Chapter 69 Liu [Shen's Mother] Upon entering the Rongguo Mansion, she exclaimed, "How did you manage to..."

There was a consensus in the Rongguo Mansion that anything that might displease Grandmother Jia should be kept secret.

As for how long to keep it a secret... well, once that's over, the old lady will pretend to be stupid, and then it'll be easy to fool her.

That's right, Yuanyang has already decided to bring "Mother Liu" in, after all, Uncle Zhongyong has proven with facts that he is even more formidable.

"Please follow me, Mother." Yuanyang smiled and led the way, then hinted, "Where are you from? How should Miss Lin address your master?"

Madam Shen was still lamenting that it was truly a case of a tiger fallen into the plains being bullied by dogs. The general was right; the Rongguo Mansion really didn't dare to kick her out. Not only could they not kick her out, they had to take her in properly.

Wait a minute, isn't the phrase "a tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs" used inappropriately?

"Title? You're asking about titles?" This general had also said, "Strictly speaking, our family has a higher seniority, so Miss Lin should call my master 'Third Uncle'."

"Fine, fine!" Yuanyang exclaimed angrily. "You're just trying to fool me like this? I was even trying to help you sort things out!"

Having already spoken, Liu Mama, who was now made up and no longer Shen Mama, continued, "Our old master was a third-rank official. Although it was a nominal position, the family had some savings and a few acres of land."

Her mention of the thin land put Yuanyang on her guard. Wasn't the whole thing caused by those thirty-five acres of land? Was she... warning me?

Yuanyang smiled again: "Then your master is quite accomplished for his age."

The old man and the young and promising man were both guilty in the same sentence, but who can blame him when the old man is the Earl of Loyalty and Bravery?

Mrs. Shen smiled and said, "You flatter me."

The two chatted and laughed all the way to the gate of Grandmother Jia's courtyard. Yuanyang invited Shen Mama into the side room: "Please wait a moment while I go and inform the old lady."

Mrs. Shen smiled and agreed.

To be honest, Yuanyang was still a little worried, so she reminded her again, "It's Aunt Liu, right?"

Mrs. Shen nodded: "My husband's family name is indeed Liu."

Yuanyang continued to remind her, "Mom, don't rush to answer whatever the old lady asks. Think it through before you answer. It's the same."

Stop making a slip of the tongue and saying your surname is Shen. Even though you've never paid your respects to the old lady, she knows you exist.

Mrs. Shen laughed and said, "Don't be nervous. I'm old enough to have seen it all."

After Yuanyang left, Shen's mother's expression also turned strange. Goodness, the general is truly amazing.

Yuanyang went back inside, and everyone immediately fell silent, all staring at her.

Yuanyang restrained herself from looking at Lin Daiyu first, and instead smiled and said, "I went to see that old woman, and she said her surname is Liu—"

"The group of people were all dressed very...elegantly, and each had a piece of jewelry on them. I heard that their patriarch held a nominal third-rank official position."

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "It's not easy for a third-rank official to settle down in the capital. If only—"

"Grandma," Yuanyang hurriedly interrupted her. If she were to say something, things would get out of hand, and it wouldn't be a matter of just a scolding or two.

"The first time I visited, the old woman was still waiting outside."

Grandmother Jia originally did not want to see these people. As a duke's wife, she could not meet with just anyone. For example, she never mentioned wanting to see the old women from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion. Such people were not worthy of paying their respects to her.

But the situation is different now, and she can't let Yu'er worry, so she said, "Since even you say there is a respectable old woman, then bring her in to meet us. Let the old woman in first; too many people will make things chaotic. Just meet this one."

Yuanyang breathed a sigh of relief, then winked at Lin Daiyu and went out to call for help.

Unfortunately, even someone as intelligent as Lin Daiyu couldn't understand the meaning behind Yuanyang's complex gaze, which contained three parts surprise, three parts hint, three parts pleading, and one part anger.

