Chapter 12: Reaction (Part 2)

The Luo Mansion was custom-made, and the keys to each room were unlocked at the beginning of the Xu month.

Luo Xuan returned to Zhiyun Courtyard at the end of the You period.

The maids hurried forward to take the umbrella, squatted down to help her take off her wooden shoes, and welcomed her into the house.

Another maid brought up a hand stove.

She shook her head and ordered, "Get some water to clean my face. I have to report to the first wife."

The maids did not dare to delay and hurriedly brought her clean clothes for her to change into, fetched hot water for her to wash her face, and re-combed her hair. Luo Xuan watched as everything was ready, picked up the hot hand warmer beside her and warmed it for a while before going to the eldest lady's room.

The Third Aunt was doing needlework with a few maids around the brazier in the main hall. When she saw Luo Xuan, she smiled and asked, "Is the party over there over? Why are you back so early?"

Luo Xuan smiled and said, "They haven't left yet. Shanhu and the others are drinking happily!" As he spoke, he stepped forward and looked at the work in Third Aunt's hands. "This carp is embroidered so vividly. Is it for Fifth Miss?"

Aunt Ke's eyes showed a hint of tenderness: "I have nothing to do, so I made her a skirt. It will be perfect for her to wear next spring."

Luo Xuan said a few words to Aunt Ke, then got up and went upstairs to the eldest wife's bedroom: "...Go and pay your respects to the eldest wife!"

"The eldest lady is talking to Madam Xu!" Aunt Ke said as she embroidered the carp in her hand without even raising her head. "She said she has something to ask and will wait a moment!"

The original words were "No one is seen"!

Luo Xuan laughed at himself in his heart, but the smile on his face was very bright: "There must be a maid waiting next to me, I will go and show my face, if the eldest lady asks, she will think that I went there and had fun all day and night!"

Aunt Ke raised her head and smiled: "That's right." Then she lowered her head again to do the work in her hands.

Luo Xuan went upstairs quietly.

The upstairs was quiet, with only a little maid sitting by the stairs, sitting around a brazier with a hand warmer in her hands. The dim light from under the curtain of the east bedroom was stretched out long, reflecting on the dark brown wooden floor, creating a lonely silence.

Hearing the light footsteps, the little maid raised her head suddenly, saw Luo Chi, and laughed.

Luo Yu didn't wait for her to speak and ordered, "Go and report it! The eldest wife is waiting for my reply!"

The little maid hesitated for a moment, then walked to the curtain and reported.

"Let her in!" The eldest wife's voice was filled with undisguised fatigue.

Luo Yu tugged at the corner of his clothes before walking in.

All the maids and old women who usually served in the room had disappeared. Only an octagonal palace lamp was lit on the closed cupboard on the corridor above the eight-step bed. The bean-sized light illuminated the bright red embroidered shoes with five bats holding a longevity symbol on the footrest in front of the bed. The red-painted tall cabinets placed around had now turned into dark shadows that swooped towards the light, like frightening beasts devouring people.

"She's back!" The eldest wife leaned on the pillow at the head of the bed, her fair face half hidden and half visible beside the big red silk curtain, "Mother Xu, give her a seat."

Mother Xu, who was sitting beside the bed, smiled and brought a small stool to the bedside.

Luo Xuan bent his knees, bowed and thanked the first wife, then sat down on a small stool.

"How's the situation over there?"

The eldest wife sat up straight, her sharp eyes flashing in the darkness.

Luo Xuan paused for a moment before speaking carefully, "When I went there, I met Wu Xiaoquan's family..." She glanced at the eldest wife, trying to see her expression, but she didn't know if it was because the light was too dim or she didn't show anything unusual, so Luo Xuan saw nothing. "There are also Shanhu, Feicui, Yingmao, Duyu and Duwei from our house. Yutong, Yuhuai, Baizhu and Jinzhu from Miss Twelve's house. Dongqing from Miss Eleven's house sat at the same table with Wu Xiaoquan's family, Amber and Shanhu, and Binju, Qiuju and Zhuxiang served them. A total of four flavored dishes, four cold dishes, four hot dishes, ten main dishes and one soup were prepared. I came back before the banquet was over. I wonder what the staple food was?"

"Is there no movement in Wu Niang and Shi Niang's rooms?" The eldest wife's voice was a little cold.

Luo Zhuo said hurriedly, "I heard that Miss Five sent Ziwei from her room to bring two packs of Xinyang Maojian tea as a gift; Miss Ten sent Baizhi from her room to bring a purse and a handkerchief."

The eldest wife was silent for a while, then said, "You can leave now!"

Luo Xuan stood up, lowered his head and walked out with his hands hanging.

The first wife asked Mother Xu, "What do you think?"

"Madam, you are very clear-headed." Mother Xu smiled gently, "Why do you need me to interrupt you?"

The eldest wife sighed and patted Mother Xu's hand: "In the end, it's still just the two of us left, master and servant."

Mother Xu was moved, with a twinkle in the corner of her eyes: "Madam, you are saying discouraging words again. You have a big family, a big business, and many children and grandchildren. There is no one in Yuhang who is more blessed than you."

The first wife sighed, collapsed, and leaned on the big pillow: "I don't know if it's useful or not?"

Mother Xu stood up and leaned over to support the first wife's back, pulled out the pillow she was leaning on, and slowly let the first wife lie down.

