Chapter 139: A Good Marriage Even if she felt that it would be better for Lu Danyan to marry him,...
Nanny Sun nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke: "The old lady of the Duke of Dingguo is just using the flower viewing banquet to find a wife for the second son of the mansion. The family background of the Duke of Dingguo is naturally not bad, but Pei An's two previous fiancées did not end well. Although I don't believe in the saying that men are unlucky in marriage, when it comes to the young lady of the mansion, I still have to give it a little more consideration. I wonder if Madam has seen the old lady of the Duke of Dingguo's mind and is tempted to let the second young lady marry into the Duke of Dingguo's mansion?"
Madam Dou took a sip of her tea and sighed softly, "How could she not be tempted? If she wasn't, why would she have ordered the embroidery room to make clothes for Ruo girl? Now that the Cen family has fallen from power, she, as the eldest lady, has lost much face in our Duke's Mansion. She has no sons, and she has no affection for her stepson Bingzhi. Now that this opportunity has come to her, even if she has some concerns in her heart, she is probably thinking of giving it a try."
Nanny Sun had been at the Duke's Mansion for so many years that she naturally knew the situation there. The old lady's words were true. The eldest wife, Cen, had no children, and since the arrival of the young lady, she hadn't even been able to control her daughter-in-law, and couldn't act like a mother-in-law. Under these circumstances, she naturally hoped that the second daughter, a legitimate daughter, would marry into the Duke Ding's Mansion and become a sister-in-law to Princess Chun'an.
However, I heard that the wife of Duke Dingguo was not an easy person to get along with, and the second young lady was spoiled and willful. If she were to marry into the family, her life would probably not be easy. It is very likely that instead of a marriage, they would become enemies, or even cause the second young lady to get into greater trouble.
In her opinion, the second young lady should marry a man from a noble family. Although he would be marrying down, he would have the final say in everything after the marriage. The mother-in-law would probably be a little considerate of her and would not dare to look at her badly. The Duke's Mansion would also be able to protect the second young lady. In this way, after giving birth to a child, her life would surely become smoother and smoother.
Nanny Sun was an elder who served the old lady. There were some things that others did not dare to say for fear of violating taboos, but Nanny Sun had no scruples and expressed her thoughts.
Old Madam Dou was not angry at all. Instead, she nodded in agreement and said, "Your words hit the nail on the head. Dan Ruo's temper has really been spoiled by the Cen family and he has become arrogant. It's really outrageous. Even if he has restrained himself a little these days, how can he change his nature so easily? Instead of choosing a prominent family like the Duke's Mansion, it's better to choose a young man from a noble family."
"It's a pity that Cen doesn't understand this principle, nor does she want to understand it. The girl will naturally feel that this is unfair to her. Even if I, as her grandmother, explain the reason to her, she might still think that I look down on her, deliberately humiliate her, and force her to marry down from her parents' family."
Hearing the old lady's words, Nanny Sun couldn't help but sigh softly inwardly, "So the old lady means to stay out of this matter and let the eldest lady take the second young lady to the flower viewing banquet?"
Madam Dou didn't say anything, which was considered as her tacit consent.
Seeing the old lady like this, Nanny Sun understood what she meant and did not mention the matter again.
The news that Cen had ordered the embroidery room to make clothes for Lu Danruo soon spread throughout the Duke's Mansion. The girls in the mansion had always lived a life of luxury, with set clothing regulations for every season. But precisely because of this, Cen's anxiety and attentiveness made people even more concerned.
After inquiring, she found out that it was the old lady of Duke Dingguo who was hosting a flower-viewing banquet and had sent an invitation to Cen, asking her to bring her daughter Lu Danruo to the banquet the day after tomorrow.
After further inquiries, I heard that Pei An, the second master of the Dingguo Mansion, had returned from traveling outside. The family was having difficulty in having children, and the old lady had finally persuaded the second son to agree to take a wife, which led to this flower-viewing banquet.
Song Xuetang
Cui Lingyan heard about this just after she and Lu Bingzhi had dinner.
Because it was the Duke of Dingguo's Mansion, she couldn't help but feel a little worried. She hesitated and said, "I heard that Pei An likes to travel and enjoy the scenery. He loves peace and quiet. I'm afraid his personality is not suitable for Dan Ruo."
Lu Bingzhi nodded and said, "Let them do whatever they want. I'm afraid the old lady of the Duke of Dingguo isn't attracted to Lu Danruo, but rather to the family background of the Duke of Weiguo's mansion. It won't have much impact on whether this marriage is successful or not."
