Chapter 410: More Than Just (Part 2)

Eleventh Lady listened and pondered for a while, then discussed with Xu Lingyi: "The ancestral hall is separated from us by several courtyards, so even if it is noisy, it is just a faint sound. If Mother is really worried, why not ask Master Jining to do a few more days of water and land Taoist rituals at Ciyuan Temple!"

Xu Lingyi thought for a moment and said, "Let's just do the seven-day Dao ceremony at home! It's not an even number, and it's not an even number either."

Eleventh Lady understood what he meant.

Yuanniang died while her elders were still alive, so it was not appropriate to hold a grand memorial ceremony. Even if we asked Ciyuan Temple to help with the ceremony, it would only last for seven days, and there were restrictions on the offerings and food. If we wanted to hold a grand ceremony, we had to find an excuse. But this year was the fifth anniversary of Yuanniang's death, and it was neither an even number nor an even number, so we couldn't find an excuse.

"Please ask Lord Hou to help talk to my mother." Eleventh Lady begged Xu Lingyi, "Brother Zhe is old enough now, he can preside over the worship ceremony when the time comes."

Xu Lingyi nodded. A few days later, Taohua, who worked at the ancestral hall and was the sister of Wei Zi, the maidservant of the old lady, came to tell Hubo: "...it's better to do the seven-day water and land Taoist ceremony at home."

Shiyi Niang breathed a sigh of relief. When Xu Sizhen came to greet her, he helped him straighten his clothes and whispered to him, "I can't go to your mother's death anniversary. Tell Mr. Zhao about this and ask him if he wants to find a steward of the ancestral hall to tell you the rituals of worship. If Mr. Zhao asks you to find a steward of the ancestral hall, don't make it public. Tell me and I will help you find someone."

Xu Sizhen nodded and asked Shiyi Niang, "Mother, is your health still not well?" She looked very worried. Shiyi Niang smiled and patted Xu Sizhen on the shoulder, whispering, "I thought you should be well by now, but who knew you would still be so unhappy." She felt quite helpless.

Amber also said, "Madam, do you want to ask Dr. Liu to come and help?"

"He came just to let me take medicine." Eleventh Lady shook her head, thinking of Fifth Aunt who was far away in Yuhang, "...If only she were still with me. I heard people say that a daughter takes after her mother. Could it be that she was like this when she was pregnant with me? But when I saw Auntie was pregnant with Seventh Master, she didn't seem to have any reaction."

Amber smiled and said, "At that time, the first wife was still alive. Even if she felt uncomfortable, she would not dare to show it."

Eleventh Lady was slightly startled when she heard what happened, and became even more eager to find out more. She simply asked Amber and a few others to help her write a letter and sent it to Yuhang.

When it was time for dinner, news came from the palace that Fang Jie'er had given birth to a daughter.

This is the emperor's first grandchild.

If it happened in an ordinary family, it would be a great joyous event. But in the royal family, the joy was somewhat faded.

"…It would have been better if the Empress had given birth to a prince." When Madam Zhou came to talk to Eleventh Lady, her eyes were slightly red and swollen, "But she gave birth to a beautiful princess. This time the Crown Princess is also a daughter, so even if the Emperor is happy, I'm afraid it will be limited."

Eleventh Lady asked Amber to wrap a cold towel around Madam Zhou's eyes and said, "The more times like this, the happier you should be."

Mrs. Zhou's eyes welled up again as she listened. "Of course I know. Just think about our sister Fang. Everything was going well before she got married. Even if she got chickenpox or smallpox, she recovered in a few days. Who would have thought that she would suddenly be chosen as the prince's consort, and she has not had a peaceful day since then. Is it really true that 'sweet first, bitter later'?"

"Who said that?" Eleventh Lady laughed, "How can a person's life be without some twists and turns..."

"It was Taoist Priest Changchun who said that." Madam Zhou sighed and interrupted her, "When she was little, she once met Taoist Priest Changchun. Taoist Priest Changchun looked at her face and said that she had the fate of 'a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix'. I didn't believe it at first. Now that I think about it, there is some truth in it."

It’s Taoist Priest Changchun again!

Eleventh Lady frowned slightly and could only persuade her with Mrs. Zhou's own words: "What kind of fate is 'a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix'? Sister still doesn't know it in her heart. If so, I believe this time there will be no surprises."

So-called fortune-telling and physiognomy are sometimes just to comfort oneself. It was only when Fang Jieer had such an incident that Mrs. Zhou remembered it.

"You have to be able to bear such a fate." Madam Zhou's brows showed a bit of depression, "There are some things you don't know. The reason why the late emperor made you the crown prince was not only because you were a good person, but also because the empress gave birth to three legitimate sons for you..."

This is the Zhou family’s main concern!

After seeing Mrs. Zhou off, he said to Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi laughed: "Mrs. Zhou actually told you this. You are the emperor's aunt."

Eleventh Lady didn't put herself in that position, and really didn't think there was anything wrong with Mrs. Zhou's words. Now thinking about it, it's funny. She laughed and said, "That's because I don't talk about other people's right and wrong, and I know what it means to 'don't show it when it's not proper, and don't say it when it's not proper'."

Xu Lingyi looked at her with a teasing look in his eyes: "Oh!"

On the one hand, he claimed not to talk about other people's gossip, but on the other hand, he told Xu Lingyi what Mrs. Zhou said.

Eleventh Lady's face flushed, and then a strange look appeared on her face.

Could it be that she subconsciously had a sense of security that Xu Lingyi was a trustworthy person?

