The suspicious look swept over Xu Yuejia again.
But Wen Ye finally didn't ask anything because it wasn't important.
She stood up with the opened letter in her hand and said to Xu Yuxuan, "If you don't want to read it, then don't read it. You can go to Nanny Ji later if you have anything to ask. Mother has something else to do."
After saying that, she walked towards the west study without looking back. Xu Yuxuan was small, so there was no way he could catch up with her, so he was turned away.
Fortunately, at this time Nanny Ji came in with a plate of snacks, and Xu Yuxuan's attention was barely attracted, and he sat back on the stool.
Nanny Ji picked up a piece of almond biscuit and coaxed Xu Yuxuan to eat it.
Xu Yuxuan lay on the table, nibbling on the almond biscuits bit by bit with his tiny teeth. Perhaps because the almond biscuits tasted good, he ate with great joy.
Xu Yuejia, who was sitting opposite, took a sip of tea and glanced over.
Xu Yuxuan seemed to sense something and used his other hand to cover the almond biscuit he had just taken a few bites of, using this small movement to protect the food tightly.
Xu Yuejia: "......"
In the study, Wen Ye was thinking about how to reply to Shen.
Judging from Xu Yuejia's attitude, the palace might be complicated, but it was not as ferocious as she had imagined. It was obvious why Shen wrote this letter to her.
The Wen family does not want to have anything to do with the royal family. Although the prince is favored now, that is because the emperor is in his prime. Who can guarantee the future?
I heard that the late emperor was a wise ruler when he was young, but his mentality changed as he grew older.
Princess Changle is the eldest sister of the Crown Prince. As both of them are descendants of the Empress Dowager, their fates are closely related.
After Wen Ye thought it through, she picked up her pen and put pen to paper. She didn't need to explain the pros and cons. She only needed to tell Shen the emperor's true intention in choosing a reading companion for the princess.
With an idea in mind, Wen Ye quickly wrote a letter, put it aside to dry, and then took out a blank piece of stationery.
The second letter was intended for Aunt Chang and her younger sister. She put it inside the first letter and sent them to the Wen family together.
She hadn't seen her aunt and younger sister for a while and missed them very much. Fortunately, she would be able to see them again when she returned to her parents' home on the second day of the Chinese New Year.
While writing the letter, Wen Ye was thinking about what New Year's gift to give to her younger sister this year. The box of little golden pigs from Xu Yuxuan gave her some inspiration.
The conditions didn’t exist in previous years, but they do exist this year.
After getting married, all the food, clothing and expenses will be paid for by the Duke's Mansion. Wen Ye has no place to spend money except for paying monthly allowances to her own people.
There weren't many companions in the room, so her monthly allowance was enough to cover her expenses, and she even had some left over.
The dowry money that Shen gave her would just gather dust if she didn't spend it.
After living a new life, Wen Ye no longer loves saving money as much as he did in his previous life. He worked very hard to save millions, but in the end he didn't spend a penny on himself. He was so disappointed.
However, she still likes money very much and will accept any money that comes to her. It’s just that her mindset has changed and she will spend it when she needs to.
I've let it go, but not completely.
Wen Ye packed and sealed the letter, planning to ask Yunzhi to find Uncle Qiu after lunch and ask him to deliver the letter to the Wen family.
After Deng Wenye walked out of the study, the father and son left.
There was only a plate of unfinished almond cookies on the table.
Wen Ye called Yunzhi and Taozhi in, gave Yunzhi the letter, told her what to do, and then asked Taozhi, "What do you want to eat for lunch?"
Taozhi smiled and replied, "Anyway, they are all your favorites. Madam, are you still worried about Hongxing's cooking skills?"
Wen Ye thought, yes, and picked up the almond biscuit on the table and started to eat it. It tasted good, but not as sweet as the ones she had eaten before. She guessed it was made specially for Xu Yuxuan, so not too much sugar was put in it.
Wen Ye ate two pieces, and after Yun Zhi came back from delivering the letter, he said, "New Year's Day is coming soon, and there is something I need you to do."
Yunzhi said, "Madam, please speak."
Wen Ye drank a sip of tea, quenched his thirst and said: "It's simple..."
These are just two small things, Yunzhi can handle them all by herself.
After Wen Ye finished speaking, he handed Yun Zhi a piece of paper that he had drawn after writing the letter, and said, "If you have any questions, come and ask me."
Yunzhi carefully put it away and assured, "I understand."
After giving instructions, Wen Ye's eyes returned to the almond biscuits on the table again, and then she remembered to ask, "Where are the young master and the young master?"
Taozhi replied, "Madam was writing a reply to Madam Wen, and my husband was afraid that the little boy would cause trouble, so he took him away."
Wen Ye said "Oh" and didn't care much.
Then he finished the whole plate of almond cookies.
