Fang Yazhen had been married for more than 20 years and had not returned. In fact, many people no longer recognized her. Her stepmother, Xu, was ill, and the household chores were taken care of by her four younger siblings.
The kindest among them were Yu and the Crown Prince's wife Chang. The two of them were very friendly, and the Crown Prince's wife was also very enthusiastic.
The third son's wife is proud of herself because she is from the royal family. As for the fourth son's wife, Ruan, she is indifferent and a cold beauty.
She already had a plan in mind, and quickly called her daughter over.
Soon a young girl appeared in front of her. Everyone knew what this niece was doing in Beijing, so they couldn't help but look at her with some scrutiny to see what the chances were of her being selected.
Mi Niang thought to herself, I have never seen her in the harem before, maybe she has never entered the palace, but I don’t know whether she can enter the palace in this life.
However, when I looked at her face again, she was quite pretty, but her personality was a bit honest.
"Qianqian, go and greet your aunts."
Fu Qianqian immediately paid her respects obediently. Naturally, her aunts had already prepared gifts. Yu gave her a jade Guanyin necklace, Chang Yuzhu gave her a pair of red gold cloisonné bracelets, and Xiangjun gave her a glass wind lantern. When it came to Mi Niang, she was also generous and gave her a red gold armor inlaid with jade beads.
It was fine for her to wear such armor in the palace before, but now she has to read and paint frequently, and it is more convenient to use her hands than to have armor.
Fang Yazhen looked at the gifts sent by her brothers and sisters-in-law and nodded secretly. Then Chang Yuzhu went to arrange the banquet. Because the family was in mourning, the banquet was simple. Afterwards, Chang Yuzhu personally sent Fang Yazhen and her daughter to the guest room to rest.
Chang Yuzhu was very considerate along the way, which deeply touched Fang Yazhen.
After she left, the door was closed and the servants who had followed Fang Yazhen to the Marquis' Mansion felt that it was a new experience and that they had seen the world. After more than 20 years of marriage, the people around Fang Yazhen were no longer people who had been to the Marquis' Mansion. Most of them were from Laizhou, or people who were born in Laizhou and brought there as dowry.
These people used to think that Fang Yazhen's behavior was different from other ladies, and that her dowry also included things made inside, but they didn't seem to notice anything. If they hadn't been ordered to send their daughter to the capital this time, they wouldn't have followed.
Fang Yazhen's trusted steward said, "Now that we are in Kyoto, we know how prominent and wealthy the Dong'an Marquis's Mansion is. Madam is indeed a daughter of a marquis, and she is the best in Laizhou."
Fang Yazhen did not comment, but looked at her daughter Fu Qianqian and said, "Look at your aunts, they are also very generous to you."
Fu Qianqian had just arrived at the Marquis' Mansion today. She was afraid that her every move would be criticized. She was extremely nervous, and she was also afraid that she would make a fool of herself and be laughed at for coming from a small place.
I didn't see the gift clearly before, but now I see it. She points at the nail caps and asks, "What is this? Is it for nails?"
Seeing her daughter's naive look, Fang Yazhen couldn't help but say, "This is armor, specially made to protect nails. The more gorgeous it is, the more noble it represents. Look at the jade drop on it. It's made of the finest jade, the best of the best."
But she wanted her daughter to succeed, so she reminded her again: "Living in your grandparents' house is to let you know that Beijing is different from Laizhou. Don't be timid."
The Fu family is also a well-known family in Laizhou, but when they came to the Dong'an Marquis Mansion, they felt that everything was different and the rules were strict.
There was a knock on the door. Fang Yazhen raised her chin and saw an old woman opening the door. Fang Yazhen stood up suddenly and burst into tears: "Mother Wen."
Mother Wen waved her hands and said, "I feel relieved to see the young lady come back."
Fang Yazhen also introduced to everyone that this Mother Wen was the daughter of a marquis and also Fang Yazhen's wet nurse. The two had a very close relationship, but later when she was about to get married, Mother Wen's daughter-in-law had to give birth, so she did not go with the dowry. However, Fang Yazhen had a deep affection for Mother Wen.
