The sun was scorching, but the main room of Fengwu Courtyard was cool. Mi Niang flipped through a book and said to Chun Tao, "Give the icy green bean and lily soup to the maids and women in the courtyard. Don't let them get a heat stroke."
In fact, how much does a bowl of mung bean soup cost? Just take a piece of ice cubes from Fengwuyuan and mix it in to cool you down.
But some people are not willing to do this.
Just like the third sister-in-law who relied on compromising with the servants to get a good night's sleep. It was obvious that some servants did something wrong, but she was unwilling to punish them or to mobilize a large force to win their favor. However, in these small matters, she did not treat the servants as human beings at all.
It was so hot in Tianzhenxiayuan that someone got heatstroke from standing there, and everyone in her yard knew about it.
Chuntao went out to distribute the work and came back to say, "Fourth Madam, the servants all compliment you."
"I don't need them to praise me. It's summer now, so just do things comfortably." Mi Niang said with a smile.
After saying this, she became a little worried again. Fang Weiyan had gone out yesterday and had not returned yet. She didn't know what had happened. She only knew that Xu said that everyone had worked hard yesterday and asked everyone not to greet them.
Xu also pretended to be normal today. She even woke up late on purpose. The Marquis of Dong'an laughed and said, "Don't wake up too early. They don't have to pay their respects anyway."
"That won't work. It's okay for young people to sleep in a little longer, but as a mother-in-law, if I'm lazy, people will laugh at me." Xu was much younger than the Marquis of Dong'an. Since ancient times, it has been the custom for old men to marry young wives, so the Marquis of Dong'an doted on her.
As the couple was talking in private, Amber, who was beside Old Lady Weng, came over and said, "Madam, our old lady wants you and the Marquis to come over."
Xu pretended to be puzzled: "Why did the old lady ask us to come over so urgently?"
Here, Marquis Dong'an also looked suspicious.
Amber looked embarrassed and whispered, "My aunt is gone."
Xu slapped her thigh and said, "Let's go and see the old lady."
The old lady disappeared for no reason. This was a big deal. Mi Niang received the news very quickly. She naturally knew about it yesterday, but she had to pretend that she knew nothing and went to the old lady first.
Yu saw her come in and asked hurriedly, "Did you know? Auntie is missing."
"I came here just because I heard about it. What's going on?" Mi Niang was puzzled.
Yu shook her head: "Who knows?"
She hadn't slept much the previous night because of the child, and she had to come to report for duty when she heard the news. She could hardly open her eyes, but had to force herself to stay awake. But she didn't care much about Fang Furong. To her, although Fang Furong was a widow, she had a strong family to protect her, and Madam Weng treated her very well. In comparison, her situation was much worse.
So, although Yu came, he was ready to leave after a while. His son's fever had just subsided, and he didn't know whether he would need to take medicine later.
Shen remained calm.
Of course she knew why Fang Furong disappeared, but this matter had nothing to do with the eldest house. It was Fang Weishi who was behind it. He was a greedy man who wanted both money and an official position, so he did such a disgraceful thing.
It's just that Old Madam Weng was too partial. She had enjoyed enough of her life, but she was still not satisfied. She gave all her money to her daughter, and asked her sons and grandsons to support her. People are prone to trouble if they are not treated equally. And Fang Furong was short-sighted, so she deserved to be coaxed away.
If Fang Furong really went, she could get some of the money back. If she wanted to blame someone, she should blame herself for not knowing the person well.
"Don't worry, old lady. The Marquis has already sent people to look for her." Xu comforted the old lady.
Old Madam Weng held Xu's hand tightly and said, "She was unlucky. Her husband died early, leaving her alone without any children. I know she has a bad temper and often offends people with her words. Don't take it to heart."
After hearing this, Mi Niang finally understood how Fang Furong became like that. It was simply because she was spoiled by Madam Weng Lai. Her daughter offended others because she was too straightforward. Instead of persuading her own daughter to correct her shortcomings, she asked others to tolerate her.
Xu was about to say something when she heard someone outside say that officials from the Ministry of Justice were coming to arrest someone.
The women immediately started talking about it.
Xu thought, it shouldn't be so fast...
Old Madam Weng was puzzled: "What's going on? Let the Marquis go and take a look."
Why did you call in people from the Ministry of Justice?
The women were also worried.
"To answer the old lady and the madam, I just went out to inquire and found out that our eldest son and eldest master were taken away. It was said that it was related to the robbery of my aunt..."
What?
Shen stood up and said, "How does this matter relate to the Crown Prince? You need to ask clearly."
My husband originally came to the throne because he was a bastard's son, and Xu in the clan would occasionally mock him for not being filial enough. Those in the clan who had benefited from the throne were jealous and slandered the prince.
This is all because of Xu's greed. Before you married into the family, you knew that the title of Crown Prince had already been decided, yet you acted like a demon afterwards.
The prince's reputation cannot be damaged in the slightest.
The servant who answered recognized Shen's voice and stammered, "It was not me who said that. It was the officials of the Ministry of Justice who said that. It was the aunt who first complained."
The aunt is the first to sue?
