Although the family had separated, Fang Weiyan still brought Mi Niang and his two sons back home to celebrate the New Year in the first year. After all, Mi Niang had been married here for so many years, and she was moved to see every tree and blade of grass here again.
Although Fang Weijun was away from home, he sent back a lot of local products and even brought back seafood from Dengzhou. Therefore, most of the food for the New Year's Eve dinner at home was seafood.
Chang Yuzhu had just come out of confinement and her complexion was very good. She chatted and laughed with Mi Niang, talking about how Ren Ge'er was doing, and then because she had given birth to a daughter, people said that she had both a son and a daughter, making her a very blessed person.
She also joked with Mi Niang: "It would be great if my sister-in-law could have another baby. Then we can both be blessed with happiness."
Mi Niang laughed and said, "Don't mention this. I still have to take care of Tang Ge'er. You all know that Xian Ge'er is a naughty boy. It's already a headache to take care of two of them, let alone another one."
The two sisters-in-law have now put aside their grudges and are able to joke around with each other.
After the family split up, Yu also became the head of the household. Now her stepdaughter was married off, and the two sons born to Shen were being taken care of by Shen's family. Yu took in the illegitimate child and raised him under her wing. Although her life was not as luxurious as in the marquis's mansion, she was at least the head of the household, and her mood was different.
Besides, Fang Weichang's career is doing well, and Yu's complexion is better than that of Xiangjun.
She glanced at Xiangjun and felt very reluctant.
When she was in the mansion, Xiangjun actually had the least to do and she only had to take care of Min Ge'er. Who would have known that after the family split up, she would become so thin that her cheekbones were exposed. You know, she is not even thirty years old this year.
Then look at Ruan, who married into the family right after her. Her demeanor and tone are still very young, without a trace of sadness on her face.
The face is secondary. The main thing is the affection on his face. He looks very relaxed. Even if he is worried, it is because the New Year gifts are not prepared well and he is still a little annoyed.
Xu comforted her at the main table: "This is your first time, too. Next time, you should know to prepare all these things in advance."
"Without the old lady here to teach us, our daughter-in-law really knows nothing." Mi Niang said to Xu.
Xu said a few more words, and the women immediately started talking and laughing.
After the meal, the children followed the men to worship their ancestors, while the women worshipped in the ancestral hall for a while, and then everyone gathered together to celebrate the New Year.
Chang Yuzhu's elder sister married the princess's son. Although she was in confinement, she was well-informed. Moreover, she always liked to stand out among her sisters-in-law, so she said, "You don't know yet, the prince of Jinxiang Marquis's Mansion has taken a concubine, and I heard that his face was scratched by the Lord of Deyin County."
The main person in Deyin County is her sister-in-law's sister-in-law. Chang Yuzhu moves around quite often, so when she hears such a joke, of course she wants to share it.
Because her sister had also suffered a lot from the Deyin County Lord, who was a two-faced person on weekdays, flattering his superiors and putting on airs with his subordinates.
"Catching flowers?" Mi Niang was shocked. "Isn't this concubine born with a beautiful face?"
Generally speaking, there is a big gap between a concubine and a principal wife. This is different from the palace. In the palace, after a title is passed on, the successor can mostly choose from among the concubines. But outside, when the original wife dies and the successor wants to find a second wife, they have to hire a new bride from outside.
This was the case with Mrs. Xu and Mrs. Yu; their original wives had passed away, and they were brought in from outside.
Therefore, people like Xu and Yu would not be jealous of concubines, because it would not affect their status at all. Precisely because of the inequality in status, the richer the family, the less likely they would care about how they treat concubines, of course, with the exception of people like Shen.
Just like this time when the sixth son of the Fang family got married, Xu also found a lady from a prominent family for him, and this daughter-in-law stayed by his side to teach him for some time before letting them go.
Of course, the sixth brother did not get as much as his earlier brothers, which was perfectly normal. It was said that the Marquis of Dong'an took out some from his own private savings to supplement the income.
Fang Laoliu is still studying in the clan school. The school provides everything for free, and as long as he doesn't live too extravagantly, life is still very good.
If any of them succeeds, it will be a blessing for the Fang family in the future.
Therefore, Mi Niang was very surprised at the inappropriate behavior of the Lord of Deyin County.
Chang Yuzhu kept it a secret: "Fourth sister-in-law, guess?"
Yu pushed her and said, "You are still keeping us in suspense. Just tell us now."
