Chapter 44 Chapter 44: Beautiful eyebrows, soft jade and tender flowers
Jing Yao didn't expect that the scene she was worried about would come so suddenly, but fortunately he didn't go crazy and remained very restrained.
But she still overestimated herself. After getting up in the morning, she didn't know whether to sit or stand, and finally chose to lie down.
She turned over. She felt embarrassed whenever she thought of the baby in her belly. It was over. The child knew his father was a vile man before he was even born.
Wouldn't this be good for the children?
Jing Yao has been fond of daydreaming recently. Sometimes the more she thinks, the more outrageous it becomes, and she even laughs when she thinks back on it.
He Anting rearranged matters yesterday, and Guanlan Courtyard was indeed busy today. Qing Wu was busy running around, and Jing Yao couldn't just lie in bed and be lazy.
She and Yunqiao sat next to Qingwu and watched him study.
"Qingwu, you are so capable that you can be the steward of the mansion." This is not accurate. He has much more power than the steward.
Qing Wu chuckled, "Madam, you're too kind. I was simply conveying the Master's wishes. He's already familiar with these matters. As a subordinate, I naturally have to live up to my salary."
Then, under He Anting's order, Qingwu went to Zhenyueju to ask the county lord for the key to the pair.
"What?" The county lady placed the bird's nest on the rosewood table with a bang, and a few drops fell out.
Nanny Yuan trembled with fear. "Qingwu is waiting outside. When I went to the backyard today to check, I found no one there. I stopped the servants and asked them, and then I learned that the master has taken over the household affairs. From now on, all the maids will follow his orders."
The county lady was nearly mad with anger. Her face was cold and sullen as she sneered, "Look at my good son! Look at the good son I raised."
"County Lady, that pair of keys..." Nanny Yuan asked hesitantly.
The county lady continued to pick up the bowl and said, "Send him away. I will talk to He Anting in person tonight."
"Yes." Nanny Yuan received the order and retreated. Qing Wu was not in a hurry because he didn't get the key. He nodded lightly and left.
When He Anting finished his shift that day and stepped into the main hall, he saw his mother, whom he hadn't seen for five or six days, sitting at the top of the table with a cold expression, and there was no trace of illness between her brows.
He was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected his mother to lose her temper before the day had even started. He nodded calmly, "Mom, are you feeling better?"
The county lady felt that he was being sarcastic: "Now you are almost disowning me as your mother, why do you still care about my life or death?"
"Why do you say that, mother?" he asked without any surprise.
"You took the finances from me, didn't you just want to take my power and give it to your wife? You're a good son, but you've married a wife and forgotten your mother. Look at all the people in Bianjing who are as disobedient and unfilial as you."
The county lady was also very angry and started to speak without thinking.
He Anting's face suddenly darkened. "Mother, I can't bear such a serious sin. It was you who wanted to abandon the household chores and not take care of things for five or six days. What's wrong with me sharing the burden with you? Besides, who said that the household chores would be given to Yaoyao?"
The county lady didn't understand what he meant, but she didn't care about it on the surface because she wanted to force him to bow his head and give herself a way out so that she could discipline her daughter-in-law with dignity. Who knew he would do this?
She choked for a moment, and He Anting continued, "Isn't it just household duties? My son takes care of it himself."
When these words were spoken, the county lady and Nanny Yuan were in disbelief.
"What did you say? You're in charge of household expenses? I think you're crazy. What kind of man would be in charge of household expenses? Are you really not afraid of being laughed at by others?"
The county lady thought he was just making it up to go against her.
"The Grand Tutor, the Minister of War, and the old Duke Heng are all like this."
The people he described weren't just making things up; they were real. Hearing this, the county lady grew even angrier. "Other people don't care even more, so why do you insist on following their lead? Did Jing instigate you?"
"It has nothing to do with Yaoyao. She is timid and slow-witted, and not suitable for housekeeping. My son understands that his mother has a heavy burden, so he is sharing it himself."
"Besides, matters in the inner court and the outer court are the same, regardless of status. If I can manage Wenyuan Pavilion, I can also manage the inner court. The inner and outer courts support each other. Mother, I am understanding of you."
"Of course, mother doesn't have to worry about whether her son can bear it or not. She has plenty of strength and means." He raised his lips and nodded.
The county lady was speechless and choked with regret.
She said helplessly, "Aren't you afraid that your colleagues will laugh at you?"
"Mother, they don't dare."
He now somewhat understood the emperor's intention to make that prostitute the queen despite all objections. People should live in the present. A good reputation that will be passed down through the ages and praised by thousands of people is destined to be exchanged for something else.
And he didn't want to change.
The county lady couldn't win the argument with him, and if she didn't give him the matching key, it would appear that she regretted what she said, and she would lose face.