Add less sugar and it tastes even better.
After lunch, Uncle Qiu left the Duke's Mansion with the letter and drove to the Wen family in a carriage.
When Shen received the report from the servant, she was talking with her two daughters-in-law in the main hall. She did not expect Wen Ye to reply so quickly. She thought she would have to wait for two days.
It seems that this concubine's daughter has a good relationship with the people in the Duke's Mansion.
Well, with her personality, she can make a name for herself anywhere.
Shen asked the servant to take Uncle Qiu to the back room to have a cup of hot tea to warm himself up, and also to bring the letter over.
The servant handed the letter to the maid in the main courtyard, who then passed the letter to Yinshuang, who finally brought it to Shen.
Shen took the letter and felt it, and she knew there was another one inside.
There is no doubt that the extra letter was addressed to Aunt Chang.
The two daughters-in-law were not talkative people and they knew almost everything that was going on in the mansion, so Shen opened the letter in front of them.
Liu's belly was now big, so Shen exempted her from the daily greetings. However, Liu would occasionally come to the main courtyard to talk with Shen during the day. After all, the two courtyards were not far away, and the maids would carefully support her, so it would not be a problem.
After reading the letter, Shen's brows completely relaxed.
Seeing that her mother-in-law Shen looked relieved, Yang guessed that the issue of accompanying her children to study had been solved.
But she was tactful and didn't ask any questions.
He just smiled and said, "In the blink of an eye, it has been several months since Fourth Sister got married. Brother Che was still talking about her the other day."
Yang was not exaggerating. Before her fourth aunt got married, she would occasionally send some small gifts to her courtyard, and her two sons liked them very much.
Among the illegitimate aunts, apart from Wen Ran who was only a few years older than me, Wen Ye was the only one I remembered.
After reading it, Shen put the letter back and planned to show it to Wen's father when he got back from work.
"Our family will not interfere with His Majesty's selection of a study partner for the princess," Shen said to her two daughters-in-law, "but since Fifth Miss meets the requirements, she must participate in the selection."
Otherwise, if His Majesty knew about this, he would think that the Wen family was disrespectful to the royal family.
The imperial edict stated that only the families of officials of the fifth rank and above would be selected. Not only the Wen family met the requirements, but the families of Yang and Liu were also eligible.
Yang understood, and the smile on her face became more obvious.
She has a niece from her mother's side who is eight years old this year. She is quite smart and clever, which is just right. If she didn't have the sister-in-law as a competitor, she would have a better chance of winning.
As the princess's study partner, with such a status, when you grow up and look for a partner, you will have better choices.
Liu didn't think so much. Her brothers all had no daughters, so even if she had such thoughts, she didn't have the conditions.
She is now completely focused on the baby in her belly.
I don’t know whether it’s a boy or a girl.
Of course it would be nice to get a boy at one stroke, but Mrs. Liu still hoped for a daughter in her heart. Things were rare and precious. There was no girl in the next generation of the Wen family. If she could give birth to one for her first child, her mother-in-law would probably like it.
Liu had been married for so long that she finally understood why her mother chose the Wen family. Apart from her close relationship with her mother-in-law, at least in the Wen family, she didn't have to worry about being neglected if she gave birth to a daughter.
Shen asked Yinshuang to deliver the letter to Aunt Chang personally.
After Wen Ye got married, Aunt Chang was left with only her little daughter. She still had to live her life, but without Wen Ye, she felt a little more lonely.
Wen Ran worked hard and studied very diligently every day, even in the midst of continuous snow and wind. While Aunt Chang was pleased, she often thought of her eldest daughter who had married into the Duke's Mansion.
However, the school in the prefecture had already closed for the New Year holiday, so Wen Ran didn't have to go there before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
She now follows the plan she made before the holiday every day. After completing her homework on time, she spends the rest of her time accompanying Aunt Chang.
Yin Shuang came over to deliver a letter. When Jin Ju heard that it was from the Fourth Miss, he immediately led Yin Shuang into the house and said to Aunt Chang and Wen Ran, "Aunt, Fifth Miss, there's a letter from the Fourth Aunt."
Inside the house, Wen Ran was practicing calligraphy, while Aunt Chang was sitting on the side, embroidering some small items to kill time.
Hearing Jinju's excited words, Aunt Chang quickly put down her embroidery, walked over quickly, looked at Yinshuang beside her, and asked excitedly, "Miss Yinshuang, is it true?"
Yinshuang handed over the letter and said, "My aunt, this is the letter that Madam ordered me to bring to Xi Cui Yuan. It is indeed from the Fourth Aunt."
Aunt Chang happily took it and said, "I am really sorry to trouble Miss Yinshuang."
Yinshuang said nothing, delivered the letter, and then left.
Aunt Chang came back with the letter and prepared to read it with Wen Ran.
