Chapter 171: The Bo Mansion sent someone to deliver a gift? The person the princess suspected
Aunt Qi ordered people to catch the chicken, but unexpectedly, Zhui Mo seemed to sense danger and flew three feet high.
Xie Yao rolled up her sleeves and walked forward, and saw two eggs hidden in the chicken coop built for it.
The princess was kind enough to let it go.
After a while, Zhui Mo found that he was out of danger, so he stood in front of the pairs of geese in the cages, with his head held high and his chest puffed out, and started to "coo" arrogantly.
The entire Fuguangyuan belongs to it, so a few geese are nothing.
However, when it returned to the nest, it found that the eggs it had worked so hard to incubate all day were gone!
Xie Yao, who had someone pick up a small basket of eggs, had already set off for the Xu family's villa.
The villa is located in Xinhaoyuan, Nanhuai Street, not far from the palace.
In Xie Mingan's account book, the note for the Golden-Eyed Jade Buddha happened to be No. C, Nanhuai Street.
Qi Liang was sitting outside the carriage. As he passed by, he turned sideways and said to Xie Yao inside, "Princess, that's Courtyard Bing. A wealthy family from the capital is now living there."
Xie Yao took a look and saw that it was a big house.
Before this, she had handed the task of investigating the mansion over to Qiliang, who had already found some clues.
Xie Yao asked, "How rich are you?"
Qi Liang: "Maybe I can have a say with the Xu family, but I also have to see what the Xu family thinks."
Soon, they arrived at the Xu family villa.
"Hey, is that Jiang Si?"
As soon as Rendong lifted a corner of the car curtain, she saw Jiang Si, the chief guard of the Bo Mansion, appear at the gate of the villa.
She knew that Pu Wei had said Jiang Si was lustful before, so she looked at him with disgust.
Xie Yao looked over and saw Jiang Si leading two servants from the Bo's Mansion, each of whom was holding a brocade box in his hand.
He was standing on one foot, and it was obvious that the sword wound he had stabbed a few days ago had not healed yet. He was talking to someone inside the door with a flattering smile on his face.
Xie Yao said, "Mother just separated and moved out, and Xie Ming'an couldn't sit still anymore."
Honeysuckle suddenly understood: "I understand now. Lord Wenchang sent Jiang Si to give a gift to Mr. Xu."
Qi Liang whispered, "Giving gifts is a small thing. The Earl of Wenchang is probably using the excuse of giving gifts to curry favor with Master Xu, so that Master Xu can help persuade Madam Xu to return to the Earl's Mansion."
Xie Yao nodded slightly.
Qiliang was becoming more and more eloquent. Ever since his mother and Xie Ming'an had separated, he no longer addressed his mother as Madam Bo, but as Madam Xu, which won her heart.
Xie Yao was about to get off the car when her eyes fell on the man who was talking to Jiang Si.
The man was over fifty years old and was wearing silk clothes. He was not dressed like an ordinary servant, and he looked vaguely familiar.
"Butler Yu, please be kind and let me know!"
Jiang Si's voice reached Xie Yao's ears.
"My uncle specially asked me to bring this year's snow swallow's nest and the best ginseng. He wants to meet with Master Xu another day and only asks him to persuade Madam to stop being angry with my uncle."
Housekeeper Yu said coldly, "Guardian Jiang, it's not that I don't give you face, but the master has said he won't see anyone from your Wenchang Marquis' Mansion. You'd better go back. Besides, why are we living in separate mansions? Your master doesn't understand."
Xie Yao understood. When she was a child, she had secretly come to the Xu family's villa several times. She probably saw the housekeeper Yu, so she felt that he looked familiar.
Housekeeper Yu was one of the suspicious persons she was investigating on this trip.
In the previous life, my grandfather died in the capital, and Butler Yu was the butler of the Xu family's villa in the capital, and he was also a cook, which makes people think more.
"Princess, get out of the car."
