Chapter 153: Concubine Liu is not worthy of being seated at the table
Today is the day for Xie Yao, the Princess of Jingbei, to return home. Xie Zhi, as the concubine of Marquis Anping, is also returning home with the help of a maid who used to serve in the mansion. Why is she returning home? Is it embarrassing to come back?
Xie Mingan was secretly dissatisfied, but he could only say: "Bring them into the mansion, but through the side door."
Xie Yao raised her eyebrows, followed by Tang Xin Rendong, and asked Bai Zhu to guard the porch, and then she took a seat calmly.
A moment later, the Xie family's second branch of three came and sat aside awkwardly.
Xie Zhi was also brought in by the servants. She was wearing a light red skirt embroidered with peach blossoms, her hair was tied up, and she still had on her wrist the red agate and gold beaded necklace that the Marquis of Anping had given her before. However, her face was so haggard that even her makeup could not hide it.
Seeing everyone in the hall, Xie Zhi took the initiative to greet Xie Yao, Xu Susu, and Xie Mingan.
"Zhizhi greets the princess, father, and madam."
Xie Mingan frowned: "Why are you back?"
Xie Zhi said obediently, "Today is my second sister's return banquet. How can I be absent? Besides, I have been thinking about my father, my aunt, and my uncle's wife every day for the past two days. I can't sleep because of it. I can't fulfill my filial piety in front of my father. I feel uneasy."
Xie Mingan felt a little relieved. Among these children, only Xie Zhi was obedient and sensible in front of him.
He gave a fatherly smile and said, "You're glad to be back. No need to be polite. Please take a seat."
"Master, Miss Zhi is just the Marquis's concubine, she doesn't even have a proper status. Today is the return banquet for the prince and princess, how can she join the main table?"
The former maid Man'er, now Concubine Liu, followed behind and spoke loudly.
Xie Zhi's whole body trembled suddenly and he stopped where he was.
Xie Yao looked over and found that after not seeing her for a few days, Man'er had changed into woman's attire. She was wearing a dress made of expensive fabrics and had pearls and jade on her head. Her grace and elegance surpassed Xie Zhi's.
Aunt Liu knelt and saluted her and Xie Mingan: "I greet the princess, uncle and madam."
Then he said, "If this concubine were to enter the main seat, wouldn't it be a disgrace to the prince and princess? People would also say that our mansion doesn't know etiquette."
Xie Mingan's breathing slowed, his brows furrowed even tighter. "Are you really going to let my daughter stand? Wouldn't that be even more disgraceful to my family? If that's the case, why bother letting her return home?"
Aunt Liu held her head high, chest puffed out, eyebrows raised, and her tone was full of pride:
"Miss Zhi has been crying non-stop these past few days, saying she's homesick. After all, we were once servants, so I couldn't bear it. Only after receiving the Marquis's order did I bring her back to the Marquis's mansion for the banquet. But I didn't mention that a concubine also has the right to return home."
Xie Mingan's face turned cold with frustration. He looked at Xie Zhi again, the useless girl, who was standing there timidly, as if she was extremely afraid of Aunt Liu.
He realized that this maid was probably really riding on Xie Zhi's head!
He taught Xie Zhi for so many years, but it was all in vain. If he had known this would happen, he would have let her go to the marquis's mansion as a concubine.
Thinking of the two luxurious mansions given to him by Marquis Anping, Xie Mingan felt a little relieved.
Aunt Liu then said, "Don't worry, Master. I will never let Miss Zhi go hungry or cold. Jiang Si, go to the corridor and add a square table for Miss Zhi to sit at alone. This will both celebrate the princess's return and comply with the rules."
Before Xie Mingan could say anything, Jiang Si said "Hey" and went downstairs to prepare quickly.
Xie Mingan gritted his teeth. This Liu Maner was very familiar with the personnel and affairs of the Bo Mansion!
Xie Zhi glanced at Aunt Liu cautiously, calmed down, followed a maid, and sat down at the small table.
During the past three days in the house at Quecao Lane, Aunt Liu had tortured her a lot, only giving her leftovers for meals and asking her to wash the servants' clothes. Yesterday, because she couldn't resist making threats, she was punished by being forced to kneel for half an hour and was not even allowed to eat dinner.
After returning from Chengfo Temple, she didn't even see Anping Hou again. Aunt Liu also obstructed her from seeing him.
Now that Aunt Liu brought her back to the Xie family, she was thankful and didn't dare say anything else.
Xie Mingan could only force a smile: "Okay, then that's the arrangement. Aunt Liu, please take a seat."
"You're welcome, sir." Aunt Liu sat down on the chair next to her, picked up the teacup handed to her by the maid, and gently blew away the foam. Her tone was as casual as if she was at home.
She did live in the Earl's house.
"By the way, I heard that there was a fire in the ancestral hall of the Bo Mansion?"
Xie Mingan's face froze again.