The two of them met again after a long separation and talked about their innermost feelings again. After that, Fang Yazhen got to the point: "Mother Wen, I am completely in the dark this time. I don't recognize anyone in the mansion. You are an experienced and knowledgeable old lady. You must help me."
Fu Qianqian also listened with her ears pricked up.
Mother Wen smiled and said, "The wife of the Marquis is still the head of the family, but she had to deal with a few important things before, and she suffered from heartache. This time, the old lady passed away suddenly, so the family was handed over to the four ladies. However, although it was said to be handed over to the four grandmothers, it was actually vaguely based on the fourth grandmother."
"Fourth Madam? But the one who looks a bit like Lady Leng?" Fang Yazhen frowned. Why isn't the Crown Prince's wife the housekeeper in this mansion?
And the Crown Prince's wife is obviously more enthusiastic.
Mother Wen nodded and said, "It is her. I am sixty years old and a slave in this marquis's house. I have never seen such a beautiful girl. She is the one that our wife has chosen. I heard that her father had just passed the imperial examination and the whole family was taking shelter from the rain in the post station. It happened that our wife came back to visit her relatives and she fell in love with her at first sight."
She is just the daughter of a Jinshi, so what virtue and ability does she have?
I also heard from Mother Wen that "Fourth Grandma's biological father was also of an extraordinary family, and was of the same clan as the late Empress. Her mother, Madam Ruan, always went to the palace to pay respects to the late Empress and Consort De. In addition, their family had a very good relationship with the Second Auxiliary. When Zhang Yuanfu had not yet gotten into trouble, Fourth Grandma was a guest of honor at the Zhang family."
Fang Yazhen couldn't help but say, "Her background is so deep."
Mother Wen did not comment: "That's nothing. The main thing is that Fourth Grandma is a famous talented woman. If it weren't for the mourning period in our family, this time of year would be the busiest. She would be invited to all the major literary and poetry gatherings, but she is not only good at these elegant things, but also quite good at general affairs. She has been the housekeeper for a month and has never made any mistakes. No matter what the matter is, she can give a general idea. Don't look at Fifth Grandma's great influence. In fact, in terms of talent, our Fourth Grandma is better. It's just that Fourth Master is not interested in the title, so he gave it to Fifth Master."
Fang Yazhen was puzzled as she did not expect the servants to praise her so much. "How can she win over the servants if she is so cold and indifferent?"
“Miss, you just arrived and don’t know what’s going on in our house. Fourth grandmother has been in charge of the household since then. Although she is not as tolerant as eldest grandmother, she is very organized. My daughter-in-law, your grandmother’s sister-in-law, was sick and it was the doctor she hired who treated her.” Mother Wen was embarrassed to say that her daughter-in-law smelled fishy down there, but she was afraid that people would say so she held back and didn’t go to the doctor for fear that people would ask her all kinds of questions.
But sometimes outsiders can smell it, which makes it difficult to do and it makes me itch.
Fortunately, the doctor treated me and prescribed some medicine for cleaning. Now I am much better.
Then Mother Wen added, "As for you saying that she is cold, I have rarely heard of that."
Mother Wen is not stupid. Although she is older than Great Aunt, it has been many years and she is in mourning. You are sending your daughter to Beijing for selection, so you should have avoided her time of mourning. But she kept coming in and out of her house, like Fourth Grandma, who was so filial to the old lady that she fainted from crying in the old lady's mourning hall and even specially painted so many small pictures for her.
Someone died in someone else's family, and you happily married off your daughter, so Fourth Grandma naturally didn't look happy about it.
But how could she possibly say these words to Fang Yazhen?
Moreover, when she looked at the young lady of the Fu family, she felt that she was extremely dull and did not seem to have any great prospects.
Of course, this cannot be said with certainty.
When Fang Yazhen heard Mother Wen defending Ruan, she put down her teacup and asked about Grandmother Yu.
Mother Wen disagreed: "Grandma is a weak-willed woman, very kind, and she always follows Grandpa's wishes."
This is because Yu actually has no status in the mansion and has to live by the man's wishes.
Fang Yazhen asked again: "What about the prince's wife?"