He gritted his teeth and handed over the key to the pair of cards.
He Anting said a few more compliments and left with the key, leaving the county lady furious.
…
At the Lingyun Marquis's residence, Ye Yunzheng arrived at the garden. A figure was sitting in the pavilion. Seeing him coming, Lingyun Marquis patted his shoulder and asked him to sit down. "I called you here to tell you that the crown prince has been re-ennobled. Yunzheng, don't blame us. We can't do anything about this."
Ye Yunzheng said calmly: "It doesn't matter. I was the one who did something wrong. I am ashamed to be the prince. Heng Ge'er is more motivated and more suitable to be the prince than me."
Seeing that he understood, Ling Yunbo heaved a sigh of relief: "I will also speak for you in front of the emperor, and try to send you to a place close to Bianjing."
Ye Yunzheng curled his lips. Lord He was very powerful and it would not be difficult to kill him silently.
"In two days, the Duke of Qi will celebrate his birthday. You and your wife should come with me and Brother Heng. We can't let outsiders gossip about us and make a fool of ourselves."
Ye Yunzheng just felt tired: "Okay."
Jing Yao hesitated while holding an invitation, and then walked up to He Anting with a clatter: "Husband, should I go to this?"
He Anting was juggling documents in his left hand and accounts in his right. Finally, he spared a glance to glance at the invitation in his wife's hand. "Duke Heng's Mansion? That's the young master who helped me rescue you last time in the town near Jiyang Prefecture. Although he's only a few years younger than me, we're of different generations. He calls me uncle, and his father is Duke Heng, so we're brothers."
Jing Yao was almost confused: "I know, it's him. I must go then. I have to thank him."
He Anting nodded: "Of course, I will go with you."
They have been married for half a month, and it is time for Jing Yao to meet some people at some banquets.
He stopped writing and leaned back. Jing Yao understood and sat down on his lap skillfully, finding a comfortable sitting position.
It was Jing Yao's first time attending such a banquet. She was nervous but too embarrassed to say it out loud, so she could only rest her chin on his shoulder like a kitten, leaning against him quietly, and smelling the light, cool fragrance on his body.
He Anting wrote with a swift movement, his other hand holding her waist and measuring her: "Your belly is a little bigger."
Jing Yao lowered her head when she heard that. Her belly was only slightly bulging, which was not noticeable because of her clothes, but her waist was indeed thicker.
"What if someone sees us at the banquet?"
He Anting's smile faded upon hearing this. He stroked her back and waist again and again, "We really need to be careful about this matter. We won't keep it secret for too long. We've only been married for half a month now, so we'll announce it a month later. This time we're just going out to show our faces. For the rest of the time, you can stay at home under the pretext of waiting for the birth of your baby and don't have to go out."
This matter needs to be considered carefully. His wife is He, not Jing. He has asked Qingwu to strictly warn the people in the Jing Mansion not to leak any information. If necessary, they can only say that Miss Jing has passed away.
Thanks to Jing Xunyuan's favoritism towards Cui, outsiders only knew that there were two ladies in the Jing family, but they didn't know who the other one was.
As for the Lingyun Marquis' Mansion, they are very smart and know what to say and what not to say.
Next comes the matter of childbirth, which requires even greater caution.
He would not allow his child to be born in the midst of storm.
He Anting thought for a while and said, "Yaoyao, let me change your name."
Jing Yao exclaimed, "Why are you changing your name out of the blue? What are you changing it to? I've been using this name for seventeen years. I'm afraid I won't be able to react to it if it's suddenly changed."
"I don't want to change everything. The word jing isn't very nice. It's full of thorns and too sharp. How about changing it to this?"
He Anting held her in his arms and wrote with a flourish the word "Jin" (meaning "noble and noble").
Jing Yao suddenly understood and was delighted: "This word is very good."
She had long been tired of the word "Jing", and now that she could finally get rid of it, she was naturally overjoyed and held the rice paper in her hands as if it were a treasure.
"Then I'm going to tell my mother."
He Anting held her down: "It's not too late to talk about it next time we meet."
Jing Yao was so happy that she hugged He Anting and kissed him on the cheek: "Thank you, husband."
He Anting looked at her curiously: "So happy?"
"certainly."
He Anting was also infected by her smile: "As long as you are happy."
On the day of the banquet, Jinyao got up early to put on her makeup. Yunqiao tied her hair into a heart-shaped bun. She wore a goose yellow long gown with a stand-up collar and cloud pattern on the upper body, and a milky white folded skirt on the lower body. She put on a light powder and rouge on her face.
He Anting was staring at her dressing up at the table. Jin Yao caught his gaze in the bronze mirror and felt a little embarrassed: "Why are you looking at me?"
"Can't watch?" He Anting asked back.
