Chapter 141 The Turmoil at the Gate (Part 2)
On the boat, Madam Min told them who the people in the Marquis's mansion were, and then said that once they entered the mansion, they didn't need to talk to anyone. And that was it.
She learned about each person's details from Ayi and the others afterwards.
Min Qiao felt it would be a waste to say even half a word more to the people in the Marquis's mansion!
Although she didn't understand why her aunt disliked her own children and grandchildren, she thought her aunt was cool!
No matter who you are, if I say I won't talk to you, I won't! If I say I don't like you, I won't even bother to mention you!
Do whatever you want! That's great!
However, according to Ayi and the others, although Min Yuexi used to be somewhat snobbish and broke off her arranged marriage with the family she was betrothed to as a child, she later had a profound awakening and became much more insightful and intelligent.
But now it seems that Ayi and the others exaggerated a bit.
Seeing that Min Yuexi still wanted to say something, Qiao Yuanyao quickly changed the subject, saying, "There's still a long way to go. We've had a long journey, and my mother is getting old, so I'd like to go inside and rest first."
Upon hearing this, Min Yuexi quickly apologized, saying, "Auntie is right. Auntie, please come inside!"
Qiao Yuanyao didn't stand on ceremony and curtsied to Min Rong, saying politely, "Cousin, then we'll go in first."
“Go ahead,” Min Rong replied with a smile. Then he instructed Ayi, “With the Grand Madam not here, you must take good care of your aunt and cousin.”
"Yes," Ayi replied quickly.
Min Rong turned to Min Yuexi and instructed her, "Xi'er, you should go and see them too. Your grandmother isn't here, so you need to take good care of your aunt and cousin in her place."
Min Yuexi quickly replied with a smile, "That's exactly what I was thinking."
After saying this, he walked over to Wu and whispered a few words to her before quickly following Qiao Yuanyao and the others.
Watching the group walk away, Madam He covered her face, which had been slapped by Qiao Yuanyao, and said in a resentful tone, "My lord! Are you just going to let me get slapped in the face by a mere girl? How can I maintain any authority in managing the manor after this?"
Wu glared at He resentfully, then turned and left.
How dare you call the Qiao family's cousin a "little girl"? Looks like that slap didn't even hurt her!
Hmph! If it weren't for her daughter telling her not to confront Madam He head-on, she would have loved to mock her to her face!
Min Rong frowned in annoyance and said coldly, "Alright! Watch your mouth from now on! Don't cause me any trouble!"
He realized that the Marquis's mansion and Madam Min were one and the same. If Madam Min did anything at her maternal home, the censors could use it to attack him!
If he really offended Madam Min, and Madam Min did something even more outrageous, wouldn't he be attacked to death by those censors?
Moreover, Min Qiaoshi is his biological mother after all. If Min Qiaoshi sues him for filial impiety, how can he possibly get away with it?
Therefore, it is best to keep the peace with Madam Min!
Anyway, Madam Min Qiao said she wouldn't interfere in the affairs of the Marquis's mansion, which meant she wouldn't interfere in his affairs!
Therefore, all he needs to do is maintain a superficial harmony with Min Qiao Shi!
Upon hearing this, Madam He immediately became aggrieved: "My lord, how heartless you are to say such things! Wasn't everything I did for you? Waaah, I humbled myself to become your concubine, used my own savings to supplement the household, and even swallowed my pride to bear the blame for you... It's one thing for you not to be grateful, but you even say I'm causing you trouble! Am I wronged? Waaah..."
He covered her face and wept, her words dripping with tears.
If Madam Min were here, she would definitely empathize. Because, in her previous life, she was in the same situation: she paid money, endured infamy, and received no praise whatsoever; instead, she was resented by everyone.
The difference is that in her previous life, Min Qiaoshi did not complain about her grievances. But Heshi cried out all her grievances.
As expected, He Shi's tearful complaint softened Min Rong's heart, and he couldn't help but feel guilty, saying, "I was wrong, it's all my fault, I've made you suffer. Please stop crying. Let's go inside and talk about it."
Seeing that Min Rong had given in, Madam He wiped away her tears and followed him into the mansion.
