16 is a clear plot
◎Filial piety.
For the next three months, Ci Ying didn't see Xie Huaijin much.
In February, Xie Huaijin won the third place in the imperial examination and was appointed editor of the Hanlin Academy. Although he was only a seventh-rank official, anyone with discerning eyes knew that promotion to the cabinet was inevitable.
Later, due to the wedding and funeral period, Xie Huaijin rested at home for a while. After the government issued the documents and handled the wedding and funeral, he resumed his usual busy life.
Now, in addition to Xiaowan, Ciying's personal maids also include Lingyue and Lingshuang, who were the two maids who hugged Yusheng and cried that day. They were the ones left to Ciying by the lady.
The affairs of the mansion have always been managed by the old lady. Lingyue and Lingshuang taught Ciying to manage mainly the things left by the lady. They said they were teaching, but in fact they were just introducing things to Ciying. Except for the profits that went into Ciying's private treasury, everything else was the responsibility of Lingyue and Lingshuang as before.
September came in a blink of an eye, and the branches and leaves of the ancient trees in the yard were still green. Ci Ying looked at the accounts handed over by Lingyue and Lingshuang, and became a little absent-minded.
In the three months after his wife's funeral, Ciying only met Xie Huaijin twice.
Both times were very hurried. Xie Huaijin seemed very busy. Ci Ying couldn't bear to disturb him and didn't even have the chance to say a word.
One of those occasions was her birthday. It was a rainy day, late at night, when someone knocked on her door. She hadn't expected anything, but when she opened the door, she saw a young man holding an umbrella under the eaves. He handed her an ancient book that Ciying had been searching for for a long time and said gently, "Happy birthday."
He had no intention of coming in. Ci Ying took the ancient book and thanked him. She heard him say softly, "I wanted to come back earlier, but something delayed me. I'm sorry."
Ci Ying hurriedly shook her head. She clenched the ancient book in her hand, wanting to say something but unable to.
"It's getting late, go to bed early." After saying that, Xie Huaijin left with an umbrella. Through the corridor, Ci Ying looked at Xie Huaijin's back from afar. At the corner, Zhu Yi or Zhu Er leaned over and whispered something in the young man's ear. The young man frowned and left the yard with an umbrella.
Xiao Wan whispered in the room, "Young Madam, you should invite the young master in for a cup of tea."
Ci Ying lowered her eyes, she understood what Xiaowan meant.
Xiaowan caught up again and whispered, "Young Madam, you should be more proactive. The young master is so busy, but he still took time out to come back and give you a birthday gift. He must have you in his heart. It's always good for you to be more proactive. There's nothing new in the mansion. There have been rumors in the mansion these days, and the old lady is very dissatisfied."
"The old lady's dissatisfaction with me isn't due to this reason," Ci Ying said softly, but she also felt that Xiaowan's words made sense. She looked at the tea on the table and let Xiaowan go first.
Green leaves fell from the old trees, and Ci Ying caught a whiff of the fresh, rain-soaked grass. When she looked up, she saw Xie Huaijin standing nearby. She hurried to her feet, but for some reason, she felt awkward again. The sunlight dazzled Ci Ying's eyes, and she asked a silly question: "Are you home?"
"The emperor has been in a good mood recently and gave me two days off." Xie Huaijin walked over and picked off another leaf on Ci Ying's head that he had not noticed.
They were quite close, and Ci Ying could smell the faint fragrance of the young man mixed with the scent of ink. Before she did anything, Ci Ying's face had unconsciously turned red. Xiao Wan coughed behind her. Ci Ying encouraged herself and held Xie Huaijin's sleeve.
Xie Huaijin was stunned and said softly, "Has anything happened in the mansion recently? I've been a bit busy lately. If there's anything difficult to deal with, you can talk to Zhu Yi and Zhu Er."
As he spoke, Zhu Yizhu stepped forward and bowed. They had the same face and wore the same guard uniform. From Ci Ying's perspective, they looked exactly the same.
Are ordinary siblings so similar... A thought flashed through Ci Ying's mind, but it quickly drifted away with Xie Huaijin's next words.
Xie Huaijin instructed gently, "From now on, seeing Madam is like seeing me. I don't need anyone around me recently, so you can stay with Madam for the time being."
lady......
He calls himself Madam.
Then Ciying forgot everything.
After Xie Huaijin left, Xiaowan stomped her feet behind Ciying, and Ciying didn't react until she heard the sound. Ciying turned around and found Xiaowan's face puffed up. She covered her beating heart and laughed softly.
Xiaowan felt that her master was disappointing, and Ciying... she felt somewhat disappointing as well. The lofty ambitions she had expressed a few months ago seemed like a passing cloud, fading the moment she was in front of this person.
Back in the room, Xiaowan spoke earnestly, repeatedly explaining to Ciying how to secure her position as the Xie family's Young Madam: "Young Madam, without a family background, you need to be pampered. Through that pampering, you can give birth to a child. If it's a girl, you can have a child by your side. If it's a boy, he will be the eldest son of the next generation of the Xie family, and you won't have to worry about your life."
"Okay, I understand." Ci Ying looked at the small bowl with gentle eyes.
She didn't think Xiaowan was right. She'd seen so many of them around ladies and young ladies that noble status was just another layer of shackles; only absolute power was the foundation of existence. But Xiaowan was genuinely thinking about her. She had no family background, and now she didn't have a head of household. While she held the title of Young Lady, it was just an empty shell. What Xiaowan was talking about did seem to be the most suitable path for her.
Yeah?
At that moment, Ci Ying stared at the candlelight, rippling in the wind, a lingering hesitation in her eyes. Perhaps when love and desire are mixed together, even the most intelligent person can't help but hesitate.