However, when Yuanyang brought Liu [Shen's mother] in, Lin Daiyu was stunned when she saw her. She also looked at Yuanyang with a complicated expression, and finally understood why Yuanyang's expression was so strange.

Now that strange expression has moved to her face.

Lin Daiyu always knew that Yuanyang, her second aunt, Sister Feng, and even the prominent housekeepers in the Rongguo Mansion would conspire to deceive her maternal grandmother.

Now she's one of them, and she feels like she's finally infiltrated the Rongguo Mansion after ten years of hard work.

It's truly both laughable and frustrating.

Lin Daiyu glanced around the room out of the corner of her eye and realized that only she and Yuanyang seemed to recognize Shen Mama. No wonder Yuanyang dared to deceive her.

It seems that Jia Baoyu also saw it?

Last time Shen's mother came, she said that she had been glared at fiercely by Jia Baoyu.

Lin Daiyu quickly glanced at Jia Baoyu, only to see that he looked bewildered, seemingly completely unaware. Lin Daiyu felt relieved.

Liu [Shen's mother] first curtsied to Grandmother Jia, who then smiled and said, "Look around this room, which one is your Miss Lin?"

Shen's mother pretended to look around, this was her first time entering the house.

To be honest, Lin Daiyu was actually a little nervous.

"That eager and lively girl is definitely not it."

Lin Daiyu breathed a sigh of relief; the first person Shen Mama pointed to was Shi Xiangyun.

Grandmother Jia thought this was just her teasing and laughed, "Not bad, you do have some discernment."

"That person looks a bit old, so it probably isn't him."

Xue Baochai was also mentioned.

Grandmother Jia laughed even more heartily.

Lin Daiyu found this really exciting.

Her third brother was indeed extraordinary and audacious; no wonder he became a favorite of the two emperors as soon as he returned to the capital.

"This young woman looks somewhat similar to the older woman, but it probably isn't her."

Xue Baoqin is next.

While Shen's mother was still looking, Lin Daiyu frantically gave her meaningful glances: That's enough! That's almost enough!

Then Madam Shen walked up to her: "This must be Miss Lin, right?"

Everyone in the room laughed, and Shen's mother bowed to Lin Daiyu again.

Lin Daiyu accepted half a bow: "Mother Liu has come from afar." She also winked at Yuanyang, "Bring Mother a stool."

Yuanyang quickly came to her senses and realized that her back was sweaty. She kicked the little maid in front of her, and Lin Daiyu reminded her again: "Bring a high stool." She knew that when Granny Lai came before, she also sat on a small stool at her grandmother's feet.

She wasn't really used to this either. If you're going to give someone face, then give them the full respect. Why remind them in this kind of place: no matter how respectable you are, you're still a servant in my household.

“Exactly.” Yuanyang didn’t dare to ask her to sit on the low stool. “Mom is getting old, it’s more comfortable for her to sit higher.”

Yuanyang didn't even dare to mention her surname, for fear of accidentally slipping it out.

The maid brought over a stool, and Yuanyang thought for a moment, took it, placed it next to Lin Daiyu, and smiled, "Mother, sit next to Miss Lin and take a good look at her."

As she spoke, she gave Lin Daiyu a wink, this time pleading with all her might: "Please, Miss Lin, keep a close eye on this Liu [Shen Mama]."

Lin Daiyu then took over the conversation: "Mother, you must be tired from your journey."

Mrs. Shen replied, "It's not tiring at all. How could such a short walk be tiring? By the way, my husband asked me to bring some fresh shepherd's purse for the young lady. This is the perfect season for shepherd's purse."

"I'm sorry to trouble your master," Lin Daiyu said with a cadence. She still remembered what her third brother said when she went to the Wuyue Guild Hall last time and ordered a seasonal dish of dried tofu and shepherd's purse.

Why did you put in so much sesame oil? And why is it sweet?!

Lin Daiyu couldn't help but smile. She felt that watching her third brother eat dishes with sugar was something she could never get tired of.