The letter was quite long. Wen Ye did not write any high-sounding words. Instead, she wrote about what she had done during this period, just like chatting about daily life.
Wen Ye thought that Aunt Chang and Wen Ran must like her talking about these things.
Aunt Chang was indeed happy. Even though she couldn't reply, she could tell from her daughter's letter that she was very satisfied as long as she had a good experience.
Wen Ran was also happy. After reading her fourth sister's letter, she felt more motivated to study.
However, no matter how precocious he was, he was still a child of six or seven years old. Wen Ye focused on describing his life on the farm during those two days in the letter.
The goose stewed in an iron pot caught Wen Ran's attention. Her almond-shaped eyes lit up when she mentioned this dish.
Aunt Chang patted her little daughter's head and said with a smile, "Your sister attached the recipe at the end of the letter. I will ask the kitchen to make it for you tomorrow."
The big kitchen in the mansion would not provide this kind of food, but fortunately there was a small kitchen in Xi Cui Yuan, so if you wanted to eat something, you could just pay for it yourself, without any hassle.
After getting the confirmation, Wen Ran smiled happily and said, "Aunt, I will continue to practice calligraphy."
She wanted to study hard, try to get more rewards from her father, and then save them all.
Fourth sister spends money lavishly, so she has to help her save more.
After reading the letter, Aunt Chang regained her spirits and picked up the embroidery again to continue.
She doesn't have any other talents, but she is good at embroidery.
Duke's Mansion, West Courtyard.
Wen Ye took a long nap in the afternoon and it was almost 3 p.m. when he woke up.
Thinking that she hadn't played cards for a long time, Wen Ye asked Taozhi to find the cards. Yunzhi went to do it for her. As they were missing a card partner, Taozhi pulled Liuya over.
Liu Ya said in a panic: "Second Madam, I don't know how to play."
Wen Ye said indifferently: "It's okay, let Taozhi teach you."
Taozhi received the order and immediately started explaining the rules to Liuya. Liuya was confused as she listened and cards were stuffed into her hand.
Wen Ye set the rules for winning and losing, not playing with money, but still sticking notes on his face.
If you lose, you get one.
How could a novice like Liu Ya be able to beat a veteran like Wen Ye? In addition, Wen Ye was lucky today, and even Tao Zhi, whom he taught personally, had a lot of stickers on her face.
There is one on Wen Ye’s face, between his eyebrows.
The three of them played for more than an hour, but Liu Ya didn't win a single round, and the back of her hands were covered with bruises.
Wen Ye asked Tao Zhi to help her pick the fruits, and then said, "You are quite talented. I will look for you next time."
Yunzhi and Taozhi are too proficient, so it’s more fun to play with a novice like Liuya.
Wen Ye smiled very gently, but Liu Ya couldn't help but shudder. Without thinking, she said, "Why don't we let Liu Xin come over to accompany Madam tomorrow? She always learns things faster than me."
I didn't think there was anything wrong with pushing Liu Xin out. It wasn't the first time anyway.
Wen Ye did not expose her little thoughts, and raised his eyebrows and asked, "Really?"
Liuya nodded.
Wen Ye: "In that case, let her come over tomorrow."
Liu Ya then smiled and said, "I understand."
Liu Xin, who had just scolded his subordinates in the front yard, suddenly sneezed.
After the card game was over, Wen Ye read a storybook for a while, and then it was time for dinner.
There is a new maid in the mansion, and dinner has to be eaten in the main courtyard these days. Wen Ye kills time by reading a storybook while waiting for Xu Yuejia to come and then go to the main courtyard together.
Xu Yuejia appeared in the West Courtyard at exactly the hour of You.
Wen Ye put down the book, stood up, straightened her dress, and called out "My dear".
Xu Yuejia responded.
Wen Ye noticed that Xu Yuejia was not wearing the same outfit she wore in the morning, but he didn't care too much.
The two walked to the main courtyard in silence.
After Wen Ye asked about the etiquette one by one, a round ball appeared in front of him.
Yuan·Xu Yuxuan·Qiu, opened her mouth and shouted: "Mother~"
Wen Ye touched his head as usual and dealt with it.
After everyone sat down, considering that the eldest aunt had not returned to Beijing for many years, the rule of "no talking while eating or sleeping" was not followed in the past few days.
The eldest aunt took her daughter-in-law to the Changnan Marquis' Mansion during the day to reconnect with her younger sister and congratulate her on the birth of her grandson.
The Changnan Marquisate is closely connected to the Jiang Family's eldest branch, and the houses are close to each other. The eldest aunt heard about the Jiang Family's eldest branch from her own sister.
But some things are not suitable to be said while eating.
After the meal, everyone sat together and chatted.