"It just so happens that she is just a silly girl, not very pretty. She is also a little silly. But I don't know why the prince of Jinxianghou likes her." When she said this, Chang Yuzhu covered her mouth and laughed.
She naturally lived a happy life. Although her husband had a concubine, he respected her more. Even when she was pregnant and her face was so swollen in public, Fang Weijun was still so obsessed with her.
Mi Niang roughly understood it and guessed that this fire-making girl should be somewhat similar to Zhou Furou. Zhou Furou has always been the white moonlight in Han Qi's heart.
Then Yu said, "I've heard that this county lord is not easy to get along with. After entering the house, he said he wanted to take a concubine, but in fact, the son of the Marquis of Jinxiang does not allow anyone to go to other people's rooms. They have been married for three or four years, and they only have one child."
Although Yu herself had no children, it did not hinder her from living a happy life.
Mi Niang felt very sad being in the situation. There was nothing wrong for a woman to want to have her husband alone. It was obvious that a man had three wives and four concubines, but in the end, it became a war between two women.
Fortunately, such things were not allowed to happen in her family, and Fang Weiyan didn't dare to do it.
Moreover, when the two of them were so close to each other, no one else could come between them. Sometimes, when they were alone, even the maids and servants thought it was meddling, let alone other people.
Everyone started talking about the happy events in the capital. Chang Yuzhu smiled and said, "I am going to the Xinling Marquis's Mansion to be the bride of the bridegroom. That commander is the emperor's confidant. The Duke of Qi's Mansion has a lot of dealings with us. I said that so many respected ladies did not come to seek him out, but came to me instead."
Mi Niang thought to herself that when Lady Xinling Hou saw that Fang Weiyan was exiled to Dengzhou and the Fang family was in mourning, she took Fang Weijun's job without hesitation. But now that Fang Weiyan has returned to the capital and has been promoted, she has come to mediate.
But Mi Niang said, "If not you, who else should I look for? Among our sisters-in-law, you are the only one who is young, capable, and has both children and daughters. I can't think of anyone else except you."
Chang Yuzhu was quite proud after hearing what Mi Niang said.
She was not completely ungrateful. She knew why Lady Xinling was showing her kindness, so she said, "Alas, Fourth Sister-in-law, if you give Xian'er and Tang'er another sister, I will voluntarily give up my throne to you."
"You come again." Mi Niang shook her head.
That night, they all slept in the guest room. The Dong'an Marquis's Mansion was no longer as extravagant as it was when Old Madam Weng was here, wasting money on drinking and entertainment every day. Xu and Chang Yuzhu were in charge, and now the other families had moved out. Mi Niang and the others didn't have to come every day, so it was quite leisurely.
In addition, her younger brothers Yuheng and Yuhan were also brought to the current courtyard. Fang Weiyan was very happy to instruct her sons and brothers-in-law.
During the Lantern Festival, Fang Weiyan took his family to Fanlou to watch the lantern festival, which fulfilled Xian Ge'er's wish. Yuheng and Yuhan were also very excited.
Although they were both from official families, Second Wife Ding had always been frugal, and Ruan Jiading was even more so, so naturally they would not take them with them. Now that Mi Niang was here, Mi Niang meant that why some scholars became unrestrained halfway through their studies was because they were pushed too hard. If they could relax in moderation, they would be able to maintain it.
Just like Fang Weichang was controlled very strictly by Shen before, after he married Yu, he took concubines crazily, and it is said that he also had many women serving him outside.
"Sister, Fanlou is really big." Yu Han said quietly.
Mi Niang smiled and said, "That is the best building in Beijing. That is no joke."
After that, she instructed her two younger brothers: "You should attend literary gatherings on weekdays. However, you two have no academic achievements, so even if you attend, your influence will be insignificant. You will have to study hard next year."
Yuheng and Yuhan nodded quickly. They also knew that they came from a poor family and their father was not that talented. Although their brother-in-law was a good person, he also valued talented people.
If they don't work hard and live a mediocre life, they will end up being farmers.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he sat down, someone came to look for Fang Wei Yan. Fang Wei Yan quickly brought his brothers-in-law with him, and also took Xian Ge'er with him. Tang Ge'er was too young, so he ate with Mi Niang and watched the lantern festival outside.
