Zhang Zhaoci nodded and said, "Ever since I married into the Marquis's mansion, the old lady has even used the excuse of poor health to avoid attending the morning worship on the first day of the Lunar New Year."
Granny Lu said, "To be honest, the late Emperor was the late Empress Dowager's biological son. The current Emperor was able to ascend the throne because the Empress Dowager and the late Empress Dowager had a good relationship. Because of this, the Empress Dowager and the old lady are also quite close. Otherwise, with the people in the Yongning Marquis's mansion now, would the Yongning Marquis's mansion still be alive? To put it bluntly, it's only because the old lady is still in the mansion now. If the old lady were gone, it's uncertain whether the Yongning Marquis's mansion would still exist."
Zhang Zhaoci nodded, then, as if remembering something, asked, "Granny, does the current Lady of the Marquis know about these things?"
Granny Lu sighed and said, "How could she possibly have such thoughts in her head? Back then, the old lady had her eye on the eldest daughter of another family. The old lady felt that the eldest daughters of large families were all raised to be the matriarchs. The old lady knew that her sons were far inferior to the old Marquis, so she had to find a capable eldest daughter-in-law. Who knew that the Marquis had taken a liking to the Marquis's wife and insisted on marrying her? The old lady couldn't let this cause a rift between her and her sons, so she had no choice but to accept it."
Hearing this, Zhang Zhaoci smiled. When Granny Lu saw this, she said, "These are things that the elders don't want outsiders to know. I think if you know a little, you'll understand what I'm going to tell you later."
Zhang Zhaoci quickly composed herself and said seriously, "Granny, please continue."
Granny Lu smiled and shook her head, saying, "Madam Hou is the youngest daughter of their family. She was pampered and raised by her family since she was a child. Apart from being able to act cute and charming, she doesn't know anything about managing the household. The old lady thinks that she was spoiled when she was a girl, and she will become sensible after marriage. If she is taught properly, how can she not be taught well?"
Thinking of those past events, Granny Lu gently shook her head and said, "Some people are just not cut out for it. The old lady carefully taught her how to manage the household, but she felt that the old lady was torturing her. She often went back to her parents' home to cry and complain. Over time, people in the capital came to think that the old lady was unkind and a cruel mother-in-law who tormented her daughter-in-law. The old lady had no choice but to continue managing the household affairs herself. Later, as time went on, the Marquis's wife felt that as the wife of a marquis, she should hold the power to manage the household. So she took over the power to manage the household. She managed other things in a mess, but she kept an eye on the old lady's maids and found excuses to replace them one by one. The old lady did not want the household to become ugly, so she sent them all to the estate."
Zhang Zhaoci asked, "Granny, were all of the old lady's personal attendants brought from the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence?"
Upon hearing this, Granny Li knew that Zhang Zhaoci had grasped the point after all that talking. She nodded and said, "Yes, they were all brought from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion. The old mansion of the Marquis of Zhongyong is now inhabited by the family of the old lady's second uncle. However, the two families no longer keep in touch. After the old lady handed over the imperial edict, because she did not agree to adopt the second branch's offspring to inherit the title of Marquis of Zhongyong, the old lady's second uncle hated her to the bone. After the old lady gave the mansion to her second uncle's family, she brought all the people from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion out."
Zhang Zhaoci nodded and said, "Is that so, Granny? Do you think it would be appropriate for me to write a letter to the old lady and ask her to give me more maids?"
Granny Lu said, "Let me tell you the rest. After the Marquis's wife made a scene and replaced all of the Old Madam's maids, the mansion became even more chaotic. At that time, the Heir Apparent had just gotten married. When the Marquis saw that the wife he had chosen was causing such a mess in the mansion, he inquired and found a wife for the Heir Apparent. The Heir Apparent's wife was the eldest daughter of the family and had been raised as a matriarch since childhood. After she married into the family, she took over the management of the household affairs, and the affairs of the Marquis's mansion gradually became more orderly. The two women, the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law, were good at managing the household, but they had one thing in common: they tried their best to diminish the Old Madam's prestige in the mansion. In the more than ten years that the Heir Apparent's wife had been in charge of the household, apart from a few head maids in her own courtyard, there were no other maids left in the mansion. They had all been sent by the Old Madam to her dowry estate in the suburbs of the capital."
Zhang Zhaoci nodded, and Granny Lu said, "I'm telling you these old stories because I want to tell you that it's not that the old lady is incompetent or lacks ability, but that she doesn't want to get involved too much. The old lady is getting old and has a lot of affection for the old servants of the former Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion. Those old servants are already old, but they still have descendants, and they all want to find a way out for their descendants. The old lady is also someone who doesn't want to trouble others, so those old servants are also a concern of hers."
Zhang Zhaoci said, "Granny, our family is in dire need of manpower right now. Since we come from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion and have served the old lady for many years, we must have our own abilities. The estate in the suburbs of the capital needs people to manage it, and we also need people to come and help us here. If it weren't for the long distance, I would go back and ask the old lady for more manpower. Right now, we can only write to the old lady. I hope the old lady will not think that we are not serious about this matter."
Granny Lu waved her hand and said, "I want to go back to the capital. If you trust me, then leave the affairs of the estate in the suburbs of the capital to me. Once I have finished my own business and arranged things at the estate, I will come back."
Zhang Zhaoci was taken aback for a moment after hearing this, and said, "Granny, is there something important that you have to go back to the capital? The road is too far, and we are worried about you going back."
Granny Lu waved her hand and said, "I made my return a long time ago. I made an appointment with someone many years ago to meet in the capital this autumn. I have arranged everything. You can rest assured. I will come back after I keep my appointment with my old friend. I am worried about all the big and small things at home."
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