Chapter 008 Chapter 8

There are only two masters in Wu'an Marquis Mansion now, Xu Duanyi and Xu Pingyi.

Her father was born in a poor family. As far as he could remember, he didn't know who his parents were. He grew up relying on the help of others.

Although he has never read any books, he is born with great strength.

He had been a bodyguard and a bandit. Later, during the reign of Emperor Ming, he met the late Emperor and began his life of marching.

When the late emperor ascended the throne, the most satisfactory and useful people around him were Xu Pingyi, Marquis of Wu'an, and Xie Junjue, Prince of Nannan.

The three of them are both king and ministers, and brothers.

After the late emperor ascended the throne, Xu Pingyi and Xie Junjue were in charge of the two major fortresses of Liaodong and Jizhou respectively, and successively recovered several major prefectures that were forced to be ceded during the reign of Emperor Huaizong.

During the previous emperor's reign, Daxia's territory reached its peak, and this was due to the contributions of Xu and Xie.

This Wu'an Marquis Mansion was also a gift from the late emperor.

Xique Hutong, located in Mingshifang in the north of the city, has a total of five courtyards. It has a good location and a large area. However, since the death of Wu'an Marquis' wife Xiao Yuan after childbirth, Xu Duanyi was taken into the palace by Empress Dowager Zhaoyu since she was a child, and the Wu'an Marquis Mansion has become empty.

Xu Pingyi was unwilling to continue playing.

I have often stayed in Liaoning in recent years and seldom came back.

Nowadays, only some loyal servants and old servants are still guarding the mansion diligently and responsibly.

Occasionally Xu Duanyi and Xu Pingyi would come back and stay here for a few days.

As early as yesterday.

Xu Duanyi sent someone to deliver a message, saying that he would be back today.

Someone greeted her at the door.

The woman who greeted her was an old servant of her mother named Dongyu.

Dongyu is in her early forties this year. She wears winter clothes and has her hair in a bun. She is married to Qiao Qing, the housekeeper of the Marquis' Mansion.

Shigure is their child.

The couple led their people to the door, looking forward to it. They saw the carriage coming from afar, and their faces lit up with joy. They supported each other and went to greet it.

The carriage stopped.

Shi Yu first lifted the car curtain and jumped down.

"Dad, Mom!"

It has been a long time since we last met, and Shi Yu missed them very much.

Dongyu and Qiao Qing were naturally happy to see their daughter, but they both knew the rules and did not bother to take care of their daughter first. Instead, they immediately greeted Xu Duanyi respectfully in the carriage.

"girl."

They are old servants of the Xu family.

When at home, he still called Xu Duanyi "girl".

This was Xu Duanyi's own request. There are not many people who call her that now.

She cherishes it very much.

Behind the curtain, Xu Duanyi had already taken off her hood and was looking at the couple outside the carriage. She smiled and said, "Aunt, Uncle Qiao, there's no need to be polite. Get up quickly."

Dongyu responded and stepped forward personally.

Butler Qiao also came over and put the footstool down, then Dongyu helped Xu Duanyi get off the carriage.

"Why do you look thinner, girl?"

Dongyu supported Xu Duanyi and said with concern as she looked at him.

Xu Duanyi was quite helpless when she heard this: "Aunt always says this every time she sees me."

"That's because every time the girl comes back, she's thinner than before." Dong Yu said, and then glanced at the girl next to her, "Unlike this little fool, every time he comes back, he gets fatter."

"I'm afraid the clothes I made for her won't last long."

Shi Yu was originally holding her father's arm and asking what to eat today. She was hungry, and she blinked when her mother suddenly scolded her like that.

But she is really a straightforward person. Whenever she encounters something, she doesn't know how to bend.

After hearing this, he said happily: "Mom, you made clothes for me! I will wear them tomorrow!"

Seeing her like this, Dongyu said unhappily, "Why did I give birth to such a fool like you?"

But housekeeper Qiao patted Shi Yu's arm cheerfully and consoled her: "It's better to be a little fatter, it's better to be a little fatter. It's more festive for a girl to be a little fatter."

As he said this, he seemed to be like Dongyu, advising Xu Duanyi to eat more.

Don't learn from those girls in Beijing who are clamoring to lose weight.

Xu Duanyi responded with a smile.

A group of four went into the mansion.

