Chapter 309 Upholding the Righteousness of the Poor
About an hour and a half ago.
On the fifth floor of Xunyang Tower, in one of only two private rooms, a luxurious room with the sign "Taiyin".
Behind a private screen, two figures could be vaguely seen, one sitting and one standing in front of the dressing table.
A helpless voice came from a noblewoman with a hairpin:
"Alright, alright, stop looking in the mirror. You're already beautiful enough. My Seventeenth Sister is as beautiful as an angel. These cosmetics, ornaments, and fancy dresses are just icing on the cake, and actually make her look worse."
"My aunt is talking nonsense."
The Xie family's noblewoman's clear, melodious voice rang out, though her tone sounded somewhat hesitant as she weakly said:
You're just trying to fool me.
She seemed to be worried about something.
Xie Lingjiang, dressed only in a blue and pink bodice and underpants, sat on an embroidered stool. Her skin was as white as snow and her long hair flowed like a waterfall. She was looking at herself from all angles in front of the dressing mirror.
"That's nonsense."
Xie Xue'e stood behind Xie Lingjiang, put down the wooden comb, gently placed her hands on Xie Lingjiang's smooth shoulders, leaned forward, and stared at her beloved niece in the mirror. The young woman's voice was magnetic and alluring:
"Seventeenth Sister's beautiful face and figure are so stunning that even I, her aunt, am captivated. She's slim where she should be and curvy where she should be. What man in the world wouldn't be attracted to her?"
"Seventeenth Sister can easily charm those young talents downstairs with just a touch of makeup. Why go through all this trouble? Why are you still lacking confidence?"
Xie Lingjiang asked expectantly, "Really?"
"Fake."
Xie Lingjiang called out angrily, "Little Aunt!"
"You know it's not fake? Then why ask?"
Xie Xue'e was somewhat troubled by her insecure niece and shook her head in confusion.
Xie Lingjiang suddenly said, "He doesn't seem to like Qin Xiaoniangzi's thin figure."
Xie Xue'e was taken aback, tilted her head slightly, and thought for a moment:
"Miss Qin? That street performer downstairs? The one you specifically requested tonight?"
"Mm." Xie Lingjiang sat on the embroidery stool and nodded gently.
"She's quite pitiful too."
Xie Xue'e shook her head, completely unconcerned about the trivial matter, her tone one of helplessness:
"But you're not thin either. Well, there's only one spot where you're a bit 'fat'."
The noblewoman with hairpins standing behind the little beauty in the bellyband suddenly reached out.
"ah!"
Xie Lingjiang shrank her shoulders, ticklish, and slapped away her aunt's cool, delicate hand, rolling her eyes:
"Auntie, stop fooling around."
It turned out that her trembling, plump breasts had been pinched, leaving a slippery residue that overflowed between her fingers.
"Tsk tsk." Xie Xue'e gently stroked the young girl's long hair, her eyes filled with envy:
"Everyone says that Seventeenth Sister looks like me when I was young, but how are we the same?"
She whispered something in Xie Lingjiang's ear, her lips close to hers, as if exchanging intimate words between aunt and niece:
"Seventeenth Sister is clearly more radiant and charming, and she has such an indescribable plumpness. She surpasses her predecessor. She is not like me at all. It's just those people flattering me."
Xie Lingjiang's pretty face flushed crimson. She turned her head away from the whisper in her ear, using her delicate hand as a comb to smooth her long, dark hair that fell across her chest. Her movements subtly revealed a hint of shyness and nervousness as she said:
"You mustn't say such embarrassing things at the banquet later, little sister."
"Of course, tonight my Seventeenth Sister must be the most beautiful woman in the room, standing tall like a flower on a high mountain, making the young talents feel unattainable and eager to curry favor with her. This is what the legitimate daughter of the Xie family should be like."
Xie Xue'e slightly raised her chin, her tone arrogant.
Xie Lingjiang didn't deny it, tilted her head, looked in the mirror, and stared blankly for a while:
"But I always felt that he only saw me as a simple junior sister. Sometimes, he treated me like a little girl, without any other intentions..."
Xie Xue'e listened intently for a while, then suddenly said:
"But isn't what Seventeen Niang admires and likes precisely this kind of mature figure, like the morning star guiding the way and leading you through growth?"
Xie Lingjiang remained silent for a while.