As the thought flashed through her mind, ripples formed in her heart, and she was already embraced by Xu Lingyi.

"Husband and wife should discuss things with each other." He kissed her earlobe, "It should be like this in the future too. Got it?" There were some strong commands in the gentle voice, which made Eleventh Lady even more confused.

Without waiting for the expected answer, the arm holding the little person tightened, bit the soft earlobe in his mouth gently, and whispered half forcing, half coercing, "Did you hear it?"

Eleventh Lady just felt her face burning, so she pursed her lips and said nothing.

"Did you hear that?" The one bit the other's slender neck hard, and it felt tingling, and the other laughed. Hearing the other's laughter, the other simply kissed her all the way down, unbuttoning the other's clothes. The one was shy and embarrassed, and called "Mr. Hou" coquettishly. The other said "hmm", lowered his head, and kissed the scarlet on her chest through the bellyband with a goose yellow background and grass-green plum blossoms...

As the two were arguing, they heard Amber calling out "Madam" through the door curtain, saying, "Qiuyu is here to answer the call."

Qiuyu was the person sent by Amber to Ciyuen Temple to ask for the amulet.

Eleventh Lady hurriedly lifted her clothes and couldn't help but glare at Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi saw her blushing face and her pair of watery almond-shaped eyes slanting in as she looked at him, looking indescribably charming and attractive. His heart was moved and he kissed her cheek before turning around and walking away.

Shiyi Niang picked up the bottle of cool boiled water that she used to rinse her mouth and drank it all. When she felt that her face was not so hot anymore, she called Qiuyu in to answer the question.

"Master Jining said that Aunt Qin knew that the Madam was pregnant, so she sincerely asked for a peace talisman. Master Jining specially blessed the talisman and painted a small lotus flower on each corner with cinnabar. It doesn't have to be hung at the door, it can be placed in a purse, under the pillow, or in front of the Bodhisattva."

As Qiuyu was talking, Amber had already gone to get the talisman, and there was indeed a small lotus painted with cinnabar on the corner.

Eleventh Lady had expected the problem with the amulet itself, but she was somewhat surprised by Master Jining's caution.

"Why did Aunt Qin ask Madam to hang it at the door?" After sending Qiuyu away, Amber took the talisman and examined both sides carefully.

"She wants to show her appreciation!" Shiyi Niang didn't care. "Otherwise, this little amulet will be pressed under the pillow, and no one will know that it was obtained by her." She smiled and instructed Amber, "Since Master Jining said that she obtained it sincerely, then bring it to the Madam's Buddhist temple for worship!"

Amber smiled and left.

The Crown Princess suddenly ordered Eleventh Lady to enter the palace.

Eleventh Lady was shocked.

One had just had her third-day bath, and the other was newly pregnant...neither was the best time to meet guests.

"It's okay!" Xu Lingyi patted Shiyi Niang's hand, "I will greet everyone in the palace. Unless you are meeting the emperor, you don't have to greet others."

"What if I meet the emperor?" Eleventh Lady couldn't help but cover her abdomen with her hands.

"You won't be able to see the emperor." Xu Lingyi smiled slyly, "I found the Ministry of Internal Affairs and sent a letter to see the emperor."

Only then did Eleventh Lady calm down and appraise her makeup, thinking that it was fortunate that it was spring, because if it were summer, she would be too hot to death.

Fang Jie'er and the prince lived in Xiefangzhai in Beiwusuo. The eunuch led her in from Shenwu Gate, passed Shunzhen Gate, Chengguang Gate, Fubiting Pavilion to Xiefangzhai. All the people she met along the way were low-ranking eunuchs and palace maids. She didn't even need to greet them or even approach them to talk.

Xiefangzhai was not big, facing south, with one room and two side rooms. The eunuchs and palace maids standing outside the room all looked serious, and the room was tidy and clean, with seasonal flowers on display. If one had not known in advance, one would not have known that this was where Sister Fang was staying after childbirth.

Seeing that Shiyi Niang was about to salute her, Fang Jie'er, who was leaning on the pillow at the head of the bed, hurriedly asked the female official beside her to help Shiyi Niang: "The wife of Yongping Marquis is pregnant now."

The female official saw that Eleventh Lady's waist was as thin as a willow branch and she was not yet pregnant. She knew that she was still young and did not dare to be careless. She helped Eleventh Lady up before she squatted down.

"Madam, please don't be polite to me." Fang Jie'er asked the eunuch to put the brocade stool given to Shiyi Niang to sit on next to her bed, and then told the servants in the room, "All of you leave! I have something to say to the wife of Yongping Marquis."

The eunuchs and palace maids all answered "yes" in unison, Yu Guan retreated, and Fang Jie'er's tears fell like raindrops.

"Aunt, I came here just to talk to you."

Shiyi Niang quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears: "Then don't cry. You are still in confinement now!"

Fang Jieer nodded, took the handkerchief and wiped her eyes: "I know, but I just can't help it."

"Then just have a good cry!" Eleventh Lady tucked her quilt in, "Just remember, after crying this time, never cry again."

Fang Jie'er was startled for a moment, then her eyes turned red. She threw herself into Shiyi Niang's arms, leaned on her shoulder and cried softly.

Eleventh Lady’s body stiffened slightly.

This was the first time in her two lifetimes that someone had relied on her in such an intimate and trusting manner.

After a long time, her body gradually relaxed, and she gently patted Fang Jie'er's back, comforting her like she was coaxing a child.

****************

The update is a bit late, please read it tomorrow morning!