Chapter 63 Yao Qingling parades through the streets
After leaving the Duke's mansion, Yao Qingling did not immediately return to the new mansion.
I browsed the famous cosmetics shops frequented by noble ladies of the capital, buying several beautifully colored rouges; I went to a perfume shop and bought the owner's signature perfume and her usual incense; I bought several brightly colored ready-made clothes at an embroidery shop and ordered a batch of luxurious fabrics; I went to a jewelry shop and bought a complete set of gold-inlaid agate jewelry and a pair of exquisite green jade bracelets.
She paraded through the streets in a flamboyant manner.
The shop owners personally greeted her, their eyes crinkling with smiles, praising the young mistress's beauty and saying that this person complemented her and that person complemented her; every noble lady who had seen Qingling was incredibly surprised.
"Young Madam, aren't you dead?" The mourning hall has been set up, and the burial will take place in a few days.
I heard that Zhan Xingzhuo wept bitterly before the coffin, his heart breaking, and he couldn't eat or drink anything.
Yao Qingling said with a smile, "No, no... May Buddha bless me, I am blessed with good fortune and a long life, I survived from the brink of death. Now, feeling like I've escaped a calamity, I quickly came out for a stroll, bought some nice things to soothe my mood, and also to boost my luck."
She has a broad forehead and full, round cheeks. The fortune teller said that she has a heroic spirit in her eyebrows and eyes, and that she is bright-eyed and intelligent, which is a sign of good fortune.
Qingling didn't know if what the fortune teller said was true, but her smile was kind and benevolent, making her look like a blessed person.
None of the noble ladies or shopkeepers knew that Yao Qingling had been to Yongning Temple, and they were all surprised to hear that she had "survived a knife wound."
"Did the young mistress also go to Yongning Temple when it caught fire a few days ago?"
Qingling nodded with lingering fear, then said, "What a pity for Master Yuanci..."
He lowered his eyes and shook his head gently, his face filled with regret and sadness.
Everyone sighed with emotion. Some said that someone's grandmother had gone to Yongning Temple and was still in shock, lying in bed recovering; someone's young lady had returned home and fallen seriously ill, needing constant care and becoming paranoid; others had developed aphasia and could no longer speak...
Everyone sighed again.
"Young Madam, you are so brave. Not only did you survive those thugs, but you also recovered so quickly that you can even go shopping now."
"Don't forget, the young mistress is the daughter of the late Marquis Zhongyong. A daughter of a military family, how could she be timid..."
Thanks to Yao Qingling's impassioned speech during the recent disturbance, people were reminded of General Mingwei and his wife from ten years ago, and Yao Qingling's identity as a daughter of a military family was revived.
The group of people chattered for a while; they regarded Yao Qingling as a heroine and gave her many gifts.
Yao Qingling confiscated the money, but said that she would hold a Dharma assembly in a few days and invite a highly respected master to perform the ritual at the original site of Yongning Temple.
"...These items represent your sentiments and are dedicated to those who perished in that disaster. What do you say?"
"Young mistress is kind-hearted, so we will do as you say."
Soon someone thought of informing the nobles who had survived from Yongning Temple, asking them to contribute some money to avert disaster.
After all, encountering such a big problem is considered unlucky, and there is an urgent need to get rid of the bad luck; it is also to appease the wronged spirits and stop them from bothering us, so that the sick person can recover soon.
Yao Qingling spread the word, letting others curry favor or build connections; as the organizer of this grand Dharma assembly, she could gain prestige. In the future, those powerful and influential people would also have connections with her.
But her most important purpose in doing this was to facilitate a divorce.
"By the way, young mistress, that night you were at Yongning Temple... I heard that Mao'er Lane, where Zhou Zhining lives, was also attacked by refugees..."
The speaker gave Qingling a meaningful look, but didn't continue.
But the less said, the more room there is for people to imagine.
The funeral was held before the person even died; many people saw Zhou Zhining with Zhan Xingzhuo by her side at the Yunlai Inn that night.