Cui Lingyan thought that if Lu Dan really married into the Duke Dingguo's Mansion, Princess Chun'an would definitely be upset to have such a sister-in-law.
But on second thought, Princess Chun'an is of noble status and is the most beloved by the emperor. Naturally, she is not an ordinary daughter-in-law. Otherwise, she would not live in Huang'en Temple for half a year and not come back. With such a background, how could she not suppress a sister-in-law who came from a duke's mansion?
Seeing that Lu Bingzhi didn't care much about this matter, Cui Lingyan changed the subject and talked about other things.
Lu Bingzhi didn't care, but someone else did. The next morning, on her way to pay her respects at Qingdeyuan, Cui Lingyan ran into the Second Madam, He.
He said she had a jar of the best Lushan Rain Mist and asked her to come over and try it.
Cui Lingyan had gotten along well with He since she got married. The eldest daughter, Lu Danyan, also visited Wutong Courtyard from time to time. So, as a junior, Cui Lingyan naturally couldn't refuse He's invitation. She nodded and said with a smile, "The tea at my aunt's place is certainly good. I'm so lucky to have tasted it."
When He heard her agree, the smile on her face deepened a little, and she took her hand with a bit of intimacy and walked towards her residence.
The courtyard where He lived was quiet and elegant. A patch of purple bamboo grew against the wall, its leaves rustling in the wind. A rockery made of Taihu stones and flowing water added to the tranquility and leisure.
He led Cui Lingyan into the house, and a maid served them tea and snacks.
The tea is top-grade Lushan Yunwu, which is fragrant as soon as you drink it.
He and Cui Lingyan chatted for a while, and seemed to inadvertently lead the topic to the incident yesterday when Cen ordered the embroiderer in the mansion to make new clothes for Lu Danruo.
"She's supposed to be the Duke's wife, but now the old lady has handed some things over to me, so I have to say a few words. I'm afraid my sister-in-law didn't know about her order. The embroiderers in the embroidery room haven't had a full night's sleep these past two days, and their eyes are bleeding. I sent someone to check on them, and they're really pitiful. Although they were going to attend the flower-viewing banquet hosted by the old lady of the Duke of Dingguo, that girl Danruo has nothing nice to wear, so why bother making such a big fuss and troubling those people? If I went to the palace to pay my respects to the Queen Mother, I wouldn't dare speak for those people, but it's clearly not her job."
He lowered her voice a bit and said, "I heard that the old lady of Duke Dingguo is looking for a wife for her second son. Although she has invited ladies and daughters from several families, she actually likes Danruo the most. That's why the Mudan Courtyard is so concerned about her."
"But we know our own family's details. You, little girl Yan, have been married into our Duke's Mansion for some time now. Even a gentle and generous sister-in-law like you can't get along with Danruo, the younger sister-in-law. It shows how spoiled and willful Danruo has been raised by her mother. If she really were allowed to enter the Duke Ding's Mansion, I'm really afraid that this marriage would fail and end in enmity, and Princess Chun'an would bear a grudge against her, and eventually even our Duke Wei's Mansion would be implicated."
Cui Lingyan had only listened casually to He's words, but when she mentioned Princess Chun'an, a hint of confusion appeared in her eyes.
"Princess Chun'an is of noble birth and doesn't often live in the capital. Even if Dan were to marry her, given her personality, I don't think she would pay much attention to her sisters-in-law, let alone create any grudges, right?"
He had expected her to say this, and said with some emotion: "How could you, a child, know the ins and outs of this. The Dingguo Duke's family has few children. Princess Chun'an has been married to the Dingguo Duke for many years, but there is no movement in her belly. How could the Dingguo Duke's wife not be anxious? If she was not anxious, how could she arrange for a maid to serve the Dingguo Duke, thinking of sending her to her son's bed? But the Dingguo Duke is devoted to the princess. Whether he really cares about Princess Chun'an or is doing it for the emperor and the empress dowager in the palace, the Dingguo Duke will not take a concubine for a while. Since there is no movement in the eldest house, the old lady naturally turned her attention to Pei'an in the second house. To put it bluntly, if Pei'an's wife gave birth to a son, and there was no movement in the eldest house, the adoption would naturally have to be put on the table. It's not good to keep waiting for Princess Chun'an to have movement in her belly."