When Lin Daiyu thought of Mu Chuan, she slowed down her pace of conversation. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Grandmother Jia asked, "Where is your residence located? Is it convenient for you to come over?"

Mrs. Shen smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, old lady. We live on Dongzhuang Street."

Grandmother Jia exclaimed, "That's a wonderful place!" It's right inside the inner city, not even outside the Dong'an Gate.

Mother Shen added, "But that house is too small and not enough for us to live in. We'll have to move to Ningyi Street in the north of the city."

Of everyone in the room, only Lin Daiyu could understand what Granny Shen was saying. They were moving from the Imperial Household Agency, which had been bestowed by the Retired Emperor, to the Imperial Household Agency, which had been bestowed by the Emperor himself.

Grandmother Jia, unaware of the truth and wanting to win back Lin Daiyu's heart, sighed kindly, "The house in the inner city is a bit small, but Ningyi Street is fine. It seems to be near Shuntian Prefecture? That's a good place too."

Madam Shen smiled and said, "The new house is twice the size of the old one. Our master originally didn't want to move; the old house was in the inner city, which made everything convenient."

Since the topic of the master had come up, Grandmother Jia asked, "What does your master do?"

Shen's mother's expression turned somewhat strange again. Who was their master? The Earl of Zhongyong.

The thought of this terrified Yuanyang, who broke out in a cold sweat. Lin Daiyu also felt that they couldn't continue to be so agitated.

“Our master…” Mrs. Shen glanced at the large grandfather clock in the room, “is probably drinking with someone right now.”

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia relaxed even more. What family has someone with a real job who starts drinking at noon? It's clear that although this family has an official, they don't have a real job. They're probably like Lian'er, who just bought an official position for convenience.

Besides, the houses in the inner city are too small, so why move to the north city?

Didn't you hear what she said?

...Our master doesn't want to move; living in the inner city is so convenient...

What does this mean? It means that his house in the inner city was so small that it wasn't even big enough for one master and a few maids and servants, and perhaps it didn't even have a courtyard.

This house was probably bought to make a good impression; the old house is located on Dongzhuang Street in the inner city, which sounds very prestigious.

Grandmother Jia sighed and said with a sense of superiority, "Wine is something you should only drink a little of, not too much, or you'll make a mistake."

“The old lady is right. My husband often says the same thing,” Mrs. Shen said with a smile.

Grandmother Jia then asked, "How is your master's health?"

"Okay, thank you for your concern, Grandma." Madam Shen smiled and said, "Grandpa is still very healthy and can still farm. He's busy with spring planting now."

Farming? Grandmother Jia couldn't contain herself any longer. She glanced at Lin Daiyu, only to find that Lin Daiyu's expression was even more exaggerated than hers.

This poor relative might just be trying to freeload, so it seems Yu'er doesn't intend to associate with him.

Grandmother Jia's sense of superiority intensified, and she said sarcastically, "Sigh, this kind of thing can be handled by the person in charge, why make the old master go?"

Lin Daiyu was terrified. She had never had such a tense and exciting experience before. She was afraid that if Shen Mama said anything else, she would lose control.

Well, she had considered that Shen's mother might lie to her grandmother, but... she never expected that telling the whole truth would be enough to fool her.

Who could have imagined this?

...Third Brother is capable, it's all Third Brother's fault!

"Mother, have some tea," Lin Daiyu interrupted their conversation.

Yuanyang breathed a sigh of relief. She also felt that she couldn't say any more. Taking this opportunity, she said to Grandmother Jia, "Grandmother, it's time to take your medicine."

Grandmother Jia gave her a satisfied look. Why would she want to pay attention to these people? As the saying goes, she was a duchess. If it weren't for Yu'er's sake, these servants wouldn't even have a chance to kowtow to her.

A few perfunctory words will suffice.

Grandmother Jia stood up and said politely, "Please give my regards to your master for Yu'er. When you have time, I'll have her go and introduce herself to the family."

Madam Shen smiled and agreed. After Grandmother Jia left, the people in the room dispersed, and Madam Shen accompanied Lin Daiyu out.

