Chapter 269 Yun Jin
When the carriage stopped in front of the Marquis of Jing'an's residence, a servant immediately went to report it.
After all, they recognized the princess's carriage. After Princess Chaoyun got out of the carriage, Lin Changning followed, and Mr. Gao Huan followed behind Lin Changning.
Princess Chaoyun walked up the steps, and Lin Changning had barely followed when the gate of the Marquis's mansion opened a crack, and a woman of about forty years old came out, looking at Princess Chaoyun with a fawning smile on her face.
"Greetings, Princess Zhaoyun. My mistress is already waiting in the manor. Please come in."
Chao Yun seemed to dislike the matriarch of the household quite a bit. She nodded slightly to the woman and glanced at Lin Changning: "Follow me."
After saying that, he led his people into the main courtyard. Lin Changning looked around at the layout and secretly memorized the way to the Marquis's mansion. If the Marquis's mansion blocked the princess from leaving, then he would have no choice but to force his way into the mansion and take her away.
After secretly memorizing the route, Lin Changning followed Zhao Yun and was led into the main courtyard.
A beautiful woman, around 30 years old, sat upright in the main hall. Upon seeing Princess Chaoyun enter, she hurriedly stood up, smiling, and grasped Princess Chaoyun's hand, saying, "Greetings, Princess. What brings you here today?"
Princess Chaoyun calmly withdrew her hand, a distant and polite smile on her face: "My mother's birthday is approaching, and there is something I need to ask the Lady of the Marquis for help with."
The lady of the Marquis's mansion pulled Princess Chaoyun to sit down and returned to the main seat herself, while Lin Changning and Mr. Gao Huan stood silently behind Princess Chaoyun.
The mistress of the Marquis's mansion glanced at the two of them casually. Although she was a little confused, she still asked, "Princess, please speak frankly. If we can help, the Marquis's mansion will certainly not refuse."
As she spoke, she glanced at a maid beside her. The maid nodded to the mistress of the Marquis's mansion, bowed, and walked out, her purpose unknown.
Having lived in the capital for so many years, Chao Yun actually knew all the ins and outs of the Marquis's mansion, including the Marquis's heir beating his cousin and the embezzlement of his cousin's dowry by members of the Marquis's mansion. She knew all of this. The Marquis's mansion looked glamorous, but in reality, it was rotten to the core.
"It's nothing major. My mother's birthday is in a few days, and I was thinking of giving her something as a gift. I've found a dress that I like, but it's missing a piece of Yun brocade. Although it's rare, it's not hard to find. However, the color is a deep blue. I've inquired at the fabric shops, and the only one in the capital that still has a piece of blue Yun brocade is the Marquis's residence. That's why I've swallowed my pride and come to ask for it. But I won't let the Marquis's residence suffer any loss. My Princess's residence is willing to pay one thousand taels of silver to buy the Yun brocade from the Marquis's residence."
The mistress of the Marquis's mansion was somewhat puzzled; where in her mansion was there any blue brocade?
Just as she was about to refuse, she saw her daughter rushing in from outside the door: "Mother, I heard the princess has arrived?"
The mistress's smile deepened. After watching her daughter bow to the princess, she warmly introduced her daughter: "This is my daughter. I am a woman and I am afraid that I will not be able to entertain the princess properly. Don't think about bringing her along to keep the princess company. You are of the same age and you can talk to each other."
Princess Chaoyun glanced at Ji Minmin, who was bowing, and nodded slightly: "Get up."
The lady of the Marquis's mansion's smile was somewhat stiff, but she did remember that the princess had come to ask for the Yun brocade: "The Yun brocade that the princess mentioned may need to be searched in the room. It's not that I'm reluctant to part with it, but I really don't remember having such a piece of Yun brocade in the mansion."
Before she could finish speaking, Ji Minmin, eager to please, gently reminded her, "Mother, my sister-in-law might have some. I remember that among the dowry items from the Prince's mansion was a batch of azure brocade."