Doesn't this further confirm the nursery rhyme?
Yao Qingling is so pitiful.
Many people looked at Qingling with pity.
This virtuous wife is too tolerant.
Qing Ling smiled faintly, but her smile was somewhat bitter.
He said he had other things to do and left, without further venting his grievances to those people.
But the more she acts like this, the more heartbreaking it becomes.
When she left, her carriage was piled with many things, including what she had bought herself and what the noble ladies had donated to the Buddhist ceremony.
Yao Qingling returned "fully loaded," and once she got into the carriage, she no longer looked miserable.
Her expression was crisp, her eyes sharp and cold as a knife.
Tao Ye asked in confusion, "Miss, why do we have to go back to the new residence?"
"Although the Grand Princess hasn't made a statement, now that the divorce is out in the open, wouldn't it be more comfortable and convenient for us to move to Tongluo Lane?"
Taoye didn't want to see her son-in-law and that woman at all.
Qingling said, "I haven't officially divorced yet. If I go back to my parents' home, people will just think it's a couple arguing. But if I go to Tongluo Lane to live alone, it will be giving people something to use against me."
A few days ago, when she didn't return to the new residence, Zhan Xingzhuo fabricated a story about a random man for her.
Even if she stayed at an inn, with people coming and going and witnessing, they would still accuse her of being unfaithful.
Yao Qingling added, "Even if we get divorced, we can't stay in the house in Tongluo Lane; we have to go back to the Hou Mansion."
Peach Leaf's cheeks puffed out: "Why?"
She didn't like the Marquis's mansion either; the people there treated her badly.
Qingling shook her head, not explaining in detail to Taoye.
She gently stroked her belly.
—The Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion has not yet requested the title of heir apparent.
My uncle's eldest son is too mediocre.
He originally held the rank of ninth-grade official, which he obtained through purchasing the title. Later, he was promoted to the rank of sixth-grade official through the support of the Duke's mansion. He was not someone who could support his family.
The eldest son of the third wife tries to please his grandmother and schemes step by step to obtain the position of heir apparent.
Despite the fierce infighting within the Marquis's mansion, it failed to bring him prosperity.
Madam Ma resolutely refused to allow her to divorce, wanting to rely on the Duke's mansion and keep the Marquis's mansion afloat so she could continue to enjoy their wealth and luxury.
But that's the Loyal and Brave Mansion that my father earned with his life!
Yao Qingling felt heartbroken every time she saw the Marquis's mansion in that state.
Now that the father's lineage has a legitimate succession... why not let your own child inherit the Marquis's mansion?
Yao Qingling had this idea, but she didn't tell anyone, including Tao Ye.
She went to Tongluo Lane again, found Lin Qiao, and asked her to do something.
She gave Lin Qiao fifty taels of silver and told her to go to the marketplace, find storytellers to create stories, and tell the tale of General Mingwei and his wife in teahouses and restaurants.
They gave her another twenty taels of silver and told her to go find those beggars again and sing the nursery rhyme again.
This time, it was a nursery rhyme that Yao Qingling composed herself.
The nursery rhyme describes the miserable lives of the displaced people, while the powerful and wealthy hide under their umbrellas, enjoying comfortable lives. The displaced people have nowhere to vent their sorrow, and when they hear about the residence of the remnants of the criminals, they burn down Maoer Lane in retaliation.
Lin Qiao held the silver coins in her hand: "Is that all?"
At the same time, she tilted her head slightly, thinking to herself, "How come my thoughts are almost the same as my brother's?"
The fire in Mao'er Lane was spread to the imperial court.
However, the songs composed by the young mistress were better than those of her brother; it was just that she remembered her brother's songs better.
The lyrics of "Young Madam" are too literary.
Lin Qiao scratched her head, trying hard to write it down.
Yao Qingling nodded: "That's enough for now."
It wasn't until Qingling returned to the new residence and saw Zhan Xingzhuo tear up the divorce papers and the new letter of separation he had written that she realized the nursery rhyme wasn't enough.
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