Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Often sitting alone all night? And...

Yan Ke asked, "Whose was it dug?"

The old lady said: "It belongs to everyone, from the rich of today and from the rich of the past."

Yan Ke understood immediately without the old lady's explanation. It was impossible for a small family to have such valuable burial objects.

The previous dynasty. They must have dug up the graves of the nobles of the previous dynasty. The previous dynasty was gone, but that didn't mean the noble families of the previous dynasty had fallen on hard times. Who could tolerate the digging of ancestral graves?

The old man was caught in the act two months ago, red-handed. When Xu Lao San was arrested, he claimed that he was assigned by the old man.

Xu Laosan had letters as evidence, proving that he had always obeyed the master. The master had no excuse.

My master is now Duke Yan. After catching him red-handed, the Jingzhao Prefecture didn't imprison him, but instead reported the matter to His Majesty. His Majesty dispatched the Jinwu Guards to confine him to the Duke's Mansion, vowing to investigate the truth before reaching a conclusion.

The Jingzhao prefect was worried. This was an obvious matter, so why bother investigating? He knew His Majesty was planning to shield the Duke's Mansion and was afraid he'd wait for Yan Ke's return before making a decision, so he could help delay the matter until now.

His Majesty also knew that the old lady had sent a letter to Yan Ke, so he did not do anything unnecessary.

"If this was really done by my eldest brother, he will probably be sent to jail." Yan Ke concluded.

Apart from the eldest young lady, the old lady and other people in the Duke's Mansion would not really care about the master's life or death. They are mainly worried about the disaster that will happen to the Duke's Mansion.

The old lady stopped pretending and said directly, "As long as the Duke's Mansion is safe, it's all fine."

Yan Ke nodded. "Don't worry, mother. I'll go see my elder brother and then go to Jingzhao Prefecture later."

The old lady nodded repeatedly.

Jasmine couldn't pretend anymore and said quickly, "Master just came back, there's no need to rush. Otherwise, we can go after dinner."

The old lady then remembered that they had traveled all the way, but hadn't even sat down to drink a sip of water. She was still a mother.

The old lady blushed and said hurriedly, "Yes, yes, don't worry, eat first. Lunch is ready, just waiting for you to come back."

After dinner, Yan Ke went to see the old man. The old lady was in no mood to deal with anyone and returned to Yayuan. The eldest young lady's wife was even less in the mood. The fourth young lady's wife said hello to Jasmine and also returned.

Jasmine asked the maid, "Where does the master live now?"

Maid: "My aunt, the master lives in the east courtyard."

Jasmine did not explain when the maid called her "auntie". She nodded and returned to the main courtyard with Manxi.

Then when she entered the main courtyard, she was dumbfounded.

On the return carriage, Jasmine told Manxi how beautiful their home in Kyoto was, and she had a lot of fun things, which she left for Manxi.

As a result, the main courtyard was left bare!

Yes, it was completely bare! The pear tree in the yard, the small fish and birds, the colorful lights and wind chimes under the corridor, all gone.

Jasmine carried Manxi into the house, and all the small things placed in the house, even the carpet she had woven, were turned over.

Manxi’s little head was almost spinning, and she stretched out a chubby little finger and asked her mother: "Mom, ah..." Yes, she asked her mother where the fun things she had left for her were?

Jasmine turned around and saw Xiuhong smiling foolishly. After asking her, she found out what was going on.

Afterwards, Xiuhong also told her some of the things that happened in the Duke's Mansion after her aunt left.

Xiuhong was held by Manxi's hand, and she exclaimed: "The little lady is so good."

Manxi rarely heard others praise her for being well-behaved. When she was at Lushui, the most common compliments people gave her were either "What a clever little girl" or "What a lively child."

Suddenly hearing something new, Manxi knew it was good news and became even more excited.

He also said that he wanted Xiuhong to hug him. Xiuhong was of course very happy.

He immediately picked her up, and Manxi hugged Xiuhong's neck, and both of them were grinning from ear to ear.

Jasmine sighed to herself.

After leaving the Duke's Mansion, Jasmine kept thinking and fearing. Not only was she afraid that her master would marry, but she was also afraid that he would get angry and seek revenge on her by going to find Concubine Xu.

Being too timid, she didn't even inquire.

Now I know that his grandfather doesn't have it. Even if Xu Qiuhuai came to him, his grandfather wouldn't have it.

Xiuhong said he often sat alone all night long and didn't allow anyone to light a lamp.

Jasmine walked towards the spot Xiuhong pointed, sat down and felt it. It was quiet and lonely.

