Eleventh Lady followed Fifth Lady and headed north with the Lady Dowager until they saw a plum forest on the other side of the mountain. However, the plum blossoms had withered, leaving only green shade.

The lady pointed and said with a smile: "That is Xiangyu Pavilion. You can enjoy plum blossoms there two months earlier."

After walking a few steps forward, I saw the forsythia flowers on the hillside.

Clusters and bunches of flowers, dark green as jade, bright as gold foil, dotted like stars, bloom to the end of the hillside.

"It's so beautiful!" Wu Niang murmured beside her.

Eleventh Lady murmured "hmm" softly to show her agreement.

It's not that she hasn't seen winter jasmine before. The Luo family in Yuhang planted a dozen of them. But like this, all over the mountains, it's not just beautiful, it's gorgeous.

The old lady took the second lady's hand and walked forward - there was an octagonal black lacquered pavilion beside the hillside, and on the lintel of the pavilion were two large gold-plated characters "Chun Yan".

"Come sit in the pavilion and have a cup of tea!" The third lady called to the people behind her.

Everyone followed them into Chunyan Pavilion, and a maid brought a brocade mat with a big red dragon and cloud pattern holding a longevity symbol and spread it on the chairs. Everyone sat down, and the maids served white tea with a clear yellow-green color.

When you are tired from walking, drinking some of this tea with a light and lingering taste will make you feel relaxed all over.

Eleventh Lady held the tea and saw Madam Wen serving her carefully, so she looked for Amber in the crowd - she didn't see her, nor did she see the one named Qiu Ling.

She smiled slightly.

Drinking tea and chatting, Wu Niang secretly pointed to the half-bay lake and three thatched cottages on the lakeside across the pavilion and asked, "Is that the 'Ban Yue Pan'?"

"Maybe!" Eleventh Lady smiled and responded to her. She looked up and saw the Sixth Miss of the Qiao family sitting opposite her, listening...

She smiled faintly.

Or maybe it's not just Mrs. Qiao who's interested in Xu Lingyi!

After resting enough, the lady took them around the garden again. There was the Chui Lun Waterside Pavilion with rolling roofs on all sides for fishing; there was the Li Jing Pavilion with pear trees, peach trees, apricot trees, and tung trees; there was the Zhao Zhuang Hall with crabapples planted all over; there was the Nong Xiang Courtyard with yellow mud walls; there was the Liu Fang Wu where they could go boating, and finally they followed the bluestone steps on the back mountain to the Ling Qiong Villa, where they could take in the scenery of the Xu family's back garden. Going down the mountain again, they saw a small oil cart with green curtains parked at the Ju Fang Pavilion at the foot of the mountain, and they got on the cart and returned to the flower hall - where the food had been set out.

After dinner, a group of people went to the lady's house.

Zhun Ge and Xiu Ge were having a lot of fun. They held hands and didn't want to relax for a moment. Zhen Jie'er watched them from the side and laughed with her hand covering her mouth.

Everyone sat for a while, teased the child for a few words, and then the eldest lady stood up and said goodbye.

The old lady asked the eldest wife to stay: "Come back to our house in a couple of days!"

The eldest wife agreed with a smile, and took Grandma Luo, Fifth Lady, Eleventh Lady, Madam Wen, Brother Xiu, Brother Zhun and others to Yuanniang's place. Madam Qiao, the sixth daughter of the Qiao family, and the second and third wives remained in the lady's room to talk, while Sister Zhen, accompanied by her wet nurse and maid, went to the warm room in the lady's bedroom.

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but take another look.

Madam Wen explained, "She has followed the Madam since she was a child..." There was some pride and some sadness in her expression.

When Zhun Ge saw his mother, he immediately ran over.

Yuanniang's smile was full of doting: "Be gentle, be gentle, don't touch it."

Zhun Ge's movements were indeed much lighter. He spoke to his mother eloquently about what happened at the old lady's place today: "... We ate pine flower cakes, and my sister even took a handkerchief to wipe my mouth. Sister Wei Zi took us to see the koi. Brother Xiu wanted to go into the pond to catch fish, but my sister pulled him back..."

Yuanniang listened to Zhun Ge's words carefully without any impatience.

After Zhun Ge finished speaking, the eldest wife repeatedly reminded Yuan Niang, "Don't work too hard," "I'm in Yanjing, if there is anything, please have someone send me a letter," and then she stood up to say goodbye.

Seeing them leaving, Zhun Ge looked at Xiu Ge eagerly: "When will you come again?"

Grandma Luo sighed softly.

The eldest wife smiled with relief, "After all, they are cousins. Even if our bones are broken, they are still connected. After meeting each other for a few times, they are just like brothers." She touched Zhun Ge's head again, "Grandma will come to see you in a few days!"

Unlike the first time when he was distant, this time Zhun Ge did not avoid the eldest wife's hand. He not only stood there and let her touch his head, but also nodded obediently.

Madam Wen was trying to see the eldest wife off, but Yuanniang stopped her and said, "Just let Madam Tao do it. Sit down and talk to me!"

She replied "yes" respectfully, and the eldest wife didn't take it seriously. She left the Xu Mansion accompanied by Mother Tao.

*

When they returned to Gongxian Hutong, Mother Hang was already waiting in front of the Chuihua Gate: "Madam, you're back!"

After a day of strolling in the garden, the eldest wife was a little tired. She nodded slightly, and Mother Hang said, "The second and third masters are here, and they are in the study with the eldest master."

The eldest wife was slightly startled.