"The Crown Prince's wife is from a noble family, and her father and brother are both very capable. There is only one thing you should do: when you interact with her, try to be courteous to her." Mother Wen also stopped there.
Servants like them, who survive in the marquis's mansion, certainly have the wisdom to survive.
Fang Yazhen finally understood, and she spoke a few words to Mother Wen. When it was time to light the lamps, Mother Wen was about to get up. Fang Yazhen stuffed two taels of silver into Mother Wen's hand. Mother Wen refused, but Fang Yazhen forced it into her hand.
After leaving the house, Mother Wen curled her lips. It was really ridiculous that the reward was so small and yet she still wanted to thank him profusely.
In the evening, as usual, Fang Weiyan returned to the yard after night patrol and just came back from the study. It seemed that he calculated the time every day and arrived at almost the same time as Mi Niang.
Mi Niang smiled and said, "Let's go back."
After they finished washing up, Fang Weiyan asked, "Are you tired today?"
"I'm fine. Your elder sister is really shameless. She sent her daughter to Beijing for the beauty pageant, and she actually lived in the mansion. It would be fine if it was a normal day, but she chose to live in the mansion during the mourning period. Although the selection will not be held until March next year, it is really shameful."
Fang Weiyan said: "They have been in Laizhou for a long time, and it is inconvenient for them to go to the capital, so it is reasonable for them to live in our house. Although there are selected beauties, she is a foreigner after all, not to mention that the palace has issued an order."
Mi Niang smiled and said, "As an uncle, you naturally feel sorry for your niece. Anyway, it has nothing to do with me. I just said a few words."
She brought up something else: "You said that the emperor is in his prime and should choose a new queen. In terms of seniority, Concubine Fan De is enough. In terms of favor, Concubine Fan De is also enough. Why does the emperor still want to choose a beauty? If he really chooses a new person from outside, who will be able to surpass others in the future?"
Fang Weiyan glanced at Mi Niang and couldn't help but say, "Since ancient times, the eldest son has been the heir. The eldest prince hasn't even left the palace to study yet. If someone wants to establish a empress, everyone would like to make Concubine Guo Jin the empress. It's a pity that Concubine Guo Jin is not with the emperor's favor."
Although many people in the past life blamed Queen Mother Ruan for having too much power, the Sixth Prince she gave birth to was indeed a young talent. Although she herself was vindictive, she had unique insights into people's livelihood, political parties, etc., which helped prolong the country's prosperity.
If Queen Mother Ruan was still in the palace, he would naturally know what choice to make in his life.
But things in this life went wrong. Queen Mother Ruan was in his family, so the problem became who to choose as the next leader.
According to the ministers' request, it would be best to make the eldest son the emperor, after all, the country depends on the eldest son.
Moreover, the emperor did not appoint a crown prince for a long time, and the princes were not allowed to go out to study. What would happen in the future? Would an emperor trained in this way really be a good one?
Concubine Guo Jin?
Mi Niang almost forgot about this. She asked, "You mean the emperor wants the eldest son to ascend the throne, but he doesn't like Concubine Guo Jin and doesn't want his intentions to be speculated, so he doesn't want to appoint a new queen?"
"That's not the case. It's hard for us to guess what His Majesty is thinking. But the Emperor is in his prime, so it's impossible for him not to appoint a concubine. Let's wait and see what happens."
Many things are different in this life.
Although Concubine Fan De was very favored, she was still far inferior to Empress Dowager Ruan. The emperor almost abolished the position of Empress Dowager for Mi Niang and directly made her the Imperial Concubine. Later, he made her the Empress Dowager. Countless people opposed it but it was useless.
In his previous life, he never understood why someone would pamper a woman to such an extent?
This is not what a king should do.
But since he married Mi Niang, he got to know her character. Her beautiful appearance was accompanied by a noble personality.
She looks like a weak woman, but she gives people a stronger sense of security than men. Anyone who has been with her for a long time knows that her perseverance is stronger than men.
But although she has the style of Lu Wu and the heart of Meng De, she is a person who can strictly follow the principle of being cautious when alone. Even when she is alone, she will never reveal a single word. I am afraid that in her previous life in the palace, especially around a suspicious person like Emperor Yonglong, she must have been pretending.
