Chapter 33 Blushing? Shy! Definitely shy!! : Perhaps it was Shen Wanqing's overly serious expression that made Fu Xuan, who had always been somewhat arrogant and domineering, quiet down...
Perhaps it was because Shen Wanqing's expression was too solemn that Fu Xuan, who had always been flamboyant and somewhat domineering, quieted down.
"I don't want the best family in the capital, because the best families in the capital wouldn't even look at me. I just want a family that is picky about my age, can tolerate my personality, and preferably has a real position in the court."
Manchu families with real official positions are not afraid of not having a future, and if they can tolerate their own temperament, they will not stop taking care of their maternal family.
Outsiders thought that it was because her father and elder brother had passed away that she was unable to marry, but Fuxuan knew in her heart that no one in this family had ever mistreated her. Based on this alone, Fuxuan felt that she could not listen to her mother and was determined to live her own life.
Fu Xuan told Shen Wanqing these words, feeling that she was opening her heart to her. But to Shen Wanqing, it was a real headache.
Among relatives, the most difficult to please are always the eldest and youngest sisters-in-law. No matter how realistic or rigid Shen Wanqing is, nothing beats firsthand experience.
Shen Wanqing also has an aunt who is three years older than her father. Three years is a turning point. When Shen's father was born, Shen's aunt was old enough to run errands. When Shen's father was old enough to run errands, Shen's aunt was already able to stand on a small stool and make pancakes and cook for herself and her younger brother.
As they grew older, when their father was in lower grades, their aunt would fight for her younger brother. When their father was in higher grades, their aunt would help him cheat on his homework. The two siblings grew up together like this. Even after they got married and started their own families, their aunt never changed her habit of worrying about their father.
It was alright at first, since all the adults in the family had formal jobs, and even if they occasionally had disagreements or bickering, it didn't damage their relationship.
After Shen's father passed away, Shen's aunt seemed to be even more devastated than Shen Wanqing's mother. She became like a hedgehog, finding fault with everything. She argued with Shen's grandmother and Shen Wanqing's mother, and even called Shen Wanqing a heartless wolf cub.
But after scolding her, she hugged Shen Wanqing and sobbed, crying for her dead brother and for Shen Wanqing losing her father. After all, she was her aunt, and Shen Wanqing would forget about her tantrums and outbursts in a couple of days, but how could Shen Wanqing's mother possibly swallow such anger?
The two, who used to laugh and chat together, shopping and buying groceries together, have become bitter enemies. Caught between them, Shen Wanqing has gritted her teeth in anger more than once, yet she is powerless to do anything about it.
Some things are better left unsaid. When a real crisis occurs, the bonds between people will be there, and lending a hand will be a lifesaver. Getting too close and the deeper the relationship, the more painful the hurt will be. It's easy to accidentally hurt yourself and others, and it can easily sever the bond.
He couldn't say this to Fu Xuan right now, because if he did, she would treat him like an enemy. So he could only nod vaguely in agreement, and then got up and got off the carriage first, changing the subject.
The First-Class Duke's mansion was the most legitimate and justifiable maternal relative in the capital. The entire residence exceeded the standards expected of a First-Class Duke, yet no one found anything wrong with it. So what if the Crown Prince's uncle's family had some overstepping boundaries? Even His Majesty didn't care; who would dare to interfere?
Following Shumulu and Fuxuan inside, looking at the grandeur of the Duke's mansion, with its picturesque scenery at every turn, only eight words came to Shen Wanqing's mind: "Carved beams and painted rafters, magnificent and resplendent."
As an engineering student, this was the most fitting word she could think of for the time being. As she thought about it more deeply, her mind involuntarily took a turn and began to ponder how each brick, tile, blade of grass, and tree was arranged so harmoniously and elegantly, far superior to the blueprints that the design institute had given her before.
"What are you spacing out for? I'm talking to you."
"Huh? Oh. What did Auntie say? I didn't hear it."
“I’m telling you, when you go in and meet the First-Class Duchess later, behave yourself. Although you are of the same generation, your statuses are far apart. Don’t act recklessly.”
Perhaps it was because Shen Wanqing had been so audacious during her time at home that Fu Xuan was afraid she would offend the First-Class Duchess again.
"Don't worry, Auntie. When you first met me in the main courtyard, did you think I was some kind of audacious person?" If you really thought so, you wouldn't have treated me like an easy target that day.
