Chapter 148
Xu Wei's residence was not far from Fuxue Hutong, and the carriage ride only took a quarter of an hour. Because Gu Jingming's grandfather, Grand Secretary Gu, had returned to Beijing, Xu Wei was hosting a banquet for him today, and the residence was bustling with people.
Luo Shenyuan was stopped by his teacher in the front yard and asked to go and pay his respects to Gu Daxueshi. Gu Daxueshi was also Yining's grandfather, but they had never met before.
Luo Shenyuan said to Yining, "Wait for me in the corridor for a moment." He walked over to talk to the teacher.
This was Yi Ning's first time seeing Xu Wei. He was slightly shorter than she'd expected, half a head shorter than her third brother. He was very polite, with a smile on his face. Yi Ning couldn't help but imagine his fate many years later; she had never expected him to be so affable. Her third brother lowered his head to listen to him, occasionally laughing as he engaged in conversation with Xu Wei. After a while, Luo Shenyuan turned around and waved to her.
When Yi Ning walked over, Luo Shenyuan introduced her, saying, "This is my wife."
Outside, the sun was shining brightly, the sky high and cloudless, but not too hot, and the shadows of the trees swayed on the ground. He stood beside her, his voice neither hurried nor slow.
Yi Ning smiled and bowed to Xu Wei, "Hello, Lord Xu. I am sorry to bother you today."
"You're welcome," Xu Wei said, looking at Yi Ning with a smile, "She is indeed still young, Shen Yuan, you must not bully her."
Luo Shenyuan smiled and said, "She is still young." So he didn't even serve her in bed, it was because he was too pitiful.
Xu Wei left first and asked Luo Shenyuan to follow.
Luo Shenyuan turned around and whispered to Yi Ning, "The maid will take you to Madam Xu's place later. You can play with Madam Xu and the others. If you need anything, ask Zhenzhu to come to me, okay?"
Yi Ning thought to herself, "I'm still playing. Do you really think she's too young?" Nodding in agreement, Luo Shenyuan went to the front hall.
The maid standing by bowed and said, "Mrs. Luo San, please come with me."
Yi Ning, led by a maid, passed through the Corner Gate and into the Moon Gate. On the way, she thought about Xu Wei. His death was a major event, and the people of the capital even rioted. She remembered it clearly, wanting to protect the unjustly imprisoned Lord Xu. She remembered it clearly as the third year of Zhide. Folklore purportedly claimed that Wang Yuan had been responsible, but her credibility was unclear. In the eyes of the common people, any evil deed was attributed to Wang Yuan or his followers. Good and evil in the eyes of the masses were as simple as black and white.
What she knew was also very one-sided. But after meeting Xu Wei, she felt differently.
Among the six ministries, the vice ministers of the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Rites were mostly promoted by Wang Yuan. The emperor valued him highly, and his followers were spread throughout the court. Xu Wei was essentially surviving under Wang Yuan's pressure; how could the average person do the same? No matter how amiable he appeared, he must have been decisive and resolute. She, on the other hand, felt that Xu Wei's death was more complicated than that.
The maid led her down a long alleyway. Luo Yining spotted several osmanthus trees in bloom ahead. Following the trees, she entered the flower hall. Several ladies watched as the maid picked osmanthus flowers. The osmanthus at Lord Xu's residence was the top-ranking red osmanthus, with orange-red blossoms and a rich fragrance. Therefore, every time this happened, Lady Xu would invite everyone to her residence to pick some.
Mrs. Xu was Xu Wei's second wife. She was over 40 years old and was in very good condition.
She asked Yi Ning to sit on the embroidered cushion beside her, took her hand and looked her left and right, smiling and praising her: "Shen Yuan is handsome, and this daughter-in-law is even better."
The ladies present were very curious about Luo Shenyuan. Seeing that Luo Yining was still young, they were even gentler to her and asked her many questions.
Only then did Yi Ning realize that the woman next to her, wearing a purple, embroidered jacket with a "Four Joys and Ruyis" pattern, was Yang Ling's wife. She was fair-skinned and spoke cheerfully. Madam Xu knew Madam Yang better, and she said to her, "Madam Luo San has never been to our house. You should talk to her more."
Madam Yang smiled until her eyes narrowed. "Don't worry, Sister Yining, just call me Sister Xuanrong. Lord Luo and my husband were both Jinshi, so we are quite close sisters."
Yi Ning did not avoid her and called out "Sister Xuan Rong" with a smile.
Mrs. Yang was the daughter of a chieftain in Shu, and she wasn't subject to the strictures of a young lady from Beijing. As the two began to talk, Mrs. Yang discovered that Mrs. Luo San was also talkative and generous. They hit it off, and Mrs. Yang took her hand, beaming with joy, saying, "Sister Yining, come visit me someday. My cooking is the best, and you won't get the same flavor anywhere else."
Mrs. Yang loves to eat, and the kitchen is the biggest expense in their household. She's come up with many new ways to prepare meals. Luo Yining loves to eat, but she's also lazy and will eat whatever she's given. Meeting someone like Mrs. Yang is a perfect match, and hearing her describe the food at her home makes her yearn for it. They agreed to visit her when they have time.
The osmanthus cakes made from the harvested osmanthus flowers were served. Freshly picked, the flowers were sweet and fragrant, with an excellent taste. However, the osmanthus honey was still astringent and needed to be left for a few days before consumption. Madam Xu had the maids pack the honey into small ceramic jars and give one to each of the ladies in the room to take home.
It was almost noon, and Madam Xu led everyone to the banquet hall in the front courtyard for dinner. The hall was divided into an inner and outer area, separated by a marble screen. People inside could see outside through the gaps in the screen. Luo Yining and Madam Yang discussed how to remove the astringency of osmanthus flowers: "Blanching them is fine, but the fragrance won't last as long."
She learned a wide variety of things, from needlework to cooking. Life for a woman in the inner chambers was often dull and impoverished, so besides playing mahjong and watching operas, she devoted herself to studying these delicate arts.
Mrs. Yang shook her head and said, "It won't work if the aroma is taken away. It's best to marinate it with a little salt."
Yi Ning laughed when he heard this: "I've never seen anything marinated with salt. Wouldn't it taste like salty osmanthus honey?"
Just as he was saying this, he heard a sudden commotion outside. Someone had come in. Yi Ning looked through the screen and her mouth twitched. Why was it Xie Yun...
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