woulde true. Although there were a few twists and turns in the middle, the marriage between the two families was finally settled.

    Bingmei whispered to Kufu, ¡°The Song family is one of the best families in the capital. It is a blessing for the Second Miss to marry into the Song family.¡±

    Kufu also felt that the Second Miss had good eyesight and was very lucky, ¡°Although the Fourth House of the Song family is originally born from a concubine, they are very rich. Moreover, the Seventh Young Master Song is the only son of the Fourth House, so their family assets will all be given to him in the future.¡±

    Bingmei nodded and said, ¡°I heard my mother say that Seventh Young Master Song is very good looking and talented. He¡¯s already holding the rank of juren right now.¡± To put it simply, the Seventh Young Master Song had a good family background, was well educated, and already had a schrly honour. Yujing had hit the jackpot this time. [T/N]

    Yuxi stood at the door and heard the discussion between the two maids. She turned around and asked Zisu, ¡°Do you also think Yujing¡¯s time hase for her fortune to turn this time around?¡±

    Zisu hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°At least, the First Lady would not have found such a good family for the Second Miss. Moreover, Seventh Young Master Song was able to save the Second Miss at that time, so he was a kind-hearted person.¡± Although Second Miss¡¯ tactic was a bit clumsy, it was still useful!

    Hearing Zisu¡¯s words, Yuxi smiled, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Yujing is lucky to have met such a good husband like Seventh Young Master Song.¡± If Yujing had met someone who had already married, she would have to spend the rest of her life apanying Buddha.

    Zisu heard the meaning behind Yuxi¡¯s words, ¡°Miss, how the Second Miss will be in the future, that will depend on her own means. If she can make the Seventh Young Master Song favour her, even if the Fourth Madam Song dislikes her even more, she won¡¯t dare to go too far.¡±

    Yuxi smiled at Zisu¡¯s words, ¡°Zisu, remember this saying. You can marry again if you lose your wife, but you have only one mother. Without the support of her maiden¡¯s family, Yujing can¡¯t win against the Fourth Madam Song.¡±

    The reason why Yuxi said Yujing can¡¯t win was that she knew Yujing very well. If Yujing was smart, she would not have put herself in such a situation. She should have been as peaceful as Yuru, and with her Eldest Aunt¡¯s nature, her aunt would not have pushed her into the fiery pit. But now, Yujing had disgraced the Han family by doing what she had done, and when she married, the Han family would certainly not care about her anymore. Since the Fourth Madam Song loathed her so much, would she have a good time there? As for Seventh Young Master Song, although Yuxi had never met him, she could guess from the fact that he had jumped into the pond to save others, he was indeed a kind-hearted person but also a soft-hearted one.

    A soft-hearted man was an easily swayed kind of person. He would be swayed by his wife, and then he could also be swayed by his own mother as well. Therefore, if she relied on Seventh Young Master Song, she would not be able to rely on him much. Furthermore, men generally did not interfere in the affairs of the inner courtyard. As a mother-inw, the Fourth Madam Song had plenty of ways to deal with Yujing.

    The Han family and the Song family exchanged their gengtie, and the next step was to agree on the wedding date. Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t wait to send Yujing out immediately. But she couldn¡¯t, as there was still Yuru ahead of Yujing. Thus, the wedding date for Yuru was also put on the agenda.

    In the end, after discussing with the Zeng family, Yuru¡¯s marriage was set for the third lunar month next year and Yujing¡¯s marriage for the fifth lunar month, which was the earliest possible date they could set.

    Yuru stayed in her yard to embroider her dowry these days. She didn¡¯t know about this thing at first, and her maids didn¡¯t want to tell her about it, for fear that she would be upset. But since her wedding date had been set, it would be hard for her not to know about it in the end.

    Yuru gnashed her teeth. Her wedding had been scheduled for the third lunar month next year, which was fine for her. But what Yujing had done had also implicated her. That Madam Zeng had already treated her badly and she would probably use it to humiliate her in the future. Yuru cursed in a hateful voice, ¡°This scourge.¡± When she was young, she had been bullied by Concubine Rong, and now her daughter had implicated her too. Those two people were truly scourges.

    Qingxuan said, ¡°Miss, the Second Miss¡¯ marriage is only for good appearances. By doing this, she has disgraced the Han family. Both the Old Lady and the First Lady detest her for it. So without the support of her maiden¡¯s family, plus the dislike of her mother-inw, you can imagine how her life will be in the Song family.¡± It was also because the Second Miss¡¯ intention was extremely too much.