Shen Wanqing didn't say the second half of her sentence, but that didn't stop Fu Xuan from understanding. Fu Xuan raised her hand and slapped her in an annoyed tone, deliberately looking at Shen Wanqing with a sidelong glance: "I am an elder, you have to respect me."
The two women walked behind, chatting and laughing. Shumulu, who was a little ahead of them, turned around and glared at them helplessly before turning back and walking forward with a dignified and elegant demeanor.
Today is a banquet. No matter how much they fight at home, once they step out the door, Shumulu Shi consciously assumes the role of the head of the household. Both her unmarried sister-in-law and her newly married nephew's wife have to listen to her.
Today's chrysanthemum appreciation banquet is quite grand. As you walk towards the garden behind the Duke's mansion, you can run into one or two acquaintances every time you turn a corner.
Shumulu was responsible for exchanging pleasantries and being polite with them, while Fuxuan stood beside Shen Wanqing and quietly told her whose lady or mistress this was. There was no other way; although Shen Wanqing was also from the Plain Yellow Banner, the social circles of the Han and Manchu Banners rarely overlapped.
"Now I finally understand why my aunt disliked me before. If she had arranged for Yulang to marry a girl from the Manchu Banner, things wouldn't be as difficult for me today."
“This is nothing. There will be even more people in the garden later. You need to pay attention. Don’t you want to be the matriarch of our family? It won’t do if you don’t know everyone.”
Intermarriage among Manchu bannermen was more complex than among Han bannermen or civilians.
Because of the fact that the number of Manchus in the world could never exceed the number of Han Chinese, the old rule that Manchus and Han Chinese could not intermarry became an ironclad law.
But there are only so many people. It's okay to keep doing this for ten or five years, but it's outrageous to do it for twenty or fifty years. So this rule has changed over time and is not quite the same as it was at the beginning.
At least the Manchus could marry women from the Han Banner Army, and they didn't care if they took concubines in addition to their wives. This applied not only to ordinary people but also to women from neighboring foreign countries. Even in the memories of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Shen Wanqing, the original owner had met her through Xu Shi.
However, a Manchu woman would never marry into a Han Banner or marry a commoner. If she did, it would be equivalent to giving up her Banner person status.
These old ladies were quite self-satisfied and proud of this, but Shen Wanqing couldn't help but think a particularly vulgar remark.
Saying something that would offend a lot of people and even cost her her life: "Raising a turtle in a jar only makes it twitch more and more." Even though Shen Wanqing was now imprisoned in this jar, she couldn't help but laugh at the thought that came to her mind.
"Don't laugh. The person talking to Second Sister-in-law right now is Madam Tong. She is the mother of Consort Tong and Empress Xiaoyi, who were recently brought into the palace. She is also our great-aunt from the same clan. Her father and our old man are cousins."
Shen Wanqing followed Fu Xuan's gaze. Empress Xiaoyi and Consort Tong, who had not yet been formally conferred the title of imperial concubine, were both Kangxi's cousins. Their father, Tong Guowei, was Kangxi's maternal uncle, and their wives were aunts from the Hesheli family, who shared the same lineage as the Empress Yuan. The relationships were so tangled they were almost like a mosquito coil, but when Fu Xuan spoke of them, they seemed remarkably simple.
Looking at the First-Class Duchess Hesheli of the Tong family, who walked ahead with a reserved yet somewhat intimate air, and the dignified yet more attentive Shumulu, Shen Wanqing suddenly remembered that during the years before the Crown Prince was deposed, the Fourth Prince, if not a staunch supporter of the Crown Prince, had at least openly supported him.
While following in Kangxi's footsteps was certainly a factor, the deeper reason likely lay in the complex and intertwined family and kinship ties that existed behind the scenes.
Yinzhen was raised by Empress Xiaoyi from a young age, and their relationship was so good that it is said that in the past two years, after returning to Yonghe Palace, he has been lukewarm towards Consort De, and he can't get along with his blood brother, the Fourteenth Prince.
Furthermore, Empress Xiaoyi's mother was related to the Crown Prince. Therefore, whether from a public or private perspective, it would not be surprising if the Fourth Prince, after a few years of growing up and being able to move from the Imperial Study to the court, chose the Crown Prince's faction.
