Chapter 86: The Concubine's Sister Provokes the Marquis, and the Princess's Wedding Dress Arrives
Zhidai was silent, not knowing what to say.
Xie Yao picked up the jade pendant and stroked the warm jade surface with her fingertips.
It's a pity that for being disrespectful to the Queen Mother, even if nine clans can be executed, Xie Mingan's nine clans cannot be executed, not to mention that she is still among these nine clans.
She said calmly, "Thank you, Queen Mother, for the gift. It is a blessing for me and the prince to have such concern for you. I will keep this jade pendant well and will not let you down for your teachings today."
There was nothing wrong with this statement, and Zhidai felt a lump in her chest.
I had received the empress dowager's order, and I also heard that the second young lady of the Xie family was arrogant and easily angered.
Therefore, she deliberately told Xie Yao about the difficulties of marrying King Jingbei, hoping that Xie Yao would give up and cancel the engagement on her own initiative.
I didn't expect that this girl, at such a young age, would be so stubborn.
Zhidai frowned and took out a copy of "Female Commandments" from the wooden box.
Xie Yao looked at it and saw that the book was exquisitely bound and should have come from the Ningshou Palace.
"When serving the prince, you must follow the four virtues of a woman: a woman's virtues, a woman's words, a woman's appearance, and a woman's work. Second Miss, please copy the "Instructions for Women" ten times in the next few days and send it to Ningshou Palace three days before the wedding." Zhidai said coldly.
Xie Yao responded "yes".
Zhidai's face turned pale, and a hint of cruelty flashed in her eyes. She added, "Before the wedding, the second young lady must go to the Chengfo Temple outside the capital to burn incense and pray for the Jingbei King Xiao family. This is the custom."
Chengfo Temple is a large temple with great popularity. It is located on Qifeng Mountain in the suburbs of Beijing.
It snowed heavily for half the day yesterday, so it would have been difficult to go up the mountain to burn incense.
Besides, there’s no telling what kind of accidents might happen.
Xie Yao still nodded: "Okay."
Zhi Dai stood up and said, "Come here first. Get up at 11:00 AM tomorrow morning. I will teach you the rules of serving breakfast. Miss, don't think tomorrow will be as easy as today."
Xie Yao: "Okay."
Only after the footsteps faded away did she pick up the book "Female Commandments", flip through it, and then put it down.
She called Sang Ruo over and said, "Send this to Aunt Sun and tell her that it's Mother's order. She's been incompetent in managing her subordinates, so I'm punishing her by making her copy the 'Instructions for Women' ten times within three days to cultivate her character."
Sang Ruo saw an extra booklet on the table just after Aunt Zhidai left, and guessed what it was: "Second Miss, isn't this something the maids in the Empress Dowager's palace asked you to copy? Give it to Aunt Sun. What if she refuses to copy it?"
Sang Ruo was a maidservant beside her mother, and Xie Yao intended to train and cultivate her, so when facing her questions, she did not show any impatience and even encouraged her to continue asking.
"When she sees this booklet, she will take it as the Queen Mother's order and will not dare not copy it." Xie Yao answered patiently.
Sang Ruo realized that this booklet of "Instructions for Women" was more exquisite than ordinary books, and Zhidai had come to the Bo's Mansion again, so Aunt Sun would definitely think that the Queen Mother was punishing her to copy it.
"What if Aunt Sun gets suspicious and goes to find out?"
"During the confinement period, if she dared to take even a single step outside, Mother would punish her for disrespect. Even the maids and nannies around her would not dare to offend Mother at this time."
"But what if Aunt Sun finds out about this matter later?"
Xie Yao: "If she doesn't mention it, I won't say anything. If she asks, I didn't use the Queen Mother's name as a pretext. She thought the Queen Mother was punishing her."
Sang Ruo had no more questions and left with the book.
At this time, Pu Wei, who was sent out of the house by her and followed Xie Zhi, returned to Wanxiangyuan.
"Miss, Xie Zhi went out this afternoon. I followed him to the Bian River outside Beijing and saw people from the Anping Marquis's Mansion ice fishing on the shore. Xie Zhi was greeted by the Anping Marquis. The two of them talked and laughed, and were very close." Pu Wei said truthfully.
Yesterday, Xie Zhi did not plead for Aunt Sun, which made Xie Yao realize that something was wrong, so she secretly asked Pu Wei to pay more attention.
