Chapter 74
There was a court meeting today, so Wang Shuhuai went to court early in the morning.
Xie Yunchu got up late, and the warm morning sun flowed softly around her body. She lay on the bed for a long time without moving.
I want to move but I can't. If I move, the soreness and weakness in my bones will be released.
Xie Yunchu closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
Just a one-time pleasure, that's nothing.
Just as she was lifting the curtain, she heard footsteps outside. Nanny Lin was holding a handkerchief and smiling so hard that her teeth were showing.
"Is the girl awake?"
Xie Yunchu heard the teasing in her tone and glared at her, "Madam, what are you doing?"
Nanny Lin couldn't help laughing.
"Nothing, it's just that the girl made a lot of noise last night."
The young couple has a good relationship, and the servants are happy to see it.
Xie Yunchu was furious.
That was because she had been drinking.
She had not expected that Wang Shuhuai would have such a shady mind. She scratched her nails so hard that they were broken. She blushed unknowingly on her cheeks. She was too lazy to explain to Nanny Lin. She got up, dressed, had breakfast, and went to see the child.
The weather was nice today, so Xie Yunchu asked the wet nurse to carry Brother Yu to the corridor to bask in the sun, while he took Sister Ke’s hand and walked towards the Glazed Hall.
The wine last night was strange. There were seven women at the table. Was she the only one who drank the wrong wine, or did everyone drink the wine?
Dou Keling, Xu Shiwei and Miao Jinyan were fine. They just went back and had a good sleep with their husbands.
What should we do with Wang Shuqin, Wang Shuya and Zhou Min?
Xie Yunchu was worried and planned to go and take a look.
As soon as you enter the corridor of the Glazed Hall, you will see children running around. Sister Ke quickly breaks free from her wet nurse's hand and runs over. Although Sister Ke is small, she is very strong and walks very fast, like a little cheetah, and quickly rushes into the crowd.
Xie Yunchu walked along the corridor towards the main hall.
She got up quite late today. Normally at this time of day, the Glazed Hall should be bustling, but she didn't hear anything. She stepped over the threshold and found that there were few people in the open hall. Not only was there no one, but there was also an eerie silence.
Wang Shuqin and Wang Shuya were painting in the small hall to the east of the main hall. Dou Keling and Xu Shiwei were whispering there. The others were not there.
Even the third wife, who usually takes care of the housework here, was nowhere to be seen.
When Dou Keling and the others saw her coming, they immediately stopped talking and waved her over.
"Second sister-in-law, something happened last night."
Xie Yunchu was startled and sat down quickly and asked, "What happened?"
The three sisters-in-law sat together at the small square table under the moon-shaped window. Dou Keling pointed in the direction of the main room.
"I just heard it too. It turns out that the eldest master's men accidentally brought a pot of flower wine last night, but the eldest young master stopped them and poured it out. After pouring it out, the pot was accidentally left in the tea room..."
Hearing this, Xie Yunchu had already guessed what was going on, and his face became solemn.
"The wine jugs in the mansion are all similar in style. The maidservant didn't recognize it. Last night during the banquet, Miss Minmin ate too many salted peanuts and asked the maidservant to pour tea. The girl took the wrong wine jug, poured out two drops, and then mixed some tea. The tea was mixed with some wine. Fortunately, there was not much wine, so Miss Minmin was fine after drinking it. She just felt a little dizzy and fell in the yard in the middle of the night. Xu Ge'er happened to see her and sent her back to her room..."
"It's not a big deal, but it does damage the reputation of the girl. Besides, she is a guest. If something like this happens in our house, we can't explain it to the Zhou family."
"Third aunt found out and asked someone to investigate in the middle of the night. After asking, they found out that the wine pot was placed behind the tea room last night and two maids touched it. In short, two people drank the wrong flower wine last night. The eldest sister-in-law has not been seen since then, so it must be the eldest sister-in-law who drank the flower wine." Dou Keling said.
Xie Yunchu: “…”
She was so angry that her fingers dug deep into the handkerchief. Her face was blue as she asked, "What happened next? How was the matter handled?"