Now that there is no owner living in Wu'an Marquis Mansion, naturally there are not many people left. However, all those who stay are loyal.

After entering the mansion.

Shi Yu followed Butler Qiao to the kitchen to get busy.

Dongyu accompanied Xu Duanyi and first returned to the lady's room where she had lived since she was a child. She washed her face, changed into clothes that Dongyu had fumigated with an incense burner early in the morning, and then sat in front of the dressing mirror while Dongyu combed her hair.

There are a few branches of red plum blossoms that were freshly picked today placed in the room.

Pleasant fragrance.

As usual, Dongyu first told Xu Duanyi about what had happened in the mansion recently. There was nothing special about it. It was just some lady or man getting married, or someone giving birth to a child, and sending wedding gifts.

Dongyu will take care of these matters.

The gifts sent were also recorded in a special booklet.

As Xu Duanyi read, he also understood what was happening outside recently. When he saw a name, Xu Duanyi frowned and asked, "Li Wengao from the Hanlin Academy?"

She did not know this person.

Dongyu took a look and replied, "This is this year's runner-up."

Xu Duanyi thought about it and vaguely remembered that this year's second place winner seemed to be surnamed Li. However, it was quite puzzling that the second place winner came to give gifts for no reason.

Xu Duanyi asked Dongyu what was going on.

"Miss, have you forgotten?" Dongyu said, "Before the Spring Examination this year, you saved a student, and that student was Li Bangyan."

Xu Duanyi only remembered this incident after hearing her talk about it.

She had never imagined that the student she had saved that day had now become the runner-up.

This is a great joy.

Xu Duanyi was also somewhat happy.

Seeing that she remembered, Dongyu explained to her, "After Li Bangyan passed the imperial examination, he came here a few times. Later, he learned that you were in the palace and didn't come out often, so he just left the thank-you gift."

"I saw that they were just some common items. I also saw that although Li Bangyan was poor, he was a strong-willed person. I didn't want to refuse his intention, so I accepted it."

Seeing that the thank-you gift was indeed just an ordinary item, Xu Duanyi didn't say anything and just said "I understand".

She continued to leaf through the booklet.

Dongyu had combed her hair into a simple homely bun.

Seeing that the girl never mentioned the engagement, she could only speak first: "...I heard that you are engaged to the Prince of Nan'an."

"Um."

Xu Duanyi was still reading the book: "My aunt said that when I get married from the palace, you and Uncle Qiao don't have to prepare."

"girl……"

Dongyu frowned.

That wasn't what she wanted to talk about.

Xu Duanyi naturally knew this, and she raised her head with a smile: "Aunt, don't worry about me. I am happy about this, and no one is wronging me."

She really doesn't feel wronged.

How could she feel wronged?

She originally thought that she would be separated from him for the rest of her life, and never imagined that she would have the chance to meet him again.

Even though there is a conspiracy behind this marriage.

Even if she had expected it, Xie Qingya would never be able to get close to her and like her.

She also enjoyed it.

Rather than marrying someone else and raising children with him in the future, it is better to be like this now.

At least it was him.

"I will never be wronged." She said to Dongyu with a smile.

Dongyu looked at her.

She was not worried that anyone would wrong the girl, but the Prince of Nan'an was in such a bad condition that he would not be a good match for her in the end.

The only thing to be thankful for is that the Nan'an Palace has ancestral rules.

All the sons of the Xie family can only marry one wife in their lifetime, and cannot take concubines, let alone have illegitimate children.

If one violates the ancestral rules, he will be expelled from the Xie family tree.

Otherwise, with Prince Nan'an's dissolute nature, I'm afraid the entire backyard of Prince Nan'an's mansion would be filled with women.

Even so, Dongyu still felt reluctant. She looked at Xu Duanyi with pity, but she also knew that this matter was a foregone conclusion and no one could change it.

"If Madam was still alive, if Prince Nan'an and the Grand Princess were still alive, and if Prince Nan'an hadn't become what he is now, you and him would really be a good match."

Dongyu sighed.

Since it was irreversible, Dongyu didn't want to continue wailing in front of the girl, lest she feel uncomfortable listening to it.

She continued to pick velvet flowers, but she started talking about an old story again.

"In fact, when Madam was pregnant, the Grand Princess even joked that if Madam was pregnant with a girl, she would like to arrange a marriage between you and the young Prince of Nan'an."