The gates of the Marquis of Lin'an's mansion were wide open, and the people from Baozhu Pavilion, carrying all kinds of jewelry, walked towards the main courtyard.
With such a commotion, it's hard to ignore.
The sisters, Chen Siqi and Chen Siyi, were planning to go to Baozhu Pavilion.
I want to choose a decent piece of jewelry so that I can outshine everyone at the first spring banquet of the year.
The two noticed the long line of servants and maids carrying or holding gifts, and curiously moved closer.
When they saw the words "Baozhu Pavilion" carved on the corner of the wooden box, they were shocked.
The items at Baozhu Pavilion are always inexpensive; even the young ladies of the Marquis of Lin'an receive thirty taels of silver every month.
Compared to other noble families in the capital, their wealth was many times greater.
But they had never seen anyone carry so many things back to the mansion from the Treasure Pearl Pavilion!
Chen Siyi looked at the maid leading the way to Baozhu Pavilion. The person walked very fast, and she could only see her back.
However, Chen Siyi grew up in the Lin'an Marquis's mansion, and she could recognize any servant who served her master.
Therefore, when she saw the familiar figure, she whispered to Chen Siqi, "Sister, that maid looks like Chunhe, who serves Aunt."
Chen Siqi recognized the person as well, twisting her handkerchief in her hand, and said unwillingly, "My aunt actually bought so many things at Baozhu Pavilion!"
Is she trying to squander all the wealth in the manor?
The money in the Marquis of Lin'an's mansion was all earned by her father, Chen Ziye, through years of hard work and business. However, the truth is that the eldest branch of the family were the stewards, while they could only live on a monthly allowance.
Now look what's happened! The eldest son's family, who controls the storeroom keys, is squandering the money like this!
Chen Siyi also said, "Sister, why don't we go find Mother first? Aunt is an elder after all, and we won't get anything good from going there now."
Chen Siqi thought for a moment and felt that what she said made sense. "Let's go back to the courtyard."
At the same time, the news also reached Madam Chen's courtyard.
However, she was well-informed and knew that everything sent from Baozhu Pavilion was delivered to the courtyard of Lu Qiqi and her sister.
Granny Chen brought over a cup of tea, then took two steps back and said, "Madam, a few days ago you asked the First Madam to take two younger family members to choose jewelry."
"Is it because the First Madam feels sorry for the two younger ones that she bought more?"
Chen Wenjun was raised by Chen Mama, so naturally she favored her two children.
When she heard the maid's report, her first thought was to explain things to the First Madam.
The old lady calmly picked up the tea, gently blew on it to cool it, took a sip, and then said, "Are you getting senile?"
Granny Chen paused for a moment, then smiled and asked, "Could it be that this old servant is not thinking what I am thinking?"
Madam Chen put down her teacup, looked up at the greenery outside, and said calmly, "Wenying is a child I watched grow up. I know her character better than anyone else."
She was able to manage the entire Marquis's mansion so well because she never held anything back.
Otherwise, why do you think the second wife's side has been able to live peacefully for so long?
"Does he really think I'm the one keeping things under control?"
After thinking for a moment, Granny Chen said, "The First Madam is an upright person, just like General Xuan. She is someone who does not keep secrets."
But Baozhu Pavilion sent so many things; surely it wasn't without reason.
Madam Chen said, "My granddaughter is very capable. Back then, the Tartar cavalry broke through the border gates."
She was able to seize the opportunity to exchange Shu brocade for grain to escape famine.
After fleeing to Luzhou Prefecture, he ran a noodle shop and acquired land.
When a plague broke out in Heshun Prefecture, not only were the plagues cured in several villages, but His Majesty personally bestowed upon him the title of Lord of Kangle Township and granted him a fiefdom.
In the entire Jin Dynasty, which woman ever had a fiefdom?
Granny Chen listened quietly, and when she heard about the fiefdom, the smile on her face became even more pronounced.
In the Great Jin Dynasty, not only did women not have fiefdoms, but even men did not.
The Empress Dowager had only two sons and one daughter in her lifetime, and the eldest princess died young.
His Majesty is wary of the Prince of Libei, who has confined people to the capital, making it difficult for them to even travel across the beautiful landscapes of the Great Jin Dynasty, let alone their fiefdoms.
However, His Majesty has been reluctant to establish a crown prince, and the ceremony for bestowing titles upon the princes has been delayed due to the depletion of the national treasury.
The youngest princess, the Ninth Princess, has not yet reached marriageable age.
Granny Chen said, "Speaking of fiefdoms, our young lady is truly unique in the Great Jin Dynasty!"
People in the capital knew very little about Lu Qiqi's activities in the border town, since she was in a military camp and there wasn't much information available to them.
After learning that Lu Changping's identity was fake, Chen Zirong sent people to investigate Lu Qiqi's identity to avoid making the same mistake again.
In fact, when the Marquis of Lin'an brought Lu Changping back, they did not investigate her identity in depth. It was only because when Old Madam Chen was critically ill, bringing Lu Changping back to the mansion actually improved her health considerably.
After all, only by treating the heart can a mental illness be cured.
Madam Chen was not one of them; she never doubted Lu Changping's identity.
The reason Lu Changping was able to keep it a secret for so long was simply because she wanted to find out from Chen Wenjun what she had been doing all these years.
Even a few words could evoke memories for a long time for Old Madam Chen.
For this reason, even though everyone in the Lin'an Marquis's mansion felt that Lu Changping and Chen Wenjun were very different, they did not consider the possibility of her identity being fabricated.
After a moment, Madam Chen's thoughts returned, "It's one thing for that person to be impersonating someone and greedy for money, but I never expected him to be so vicious."
They bullied their cousins and even tried to sell them off.
Murder, arson, fraud, and swindling—they did it all.
Granny Chen stood silently to the side. She knew that the topic was Lu Changping and did not want to provoke the old lady's anger, lest she harm herself.
Those who harmed Wenjun have been brought to justice.
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