He finally realized that Aunt Liu had brought Xie Zhi back home on purpose to show off, see how lively the Bo Mansion was, and then cause trouble for him.
"It was just a servant who was watching over the incense and knocked over the candlestick. It was an accident, just an accident."
"Really? But others say that the family tradition of the uncle's family is not upright and the ancestors no longer protect it. I feel anxious for the uncle when I hear this. This is the ancestral temple. It's such a pity."
"By the way, I also heard that Second Master's son Cheng Bai suddenly went crazy. Is it because the feng shui of the Uncle's Mansion is really not good?"
"Madam Liu, please stop talking nonsense," Xie Ming'an slammed the table. "These are just some rumors in the market. Don't take them seriously."
His face flushed, but he didn't dare to really turn against Aunt Liu.
It wasn't because he was worried about Xie Zhi's situation in the outer house after they fell out, but because Concubine Liu had climbed up the social ladder of Marquis Anping.
He got the news that although the Queen Mother reprimanded the Marquis of Anping, she was also very dissatisfied with the Marquis of Anping's wife's proposal for divorce and had confined her to the mansion. The Marquis' wife was disheartened and no longer took care of the affairs of the mansion.
The household supplies in the Marquis' Mansion were being fought over by several concubines. What if, in the end, Concubine Liu got promoted to a higher position? After all, she was from the Xie family, so they would have to deal with her in the future.
Xie Yao curled her lips, her tone calm but tinged with sarcasm: "Madam Liu is well-informed. Oh no, it should be said that you, father, are really bad at managing the family. The rumors about our family affairs have spread all over the city, which is really a laughing stock."
"You!" Xie Mingan was so angry that his breathing stopped.
Aunt Liu smiled and changed her tone to a warm one.
"Having said that, the princess is still blessed to have left the Xie family so early and married a noble man like the prince. But how will the prince return the gift? Oh, I spoke out of turn. I shouldn't have said that the prince didn't accompany you. Please don't blame me, princess."
She stopped talking and slapped her own mouth.
Xie Yao picked up the teacup and took a sip: "Since Aunt Liu knows that she has spoken out of turn, then don't say anything."
Aunt Liu's face turned pale and she secretly gave Xie Zhi a wink.
Xie Zhi took over and said, "The princess's wedding was so grand and magnificent that day. It shows that the prince loves you very much. It really makes others envious. But why didn't I see the prince accompany you today?"
The Second Wife finally found a place to get a word in: "Yes, Princess, why didn't Prince Jingbei come? Could it be that he dislikes our Earl's Mansion and doesn't want to set foot in?"
Aunt Liu deliberately explained, "Second Madam, don't dare say anything nonsense. I heard before I came here that the Queen Mother issued an order for the prince and princess to come to the palace for an audience. The prince obeyed the order and went to the palace, which is why he didn't come to the Earl's Mansion."
Xie Mingan's eyes flickered. So that's how it is.
He thought Xie Yao had some extraordinary means, but after marrying into the palace, she was still abandoned by Prince Jingbei. He didn't even take her with him to the palace, and she had to return home alone.
It seems that Xiao Yizi didn't care about her that much. He was just obeying the imperial edict and giving her some respect.
"Since the prince is busy with affairs, there must be a reason for it. Princess, please don't take it to heart."
Seeing Concubine Liu's expression, Xie Zhize became bolder and said with a caring look, "Besides, the prince is disabled and it is not convenient for him to go out. It is more important to go to the palace to pay respects to the Queen Mother."
After hearing this, Aunt Liu couldn't help but raise her red lips.
The Marquis gave her instructions before she left.
Xie Yao hurt him in public at Chengfo Temple, leaving him bedridden till now. This time he brought Xie Zhi back to the Marquis' Mansion just to embarrass Xie Yao on the day of her return home!
Now, Xie Zhi mentioned the leg disease of Prince Jingbei, which was both a mockery of Xie Yao for not having her husband accompany her when she returned home, and a subtle criticism of her marrying a disabled prince. It was like killing two birds with one stone.
Xie Yao's phoenix eyes were cold, and she looked at Xie Zhi as if he were a clown.
Where is her knife?
She said she couldn't put down the knife.
She had long seen through Concubine Liu's thoughts. She was just here to seek revenge for Marquis Anping, to embarrass her, and to sow discord between her and the prince.
But I didn't expect that Xie Zhi would be so stupid that he would either be Xie Ming'an's knife or Aunt Liu's knife.
"Miss Zhi, how can you say that? The prince is of noble status. Even if he has physical disabilities, he is still a hero."
Aunt Liu deliberately stopped her in surprise: "If the prince heard what you said, wouldn't it hurt the harmony between the prince and the princess!"
She said that she was afraid that the prince would hear it, but she was actually very proud of it.
Before he finished speaking, guard Jiang Si came running back in panic: "Your Highness, Prince Jingbei is here!"
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