When You Yuanzhi saw Zhao Xing walking towards them, he handed the note to Yan Ning, then leaped up onto the roof and hid.
"Madam, who are you talking to?" Zhao Xing asked Yan Ning as he entered the alley and looked around.
"Nobody's here, I'm just talking to myself." Yan Ning saw Zhao Xing come in and stuffed the note into the small pocket in her sleeve.
Zhao Xing looked around again and said in disbelief, "This servant clearly heard someone talking to you!"
You Yuanzhi tried to use his light-footed skill to leave the roof, but as soon as he moved, a piece of glazed tile fell off. "Who?" Zhao Xing flew up from the mark where the tile had fallen to search for it, but You Yuanzhi escaped first.
"Hmm? Zhao Xing..." Yan Ning looked at Zhao Xing with wide eyes and snorted when she saw him return empty-handed.
"I was just worried something might happen to you," Zhao Xing replied with a grin, seeing Yan Ning's slightly angry expression. Yan Ning glared at Zhao Xing and then walked towards the Fucha residence.
Qiu'er ushered Yan Ning into Xi Ying's inner room, where she saw Xi Ying's hands, which were bandaging her wounds, were busy embroidering. "Yan Ning greets Madam!" Yan Ning bowed.
When Xi Ying saw Yan Ning enter and bow, she quickly put down her embroidery and helped Yan Ning up, saying, "Sister, you are making Xi Ying feel too embarrassed. You are the lady now!"
"What's going on?" Yan Ning looked at Xi Ying with suspicion. Fu Kang'an had clearly said that he would not affect her status that day.
Xi Ying ignored Yan Ning's words, pulled her to sit down, and handed her the embroidery in her hand, asking, "Do you like it, little sister?"
Yan Ning took the bright red silk handkerchief embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water. She couldn't figure out what it was for, so she asked Xi Ying, "What is this?"
“This is my sister’s wedding veil. Although the general has already hired the most famous embroiderer in Jiangnan to make my sister’s wedding dress, Xi Ying still wants to do something for my sister herself.” Xi Ying said gently with a smile.
Yan Ning put down her bridal veil and looked at Xi Ying with guilt. This was the tragedy of women in ancient times: their husbands wanted to marry other women, but as wives, they had to try their best to please the one who took their husbands away.
"Madam, I'm not after the position of General's wife. I won't compete with you for anything!" Yan Ning explained incoherently. Although she was currently trying to steal someone else's husband, she wanted Xi Ying to know that she didn't care about fame, fortune, or power. She only wanted to be with Fukang'an.
After Yan Ning left, Xia'er asked in confusion, "Madam, why did you invite her here to curry favor with her? You have a young master, and your status depends on your son. You don't need to fawn over her!"
“What do you know? The general’s decision will not be changed, and Mother will only sacrifice me for the sake of the bigger picture. Now, if I want to protect my position, I can only do so by taking advantage of Yan Ning’s soft heart. No matter what, I will make sure my son is born of the legitimate wife and has a noble status!” Xi Ying gripped the bridal veil tightly in her hand, her eyes firm and resolute.
Yan Ning walked along the path leading to Xiang'er's courtyard. Her flowerpot-soled shoes made a sound that symbolized her status as she walked on the pebbles. All she could think about was Xi Ying's compromise and appeasement and Xiang'er's rebellious act of cutting her hair. What about her future? Which of them would she become?
"Rongxi greets Madam!" Rongxi, who was guarding the door, immediately knelt down to pay his respects when he saw Yan Ning enter the courtyard.
Yan Ning was surprised at how quickly ancient orders spread, but she had no choice but to accept this unchangeable rule. "Get up! Where is Aunt Lian?"
Rongxi glanced worriedly into the room and replied, "Aunt Lian is in the room!"
As Yan Ning approached the door, she heard the sound of a wooden fish coming from inside the room. Upon entering, she saw Xiang'er, dressed in plain clothes, kneeling in the hall with her eyes closed, reciting something.
Rongxi squatted down beside Xiang'er and said softly, "Aunt Lian, it's Madam who's come to see you!" Xiang'er opened her eyes upon hearing this, but did not look at Yan Ning. She continued to strike the wooden fish and chant scriptures.
Yan Ning glanced at Xiang'er and saw that her hair was simply tied in a woman's bun without any hair ornaments, and she wore a plain blue and white cloth cheongsam without any embroidery. Yan Ning turned to the servants beside her and ordered, "You may all leave!"
"This is from You Yuanzhi!" After the servants left, Yan Ning handed the note to Xiang'er. Xiang'er didn't even raise her head, continuing to recite the scriptures.
Yan Ning held up her hand, "Aren't you going to take a look?" Xiang'er stood up, took the paper, and burned it in the incense burner. Yan Ning stared at Xiang'er in astonishment, speechless for a moment.
"I, Li Xiang'er, was born to be Fukang'an's person, and I will die to be Fukang'an's ghost. I will never betray him!" Xiang'er's pure and elegant appearance revealed an undeniable decisiveness.
Yan Ning had no liking for Xiang'er to begin with. She glanced at her, said indifferently, "Do as you please!" and turned to leave.
“Xi Ying is not as kind and virtuous as you see her,” Xiang’er said as she sorted through the copied scriptures. The Sanskrit inscriptions written on the white Xuan paper could no longer calm her heart.
Startled by Xiang'er's words, Yan Ning turned around and looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
Xiang'er sat to the side, gazing at the Guanyin statue hanging on the wall, her hands stroking the wooden fish in her hands. She thought to herself, "Wooden fish, is it true that a fish's eyes are always open, which is why Buddha uses this to warn us? But even if my eyes were always open, what could I see? I would only see what I shouldn't see!"
"The Fucha family is a military family. The fact that they didn't report such a serious matter as the loss of a child to the authorities is because the old lady wanted to save face. But what about Xiying? Why is she silent? Her father, Irgen Gioro Mingshan, was originally the Governor-General of Shaanxi and Gansu. However, after his corruption case was exposed, he was accused of deceiving the emperor and should have been beheaded. But because of the Fucha family, he was demoted to the position of Assistant Minister in Uliastai. Both of her brothers held sinecure positions because of the prestige of the Fucha family. If Xiying wants to protect her maternal family, she must protect her position as the wife of a general."
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