    After hearing these words, Yuru¡¯s anger disappeared a lot. ¡°Her marriage has been settled, and I think she will return soon.¡± Grandmother and Mother were still angry at Yujing, but when her marriage had been settled, her dowry must be embroidered. Therefore, Yujing couldn¡¯t stay in the mountains for another two days.

    Yuru had made up her mind that when Yujing returned, she would give her a good reprimand to take the heat off her mind.

    Unfortunately, the Old Lady did not let Yujing return to prepare for her marriage but instead, she told her to stay in the temple, continue to be a vegetarian and pray to the Buddha. By doing so, the Old Lady had clearly expressed one meaning, that was, she hadpletely abandoned Yujing.

    When Kufu told Yuxi about this, Yuxi said nothing. She could only shake her head. Yujing wouldter learn that a woman without the support of her maiden¡¯s family would end up as miserable as Yuxi did in her past life. This was the reason why Yuxi had been holding her tongue all these years and had been so submissive. Even if she loathed the Old Lady and Han Jingyan, she still had to act like she was filial. This was because, for women, once they didn¡¯t have the backing of their maiden¡¯s family, they would be swallowed to the bone till not even a bit of remain left behind.

 Chapter 338 - Making A Living (1)

    <strong>Chapter 338 : Making A Living (1)</strong>

    In the evening, Yuxi told Yun Qing about Xu Shi¡¯s visit with Qin Yue. ¡°Qin Yue asked me quite a few things about Xuan Wang. It seems that our spection is not wrong.¡±

    Yun Qing¡¯s face did not look good, but still, he said. ¡°For the sake of Marshal Qin, if shees to the door again, you will tell her everything you know! Save yourself the disadvantage of going to the capital.¡±

    Yuxiughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve told her everything I know. However, Xuan Wangfei is an extremely intelligent woman, and Heshou Xianzhu has the ability to foresee and has saved the life of the 9th Prince. If Qin Yue wants to establish a firm footing in Xuan Wangfu, I¡¯m afraid it will not be an easy task.¡±

    Yun Qing asked Yuxi to help Qin Yue, but it was just in return for a favour. Whether Qin Yue could gain a foothold in Xuan Wangfu was not his concern. ¡°I heard that you have a feud with Heshou Xianzhu?¡±

    Yuxi nodded her head and told Yun Qing the whole story. ¡°Actually, I am still confused. Neither my San Jie nor I have offended her. Why does she insist on killing my San Jie and me?¡±

    Yun Qing coldly snorted and said, ¡°For Xuan Wang taking her as his Ce Fei, he really wasn¡¯t afraid of having his yang energy being sucked out of his life.¡± Heshou Xianzhu dared to say that Yuxi was a demon when she was clearly the demon herself.

    Yuxi let out a snort and was amused. She did not expect Yun Qing could still be entertaining sometimes, like when he honestly thought that Heshou was a blood-sucking demon. ¡°Now that I¡¯m away from the capital, she can¡¯t do anything to me. By the way, the Fu family has helped you so much, and we have not yet thanked them for all that they have done!¡±

    Yun Qing responded, ¡°When I have time, I will apany you to go there. It¡¯s also a good time for you to get acquainted with them.¡± They had only been married for a few days, and no one would criticise them if they didn¡¯t go so soon.

    Yuxi smiled and asked, ¡°So when will you have your next vacation?¡± Seeing that Yun Qing was also unsure, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll go there first. When you have time, you can goter. This kind of thing, naturally, the earlier, the better. It will look more insincere if we do it after a while.¡±

    Yun Qing nodded and replied, ¡°That¡¯s fine, then.¡±

    Yuxi originally had a lot of things to ask, but seeing that Yun Qing was a bit tired, she stopped talking, and the two of them went to bed after turning out the lights.

    The next day, Xu Shi came over again, but Qin Yue did not follow her this time around. The purpose of Xu Shi¡¯s visit this day was to borrow Mama Qu. ¡°I heard that Mama Qu had been in the pce, so I would like to ask Mama Qu to teach Qin Yue the rules. I wonder if it is possible?¡±

    Yuxi hesitated before saying, ¡°Marshal Qin¡¯s favours towards my husband were weighty as a mountain. It stands to reason that I shouldn¡¯t refuse this small matter. It¡¯s merely that Mama Qu is my left and right arms. If she¡¯s not here, many things can¡¯t be handled properly.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she was acting petty, but rather, Mama Qu was indeed her arms, and she would have to start getting busy if Mama Qu wasn¡¯t around.

