Chapter 169
Huh? Huo Wei's originally smiling face instantly disappeared. "Who told you to inquire about this?!"
"Cousin, I'm doing this for your own good." Fang Yunzhi said softly.
Huo Wei's heart pounded. Her cousin was here to get married, and her aunt was trying to find her a good family in Yichun. Whether Fang Yunzhi was her cousin or not, every move she made represented her reputation. If she were to go and make this inquiry now, someone who didn't know would think she had asked her to do it.
But she didn't need to bother with this at all! When she got married, she already knew that Xing Changfeng had taken two concubines for political reasons. Was there any need for her to inquire about this mess?
"I don't need you to do this. While you're in Yichun, just be a quiet lady."
Fang Yunzhi said angrily, "Cousin, don't you want to be with your brother-in-law for the rest of your life?"
Huo Wei frowned. "This is a matter between me and your cousin's husband. It has nothing to do with you. And it is absolutely unreasonable for a junior like you to interfere in the affairs of your elders."
Her cousin, utterly naive from reading storybooks, deeply yearned for a lifelong, happy ending like the ones described in them. But in this world, given equal status, such a relationship was difficult for her to achieve. Why would a man give up his right to have three wives and four concubines in a marriage of strength? Unless she married down like Xing Xingyue and had a powerful brother willing to protect her, it was highly unlikely that her aunt would sacrifice her family's interests to fulfill her wish.
Fang Yunzhi pouted unhappily, thinking that her cousin was really ungrateful.
Huo Wei stopped Fang Yunzhi as she was about to leave, "Wait, who did you ask for this information?"
The other party told her cousin this news in order to make her hate Yao Chunnuan.
But Xing Changfeng's taking a concubine was a political necessity, and it must have been agreed to by Xing Changfeng himself. How could it be said that Yao Chunnuan was the one who decided to take her in? She didn't believe that someone as smart as Yao Chunnuan would bring up this matter in an occasion where only she and Xing Changfeng were present.
So, someone was targeting Yao Chunnuan? Well, besides, they were also trying to use her.
"Ah, this--" Fang Yunzhi hesitated, as if she didn't expect her to ask this question.
Huo Wei picked up the comb and combed the bangs on her forehead. "Think it over carefully. Do you want to tell me or not?"
"That's what I said. It was my cousin-in-law's sister who said it." Fang Yunzhi was not a very principled person. After weighing it a little, she naturally sold out Xing Xingyue.
"Xing Xingyue?"
"Yeah, that's what she told me."
Xing Xingyue, her sister-in-law who eloped and got pregnant before marriage. Huo Wei had learned about the Huo family's relationship map before marrying in. She had known that Xing Xingyue was a troublesome person, but she had never expected her to be so bold and foolish.
Even she, a newly married woman, understood Xing Xingyue's status in the Xing family. To the Xing family, their daughter, Xing Xingyue, was treated like a worthless piece of trash. Their demands were low, as long as they stayed out of trouble, but they couldn't even dream of any power.
After Fang Yunzhi left, Nanny Dong, Huo Wei's dowry, carefully tied her hair up, saying, "Miss, you're doing the right thing. Your cousin is a bit erratic, so don't listen to her nonsense." Fang Yunzhi didn't have to think about it. How could a mistress pick a fight with the master's capable subordinates as soon as she entered the house? This was a marriage, not an enmity!
Huo Wei said, "Don't worry, Madam Dong, I know what's going on."
Thinking of what happened just now, Nanny Dong shook her head, "I didn't expect that my uncle's sister is not only incompetent but also has a vicious heart."
Huo smiled but said nothing.
Before she got married, her father called her to the study and told her some things she should pay attention to after marrying into Yichun.
He mentioned that her most important concern was how to manage her relationship with Yao Chunnuan. He worried that once his daughter arrived in Yichun, jealousy would get the better of her, prompting her to confront Yao Chunnuan, or perhaps even on her own accord, leading to a dead end in which she would insist on a fight.
Even though he had never been to Yichun, he had heard of Yao Chunnuan's prestige in Yichun and could imagine that she had managed Yichun successfully with the help of everyone in the City Lord's Mansion, and her prestige must be very high.
She deserves at least six points of the credit for Yichun's prosperity. So many people have been able to eat and live a good life under her management, and it is normal for them to love and support her.
In Yichun, Yao Chunnuan has established herself as an irreplaceable figure. She is very smart and does not have any military power, but this does not mean that she has no say in the palace. She is loved by many soldiers in the army.
Even his son-in-law, Xing Changfeng, wouldn't dare touch her. She's the one who's responsible for this whole thing, and no one knows if she's got any tricks up her sleeve. If they touch her, the good situation will crumble, and where will they go to cry? Besides, Yao Chunnuan has never done anything beyond her rights. Touching her just because she's capable? That's intolerant. Fortunately, his son-in-law isn't like that.
General Huo felt that since his youngest daughter had arrived in Yichun, it was unnecessary and he would not win the fight with her.
The two took different paths. The daughter relied on her father, brother, and husband, and in the future, she might rely on her son. If she could safely give birth to the eldest grandson of both the Xing and Huo families, it would be a great achievement, and her blessings were yet to come.
