The old lady wore a fashionable cheongsam in the style of a palace gown, and her brocade flowerpot-shaped shoes added to her air of wealth. Beneath the peony hairpin, her exquisite makeup was elegant and dignified, and her delicate eyebrows, drawn like distant mountains, had a unique charm.
Zhang wore a newly embroidered short cheongsam with ink-blue orchid patterns, made in the latest fashion, paired with a floral skirt. Her hair, styled in a boudoir, was adorned with numerous pearls and hairpins, yet only a single mutton-fat jade hairpin adorned it. She exuded the air of a refined and elegant young lady from a modest family.
Although Zhang was a Han Chinese, she did not lack Manchu etiquette. She took a step back, gently placed her hands on her left hip, supported herself with her right foot, and curtsied, saying, "This humble servant, Zhang, greets the Old Madam Fucha!"
Yan Ning followed behind Zhang Shi, saying, "Yan Ning greets the Old Madam!"
The old lady sat upright and said, "Sit down!" Before the two were seated, she opened her rosy lips and said, "With Madam Su being so beautiful, it's no wonder that Yan Ning has such a stunning appearance."
Madam Zhang smiled appropriately and glanced at Xi Ying, who was sitting below Madam Fucha. "Madam Fucha, you flatter me. My daughter is too modest for such a refined setting. However, she is pure of heart and does not understand the ways of scheming."
The old lady understood that Zhang was subtly alluding to Xi Ying. Zhang was likely already aware of Xi Ying's actions, and since others were concerned for their own daughter, the old lady couldn't say anything. Moreover, the Su family was one of the wealthiest and most renowned families in Jiangnan. The old lady had to give Zhang face, but she couldn't lose the dignity of the Fucha family. "Yes, Yan Ning is pure of heart. Han women are often well-educated, courteous, and exceptionally talented."
Having lived a secluded life in the mansion for decades, how could Madam Zhang not understand the old lady's meaning? Although she was unaware of Yan Ning's situation, Madam Zhang smiled gracefully and said, "My husband and I have been trying for many years to have a daughter, and she has been spoiled since childhood. If she has been impolite in front of the old lady, I hope the old lady will forgive her!"
The old lady smiled ingratiatingly and remained silent. She had initially worried that Fukang'an had someone deceive her. Now, seeing that it was a prominent family like the Su household, and that the mother and daughter's warm conversation and laughter seemed genuine, she remarked, "I wonder how a sheltered young lady like Yan Ning ended up in a war zone?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang's eyes welled up with tears, and she repeated what Tong Fukang'an had said. "I suppose it was because my daughter was captivated by the beautiful scenery of Shu that she met the general and thus began this wonderful marriage."
The shaman told the old lady the day after Yan Ning was rescued that Yan Ning had been possessed by a demon, and the day she emitted light was the day the demon fled. Now that the demonic energy on Yan Ning has been removed, the white silk was able to harm her.
Now, Zhang's words dispelled the old lady's concerns, and she personally hosted a banquet to welcome the Su couple.
When Yan Ning heard Zhang Shi mention these things for the first time, her suspicions about the Su couple deepened. She thought to herself that she must find a good opportunity to ask He Shen if she really did resemble their daughter.
Seeing how much Zhang Shi doted on Yan Ning, Xi Ying felt a pang of envy, and thinking of her own family, she was filled with even more sorrow. She excused herself, claiming illness, and walked out of the Peony Hall in a disheveled state.
E Lan bumped into Xi Ying, who came out of the Peony Hall. The two exchanged a glance and then walked toward De Lin's training room.
"Where did Yan Ning's parents come from?" Xi Ying regained her composure and asked E Lan beside her.
E Lan looked bewildered. "I also want to ask you, who are they?"
A hint of helplessness appeared on Xi Ying's haggard face. "The Su family of Jiangnan. Most of the brocade in the capital belongs to their family." Such a wealthy family would not randomly claim a daughter. Otherwise, Yan Ning, whose identity and background were unknown, would suddenly become the richest among her and Xiang'er.