Xu Shiwei shrugged and said, "Today, the Third Madam, the Third Master, and the First Madam and her husband went to the palace early in the morning. The Third Madam probably went to the palace to file a complaint. Firstly, she wanted to punish the First Master, and secondly, it was probably for Xu'er's marriage."
Xie Yunchu snorted coldly.
"It's time to get some proper treatment."
Thinking of the suffering he had endured last night, Xie Yunchu was filled with indignation. "How is Miss Zhou?"
At this time, Wang Shuqin came out from the inner room and heard them discussing this matter. She took over the conversation with a dejected look on her face.
"I have been crying since last night. I have locked myself in the room and have not seen anyone."
Dou Keling asked her, "Qin'er, she is your cousin, and she grew up with Xu'er as a childhood sweetheart. Tell me the truth, do they have feelings for each other?"
Wang Shuqin looked gloomy and sat down next to Xie Yunchu.
"Well, to be honest, my brother probably has some thoughts about Min'er, otherwise he wouldn't have rushed to help her last night. He didn't know that Min'er had drunk that kind of wine, so he didn't take it seriously. Who knew that Min'er wouldn't let him go. Fortunately, my brother found out something was wrong and went to find my mother. My mother guessed that it was the eldest master, and she directly ordered my father to find the eldest master's people and get the pills. Min'er is ashamed now."
"As for affection..." Wang Shuqin was not involved in the incident and could not make a conclusion, so she said ambiguously, "I guess there is a little bit."
"I think so too." Dou Keling smiled. If there was no lack of affection, an unmarried girl would never just live in someone else's house.
Originally, both parties were willing, and the elders were in charge, so the marriage went smoothly. However, the eldest master and the eldest son suddenly intervened, and things became a little tricky.
Even after getting married, there will always be a knot in my heart.
At this time in Changchun Palace, the usually dignified and calm Third Wife pointed at the Master and yelled at him in front of the Princess.
"As a master, in front of so many juniors, he actually ordered a servant to fetch wine for the flowers. This is too rude! This matter has made me lose face. Mother, father, I have always acted in a proper manner and there is nothing wrong with me. Now how can I go to the Zhou family and explain to my second sister-in-law and second brother?"
The eldest princess had no time to go to Fengtian Palace early in the morning. She was so troubled by this incident that she had a headache. She sat on the Luohan bed with her forehead propped up, her brows furrowed and she said nothing.
The Duke looked at the old master who was kneeling on the ground submissively with a sullen face, and he didn't say anything, after all, he was not his biological son.
The first wife stood beside the eldest princess, wiping away tears, and ashamedly advised the aggressive third wife,
"My dear sister, it's our fault that we have caused you so much trouble. I will apologize to you first, but the most important thing now is Xu'er's marriage. Sister, how about I go with you to the Zhou family, apologize to them in person, and then settle the marriage."
Upon hearing this, the eldest princess raised her eyes and glanced deeply at the eldest wife.
The eldest wife felt a chill down her spine when she was stared at by her and suddenly shut up.
Only then did I realize that I had said something wrong.
Xu'er is the eldest princess and the duke's first legitimate grandson, and they value him more than their own eyes. His marriage has also attracted much attention in the court. In her heart, the eldest princess probably doesn't like the girl from the Zhou family as much.
The third master saw that his mother looked unhappy and thought his wife's tone was too harsh, so he gently tugged at the third wife's sleeve, signaling her to be more restrained.
The third wife sneered.
After the people from the first and third houses entered the palace, the fourth master and his wife quietly pulled the second master and his wife to follow them. At this time, the two couples were also hiding below to watch the fun.
The princess looked at the Duke and asked, "According to the family rules, how should the eldest daughter be dealt with?"
Duke Zhenshuo said, "Twenty strokes of the cane and a fine of one year's monthly salary."
The master has a big belly. If he is beaten with twenty boards, he will probably be half dead.
The eldest princess frowned even deeper. She looked at her son with a look of regret. Suddenly, her late ex-husband flashed in her mind. He also fell in a pool of blood in the same state. The eldest princess calmed herself down and said, "Deal with him according to the family rules."