She bit her lip: "But Senior Brother walked way too fast, without even glancing back to see who was behind him, or who was following him..."
Xie Xue'e glanced at Xie Lingjiang's absent-minded expression and smiled slightly:
“This Ouyang Lianghan is a man who is capable of great things. Judging from his actions, his goals are extremely clear. Naturally, he puts his career first, and his personal feelings for his children are inevitably somewhat oblivious.”
Xie Lingjiang frowned: "It's not that I'm slow-witted."
What is that?
"He's stupid, he's dumb, he's a blockhead, he's a blockhead..."
"..."
Is there a difference?
Xie Xue'e rubbed her temples and sighed helplessly:
"Alright, alright, it's no use cursing him in front of me. I've been in Xunyang City for three days, and I don't know how many times you've cursed him. If you're so capable, go ahead and curse him to his face to wake him up."
Xie Lingjiang raised both hands to cover her face, her bright eyes peering through her fingers at the beautiful woman in the mirror in front of her, and whispered, "I dare not."
Xie Xue'e smiled: "Alright, relax. After tonight, he'll realize how precious you are."
Having said that, as if stirred by a memory, Lady Buyao picked up a wooden comb and gently combed Xie Lingjiang's long hair, letting out a soft hum, her tone smug:
"Hmph, back then, wasn't your uncle also a blockhead? Remember, that night was also my birthday banquet. Your father and grandmother tapped him on the head, and he suddenly became very clever. He couldn't be shaken off after that. Seventeenth Sister, you have no idea how clingy men can be."
Xie Lingjiang turned around in a daze, looking at her aunt who exuded confidence and complete control, and asked curiously:
"Really? My uncle looks so serious, even more serious than my father."
Xie Xue'e didn't answer, but instead asked with a smile, "Silly niece, then tell me, is your senior brother serious?"
Xie Lingjiang nodded immediately, then paused, and under Xie Xue'e's smiling gaze, blushed and shook her head.
"That's right. From my observation over the past few days, although Ouyang Lianghan is upright and prefers to take the honest path, he is full of ingenious tricks and brilliant plans. He is by no means the kind of pedantic Confucian scholar."
"This applies to both doing things and being a person." She shook her head and sighed, "Alas, it is precisely this kind of man who is both serious and unserious that is most annoying, able to entangle Seventeen's heart like this."
“That makes sense…” Xie Lingjiang nodded as she listened, but then she suddenly frowned and asked curiously:
"How does Aunt know Senior Brother so well?"
Xie Xue'e tapped the little beauty in the bellyband in front of her on the forehead and scolded her with a smile:
“Your father specifically asked me to come and teach you how to handle this matter… How could I not go and find out for myself which brat is trying to steal my Xie family’s beautiful daughter?”
"We can't just sit here and listen to your silly mother's endless praise, can we?"
Xie Lingjiang covered her head and shrank back.
Knock knock—
"lady."
Just then, there was a knock on the door, followed by a woman's respectful greeting coming into the room.
Xie Xue'e's smile faded slightly as she turned around:
"Seventeenth Sister, go put on your formal dress first."
Before stepping out from behind the privacy screen that concealed the spring scenery, she didn't forget to give a word of advice:
"Wear that floor-length ruqun that I specially picked out for you tonight, which I brought from Yangzhou."
Xie Lingjiang got up gracefully and went to put on her dress.
"Come in."
The elegant and languid voice of the noblewoman with the hairpin rang out.
With a creak, the door to the private room with the sign "Taiyin" was gently pushed open.
Qing Shu, who had returned from Shuangfengjian a step ahead of Ouyang Rong, entered the house and bowed respectfully.
"Madam, he has arrived and is already seated."
Xie Xue'e gracefully stepped out from behind the screen, walking on the Persian carpet as soft as cat fur, and sat down demurely on a pear wood chair in front of the smokeless charcoal stove in the center of the room.
The maid with peach-blossom eyes who managed the coat shop for the lady lowered her head even further, behaving with utmost respect, showing none of the nonchalance she displayed in front of Manager Guo today.
Xie Xue'e smiled: "No rush, let's talk about today's events first. Also, what did he say during the day about the question I asked you to ask last night?"
"Yes, madam."
Qing Shu nodded and recounted in detail the words and actions of someone she had recorded during the day.