Lin Daiyu's smile finally eased a bit. Jia Baoyu suddenly leaned over and said, "This old woman looks familiar. I think I've seen her before."

Lin Daiyu was extremely nervous and quickly interrupted him: "You said the same thing when I came here back then."

As everyone knows, Jia Baoyu looked down on the nanny. When Lin Daiyu retorted like that, Jia Baoyu was speechless. Besides, he had only come over out of politeness for Lin Daiyu's sake. Moreover... he felt that this woman was a fraudster who had come to steal Lin Daiyu from him.

"Can you speak Suzhou dialect?" Jia Baoyu asked. "No one in our household can speak Suzhou dialect. If you can say a few words, you can speak your hometown dialect with Lin Daiyu."

He was persistent, but Madam Shen wasn't afraid: "Young master, your family's ancestral home is Jinling. How many people in your household can speak the Jinling dialect? Besides, I'm just a servant. Ask the servants in your household how many of them are from Jinling?"

Shen's mother spoke with a smile, and her attitude seemed quite good, but what she actually said was completely different.

Lin Daiyu then said, "Young Master Bao, you should hurry back and do your homework. I heard that your uncle is much better and will probably be testing you soon."

After Jia Baoyu left, the remaining girls weren't particularly curious, although Shi Xiangyun whispered to Xue Baochai, "Where did this one come from from?"

But Xue Baochai had already joined Lin Biao's faction, so she was even less likely to agree with Shi Xiangyun. She would say a few words and then leave it at that.

Madam Wang's eyes flickered. She recalled how, years ago, Granny Liu had come to beg for money, using the name of a relative of the Wang family, only to be summoned to the garden by the old lady and thoroughly humiliated. That was a real slap in her face. Now, the Lin family had come...

But she's just an old woman, there's no point in teasing her. What if we scare her and the Lin family stops coming?

Madam Wang smiled and said, "Now that you know the place, come often." After saying that, she instructed Lin Daiyu, "You are a young lady now. Since he is your guest, you should entertain him yourself."

Lin Daiyu agreed, then turned to look at Mama Shen: "Mama Liu, shall we go outside to talk?"

Shen's mother respectfully agreed and left with them.

Although Yuanyang helped Grandmother Jia inside, she was in a great hurry. Shen Mama had come more than once or twice. She was known by everyone, from the servants in the front yard and the Grand View Garden to those in Miss Lin's room.

She needed to give them a proper warning before they spread the news, at least until the old lady could get through this ordeal.

Yuanyang then chose a topic that Grandmother Jia disliked the most, and risked her life to blow up the cesspool: "...I need to go to Sister Feng's place and ask how the pawning is going. Last time I heard Second Master Lian say that if we're not in a hurry, it's best to take it slow. The main reason is that if such a large number of things are pawned, it will be bad for the reputation of the Rongguo Mansion if people find out. Secondly, I'm afraid the pawnshop won't be able to pay the price."

As expected, Grandmother Jia's face darkened, and she waved her hand, saying, "Go ahead."

Lin Daiyu brought Granny Shen out, originally intending to take her to Xiaoxiang Pavilion, but then she thought that the two half-finished embroidered "Man Jiang Hong" paintings were still on the embroidery frame, so it wouldn't be appropriate to take her in.

Lin Daiyu then asked softly, "Now that you're Liu Mama, what about Shen Mama?"

Madam Shen unbuttoned one button of her vest and said with a smile, "After taking off my vest and washing my face, I'm Madam Shen again."

Lin Daiyu was both amused and exasperated. Shen Mama then said, "My husband's family is indeed surnamed Liu. Even if His Majesty were to come, my husband's family would still be surnamed Liu."

"Then I won't keep you any longer." Lin Daiyu thought for a moment, "Since you've become Liu Mama, then tell Shen Mama to take a rest."

Well, it sounds like they're being considerate, but they didn't actually give me any rest.

Lin Daiyu chuckled twice and said, "Go back and thank my third brother for me. I know he meant well."

