Xu Lingyi did not return home overnight. Shiyi Niang knew that even if the emperor had any opinion of Xu Lingyi, he would not resort to such a crude method as calling people to the palace to ambush him. Since the queen mother wanted to form an alliance with the Xu family, it was even more impossible for her to harm Xu Lingyi. Although Xu Lingyi was in the palace, he was very safe. But she just couldn't sleep.

Sometimes I think that this person is in a high position and has great power, so he is quite strategic, but he is often controlled by others and has no freedom; sometimes I think that there is no absolute freedom in this world, it is just a little comfort compared to others; sometimes I think that, in the final analysis, it is still a system problem. We cannot change the environment, we can only find ways to adapt and strive for the greatest freedom. Everyone is busy, but it is just like this... Thinking about it, I feel a little ridiculous, as if I am particularly sentimental.

I tossed and turned like this, in a daze until dawn.

Amber came in and helped her dress.

"Has the Marquis come back yet?" He felt that there were many things to discuss with Xu Lingyi, and was afraid that he would come back in the middle of the night and rest somewhere else without her knowing.

Amber looked at Shiyi Niang, who looked a little unhappy, and said cautiously, "The Marquis hasn't come back yet. There's no news from the palace!"

Eleventh Lady nodded and got up to wash and dress.

Three aunts came to greet me.

Concubine Qin was a little embarrassed. Concubine Wen changed her usual noisy and seemed a little silent. Qiao Lianfang even looked at Shiyi Niang's expression and hesitated several times to speak.

Apparently everyone has heard about it.

She has children living here. Rather than letting them guess and create tension, it is better to make this matter clear so that everyone knows the situation. Anyway, the new person will move in in ten days.

"I received an imperial decree last night." Eleventh Lady glanced at the three concubines and said slowly, "The Queen Mother gave the third daughter of Yang Zhong, the cousin of Marquis Jianning, to the Marquis as a concubine."

Before she finished speaking, the three concubines' faces changed.

Aunt Qin had a look of doubt and uncertainty, Aunt Wen was a little surprised, and Qiao Lianfang was as pale as paper. She looked straight at Eleventh Lady and said in a tone of disbelief: "So it is true!"

"Of course it's true." Eleventh Lady said calmly, "The bride will be married on March 12th."

"Where's the Marquis?" She opened her eyes wide, "What did the Marquis say?"

I don’t know if it was because I didn’t sleep well last night and I was a little dizzy, or if this really happened - Shiyi Niang felt that Qiao Lianfang’s slender body seemed to shake.

"The Marquis is in the palace." Eleventh Lady said, "The Marquis and I haven't met yet! However, since the imperial decree has been issued, the matter is settled."

Qiao Lianfang said nothing, her pearly teeth biting her red lips until they turned pale.

As they were talking, Nan Yong's wife brought Xu Sijie over to pay their respects, and Xu Sizun, Zhen Jie'er, and Xu Siyu also arrived one after another.

Eleventh Lady thought about it and tactfully told the children that Xu Lingyi was going to take a concubine.

Xu Siyu stood aside silently as before; Zhen Jie'er lowered her head and twisted her fingers; Xu Sizhun looked calm and even asked Shiyi Niang: "Should we ask Mr. Zhao for leave that day?"

The "we" he was referring to was him and Xu Sijie.

Xu Sijie didn't understand at all and just sat there obediently. When he heard his brother say "we", he opened his eyes wide and looked at Xu Sizhun and Shiyi Niang curiously.

After all, she is a good girl, and was given by the Queen Mother, so she must have all the proper etiquette. I'm afraid we'll have to set up a few tables of banquets and invite relatives, friends, and old friends to come over for a drink.

"We just received the imperial decree yesterday, and these have not been decided yet." Shiyi Niang smiled and said, "I will tell you when it is decided." Then she asked them if they had eaten, and the children said they had. Shiyi Niang served tea and said, "Everyone, go away! I will let you know if there is anything."

Xu Siyu bowed and retreated.

When Aunt Qin saw this, she quickly knelt down and bowed to Eleventh Lady, saying, "Then I'll go back to my room to make clothes for the Fifth Young Master." She followed Xu Siyu out the door.

Zhen Jie'er looked at Shiyi Niang with some worry and went to the east room.

There is a floor heating and a fire wall in Eleventh Lady's room. Since the first snow last year, Eleventh Lady asked her to move the flower stand to the east room and do her embroidery there.

Xu Sizhun took Xu Sijie's hand and said, "Mother, let's go to Shuangfuyuan."

The maids were carrying food boxes and school bags. The room was in a commotion.

Madam Wen smiled and bowed to Eleventh Lady, then retreated.

Eleventh Lady got off the kang and prepared to send the two brothers out as usual, but she saw Qiao Lianfang standing there hesitantly, looking like she wanted to leave but didn't want to. Eleventh Lady winked at Amber, then smiled and sent the two brothers to the gate of the yard, and went directly to the main hall in front to deal with household chores.

After a while, Qiao Lianfang asked for a meeting.

The mother in charge looked at her curiously.

A trace of uneasiness flashed in her eyes. She bowed to Eleventh Lady respectfully and whispered, "Madam, I heard that on March 3rd, we will celebrate the Second Young Master's event, and now a new bride is coming. You must have a lot of things to do. If there is anything, just tell me. I also want to do my best to help you."

Do you want to know what kind of person the newcomer is like as soon as possible?