The master was shocked when he heard this, and he knelt down with tears in his eyes and moved to the princess's knees, "Mother, I know I was wrong, and I won't dare to do it again. I can't bear twenty strokes of the board. How about this, if I do it again, you can give me another twenty strokes of the board..."
The eldest princess closed her eyes and her lips trembled with anger, but she did not give in.
Seeing this, the eldest master moved to the side of the Duke and kowtowed to him while crying.
"Father, although I am not your biological son, I have been raised by you since I was two years old. I have long considered you my biological father. It is because I am incompetent and have never listened to your earnest teachings that I have made such a big mistake today. I beg you to give me a chance to make amends..."
The Duke shook his head and sighed, if it were his son, he would do it himself. However, because he is his stepfather, many things are separated from each other.
"Bin'er, it's not that your father won't show you mercy, it's just that the Wang family has strict rules. If I set a precedent for you today, who would still take the family rules seriously in the past? You are the elder brother of your brothers, you should set an example, be careful in what you say and do in the future, and be strict with yourself, and then the matter will be over."
The master knelt on the ground and cried.
The eldest wife also collapsed.
The eldest princess waved her hand, signaling the two to step aside, then looked at the third wife.
"I'll give you two options. First, I'll decide on Xu'er's marriage, I'll compensate and appease the Zhou family, and I'll also take care of the girl's marriage. You don't have to worry about anything, and everything will remain the same."
"Secondly, marry that girl to Xu'er, but you don't have to be the head of the family from now on, and don't even think about the title of the crown prince of the Duke's Mansion."
As soon as these words were spoken, the warm room suddenly fell silent.
When Jiang heard about the title of the Heir of the Duke's Mansion, she suddenly glanced at the Duke. The Duke's face was calm, without any fluctuation. She glanced at her husband again. The Second Master had drooped eyelids and remained silent.
When the Third Master heard this, his face changed. He glanced at his mother. The eldest princess's eyes were calm and focused, and it was obvious that she could not change. He then glanced at his wife...
The Third Wife was a hot-tempered person who always responded to soft words rather than hard ones. After hearing what the eldest princess said, she could not help but sneer, slowly raised her sleeve to wipe the sweat from her forehead, slowly calmed herself down, came to the hall and knelt down.
"Please ask Her Royal Highness the Princess to grant Xu Ge'er and Min Min a marriage."
The eldest princess's face suddenly darkened.
The third master was also frightened and his expression changed drastically. He hurried to help his wife up and said, "Get up first. Let's discuss this properly. This matter is not something you can decide on your own."
The third wife looked at her husband with red eyes, "Min'er and Xu'er grew up together, and they have some affection for each other. After something like this, can she still marry someone else? I'm afraid this will cost the girl her life."
The third master was extremely anxious. "Even so, we can still think of a way. You get up first and don't be so fierce..."
The third wife's eyes were sore, tears almost burst out, and she choked and said, "Xu'er likes Min'er, and she was willing to help him last night. Now mother is forcibly breaking up the couple, which harms the two children and also breaks the relationship between me and the Zhou family. In your eyes, power and interests are important, but in my eyes, I want to have a clear conscience."
"As for the title of the Crown Prince, we have our elder brother above us, so it's not our turn. Why bother trying to get it?"
As for that damn power in charge of the household, give it to whoever they want.
The Third Wife's words were like lifting the fig leaf of the Duke's Mansion, revealing the naked struggle for interests among the various families.
Thunder rumbled above the Third Master's head and the blood drained from his face.
The princess narrowed her eyes like cold needles, "You are quite courageous."
"The Second House still has Huai Ge'er to earn a decent living. When the Jiangnan tax policy is implemented and the national treasury is full, he will be the first one to be rewarded. I can't let him down, but you are all useless!"
"You are making a solemn promise in front of me now, but why don't you go and check on your own son? He failed the imperial examination last year, will he be able to pass it smoothly in the next autumn examination?"