The eldest aunt said, "I heard from my younger sister that King Wen had taken a fancy to a concubine's daughter in her eldest sister-in-law Li's family. Li's family was unwilling to give up and planned to follow King Wen's path and plead for mercy for their exiled sons."
Mrs. Lu was immediately angry and said, "The Li family is really a dog-skin plaster."
Wen Ye was eating snacks while listening to the story and thought to himself, this plot sounds very familiar.
"Zitan, you have to be mentally prepared." The eldest aunt reminded.
Prince Wen is the youngest brother of the Emperor. Although they are not born of the same mother, the Emperor has always treated this half brother well because of the relationship between the Queen Mother and Prince Wen's mother.
Xu Yuejia said: "Thank you for telling me, aunt. Zi Tan will handle this matter properly."
The eldest aunt was relieved to see that he was calm enough.
This nephew has been steady and has never caused anyone any worry since he was young.
Duke Xu added worriedly, "If the Li family really uses Prince Wen to plead for mercy before His Majesty, you should be careful in front of His Majesty and don't argue with Prince Wen in front of His Majesty."
Faced with the concern of her family, Xu Yuejia had no reason to refuse and agreed to them one by one.
After drinking two cups of tea, the eldest aunt took her daughter-in-law back to her own yard.
Not long after, Wen Ye and Xu Yuejia also got up and left.
Xu Yuxuan wanted to go with them, but Wen Ye stopped him and asked Nanny Ji to carry him back to the main courtyard.
When Mrs. Lu saw Xu Yuxuan being carried back, she was not surprised because her second brother and his wife were newly married.
It wouldn't have much impact if Xu Yuxuan went to the West Courtyard more often during the day, but he should not go there at night.
Otherwise, when will Xuan'er have another brother or sister?
Wen Ye had no idea what Lu was thinking, so after returning to the west courtyard, he went straight to the side room to wash up and take a bath.
When she came out and found Xu Yuejia was still there, she realized that he was going to stay overnight.
After Taozhi and Yunzhi helped Wen Ye to dry her hair, Xu Yuejia also came out from the side, wearing only pajamas and covered in sweat.
Seeing this, Yunzhi and Taozhi retreated silently.
It was still early, and Wen Ye was lying on the bed, reading a storybook in her hands.
Wen Ye's eyes never left the storybook. She called out "My dear" skillfully, and then there was no sound.
Xu Yuejia sat and lay over, and there was a clear distinction between the two of them.
There was no such "holiday" atmosphere as Lu had imagined.
After a while, Wen Ye closed the storybook reluctantly. It was not good for Xu Yuejia to stay overnight, as he had to go to bed on time at 11 p.m.
She slept too much during the day and now she is not sleepy at all.
Wen Ye turned around and was about to ask Xu Yuejia to help put down the storybook, but she found that Xu Yuejia was also reading a book in her hand.
Shocked, she asked, "Aren't you going to bed, my dear?"
Xu Yuejia slowly raised her eyes and asked, "Have you finished reading it?"
Wen Ye said indifferently, "The storybook won't run away. It won't be too late to continue reading it tomorrow."
When Xu Yuejia heard her say this, she put down the book and pulled down the curtains to block out the candlelight from the outside room.
Wen Ye lay down and when everything in front of her was dark, the presence of the person beside her was so strong that she suddenly had an idea.
I calculated the date and it’s just right.
Taking advantage of not being able to see anything, Wen Ye took the initiative to ask, "My dear, how about we play a game?"
Xu Yuejia said calmly, "Another 'Little Cat Fishing'?"
After playing with him for four nights, Xu Yuejia still has fresh memories of it.
Wen Ye immediately denied it, "What little cat fishing? That's childish. I'm talking about a sleep-inducing game for adults."
Xu Yuejia: "......"
You can always hear some strange but surprisingly appropriate words coming from her mouth.
But it was boring to do it all the time, so Wen Ye reached into Xu Yuejia's quilt and hooked the string of his pajamas and twirled around it.
I have read a lot of storybooks recently, some of which, ahem, are worth a try.
Anyway, given Xu Yuejia's temper, no matter how hard it is to accept, she will obey her on this matter.
It is better to expect the sun to rise from the west tomorrow than to expect him to learn on his own initiative.
Wen Ye softened her voice: "My dear~"
In the dark night, Xu Yuejia's Adam's apple rolled.
There is no real Liuxia Hui in this world, and Xu Yuejia is not a saint either.
When the man came over, Wen Ye took the initiative to hug his neck, her cold fingertips wandering around dishonestly.
Xu Yuejia's breath suddenly became heavier, but she still restrained herself and said, "You should be more serious."
Wen Ye wanted to roll her eyes at him and said, "Sir, can you show me how serious this matter is?"
Having said that, she exerted a little force, pulled the man closer, and kissed him.
That night, Wen Ye used practical actions to disintegrate Xu Yuejia's old cadre style.
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