Xie Xue'e listened with great interest, and after Qing Shu finished recounting the story, she slowly nodded:
"He is a selfless, dedicated, talented, and upright person with strong principles and a bottom line."
Qing Shu nodded: "I think so too. After spending a few days with him, Young Master Ouyang's manners and words are impressive."
She paused, then added, "Madam, the money we invested with Wang Caozhi this time should be recouped quickly..."
"Alright, stop talking to me about that. Whether it's a profit or a loss, just take your men and invest. In critical moments, stand unconditionally on Ouyang Lianghan's side. Just report back how much silver you need."
When business was mentioned, Xie Xue'e waved her hand listlessly, stood up, and before leaving, turned to Qing Shu and said meaningfully:
"As for my brother and Seventeenth Sister's affairs in Xunyang City, Xie Shi can't help much, but I can offer some assistance in my personal capacity, and no one can object to that."
"Understood, Madam."
Qing Shu accepted the order and withdrew. Xie Xue'e lowered her eyes, tidied her appearance, and returned to behind the screen as if nothing had happened. She saw Xie Lingjiang had changed her clothes.
A stunningly beautiful young woman, dressed in her finest attire, emerged from the inner room. As she adjusted the ribbon cinching her slender waist, she asked curiously:
"Auntie, what are you talking about?"
"It's nothing." Xie Xue'e blinked and went to take Xie Lingjiang's arm.
She turned her head and looked her over, then poked her niece's fair forehead with a stern face:
"Alright, girl, stop tightening it. Your waist is already small enough. If you tighten it any further, won't your upper body look even fatter?"
"..." Xie Lingjiang.
Before she could glare at her, Xie Xue'e broke into a smile and pulled Xie Lingjiang out the door:
"Let's go see tonight's chosen unlucky guy."
Xie Lingjiang's face immediately tensed up.
"He's here?"
Xie Xue'e smiled and nodded.
Downstairs, a young man in a white fox fur coat had just been led into the lobby by a welcoming maid and taken a seat.
He didn't notice that the door to a private room on the fifth floor above him opened from the inside, and two beautiful figures, one tall and one short, gracefully walked out.
The noblewoman, adorned with a hairpin, leaned against the railing, gazing into the distance, and asked with a smile:
"Is he Ouyang Lianghan?"
Xie Lingjiang lowered her head and whispered:
"Hasn't Aunt seen his portrait? You're asking a question you already know the answer to."
Xie Xue'e glanced at the young man in the white fox fur coat in the lobby downstairs a few more times, her gaze lingering on his handsome face for a moment:
"I just didn't expect him to be even more handsome than in the portrait. I thought the portrait Qingshu sent had been exaggerated. Not bad, he is both talented and good-looking, no less than your uncle back then."
She smiled gently and nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied.
"Our Xie family ladies have good taste in choosing husbands; they appreciate good character."
Xie Lingjiang frowned, turned to look at her aunt who had recently arrived in Xunyang City, and said seriously:
"My senior brother isn't just a pretty face; why is my aunt talking such nonsense?"
Xie Xue'e murmured, "Not just a pretty face? That's not necessarily true."
She paused, and before her little niece could raise an eyebrow, blinked and uttered something only a married woman would instantly understand:
"You'll only know once you try."
Xie Lingjiang, who was about to argue her point, was stunned for a moment. After a while, a blush quickly spread across her fair and pretty face, which had just been bathed and washed.
"My sister-in-law is unreasonable!"
Xie Lingjiang glared at the smiling noblewoman with her hair ornaments, then turned her head away with a cold snort, ignoring her.
She simply held her chin high, puffed out her cheeks for a while, and retorted without turning her head:
"The eldest brother is not just a pretty face." He emphasized this point.
Xie Xue'e smiled gently.
"Hmm, I don't think so either." She nodded.
Xie Lingjiang gritted her teeth: "Aunt, stop talking."
Xie Xue'e smiled and stopped teasing her.
"Oh no!" Xie Lingjiang suddenly shrank back.
Xie Xue'e also quickly took a step back. It turned out that below, Ouyang Rong suddenly looked up, as if he had noticed something, and looked around in confusion.
Xie Xue'e and Xie Lingjiang exchanged a glance and returned to the "Taiyin" private room in tacit agreement.
Back inside, Xie Lingjiang walked to the stove, staring at the charcoal, her pretty face lost in thought:
"Auntie, is it inappropriate to do this tonight?"