If it were any other child, they would have been clamoring to go out long ago, but Tang Ge'er sat obediently beside Mi Niang. Mi Niang couldn't help but kiss her son a few times and said to Chun Tao and the others, "My little son is as quiet as a girl. No, he is even quieter than a girl. I am so happy."
Chuntao and the others thought to themselves that they had heard from their aide Mr. Chen that the eldest son resembled his mother and had the spirit of a hero, and would be a first-rate figure in the future, while the second son resembled his father.
Seeing that it was getting cold outside, Chuntao was about to close the window when she saw an acquaintance. She hurried over and whispered something to Mi Niang.
Mi Niang stretched out her hand to stop him: "Just pretend you didn't see it. She's in a really bad situation."
After the Lantern Festival, the princes all started to study. Although Fang Weiyan was not the main lecturer, he had the title of Prince's Teacher. The ladies of various palaces sent him many gifts. Although they were all returned, it was still a matter of face.
Gu Wangshu's wedding was coming soon. Gu Wangshu was the commander beside the emperor and one of the emperor's closest friends. Although he had always been at odds with the wife of Marquis Xinling and others, with someone like him around, the reputation of the Marquis Xinling's mansion increased greatly.
The last time the emperor gave the task to the wife of Xinling Marquis, it was also because of Gu Wangshu.
Chang Yuzhu, this blessed woman, was very busy. She really loved to take care of things. Even while running back and forth between the two residences, she still had time to send herself some good satin and fruits.
It's not spring yet, and these things are hard to come by. Mi Niang said, "Just send someone to deliver them. Why bother asking you to come here in person?"
"I am willing to come to Fourth Sister-in-law's house. These ringos were sent back by our prince. I heard from Envy Brother last time that Sister-in-law loves to eat ringos. It just so happens that I have something to do nearby today, so I brought them here."
Mi Niang thought to herself, I can tell from the look of you that you just want to gossip.
So I just said, "Thank you so much for sending Ringo from so far away. I will give it to you guys to eat in the future."
Chang Yuzhu waved her hands: "He is a picky eater, he picks on everything, it would be a waste to feed him." After she finished speaking, she saw Mi Niang just smiled and nodded, without asking any other questions. She couldn't help but speak out: "The prince of Xinling Marquis's mansion was beaten, and he was beaten like a pig's head. It was Gu who ordered him to be beaten, and the beating was so severe. Xinling Marquis's wife wanted to go to the palace to complain, but was stopped by Xinling Marquis."
Although she was blessed by both sides, she had been bullied by the Xinling Marquis's family in the past and was forced to marry the younger son of the wife of Xinling Marquis, so she was extremely happy to hear this.
The wife of Marquis Xinling was truly arrogant and vicious, and she deserved it.
"I wonder what happened? Why did the two brothers fight?" In fact, Mi Niang had a guess in her mind, but she was not willing to tell Chang Yuzhu.
Chang Yuzhu also frowned: "I don't know about that."
Gu Wangshu's marriage did not take place in the end. It was said that Gu Wangshu went to the Qi family in person to cancel the marriage. He did not want to be a burden to his family and hoped to serve the emperor for the rest of his life.
Naturally, Chang Yuzhu failed to become a perfectly blessed person.
Everyone was talking about it. Mi Niang asked Fang Weiyan, "What happened to Gu Wangshu? Is he crazy? Isn't he causing so much suffering to several women?"
What was Jian Ningchu's fault? Miss Qi was also innocent.
How can I get married in the future if I am rejected for no reason?
Fang Weiyan shook his head: "Who knows? It can't be for Jian Ningchu."
Mi Niang glanced at him and said, "If I were Jian Ningchu now, would you also keep me in darkness for the rest of my life?"
Fang Weiyan was stunned.
This question needs to be answered carefully. If you fail to answer it well, you will be doomed in the future.
He immediately said, "How can you be the same as her? You are my legitimate wife! Besides, if I really love you, I will choose to go abroad and find a status for you so that we can be together for a long time."
Mi Niang was satisfied with this answer, but she asked, "Then you don't want your future and your family anymore?"
It seems casual, but the question is actually very serious.
Fang Weiyan stood up and said, "First, I will convince my mother to marry you before your family falls on hard times. If I can't do that, I will spend money to redeem you and choose a wealthy marriage for you. It may not be a wealthy family, but it will definitely ensure that you have no worries about food and clothing."
This is what really comes from the heart.
Mi Niang just relaxed her brows, stood up, and curled her lips: "I don't need you to arrange someone for me."