"There are no unusable people in this world. It all depends on how you use them!" Her voice was gentle, neither fast nor slow, with a calmness that could reassure people. "The eldest lady is the smartest person I have ever met in this world. She must have thought of what you have thought of, and she must have thought of what you have not thought of. You are the one who gave birth to her and raised her, and I watched her grow up. If we don't help her at this time, who will? Even if you don't believe in your own judgment, you must believe in the eldest lady's judgment. What's more, the eldest lady has been in Beijing for the past few years, and the people who come and go are such a group of wealthy people, and her vision has long been different. You, just put your heart back where it belongs, and live a comfortable life in peace." As she spoke, she had already tucked in the corners of the quilt.

"Dongqing, sleep with me today!" The eldest wife smiled, "We haven't talked like this for a long time."

Mother Xu laughed and said, "I haven't slept at the foot of the eldest lady's bed for many years. I miss it very much." Then she went out and asked the little maid to roll up the blanket and bring it in.

At this time, the warm pavilion was bustling with activity. Dongqing winked at Binju and quietly returned to Luyun Tower.

"…The first wife received a letter from the eldest master after taking a nap. Within a cup of tea, the third wife from the West Mansion came to discuss the first wife's land sacrifice. It was Du Wei who went in to report." Dong Qing and Shiyi Niang sat around the brazier. "It was a north windy day. I don't know who opened the window frame behind the stairwell. When she came in, the curtain hit the door frame with a loud clang. The first wife threw a teacup at her, and it almost hit Du Wei on the head."

The Luo family was once divided under the old lady. The old lady got the East Courtyard of the original Luo Mansion, and one of the old lady's cousins ​​got the West Courtyard of the Luo Mansion. Everyone called it the East Courtyard and the West Courtyard.

Eleventh Lady used a pair of fire tongs to pull out the glowing red charcoal in the brazier.

In other words, after receiving the letter from the eldest master, the first wife was so angry that she got angry at the maid who lifted the curtain.

"I received the letter from the master after dinner." Dong Qing sorted out the news he had heard, "Because the first wife had a tantrum in the afternoon, everyone was trembling with fear. Feicui was serving at the side at the time. After receiving the letter, the first wife held the letter in her hand and said nothing. She got up and walked around the room a few times, then asked someone to invite Madam Xu to come. The two of them talked alone in the room for most of the night."

Eleventh Lady was stunned.

Could it be that the first wife was the kind of person who would become calmer when faced with a big event? Or, was it that I guessed wrong? No, even if I guessed wrong, could it be that the first and second concubines also guessed wrong? Could it be that Wu Xiaoquan's family also guessed wrong?

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but stand up and pace around the room.

This banquet was originally a touchstone. The attitudes of Wu Niang, Shi Niang, and Shier Niang were the same as usual. What was unusual was Wu Xiaoquan's family and Luo Zhuo - both of them were too enthusiastic, and they were the ones who could best guess the eldest wife's thoughts. Especially Wu Xiaoquan's family, she walked around the inner courtyard by herself and was on good terms with every room. Her husband was the chief steward of the Luo family, in charge of all the external affairs of the Luo family. If there was anything, she should be the most informed...

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but stop.

"Where's Mommy Wu? Did she do anything unusual? Or did she say anything strange?"

Dong Qing was slightly startled, lowered her head and pondered for a while, then said hesitantly: "Mother Wu has been listening to our conversation..." At this point, she was suddenly shocked, "By the way, halfway through the drink, Mother Wu asked me to accompany her to the clean room. She pouted and said something very strange to me."

Shiyi Niang couldn't help but walk over and sit next to Dongqing.

"What did you say?"

Seeing that Shiyi Niang was nervous and took Wu Xiaoquan's words so seriously, Dong Qing thought for a while and repeated Wu Xiaoquan's words verbatim: "She said: I am still happy here. When I return home, I am often alone and lonely. My wife is busy tearing down the east wall and repairing the west wall every day, and she doesn't even have time to look at me. It happens that if I please this one, I will offend that one. If I please that one, I will offend this one. He is neither a good person inside nor outside. This morning, Luo Yu sent him to the eldest lady. He has been looking sad since he came back. Unlike Lu Yonggui, who went to Beijing with the eldest lady, he bought a house in Beijing after a few years of absence and lived like a Beijinger. He is really a seventh-rank official who is the prime minister's doorman! I am too lazy to see his face, so I will take this opportunity to have some fun outside. Otherwise, he will think that I have nowhere to go if I stay in the inner house."

Tear down the east wall to repair the west wall... It's hard to be a good person on both sides... Summoned by Luo Zhuo to see the first wife... After returning, she was frowning... Unlike Lu Yonggui who followed the eldest lady to Yanjing... He didn't want to see her face... He took this opportunity to go out and have fun...

What exactly do Wu Xiaoquan and his family want to express?

The two of them are the eldest wife’s confidants!

What else was there that was worth her risking offending the first wife by stepping forward to hint at her?

Eleventh Lady fell into deep thought.

"Later, when we returned to the warm pavilion, Luo Xuan had already left. Feicui was arranging Lian Xuan."

"Oh!" Eleventh Lady came back to her senses, "What did she say?"

Dong Qing smiled and said, "You know, they have always been at odds. It seems that something went wrong when Lian Xuan was on duty, and was slapped by Mother Xu, leaving a mark on her face. She has not been allowed to show her face in public for a while - Feicui seems to be gloating over the misfortune."

Eleventh Lady fell into deep thought again.

(Hong Bao came to see me, I’m so happy! Let’s go out for dinner together…)