It's only been one day and I've actually discovered some clues.
"Marquis Anping, Xie Zhi..."
Xie Yao murmured the names of the two people.
Xie Zhi was removed from the list of people entering the palace by the emperor, and because she instigated Miss Jiang San to oppose herself, she offended the wife of Marquis Anping and was unable to marry into the Jiang family of the Prime Minister's Mansion. As a result, she ended up having an affair with Marquis Anping.
Xie Yao shook her head. Xie Zhi might not know what kind of man she had provoked.
Marquis Anping appears to be young and handsome, but in fact, he is not only a playboy and lustful, but also likes to abuse the concubines in his mansion.
This is what Xie Yao learned from Lu Shenyan.
In his previous life, Lu Shenyan saved the life of Marquis Anping and secretly became an advisor to the Marquis.
That day, he returned to the Lu family drunk and suddenly went crazy and whipped the maid next to Xie Yao, almost beating her to death. Xie Yao tried to stop him and was also injured.
Afterwards, Lu Shenyan burst into tears and knelt down to beg her forgiveness, saying that it was Marquis Anping who led him astray. One or two women died in the Marquis's mansion every month. Marquis Anping not only did not dare to touch the Marquis's wife, who was a daughter of the Jiang family, but he also beat, scolded and abused even his concubines.
Xie Yao's eyes were indifferent. Since her elder sister was seeking her own death, it was not her fault.
In the evening, Xie Zhi came back from outside.
She deliberately wore a bright crimson dress with gold-thread embroidered patterns on the hem, a long carved hairpin on her head, and a red agate and gold beads on her fair wrist.
Supported by her trusted maid Man'er, she entered the room covered in jewels.
"I heard that Aunt Zhidai in the palace is teaching my second sister etiquette. Everyone knows that Zhidai has a special status. She is the granddaughter of the old minister and has also taught the wife of Anping Marquis." Xie Zhi said in an intimate tone.
"Second sister's blessing is really enviable."
Xie Yao asked coldly, "Why, big sister, do you also want to marry into the Anping Marquis's Mansion and learn from Aunt Zhidai?"
Xie Zhi's face froze, but he quickly recovered and even smiled.
Meeting the Marquis was not something shameful, and I had never been avoiding people. It seemed that I was seen.
Xie Yao's cold words now are just because she knows that he is going to marry the emperor's brother, while she can only marry the disabled Prince Jingbei, and she is angry and embarrassed.
She felt more and more proud, and remembered the instructions of Marquis Anping, and gently stroked the long hairpin in her hair.
"Second sister is always making fun of people. I was just out for a walk and happened to meet the Marquis of Anping on the Bian River. We exchanged a few words. How could I dare to say that I wanted to marry the Marquis?"
"However, the Marquis praised me for looking good in red, took me to the Fairy Weaving Workshop to pick out a new dress, and also gave me some girly jewelry as a reward."
Xie Yao looked at Xie Zhi as if he were half dead.
Xie Zhi's expression changed to one of helplessness. "The Marquis is so generous, but it makes me worry about my second sister. The wedding date is approaching, why hasn't the Jingbei Palace sent the betrothal gifts yet? Could it be that the prince feels that the marriage has been granted by the imperial decree and is not planning to give my second sister a betrothal gift?"
There was a hint of ridicule and sarcasm in her eyes.
Xie Yao rubbed her hands together and smiled, "Big sister, have you forgotten what the prince said at the Winter Solstice Banquet and are trying to sow discord between me and the prince?"
Xie Zhi suddenly took two steps back, keeping a certain distance from her.
"I dare not, I dare not. I'm just afraid that my second sister will be sad because she doesn't have a betrothal gift. Maybe the prince is too busy. My second sister, please don't think too much about it." She said embarrassedly.
At this moment, at the Jingbei Palace.
A cavalryman riding two horses rushed into the palace in a dusty state. Seeing that he was wearing the uniform and armor of the Jingbei Army, the palace guards let him in.
The cavalry arrived at the prince's Liuxiayuan, dismounted, and presented the bundle.
"Your Majesty, the princess's wedding dress is now being rushed eight hundred miles. I have already delivered it!"
Xiao Yizi sat calmly in the wheelchair, turned his head and looked in the direction of Wenchang Marquis' Mansion.
"Tomorrow, I will go to the Xie family to present my betrothal gift."
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