Madam Shen then asked, "Is there anything else you wish to instruct me for, young lady?"

Lin Daiyu shook her head, then suddenly remembered something: "Tell Third Brother to practice his calligraphy properly, I want to check it."

Mother Shen then took her leave. She truly admired the general; everything had been exactly as he had predicted.

Over there, Amber saw the old woman leading her outside, so she went back to report to Grandmother Jia: "She wasn't taken to Xiaoxiang Pavilion. She just said a few words outside and then had someone send her away. Miss Lin didn't see the other old women and maids at all."

Grandmother Jia breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed her granddaughter was still close to her.

Shen's mother was right when she said Mu Chuan was drinking.

He was drinking with Zhong Jun, the emperor's trusted confidant and military supervisor, who was also his newly recognized nephew.

"One last cup," Mu Chuan advised. "We're just having a meal together, why drink alcohol? Three cups are enough."

Zhong Jun said, "My father said that my third uncle has a huge capacity for alcohol and can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. I really want to see for myself."

"Being able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk is just a metaphor—"

Zhong Jun had just breathed a sigh of relief, but was also a little disappointed when he heard his third uncle say, "In our military camp, we drink from bowls. Even if your father can't hold his liquor, he still has to use a bowl."

Zhong Jun laughed and served Mu Chuan another bowl of soup: "Ginseng chicken soup, Uncle, have some nourishment."

"This is all thanks to you," Mu Chuan joked. "Before your father left, he specifically told me to go find Old Liao, who was in charge of the kitchen, and have ginseng, cordyceps, and lingzhi stewed in rotation. You, the supervisor, must be made to eat well."

Zhong Jun laughed along, "Old Liao's cooking skills are indeed excellent. He really thought I was a military supervisor. Third Uncle, look at this chicken soup. Whose chicken has four legs?"

As the two ate and chatted, Zhong Jun reminded them, "The five major camps of the Beijing Garrison can't be too close. Sometimes they even have to argue in front of His Majesty. For example, they might argue about which camp should be the guards for the spring hunt, autumn hunt, or summer retreat. Even if they all go together, they still have to fight over who gets to be closest to His Majesty."

Mu Chuan nodded: "That's right, so this time, the first place in the dragon boat race is nothing more than a piece of my mind."

Zhong Jun then raised his soup bowl and said, "I wish my third uncle a great success."

After the two finished half a bowl of chicken soup, Mu Chuan asked, "If I were to suggest to His Majesty that we hold a grand martial arts competition for the capital garrison, would that be feasible?" He wasn't entirely concerned about military expenses; a competition would also allow others to see where the gap lay.

Zhong Jun thought for a moment: "It is indeed a suggestion that Third Uncle would make. But if Third Uncle is not in a hurry, why don't you wait for me to speak? After the Dragon Boat Festival, when Third Uncle wins the dragon boat race, I will speak to His Majesty privately. Third Uncle is still an outsider at the moment, so it will be very useful to use him to provoke the other generals."

After saying this, he felt somewhat ashamed and changed to a more straightforward statement: "Although I have received His Majesty's favor, I still need to seek some merit. As the supervising officer, whether it's the dragon boat race or the grand martial arts competition, if my third uncle wins, I will also have merit. The other battalions also have supervising officers, and I cannot give them any chance to surpass me."

Mu Chuan laughed and said, "What's there to be embarrassed about? Everyone wants to get promoted and make money, let alone you and me. Don't worry, just tell me what you want."

The two discussed some details, and since it was dinner with family, they had previously talked about serious topics, but now they switched to lighthearted gossip.

"Does the palace know about the jade from the Rongguo Mansion?"

Zhong Jun said, "I didn't expect Third Uncle to care about this too. I had just entered the palace at that time, but there were indeed rumors in the palace. It is said that it was originally said by Eunuch Dai. By the time I heard it, it had already passed through several hands. Third Uncle, listen to what I mean."

