Xu Lingyi saw that Shiyi Niang was a little depressed, but misunderstood that she was talking about the one-year-old ceremony of Jin Ge'er. He put his arm around her shoulders and comforted her: "Knowledge of the world is knowledge, and knowledge of human nature is writing. There are many people with superb martial arts in the army who eventually became lieutenant generals, and there are many people who can't even tie a chicken with their hands who became generals. The key is to see whether the person is skilled in doing things. Since our Jin Ge'er has won the drinking order, he will definitely be a person who likes to make friends in the future. A person with friends to help him is not afraid of anything!"

Looking at his concerned eyes, Eleventh Lady felt a little depressed.

Si Niang came to her just to ask Xu Lingyi to put pressure on the government and not to interfere in the issue of the succession of the Zhu family. However, interfering in the affairs of other clans would also affect Xu Lingyi's reputation.

She put her arms around Xu Lingyi's waist and made a decision.

"Qiniang is in Yanjing!"

Xu Lingyi was a little surprised: "Argued with Zhu Anping again?"

"There were many guests at the time, so what Si Niang said was not very clear." Shiyi Niang said, "I want to go see her tomorrow."

Xu Lingyi nodded: "Do you want me to help persuade Zhu Anping?"

"Let's see what happens first!" Eleventh Lady said, "The relationship between husband and wife is unpredictable. Sometimes persuasion is like sending charcoal in the snow, and sometimes it is like adding fuel to the fire."

Xu Lingyi always thought that Qi Niang was willful and Zhu Anping was open-minded. Subconsciously, he felt that this time it was probably Qi Niang who caused the trouble again. He did not ask any more questions, chatted with Shiyi Niang for a few words, and then stopped talking about it.

The next day, Shiyi Niang just said that she wanted to go see Si Niang, and took Zhu Xiang to Si Niang's place.

Yu Yiqing was not at home. Si Niang was very surprised to see Shiyi Niang coming to her house. She just said "You are here" and led her to the easternmost wing of the back house.

The wing room was clean and tidy, and decorated in a simple and elegant style. Eleventh Lady looked at the skinny and dazed woman sitting on the kang by the window for a long time before she called out softly, "Seventh Sister."

Qi Niang looked towards her and laughed at herself: "I no longer look like a human being. You didn't recognize me at first, did you?"

Eleventh Lady didn't want to lie with her eyes open, so she remained silent.

Qinnan pointed at the kang opposite and said, "Sit down and talk! We still need your help this time!" Her tone was cold, even a little domineering.

Si Niang looked at her apologetically and whispered, "She has been a little dazed. Eleventh sister, for my sake, please be more tolerant!"

Eleventh Lady gave Fourth Lady a look that said "I know" and sat down opposite Seventh Lady.

There was no one serving in the room. Si Niang went to make tea for Shiyi Niang, while Qi Niang was already mumbling, "He promised me that if it doesn't work out, he would adopt one of our sisters' sons. Now that he wants to adopt a son, he should adopt one from our sisters."

Eleventh Lady suddenly realized.

If Zhu Anping agreed, why did Qinnan repeatedly emphasize the promise she made back then?

She didn't say anything, but took the tea handed to her by Si Niang and took a sip, then she said softly, "Didn't Seventh Brother-in-law come with you?"

Qi Niang pursed her lips and said stiffly "No", but Si Niang beside her answered "Yes", and the two of them said it together, making people wonder whether Zhu Anping came or not.

Si Niang glanced at Qin Niang and said hurriedly, "I stayed here for two days. Something happened at home, so I rushed back to Gaoqing County. I said I would come to pick Qin Niang up in two days." It seemed like she was trying to whitewash the situation for Qin Niang.

There are some questions that no longer need to be asked.

Eleventh Lady nodded and said something like "Offspring are a big deal, Seventh Sister, don't be anxious, take your time," then stood up and said goodbye.

Qi Niang nodded reluctantly and let Si Niang send Shiyi Niang out.

The two of them went to Si Niang's inner room and sat on the big kang by the window.

"Why don't you see Qi'er?" Eleventh Lady smiled and took out a purse from her sleeve. "I asked for the amulet when I went to Ciyuan Temple to release Jing'er last time. One for Jing'er and one for Qi'er."

Si Niang took it quickly, thanked him, and put it in a box beside her: "Wet nurse, take it with you!" Then she called a little maid in, "Bring the third young master over to greet his aunt!"

Eleventh Lady asked about the two brothers Yu Cheng and Yu Li: "Have you been to school?"

Si Niang nodded: "Your brother-in-law wants Cheng Ge'er to give it a try next year. He has been studying very hard these days!"

As they were talking, the wet nurse came in holding the half-year-old Qi Ge'er.

"Oh!" Eleventh Lady hugged him, "He's chubby and looks really good!" Then she looked at Qi Ge'er and then at Fourth Lady, "Look at his nose and eyes, they're exactly the same as Fourth Sister's."

Si Niang smiled reservedly. She tugged at her son's collar and said, "Some say he looks like me, some say he looks like your brother-in-law. The child is still young, and it's hard to tell who he looks like!"

Eleventh Lady took the rattle beside her and played with Qi Ge'er.

"It's a pity that our son Jing looks like the Marquis." She laughed, "But that's the way it is. When I think of him as the child of my hard work and ten months of pregnancy, I feel happy from the bottom of my heart." Then she asked Si Niang, "Fourth sister, do you think all mothers are like this?"

Seeing that she was asking in a childish way, Si Niang smiled and said, "Mothers are naturally like this!"

Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "I think, among the three children, Fourth Sister must like Qi Ge'er the most!"

Si Niang laughed and said, "Why do you say that?"

"I was thinking," Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "Qi Ge'er looks so much like Fourth Sister. When he grows up and gets married, maybe he will have a grandson who looks like Fourth Sister, and then the grandson will have a great-grandson who looks like Fourth Sister... Fourth Sister will be so unhappy when she sees the child who looks like her that she will wake up laughing in her sleep." Then she emphasized, "If it were me, I would definitely wake up laughing."

Si Niang was amused by her and laughed.

Eleventh Lady, however, stopped smiling and looked at Fourth Lady solemnly, "Fourth Sister, how could you bear to give Qi Ge'er away!"

Si Niang's smile froze on her face.

Eleventh Lady sighed quietly, "Fourth sister is indeed the most opinionated one among us sisters. If it were me, I would never be able to do it."

Tears fell from Si Niang's eyes on their own. She turned her face to the side and lowered her head to wipe away the tears.

"Fourth sister, you have to think this through." Eleventh Lady's voice was a little disappointed, "Once Qi'er is sent to Gaoqing, he will no longer be your son. Moreover, I see that the situation of the Zhu family is complicated. It would be fine if Seventh sister can always be in charge of the household affairs of the Zhu family. But if something happens... the child will be left in the Zhu family. What should Fourth sister do then..."

But before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Si Niang.

"Don't say any more!" She said resolutely, "I can't just watch Qi Niang being trampled underfoot by the Zhu family like this..."

"Fourth sister," Eleventh Lady looked at Fourth Lady solemnly, "Seventh sister is in charge of the Zhu family's household affairs, has filial sons and daughters-in-law, and was welcomed into the Zhu family's ancestral hall a hundred years later. This is Seventh sister's victory. It's not about which family to adopt as an heir."

"I know that!" Si Niang's expression softened slightly, "But this day belongs to Qi Niang, and she has to be willing to do it."

Eleventh Lady looked at Fourth Lady steadily and said, "If we all don't help each other, Seventh Sister will figure it out in a few days."

Si Niang's face turned purple.

The implication of Eleventh Lady's words was clearly that she was accusing her of being unreasonable and condoning Seventh Lady's behavior.

"I told her that if a woman gets divorced, she can only go home. She said she would rather go home. I kicked her out, and she ran to the temple to twist her hair." Si Niang wiped her tears, "Dad and Mom are not in Yanjing. How can I, as the eldest sister, watch her do such a foolish thing?" She added, "Zhu Anping promised to adopt a son among us sisters. Qi Niang is simple-minded. Now the Zhu family has opened the ancestral hall without asking any questions. How can she feel!"

After all, they are sisters from the same mother. Even though they knew that Qiniang did something wrong, they still defended her.

Eleventh Lady smiled bitterly and said softly, "Fourth sister, have you ever thought about why the Zhu family acted so hastily and turbulently this time, and did not give our Luo family any way out?"

Si Niang consulted with Shiyi Niang because she was the more opinionated one among the sisters. Si Niang had no intention of hiding it. When Shiyi Niang asked, she answered frankly: "Qiniang goes back to her parents' home all the time, and the people in the Zhu family feel embarrassed. Especially last time she came all the way from Shandong to Yanjing in a swagger, people from all over Shandong said that Zhu Anping was unfair to Qi Niang. The old lady of the Zhu family was indignant and said bad things about Qi Niang to everyone she met. Qi Niang was also arrogant, and the more the old lady of the Zhu family said so, the more she ignored her. As time went on, others felt that Qi Niang acted eccentrically and was arrogant. In addition, they had no heirs, and the people of the Zhu family were jealous of the family property. They persuaded the old lady of the Zhu family, and then a fuss broke out." As she spoke, her expression was Yi Zheng, "Now that things have come to this, it's not the time to discuss right and wrong. We, the girls of the Luo family, must not let others bully us like this. Third brother is timid, so you can't count on him. I've already told my eldest brother, and he agrees with me - let your eldest brother negotiate with the Zhu family, and you just need to convince the Marquis to say hello to the government and ask them not to interfere in this matter." At this point, her expression became a little obscure, "We must not let the Zhu family establish an heir like this. Otherwise, even if Qi Niang becomes the mistress of the Zhu family, she will just be a puppet. It's better not to establish an heir!"

Eleventh Lady looked at Fourth Lady who avoided her gaze and knew that this path was no longer feasible.

She went home.

* * * * * *

The sound of horse hooves tapped on the bluestone corridor, and Eleventh Lady's mind was racing.

I have already told Luo Zhenxing... Even if I don't tell Xu Lingyi, when the time comes, Luo Zhenxing will definitely ask Xu Lingyi to come forward... Since she married into the Xu family, Xu Lingyi has never refused the Luo family's request...

Thinking of this, her brows furrowed tightly.

The carriage stopped.

"Madam, we are home!" A respectful report came from outside the curtain of the carriage.

Eleventh Lady absentmindedly supported Mother Song's shoulders and got out of the car.

Several maids came over here, talking and laughing in low voices with great joy. When they saw Shiyi Niang, they hurriedly stood against the wall, holding their breath and lowering their hands and eyelids.

Eleventh Lady just stood there in a daze.

"Madam!" Mother Song whispered cautiously, "Do you have any instructions?"

Eleventh Lady's expression brightened up, and she told Mother Song: "Let's go to Gongxian Hutong!"

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Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival, I wish you all a happy holiday!

O(∩_∩)O~

Everyone, please read the additional update tomorrow morning!