    Xu Shi¡¯s heart became sluggish. Her request was just a trivial matter, but Yuxi would go as far as bringing up a favour. This woman really didn¡¯t want to suffer any loss at all. Xu Shi cursed her in her heart but didn¡¯t show it on her face as she spoke, ¡°Dimei, it won¡¯t take long. I will borrow her for just three days. After three days, I will send Mama Qu back to you.¡±

    Yuxi smiled and said, ¡°Then, that¡¯s fine.¡± After saying that, she called Mama Qu toe over and asked her to pack her clothes to follow Xu Shi to the Qin Residence.

    Xu Shi smilingly expressed, ¡°Thanks a lot, Dimei.¡±

    Yuxiughed and said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of being so polite? If we¡¯re starting to act too polite, it will look like we¡¯re unfamiliar with each other.¡± If it wasn¡¯t because the Qin family¡¯s favour towards Yun Qing was weighty as a mountain, she wouldn¡¯t have lent her people out. So it was best not to owe anyone. Once you started to owe someone, you would get a headache by the time you wanted to pay it back.

    After sending Xu Shi away, Yuxi had someone send a bai tie to the Fu family. It was not enough to have a good rtionship with the Zhao family. She had to have a good rtionship with other officials¡¯ wives to get more useful information.

    After dealing with these matters, Yuxi continued settling the household ounts. Once she was done, she looked somewhat worried. The residence had dozens of people, and it cost a huge expense just to support everyone¡¯s daily ration. It was not an excellent long-term solution by relying solely on Yun Qing¡¯s sry to cover all the costs.

    When Yuxi was in the capital, her expenses were not that small either. However, her ie was quite considerable, and at the end of the year, she would still have arge cash surplus! But now, if they didn¡¯t open a water source and reduce the outflow, they would have a deficit. [+]

    Zijin asked, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Yuxi let out the worry she had in her heart. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of business is good to do here?¡± It was better not to consult Yun Qing on this kind of thing. She knew without asking him that he must also be clueless about this.

    Zijin said with a smile. ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t you ask Master Yang and Yu Zhi? They¡¯ve been hanging out all day for the past two months, so they definitely know what business can make money here.¡± Although Master Yang and Yu Zhi were said to be the residence guards, they were only responsible for Yuxi¡¯s safety. As long as Yuxi stayed in the inner courtyard, the two would hang around outside. Xu Wu also didn¡¯t have the right to control them either.

    Yuxi nodded and said, ¡°Go see if Master Yang and Yu Zhi are in. If they are, ask them toe over.¡±

    It just so happened that the two of them hadn¡¯t gone out for these two days and stayed inside the residence. When Master Yang knew that Yuxi wanted to do business, he suggested, ¡°If you want to do business, you should open a restaurant. If you open one, I guarantee that you will only make a profit without losing any of your money.¡± This way, he had an excellent ce to have a drink in the future.

    Yuxi was a bit excited about opening a restaurant. Making money was the next best thing about it. She was excited mainly because a restaurant was a good ce to collect news. She asked, ¡°Fancy that, only make a profit without losing money. What does that actually mean, though?¡± When the restaurant was well managed, it was indeed very profitable. But the problem was, no matter what business one did, it was impossible to only make money without losing any.

    Master Yang liked to drink and often took more than a few sips. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t be addicted to it and never did anything bad because of it. ¡°You may not have been aware of this. People here like to eat out. Your business will definitely be good as long as your food is done well and you have good wine.¡± There were many soldiers in the northwest. When they had nothing to do during their vacation, they would invite the other free soldiers for a drink. Of course, the most profitable business in the northwest was not a restaurant but a brothel. Only that, Master Yang did not want to mention thetter one.

    When Yuxi heard good wine, her eyes lit up.

    Zijin frowned and questioned, ¡°How can a restaurant be that easy to open?¡±

    Master Yang smiled as he answered, ¡°You are talking about the general public. If your Madam wants to open one, it will be blessed by heaven.¡± Yun Qing was also a notable person in the northwest. Hence, it would be unlikely that people were brave enough to cause trouble when Yuxi opened a restaurant.

    Yuxi said, ¡°To open a restaurant, the wine problem can easily be solved, but it won¡¯t be that easy to recruit a good cook.¡±

    Master Yang cheerfully said, ¡°Madam, what you said is wrong. It is easy to look for a cook but hard to get a bottle of good wine.¡± The wine he drank here was not tasty enough.

    Yuxi shook her head and replied, ¡°I know a method to purify the wine, and the purified wine tastes much richer. But we can¡¯t think that we can find a good cook just by looking for one.¡±

    Zijin was curious and asked, ¡°How does Miss know the method for purifying wine?¡± Howe she didn¡¯t know about such a big thing.

