Chapter 453 Autumn Wind
Miao Anping and his cousin sat down laughing.
A maid came in with tea and snacks.
Miao Anping kept his eyes fixed on the little maid, causing her hands and feet to tremble and the teacup to make a gurgling sound.
Miao Ansu said unhappily, "Where are you looking?"
"Hehe!" Miao Anping smiled and said, "Is this the maid in my brother-in-law's room? I don't recognize her. Look at her dress, wearing gold and silver. If I hadn't met her in your room, I would have thought she was a daughter of a wealthy family! Sister, you are in a blessed place now! Unlike me, your brother, I have no food to eat and I am still worried about my livelihood!"
Miao Ansu felt annoyed when he heard this and wanted to smash the teacup in his hand onto Miao Anping's face.
Her marriage was a typical donkey shit - all on the surface. Let's not talk about Song Han's identity. Since they got married, Song Han never looked at her straight in the eye. Even in the matter between husband and wife, he never respected her. He treated her the same way as Ji Hong. Sometimes, he even treated her worse than Ji Hong. She felt that Song Han was intentionally humiliating her. Every time she thought of this, she felt very embarrassed and didn't know what to do.
It's just that she just got married and has to endure everything.
She was looking forward to returning to her parents' home for a month so that she could discuss with her mother what to do about this matter.
Who would have known that when her father, mother, brothers, uncles and aunts saw her, they didn't ask her how she was doing first, but instead hinted in their words that "she is now enjoying a good life relying on the Miao family's reputation, shouldn't they help the family a little?"
Everyone's eyeing her purse!
At that moment, she clearly understood her position in the Miao family.
When a couple is not harmonious, their neighbors will also bully them!
It was fine for the Miao family because they saw that she and Song Han were in love, but if they knew that Song Han only treated her out of respect, how could the Miao family still take her seriously?
She swallowed what she was about to say.
The Miao family is no longer a place that can shelter her from the wind and rain!
She hugged her shoulders, feeling extremely lonely and desolate, as well as afraid of the unknown future.
Using the excuse that Yuan Ge'er was going to have his hundred-day celebration, Miao Ansu reluctantly stayed at Miao's house for two days before returning to the Duke of Ying's Mansion.
Unexpectedly, her good brother actually chased after her.
What on earth is he trying to do?
Miao Ansu sneered: "Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog. My blessing is also given by the Queen Mother and the Second Master. I am a woman in the inner house, I can't carry anything on my shoulders or hands, and I can only rely on others to give me a meal."
This means we have blocked him outside the door!
Miao Anping immediately turned angry and said, "Sister, you can't say that! If it weren't for the Concubine Dowager, how would the Queen Mother know who you are? If you cross the river and then destroy the bridge, don't blame us brothers for not standing up for you when the time comes!"
Miao Ansu was furious.
But she didn't dare to really turn against Miao Anping.
She was not liked by Song Han in the first place, and her family was not helpful. As time went on, who in this mansion would take her seriously?
Miao Ansu suppressed his anger and whispered, "Brother, what do you mean by saying this? You rarely come here, why do you stab me when you see me? It's as if I'm an ungrateful person. There's no one else here, just say whatever you want to say. Do you expect me to listen to you if you beat around the bush like this?"
Miao Anping came here for a request, so naturally he would not argue with Miao Ansu. Upon hearing this, he immediately said, "My brother is a man who is not good at talking, why are you still trying to argue with him?" After saying this, he glanced at his cousin and whispered, "I am here for no other reason. I heard that Jurong County is going to add two new constables. I beg you to tell the second master to reserve one spot for our family. In the future, the Miao family will have a future, and they won't have to look at other people's faces everywhere. Maybe they can even be transformed from clerks into serious officials!"
Clerks can be inherited from generation to generation.
Miao Ansu laughed in anger: "Do you think Second Master is the big boss of the Ministry of Personnel? We can do whatever we want?"
Miao Anping said arrogantly: "Although the Second Master has no ability, his father, the Duke of Ying, can speak to him, and his brother Song Yantang can speak to him! Even if the two of them cannot speak to him, they know more senior officials and dignitaries than ordinary people like us. How can it not be done if people ask for help and find people? You are afraid of trouble and don't want to help, right? Don't be confused! When your sister-in-law walks outside, everyone has to call her "Mrs. Dou". I don't need to remind you how prominent her family is. Now you think your family is embarrassing you, and you just want to please the Song family without doing anything. You are unwilling to cling to your family. In a few years, the Miao family will not even have the money to make silver locks for your children. I don't think you can still save face!"
Miao Ansu was so angry that she almost cried, but she couldn't deny that what Miao Anping said made sense.
She had no choice but to say, "I'll try to beg Second Master!"
Miao Anping then smiled, leaned back in the armchair, and said, "We'll have lunch here at noon today. Go and ask the kitchen to prepare some appetizers. My brother-in-law and I will have a couple of drinks."
How could Miao Ansu dare to let Song Han come to accompany the guests? If Miao Anping found out anything, the people of the Miao family would eat her alive!
She couldn't help but say, "You think everyone is as unmotivated as you! Second Master has to go to school every day, how can he drink at noon? If you want to drink, just go with your sixth cousin!"