Mother Hang smiled and said, "As soon as you left, the second and third masters came right after you. They have been in the study for the whole afternoon and haven't come out yet!"

"I understand!" The eldest wife responded in a deep voice and hurried into the hanging flower gate.

The other people hurriedly followed in and saw the eldest wife walking hurriedly to the eldest master's study.

Grandma Luo and Mother Hang exchanged glances, then smiled and said to Wu Niang and Shiyi Niang: "Everyone is tired today, let's take a rest!"

The two of them bowed and went back to their rooms.

While changing clothes, Amber seemed to be hesitant to speak.

Eleventh Lady calmed down, washed up, sat on the big kang by the window, took a sip of the tea on the hollyhock, and then asked Amber, who had been standing by the kang for a long time, "How is it?"

Amber glanced at Holly.

"We are all in the same room," Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "there is nothing to hide. Besides, although no one says it, everyone knows it in their hearts."

Dong Qing stopped cleaning up and said with a smile, "Miss, I'll go to the kitchen to see if the porridge I asked you to make is ready."

"Sit down and listen!" Eleventh Lady smiled and patted the edge of the kang. "Two fists can't beat four hands. You can also help think of a solution!"

Holly replied "yes" and stood next to Amber.

Amber thought about it, and then told Shiyi Niang the news she got from Qiu Ling: "...The Wang family has long been strong on the outside but weak on the inside. In addition to the salary and the two manors of their ancestors in Xinzhou, their daily expenses come from the income from the rice shop they opened in Dongdaemun."

Eleventh Lady nodded slightly.

Wealth does not last for more than three generations. For a century-old family, it is already good enough to be like this.

"Duke Mao has only one daughter and one son. The daughter married into the Jiang family in Le'an, and the son is Master Wang Lang." Amber said, "Master Wang was born in the Duke's later years and he doted on him very much, so..." She paused, "It is said that he has a very bad temper... Two years ago, he beat someone to death..."

Eleventh Lady was slightly surprised.

In the flash of lightning, she was suddenly stunned.

Unexpected, why was she surprised? Or, deep down, she hoped there was someone who could lead her out of this predicament... and Wang Lang happened to appear!

She suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

Is it because she has been longing for too long that she has magnified every bit of hope infinitely and ignored the anxiety in her heart?

Amber saw Shiyi Niang lowering her head in deep thought and fell silent.

For a moment, the room fell into silence.

After a long while, Eleventh Lady finally let out a long breath.

Her expression gradually became more resolute: "Besides saying that Prince Wang had beaten someone to death, did you say anything else?"

Amber shook her head. "The Fifth Master of the Xu Family and Young Master Wang used to play together. After this incident, the Madam issued an order not to allow the Fifth Master of the Xu Family and Young Master Wang to have any more contact. She also said that if the Fifth Master dares to hang out with Young Master Wang again, the Marquis will send him to Gansu to guard the border, and he won't be able to see the walls of Yanjing for ten or eight years!"

Eleventh Lady was a little surprised.

The lady's reaction was so big...

As the thought flashed through her mind, she asked, "Who did the eldest daughter of the Wang family marry in the Jiang family?"

"She is marrying Jiang Jie's sixth son, Jiang Gui." Amber told Eleventh Lady all the news she had heard. "Jiang Gui is a Jinshi, and now serves as the prefect in Taiyuan. He has a brother named Jiang Bai, who is a Shujishi, and now serves as the president of the Hanlin Academy. He also has a brother named Jiang Song, who was the top scholar in the 46th year of Jianwu. He worked as an editor in the Hanlin Academy for three years and then resigned and returned to his hometown Le'an. He opened an academy called "Jinxi" that specializes in accepting children from poor families to study. Jiang Jie's grandfather was the imperial tutor of the previous emperor. I heard that he became the prime minister because of this. His great-great-grandfather was the imperial tutor of Jingzong."

The top scholar returned to his hometown to teach poor children to read...

Although the Luo family is also a family of officials with a long tradition of poetry and literature, it seems that they lack the lofty sentiments and aspirations like the breeze and bright moon compared to the Jiang family!

Eleventh Lady's heart moved: "Amber, did you hear clearly, Jiang Song is the top scholar of Jianwu 46?"

Amber said hurriedly, "I specifically asked Qiu Ling how she could remember it so clearly. Qiu Ling said that she was born when the number one scholar was paraded in red that year, and her mother often talked about it."

"In the forty-sixth year of Jianwu," Shiyi Niang murmured, "Second Master also passed the imperial examination that year... so, they were in the same class..."

Amber didn't know any of this, she just stood there without saying anything.

A person must have a purpose when doing things.

What is Yuanniang's purpose?

What is the connection?

Eleventh Lady leaned softly on Qiuxiang's plain brocade pillow behind her.

It's like a crossword puzzle. As long as you fill in the blanks correctly, the answer will come out.

But what is the missing link?

Something flashed through her mind, she tried to catch it, but failed...

A declining Wang family and a prestigious Jiang family!

As if enlightened, she sat up suddenly: "Amber, Prince Wang beat someone to death, who helped to excuse it?"

Amber said: "It's the Fifth Master of the Xu family!"

"Fifth Master of the Xu Family?" Eleventh Lady's eyes flashed, "Xu Lingkuan!"

"Qiu Ling said it was Fifth Master's doing." Amber said hurriedly, "Because of this incident, the Marquis also withheld Fifth Master's monthly salary for a whole year. He has been relying on Third Master's secret support to make ends meet!"

"What about the Jiang family?" Eleventh Lady's expression was a little solemn. "What are the Jiang family doing at this time?"