Having figured out the intricacies of the situation, Shen Wanqing felt somewhat downcast. She knew that she was gradually becoming more and more closely connected with the Hesheli family and the entire Crown Prince faction. This connection, which was intertwined with blood ties and marriage, was fine when she didn't think about it, but it inevitably made her feel irritable when she did.
"Alright, don't be too anxious. It's okay if you really can't remember. Next time you go out, bring Granny Zhou from your courtyard. She knows these things very well. Don't always take a maid with you. They're so young and inexperienced."
Seeing Shen Wanqing's furrowed brows, Fu Xuan assumed she was genuinely troubled by the matter. Seeing that Shu Mulu was adept at navigating social situations and seemed to have finished talking to others, Fu Xuan decided to lead Shen Wanqing into the Duke's garden.
As they walked, he comforted Shen Wanqing, reminding her that her family was, after all, the Hesheli clan, the maternal clan of the Empress Yuan, and that she should maintain her dignity when she went out. Even if she had unintentionally made a mistake in something, it was not a big deal.
Fu Xuan meant well, but for Shen Wanqing, it was a direct hit to the heart, almost making her lose her smile.
Behind the garden of the First-Class Duke's Mansion was a three-story opera house. The stage was larger than usual. When Shen Wanqing followed Fu Xuan into the opera house, the stage was already filled with singing.
No matter how obscure the Hesheli family may be, their ancestors' reputation is still there. In addition, with Yulang's recent prominence, Shen Wanqing and Fuxuan's seating arrangement is not considered low, and they are only three people away from the First-Class Duchess at the head of the table.
As soon as she sat down, Guarjia, who had been sitting at the head of the table talking to another noblewoman whom Shen Wanqing did not recognize, turned around and nodded to Fuxuan: "Aunt, the person sitting next to you must be Yulang's new wife."
When she was mentioned, Shen Wanqing, who had just sat down, had no choice but to stand up and bow. As a first-class duke's wife, she was very honored. People politely called Fuxuan "aunt," and she could not use her seniority to act arrogantly.
The original owner's manners were taught by a palace maid specially hired by Madam Xu, and Shen Wanqing was a person who was used to grand occasions, so even though there were a room full of officials' wives, she didn't feel too nervous. She gracefully performed a curtsy, and Madam Guarjia also stepped aside slightly, which was considered to be in accordance with etiquette and hierarchy.
"What a generous and outstanding person! Yulang is so lucky to have married such a good woman. No wonder his aunt brought her out to show us right after the wedding. She's here to show her off."
Chang Tai was older than Empress Yuan, and Guarjia was nearly fifty years old, a noblewoman who looked somewhat wealthy.
People of this age usually have grown up and their grandchildren are all grown up. Sitting next to Guarjia was a girl dressed in fine clothes with a bright and beautiful face, and a touch of naivety. She looked like an unmarried girl from the Duke's mansion.
Her grandson was already so big, yet he was of the same generation as Shen Wanqing. Shen Wanqing couldn't help but glance at the little girl a couple more times, but unexpectedly, the little girl blushed after just those two glances, which startled Shen Wanqing, who quickly looked away.
"Madam, what are you saying? Ah Lang's wife and Ah Lang are destined to be together. She is also a free spirit. When she heard that my second sister-in-law and I were going to Madam's Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet, she came to me yesterday, insisting on coming along to broaden her horizons."
“Aunt, I’m not trying to belittle you, but I don’t believe a word of what you’re saying. Lord Shen didn’t marry his daughter to that boy Yulang for you to bully. Look at how well-bred she is. Who are you trying to believe?
Despite saying she didn't believe it, Guarjia's expression was quite smug; everyone naturally looked forward to their own banquet.
Fu Xuan was known for her outspokenness. The more she seemingly unreservedly exposed Shen Wanqing's shortcomings, the less others would think she was flattering the Guarjia clan. Only a few exceptionally astute ladies saw through it, but they didn't expose her at this time.
Shen Wanqing, who once shamelessly sat in someone else's workplace from eight in the morning to five in the afternoon just to get a signature, even mooching lunch at their cafeteria, showed no discomfort whatsoever and remained as gentle and compliant as ever.
Because there were many people in the room, Shen Wanqing, who was always afraid of the heat, had a slightly flushed face. To others, this looked like she was blushing and shy from being teased.
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Black Tuesday, only one update today.
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