Eleventh Lady looked at Grandma Luo San with earnest eyes, not knowing whether to laugh or be angry.
She actually helped Wang Chengzu and Shi Niang fight for the right to be the housekeeper.
Wang Chengzu was really bold. He asked his uncle to help suppress his mother.
Thinking of this, Eleventh Lady couldn't help but shudder.
He first personally sent wedding invitations to everyone in the Luo family, thereby easing the relationship between the Luo family and him; then he used the wedding to entertain Shi Niang's family members with great hospitality, in order to achieve his goal of interacting with everyone in the Luo family. Now, the real purpose is revealed.
If he hadn't been so impatient, if he hadn't picked on Mr. Luo San who had no say at home, what would the scene have been like?
Shi Niang, it’s as simple as raising a Zhongshan wolf.
And Mr. and Mrs. Luo San helped Wang Chengzu to cheer and cheer, which was even more contemptible.
"That's strange!" Eleventh Lady said bluntly, "Tenth sister is a widow, and no one in the Wang family said anything about whether it's convenient for her to do things. But how come Third Brother is taking on so much responsibility that he even manages the Duke Mao's Mansion!"
Grandma Luo San was slightly stunned.
She lived in Yanjing. Others didn't know about the relationship between Shi Niang and Shiyi Niang, but she could see it clearly. This time, Duke Mao accompanied Xiaoxin to invite San Ye to drink, and hinted that if San Ye could bring up this matter in front of several uncles and aunts of the Luo family, he would take out 1,000 taels of silver as a reward. Only then did she think of looking for Shiyi Niang... She didn't expect Shiyi Niang to help, as long as Shiyi Niang could keep silent... Among the relatives, Shiyi Niang had the highest status. As long as she didn't express her opposition clearly, she would be able to convince other people in the Luo family. You know, the death of the eldest wife back then was closely related to Shi Niang.
I didn't expect Eleventh Lady to say such a thing.
"Eleventh Aunt, you don't know." Grandma Luo San said hurriedly, "Duke Mao met our Third Master a few days ago and talked about some trivial matters at home..."
"Duke Mao is the nephew. He is young and has not experienced much. If he has any unhappiness, he can tell his uncle and aunt. That is because he respects you and also respects the mother, Sister Ten." Eleventh Lady was too lazy to talk to such a person. Before she finished speaking, she interrupted her with a smile, "Third brother and sister-in-law are the elders. They should persuade them to reconcile. How can they let Sister Ten hand over the housekeeping to Duke Mao with just a few words? Duke Mao just got married. Those who know said that Third brother, as an uncle, felt sorry for his sister's hard work in managing the household, and wanted Duke Mao to take care of the family as soon as possible for the good of the Wang family; those who don't know thought that Sister Ten had done something unforgivable, and even her brothers from her mother's side couldn't stand it, so they asked her not to meddle in the affairs of the Duke's Mansion anymore..."
This hat is too big.
Grandma Luo San couldn't help but feel secretly regretful.
If I had known this, I should have consulted Fourth Aunt first. After all, Fourth Aunt and Third Master were born of the same mother, and she would never let Third Master suffer.
"Our Third Master definitely didn't mean that." She looked very embarrassed. "It was Duke Mao who mentioned how difficult it had been for the Eleventh Aunt over the years, so our Third Master had this thought..."
"This is the fault of Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law." Eleventh Lady did not give them any face and said bluntly, "Don't say that I am an aunt and it is not my turn to speak. Even if the Wang family asked me to discuss it for the sake of our relationship, they should also ask for the eldest brother's opinion. How can an uncle come forward to help speak for others without asking for the truth? I think Duke Mao is still young, and Sister Ten has been managing the affairs and household affairs of the Duke for so many years, and she has always been doing it properly. I have never heard of any mistakes due to widowhood. Isn't it too hasty to hand over the family to Duke Mao, who has not yet come of age, for this?"
The attitude is very clear.
Then the tea was served.
Grandma Luo San's face was so red that blood could drip out. She could no longer sit still. She immediately stood up and said goodbye.
Eleventh Lady shook her head and told Amber, "Go to Fourth Sister and tell her everything Third Sister-in-law and I said. They are from the same family. If there is any problem, it would be better for her to come forward." She also wrote a letter and asked Amber to deliver it to Luo Zhenxing's place in Gongxian Hutong.
Amber answered "yes" respectfully, then hesitated and asked, "What about Aunt Ten?"
"You should also go and tell her!" Eleventh Lady said calmly, "Our relationship is one thing, but when encountering something like this, you must at least warn her. As for whether she believes it, listens or not, and what to do, that's her business!"
Amber responded and left.
Si Niang immediately wrote a letter of thanks and asked Hubo to bring some fine cloth to thank Shiyi Niang. However, when Shi Niang heard that Hubo was sent by Shiyi Niang to see her, she refused to see Hubo.
Amber had no choice but to tell Yinping about this matter in a subtle way.
Yinping was horrified and asked Jinlian to sit with Amber. She went to report again, but Shi Niang still did not see Amber.
"Forget it!" Shiyi Niang felt that Shi Niang was not only weird, but also absurd. She took a deep breath and said, "I have done what I should do. I just have a clear conscience!"
Amber smiled bitterly.