"Look, look, if I draw my eyebrows crooked, you will be responsible." Jin Yao was also annoyed and said this boldly.
The two of them are much more familiar with each other now than when they first got married. She is not so afraid of him anymore and only says "oh", "okay", "got it".
He Anting is happy to see this change.
After packing up, the two of them walked out of the house together. After many days, Jing Yao met the county lord.
"Mother-in-law." She knelt down to salute, but the county lady was indifferent and had no intention of paying any attention to her, so she did not move forward.
He Anting's gaze fell on He Qingwan, and that look was so sharp that He Qingwan could hardly ignore it.
"Brother, sister-in-law." She said reluctantly.
The four of them left the mansion and boarded a carriage to the Duke Heng's Mansion.
Today is the Duke's birthday, and the Duke's Mansion is packed with people, with carriages and horses coming in continuously. Most of the nobles and officials in Bianjing City have come to visit. The crowds of people in front of the door are so huge that it makes people dizzy at the sight of them.
Jinyao couldn't help but look away after getting off the carriage.
Qi Yue kept an eye on the periphery until he saw a dark figure and shouted, "Uncle."
The crowd suddenly became quiet, and then everyone turned around to look.
Apart from the first-class appearance of the Princess of Pingyang County, there are the two figures next to her.
He Anting was dressed in a dark brocade robe with wide sleeves and had a tall and majestic figure. He was followed by a petite and graceful figure with a beautiful face and delicate eyebrows.
His gaze fell on Jing Yao, and she felt a little nervous unconsciously, but she still stood straight with a stern face.
He Anting said that if you don’t know what to do, then just put on a stern face.
Duke Heng and his wife came over to greet them: "County Lady."
Everyone saluted and said in unison: "County Princess." Then Duke Heng and his wife began to greet He Anting.
Sister-in-law? What a strange name. Jinyao felt like laughing when she saw Duke Heng’s beard turning white.
After entering the mansion, the men's and women's seats were separated. Suddenly, she looked at He Anting walking away, feeling a little uneasy. Lady Hengguogong noticed her discomfort and took her arm affectionately: "What's your sister-in-law's name...?"
"Sister, my surname is He, and my name is Jinyao."
The Duke's wife asked her which two words, and Jinyao answered them one by one. The county lady was chatting with other noble ladies and didn't pay attention to her for a while.
The nobles' families poured into the banquet, and another noble lady appeared in the midst of the restless crowd. She looked at the crowd with dignity. The lady was wearing a red jacket and had a graceful demeanor.
"That is Princess Yin, and the one next to her is her younger sister."
Princess Yin's younger sister? Miss Xue? Jin Yao stared blankly at the lake-blue figure. Her every move was indeed graceful and elegant, and she was unattainable.
Princess Yin walked over with a smile on her face, then ignored Jin Yao and greeted the Duke's wife.
Fortunately, the Duke's wife pulled her aside and said, "Princess, let me introduce you. This is the wife of the elder. Her surname is He."
Princess Yin's smile faded a little, Xue Ningzhen's eyes turned cold, and the whole place fell silent.
Everyone knows that the Xue and He families had discussed a marriage, but the reason it didn't work out was probably because of this Mrs. He.
"You are so lucky to have such a beautiful wife. She looks so young. How old are you this year? Your face is so fresh."
There was a hint of teasing in Princess Yin's tone, and Jin Yao felt something was wrong.
It sounded like she was joking, but when you listened carefully it seemed like she thought she was young and that He Anting was just a child and should not be taken seriously, so she asked this question. Of course, she also made fun of He Anting for being an old cow eating young grass.
Princess Yin looks noble, but she is so disrespectful.
If Jinyao could sense it, others would naturally sense it too. The Duke's wife's expression changed slightly: "Princess."
"Well, I just said it casually. Look at you, you're just a child. How can I bully you?"
The Princess of Pingyang suddenly said, "I didn't expect you to be so old. Seeing such a fresh face makes me feel inferior. There's no need to be so flattering. Why don't you thank the princess for the kindness?"
Jin Yao responded quickly this time: "Junior thanks the princess for her kindness."
Princess Yin's smile immediately faded, and she looked sullen. The Duke's wife intervened in time to smooth things over so that others wouldn't laugh at her.
Jin Yao didn't expect the county lady to stand up, but she knew that Princess Yin was indirectly criticizing He Anting, which the county lady naturally could not tolerate.
Xue Ningzhen looked at her quietly, her eyes sweeping across her abdomen. Suddenly, she raised her lips and said, "Madam He is a beauty, quite different from us. Look at this belly. Are you pregnant?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's eyes fell on her slender and plump figure and slightly protruding belly.
Jin Yao's face turned pale, and her mind was disturbed by her words for a moment.
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