Ciying had no choice but to hesitate. In mid-October, the old lady suddenly fell ill.
This illness wasn't out of the ordinary. The imperial physician stroked his beard and explained tactfully, "The old lady is emotionally upset and her Qi is stagnant. I'll prescribe some medicine to relieve some of the stagnation, but a cure requires addressing the root cause."
Ciying translated it herself, three words, and was angry.
Sixth Miss Xie Huachang glanced at Ci Ying, who lowered her eyes without responding.
The old lady was also helped up by Xie Huachang. She coughed twice and kept looking at Ci Ying, followed by Xie Qingzheng beside her: "Cough cough cough..."
The imperial physician also exaggerated: "Liver Qi is insufficient, and it is necessary to clear the stagnation, otherwise it may worsen in the long run. The old lady is old, and judging by her pulse, she is usually tired and exhausted. She needs to relax and recuperate."
Xie Huachang glanced at Ci Ying again subtly, and Ci Ying realized at this time that the imperial physician had made such a big scene and his words had hidden meaning, and it turned out that he was targeting her.
In the room, Xie Qingzheng frowned and looked at his mother lying on the hospital bed.
Xie Huaijin, who had a rare vacation, stood beside Ci Ying. When he saw Ci Ying raise her eyes, her long black eyelashes were like trembling butterfly wings, and her eyes like autumn water stared ahead.
This is the reaction.
The young man's slender white fingers gently stroked the white jade ring.
After the imperial physician finished speaking, the old lady called out, "My sons, my grandsons, I feel so... Oh, my chest is stuffy and I'm short of breath. A few days ago, I went to the temple and the monk said that there is someone in this mansion who is incompatible with me. I..." As she spoke, the old lady spat out a mouthful of blood. Xie Qingzheng hurried forward to support his mother, frowning and looking at the imperial physician beside him.
The imperial physician came up hurriedly and said, "Ah, old lady, this condition seems to be getting worse. Vomiting blood is a serious matter. You need to be treated as soon as possible."
Xie Qingzheng was silent. His mother had watched him for decades, so how could he not know what she was thinking? Xie Qingzheng sighed and looked at Xie Huaijin who was not far away.
Ci Ying's expression did not change, she just lowered her eyes. This farce was directed at her, but like countless times, she had no say in the direction and outcome. A feeling of powerlessness filled Ci Ying's body bit by bit.
The old lady imitated the Madam, trying to use filial piety to drive her out of the house. Her method was old-fashioned and her acting was poor, but none of that mattered. What mattered was that Ci Ying looked at Xie Qingzheng, and then at Xie Huaijin who was standing beside her.
Xiaowan followed Ciying's gaze and finally reacted. She felt indignant and didn't understand why these people kept pestering her young lady.
The room suddenly became quiet. The doctor continued to take the patient's pulse and no one spoke.
Xie Huachang tugged at the old lady's sleeve, and she immediately started coughing again. Xie Huaijin finally stepped forward and asked the doctor in a gentle voice, "Is grandma seriously ill?"
Although his tone was gentle, the imperial physician was so frightened that cold sweat broke out on his forehead. However, facing the gazes of the old lady and the sixth young lady, the imperial physician said, "Yes... The old lady is old, and if this continues for a long time, I'm afraid..."
Ci Ying clutched the handkerchief tightly and looked at Xie Huaijin.
This move is a wise one.
Use filial piety to oppress others.
One was to pressure Ciying, and the other was to vent his anger at the lady for forcing him to get married.
Everyone present understood it, but with the lady’s incident in mind, no one could say anything, no matter how clumsy the trick or how obvious the strategy.
Everyone present cast their eyes towards where Xie Huaijin was, waiting for him to say the next words according to the script. Xie Huachang even smiled and looked at Ci Ying who was silent not far away.
No one thought that Xie Huaijin would not go down the ladder. After all, Lin Lan had forced him to do something out of filial piety, and now the old lady was using the same method against him. If Xie Huaijin went down the ladder, he could end this ridiculous marriage.
The affairs of the Xie family were known to the whole city. Despite the huge disparity in status between them, no one would think that they were treacherous. After all, Xie Huaijin was forced to commit suicide by his stepmother, and he married a maid who was completely unsuitable for him out of filial piety. Although he had the identity of an adopted daughter of the Jiang family, everyone knew that this was just a fig leaf. No one in Chang'an City thought that this marriage would last long.
Only Xie Qingzheng looked at his child. The young man gently stood in front of his wife. When he looked at the person on the hospital bed, there was concern and smile in his eyes, but they were all cold and indifferent.
Xie Qingzheng closed his eyes.
Then, everyone heard—
"So." Xie Huaijin sighed, a hint of apology in his tone, "It's my grandson and Ciying's fault for not being considerate. Our wedding coincided with our mother's death, so it's inevitable that we were a little careless. We've really exhausted Grandmother these days."
Ci Ying clutched the handkerchief tightly. The old lady sat up a little. The imperial physician wiped the sweat from her forehead. Xiao Wan's eyes were red with anger. Then everyone heard Xie Huaijin say respectfully, "I forgot that grandma is old and the affairs of the mansion are heavy and she is overwhelmed. Now she is seriously ill and is definitely unable to manage the household affairs. Ci Ying."
Ci Ying walked forward in a daze. The young man took her hand and gently admonished her, "Don't be lazy anymore. Your mother is gone, and your grandmother is ill. As the young lady, you will need to take care of the affairs of the mansion from now on."
Xie Huaijin paused and looked at the person on the hospital bed. "She's new to the family, so there will definitely be some confusion. If there's something she doesn't know or doesn't understand in the future, she might still need to ask grandma for advice."
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