“You are all my children and grandchildren. I’ve lived to this old age, and my only wish is for you all to be well. But what good is my wish? You still have to stand on your own two feet. Everyone in the manor says that our Third Master has gone to Hexi to live a hard life. We don’t need to go and try it; just thinking about it, it’s not as good as life in the capital. But our Third Master has managed to bring such great honor to the family. Shouldn’t you people who do nothing all day long in the manor think about what you can still do?”
Everyone in the Hou family lowered their heads and listened to the old lady's reprimand. The old lady looked at her children and grandchildren, sighed, and said, "They say that one cannot be a grandfather without being deaf and dumb, but the fact that you cannot carry on this family business is also because of my poor guidance as your elder."
Hearing that the old lady was about to blame herself, everyone quickly bowed and asked her not to be angry. The old lady said, "We are a big family. We share the same fate, and we share the same fate. This family cannot be supported by just one or two people. It can only be supported by everyone working together. Children, Rao'er has a hard time leading his family of four on the frontier. Now that he has achieved some success, we, as his family, are naturally very happy. But what about those who don't want to see our family prosper? We must be careful with our words and actions in the capital, so as not to give others any reason to criticize us."
"As the elder of this family, I'll take the liberty of instructing everyone that from now on, the behavior of everyone in the mansion must be restrained, not just the masters, but also the servants. We can't offer Rao any help, but surely we can at least avoid causing him trouble?"
After the old lady finished giving her acceptance speech in the mansion, she held the jade ruyi and was helped by Granny Shen to walk to her own courtyard. Behind her were a dozen or so maids carrying trays containing various rewards.
After the old lady left, the Marquis of Yongning said, "Young Master and Quan'er stay here. Everyone else, go back and rest."
The brothers of the Marquis of Yongning were about to speak, but seeing the Marquis's gloomy face, they bowed to him and left.
Lord Yongning sat in a chair next to the octagonal table. His son, Xu Wei, and his second son, Xu Quan, stood to one side. Lord Yongning sighed and said, "Your grandmother's words may not be pleasant to hear, but they make perfect sense. Since the founding of the dynasty, many dukes and marquises have become history. Our Yongning Marquis's family started with military prowess. Since the founding of the dynasty, we have survived to this day thanks to the protection of our ancestors and the efforts of our predecessors."
Xu Wei and Xu Quan bowed and agreed. Marquis Yongning sighed and said, "But over the years, our household has not had anyone with outstanding abilities. Fortunately, Rao'er took the imperial examination. Although Hexi is a bit remote, it is because of the poor conditions that people are more likely to do things that will be seen. This time, the girl was fortunate enough to gain the Emperor's favor, all because of the silk sent by our household. I am telling you this to tell you two that the three of you are all my children. Although you are not born of the same mother, you share half the blood in your bodies. From now on, you will have to look after each other and support this family together."
Xu Wei and Xu Quan bowed even more deeply. When the Marquis of Yongning saw this, his frustration intensified. He wanted to say something, but felt that nothing he said would be appropriate. In the end, he could only sigh deeply, wave his hand, and let his two eldest sons leave.
After the old lady said those words, Lady Hou's face turned pale. Her daughter-in-law, Ning, quickly helped her back to her room with her two daughters. The maids in the room were busy fetching water and wringing out handkerchiefs. The maids were flustered but not chaotic.
Granny Wu helped Lady Wu change out of her heavy clothes. Madam Ning brought her a cup of tea, and her two granddaughters, Xu Gao and Xu Yao, served her. Lady Wu waved her hand and said, "You've been busy all morning, go back and rest."
After Ning left with her two daughters, Wu was so angry that she was about to smash the teacup beside her. Wu's nanny quickly stopped her, saying, "Oh dear, my lady, what are you doing? Be careful not to hurt your hand."
Ever since the Marquis came over and stormed off after a disagreement with his wife, he hasn't come back for over a month. The Marquis's wife has smashed countless teacups. No one says anything openly, but if this continues, the people in the manor will surely become a laughingstock.
Madam Wu slumped onto the kang table in anger, tears streaming down her face. Granny Wu sighed inwardly and softly comforted her, "Madam, although this incident originated in Hexi, our household still benefits. The better things are for our household, the easier it will be for our eldest daughter to find a husband for Young Master Sixing."
Madam Wu wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and said, "That thing was sent by our own household. Isn't it only right that our household receives a reward?"
Granny Wu felt that the older the lady of the house got, the more unreasonable she became. So many people in the mansion received a lot of silk every month, so why didn't they use that silk to get the mansion a reward from the royal family? It was all because the Ninth Miss of the Third Master's family was kind-hearted. She heard that when soldiers wore silk undergarments on the battlefield, arrows would not easily penetrate their clothes and reach their flesh. For soldiers on the battlefield, this was nothing short of a lifesaver.
Granny Wu said, "Madam, no matter what their family is like, aren't they still illegitimate sons in our household? Don't they still have to respect you as their mother? You are their legal mother. In the future, when they achieve glory, even if they request a title, it will be for you."
After hearing this, Lady Hou said nothing more. Granny Wu finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly called the maids in the room to prepare lunch. She had been busy since receiving the letter to receive the imperial decree early in the morning. After getting dressed, she had been standing in the front yard. Lady Hou was already in her late twenties and was feeling a little tired.
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