Chapter 437: Noise (Part 2)
"No feeling?" Zhu Xiang heard some joy in Shiyi Niang's tone and thought that this must not be a bad thing, but she had to know it clearly. "Madam, do you think you should call Madam Tian to ask?"
"No need." The suffocation in her chest that had been choking her every morning since she became pregnant suddenly disappeared, and she felt relieved. With Xu Sizhen awake, Shiyi Niang's eyes and eyebrows relaxed a lot. "The Taoist priest Changchun came to our house to perform a ritual today, and everyone is busy. Now that we are making such a fuss, everyone wants to come and see me again."
Zhu Xiang responded with a smile.
This is the inconvenience of living with the Madam.
I just hope this matter will be settled soon so that everyone can return to their previous peaceful lives.
Xu Lingyi went to the outer courtyard at dawn. After washing up, Shiyi Niang went to the lady's place.
The lady had already gotten up and was sitting on the kang, watching the nurse feeding Xu Sizhen breakfast. When she saw Shiyi Niang coming in, she smiled and greeted her, "Come here!" Then she told Madam Du, "Ask the maids to serve breakfast!"
Mother Du left immediately.
After swallowing the rice in his mouth, Xu Sizhen called out "Mother."
Having just woken up from a coma, he looked pale and weak.
Eleventh Lady asked him with a smile: "Are you okay?"
Xu Sizhen nodded shyly.
The lady insisted that Xu Sizhen had seen it wrong. A lie repeated a thousand times will sometimes make even the liar believe it, not to mention that Xu Sizhen was in a state of panic at the time. He stopped talking about encountering ghosts, which was a tacit admission that he had made a mistake.
The nurse smiled and said, "The fourth young master ate half a bowl of porridge yesterday. He woke up in the middle of the night and asked for food, so he ate another piece of rice cake." Then she showed the two spoonfuls of porridge left in the bowl to Eleventh Lady, "... It was half a bowl, and only this little bit is left."
As they were talking, Nan Yong's wife brought Xu Siqi over to greet the lady.
The two brothers held hands, and one asked, "Have you been studying well these days?" and the other asked, "Is fourth brother okay?" Seeing how friendly and respectful they were, the lady's gloomy mood finally brightened.
After breakfast, Xu Siqin, Xu Sijian and Zhen Jie'er came one after another.
The news that Yi Niang frightened Xu Sinye while walking around the courtyard in the middle of the night had spread everywhere. Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian felt somewhat ashamed when they saw Xu Sinye, but Xu Sinye was very tolerant and said, "It was my fault. I was too timid. It has nothing to do with Yi Niang."
After Xu Sizhen said this, Xu Sijian was fine. But the older Xu Siqin was even more ashamed and said hurriedly, "My father has written to my fourth uncle, letting him handle this matter. My fourth uncle has decided to send Aunt Yi to Shanyang. This will never happen again!"
"Alright, alright!" The lady didn't want the children to pay too much attention to these things. She smiled and said, "These are all things of the past. Just explain them clearly. Brothers, don't take it to heart." She added, "Are you going to class today? Taoist Priest Changchun has set up an altar in the outer courtyard to hold a blessing ceremony for Brother Che. Do you want to go and have a look?"
Xu Sijian's eyes lit up when he heard this, but then dimmed again, and he said lamentably, "I still have to go to class today."
The lady laughed and said, "Then go and have a look at it at noon!"
Xu Sijian became happy again.
After everyone chatted and laughed for a while, Mother Du sent a few young masters out to Shuangfuyuan for classes.
Zhen Jieer told Xu Sinye a few words like "rest well" and then stood up to say goodbye.
She remained silent from beginning to end.
Eleventh Lady was secretly puzzled.
Sister Zhen is not usually like this...
The fifth lady came with Xin Jie'er in her arms.
"Mother, let's go and see Taoist Priest Changchun perform a ritual!" She invited the lady, "It's also a good opportunity for Taoist Priest Changchun to look at our sister Xin's face."
It is said that the fortune-telling of Changchun Taoist Priest depends on chance. If you pay a fortune to him, he may not tell you. If you don't pay a penny and meet him face to face, he may talk to you for a long time. Therefore, many people like to bring their children to watch him perform rituals, hoping to get a word or two from Changchun Taoist Priest.
The Madam Tai knew that the Fifth Madam was praying for Xin Jie'er, so she said with a smile, "You and Xin Jie'er go! I'll stay at home and play cards with Shiyi Niang and talk to Zhe'er."
Xu Lingyi handed the two children, one big and one small, to the old lady. The old lady must have been afraid that no one would take care of herself and Xu Sizhen after she left!
Eleventh Lady hurriedly said, "Mother, you and Fifth Brother's wife can go! I'm here!"
A young woman ran to the outer courtyard to watch the Taoist perform a ritual. The Fifth Lady felt a little guilty after all. Upon hearing this, she pulled the Lady's sleeve and said coquettishly, "Mom, just go with me and watch!"
The lady was somewhat hesitant.
Eleventh Lady smiled and pushed the lady out of the door: "Now that you're gone, Brother Zhe and I can have a good meal."
The lady made her laugh, and she went to the outer courtyard with the fifth lady.
Eleventh Lady sat on the kang, sewing and chatting with Xu Sinian. The wet nurse sat at Eleventh Lady's feet with a small stool, borrowing the needle and thread from the little maid to make socks for Xu Sinian.
As he was talking, Xu Sizhen fell asleep.
A maid came in and said, "Madam, Sister Amber has been waiting for you outside for a long time."
