Chapter 399: Guarding the Rule (Part 2)

After distributing winter clothes, Shiyi Niang cleared out Xu Lingyi's silk clothes, and then ordered the servants to send the flowers and trees that were usually placed on the desk for appreciation to the greenhouse for the winter, and then replaced them with some cold-resistant plants such as holly and asparagus fern. When Chief Steward Bai delivered the "Nine-Nine Poems to Eliminate the Cold" made by the Ministry of Rites, the one hundred days of mourning were over.

Or maybe everyone was cautious before, and now that they let go, they started to play even crazier than usual.

Not to mention the young master's hunting, even the women in the mansion, today you have an appointment to go to the Zen temple to burn incense, tomorrow the earth has an appointment to host a banquet at home, it's so lively. Eleventh Lady first mourned her mother and then the country, and she hasn't been out for more than a year. Everyone thought that she would always appear in unique clothes, and the first person they thought of was her. Banquet invitations flew like pieces of paper, and Eleventh Lady made clothes and jewelry, which added a lot of work. When she came back late from socializing, she saw Xu Siqi leaning on Nan Yong's wife's shoulder, yawning and waiting for her. She gradually felt a little guilty... She simply said she was sick and stayed at home to thank the guests.

Mrs. Zhou heard about this and came to visit her specially.

Seeing Eleventh Lady’s rosy face in her casual blue, green and gold jacket, she was slightly startled.

"I go out every day and put aside all the things at home." Eleventh Lady simply told her the truth.

Mrs. Zhou laughed when she heard this, but her tone was less cheerful than usual.

Only then did Eleventh Lady realize that Mrs. Zhou, who was wearing a bright red silk gown with long sleeves, looked a little depressed.

"Sister, what's wrong?" She invited Mrs. Zhou to sit on the big kang by the window in the banquet room.

The maids served the tea and snacks and retreated quietly.

Mrs. Zhou shook her head slightly, sat sideways on the big kang, and asked her weakly, "How is your husband?"

Eleventh Lady had a vague feeling that something was happening.

She handed the stove with enamel and flower-bird patterns to Mrs. Zhou and said, "Except for visiting her in the morning and evening, I do needlework in the house."

Mrs. Zhou smiled bitterly and said, "The one in our family has been taken away as a roommate."

Eleventh Lady thought of what Madam Zhou had said before and sighed softly.

"When I saw her like that, I felt as disgusted as if I had swallowed a fly." Mrs. Zhou's tone was full of disdain, "But our master didn't think so. Two days ago, Prince Shun invited the master to go hunting, and he brought that Yang with him. I heard that he even asked her to sing "The Deer's Song" and do some colorful dance... He doesn't feel ashamed, but I do!"

No matter what, she was a concubine after all, not a singer kept at home. It was too frivolous for her to perform at such an occasion!

Eleventh Lady pondered and said, "What about Princess Fucheng..."

Mrs. Zhou shook her hands after hearing this: "Do I really need the princess to help me manage the people in my house? Then what would I become?"

There is some truth to this.

Shi Niang didn't know what to say, so she asked her softly, "So what are your plans, sister?"

"We'll have to wait until the novelty wears off!" Mrs. Zhou said, sighing softly, "I'm well prepared, so I'm not afraid of her causing any trouble."

Mrs. Zhou didn't say anything specific about the preparations, and Shiyi Niang didn't ask too much. She smiled and changed the subject, telling her about Fang Jie'er: "...I went to the palace to pay my respects to the Empress two days ago and met her there. She looked very well."

When Mrs. Zhou heard Shiyi Niang mention her most proud daughter, she wiped away her worry and smiled: "I don't know who she took after. She is neither sleepy nor nauseous, just like nothing happened."

"It must be that the people around you are taking good care of you." Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "Sister, you can rest assured.

This was originally a polite remark, but it caused Mrs. Zhou to sigh: "That's right. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is usually very serious, but he is very considerate to the Crown Princess. When I went to the palace to pay my respects to the Queen Mother on the first day of the new year, the Crown Princess was also there. It was snowing, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince specially sent someone to deliver a hand warmer. He was afraid that the elders would see it and be suspicious, so he asked the eunuchs to wait outside the Cining Palace..." Joy was flying between her eyebrows.

Shiyi Niang knew that she was here to complain, so she just said it out loud. She tried to follow her words, and within half an hour, Mrs. Zhou was smiling happily, and had dinner with her before leaving.

Afterwards, Shiyi Niang began to check the account books of Xipu with Master Jian and Madam Gan.

At the end of the year, they made a profit of three hundred and thirty-four taels of silver.

All three were very happy.

Eleventh Lady suggested booking a few tables at Chunxi Restaurant and inviting the people in the shop to have a meal before closing the business.

"I'll pay for the money." Mrs. Gan said with a smile.

"Just pay for it from the shop!" Master Jian said with a smile, "It's a token of our appreciation."

Madam Gan nodded repeatedly. On the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, Master Jian, on behalf of Eleventh Lady, and Madam Gan, had a reunion dinner with Xiuniang, the shopkeeper, and the servants. They gave out red envelopes and left two servants to look after the shop. The others officially closed the shop and went back to prepare for the New Year.

