Xiang was still a little frightened.

Others may not know, but she knows that her mother has been complaining about her aunt behind her back for many years because of this matter!

She discussed it with Xu Siyu.

Xu Siyu also felt that this matter was very difficult. After thinking for a while, he said, "Since mother told us to keep it, we should keep it for the time being." He added, "We will leave in two days. We should also inform my aunt. You can mention it to her and see what she says. It won't be too late for us to make plans later!"

When Xiang Roujin was at her mother's house, she helped Madam Xiang to take care of the household. Among the brothers and sisters, she knew the most about the Xiang family's affairs. Later, she married the eldest son of Mr. Zhou, who was a colleague of Mr. Xiang and the Minister of Works, and became a proud relative. Mr. Zhou now also served as the Censor of the Censorate and inspected the Lianghuai River works. Mr. Zhou was also very hardworking. He passed the imperial examination in the 16th year of Yonghe. In just five years, he is now the head of the Shandong Qingli Division of the Ministry of Revenue. He has a bright future. Xiang Roujin is a woman of both virtue and talent. Both the Zhou family and Mr. Zhou respect her very much. Mrs. Xiang relies more and more on this eldest daughter. Whenever there is something at home, she likes to listen to Xiang Roujin's opinions.

Xiang smiled and nodded: "I understand. I will go to see my elder sister tomorrow morning."

Xiang Roujin knew the purpose of her sister's visit and smiled helplessly: "I only heard this story from my aunt once when I was a child. It seems that when my aunt got married, she wanted to take the books in her study with her, and your grandmother agreed immediately. My mother felt that these books were not as valuable as gold and silver, but family heirlooms, so she whispered behind my grandmother's back, 'Although it is a dowry, it has gone to someone else's home and has become someone else's property.' Somehow, it reached my grandmother's ears. She was furious and kept harping on this sentence. She made up stories about my mother in front of my grandfather, and finally gave the Xiang family's collection of books to my aunt as a dowry.

"I think that Auntie is like this. She is probably still remembering what Mother said."

Don't you despise my mother for giving birth to a daughter? Well, I will give your daughter the thing you cared about the most, and see what else you have to say...

Many years later, he still gave Mrs. Xiang a sharp slap in the face!

"What should I do? What should I do?" Xiang was so anxious that she turned around and around. "My mother-in-law has already asked me to accept the gifts - I have to accept them. But if mother finds out..." As she spoke, she hurriedly pulled her sister's hand, "Sister, you have to give me some advice, right?"

Seeing her sister being caught between her mother and her aunt, Xiang Roujin felt bad. She thought for a while and said, "Please keep the books safe. I'll go talk to mother."

"What do you mean?" Xiang asked worriedly.

She was afraid that her mother would blame her sister as well.

"Tell the truth!" Xiang Roujin said, "The rift between mother and aunt has been going on for a long time. Even if we are willing to help aunt cover up, mother will probably blame her. If we are not careful, she might even blame your mother-in-law..."

Xiang's heart skipped a beat when she heard this. Before her sister could finish, she interrupted her sister hastily: "Don't involve my mother-in-law in this!" She said with a bitter face, "I'm already extremely worried... I can't let any more trouble happen!"

"Don't worry!" Xiang Roujin couldn't help but sighed, "I know what to do!" Then he cheered up and asked her with a smile about going to Jiaqing Mansion, "You should live in the government office by then! My brother-in-law has a low position, and the courtyard of the government office must be very small. I'm afraid there won't be enough space for the daily furnishings, maids, and old women..."

These words touched Xiang's heart, and she immediately changed the subject: "That's right, I'm also worried about this. Even for daily necessities, there are more than 20 boxes and cages. If we take them all, plus the maids and old women, we will have to take at least two official ships. My husband is just a seventh-rank judge. If he leaves the capital in such a grand manner, I don't know how others will judge him. Maybe the censor will be invited. When Jiaqing arrives, his superiors and colleagues will see us making such a fuss. Since my husband is from the Yongping Marquis Mansion, they will probably think that my husband is a wild person, and it will only be bad for him to get along with his superiors and colleagues in the future! But my husband insisted on taking all the things with him, and I couldn't say anything. I had to pack up the things for the time being and wait until the day of departure!"

Xiang Roujin was moved when she heard this: "Brother-in-law asked you to pack up all your things? Then wouldn't the yard you live in be empty?"

"Yes!" Xiang said, "I said to leave two maids to look after the yard, but my husband didn't agree..." Having said this, she hesitated and said, "Sister, do you think my husband is going to take this opportunity..." As she spoke, she picked up the orange on the kang table and cut it in half.

Xiang Roujin nodded slightly: "I think that's what I heard!"

Xiang groaned and said, "But since my husband won't tell me in front of me, I can't ask him!"

Although they were the eldest sons of concubines, they should be separated earlier for the sake of the eldest son, but since their parents did not say anything, they could not take the initiative to bring it up.

Xiang Roujin suggested to her: "Then you can put some of the things you don't need on a daily basis in the farm that your brother-in-law's family gave you when he got married, and then send your trusted stewards and mothers to guard it, and see what your brother-in-law says."