The Third Wife's face was cold and gloomy. "I have tried my best to urge Xu'er to study. He is also hardworking. However, the imperial examination is like a single-plank bridge among thousands of people. It is harder than climbing to the sky. If he fails this time, he may succeed next time. I hope he can succeed more than anyone else, but everything has to be done in a proper way. If mother wants to threaten me with this marriage, I'm sorry I can't do it."
The third master knelt down with a plop.
"Mother, there is no rush for marriage. Let your son persuade her a little more."
The Third Madam's face was filled with anger. "No need to persuade. Xu'er's marriage to Min'er is irreversible. If something happens to them in our house, we, the Wang family, must be responsible. This is the first reason. Second, the two children are very close, and I can't bear to break them up. Third, mother has arranged marriages over the years. Don't you know how many things have happened?"
"How dare you!" The eldest princess's face was as gloomy as steel, and she was extremely angry. "It is not your turn to comment on the elders' affairs."
Seeing his wife's angry forehead veins showing, the Duke gently comforted her.
"Okay, anger is harmful to your health. Don't get too angry and make yourself sick. This is a case of things going wrong, and I have no choice but to do it."
After comforting his wife, the Duke looked seriously at the Third Wife and others.
"Your mother is not trying to make decisions for you. She is only trying to secure the future of the Wang family, which is related to the entire Wang Mansion. You can understand it, but how can you contradict your elders?"
The third wife also realized that she had spoken out of turn, and immediately knelt down to admit her mistake.
"My daughter-in-law is behaving badly, please punish her, mother."
The princess sneered a few times and waved her sleeves, "Forget it, you can't have your cake and eat it too. You choose your own path. I won't force you. Just think it through. Since you want to grant the marriage, the decree will be sent to the palace and the Zhou family soon."
The Third Madam relaxed her spine and sat on the ground. After a moment of indifference, she kowtowed to the eldest princess and said, "Thank you, mother, for your help."
The third master was dumbfounded. He knelt in front of the eldest princess, staring at his mother, then slowly moving towards his father. He couldn't help but call him Duke softly,
"Father, please say something..."
The Duke sighed deeply, "My child, the reason why your father has not asked for the title of Crown Prince for many years is because only Your Majesty can make the decision on this matter."
He was burdened with an old secret case. As long as the case was unsolved, the title of Duke would remain vacant and the Majesty could abolish it at any time if he was unhappy. It was not his turn to make the decision, but he could not make this clear to his sons.
In the eyes of the Third Master, letting His Majesty make the decision is equivalent to letting the Eldest Princess make the decision. Why? His Majesty was weak in character back then, and it was all thanks to the Eldest Princess who fought a bloody path for him and supported him to ascend the throne. His Majesty has complete faith in the Eldest Princess, and the title of a crown prince must be decided by the Eldest Princess.
The third master turned his head and looked at his wife with a somewhat cold look.
As a woman, she lived a comfortable and comfortable life in the rear house every day and had no idea of the hardships faced by the previous dynasty.
Even if he took the lives of three generations of his people and fought on the battlefield, he might not be able to win the title of Duke.
For a civil servant to have the same achievements as Wang Shuhuai is like creating the world...even more impossible.
After all, in the 180 years since the founding of the Jin Dynasty, there has only been one Wang Shuhuai. Apart from the founding heroes, no other civil official can achieve such achievements as him.
The third master had a stern face and said nothing, still unwilling to accept the defeat.
However, the fourth master and his wife exchanged glances and looked somewhat proud.
Does this mean that the title may also fall upon them?
The eldest princess made the final decision.
"From now on, the head of the Fourth Family..."
The fourth wife suddenly raised her eyes, her astonishment beyond words.
The princess remembered that the fourth wife was not as steady and generous as the third wife, so she thought for a moment and added,
"Let Huai's daughter-in-law assist."
Jiang choked suddenly.
On the way out of the palace, each family got on their own carriage. The eldest master and his wife were in mourning. Not only the couple, but also the eldest son Wang Shuzhao was punished. The third master was still angry and left the third wife alone on horseback to the Censorate. The fourth master and his wife were thinking about how to please the eldest princess and try to get the title.