It is definitely not an easy thing for a person to pretend to be an emperor until his death.
Winter passed and spring came, and the beauty pageant began. This time, beauties from the two capitals and thirteen provinces were selected. It was the largest-scale beauty pageant ever held by the imperial court.
Fang Yazhen was anxiously arranging for her daughter Fu Qianqian to take a carriage to Shenwu Gate. She also gave her the money she had saved and told her to make arrangements for entering the palace.
All of this had nothing to do with Mi Niang. Mi Niang was playing with Xian Ge'er by the lake in the mansion. Xian Ge'er pointed at the lake and said, "Mom, there are ducks."
"That's natural. The ducks know first when the river water warms in spring." Mi Niang smiled.
This is what it means to combine education with entertainment. Since the burial of old lady Weng, Xu started to take over the household management, often bringing the Crown Prince's wife with her. Mi Niang also tactfully stopped taking care of things and instead rested for more than a month, sleeping all day long. It was not until the beginning of spring that she started to take her son out to play.
When the mother and son had walked enough, Mi Niang said to the servants, "Let's go back."
Xian Ge'er held her mother's hand and soon cried out that she was hungry. Mi Niang smiled and said, "Okay, let's go back and eat."
Unfortunately, I met Chang Yuzhu on the road. She greeted me and hurried past, seeming very anxious.
Mi Niang asked Chun Tao in confusion: "What's wrong with her? Why is she so anxious?"
Chun Tao waited for Mi Niang to finish her meal, and after handing Xian Ge'er over to the wet nurse, she said, "It seems that the Madam scolded the Crown Prince's wife. She is really good at making big talk, and now someone has died!"
After the funeral of old lady Weng was over, Chang Yuzhu stayed beside her mother-in-law Xu to assist. The other daughters-in-law tactfully handed over their power. For a while, Chang Yuzhu's situation was very good.
It’s a pity that people with a good situation are unwilling to be second in command.
Ru Mi Niang naturally knows what it means that there is no room for two tigers in one mountain, especially since the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is very delicate. You can't take everything for granted when dealing with your mother-in-law.
It's impossible for someone like Xu, who has been in control of the family for 10 to 20 years, to let go in one day. Before Mrs. Weng died, she was already in her 70s and 80s, and she was still sending maids everywhere with her grandchildren. When Xu came into the family, she still suppressed her.
Therefore, no matter what she did, Mi Niang had to ask Xu for permission. Even if she did a good job, she was never arrogant and rarely asked for special treatment in front of her, although Xu told her many things in private and was very nice to her.
But in general, she is no different from Lady Yu.
Chang Yuzhu was young and wanted to make a career for herself so that people would look up to her. However, she herself was not diligent in setting a good example. There were still many rules in the housekeeping, so she proposed some changes.
When she was talking about the falling ceiling, after something went wrong, she still wanted people to praise her, and was finally scolded by Xu.
There are some things you cannot change, such as her encouragement of mutual denunciations and writing anonymous letters to expose others. It seems that everything is under control, but in fact it is the beginning of endless disputes.
If you let someone write a letter of accusation but don't actually punish the guilty person, over time the accuser will become angry and turn against each other, which will end up harming your boss.
Look, she took over her night patrol job and said that she would beat the careless old women with thirty sticks, and encouraged people to expose the truth. As long as they exposed the truth and it was true, they would not only be beaten but also lose their job.
But in fact, in order to get this job, someone deliberately got a maid drunk, causing her to neglect her duties and submit a letter of accusation.
The old woman, Mi Niang, was also known. She was a very honest and strong person. Her husband had died, her son was disabled, her daughter-in-law had not been married, and she had a little daughter who was doing odd jobs. The whole family was living a very difficult life. Because she was drunk and lost her job, she was also beaten with thirty sticks.
He lost his job of supporting the family, his son still had to take medicine, he himself was covered in bruises, and he was being wrongly accused.
You know, she had been praised by Mi Niang once because she had guarded the gate properly before, but this time she lost all face, so she jumped into the well.
Mi Niang sighed: "The hemp rope only picks out the smallest details, and misfortune only picks on the unfortunate people!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