Just like in her previous life, she failed to marry Li Guan and entered the palace. She would definitely take the opportunity to find a way to escape. Of course, it might be dangerous and she might even die, but that's how life is. Crisis is always followed by a turnaround.
Just like what Queen Xia asked, what is worthy or not? The person who asked this question probably doesn't have much confidence himself.
Fang Weiyan knew very well that Mi Niang had been relying on him these days, but ever since the incident with Gu Wangshu, she had been on the defensive again. He cursed Gu Wangshu eight hundred times in his heart.
It is also said that before the Cold Food Festival, a princess was born in the Queen Mother.
The situation is becoming tense again. The reason why everyone didn't urge the appointment of a crown prince before was because the Queen had just been appointed. But now the Queen has given birth to a princess, and no one knows what will happen in the future.
The ministers began to request the establishment of a national foundation.
The emperor got angry...
Of course, for Yu Mi Niang, the happiest thing was that her eldest brother and second brother passed the third level at the same time and became scholars.
It is already a great achievement for a family to have a scholarly talent. Now it is Yu Heng. Yu Han, who is only fourteen years old, is also a student in the prefecture. This really makes Mi Niang happy.
When the two brothers were poor, people only valued them because they were someone's son or someone's brother-in-law. Now, when they go out on their own, they are regarded as Ruan Xiucai.
Mi Niang sent the letter to Lingnan, at least to make her parents happy.
Compared to Mi Niang's happiness, Zheng Dou Niang was even happier because she gave birth to a prince.
She was truly a talented person. She had been pregnant at the same time as the empress, but she kept it a secret. In the end, she gave birth to a prince quietly. Although her status was not promoted, she was still in the emperor's heart.
As a concubine, as long as Jian is in the emperor's heart, everything will be easy.
Mi Niang only brought a gift to the palace this time, but she heard that the wife of Duke Cheng'en ran very quickly to the palace to pay her respects to Zheng Dou Niang.
,
The palace was bustling with activity and prosperity. Even after giving birth to a prince, Zheng Dou Niang still looked very humble, without any sign of being arrogant after achieving success.
Even Empress Xia came to see her once, and she really bent down and said quickly: "I now rely entirely on your majesty's great fortune to give birth to a son. Your majesty is a hundred times more capable than me. If you don't mind, you can hold the eighth prince by your side."
Queen Xia is not yet of age this year, and she herself is still a child. When she gave birth to a princess, she handed the care of the princess over to the maids. She became a little impatient when she heard a baby crying, so she was not willing to take care of other people's children.
So he waved his hand and said, "No need, no need. Madam Zheng, you are the child's biological mother, so it is better for you to take care of him."
Zheng Dou Niang was being cautious in every way. Even Fu Qianqian, who was standing at the back, couldn't help but roll her eyes at her expression. I don't know who you are showing this to.
But no one dared to say anything bad about her to her face, because Zheng Dou Niang was the most favored person except the Queen.
Being favored in the palace is better than anything else.
Fan Yuzhen couldn't help but feel disheartened when she saw Zheng Dou Niang now. In this palace, she thought she was better than others in fighting for power, but in the end, it was nothing more than a constant clash between newcomers and old players, just like a vicious cycle.
Look at the current empress. She was once the emperor's favorite, but the emperor will never belong to her alone.
I have no strength. I am totally exhausted.
Zheng Douniang quickly noticed the fading of the light in Fan Yuzhen's eyes. She laughed in her heart and thought that Fan Yuzhen might be having trouble getting over his noble character.
If you want to be pampered and act like a lady, no one will care about you.
It's just meaningless aloofness.
Doing nothing and just waiting for others to come to you is just a dream.
At the same manor, Gu Wangshu looked at Jian Ningchu who was brought back with disdain on his face: "Do you think you are so noble? What's the use of having such a household registration? Can you get a pass? You can't even leave the city gate."
Jian Ningchu was thrown to the ground. When she learned that Gu Wangshu was getting married and could not come here, she took the opportunity to sneak out. She never expected to be caught so quickly.
She shook her head and laughed repeatedly: "You don't understand me at all. I'm tired of being locked in this cage day after day. If I don't have freedom, I'd rather die."
Gu Wangshu choked. He didn't expect that she was determined to die.
But then he changed his mind, put his hands behind his back, and sneered, "If you wanted to die, you should have died long ago. Why are you waiting for me to find you?"
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