The mistress's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't help but curse her daughter inwardly for being so tactless. How could a sister-in-law know about the princess's dowry? Wasn't this obviously telling outsiders that the princess's dowry list was in their hands?
Chao Yun smiled meaningfully as she looked at Ji Minmin and said gently, "Speaking of which, my cousin and I haven't seen each other for a long time. If there's nothing serious on your side, I'm sure you wouldn't be so stingy as to not give me a single piece of Yunjin. Please ask Madam to invite my cousin over, and also bring that little girl Yue'er along. At the beginning of the year, we only said that Yue'er was sick, and we don't know how she's recovering now."
Lady Hou's expression turned to shock, and her smile almost faltered. Just as she was about to decline, Princess Chaoyun's beautiful eyes swept over her, and she asked hesitantly, "Is Madam in a difficult position? Or is it that I, as a princess, cannot even see my cousin?"
As she spoke, Chaoyun's smile faded, and she stared intently at the Lady Hou.
Lady Hou's forehead was covered in sweat. Just a few days ago, her son had made a move on the county magistrate, and now Chao Yun was being aggressive here. She was really not easy to fool.
Thinking that her daughter-in-law's injuries were almost healed, she waved her hand and said, "How could that be? Yue'er just caught a cold and had a fever a while ago, but she's fully recovered now and should be able to come out and see people. Someone, go and invite the young master's wife and young lady over."
Upon hearing that Madam Hou had sent someone to search for them, Lin Changning and Mr. Gao Huan behind him both breathed a sigh of relief.
After about half a cup of tea's time, a little girl's clear voice came from outside the door: "Is Grandma going to make us kneel again? Mother, Yue'er hasn't left the house lately, why are you punishing us again?"
As soon as the little girl's clear voice rang out, the expressions of the people in the room changed drastically, especially the Lady Hou, whose face stiffened and she could hardly maintain her smile.
Chao Yun glanced indifferently at the Marquis's wife and Ji Minmin, whose face was somewhat stiff, and said, "Madam, although my cousin is now the daughter-in-law of the Marquis's mansion, she is still a princess and should have the proper dignity."
Lady Hou, her face stiff, repeatedly agreed, but a hint of malice flashed in her eyes as she glanced at the woman outside the door, whose eyebrows were like cold smoke and whose eyes seemed to be filled with tears.
“Ming Shu is here. Chao Yun has come to ask you to borrow a piece of blue brocade to celebrate the Princess’s birthday.”
After Li Mingshu, holding her daughter, bowed to her mother-in-law, she looked at Chaoyun sitting to the side. Chaoyun stood up and bowed to Li Mingshu: "Cousin, are you well? This must be Yue'er. It's been a long time."
When Li Mingshu heard Chaoyun's purpose, she smiled gently at her and said, "Ayun, the blue brocade is in the storeroom in the courtyard. Just have someone fetch it for you. Please give my regards to your aunt."
Chaoyun pulled Li Mingshu down to sit and smiled brightly: "What nonsense are you talking about, cousin? My mother's birthday is in a couple of days. Cousin must bring Yue'er to the princess's residence for a visit."
Li Mingshu hesitated for a moment. It was difficult for her to even leave her own residence now, let alone go to the princess's residence.
After glancing hesitantly at Madam Hou, Chao Yun immediately looked over and said, "My mother's birthday is in a couple of days. I'm sure Madam Hou won't stop my cousin from visiting her, will she?"
Lady Hou had completely stopped smiling. After exchanging a few glances with Chao Yun, she said, "What are you saying, Princess? Where Ashu wants to go is entirely up to her."
Chao Yun gave the Lady Hou a meaningful look and sneered, "Then I will wait for you and my cousin on my mother's birthday. If you don't come, I will consider everyone in the Hou family to be looking down on my Princess's Mansion."
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