"What's wrong with that? Tonight, we must let him know how honorable the eldest daughter of the Xie family is. Most men in the world are like this; they get things too easily and don't cherish them."
"Only when he sees how many people dote on you and flatter you, how many suitors you have, and how many excellent men surround you, and knows how noble your status is, will he begin to cherish you."
Xie Lingjiang murmured, "Is Senior Brother like this too...?"
"Everyone is afraid of losing something, especially something they've had before." Xie Xue'e sighed. "These things shouldn't really be my responsibility, but your mother passed away early, and your father is too fond of this disciple to be strict with him, so I, as his aunt, have to do it."
"By the way," Lady Buyao turned around and asked, "Are any people coming from the Prince of Xunyang's residence tonight?"
"No." Xie Lingjiang shook her head: "But this morning, Uncle Li and the others celebrated my birthday. Aunt Wei and Sister Guo'er even made a bowl of longevity noodles."
Xie Xue'e smiled and nodded, "This person is indeed much more sensible than before."
Xie Lingjiang raised her head and said seriously, "I haven't asked you, Aunt. Don't you care about Senior Brother's family background?"
Xie Xue'e glanced sideways: "So what if we care, so what if we don't? The Xie family is illustrious, and our heroes have added glory to our family. Isn't that just giving future generations the opportunity to choose as they please?"
"The Xie family treats your marriage in the same way they treat your brother's relationship with the Xunyang Prince's Mansion."
Xie Lingjiang was a little worried: "But there are many clansmen in Jinling who are close to the Wei family and often criticize Father, so the relationship is getting more and more strained."
"Seventeenth Sister, remember this: right now, the more strained your relationship with them is, the better."
Xie Xue'e spoke in a praising tone, recounting the story in a gentle and detailed manner:
"The reason why the Xie family of Chenjun has been able to stand in Jiangnan for hundreds of years is not because they have always bet correctly on one side, but because they have never stopped their descendants from seeking a wise ruler, even if they are enemies with each other."
"From the Wei and Jin dynasties to the present, what storms hasn't the Xie family weathered? Everyone says the conflict between Li and Wei was dangerous, but could it have been as dangerous as when they unified the north and south with the Sui dynasty, when the mad emperor's iron cavalry trampled the lintels of the Jiangzuo gentry, slaughtering gentry cultivators everywhere and looting their treasured cauldrons and swords?"
Xie Xue'e smiled and said, "What a coincidence! That General of the Cavalry who was loyal to the Mad Emperor and led the digging three feet into the ground was actually a 'rebellious son of the Xie family' who fled to the Northern Dynasty in his early years and changed his surname to 'Cut Off'."
Xie Lingjiang nodded gently.
Xie Xue'e suddenly asked, "Seventeenth Sister shouldn't have tipped him off, right?"
Xie Lingjiang replied without looking away, "No."
Seeing her serious expression, Xie Xue'e became suspicious: "Why didn't you remind me to prepare any gifts or anything like that?"
No, no.
"That's good." Xie Xue'e nodded. "Preparing in advance is pointless. The point is to catch him off guard, deepen his guilt and shame, and let him see how radiant Seventeenth Sister is. After tonight, if Seventeenth Sister takes just one step closer, I guarantee he'll be overwhelmed with gratitude and cherish you dearly."
Xie Lingjiang lowered her head and thought for a moment, then bit her lip and instructed, "Then Auntie, promise me that you will not go too far tonight and will not do anything to humiliate him."
Xie Xue'e chuckled and shook her head: "First, if nothing unexpected happens tonight, I will only say a few words to him and let him sit a little closer so he can see how the Seventeenth Sister is pursued by the young talents and know how precious the women of the five lower families are. I will give him a little nudge to his blockhead. I will not deliberately humiliate him unless necessary."
She chuckled softly:
"Secondly, it is known to all the powerful clans in the world."
"For six hundred years, the Xie family of Chenjun has never looked down upon a poor scholar from Jiangzuo."
After a pause, the woman said calmly:
"Except for my own son-in-law."
Xie Lingjiang suddenly laughed happily.
A moment later, a clever maid knocked on the door and entered, reminding her of the time.
The two women, aunt and niece, exchanged a glance, rose gracefully, and descended the stairs.
Upon their official debut, everyone was amazed...
(End of this chapter)
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