It’s really cold.

Jasmine covered her face with her hands and shed tears silently.

Yan Ke was splashed with tea by the master. After coming out of the main room, he planned to change clothes before going to Jingzhao Prefecture. Seeing Xiuhong playing with Manxi, he asked, "Where is the madam?"

Xiuhong was so shocked by the word "Madam" that she was speechless and pointed towards the main house.

Yan Ke walked straight into the corridor and saw his wife wiping her tears as soon as he stepped over the threshold.

"What happened?"

Jasmine shook her head and smiled, "Nothing." Seeing the dirt on his body, Jasmine hurriedly asked, "What happened to you, Master?"

"He blamed me for leaving him this mess, and he got angry and started fighting."

"Are you burned?"

After hearing her grandfather say that it was not the case, Jasmine was relieved and picked up some clothes to go to the bedroom to help him change.

"Sir, you're such a fool! If he didn't want to inherit the title, he could have refused. There are plenty of people who can inherit it. He didn't refuse, and he has no ability to make money. He got into trouble, and now he blames you. How unreasonable!"

Yan Ke sighed: "It was because I left in a hurry. I should have waited a little longer."

This is her fault. Jasmine stopped talking.

Yan Ke changed his clothes and walked out without resting for a moment.

Jasmine walked him to the Moon Gate outside the main courtyard.

Yan Ke took the horse from Yan Pu and turned around before getting on, asking, "Ask who took down the pear tree and the colorful lanterns and wind chimes in the main courtyard. What was Madam like in the main courtyard before? Now you have to find a way to change it back. Don't dawdle."

"I understand, sir."

Only then did Yan Ke mount his horse and ride away.

After watching the master walk away, Yan Pu turned around and went in to find Tao'er who was beside the old lady.

...

"Be gentle, or the leaves will fall off..."

"...Hey, don't put the wind chime too close to the inside..."

Jasmine heard the noise and ran out to see that several servants were busy working in the yard and under the corridor.

Yan Pu saw her and stepped forward to greet her. "Madam, this was my idea. I said you would laugh when you saw it."

Jasmine reacted immediately and realized that her grandfather had seen her wiping away tears and thought she was angry because she found out that the main courtyard had been demolished.

Jasmine couldn't help feeling sad, but also couldn't help wanting to laugh.

Servants dug holes to bury trees and climbed ladders to hang colorful lanterns and wind chimes. Tao'er and several maids were carrying a bunch of small things, all of which were familiar to Jasmine.

Tao'er and Jasmine bowed and said, "The old lady knew that these were things from the Second Master's courtyard, so she only took them on his behalf. Now the old lady has said that the things should be returned to their original owners."

"The old lady is very thoughtful," Jasmine replied, watching Tao'er come into the room and put things in order. Manxi, who had just been coaxed to sleep, jumped up, slid out of bed, and rushed out on his short legs.

Pointing at what Tao'er was holding, he shouted, "Wow!"

The wet nurse quickly picked her up and said, "Little ancestor!"

The nurse knew that it was impossible to coax her now, so she didn't bother. She just held her and let her go wherever the little ancestor told her to.

Seeing that Jasmine was still a little flustered, the nurse explained aggrievedly, "Madam, Man'er is disobedient..."

Just ask yourself, which maid would dare to say that the young master is disobedient? Jasmine also knows that it is her daughter who is really arrogant and naughty!

But Jasmine didn't think it was a bad thing for a girl to be naughty. She pinched her daughter's chubby face lovingly, then took a porcelain doll with two buns and put it in her hand: "Do you like it, Man'er?"

Manxi pushed it out with all her strength, then pointed at another porcelain doll with her chubby little finger.

He was a young man with long flowing hair.

"You're still so picky, girl?" Jasmine put the porcelain doll back in her hand and handed the young man to Manxi, "They are all our Man'er's."

Man Xi hugged the porcelain doll and was so happy that only a slit of his eyes remained.

When Tao'er heard the word "Madam," she instinctively wanted to pick her ears. Could there be something wrong with her ears? Then she wondered if it was the concubine who was causing trouble, insisting that people call her Madam?

Tao'er felt that this must be the case! After returning home, Tao'er also told the old lady about this matter. Qian Mama and the old lady both agreed that it was Jasmine who did it on purpose. Knowing that the master was indulgent, she deliberately took advantage of it!

Too much! Really too much.

But now was not the time to deal with such matters. With the Duke's Mansion at stake, she really didn't bother to deal with other matters.

