The lady listened without saying anything.
Seeing that it was true, Eleventh Lady continued to persuade him, "There is no such rumor. Fang is one of the best in character, appearance and cultivation. She is a good match for our Qin'er. If they really divorce, Fang will have a hard time in the future, and Qin'er may not be able to find a wife like Fang. Only a fool like Fang Ji can say that 'from now on, men and women will have nothing to do with each other and both will be fine'. How can such a big matter as marriage be so simple? Besides, this couple loves each other the most and can stick to it until the end. Why change their ways halfway?"
The lady lowered her head and took a sip of tea.
Eleventh Lady was even more certain of the Madam's intentions. She smiled and said, "Mother, how about we send someone to Huzhou to inquire whether what Fang said is true or not. If she is full of nonsense, it shows that she is not a good person. It won't be too late to settle with the Fang family then. Let's ask an expert to calculate the birth characters of Qin'er and Fang to see if they are incompatible. I heard that some women have good birth characters, and families with little luck cannot live with them. Maybe Fang's birth characters are precious, and she is destined to marry into a royal family like our Xu family! Then I will find Fang Ji to find out whether he was impulsive at the moment or the Fang family had already discussed it. Mother, do you think this is okay?"
"Then let's do as you say!" The lady nodded slightly, her eyes falling on Xu Lingyi, "I'll leave the matter of going to Huzhou to inquire about it to you." After saying that, she took a long breath, "I'm a little tired, you guys should rest early too!" Her tone was a little melancholy.
It's really a depressing thing.
Eleventh Lady and Xu Lingyi bowed and left.
Mother Du, who was guarding the door, hurriedly called Zhu Xiang to light the lamp and sent the two of them to the gate of the yard before turning back.
Finally, Xu Lingyi and his wife had a chance to talk privately.
"Brother Qin really told you that he didn't want to divorce his wife?"
Eleventh Lady said angrily: "Could I have made it up?"
Xu Lingyi looked at her and smiled, obviously not believing her at all.
"If your Majesty doesn't believe it, go ask Qin'er!" Eleventh Lady gave him a sidelong glance.
Xu Lingyi sighed. He slowed down his pace and walked shoulder to shoulder with Shiyi Niang on the corridor that was hung with big red lanterns.
"I originally thought that 'reading a thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles'. Qin Ge'er has lived in Shanyang for some time, and what he saw and heard along the way can help him grow. Now it seems that the child is still not smart enough." He said slowly, "Now is not the time for the couple to have a conflict and ask someone to say a word to reconcile them. Now it is a dispute between two families, and he actually said such a thing." He looked a little disappointed.
Is that why you frown?
Eleventh Lady also slowed down her pace, and walked slowly along the winding corridor with Xu Lingyi: "I am too concerned, so you don't have to be too harsh, Lord."
Since Xu Siyu came to Le'an, the gap between him and Xu Siqin has gradually become apparent. Is it because Xu Siqin has not encountered an opportunity to grow? Or is it because Mr. Jiang has put a lot of effort into Xu Siyu?
Seeing that Xu Lingyi was not very happy, she smiled and changed the subject: "What is mother's plan? Lord Hou, please at least give me a message. I will be able to act after I meet the people from the Fang family!"
Thinking of this, she talked about Xu Siyu: "... Will Yu take part in the examination in August this year?"
"We have to wait until Brother Yu returns to Anle." Xu Lingyi said, "Mr. Jiang sent me a letter a few days ago, just reminding me to pay attention to the situation in Fujian. He didn't say anything else!"
"The situation in Fujian?" Eleventh Lady was a little surprised. "What situation in Fujian?"
Xu Lingyi said softly: "Mr. Jiang thinks that personal likes and dislikes are minor, and the safety of the family is more important. The Qu family failed too quickly, which is not good for our Xu family. Let me find a way to support Jiang Yunfei."
Eleventh Lady was somewhat surprised: "Does the Marquis often discuss important matters of the court with Mr. Jiang?"
"It's a good idea, so we talk about it occasionally." Xu Lingyi felt that it was not appropriate to talk about such a topic in this occasion, and smiled and continued the previous conversation: "By the way, mother asked about Zhen Jie'er's wedding date, let's set it quickly!"
The results of the martial arts exam will be out in August. The Shao family may want to have a double celebration, so they have proposed several dates in September and October. Eleventh Lady thought that Zhen Jieer would marry as late as possible, so she and Xu Lingyi were planning to pick a date in October, just to show that they were looking up to marry their daughter. They were going to wait for the matchmaker from the Shao family to come and urge them again before deciding on a specific date. Now Xu Lingyi asked again, and she thought the lady had some instructions: "Which auspicious day did you choose, mother?"
"That's not the case!" Xu Lingyi said, "Mother just wanted to know earlier. She has a few things to give to Zhen Jie'er. If we set a date, we can prepare it earlier."
"So what do you think of October 12, sir?"
"That's fine!" Xu Lingyi said, "Cangzhou is five or six days away from here. We'll get married on October 6th, and arrive on October 12th. They're both even dates. Pretty auspicious."
As they talked, they entered the courtyard.
Mother Gu was standing in the middle of the yard holding Jing'er, while Xu Sijie was talking to him beside her.
Hearing the noise, the three looked over. Jing'er immediately struggled to get off the ground and ran towards his parents: "Daddy, Mom!"
