Yan Shujin paused for a moment, then said, "I like little sisters too, but Grandma likes little brothers even more. Grandma said that if I keep calling for little brothers, the Goddess of Fertility will hear me and send a boy into her belly."
Yan Zhili was amused and said, "Nonsense."
Yan Shujin wrinkled her nose, somewhat unconvinced, and said in a spoiled tone, "I'm going to tell Grandma."
The maid following behind felt terrified. Thinking of Xu's arrangements, she wished she had eight legs to run and inform Xu, but in front of Yan Shujin, she dared not make the slightest move.
The Orchid Courtyard is very beautiful. Even when it gets dark, the exquisite palace lanterns hanging inside illuminate the courtyard brightly.
Upon hearing that Yan Zhili and Yan Shujin had arrived, Xu Shi's expression changed repeatedly. She exchanged a glance with Granny Sun before biting her lip and going out to greet them.
Yan Shujin noticed that Xu Shi had become much thinner than when she first met her. Wearing a plain-colored gauze dress, which accentuated her already protruding belly, she appeared even more slender and delicate.
Yan Zhili looked at Xu Shi standing under the palace lantern and softened his tone, saying, "The night breeze is cool, let's go inside first."
Xu's eyes reddened as she gazed intently and affectionately at Yan Zhili. Hearing his words, she managed a weak smile, wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, and said, "I've made you worry, Master."
Yan Shujin's eyes flickered. Back then, Madam Wang's husband was taken away by a woman like this. That woman was not as pretty as Madam Wang, but she always looked pitiful. When she saw Master Wang, she was particularly focused and admiring.
Madam Wang herself couldn't become that kind of woman, but she privately told Yan Shujin that if she ever encountered a woman who always looked pitiful or a so-called straightforward woman, she should try to stay away from them and ignore them. Because you can never guess what they will do next. If you really can't stay away, you should take the initiative and not wait for them to make a move.
We need to be wary of those who are cunning and calculating, but they are good at weighing the pros and cons, so there's no need to worry about them causing a complete disaster.
The most dangerous people are those who think they're clever; their stupidity can be fatal.
Yan Shujin wondered which category Xu belonged to.
Is it pitiful?
It's unlikely. Her pitiful act was just a tactic. Is she really that clever? Or just overconfident?
Regardless of which scenario it was, Yan Shujin already had a plan in mind.
Madam Wang's analysis at that time was correct. However, none of them knew that Yan Zhili would reach her current status. Before she was taken away, Madam Wang only said one thing to her: to make good use of her status and the guilt she felt towards her elders.
When Yan Shujin first arrived in the capital, she did not have a clear understanding of her own identity. However, from her current interactions with the people around her and the methods employed by those aristocratic families, she gradually came to understand.
Yan Shujin followed Yan Zhili into Xu's room. Xu's room was very elegant and had a faint floral fragrance. Had she had a nightmare? Looking at Xu's careful dressing, Yan Shujin touched her fingers. There are some things that women are particularly sensitive about, and this has nothing to do with age.
Yan Zhili asked, "What nightmare did you have? We'll have the imperial physician come and take a look when it's light."
Xu said with some guilt, "It's all my fault for making you worry, Master."
Yan Zhili sighed and said, "Take good care of yourself."
Madam Xu said softly, "In the past, Yunxiang would sing me little songs at night so I could fall asleep, but Yunxiang offended Baojie, so I can't keep her to serve me anymore."
"It's alright, she did something wrong, and I've already punished her." Yan Shujin was already thinking about how to respond, but unexpectedly, Madam Xu took the initiative to speak: "Don't worry, I'm not that petty. I wouldn't hold a grudge against a maid. Besides, the baby in your belly is very important. Even if several maids did something wrong, we can wait until the baby is born to settle things."
Ms. Xu found this difficult to respond to.
Yan Shujin had no intention of letting her off so easily. She said with a worried look, "You haven't been able to sleep for several days. The servants in your room didn't even tell Father. Even if you don't care about your own health, you should care about the baby in your belly. Grandma wants another grandson. Father, I think the servants in her room might not be taking it seriously."
“There should be some palace maids in the palace who are good at taking care of pregnant women. I’ll talk to my aunt tomorrow and ask her to find a few to take care of Consort Xu.” Yan Shujin said seriously, “It’s better to leave this kind of thing to people who are specially trained. The child is the most important thing.”
No matter what tricks Xu Shi uses, Yan Shujin is determined to achieve her goal. She has long been dissatisfied with Xu Shi's better access to information than their mother. Even if it weren't for today, Yan Shujin would have created an opportunity. What she fears is that the people in Xu Shi's courtyard will band together. Now that she has openly placed people in through her aunt, the new people also have their own agendas. When they start fighting with the old people in the courtyard, Xu Shi will not be able to have peace and quiet.
Old Madam Yan said angrily, "So what if you can't read? I can't read either."
Yan Shujin asked with a puzzled look, "Uncle, what do you mean by divorcing his wife and remarrying? Why would he divorce his wife and remarry?"
Yan Zhili also looked down on General Lü, saying, "He demoted his wife to a concubine and then married another woman from a noble family."
“I remember Aunt Fang saying that marriage should be between equals. Since he married a peasant girl, he was just an ordinary farmer back then.” Yan Shujin’s expression was calm, and her voice was clear with a girl’s unique charm: “His wife didn’t mind that he was poor back then, and she didn’t know he would become successful. She stayed with him and took care of him. How come he doesn’t want his wife now that he’s successful? Such a person can only share hardship but not happiness… Dad, don’t get too close to him. He’s not a good person.”
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