    Yuxi smiled as she answered, ¡°Momo Quan told me.¡± When did Momo Quan ever tell her that? It was something she knew from her previous life. The current taste of the brewed wine was rtively light. However, if the wine went through another processing procedure, it would taste very strong. Originally, this kind of thing should have been confidential. Still, she did not know how it spread outter that even she naturally knew about it.

    Han Jianye had actually told her that the wine here tasted too light. She remembered this matter, but she was not prepared to use this method at that time.

    Master Yang knew that Yuxi was not a deceitful person. In order to drink good wine, heid out a reason that he thought could make Yuxi tempted. ¡°By opening a restaurant, you not only can make money but also collect information.¡± Since ancient times, teahouses, restaurants and brothels had been used by people from three religions and nine schools of thought to hide their identities and the easiest ce to spread and collect news.

    It was because Yuxi already had this reason in her mind that she was interested in opening a restaurant in the first ce. ¡°I know this. It¡¯s just that, to open a restaurant, there are too many things to prepare.¡± Although she knew that the processed wine would taste better, it was not just a matter of talking about such things. There was a lot of work to do.

    Master Yang pondered before saying, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that easy to find a good chef here. So, it¡¯s better to find two cooks from the capital if you can.¡± Master Yang would give out this suggestion mainly because he craved the capital¡¯s cuisine.

    Zijin happily eximed, ¡°Miss, you can invite Guo Daniang toe over! Guo Daniang¡¯s food is delicious.¡± Guo Daniang had been sold since the poisoning incident. Of course, she was said to be sold on the surface, but the truth was, she had been released from her life deed so that she could leave the capital with her family.

    Yuxi rolled her eyes at Zijin. No one could use Guo Daniang. Not to mention that Guo Daniang had two young grandchildren to take care of, even Guo Daniang¡¯s son was killed because of her. Who knew if she still had a knot in her heart. ¡°I will write to my Dageter to see if he can find me good cooks.¡± She didn¡¯t need top chefs, just passable ones. With Han Jianming¡¯s ability, there should be no problem finding two cooks toe here.

    Something as big as opening a restaurant was certainly not something Yuxi could just decide independently. After thinking for a while, she went to see Huo Changqing and told him about her ns.

    Huo Changqing looked at Yuxi for a moment and asked, ¡°Why do you want to open a restaurant? Could it be that you don¡¯t have any money?¡± As far as he knew, Yuxi was not a big spender either.

    Yuxi exined her reason. ¡°There will be even more people in the family in the future, increasing household expenses in the process. For this reason, we can¡¯t just live on my husband¡¯s sry. I would like to have a few lucrative businesses not only to help my husband reduce his burden but also to support in raising his family properties.¡±

    Huo Changqing asked, ¡°Opening a restaurant is not a small business since the cost will be huge. Are you sure you can run it well?¡± Huo Changqing didn¡¯t prefer seeing Yuxi making money, but the idea looked pretty good when he thought more about it.

    Yuxi told him that she knew about the wine purification method and then said. ¡°To be sessful in opening a restaurant requires nothing more than these two things. One is having good wine, and the other is having good food. As long as these two things areplete, there will be no worries about not making money. I¡¯m going to ask my Dage to find the cooks, and then the main dish will be the cuisines of the capital. That way, our restaurant will be more distinguished.¡±

    Huo Changqing saw that Yuxi had thought of everything and secretly nodded. It was enough to see Yuxi¡¯s ability to manage the household from here. ¡°What do you need my help with? Is the capital not enough?¡± The money he left to Yuxi was only enough for daily use, certainly not enough to open a restaurant.

    Yuxi shook her head and said, ¡°I have my own money in my hand. I am just worried that my husband will not agree.¡± Although they had only been together for several days, she could tell that Yun Qing was a rather stubborn person. In all likelihood, Yun Qing would not agree to this matter.

    Huo Changqing had a smile on his face. ¡°If he goes against it, just say that I have already agreed.¡± How could Yuxi be discouraged when she was looking out for the family¡¯s livelihood and was busy doing so? Besides, with the restaurant open, the benefits would go beyond just making money.

    Yuxi responded happily, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Huo.¡±

    Huo Changqing said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you can think about cutting costs, but you still have to pay attention to your health.¡± The words ¡®open branches and scatter leaves soon¡¯ were hidden, but he believed that Yuxi could understand.

    Yuxi naturally heard the meaning of Huo Changqing¡¯s words, smiled and nodded her head. In fact, she also very much wanted to have a child of her own.

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