Before Yan Ke came back, the parties were in a stalemate. The noble families whose graves were dug up demanded an explanation from His Majesty, while His Majesty wanted to protect the Duke's Mansion. Of course, the Duke's Mansion didn't want anything to happen to the master, let alone the Duke's Mansion.

Then after Yan Ke came back, the case made immediate progress.

After the third master was driven out of the house and the fourth master was imprisoned, it is now the eldest master's turn!

The master was taken from the Duke's Mansion to Jingzhao Mansion. Seeing Yan Ke, he excitedly asked, "Second brother, you can save my concubine, why can't you save me, your eldest brother?"

"Your Majesty has shown you mercy beyond the law."

The old man continued, "You have always been strict and fair. If word gets out, it won't sound good. Please save me, big brother. Will you please?"

Yan Ke stood beside the Jingzhao prefect, unmoved. Seeing this, the Jingzhao prefect waved his hand and signaled the bailiff to take the man away.

The old man’s crime is a foregone conclusion, and Yan Ke’s return this time is not to exonerate the old man.

He couldn't let the Duke's Mansion become the target of public criticism. He needed to give an explanation to the aristocratic families whose graves had been dug up, and then eliminate the Xu family.

The aristocratic families knew Yan Ke would likely return to take control of the Duke's Mansion, and no one wanted to offend him. However, the Duke's master was indeed sentenced to ten years in prison, and Yan Ke personally came with gifts to apologize, so the aristocratic families decided to let it go.

Yan Ke checked the third master of the Xu family again and confirmed that the eldest master was seduced by the third master, rather than the third master obeying the eldest master.

This case involved the Duke's Mansion, so the prefect of Jingzhao immediately ordered his men to go to the Xuzhou County Government Office to bring Xu Laosan back.

As an accomplice, the old man was sentenced to ten years in prison, while the instigator, Xu Laosan, was sentenced to thirty years. Xu Laosan was forty-five years old and had a few years of hope after he was released.

In short, everyone was very satisfied, including the second master of the Xu family, Marquis Xu Wu.

After the eldest uncle of the Xu family was brought down, the second uncle of the Xu family took the position of Xu Wuhou. Now that the third uncle was convicted, the second uncle Xu can openly take over everything from the third uncle.

Of course, everything that was confiscated by the court was confiscated, and some of the businesses that were not confiscated were inherited by Xu Laoer. Although Xu Laosan had many children and grandchildren, none of the Xu elders looked favorably upon him, and the family business in Xu Laosan's hands was not exclusively his.

The elders of the Xu family then made the decision to hand over the inheritance to the second Xu.

To prevent himself from being implicated, Xu Lao Er even announced to the world that Xu Lao San was expelled from the Xu family. However, he could not bear to see his nephews and grandsons wandering around, so he allowed them to live in the Xu family compound as usual.

When Yan Ke returned, he told the old lady the whole progress of the case.

The old lady's face did not show much joy. The two people in jail were her stepson and her half-brother.

The old lady felt a pang of regret, but after a while, she breathed a sigh of relief. "This matter is finally resolved. Our Duke's Mansion is safe and sound."

"As long as a son is blessed, a mother can rest assured."

The old lady looked at him with a twinkling gaze: "Erlang, do you mean to stay? Not leave?"

Yan Ke nodded.

The old lady was so excited that she quickly said, "Then I will write to the Ministry of Personnel and ask them to change the letter of succession."

"Mother is not busy," Yan Ke said. "Zi Fu is willing to stay at home to fulfill his filial duties, but there is no need to bother with the succession matter. You Zhao and You Ming are old enough, so it would be more appropriate to leave it to them."

You Zhao and You Ming are the children of the eldest master and the eldest young lady. You Zhao is ten years old this year, and You Ming is eight years old.

"How can that be?" The old lady was very displeased. Not to mention that You Zhao and You Ming were still young, the key point was that they were not that close!

She didn't believe that parents like that could produce a good offspring. If she left it to them, the Duke's Mansion would fall into decline sooner or later!

But Yan Ke had made up his mind. Seeing that she couldn't convince him, the old lady thought that since he was right under her nose, she would have plenty of ways to deal with him in the future. So she let it go for today.

When the eldest young lady heard the old lady say "How can that be possible", her heart was instantly in turmoil. When she heard Yan Ke's refusal, her heart calmed down again.

By evening, the old lady spoke, "Guarding the border must have been hardship. You haven't had a proper meal since you came back. It's all my fault as a mother. I've asked someone to prepare your favorite dishes."

Yan Ke nodded, looked around, and found that Jasmine was not there. He turned around and told Yan Pu: "Go call the lady."

