15. Go to the teacher to complain.
Raising a wife is like raising a daughter.
After listening to Xiong Qi's report, Lord Duan was somewhat speechless.
He originally thought that Feng Ran's personality was a result of being spoiled by the Prime Minister's mansion, but he never expected that she was actually a pitiful little thing in the Prime Minister's mansion. Her situation was so worrying on a daily basis, so could this personality be a rebound after hitting rock bottom?
He was worried! But that old scoundrel, the Prime Minister, was overjoyed and married off his own unruly child to the family.
He used to suspect there was some conspiracy behind the substitute marriage, but now it seems it wasn't a conspiracy at all, but a perfectly legitimate scheme. Feng Ran is extremely powerful on her own; he wonders if his son can withstand her.
According to Xiong Qi, Feng Ran takes great care of Jing Chuan and even has the strength to lift his son. If she were born into a military family, she would probably be a good candidate to become a general.
Lord Duan, a veteran of many battles, has now retired due to illness, but he has no prejudices against social status, family background, or gender. In his view, anyone, regardless of age or gender, who can wield a spear and protect the country is a good candidate.
If Feng Ran weren't his daughter-in-law, he would have really wanted to promote her. But now that he thinks about it, he'd better not. Jing Chuan's personality is hard to fathom. The fact that he's willing to leave the manor for Feng Ran's sake is already a huge improvement.
If Feng Ran can truly temper Jing Chuan's character, that would be a good thing.
"My lord, should we investigate the identity of the Crown Princess further?" Xiong Qi asked cautiously. Although the Crown Princess seemed harmless and not like a spy, her personality was quite different from what he had expected.
Lord Duan waved his hand, "Forget it, these grand mansions are a real pain." He then looked at the sky outside, sighed, and rubbed his lower back with both hands. It was getting cold, and his back was aching from time to time. "What are the young master and his wife doing right now?"
Xiong Qi's expression was somewhat subtle. He pursed his lips and pondered for a moment before saying, "These past few days, the Crown Prince has studied the Crown Princess's daily diet and reorganized the menu of Jinghua Courtyard. Presumably, the future meals will be what the Crown Princess likes. He also just instructed his stewards to let the Crown Princess freely use the money and goods in the Crown Prince's possession. Right now, the Crown Princess has gone out shopping."
"Can we send someone to follow them?"
"Rest assured, my lord, in addition to my personal maid, there are two other servants in secret."
"Please take good care of Jinghua Garden. You were trained by Old Li, and I believe you can take good care of the young master and his wife. As for the Prime Minister's residence, let them be! Keep a close eye on them and make sure they don't suffer any losses. Although my Dingbei Marquis's residence has been stripped of its military power, it is not something that old scoundrel can bully at will."
She paused again, then continued, "If that old scoundrel continues to bully the Crown Princess, then we should find a way to make him suffer. At his age, he still argues with a junior. He's really wasted his life."
Xiong Dian nodded in agreement, then, as if remembering something, tentatively asked, "My lord, what about the Lady Marquis?"
When it comes to Lady Hou, Lord Duan is also very troubled. They are clearly mother and son, so why is their relationship so strained? He is also in a dilemma.
"I will keep an eye on Madam's side. She has never cared about Jingchuan before, so I suppose she won't make things difficult for the Crown Princess now."
The two were talking when Old Li came over.
"My lord, the Crown Princess has bought some things outside. Should they be left in the front yard or delivered directly to Jinghua Garden?" Old Li was a little puzzled. Outsiders were not allowed to enter or leave Jinghua Garden at will, and no one usually delivered things to Jinghua Garden.
Without Duan Jingchuan's permission, he wouldn't easily approach. He originally wanted to find Xiong Qi, but Xiong Qi was with the Marquis, so he came directly to ask.
Xiong Qi and Lord Duan exchanged a glance. Lord Duan thought for a moment and said, "I'll go to Jinghua Courtyard to inquire first, and then make a decision."
He couldn't guarantee whether outsiders could get in; the last time several of his illegitimate children were allowed into Jinghua Courtyard was already a rare occurrence.
Furthermore, he also wanted to see Duan Jingchuan. Although the father and son lived in the same manor, they would hardly see each other for a year or two if they didn't take the initiative to meet. He had always wanted to mend their relationship, but had no opportunity. This Crown Princess might be the breakthrough.
After Feng Ran left, Duan Jingchuan returned to his study, closed the doors and windows, and found himself in a much more comfortable environment, which also made him feel more relaxed.
Recalling how infatuated the Prime Minister's wife was with his cloak, he lowered his eyes and smiled.
He thought to himself, "Madam is such a simple and lovely person; she wears her affection on her sleeve."
Perhaps it was because he was mature beyond his years; he was only three years older than his wife, yet he looked at her as if she were a child.
Although his wife was lively and active, for some reason, he even thought of the little stone that had accompanied him when he was a child. Perhaps it was the similar feeling of being together that made him have such an inexplicable association.
He picked up his brush and sketched several cloak designs. Then, after thinking for a moment, he drew a few simple yet elegant pieces of jewelry. Since the lady didn't like hairpins, he decided to make a few more hairpins so she could wear them in different ways.
After thinking about it, I realized that it wouldn't be good if I didn't have any suitable clothes, so I simply drew a few more outfits.