"If this gets involved, Yan, do you think Danruo can handle it? It's fine if she's not pregnant, but I'm afraid if she is, the child will be adopted by the eldest son, and she'll have thoughts that she shouldn't have, and Princess Chun'an will be unable to tolerate her. Even if the old lady doesn't mention the adoption, as long as there are some rumors outside, I'm afraid there will be a rift between the two sisters-in-law."
"So, although this marriage seems good, if you marry the wrong person, someone with a spoiled and willful personality, it may not be a good thing."
He took a sip of tea and said, "If I were the wife of Duke Dingguo, I would be from a noble family, well-educated, gentle and virtuous, and someone who would know when to bow and not offend Princess Chun'an."
The person He was talking about was naturally not someone else, but the eldest lady in the mansion, Lu Danyan.
Although Cui Lingyan had some guesses on the way here, she still felt a little emotional when she heard He say this.
She took a sip of tea and smiled, "Of course what you said is true, Auntie. However, marriage is a matter of parents' orders and matchmaker's words. Ultimately, it's the elders who make the decisions. We outsiders are just chatting and waiting for the marriage to be finalized."
He Shi didn't want to say it directly that she wanted Cui Lingyan to help her speak a few good words for Lu Danyan in front of Old Madam Dou. If the two families really wanted to get married, Danyan would be a more suitable match than Danruo.
So even though she felt a little disappointed that Cui Lingyan didn't respond to her question, she could only smile and say, "That's right. Who knows who will be lucky enough to enter the Duke Dingguo's mansion. If the choice is right, both families will be happy. If the choice is not satisfactory, I'm afraid both families will be uneasy."
He didn't continue talking about this topic as she seemed ambitious and impatient. After all, if the two families were really going to get married, it wouldn't be decided in a day or two. Lu Danruo had that kind of personality. The old master of the Cen family had just committed that scandal and was laughed at by everyone in the capital. Even if the news was that the old lady of Duke Dingguo liked Lu Danruo, Danyan might still have a chance.
It would be great if Cui Lingyan could say a few good words for Yan Yatou in front of the old lady. Cui Lingyan, the granddaughter-in-law who had just married into the family, now holds a much more important position in the old lady's heart than her, the daughter-in-law.
If Bingzhi could have said a few more words, maybe this matter would have been settled.
Thinking about this, He couldn't help but feel a little excited. She chatted with Cui Lingyan for a while. When she saw Cui Lingyan stand up to say goodbye, she personally sent her to the door.
Seeing Cui Lingyan leave, He sent someone to call Lu Danyan from the backyard room.
Yesterday, Lu Danyan heard that the old lady of Duke Dingguo had sent an invitation to her aunt, Cen, inviting her and her cousin Lu Danruo to attend a flower viewing banquet at the Duke's Mansion. After hearing the true purpose of the flower viewing banquet from her mother, she couldn't help but feel a little envious of Lu Danruo.
If Lu Dan could marry safely, she would be the sister-in-law of Princess Chun'an. The Duke's Mansion is prominent, and relying on the relationship with Princess Chun'an, the emperor would not be too afraid of the Duke's Mansion.
Even if Pei An was only the second son without a title, he would certainly be a respectable and noble wife. Furthermore, Princess Chun'an lived in Huang'en Temple for half a year, and sometimes lived in the Princess's Mansion when she returned to Beijing. She was probably reluctant to interfere in the affairs of the mansion, so whoever became Pei An's wife would be able to publicly manage the household expenses, which would actually be more respectable than an ordinary daughter-in-law.
Although she was envious, she would not think of snatching away the good marriage that was meant for her cousin.
But her mother had given her a lecture, saying that if her cousin married into the family, she would be inconsiderate, creating an enmity between the two families and offending Princess Chun'an. She thought it would be better for her to be the one marrying instead, which was why He had invited Cui Lingyan over for tea and a chat today.
Lu Danyan walked in slowly and her eyes fell on He. Although she didn't ask, there was an unconcealable expectation in her eyes.
He beckoned her to sit in front of the couch, then smiled and took her hand, patting it gently. "You look so anxious," she said, smiling. "Your sister-in-law is a very steady person. Even if she understood my hidden meaning, she wouldn't have agreed to it even after revealing my intentions."
Hearing her mother's words, Lu Danyan's eyes showed some confusion. She didn't understand why her mother still wanted to invite her cousin's wife to come over if that was the case. There was no definite answer, right?
If her cousin's wife didn't respond, it would make her and her mother seem inferior. She wondered if her cousin's wife was laughing at her and her mother's plan.