On the other side, Ayi led Qiao Yuanyao and her group to the hanging flower gate, where they finally met Wei Jia, who had arrived late.
Wei Jia quickly stepped forward and respectfully curtsied, saying, "This servant, Wei Jia, greets Aunt and Cousin. I was delayed by some matters and was unable to greet you at the gate. Please forgive me."
Zhou raised her hand with a smile, "Please, no need for formalities. Miss is busy, we're just troubling you."
Qiao Yuanyao chimed in, "It's alright, we have Miss Ayi with us."
Wei Jia breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed that both of Madam Tai's relatives from her maternal family were easy to get along with.
Of course, if she had witnessed Qiao Yuanyao slapping Aunt He at the gate without a word, or humiliating Min Rong with a single argument, she wouldn't have thought that way.
Since there was a distinction between master and servant, Wei Jia didn't exchange many pleasantries with the two women and directly led them to the courtyard that had been arranged for them in advance, Guanlan Courtyard.
This courtyard used to be where Min Yao and his family lived. It was a bit far from Songhe Hall, where Min Qiaoshi lived, but quite close to Lingyun Pavilion, where Su Rongrong lived.
So when Wei Jia and A Yi brought Qiao Yuanyao and the others to Guanlan Courtyard, Su Rongrong came over to say hello.
After six months of treatment, Su Rongrong's eyes can now see, but she is not fully recovered. To avoid direct sunlight, she covers her eyes with a thin veil whenever she goes indoors.
Because Su Rongrong wasn't familiar with Qiao Yuanyao and the others, she simply waited at the entrance of Guanlan Courtyard, greeted Qiao Yuanyao and her daughter, and then took her leave to return to Lingyun Pavilion.
Watching Su Rongrong walk away, Qiao Yuanyao asked Ayi curiously, "Is this the third young lady that my aunt recognized before leaving the capital?"
Ayi nodded: "Exactly."
Qiao Yuanyao's eyes lit up. "So, the fearsome Earl of Enping is her fiancé?"
Ayi's lips twitched. "Yes."
Wei Jia, standing to the side, gave Qiao Yuanyao a strange look. Although Miss Qiao was twenty years old, she was still an unmarried girl. Was it really appropriate for her to talk about someone else's fiancé in public so unabashedly?
The next moment, Qiao Yuanyao said with emotion, "My aunt was able to keep those people in check in Jiangnan thanks to the reputation of this Earl of Enping!"
Wei Jia suddenly suffered a heart attack. Was the young lady praising or slandering Earl Enping?
However, before she could even process what was happening, Qiao Yuanyao helped Zhou Shi into the courtyard.
"We, your servants, greet your maternal aunt and cousin!"
As soon as they entered the courtyard, an old woman led the way, and eight young maids lined up in two rows all bowed in greeting.
Wei Jia stepped forward and explained, "Auntie, Miss, these people will be at Guanlan Courtyard from now on."
Then she pointed to the leading old woman and said, "This is Granny Liu. From now on, she will be in charge of the daily life of my aunt and cousin. You can tell her if they need anything. Of course, you can also tell me directly."
Qiao Yuanyao smiled and thanked Wei Jia, "Thank you."
“You’re too kind, Miss. These were all assigned by the Grand Madam.” After saying that, Wei Jia added, “If these people are not serving you well in any way, Miss, you are welcome to come to me. Of course, if your aunt and you want to buy your own people, that’s fine too. Just use these people for now, and we can replace them when we find more suitable ones.”
"Thank you for your trouble." Qiao Yuanyao's smile was more sincere this time.
Before coming, she politely declined her uncle's offer and left the people who had served her mother all these years at the Qiao family.
This was all to prevent the Qiao family from having any opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
Upon arriving in the capital, she moved into the Xuanping Marquis's residence. Although she was living under someone else's roof, she still didn't want to use the Marquis's staff. Especially the people who would serve her mother closely; she insisted on buying them herself.
Although her second brother trusted his aunt completely, and she had no doubts about her, it was hard to guarantee that the others in the Marquis's mansion wouldn't have other ideas.
It's always best to be cautious in everything!
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