E Lan stomped her flowerpot-soled shoes loudly, "Why didn't they look for their relatives earlier or later? Why did they have to come knocking on our door at this time?"
"Didn't you bribe the shaman?" Xi Ying recalled that she hadn't seen the shaman at the Peony Hall today.
The moment Xi Ying mentioned the shaman, E Lan's footsteps pounded even louder. "Don't even mention it. I heard he went home the day after Yan Ning's accident, and I rushed to look for him today, but there wasn't a soul in sight. I don't dare use my father's men to look for him. If I do, Brother Kang will know it was me who did it." She glanced at Xi Ying as she spoke, "You're really useless now!"
Xi Ying was not annoyed and said in a cold tone, "Who made me unable to leave Changting Garden? If you hadn't been unable to distinguish between friend and foe, we would have been doing all the work for others."
Knowing she was in the wrong, E Lan remained silent. Just as she reached the door of the training room and was about to turn around, she seemed to remember something and took Xi Ying's hand. "There are two peacocks presented as tribute to the palace, but they refuse to display their plumage, which greatly troubles the Empress Dowager. Perhaps I should recommend Yan Ning to the Empress Dowager?"
As the clouds drifted by, along the winding path, E'lan and Xi'ying, dressed in elegant cheongsams, stood gracefully, their figures trembling slightly in the wind. The path of their remaining lives was not in their own hands.
Xi Ying panicked. She was from the Fucha family, and her fate was intertwined with theirs. With a troubled expression, she said, "This will implicate the entire Fucha family!"
E Lan's smile shone brightly in the spring breeze. "Yan Ning is ultimately not a member of the Fucha family. How could the old lady possibly bring a criminal into the household? Besides, how can you catch tiger cubs if you don't go to the tiger's den?"
Xi Ying looked at De Lin, who was diligently practicing martial arts, and nodded resolutely. As his mother, she not only had to live for herself, but also had to pave the way for her son.
The next day, the entire Fucha family, along with the Su couple and Yan Ning, knelt at the front gate of the mansion to receive the imperial edict.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Fukang'an of Fucha Prefecture, whose father and brother are both wise and brave, is deeply favored by me. He shall immediately proceed to Jilin to fill the vacancy of a general. You shall be pleased. So be it!"
"Your Majesty, I, Fucha Fukang'an, thank you for your great favor!" Fukang'an accepted the imperial edict with both hands and stood up. The steward next to him quickly stuffed a silver note into the hands of the eunuch Gao who delivered the edict.
Fukang'an had long known of the Emperor's intentions and was not surprised. The Old Madam Fucha had also been reminded by Fukang'an and was already prepared. The others in the household, especially Yan Ning, were surprised but each harbored their own thoughts.
Yan Ning's complexion, which had not yet fully recovered, was now tainted with illness. With Fukang'an gone, she was once again in a precarious situation.
Before everyone in the mansion had left, another eunuch arrived to deliver an imperial decree.
"Su Yanning, receive the imperial decree!" The eunuch's shrill voice startled Yanning, who froze in place. Everyone else had already knelt down. Fukang'an frowned at her, and Yanning quickly knelt on the ground as well.
The imperial eunuch, seeing everyone kneeling, announced, "By imperial decree of the Empress Dowager, Su Yanning, daughter of the Su family of Jiangnan, is virtuous, gentle, and obedient, and her conduct is in accordance with propriety. Her talent and reputation have spread far and wide, reaching my ears. She is to enter the palace tomorrow to ease my sorrow!"
Yan Ning collapsed to her knees, utterly bewildered by the sudden imperial decree summoning her to the palace. Fukang'an, kneeling before the crowd, looked at her repeatedly, but Yan Ning showed no sign of gratitude. The eunuch delivering the decree stood in place, his face already showing displeasure.
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