Although Lu Danyan has read a lot and is usually very steady, she has not experienced much after all, so what she thinks in her heart is inevitably reflected on her face.
He had watched her grow up, so she immediately guessed her worries and said nonchalantly, "I'm not ashamed of thinking about my daughter's marriage. Even if you have such thoughts, it's understandable. You are also the legitimate daughter of our Weiguo Mansion. Although not from the eldest house sounds a little inferior, Dan Ruobu is also just a stepmother's daughter. If she was born from Princess Shuning's womb and had the same mother as the Crown Prince, it would be fine. I wouldn't dare to have a hundred guts to think of asking you, her cousin, to snatch her marriage away. But she doesn't have such luck. She was raised by your eldest aunt and is spoiled and willful. She's not close to her stepbrother, the Crown Prince, and she even offended her sister-in-law Cui before. Compared to her, you are not inferior to her in any way."
"Besides, Yan'er, you are gentle, well-educated, and well-mannered. Your reputation is far superior to that of her cousin. That's why I dared to come up with this idea and plan it for you."
He explained, "I asked your cousin's wife to come here not to get her definite answer, but to let her know my intentions. If there are any changes in this marriage, you will have the opportunity to have her speak a few good words for you in front of your grandmother without being too conspicuous. A few words from her can be more effective than a hundred words from me."
"If she still remembers how disrespectful Danruo was to her sister-in-law, it would be even better if she could ask the prince to speak up for her. Even if she doesn't hold a grudge, I just told her all the difficulties of marrying our two families. She must have her reasons. She doesn't want Danruo to marry into the Dingguo Mansion and offend Princess Chun'an in the future, causing her displeasure and bringing trouble to the Weiguo Mansion."
As He spoke, a hint of joy appeared in her eyes as she said to Lu Danyan, "Yan'er, just wait patiently. Mother will definitely arrange this marriage for you. Just remember one thing: if you really marry Pei An, you must respect Princess Chun'an as your sister-in-law in every way and never have any inappropriate thoughts."
At the very least, while the current emperor is still alive, one shouldn't harbor any inappropriate thoughts. If the new emperor ascends the throne and Princess Chun'an's favor is no longer there, then one can still consider it. He kept these words to herself, pondering them, not even revealing a single word to her daughter.
Lu Danyan nodded, taking He's words in. She felt a little uneasy and apprehensive, wondering what Pei An's personality was like. But her mother had said that, to avoid harming other girls, he had only had one concubine and hadn't considered marrying. He hadn't taken on any new wives during his travels, and he only had one daughter, so it was clear he wasn't the type to be obsessed with women.
Moreover, she is also good at music, chess, calligraphy and painting. I think we have similar interests. If this can be successful, it would be a really good marriage.
Thinking of this, Lu Danyan's cheeks turned slightly red and she lowered her brows.
He saw her daughter's expression and made up her mind. Even if the old lady of Duke Dingguo liked Lu Danruo at first, she would grab this marriage for her daughter.
He smiled and said, "You should copy more Buddhist scriptures these days so that the Buddha can bless you. Our Yan'er will definitely be more blessed than the two before her."
......
On the way back from He's place, Birou asked in a low voice, "Young Madam, does the Second Madam want to arrange this marriage for the eldest lady?"
Cui Lingyan nodded. "Although she didn't say it explicitly, that's what she meant. In her eyes, the young lady is proficient in everything from music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She's exactly what she calls a well-educated, virtuous, and gentle person."
Birou said with some worry: "Although what the Second Madam said makes sense, it is really not appropriate for the Young Madam to get involved in this matter."
Cui Lingyan smiled and nodded. "I'm not stupid, so why would I get involved so easily? Marriage is a matter of parents' orders and matchmaker's words. If both families agree, then the Second Young Lady's personality is none of my business as her sister-in-law."
If Princess Chun'an wasn't Lu Bingzhi's biological sister, she might have feared Lu Danruo would cause trouble, prompting the princess to vent her anger on the Duke of Wei and Lu Bingzhi. But she knew the inside story, having learned Lu Bingzhi's opinion yesterday. So, why would she offend Lu Danruo and the Cen family for the sake of the Second House?
Not to mention, for the sake of her own daughter, He would definitely secretly interfere and replace the candidate favored by the old lady of Duke Dingguo with Lu Danyan. Even if she felt that Lu Danyan would be a better match, she only needed to watch the show in the mansion and did not need to get involved.
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