"See? Mother still holds the world in her hands. You should be more generous in the future and not go against her will."
The fourth wife was also ready to fight, "Don't worry, I know my limits. When have I ever disobeyed my mother?"
The fourth master smiled and nodded, "Third sister-in-law is good in every way, except that she is fierce and stubborn. Mother may admire her, but she will never like her. You are different. Among the four daughters-in-law, you are the most outstanding in everything and the one that suits her heart the most. When we succeed, you will be the wife of the Duke in the future."
The Fourth Madam had never thought about this before, but now she couldn't help but feel a little proud. "So, man proposes, God disposes. Look, I never expected that today would be like this. Not only will I have a chance to get the title, but my mother even asked me to be the head of the entire Duke's Mansion. Well, I finally have a chance to make a name for myself."
The fourth wife sat up straight, acting like the mistress of the house.
The fourth master looked at his wife, feeling quite worried. "Speaking of being the head of the household, you have to learn from the third sister-in-law. She has been the head of the household for many years, and everyone is convinced. If you manage the household well, the title will fall into our hands sooner or later."
The fourth wife gathered her thoughts and said, "I understand."
The third wife went back home and went to see Zhou Min first. The little girl's eyes were red as peaches.
"Auntie asks you, do you want to marry Xu'er?"
"I..." Zhou Min sat on the brocade stool with tears falling down.
The Third Wife quickly hugged her in her arms and said, "Child, I am sorry for wronging you. This matter cannot be made public. If you agree, I will go to the Zhou family to propose marriage and marry you to Xu'er."
For Zhou Min, this is the only way out.
The Zhou family had very strict family traditions. If she was sent back, she would either cut her hair and become a nun, or marry far away.
Zhou Min threw herself into the Third Madam's arms and cried breathlessly, "It's all up to my aunt."
The Third Madam smiled and patted her on the shoulder, "Okay, it's not a big deal, you did nothing wrong, why are you embarrassed to see others, it's others who are wrong, our Min'er still has to be open and aboveboard."
Zhou Min looked at the Third Madam intently upon hearing this. She was touched by the calmness and generosity in her eyebrows and nodded, saying, "Niece, I will listen to you."
The third wife was satisfied. "Well, you go back home today, and I will bring a matchmaker to propose marriage in a few days."
Zhou Min shyly tugged at the Third Wife's sleeve and begged, "Can you please not tell my parents about this? I'm worried..."
"No, we still need to make things clear. Everyone around you saw what happened last night. Instead of waiting for others to tell your parents, I'd better tell them. Don't worry, I know my limits. We will tell others that we like you to be our daughter-in-law..."
Zhou Min is not the Third Madam's biological niece, but the granddaughter of her cousin. However, Zhou Min is the most outstanding of her generation, and the Third Madam likes her. Now they have become a couple by chance, which is not a bad thing.
The third master is a second-rank court official, and his son can at least get a quota for an official position. As long as his son and wife are happy, the third wife thinks it is worth it. People do not seek wealth and honor in life, but only comfort and contentment.
The Second Master was kept by the Duke and given a few words of advice. The couple finally left the palace. On the way back in the carriage, Jiang began to nag at him.
"You are the eldest son of the Duke. Before the eldest princess married, my father was already the Duke. This title was not given by her, so why should she make the decision? Look at my father today. Although he did not express his opinion, he did not agree with it. I always feel that the reason why he did not express his opinion is that he is probably on our side in his heart."
If not, just agree to the third or fourth master directly.
The second master was also depressed, "Father may have his own difficulties."
"How could he not have his own reasons?" Jiang snorted, "Father must have felt very aggrieved after being forced to stay in the palace for so many years. It's just that the old man is very cunning and doesn't show it easily."
"Hey, tell me, why did the late queen issue that decree before her death, forcing my father to follow my mother and stay in Changchun Palace?"
The second master sighed deeply upon hearing this, "There is indeed some truth to this, but it cannot be taken seriously."
Jiang immediately became interested and quickly pulled him aside to ask,
"Tell me about it."
