Although Wang Lingyi hadn't yet reached the hall, she sent Huang Xiang to the old lady's maid, Li'er. Huang Xiang said, "Sister Li'er, please tell the old lady that our mistress wants to hear what's going on." Li'er immediately reported back to Yun Shi, who nodded. Huang Xiang, receiving the nod, retreated to stand slightly behind Yun Shi in the hall. Huang Xiang, with his exceptional memory, returned with a detailed account of the proceedings, following Wang Lingyi's example.
On his way home, the old marquis had learned the general situation: his son's personal maid had poisoned his daughter-in-law for six months. What a sin! After the old marquis returned home, he greeted everyone and took their seats. He then asked about his daughter-in-law's condition.
As soon as Wang Lingyi heard the wording, she knew that it was a cover-up. Let's see how to deal with it.
Huang Xiang played multiple roles. He first imitated the imperial physician: "The marquis's wife has been ill for half a year. Her foundation has been damaged. She may not live past thirty." To be able to be the director of the Imperial Hospital, he must be a good doctor and a skilled person. Since the old marquis asked about the illness, he did not say she was poisoned but just said she was sick. Anyway, everyone present already knew the truth.
Huang Xiang imitated the old marquis and nodded after listening to the imperial physician's words. He then asked Wang Suwen directly, "I heard in the court today that your father took leave due to a cough. I wonder if he is doing well?" The voice and form were imitated so vividly that even Wang Lingyi, who was weak and depressed, couldn't help but curl her lips when she heard it.
Huang Xiang, in this case, transformed himself into his brother, Wang Suwen. "Wang Suwen" said, "Thank you, Lord Marquis, for your concern. Father is well. My father has always doted on me, and before coming here, he told me not to embarrass the Marquis's residence, but also not to let me suffer any injustice." Huang Xiang's imitation was so convincing that Wang Lingyi almost immediately recognized her brother's expression, and her smile became even more pronounced. Seeing Wang Lingyi smile, the three maids, Bicui, Chizhu, and Qingdai, felt a little relieved.
Huang Xiang said, "Then the old marquis invited my uncle to the study, and the two of them went there." Wang Lingyi knew that the two families were going to negotiate terms. As long as the terms were right, all that was left was to appease her.
As a daughter of a royal family, she grew up in luxury and knew that she had responsibilities. Even princesses had to marry off their wives, and the emperor had to defend the country and die for it. So how could she compare to them?
There's no such thing as enjoying only the benefits in this world. She was no longer the naive and playful daughter of the Wang family, but a married woman from the Wang family, a daughter-in-law of the Marquis's mansion. But in her heart... she concealed it for a moment and smiled at Huang Xiang, "Go back over there and listen. I'll see what else you can learn."
In the flower hall, Wang Lingyi's mother and mother-in-law sat facing each other. Her mother had just gone to the palace with her younger sister Wang Xipei to attend the Spring Banquet. After receiving the news, she ordered someone to send her younger daughter back and came halfway. She was still dressed in the clothes of a lady entering the palace, with four hairpins and two hairpins made of red gold and emerald green, a crimson ruyi cloud-shaped flower ornament, a long skirt made of the same color as Chu Shi, and a crescent-white top. Her whole body was dignified and solemn, but her brilliance could not be concealed.
Meanwhile, the mother-in-law, Yun, was dressed in casual attire: a lake-green tunic, a pale rouge-colored long skirt, and a jade and pearl headdress resembling a kingfisher holding a pearl. Both of them had been stunningly beautiful in their youth, and each possessed a distinct charm today.
Originally, my mother-in-law, Yun, was also going to the palace to attend the Spring Banquet, but this Spring Banquet was actually for several princes to meet their princesses. The Defei in the palace said with a half smile: "I just like the girls chatting and laughing in the beautiful spring scenery, which is as beautiful as a painting. I am afraid that the young masters in our various mansions are impatient with the fun of our female relatives. We will hold a polo meeting another day to let them have fun. This time, it will be just us who have fun.
"It's just that His Majesty suddenly said he wanted to go, and it's inevitable that several princes and nobles will accompany him to show their filial piety, but they will only stay for a short while; the main thing is for us to have fun." With these words, the scale and number of people attending this spring banquet were announced.
Women without legitimate daughters of marriageable age knew to stay out of the way, and even those who wanted to marry into the royal family wouldn't bother trying to get married. The Yun family had only one son, who had suffered injuries after giving birth and could no longer conceive. The old marquis had one illegitimate son and two illegitimate daughters from his two concubines. However, one of the daughters was young, and the other, while of marriageable age, was born to a mother of humble origin. If the Yun family had a legitimate daughter, they wouldn't dare not attend. But with only illegitimate daughters, and the Spring Banquet being attended only by princes and other young masters, the intention was clear, so they didn't dare bring the illegitimate daughter along.
Even if there are families who want to climb up the social ladder, if their concubines' daughters are indeed outstanding, they can only give up the idea for now and wait for the news of the princess and concubine being decided. Then they can let the concubines of each family compete for the position of Confucian Lady, and maybe even the position of concubine.
Wang Lingyi's mother, Shen, was heartbroken when she learned her daughter had been poisoned for six months, barely a year after her marriage, and that her life span would be no more than thirty. She couldn't help but ask, "Excuse me, mother-in-law, where is the person who perpetrated the crime now, and how has he been dealt with?"
Yun was somewhat embarrassed. The maidservant's name was Chunliu. She was a servant of the family and a year older than the young marquis. She had served him since she was a little girl, and he had called her Sister Chun since they were little. If she hadn't been born a servant, they would have been childhood sweethearts, and now they could even say they had followed each other since childhood and had a long-standing friendship.
The murder of his mistress was punishable by death, but his son Jiang Heng pleaded for his life. He is currently being held in the woodshed, under the care of the young Marquis, and his food is being delivered as normal. Now that Shen had asked about it, Yun Shi was at a loss for words and could only say, "He's already been held, and we're still waiting for the old Marquis and his in-laws to discuss the matter. The Marquisate has let Lingyi down, and we'll definitely give her an explanation."
Shen sneered, "So this man is still fine? Then how can my daughter dare to live in the backyard of the Marquis' Mansion?"
Yun gritted her teeth and wanted to drag Chunliu over and give her thirty lashes first, to get an explanation first. But the young marquis Jiang Heng stood up and bowed, saying, "Mother-in-law, calm down. I will go to the study and discuss with my father and uncles. I will not let Lingyi down." With that, he left.
Shen was furious. She was defending him in front of him. Just as she was about to speak, she heard her wife Zhao Xinran order the maid, "Go and ask the court judge what will happen if he takes this poison for another six months." The imperial physician was originally invited by Zhao Xinran's family and was resting in the tea room. The matter was not over yet.
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