Eleventh Lady temporarily put the matter behind her and was busy putting away the winter furnishings in each room and replacing them with spring furnishings, distributing spring clothes as usual, and buying summer clothes... When she finished, it was already late February, and she had to start preparing for the March 3rd banquet.
"Let's go to Liufangwu to celebrate the Spring Festival!" said the lady. "If the weather is good, we can go boating. If the weather is bad, sitting in the pavilion of Liufangwu and listening to the spring rain is also a very elegant thing."
Ever since March 31 of that year when her mother invited Grandma Lin, Madam Zhou and other young women to Chunyan Pavilion for a "picnic", the lady had been thinking about it.
"Okay!" Eleventh Lady felt that sitting in Dianchun Hall to listen to opera every year was boring after a while, "Then let's hold a banquet in Liufangwu." After that, she asked the lady-in-waiting, "What do you think? Should we invite two female drummers to come to the mansion to talk about the drums? It can be a festive occasion. I just don't know which female drummer in Yanjing is the best? Can she come on March 3rd?"
As they were talking, Amber came in with a somewhat panicked look. Seeing that Eleventh Lady and the Madam were talking, she did not dare to interrupt and stood there with an anxious look on her face, looking very uneasy.
The lady knew that she was the most capable person in front of Eleventh Lady, and she also knew that she was calm and steady, so she looked at her and called her: "What happened? Just report it to me!"
Amber hurried forward and bowed to the Madam, and said hastily, "The tenth aunt of Duke Mao's mansion passed away suddenly. The Marquis specially asked me to come and inform Madam."
The tenth aunt of the Duke of Mao's mansion...
It took Eleventh Lady a moment to react.
"When did it happen?" She heard her voice was a little sharp. "Who came to announce the death? Where is the person announcing the death?"
"Are you sure?" The old lady didn't believe it. "She was so young, how could she just leave like that?" The old lady thought of the March 3rd of that year, when Shi Niang had a bright face and a bright smile, among a group of gentle and humble women, as bright as the summer sun... She couldn't help but say with a sad tone, "How did she leave? Did she leave any words?"
"I'm not very clear about this." Amber said softly, "The one who sent the letter to announce the death was a maid from Duke Mao's mansion. I've brought her here..."
Shiyi Niang and Shi Niang were sisters from the same room, so Shiyi Niang should have attended her small funeral. The official announcement of the death was after the small funeral. Therefore, the Wang family sent a maid to inform Shiyi Niang first.
As soon as Amber finished speaking, the lady said, "Let her in! Let her in!"
She turned around and brought in a maid.
"Madam passed away at Chou hour this morning." The old woman's eyes flickered as she spoke, "Early this morning, our Duke sent me to tell Madam about the death. Our Madam has been ill for many years. Before the Duke got married, she had always said that she would not make it, but she always survived. The Duke thought that Madam would be fine this time, and he couldn't bear it anymore while tending to her, so he took a nap beside the bed, and Madam..." The old woman shed a few tears, "Our Duke cried his heart out, and he only had to rely on the calming incense to rest for a while..."
"This child!" The lady sighed with emotion and said to Shiyi Niang, "Then you should go over and take a look! If it's not convenient tonight, you can stay there! I'll take care of Jing'er!"
Eleventh Lady thanked him and took Amber to Duke Mao’s Mansion.
White curtains have been hung in Duke Mao's mansion, and the maids have tied white linen around their waists. Although the mourning hall has not yet been set up, the tablecloths, red and white prayer mats, flower pots and spirit figures have been prepared. There are ignorant children standing around watching the spirit figures.
"You're pretty quick!" Amber commented as she helped Eleventh Lady get off the carriage.
Eleventh Lady's heart moved.
She went there at Chou hour today, and she got the news at Chenzheng. It is only the beginning of Si hour now... It seems that the Wang family has been prepared for a long time, just waiting for Shi Niang to die.
As the thought came to her mind, Eleventh Lady shook her head vigorously, reminding herself not to let her imagination run wild.
Wang Chengzu came over.
His eyes were red and swollen, his expression was haggard, his white mourning clothes were wrinkled, and he looked like a leftover dish, giving people a listless feeling.
"Aunt Eleven, you are here!" He squatted in front of Eleven, tears falling down his face. "I have become a motherless child. From now on, please treat me as your own child... Let me have a mother to be filial to!"
Eleventh Lady just glanced at him and said in a deep voice: "Take me to see your mother!"
"Yes!" Wang Chengzu looked weak. He stood up with the help of the person next to him and took Shiyi Niang to the main house.
Wang Chengzu's newly married wife was dressed in mourning and sat with a woman with red eyes.
When they saw Eleventh Lady come in, everyone stood up.
Eleventh Lady saw Wang Chengzu’s biological mother.
When his biological mother saw Eleventh Lady looking at her, she lowered her head.
Eleventh Lady went to the inner room without stopping.
In the middle of the inner room stood a black lacquered bed covered with blue silk, on which lay a woman dressed in red and green shrouds.
Long eyebrows, broad forehead, high nose bridge...who else could it be but Shi Niang?
Her jet-black hair was neatly combed into a peony bun, and she wore a red-gold headpiece and light makeup. Although she was thin, her face looked rosy and her expression was peaceful, as if she was soundly asleep.
Eleventh Lady was stunned.
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