Eleventh Lady nodded slightly and said, "If there is anything, I will tell Aunt Qiao!"

Qiao Lianfang couldn't help but hesitate, and when she saw Shiyi Niang turned around to ask the housekeeper something, she stepped back.

As soon as she left, a little maid ran in: "Madam, Madam, Madam Zhou is here!"

Eleventh Lady felt slightly delighted when she heard this.

From what Xu Lingyi said yesterday, he had persuaded Princess Fucheng to enter the palace as well. Could it be that there was some news over there?

She stood up and went to the hanging flower gate to greet him.

As soon as I walked out of the courtyard, I saw Mrs. Zhou getting out of the small oil cart with green curtains.

Her face was tense, and she wore a bright red jacket with long sleeves and gold all over it. Her hair was tied into a bun and inserted with gold and jade hairpins. She had a jade belt around her waist and mutton-fat jade rings hanging down. She was dressed very formally and solemnly, as if she was going to attend a banquet at someone's house.

Or, did he go to the palace and come back?

Eleventh Lady pondered over it and hurried forward to greet Madam Zhou.

Mrs. Zhou took her hand and went into the house.

She took big steps, and Eleventh Lady had to hurry up a few steps to catch up with her.

"All of you should leave now!" Mrs. Zhou ordered the maids in Shiyi Niang's room as if she were the master, "All of you should go to the corridor and wait!"

Seeing that she looked unhappy and her voice was slightly impetuous, Shiyi Niang didn't know what had happened, and her heart tightened. She quickly glanced at Luyun and sent away the servants.

As soon as the lattice door closed, Madam Zhou jumped up: "Bah, shameless thing, it's like you've never seen a man in your life, chasing after someone and trying to give him away..."

Eleventh Lady was shocked to hear such vulgar words from her, and wondered if Zhou Shizheng had gotten into trouble with someone else. She hurriedly asked, "What happened?"

"Didn't the Queen Mother send you her concubine for free?" Mrs. Zhou said coldly.

News spreads so fast!

Eleventh Lady nodded slightly.

Mrs. Zhou said sarcastically, "We also gave one to my husband!"

Eleventh Lady never expected this.

She looked at Madam Zhou in surprise and asked, "You also gave one to Lord Zhou?"

Mrs. Zhou nodded, and the blue veins at her temples bulged slightly.

"What's the saying 'a family is called by its surname, and its teachings are righteous'? How can the Yang family be called 'famous'? Take out the family tree and look through it. If you trace it back three generations, it's probably the 'Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, Xia, Shang and Zhou'. They dare to say 'famous'." She was so angry that her chest heaved. "I didn't know that giving a daughter to someone as a concubine is 'righteous'. I really want to cry for the empresses and imperial concubines of all dynasties..."

The tone of the Empress Dowager's decree was like that of an appointment to a palace lady. It was no wonder that Madam Zhou said so.

Seeing that she was so angry that her face turned red, Eleventh Lady quickly poured a cup of warm tea and handed it to her: "Sister Zhou, sit down and have a cup of tea. It's not worth it to get sick because of such a filthy family!"

Madam Zhou sat down angrily and drank a sip of tea. Only then did she realize that Eleventh Lady was normal. She changed her mind and couldn't help but ask, "You probably don't know who the Queen Mother gave to the Marquis and our wife?"

Eleventh Lady thought about the words "Yang Zhong, the cousin of Marquis Jianning" written on the imperial edict and said, "Is he a branch of the Yang family?"

Madam Zhou nodded, her voice much calmer than before: "I sent someone to inquire. Both of them were selected by the Marquis of Jianning from his relatives, and were originally going to be sent to the palace. A few years ago, someone was specially hired to teach them poetry, calligraphy, painting, singing and dancing at home..." At this point, she paused, "Tell me, how can the daughters of honest families know these? How can people who know these enter a family like ours? You are also a wise person. It is legitimate to keep such people around. As time goes by, who knows what troubles they will cause?"

"I can't disobey the order." Eleventh Lady said, "I can only 'block the water when it comes, and fight the enemy with my own army'. I will go one step at a time and see how it goes."

"I know that!" Madam Zhou was in low spirits, "but I just can't get over this. I haven't felt comfortable since I received the decree last night."

Although the Yang family girl relied on the power of the Queen Mother, the Queen Mother's condition and the Emperor's attitude towards this matter were the key. However, the Yang family dared to use such a tough method to arrange marriages, which obviously showed that they had great confidence in these two Yang family girls.

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but ask, "What does Lord Zhou mean?"

"He accompanied the princess into the palace yesterday and hasn't come back yet!" Mrs. Zhou sighed.

Eleventh Lady's heart was moved when she heard this.

The imperial palace guards obey the emperor directly, and to allow Princess Fucheng, Xu Lingyi and even Zhou Shizheng to stay overnight in the palace is absolutely impossible without the emperor's consent!

She thought of the several times the Emperor had rejected the Empress Dowager.

Is this what the emperor meant?

No, if it was the Emperor's intention, why was it the Empress Dowager's decree?

With so many thoughts in my mind, I became a little absent-minded in my conversation with Madam Zhou. Madam Zhou felt much better after venting her feelings. After talking to Eleventh Lady, she stood up and said goodbye.

Eleventh Lady sent her to the gate of Chuihua.

Just as I sat down in the main hall, Xu Lingyi came back.

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Today is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. I wish you all a happy Lantern Festival!

O(∩_∩)O~