He cleared his throat, mimicking the shrill voice characteristic of eunuchs in operas—in reality, his voice wasn't that shrill, and neither was Dai Quan's, except that it wasn't deep at all.

“If the jade was engraved with ‘By the mandate of Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous,’ then even if they didn’t offer it up, it should still belong to His Majesty, otherwise they would lose their heads. But it’s just ‘Never forget, may your immortal life be long and prosperous.’ It’s just a child’s toy. Who would want this?”

"Think about it, where did that jade come from? If you present this thing to His Majesty, do you think he will accept it?"

Zhong Jun sang two lines in a high-pitched voice, his throat still a little itchy. He picked up the chicken soup and drank two more sips. When he spoke again, his voice had returned to normal.

"When the Emperor Emeritus was about to abdicate, he was extremely fond of grandiose projects. Every year, he would dredge the riverbed to remove silt, and he would unearth several stone tablets with the inscription 'Heaven blesses the Great Wei, Long live the Emperor.' The Emperor Emeritus didn't care for that jade." Zhong Jun said, then asked, "Uncle, have you seen that jade?"

Mu Chuan nodded.

"Does Third Uncle think the eight characters 'Never forget, may you live a long and prosperous life' are suitable for the emperor? Isn't that just inviting humiliation? Besides, how big can that jade be? Third Uncle is thinking, if it were made into a seal, how many characters could be engraved on it?"

Mu Chuan laughed and said, "If we really want to carve words, we'll probably need to hire a master craftsman who knows micro-carving."

"Isn't that settled? The Rongguo Mansion made a huge fuss about this. We all guessed that they were trying to use the opportunity of presenting the jade to get back into the Emperor Emeritus's sight and ask for some more favors for their family. But the Emperor Emeritus completely ignored them."

"So, this whole thing is fake? A setup?" Mu Chuan countered, then after a moment's thought, added:

"That's possible. If I encountered this, I could just offer it to him privately. How could the Emperor Emeritus treat me unfairly? But they made it so that the whole capital knew that the Rongguo Mansion had a precious jade. It was quite a big deal, almost like they were coercing the Emperor Emeritus: 'You took such a good thing from us, so your compensation should be decent.'"

“So, ever since the Duke of Rong passed away, the Rong family has been getting worse day by day,” Zhong Jun sighed. “They can’t even pull off any schemes or tricks, let alone any upright and honorable ones.”

After the two finished talking about this, they had almost finished their meal. Zhong Jun said, "A few years ago, Prince Bei Jing also went to see that jade. He even told His Majesty about it when he came back. I happened to be there. Prince Bei Jing's exact words were: 'That jade is too small. If it weren't for my youth and good eyesight, I wouldn't be able to see the characters clearly if I were older.'"

Mu Chuan chuckled a few times: "Prince Bei Jing is quite a remarkable person. He's only in his early twenties now, and everyone in the capital speaks of him as humble and gentle, not at all like a hereditary prince."

"Does Uncle really believe he is a humble person?"

“If you put it that way, I certainly won’t believe it,” Mu Chuan said. “The fact that he could attend that extravagant funeral at Ningguo Mansion shows that he couldn’t possibly be genuinely humble.”

Zhong Jun laughed and said, "It's good that you know this, Third Uncle. At that funeral, all four princes and eight dukes went. Last year, the Empress Dowager who died in the palace was only laid to rest for twenty-one days, but Qin Shi from Ningguo Mansion was laid to rest for a full forty-nine days. Isn't that a demonstration? Third Uncle, His Majesty will definitely need you in the future."

As they were talking, Mu Chuan's trusted aide knocked on the door: "My lord, Prince Teng has arrived and requests an audience with Eunuch Zhong."

Zhong Jun chuckled twice: "This is to give me credit." He finished the rest of the chicken soup and said, "When Third Uncle sees Bai Zhong again, tell him to listen to the palace secrets when he has time. There are a lot going on in there, and factional struggles are all involved. Don't always avoid him; if you don't take sides, no one will play with him."