Miao Ansu's sixth cousin came over with a grin on his face and said, "Aunt, I heard that the Duke of Ying was the emperor's adopted son, so his family has everything that the palace has. I don't ask for anything else, just bring a few jars of the gifted wine here for us to taste, so that our visit to the Duke of Ying's mansion will be worthwhile. When people ask about it after we go back, I'll have something to say!"
Do you want to brag to those idle guys in the county when you go back?
Miao Ansu was too lazy to expose him, so he winked at Ji Hong and asked her to go to the kitchen to make arrangements.
A fine banquet was one thing, but how could she easily get this gifted wine?
Ji Hong was at a loss and had to go to find Qixia.
Since Miao Ansu entered the mansion, Qixia has only been serving in the study, and she and Miao Ansu and others have been living in peace and harmony.
After hearing Ji Hong's intention, Qixia said, "I can't do anything about this. If we want to use the wine given by Yu to entertain guests, we need Madam's approval. However, there should be some in the small kitchen over at the Osmanthus Courtyard. Why don't you go there and take a look?"
Ji Hong begged Qi Xia: "Sister, I don't know anyone there. Please help me make the journey! I will remember your kindness!"
Qixia cursed in her heart and thought to herself, "Who do you think you are? I want you to remember my kindness?"
She remained calm and said with a smile, "Sister, you don't know that the Second Master has already ordered that those of us who serve in the study are not allowed to wander around. If we are found not following the rules, we will be immediately taken to the outer courtyard and beaten with 20 sticks before being taken away by the human traffickers. I don't have the guts to disobey the Second Master's orders."
Ji Hong was at a loss and was running around in the house in a panic. Finally, she came up with a good idea - she went to the kitchen to ask for some top-quality Jinhua wine and sent it to Miao Anping's banquet as the gift of Lihuabai.
Miao Anping couldn't help feeling a little suspicious after drinking it.
Ji Hong insisted that this was Yu Ci's Lihuabai: "I don't drink alcohol, so I don't know what Yu Ci's wine tastes like. The waiter said it was Yu Ci's Lihuabai, so I brought it over. For this matter, I even went to the lady and signed the right card to bring the wine, which took me half an hour."
Miao Anping had never drunk Yu Ci's wine, and his cousin even said, "Maybe Yu Ci's Lihuabai tastes like this."
"That's right!" Miao Anping said, "This wine is indeed richer than the ones you can find on the market, but it's very bland."
"Your Majesty must take care of his health. It must be those doctors who forbid the emperor to drink strong liquor." Miao Ansu's sixth cousin ate the pork elbow in big mouthfuls. The more he drank, the more delicious the wine seemed to him.
Miao Ansu breathed a sigh of relief.
After seeing off the Miao Anping brothers, she quietly asked Ji Hong: "Where did the wine come from?"
She was afraid that Ji Hong would really disturb Dou Zhao for the sake of the altar wine.
Then she would be extremely embarrassed!
Ji Hong hurriedly explained the whole story.
Miao Ansu was so angry that she threw the rouge box in her hand to the ground.
But she soon had an idea.
She asked Ji Hong, "What do you think? I ask Second Master to take Qixia in as his concubine, what do you think?"
Ji Hong's face flushed, and she murmured, "Of course, you have the final say on this matter. Why are you asking me?"
Miao Ansu sighed, took Ji Hong's hand, and said earnestly: "You know my situation best. Now is not the time to be jealous. Look at Madam Dou, she has managed Yizhitang so well that no water can penetrate it or burn it. That's what real power is. When we stand firm, should I not promote you but Qixia instead?"
Ji Hong lowered her head and said, "I will obey you."
Miao Ansu smiled contentedly.
She saw that it was getting late, so she went to Song Han's study.
Although the Miao family treated her coldly, if she could find a job for her brother, not only would her status in the Miao family increase, but her son would also be proud of it in the future. She could even make the Miao family work for her, and then she could win over Song Han.
Song Han is not in the study.
Qixia smiled and said, "The Duke has called the Second Master away."
Miao Ansu's face was burning.
She didn't know where her husband had gone, but instead asked his maid to tell her. What could be more humiliating than this?
She looked at the smile on Qixia's face and wished she could tear that face off.
Miao Ansu couldn't help but think in his heart: "I'll let you be so proud! Wait until Song Han takes you as his roommate, and then you'll see how I'll deal with you!"
In order to avoid being branded as jealous, she couldn't just punish her husband's maid, but could she not punish the people in her husband's room as well?
Miao Ansu went to Xixiangyuan.
The people at Xiangxiangyuan were still unclear about the background of the new second wife, so they were still very polite to her.
He respectfully welcomed her to the small flower hall for tea, and told her gently, "The Duke is talking to the Second Master in the study. Normally, no one is allowed to disturb them at this time. Madam, please sit here for a while. We will wait in front of the door and report to you as soon as the study door opens."
Miao Ansu smiled and gave the maid a red envelope as a reward. He winked at Ji Hong and started chatting with the little maid.
Ji Hong left the small flower hall.
After about an incense stick of time, she came back with a pale face.
Miao Ansu immediately sent away the servants and asked Ji Hong, "What happened?"
Ji Hong said: "The Crown Prince wants to separate the Second Master and let him live alone, and the Duke is discussing this with the Second Master!"