Eleventh Lady was slightly startled after listening to this and turned to go to the west room.
Amber stepped forward and whispered in my ear: "Aunt Yi said that she has a secret about the Grandmother that she wants to tell you!"
"Big sister?" Eleventh Lady was slightly stunned. "Secret?"
"Yes!" Amber nodded. "She said she has kept this matter in her heart for many years. She is afraid that if she doesn't tell it this time, she will never have the chance to tell it again. Please meet her no matter what. The maid on duty didn't dare to make the decision, so she came to report it to me."
Eleventh Lady frowned slightly.
Xu Lingyi received a letter from the Third Master last night and had planned to send Yi Niang to Shanyang early this morning. But just after dawn, Taoist Priest Changchun led a group of Taoists to the door. He had no choice but to arrange for Yi Niang to leave tomorrow.
Judging from Aunt Yi's tone, she obviously already knew Xu Lingyi's arrangements.
At this time, under these circumstances, Yi Yi actually said that she wanted to tell her a secret about Yuan Niang... Was it true? Or was it false?
If it was true, why did she choose this time to say it? Could it be related to Xu Lingyi's arrangement for her?
If it was fake, how could she be sure she could hide it from herself and convince herself?
Eleventh Lady was very hesitant.
Xu Lingyi had already told her very clearly that Yi Niang must not be kept, and the so-called sending Yi Niang to Shanyang was simply a cover-up. If what Yi Niang wanted to tell her was true, she might lose the chance to know it forever if she didn't go.
She thought about the old lady's attitude towards Yuanniang when she first entered the mansion, Xu Lingyi's prejudice against her, and the second lady's contempt for her... Yuanniang left many secrets behind.
If it were in the past, she would definitely not go.
She always thinks that what is in the past should be left in the past.
But after what happened to Mother Tao, she deeply realized that what happened in the past was slowly affecting her future life.
If it's fake...
Eleventh Lady sighed slightly.
It seems like there is no loss, right?
I have to admit that Aunt Yi's words were very skillful.
Eleventh Lady took Amber to the room where Aunt Yi was imprisoned.
Maybe it was decided beforehand to send Aunt Yi away today. Aunt Yi wore a brand new crimson burnt cloth bodice, her hair was combed neatly, and she was sprinkled with a light spray of jade flower dew. Although she looked clean, her skin was sallow, her eyes were dull, and the corners of her mouth kept twitching, as if she had aged ten years in an instant, and she could not hide her decadent appearance.
When she saw Shiyi Niang, her eyes lit up and she immediately rushed over.
The old woman who opened the door for them twisted her waist and her door-like figure stood in front of Shiyi Niang.
Eleventh Lady's eyes blurred, and she heard a "thump" sound, and Yi Niang fell to her knees on the ground: "Fourth Madam, Fourth Madam, I am innocent, you have to help me!"
The maid who opened the door glanced at Shiyi Niang and asked her what to do.
Eleventh Lady nodded slightly at him.
The old woman stepped aside silently.
Amber brought some armchairs and placed them behind Eleventh Lady. Then she took out a handkerchief and wiped the chair, and winked at the maid who opened the door for them.
The old woman was afraid that Aunt Yi would go crazy and hurt the Fourth Madam, but she thought that since the Fourth Madam came to see her alone, she must have something secret to tell her... After hesitating for a moment, she smiled and retreated.
Eleventh Lady slowly sat down on the armchair, looking at Aunt Yi coldly without saying a word.
For a moment, the room was silent, with only the sound of Aunt Yi's slightly clumsy breathing.
Aunt Yi didn't know what she meant, her eyes began to evade, and she murmured, "Fourth Madam, I, I have something to tell you!"
Eleventh Lady remained silent. After a while, she slowly said, "If you have anything to say, stand up and speak!"
"Yes!" Aunt Yi stood up hesitantly.
"You said there was a secret about my eldest sister," Eleventh Lady said slowly, "I wonder what it is?"
"Fourth Madam, to be honest, I really have nothing to do with Qin Yi Niang's witchcraft to harm Fourth Young Master. I was wronged."
As Yi's concubine spoke, her expression became excited again. Amber watched and moved towards Shiyi Niang calmly. "Qin's concubine is a wicked woman who has long wanted to harm the prince. I was fooled by Qin's concubine and had no choice but to find Zhu Dao Po for her. Fourth Madam, please consider that I am uneducated and confused and don't know the severity of the crime. Please talk to the Marquis and punish me in any way you want, but don't send me out of the mansion!" As she spoke, she knelt on the ground and kowtowed, "Fourth Madam, I beg you, I beg you!"
People who have committed crimes usually do not think they are guilty.
Eleventh Lady sat there motionless as a mountain, watching her forehead turn red from knocking her head, and then she said slowly: "Madam Yi, I came here because I thought you were a smart person because you once served the Third Master. Although speaking is not as good as writing, it also requires truth and evidence. You are talking nonsense like this. I think," she paused, "you are not a smart person. I will just ignore your words." After saying that, she turned around and was about to leave.
When Aunt Yi saw this, she stood up hastily.
"Fourth Madam, Fourth Madam!" She took a few steps forward and reached out to grab Eleventh Lady's sleeve. "I didn't say anything nonsense. Back then, everyone said that it was your sister who caused Aunt Tong to have a miscarriage and die. In fact, it was Aunt Qin who did it. She took advantage of the situation and killed Aunt Tong, but she put the blame on your sister, making her bear the blame for so many years..."