Xiang understood and cast a grateful glance at her elder sister. After returning home, she immediately ordered the maid to repack the boxes and put the things she usually used in one place, the things she rarely used in another place, and the things she put away in another place. She asked the maid and the old woman to make a list according to this, and then went to discuss with Xu Siyu: "There are too many things, so we should put some of them on the farm."

Xu Siyu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded to Xiang as usual.

Xiang also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

I finally understood what my husband meant.

It looks like I won’t be able to come back this time!

She couldn't help but look around the yard where she had lived for seven or eight years.

The banana tree that was originally shoulder-high has grown to the height of a person. The swing that Yingying's fifth uncle helped build when she was one year old now stands there quietly in the air. She suddenly felt a little sad.

In the first few years after her marriage, she was also worried about the separation of the house. But in the past few years, her grandmother was cheerful and kind, her father-in-law and mother-in-law were well-educated, and the sisters-in-law gave in to each other. When they met, they were always affectionate and the children could play together... Thinking that the hustle and bustle would be farther and farther away from her, and thinking that she didn't have to take care of anything at home in the past few years, even when she was pregnant and gave birth, the mother sent by her mother-in-law took care of her meticulously, she suddenly felt a little scared.

From now on I have to rely on myself for everything. Can I shoulder this responsibility in Jiaqing Mansion, where I am unfamiliar with the place?

While she was thinking, someone ran over and hugged her thighs: "Mother, mother!"

She looked down and saw her daughter's smiling face as bright as the sun.

"Yingying!" Xiang picked up her daughter, and she immediately hugged her neck: "Mother, what are you doing in the yard?"

Her daughter's eyes were as clear and transparent as spring water, which calmed her heart.

For the sake of her daughter, she must muster up her courage and not back down.

"I'm waiting for Yingying!" Xiang took a deep breath, her voice a little more resolute than usual, "Wait for Yingying to come, so we can go and greet grandma together!"

Yingying giggled, struggled to stand up from her mother's arms, and pulled Xiang's hand: "Mom, let's go quickly! If we go too late, my eldest and second brothers will have eaten all the bean paste cakes in grandma's room."

Xiang ordered the wet nurse to hold Qing'er, and with a smile she let her daughter pull her to Shiyi Niang's place.

* * * * * *

As she watched the three-masted official ship moving further and further away from the shore, the faces of Xu Siyu, Xiang, Yingying and Qing Ge'er standing on the side of the ship became blurred, and only then did Eleventh Lady stop waving her arms.

"Let's go back!" Xu Lingyi, standing with his hands behind his back, glanced at his wife who was rubbing her arm, and said indifferently.

There was a faint smile in his eyes.

Eleventh Lady said "Oh" and was supported by Jiang to the carriage nearby.

When Yingniang saw Jiang extending her hand, she took a step back and walked behind Shiyi Niang.

Four or five knights in military robes came shouting as they made their way through the crowd of passers-by, galloping towards the reef where they were.

Xu Lingyi couldn't help but stop and watch with a frown.

Several horses came galloping along.

The guards of the Xu residence immediately rushed forward and formed a human wall.

Hearing the noise, Eleventh Lady, Jiang, Ying Niang, Xu Sizhun, Xu Sijie and others could not help but look in the direction of the sound, and saw several horses raising their front hooves and neighing at the same time, and stopped five or six steps away from the guards.

"My Lord!" The leading knight jumped off his horse and knelt on the gravel corridor. "I am the imperial guard on duty at the Palace of Heavenly Purity," he said, taking out his waist badge and handing it to the guard in front of him. "I have received the Emperor's order. Please enter the palace immediately, my Lord."

Xu Lingyi was a little surprised.

The guards of the Xu Mansion had already presented the soldier's badge to Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi glanced at them and told Xu Sizhun, "You and your fifth brother, escort your mother back home. I'm leaving first."

Xu Sizun and Xu Sijie replied "yes" respectfully, but their eyes turned to the soldiers at the same time.

Xu Lingyi galloped away with a few guards and several imperial guards.

Eleventh Lady and her companions slowly entered Tongzhou City in a carriage.

"Mother, I hope nothing happens to father?" Yingniang asked worriedly.

Jiang hesitated to speak.

A few days ago, Chen Ge Lao submitted a memorial requesting the selection of a virtuous person to replace Liang Ge Lao who had retired. The emperor used the excuse that the previous emperor did not agree and kept it on hold. The emperor often summoned eunuchs to the palace to discuss matters these days. According to my uncle, Ouyang Ming was not fit for the job, so the emperor had to use Yongping Hou to contain Zhou Shizheng, the father of the queen. My aunt came to see her several times, and her words revealed that the emperor was now favoring the eunuchs, and asked the eunuchs to help speak to the emperor. She also said that if the eunuchs wanted to avoid suspicion, the recommendation of Lord Du would be the same. The Jiang family was also grateful.

But how could she tell this to her father-in-law!

Her mother-in-law had already reprimanded her last time. If she continued to meddle in such matters, she would definitely be angry!

But if I don't help speak up, the Jiang family will lose this opportunity, and their momentum will only become weaker and weaker. It will probably be impossible for them to enter the cabinet!

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I wrote an article in the afternoon, but ended up not finishing the work, so I had to work overtime, and then I didn’t have time to write or update... Is this a vicious cycle?

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