Xu Lingyi was afraid that he would fall, so he hurried forward and hugged his son: "It's so late, why don't you go to bed?"
Jin Ge'er pouted, his big phoenix eyes were filled with tears, and he looked at Shiyi Niang very aggrievedly: "Mom, tell me a story!"
Xu Sijie had already stepped forward and bowed to the two of them, saying, "Sixth brother insisted that mother tell him a story. We will accompany him to the courtyard to wait for the door."
It must be Jing'er who was making a lot of noise and Xu Sijie was trying to coax him.
Eleventh Lady put her arm around Xu Sijie's shoulders and said, "You still have to go to school tomorrow, go to bed!"
Xu Sijie smiled, bowed and retreated.
Xu Lingyi carried Jing'er into the house and slept between them at night, listening to Shiyi Niang telling him the story of "Chang'e Flying to the Moon".
After finally coaxing him to sleep, Xu Lingyi couldn't help but touch his son's head gently: "When he was little, he wouldn't sleep with you. Now that he's grown up, he sleeps with us instead."
Eleventh Lady blew out the lights with a smile: "I was ignorant when I was little! Now that I'm grown up, I naturally want to stick to my parents..." As she spoke, she felt a pair of hands reaching out to her restlessly.
She quickly grabbed that hand and said, "No, there is a child..." Her voice was low and a little shy.
Xu Lingyi turned over and lay down next to Shiyi Niang: "The weather is getting hotter and hotter. Jing'er is afraid of the heat, let him sleep inside!"
"Excuse!" Eleventh Lady pushed his hand away.
Xu Lingyi asked back: "Do I still need to make excuses?"
Eleventh Lady couldn't help but laugh.
Xu Lingyi whispered to her: "Go get Brother Jin to bed early tomorrow!"
* * * * * *
Early the next morning, the third wife came to pay her respects to the old lady, but the old lady and the second wife had gone to the Imperial Observatory before dawn.
Eleventh Lady sat with her in the flower hall.
Compared to yesterday, she looked very haggard and spoke absentmindedly.
Seeing that she was in a very bad condition, Eleventh Lady asked Xingjiao to accompany her back to the room to rest: "...There are people cleaning up over there all the time, just change the bed and put in clean bedding."
The Third Lady did not refuse her proposal. Served by Zhu Xiang, she and Xing Jiao returned to the courtyard where she used to live.
Eleventh Lady stayed with Xu Siyu who came to greet her: "Yesterday, Fang Tanhua came to visit your father..." She told him the purpose of Fang Ji's visit, "...your father is an elder, and some questions are not easy to ask. He must be busy visiting teachers and fellow students these two days. Please help me go to Minister Liu's courtyard and invite Fang Tanhua to come over and say a few words."
Xu Siyu was stunned, and it took him a while to come back to his senses. He replied respectfully, "Yes", and then couldn't help asking, "What did the eldest brother say?"
Never divorce!
Although he showed his attitude and explained to his wife, he went against his mother's wishes.
Eleventh Lady felt that she shouldn't have told Xu Siyu this: "You should also take some time to visit Qin Ge'er and persuade him."
Xu Siyu responded and left, and Mother Song walked in.
"Madam, I heard some bad news, and I don't know if it's true or not." She whispered to Eleventh Lady, "Xingjiao said that the Third Master suddenly came back from Shanyang early this morning. He also brought back his official uniform and sedan chair."
No wonder the third lady came a little late.
Looking at this situation, I'm afraid something is not going well - if he was promoted, why would the Third Master and the Third Madam be so silent! If he wasn't promoted, and brought back the official uniform and sedan chair that represent his status... Does that mean he doesn't have to go?
Thinking of this, Eleventh Lady couldn't help but break out in a sweat.
If you are not from the same family, you will not enter the same door. If you really resigned, can hiding in Sanjing Hutong solve the problem?
Eleventh Lady instructed Mother Song: "The palace has some newly-released cherries and white peaches as a reward. Take some with you and go see the eldest young mistress. Then pay attention to see if the third master is in the room."
Mother Song's face was full of surprise. It took her a long time to close her mouth and respond with a "yes".
But before two cups of tea had passed, Mother Song came back and said, "Madam, the Marquis and the Third Master are talking in the outer study!"
In this case, I was actually wronging the Third Master.
"Go and have a look, and try to find out why the Third Master came back to Yanjing!"
Mother Song bowed and retreated.
Eleventh Lady lay on the kang, thinking for a long time.
Mother Song ran into the main courtyard with a somewhat panicked look on her face.
"Madam, I have found out everything." She said hurriedly, "It is said that the Third Master lent money to others and was impeached. The higher-ups asked the Third Master to resign for the sake of the Marquis and Mr. Jiang. The Third Master resigned and came back!"
I was reported for loan sharking!
Eleventh Lady felt that the Third Master had always been cautious and would not do anything that would affect his reputation or even cause him to lose his job.
She thought of the Third Lady...
Just when I was wondering whether I should go to the Third Madam to get some information, the Dowager Madam and the Second Madam came back.
Eleventh Lady hurriedly informed the Third Lady, and the two of them went to the hanging flower gate to greet them.
When the old lady saw the third lady, she said lightly, "Come here."
The third lady hurried forward to help the old lady onto the small oil cart with green curtains, but the old lady put her hand on the second lady's shoulder and was helped by the second lady to get on the cart.
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