His daughter was the thorn in the alliance between the two armies. Mr. Huo had placed his bets on Xing Changfeng, so he naturally didn't want anything to happen to his daughter. But to be honest, his daughter had little chance of winning against Yao Chunnuan.
Fearing that his daughter would be depressed, General Huo even advised her to treat Yao Chunnuan as a man. After all, if it wasn't her, someone else would sit in the position of Gongcao. Why should she mind so much if it was her?
His father was so worried about her that he almost broke her down and explained all the benefits and disadvantages to her, for fear that she would make a mistake.
She listened to her father's words obediently and said at that time, "Dad, you underestimate me too much!" She grew up in the army. Although she did not wield swords and guns, she was influenced by the military atmosphere and had a broad temperament. She was not the kind of person who was petty and had a heart smaller than a needle tip.
Besides, her father and brothers had said that the forces led by Xing Changfeng were very likely to become the new masters of China, and Yao Chunnuan was a capable and influential minister. With the hope of saving the country at hand, any assistance should not be removed for selfish reasons. Besides, targeting someone without any cause would only encourage them to have second thoughts. If she did so and it triggered a series of adverse events, wouldn't she be the culprit?
"It's good that you think this way. Dad is afraid that when you get there, someone with bad intentions will instigate you, and you will fall into the trap." General Huo was very relieved.
Seeing her like this in the mirror, Nanny Dong knew that she had understood what she had not said, so she felt relieved. Xing Xingyue deliberately told Fang Yunzhi that the two concubines of her uncle were taken in by people led by Yao Chunnuan. There are two meanings. The first meaning is naturally to use her own daughter to deal with Yao Chunnuan: the second meaning is to subtly instigate her family's uncle and Yao Chunnuan to have an ambiguous relationship. If you think about that sentence, you will know who can take a concubine for a man. It must be an elder or the main wife. Yao Chunnuan is not an elder, so what does it mean if it does not mean that she is exercising the power of the main wife?
Nanny Dong was chosen as Huo Wei's first dowry maid because she was calm and self-possessed, unlike other maids who constantly indulged their masters' misbehavior and followed their masters' lead, some even prioritizing their own reputation over their masters' interests. Before her wedding, Nanny Dong was given a series of instructions to help the young lady and to carefully manage her relationships with Xing Changfeng's family and subordinates.
Huo Wei understood. She believed her husband, Xing Changfeng, and Yao Chunnuanzhi were innocent. Before she got married, she had carefully read about their relationship. It was a story of a good horse breeder and a talented person, each of whom achieved great success.
To be honest, they've known each other for so long, if there was anything going on between them, it would have already happened. Regardless of their motives, if it hadn't happened before, it wouldn't happen again. Putting herself in his shoes makes it clear: if she were in his shoes, she wouldn't want the power she'd worked so hard for to be tainted by a romantic relationship with someone higher up.
After getting dressed and having some breakfast, Huo Wei got up and walked towards Xing's mother's yard.
As soon as she arrived, she found Xing's mother preparing to go out. She casually asked, "Where are you going, mother?"
Xing's mother said hesitantly, "This - let's go to the Yao Mansion."
"Mother likes Lord Yao very much?" Huo Wei suddenly remembered Mother Xing's habit of gazing at beautiful women.
"Well, An Nuan is a very good person." Xing's mother looked at her daughter-in-law nervously, afraid that she would be unhappy, because every time she talked about this, her daughter was always impatient.
"Really? If Mother goes to the Yao residence later, could you take me with you? I'd love to go along too." When they got married, the other party had given them a red coral ornament, symbolizing their wish for a prosperous life. It made sense for her to go over and thank them.
Hearing her words, Xing's mother was very happy, "Okay, then we will go together. Let me tell you, Yuxue, the daughter born by A Nuan, is so cute. Every time I see her, I can't help but want to take her home to raise her." She went to Yao's house this time not to see A Nuan to refresh her eyes, A Nuan was too busy, and she felt the same way about little Yao Xi.
Huo Wei followed her steps out and listened to her mother-in-law's nagging with a smile.
The Yao Mansion is located in an excellent location on Shuyuan Road in the main urban area, not far from the Xing Mansion. They did not take a sedan chair, but walked there.
As soon as they entered the door, they heard a series of footsteps, followed by a soft and tender voice, "Grandma Xing, you're here to mess with me."
"Yes, Grandma Xing is here again. Is Xiao Yaoxi welcome?"
"Welcome duck."
Huo Wei looked in the direction of the voice and saw a three-headed girl with two small buns standing closely against the legs of an old woman. She recognized her as Yao Chunnuan's mother.
When the other party saw her, he bowed and said, "Greetings, Madam City Lord."
"No need to be so polite. I'm sorry for disturbing you by coming here without your permission."
"No, no, please come in."
The two exchanged a few pleasantries.
Little Yao Xi beside her tilted her head and looked at her curiously, "Who are you?"
Yao's mother said, "Xiaoxi, don't be rude. This is the wife of the city lord."
Little Yao Xi said, "Oh, it's the City Lord's wife." "Hello, City Lord's wife—"
Huo smiled and squatted down, looking the little girl in the eye, "Hello, Xiaoxi." Her mother-in-law was right, Yao Chunnuan really gave birth to a beautiful and lovely daughter.
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