In less than an hour, he had accumulated a thick stack of drawing paper. If Baihualou knew, they would be overjoyed. In the past, it was extremely difficult to get their master to come up with new designs; it was already a rare feat to get even one design a year. Now, however, they had produced more than a dozen.
When Lord Duan arrived, Duan Jingchuan was just about to send out the painting.
Duan Jingchuan was somewhat surprised to see his father arrive. His father never usually set foot in Jinghua Courtyard; what was wrong with him today?
He pursed his lips, gripped his sleeve tightly with one hand, and only after calming his nerves did he say, "Father."
While Old Marquis Duan was pondering how to begin, he secretly glanced at Duan Jingchuan out of the corner of his eye. He was surprised that Duan Jingchuan could so easily utter the words "father." Excited, he wanted to shout, but he managed to calm himself down and nodded with a very aloof air.
Then, thinking of Duan Jingchuan's personality, she took the initiative to say, "The Crown Princess just bought some items outside. Would you like them delivered directly to Jinghua Courtyard?"
Duan Jingchuan didn't quite understand why his father would care about such trivial matters, but he nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Since it was bought by the lady, it should naturally be delivered to their courtyard. It seems that the lady has found what she wanted.
As it happened, he also had something to ask his father. He took a deep breath and made sure he was fully prepared before saying, "Father, I would like to ask for a tutor for the Crown Princess."
When it came to hiring a tutor, Lord Duan knew a thing or two about it.
In fact, he had already started inquiring about this matter. It was extremely difficult to find a suitable candidate, since it was to teach the women and children of the inner court. He did not want to find someone who taught needlework and embroidery. The Crown Princess did not need to take the imperial examinations to become an official; she only needed to learn some household management skills. It was very difficult to find someone who met the requirements.
There are many governesses, but most of them have bad tempers and probably won't get along with the Crown Princess.
"I am aware of this matter, and there will be a result in seven days at most." Since Duan Jingchuan has spoken, the old Marquis Duan will naturally not refuse him. It seems that more manpower will be needed to find the person.
In truth, Duan Jingchuan hadn't finished speaking. He didn't want to restrict his wife too much. He didn't know why, but whenever he saw her, he wanted her to live freely and happily. Now, he was only encouraging her to learn more, out of fear that she might be deceived in the future.
His mind raced, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that Lord Duan might not have understood his meaning. So he had to emphasize again, "Madam only needs to be literate; there's no need to worry too much."
Lord Duan felt a soreness all over his body. His daughter-in-law had only been married for three days, yet he was already as nervous as a baby. He had been a father for almost twenty years, and his son had never done anything for him.
It's not too much trouble. That sounds nice, but don't think he's stupid. This is clearly telling his father that he doesn't mind the Crown Princess's lack of education; he just wants her to broaden her horizons. But what could he say? Naturally, he agreed.
Perhaps it was because Lord Duan was too easy to talk to today that Duan Jingchuan became greedy, or perhaps it was because he had indeed honed his interpersonal skills at the Prime Minister's residence today. Therefore, he did not communicate by letter today, but instead made new demands on Lord Duan.
“Father, the Prime Minister seems to be showing contempt for the Marquis’s mansion.”
Old Master Duan's forehead vein throbbed. The way he made the complaint was so fresh and unconventional. Was he trying to say that he was worthy of being his son?
His ulterior motives were all too obvious, but he still wore a look of satisfaction on his face. "Jingchuan has grown up. He actually knows how to enhance the prestige of my Dingbei Marquis's mansion. Son, rest assured, leave this matter to your father. I will definitely report that old scoundrel to the authorities."
Duan Jingchuan really didn't intend to play mind games with his own father; his original intention was simply to avenge his wife.
As an official appointed by the court, the prime minister himself had neither the ability nor the resources to do anything, but his father could. However, he couldn't directly accuse his wife of being bullied by her own father. If he escalated the conflict between the two households, his father wouldn't stand idly by.
He's laid his intentions out in the open; whether he accepts the challenge or not depends on his father's reaction.
Duan Jingchuan was completely satisfied, and even smiled at the old Marquis Duan for the first time ever. The old Marquis Duan was even more flattered, looking at Duan Jingchuan as if he were some rare treasure.
That intense gaze forced Duan Jingchuan to look away.
Having received a few words from Duan Jingchuan today, the old Marquis Duan left with great satisfaction.
Duan Jingchuan patted his heart, which had been turbulent all day, and a strange smile appeared on his lips.
He spoke a lot today, some of which he had prepared in advance, and some of which came from his heart. His symptoms seemed to have improved a lot.
Moreover, he found that he didn't feel too nervous when talking to his wife. As long as she didn't stare at him, they could communicate normally.
Seeing that most of the things his wife bought were snacks, Duan Jingchuan was a little surprised. "Could it be that the food in the manor is not to your liking, so you want to go out to find something to eat? I wonder if these snacks are clean."
He turned to Xiong Qi and instructed him, "Find some chefs who can make traditional folk snacks."
Xiong Qi's lips twitched as he listened, thinking to himself, "The young master has become more talkative these past three days. But is he raising a wife or a daughter? He's acting like a maid."
A note from the author:
It's gotten cooler lately, so I bought a foot bath tub. It's so nice to soak my feet while I type.
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