Honeysuckle got off the car first and waited outside, holding the princess's long sword.
Jiang Si heard the noise and turned around.
Today, Xie Yao was wearing a moon-white brocade snow satin skirt, with a silver-grey crane cloak on the outside. Her long hair was tied up and pinned with a flying phoenix hairpin. She had a cool and beautiful appearance and clear eyes.
Jiang Si's face turned pale instantly, and his injured left foot couldn't help but tremble. The wound that had finally healed began to hurt again.
"King, Princess? Why are you here?" he asked stutteringly.
When Butler Yu heard his address and looked at Xie Yao's appearance, he was stunned.
Many years ago, a person came to the villa to look for the master. The lively and smart little girl looked exactly like the woman in front of him.
He opened his eyes wide with excitement, and his face was instantly filled with smiles: "Is it the young lady? This old slave has met the young lady!"
With that, Housekeeper Yu ignored Jiang Si and turned to shout into the door, "The young lady is back! Someone, go tell the master that the young lady is here!"
In the eyes of the Xu family, Xu Susu, who married Wenchang Bo, is their eldest daughter no matter how old she is.
Xie Yao, who can only be called a cousin, is also their eldest daughter because she is loved by Mr. Xu and the young master Xu Zhixing.
The Xu family gave Xie Yao a dowry of 108 loads, and money rained down on the streets. This was Mr. Xu's way of announcing to the world that Xie Yao was not only the daughter of the Earl of Wenchang and the princess of the King of Jingbei, but also the eldest daughter of the Xu family!
Xie Yao nodded to Butler Yu without even glancing at Jiang Si.
Jiang Si's face turned pale, his hand gripping the brocade box tightened, and a sinister look flashed in his eyes.
However, thinking of the purpose of his trip, he didn't dare to show any emotion to provoke Xie Yao, and could only lower his head and stand aside.
Rendong followed Xie Yao and sniffed the scent of trauma medicine on Jiang Si.
Not long after, hurried footsteps were heard in the yard.
"Where is Xiao Ayao? My granddaughter is here?"
Before my grandfather Xu Shiquan appeared, a bright and anxious voice was heard.
From a distance, the old man was dressed in a dark robe, the attire of an ordinary rich man. He took two steps at a time, and his steps were so fast that the hem of his robe was lifted up. Behind him were several maids and servants.
"You're finally here, little A'yao. Not counting the day of your wedding with Prince Jingbei, it's been nine years since I last saw my darling granddaughter." Grandpa Xu's eyes were red.
"Don't worry, grandpa. Your granddaughter is doing well and misses you too."
Xie Yao was held by a pair of dry and warm hands. She looked at the old man's face carefully, staring at every wrinkle on his face, and felt sour in her heart.
It’s not nine years, it’s the nine years I spent in the northern border and the more than two years after returning to Beijing, all together it’s twelve years!
This was her grandfather in her previous life, whom she never met until her death.
Fortunately, her grandfather is still alive.
Grandpa Xu's hands trembled slightly. No matter what little Ayao's current status was, in his heart, she was his lovely granddaughter.
He noticed Jiang Si standing beside him and frowned, "Are you from the Wenchang Marquis's Mansion?"
Jiang Si nodded and bowed: "I pay my respects to the Master of the Xu family. I am Jiang Si, a humble servant, and I am here on behalf of Lord Wenchang to bring you some thin--"
Before the word "Li" was uttered, Mr. Xu sneered and ordered: "Fight back."
Housekeeper Yu immediately called over two guards: "Beat him!"
Jiang Si was stunned, and was pushed out of the door with a shove, falling to the ground with a "bang".
He quickly took out an envelope from his pocket and shouted anxiously:
"No, Mr. Xu, please spare me. Don't hit me. I've been ordered to deliver a letter to the old lady. She said she's old and really misses the lady. For so many years, she's treated her like her own daughter and misses her very much..."