The second master couldn't persuade her, "You are not allowed to tell anyone. I tell you, this is related to the secret of the last emperor of the previous dynasty. After the founding emperor pacified Jiangnan, our Wang family crossed the river from the south to the north and brought the last emperor back to the court. I heard that the last emperor left behind a huge treasure, but he never revealed the location of the treasure before his death. The court also searched for it at first, but later it was abandoned."
"During the reign of the previous emperor, the national treasury was in a tight spot. The late queen somehow remembered this batch of treasures and repeatedly tried to pry father's mouth about it. Father just said he didn't know. The Wang family is the head of a noble family with a great reputation. Moreover, my father had made outstanding contributions. The late queen didn't dare to touch him easily. Finally, after my mother passed away, she immediately married the eldest princess to me."
"Back then, because the mansion was too crowded to accommodate so many people, they deliberately chose to build the Princess's mansion next to the Prince's mansion, and came up with the idea of merging the two mansions. On the surface, they were building a mansion, but in reality, they were digging up the secrets of the past."
"Later, there were rumors of the remnants of the previous dynasty. The late queen became more and more afraid of my father, so she simply detained my father in the deep palace. One reason was to lure the snake out of its hole, and the other was to force my father to tell her the whereabouts of the treasure. Unfortunately, until the late queen died, there was no trace of the treasure."
Jiang's beautiful eyes widened, "Oh my God, is there really a treasure buried in our Wang family's land?"
The Second Master glanced at her and immediately put an end to her interest. "I don't believe it. If there really is a treasure, it would have been dug out by the late Queen a long time ago. Who knows what's hidden inside."
The second master didn't want his wife to dwell on this matter too much, so he quickly changed the subject, "By the way, the eldest princess asked Huai's daughter-in-law to help with the housework, which is a good thing for our second house."
After hearing this, Jiang's expression became complicated.
From now on, I will have to live my life entirely according to my daughter-in-law's mood.
She couldn't help feeling a little regretful.
If she had known that Xie Yunchu would have such a promising future, why would she have offended him so badly? It turned out that Nanny Ming was right. One should leave room for everything so that they can meet again in the future.
The second master was unaware of his wife's suffering and said with a smile,
"Her Royal Highness the Princess has said this, which shows that she really values Brother Huai's daughter-in-law. The one from the Fourth Brother's family is nothing. Even though she is arrogant now, she will be outshined by our Brother Huai's daughter-in-law sooner or later."
"Brother Huai's daughter-in-law is the legitimate eldest grandson's wife of our Wang family. She should be the head of this family."
This news hit Xie Yunchu's head half an hour later.
"What did you say? Her Royal Highness the Princess has taken away the Third Wife's power as head of the household and ordered me to help with household chores?"
She's already living a very leisurely and comfortable life, so why would she bother taking on that stupid job of managing the household?
Nanny Lin didn't know whether she should be happy or worried.
"Logically, this is also the respect given to you by Her Royal Highness the Princess, but I don't want you to worry about it out of selfishness."
Xie Yunchu stroked his forehead and said, "Forget it. There is still the Fourth Madam above me. I can't be held responsible for everything. I can just turn a blind eye. It is possible that His Highness and the Fourth Madam will dismiss me as the Assistant Manager when they see that I am incompetent."
Nanny Lin sighed again, "Alas, if the fourth wife really came to manage the household... the mansion might not be peaceful."
Xie Yunchu smiled and glanced at her, "Why are you so worried? It has nothing to do with us anyway. Even if the government doesn't support us, do we lack money for expenses?"
The shops on both sides of Caohe River are very valuable, and the income from the shops alone would be enough for her to spend for several lifetimes.
Xie Yunchu's box can hardly hold all the money.
"Let's dig a cellar and hide our belongings."
As he was speaking, the maid guarding the door outside reported,
"The Second Master is back."
Xie Yunchu's face darkened. It was still daylight. Why did he come back so early? Then a handsome face lifted the curtain and walked in. Xie Yunchu looked away without leaving a trace.
She couldn't look directly at that bright and beautiful face now.
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