Eleventh Lady discussed with Xu Lingyi: "I'm afraid we should send someone to check on Aunt Qiao. We can't let her spend the New Year in the temple, can we?" She spoke a little slowly. "I promised Aunt Qiao to copy the "Nu Ji" three hundred times as a warning," Eleventh Lady said, "What if she gets angry and doesn't copy the "Nu Ji" or doesn't copy it completely? If I don't take her back, it will be a bit bad to let her be alone. If I take her back, wouldn't I be breaking my promise and destroying my own embankment?"

"I think you are punishing yourself." Xu Lingyi laughed. "Only the punished person worries that he hasn't finished writing. How can the punisher worry that the punished person hasn't finished writing?" He added, "If she hasn't finished copying the "Nu Yi" three hundred times, you might as well let the person who picks up Qiao tell her to wait until the Dragon Boat Festival next year to pick her up. I think Qiao will find a way to finish copying before the New Year."

Shiyi Niang was ashamed. A few days later, she sent Song Mama and Yan Rong to pick up Qiao Lianfang. They returned in the evening.

The three concubines were in Eleventh Lady's room greeting her. Upon hearing her words, they looked at her nose and then her heart calmed down.

Mother Song and Yan Rong came in with a woman wearing an official green Lu silk jacket.

Her hair was black and neatly tied into a bun, without a single strand of hair falling down; her skin was white and flawless, but without luster, like a piece of dead jade; her facial features were beautiful and graceful, but her eyes were dull and her expression was stiff. Like a dried flower, although it still retained its original appearance and color, it always made people feel dull because it had lost its vitality.

"Qiao, Aunt Qiao..." Yang's eyes widened, her face full of shock.

Qiao Lianfang, however, noticed nothing. She slightly bent her knees and gave Shiyi Niang a very graceful blessing. Then she stood there silently, as if waiting for Shiyi Niang to scold her.

Eleventh Lady's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.

Reciting "Nu Yi" three hundred times will never turn a person into this state.

What exactly happened to Qiao Lianfang in Dajue Temple?

The thought of this made her feel confused.

"Madam," Yan Rong had already presented a thick stack of paper in front of Shiyi Niang while thinking, "This is the three hundred copies of "Nu Yi" copied by Aunt Qiao. The master in the temple has already counted it, and it is exactly three hundred times."

Eleventh Lady gathered her thoughts, nodded calmly, and said in a deep voice: "Aunt Qiao has been in a lot of trouble. Go down and rest early!"

Qiao Lianfang murmured "yes" and stepped back.

Eleventh Lady brought tea and said, "All the ladies should go to bed early!"

The three concubines knelt down in response and left the banquet room quietly.

Eleventh Lady stood up immediately: "Yanrong, how did Aunt Qiao become like this?"

Xiu Yuan hugged Qiao Lian Fang and burst into tears: "Auntie, Auntie, how could you become like this?"

Qiao Lianfang's confused eyes gradually brightened up.

"Xiu Yuan?" She hesitantly placed her hand on the shoulder of Xiu Yuan, who was crying on her knees.

Xiu Yuan raised her tear-stained face and wiped Qiao Lianfang's hand: "Aunt, it's me. It's Xiu Yuan!"

Warm palms, familiar faces... After a while, Qiao Lianfang's tears rolled down.

"Xiu Yuan." She held Xiu Yuan's hand tightly, "Xiu Yuan..."

"...The teachers didn't beat or scold me, they just let me stand under the eaves." Yan Rong whispered, "I wasn't given food or water, and I wasn't allowed to go to the clean room, not to mention sleep." As she spoke, a look of pity appeared on her face, "After a few days, even a strong man couldn't stand it."

Eleventh Lady was silent for a long time, and then she told Amber: "Let Xiuyuan take good care of her!"

In the evening, they told Xu Lingyi about this matter: "...it was really hard for me!"

"If she can correct herself after suffering, then it will not be in vain." Xu Lingyi said, "I am afraid that she will forget the pain after the scar heals, and then all the suffering will be in vain."

Eleventh Lady nodded slightly.

Xiu Yuan dropped some jade book flower dew into clean water and used it to clean Qiao Lianfang's hair. Then she helped her sit on the kang and moved the brazier over to dry her hair.

"Madam has not reduced our food and clothing expenses. It is still the same as before." She told Qiao Lianfang in detail what had happened in the past few days. "Now the one who is most favored by Madam is Madam Yang. She often helps Madam to prepare for her wedding. Madam Wen, who used to be in Madam's presence, rarely shows up in front of Madam. She is only devoted to helping the eldest daughter with her wedding dowry. Madam Qin is still the same as before. She does whatever Madam Wen does. She burns incense and worships Buddha every day in the house, making the whole yard full of incense, which makes the Marquis very unhappy. When it's her day, she won't even enter her courtyard." She looked confused. "In the past, Aunt Qin was a little cautious. When the Marquis came, she would clean the house inside and out and sprinkle some flower dew on it. But these days, she is so reckless." As she spoke, she paused with her hand shaking her hair. "I heard from the little maids and the servants that Aunt Qin seemed to have worshipped before some Bodhisattva again. I just can't figure it out. You said, isn't worshipping Bodhisattva to win the Marquis' heart? But she pushed the Marquis out because of this, so why does she still worship Bodhisattva?"

The room was silent, with only the occasional crackling sound of burning charcoal.

Xiu Yuan lowered her head and saw that Qiao Lianfang had her eyes closed. She didn't know when she had fallen into a deep sleep.

She gently put a thin quilt on Qiao Lianfang.

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Supplementary update for February 26th!