"Bah!"
Mr. Xu just spat.
"Back then, didn't you think my Xu family was just a merchant family and worried about it? I was worried about your Xie family and Susu's dowry!"
A few days ago, the news that his daughter Xu Susu had separated from the Wenchang Earl at Xie Yao's return ceremony had already spread throughout the capital.
His son even told him the specific situation.
After my daughter married into the Wenchang Earl's Mansion, everything was fine for the first two or three years, but then she stopped contacting the Xu family.
Old Mr. Xu just thought that his daughter was too embarrassed to admit her shame, and that his words were too harsh and hurt her heart.
What's more, his Xu family is a merchant family, the Xie family is a noble family, and Xie Ming'an also holds an official position.
If the Xu family always went to see their daughter, they would probably be laughed at and accused of selling their daughter for fame and fortune and trying to curry favor with the Xie family.
But she never expected that the Xie family and Wenchang Bo would dare to treat their daughter like this!
Old Master Xu didn't like the Xie family in the first place, and when he saw Jiang Si dared to come, he really wanted to beat him out himself.
"Master, Madam Xie is, after all, a relative of yours, and a consort of the imperial court. Even if you don't give face to the Earl of Wenchang, you should give her some face. Otherwise... it will damage your reputation."
At this time, a woman in a green silk dress who looked to be in her thirties came over, glanced at Jiang Si, and advised softly.
When Mr. Xu heard this, he thought: He can ignore his reputation, but Susu lives in a separate house from the Bo Mansion, and little Ayao is the Princess of Jingbei, so she still needs a reputation.
"I have accepted the letter. Take the things and get out." Old Master Xu took the letter from Jiang Si's hand.
Jiang Si pointed to the brocade box in the servant's hand and said, "Master Xu, this is a small gift from Master. If you don't accept it, I will be unable to report back. Please accept it!"
Mr. Xu frowned, but he finally told the housekeeper, "Send the things to the warehouse, and don't come back."
Jiang Si: "Mr. Xu, my uncle also said—"
"There's nothing to say!"
Before he could finish speaking, Mr. Xu had already pulled Xie Yao into the yard.
"Little Ah Yao, come into the house with Grandpa quickly, add two more basins of charcoal, and get some iced drinks. My granddaughter likes them."
Jiang Si stood there, his eyes growing darker.
Before Xie Yao left, she secretly gave Qiliang a look, asking him to keep an eye on Butler Yu.
Qiliang carried a basket of eggs and followed the housekeeper Yu to take the servants from the Bo Mansion to the warehouse to put things away.
The main hall of the villa still looks the same as when Xie Yao was a child.
As soon as she came in, she was filled with warmth. The floor was covered with an ochre-grey woolen carpet, and her feet were warm. However, there were only two newly brought-in gilded charcoal basins placed under the window, and the air was filled with the elegant fragrance of goose pears.
A maid immediately came forward and helped Xie Yao hang the crane cloak aside.
The room was too hot and I started sweating in a short while. The maid brought me a small pot of orange juice with ice cubes and honey.
When Xie Yao was a child, she loved the cool weather and came to see her grandfather several times. She liked to eat the sweets and drink the sour and sweet ice drinks here the most.
The woman in green dress who had just spoken came in with snacks. Her hair was neatly combed and she wore a jade hairpin on her head. She looked much more respectable than an ordinary maid.
She behaved gracefully, first bowing to Mr. Xu, then kneeling to Xie Yao: "My servant Qiu Shui greets the young lady."
Old Master Xu smiled and explained, "Little A'yao, this is Qiu Shui. Back then, when your mother was still in the boudoir, she was your mother's maid. Later, because she was young, she didn't go to the uncle's mansion with her, so she stayed in the other courtyard to help me manage things."
"This child has done a great job. Two years ago, my cold illness worsened, and she gave me a folk remedy passed down from my ancestors, which cured my illness."
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