"Yes." Yan Pu answered and turned to leave.

The word "Madam" shocked everyone in the room.

Didn’t he say that his aunt secretly asked the servants to call her “Madam” behind his back? Why did he say that too?

The old lady was quite frightened and asked, "Why does Erlang call Jasmine 'Madam'?"

Yan Ke then remembered that he had not yet told the family about his marriage since returning home. He then briefly told them about his marriage to Jasmine in Shoubian.

Everyone was even more shocked.

The old lady felt as if she had swallowed a fly. After a long while, she spoke again with difficulty: "Why didn't you mention it in the letter? You...when did this happen?"

Yan Ke: "A few days before returning to Beijing. Zifu thought about how she had given birth to his child and how she had suffered so much with him over the past two years, so he agreed to this."

How could I not understand this? It was that vicious woman who forced me to marry her!

The old lady blurted out, "She must have known you were going to return to the capital, that's why she's so impatient."

"Mother misunderstood. She didn't know."

The old lady said no more and just sighed.

Yan Ke knew that the old lady didn't believe what he said, so he waited for her to explain further. Then Jasmine carried Man Xi in her arms and stepped into the room.

Jasmine walked forward with Manxi in her arms and bowed. Yan Ke wanted to take Manxi, but Jasmine winked at him and then put Manxi on the ground.

"When we were guarding the border, Man'er said he had something to tell Grandma. Now that he sees Grandma, he should tell her quickly."

Yan Ke frowned.

Manxi turned to look at his mother, then turned back to himself, his two chubby legs bent downwards, his hands clenched into fists, and he said to the old lady in a serious tone, "Good grandmother, be well. Manxi misses you."

The little kid, barely a year and a half old, could call his parents "Daddy and Mommy" because of the kindness of his ancestors. The old lady remembered that when the two brothers from the eldest wife were this age, they could only cry when they drank milk or pooped. They were held in someone's arms all day long, and would cry if they were not satisfied.

It was nothing like the one before me, who called out the word "Grandma" so clearly and loudly. She couldn't even stand steadily, yet she was actually imitating an adult's bow and greeting, and she looked so good doing it.

The most important thing is that he looks like Erye!

The old lady often regretted not paying more attention to the Second Master when he was young. When she saw the little dwarf who looked so much like the Second Master, her heart was filled with sorrow.

"My dear, hurry up and get up!" Tears welled up in the old lady's eyes. She hurriedly reached into her pocket, took off a string of mutton-fat jade from her hand, pulled Manxi to her side, and stuffed it into her hand.

"Grandma didn't even think of giving you a gift. Take it. I'll give you something better someday."

Manxi loved her mother's jewelry, but her mother wouldn't let her play with it. She hadn't learned any more words, so she said "Ah" to her grandmother, expressing her love for it, and then tried to put the bracelet on her big head, but unfortunately it didn't fit.

This scene made the old lady laugh and cry, but the little kid liked the gift she gave her, and the old lady was happier than anyone else.

Jasmine was also very proud when she saw the old lady holding Man Ai so tightly that she couldn't let go.

In fact, she didn't need to please the old lady. Especially since they had already fallen out, there was no need. But, how should I put it.

After all, the old lady was the old lady, the mother that Man'er's father respected. When she was a concubine in the Duke's Mansion, they had also been harmonious for a few days.

Jasmine truly felt that she was becoming more and more kind and generous. She was truly worthy of being a wife!

Jasmine knelt down after Manxi and shouted to the old lady, "Mother is well."

Yan Ke looked at her with gentle eyes.

The old lady and the fourth young master's wife were frightened, but they all recovered quickly.

"Get up." The old lady couldn't help but say, "You have really changed a lot."

Jasmine kept her face down the entire time, and didn't say much. She looked like someone who knew how to correct her mistakes and was very cautious.

In short, everyone in the Duke's Mansion believed her, and this time they really changed their ways.

It was not until they arrived in Xuzhou and met the Xu family that the old lady and the others finally understood what it meant to say, "A dog will always eat shit!"

...

The old lady was afraid that Yan Ke would leave, so she kept repeating to him every day that the Duke's Mansion could not do without him. She also said explicitly and implicitly that if he had to leave, she, the old lady, would follow him.

Yan Ke had his own concerns. He had left to save Jasmine, but within two years he came back to take charge of the Duke's Mansion again. It would be really unpleasant to hear this.

Of course he was not afraid of what he heard, but he was afraid that everyone would laugh at the Duke's Mansion and talk about them, mother and daughter, behind their backs.

