Chapter 11 Moral High Ground
Shangguan Jin gently waved the round fan in her hand and glanced at the Lady of Wuding Marquis.
Ah, it seems that receiving gifts five times this year has really fed the Marquis of Wuding's mansion quite well!
The magnificent robes worn by the Lady of Wuding Marquis, along with the dazzling ruby headdress, all testified to the immense wealth of the Wuding Marquis's household.
Look at those rubies, they must be pigeon blood red!
Shangguan Jin felt a pang of emotion in her heart, but her face remained calm.
Then he picked up the teacup on the table and took a small sip.
Seeing that Shangguan Jin ignored her, Lady Wuding was a little embarrassed.
“There are some things I shouldn’t say, after all, you are the Duchess of Dingguo, but this is a matter of face.”
"People like us need to be careful," Lady Wuding added.
The other ladies, though silent, all nodded slightly.
Even Madam Shangguan, looking at the tea beside her, was thinking about whether to send someone to deliver some of this year's best tea leaves to her daughter tomorrow.
However, Madam Shangguan sensed that her daughter must have had a reason for doing this.
"A family like ours? What kind of family are we?" Shangguan Jin gently put down her teacup and asked softly.
Everyone was taken aback.
What does it mean to say what kind of family we are?
The noble families and distinguished families of the Great Yu Dynasty, which one of you here is not a prominent family?
"We are just a group of people who need border guards to risk their lives and endure wind and rain to protect us."
Is it noble?
No matter how noble they are, can they be more noble than the soldiers on the frontier?
Let alone tea like this, they might not even be able to drink clean water all the time.
Surrounded by powerful enemies, the soldiers fought valiantly to ensure the safety of Dayu.
We can sit here peacefully and celebrate the birthdays of the elderly, all thanks to their hard work and sacrifices.
What right do we have to complain that this is bad, or that is bad?
"Or rather, do we have the nerve to say that while the front lines are in dire straits, the rear is in a state of abundance?" Shangguan Jin said unhurriedly.
Shangguan Jin's words silenced the entire courtyard.
There's so much information here, they need to organize it carefully.
First of all, they didn't know how to refute what the Duchess of Dingguo said.
Who dares to say that the soldiers on the frontier are all just doing their duty?
If any of them dares to utter a word of rebuttal, the imperial family will find out within half a day.
The Great Yu Dynasty was founded on warfare, and every emperor was capable of riding into battle.
If you insult the soldiers with your words, not to mention the imperial family, even the spittle of those censors could drown you.
The most important point is, why did this Lady of Dingguo suddenly mention the soldiers on the border?
Previously, when Lady Dingguo talked to others outside, she mostly discussed matters concerning the inner quarters. Why bring this up out of the blue?
Furthermore, the former Duchess of Dingguo was extremely well-mannered. Whenever guests came to her door, she would always greet them with the highest honors and treat them with the best etiquette.
It's hard to say that the sudden use of last year's tea for hospitality wasn't intentional.
Or perhaps the Duchess of Dingguo intended to use the tea to elicit some conversation.
The more the lady thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Actually, Shangguan Jin simply wanted to save money...
The ladies were fanning themselves with small round fans.
What did the Duchess of Dingguo just say?
The front lines are in dire straits, while the rear enjoys a feast? This is definitely not a good thing.
When they get back, they must tell their master about this; there must be something very important involved.
Madam Shangguan, who was initially a little worried, picked up her teacup again and took a sip.
“What my Jin’er said makes sense.”
Go back a few generations, whose family wasn't born into poverty or from peasant backgrounds?
Not to mention the soldiers on the frontier, even the families of us scholars have experienced hardship.
I heard my grandfather say that before he passed the imperial examination, he lived a life of simple meals.
When it's cold, let alone tea like this, even a sip of hot water feels like drinking nectar.
"No matter what, we must never forget our roots," Madam Shangguan concluded.
The ladies all nodded in agreement.
Yes, whose ancestors didn't have a hard life?
The Great Yu Dynasty was established less than a hundred years ago, and had been plagued by years of war before that.
Everyone here, whose family didn't move here from another place? The journey was like fleeing a disaster. In the hard times, let alone tea like this, we couldn't even get a hot meal.
But why would the Duke of Dingguo bring this up out of the blue?
Or is someone trying to express something through the words of the Duchess of Dingguo?
The ladies, who were always only interested in the infighting within the household, couldn't understand it for a while.
Lady Wuding, who had originally wanted to see a joke, opened her mouth but didn't know how to refute it.
"Hey, I was just saying."
Look at you, you've taken it to heart.
My family is also a family of military generals. I know everything you're talking about. Alright, those are things that men should worry about. How would we ladies of the inner quarters know about those things?
"By the way, Sister Jin, I have something I'd like to tell you today, taking this opportunity." Lady Wuding suddenly said with a smile.
"Oh? What is it? Is it a happy occasion?"
If it's a happy occasion, it wouldn't be bad to celebrate double the joy since it's my grandmother's birthday today.
If it weren't for a happy occasion...
Shangguan Jin's meaning was very clear.
Don't spoil my good mood of receiving gifts.
If it's good news, say it; if it's not, keep it to yourself. Don't force me to slap you on a great day.
"How should I put it? I guess it's a good thing!"
Our Yu-ge and your Yue-jie were betrothed by the Empress Dowager, weren't they?
Although there's still no news from the Duke, these two children are getting on in years. Shouldn't we start making preparations?
Anyway, maybe this good news will trigger even better things to come?
After speaking, Lady Wuding covered her face with her fan and smiled.
Looking at that snow-white face, Shangguan Jin really wanted to try splashing the tea in her hand on it to see if it would ruin the makeup.
What Lady Wuding was really trying to say was, "Hurry up and let the two children get married. It doesn't matter whether you have a man in your family or not."
Maybe if you take a sprint, your man will come back!
Thinking of Shen Qingyue, who was only sixteen, and the second young master of the Song family who was embracing an unknown woman.
Shangguan Jin suddenly felt a surge of anger.
The reason they're in such a hurry to marry Shen Qingyue is probably because they want to find a mistress for their second son as soon as possible!
"A marriage to bring good luck? Why would you need to do that?"
My family, the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, and the Shangguan family are all doing well! No one needs a marriage to ward off bad luck!
Also, although my daughter Yao is always delicate, she has a pretty good constitution.
Could it be that...
"Is Yu-ge'er feeling unwell?" Shangguan Jin asked deliberately.
Lady Wuding Marquis...
The ladies watching the play...
Why does the Duchess of Dingguo seem like a hedgehog covered in bristles today?
It's biting anyone it can get its hands on!
"Oh! Madam Song, I've always heard that Yu-ge'er likes to gamble a few rounds at the gambling den."
You should try to persuade him to stop. Gambling is ultimately harmful to your health, and you're prone to getting angry when you lose.
"Getting angry will damage your internal organs," Shangguan Jin said, feigning concern.
"You... my Yu-ge'er's internal organs are perfectly healthy!" Lady Wuding said angrily.
"Huh? It wasn't because of gambling?"
Could it be that you felt uncomfortable because you visited a brothel?
"This...could it be venereal disease...?" Shangguan Jin also deliberately covered her face with her fan and said in surprise.
The ladies in the courtyard...
The Duchess of Qi, who was sitting next to the Marquis of Wuding, quietly moved to the side...
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