The old lady was difficult to deal with, so Yan Ke had no choice but to tell her about his concerns.

The old lady was also in a dilemma.

Just when the old lady was at her wit's end, the emperor issued an edict. Without any negotiation, he restored Yan Ke's position as General of the Cavalry and the title of Duke of Dingguo.

The reason was that Duke Dingguo had provided aid to distressed civilians while defending the border, and even risked his own life to capture spies from the Umikoku region. His Majesty expressed his deep reluctance to lose such a rare pillar of strength.

When the people watched the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict leave and knelt in front of the Duke's Mansion to congratulate Duke Dingguo, everyone in the Duke's Mansion no longer had any worries.

The old lady knew that Yan Ke must have suffered a lot while guarding the border, but she did not have the foresight to know that Yan Ke had become an ordinary citizen and still did not forget to be loyal.

The old lady's eyes welled with tears. She knew that from now on, the Duke's Mansion would not only survive, but would also go far.

In the few days since returning, Yan Ke was busy meeting His Majesty and his colleagues, while Moli was well behaved and did not go anywhere, staying in the mansion with great joy.

The old lady observed him for a few days and nodded in satisfaction. She and Aunt Qian sighed, "This man has truly reformed."

Nanny Qian smiled and said, "That's right. After all, she's the one chosen by our Duke. How bad can she be?"

The old lady continued to nod. "It's not her fault, really. Anyone who grew up in that kind of place and encountered that kind of thing would be in trouble. She's lucky to have met Erlang now, and it's also Erlang's good fortune."

"Madam, someone has arrived from Xuzhou. It's Madam Xu II, and she's accompanied by several young ladies."

The doorman came hurriedly to report.

The old lady was surprised and looked at Madam Qian, who was also confused. She said anxiously, "Madam, Xuzhou didn't send us any letter."

The old lady said sullenly, "They came uninvited, knowing I would refuse."

"What should I do?"

The old lady didn't think too much about it and immediately said to the doorman, "Kick him out. Tell him I won't see guests."

She didn't even bother to find a reason. This shows how much the old lady hated Xu.

"Yes." The doorman responded and turned to leave.

Nanny Qian remembered something and hurriedly called out, "Wait a minute."

The doorman stopped again and went back to the corridor to wait for orders.

Nanny Qian remembered something and said to the old lady, "Madam, they came at the perfect time. If you want to get your things back, why not use them?"

A word awakened the dreamer. The old lady looked at Madam Qian and nodded, "Yes, it is indeed an opportunity."

...

"Mom, ah!"

"That's Huahua, you said, 'Huahua'."

“Ah, ah!”

Manxi pointed at the flowers in the corner, the wind chimes under the eaves, and the birds in the sky. His little mouth was drooling and he was arguing with Jasmine.

Jasmine was so worried that she couldn't help but tap her nose: "Little fool."

Xiuhong: "Madam, please don't say that. The young lady is very smart and knows how to greet the old lady. Even if you taught her, it's because our lady learned it well."

Shancha sighed and complained, "Madam, although my wife is young, she can understand."

As he spoke, Manxi Xiaodun pouted and glared at his mother unhappily.

I really understand this.

Jasmine quickly apologized: "It's all mother's fault. Our Man'er is the smartest."

Jasmine held her in her arms, and said with great care: "Even if our Man'er is really a little fool, she is still mother's favorite little fool."

Manxi just wanted to be held by her mother, and soon she raised her hand and asked Shancha to hold her and go swinging on the swing.

Yan Ke had built the swing after they got back. They had it back home in Shoubian, and Manxi had learned how to play with it herself. She wasn't content just sitting on it and being pushed; she'd learned a new trick: standing on it. Still feeling it wasn't high enough, she grabbed Shancha's hand and urged her to push harder.

"Ah...how dare you..."

A scream.

Jasmine, who was watching her daughter playing, heard it and pricked up her ears to continue listening.

There was intermittent noise coming from the front yard.

Normally, the voices from the front yard living room should not be heard, but it's so noisy that I'm afraid they will start arguing without any restraint.

Jasmine knew that Xu's guests had come, but she was now a virtuous and dignified Duke's wife, and she had to behave properly. How could she go to watch the fun if the old lady didn't let her go?

Jasmine felt very sorry and looked at Xiuhong and said, "Go and take a look."

Xiuhong responded and turned away.

Not long after, Xiuhong came back to report. She looked mysterious and asked, "Madam, do you know what happened?"

"The old lady didn't agree to their request, so they broke up?"

Xiuhong didn't expect that she guessed it right, and nodded in disappointment: "That's it."