Xu frowned. How come Fang Furong didn't die? The news she got was that Fang Weishi wanted to kill Fang Furong. As the commander of the Beijing Guard, Fang Weichang didn't want to get involved with the bandits, but he did pass on the news so that the defenders turned a blind eye. He was also an accomplice, but he was not as vicious as Fang Weishi.
But the law is strict and there is no loophole. As a prince who has done such a thing, his position will sooner or later become unstable.
Mrs. Shen suddenly burped. She had never lost her composure like this before.
Yu also felt cold all over. Although the Second Master was not well, with him around, she and her children always had someone to rely on. If he wasn't around, how would they survive?
Until Mi Niang returned to Fengwuyuan, no one knew what really happened.
The people in Dong'an Marquis' Mansion were in a panic, but the news spread outside.
First, the Nanping Marquis's Mansion, which was also a relative by marriage, received the news. The Nanping Marquis's wife was the eldest aunt of the Dong'an Marquis's Mansion. It was unknown which concubine the Crown Prince He Tinglan came from. There was a pungent smell of powder on her body, and the eldest aunt coughed.
"If Wei Yan hadn't discovered your aunt had left the house without permission yesterday, we wouldn't have discovered that Wei Chang and Wei Shi were actually trying to harm your aunt. Now, everyone in the city knows about it, and I'm too embarrassed to go out."
Although He Tinglan liked to hang out with women, he was not without experience. He quickly figured out the trick: "Mother, if Fang Weichang plotted to kill his own aunt, his position as the prince of the Dong'an Marquisate would be in jeopardy."
The eldest aunt suddenly realized, "Yes, he originally got the throne because he was a concubine's son. Later, Xu came into the family and gave birth to the brothers Wei Yan and Wei Jun. Wei Yan, in particular, passed the imperial examination at the age of 20. He has always had a good temper and high talent. Isn't it because of him that he got the title?"
He Tinglan shook his head: "I'm afraid not. Fang Weiyan is a man of outstanding talent, but he is now a Hanlin Academy scholar, and he is only 21 years old, still very young. I heard that he is highly regarded by the president of the academy. Everyone knows that the Hanlin Academy is the prime minister, and the seventh-rank officials of the Hanlin Academy can have equal exchanges with the provincial governors. We nobles now have no chance to fight in the war, and can only be rich and idle. A real man cannot be without power for a day..."
He had been dealing with Fang Weiyan for a long time, and of course he knew that although he was a man of few words, he was also a man with great ambitions.
This man will not be dazzled by a little glory and wealth.
The eldest aunt frowned: "Will it not be inherited by Weijun?"
He Tinglan smiled and said, "Mother, if Weijun inherits the throne, that would be a great thing. What's wrong with that?"
They are all relatives, and although it is said that when one rises, all rise, and when one falls, all fall, but if there is an inherited marquis who is not very capable, then wouldn't it be like a maiden walking around the streets with gold ingots in her arms? Just think, the relatives will also be able to get rich.
The eldest aunt knew that her son had ulterior motives, but she couldn't say much. She only had this one son, and he was her life. What else could she say?
Speaking of the Bohai Mansion, another branch of the Dong'an Marquisate, Old Lady Ruan said to her biological daughter-in-law, the Second Wife, "This Weichang was chosen by your sister when she was alive. Now, you have done something worse than pigs and dogs. I just can't believe it."
The second wife frowned and said, "Our father-in-law said we don't need to worry about it."
"That's really not something you need to worry about. After he became the crown prince, he was very close to the family of that concubine, Aunt Ding, and only spoke in a casual manner to us. The woman he married, Shen, was also a shrew. The maid who was sent to serve Weichang when your sister was alive was sold to a kiln by Shen. She was our own daughter." Old Madam Ruan got angry when she mentioned this.
How do you think your husband became the crown prince? It was all because of my daughter's hard work. Otherwise, you would be nothing.
She even dared to sell us, the Ruan family, into the kiln. She really thought she was Wu Zetian and that she could rest easy just because she became the prince's wife.
You can just marry that girl to someone else. She is so vicious and not a good person.
The second wife also nodded: "You are right. Besides, the wife of the fourth son of the Fang family is our daughter of the Ruan family."
"Yes, I like Mi Niang very much. I haven't heard anything else about her marriage to the Fang family, but I heard that she treated the servants, her parents-in-law, and her sister-in-law well. Lady Xu, the wife of the Marquis of Dong'an, is not someone that ordinary people can please. You are too smart, so she thinks you are too cunning. You are too honest, so she thinks you are too stupid. In short, you are not good at anything."
Madam Ruan was an experienced woman and she knew at a glance that Mi Niang was no ordinary person.
As for Fang Weiyan, he looks like a good person, but the more he is like this, the harder it is to deal with him. He is nice to everyone, which means he is not very sincere to anyone. As the saying goes, people who seem to be affectionate are the most heartless. But it is said that every time the second wife comes over, she says that her son-in-law runs around a lot, which means that Mi Niang also has a good control over her husband.
The second wife laughed and said, "The girls of our Ruan family are different. Look at the maids and concubines who serve Fang Weiyan. We didn't send all the girls of our Ruan family away. We kept them well. That's the embodiment of a virtuous woman. Beating them with a stick and selling them off at every turn is not what a virtuous family would do."
"That's right." Tang came in and said quickly, "Speaking of this, I know it very well. I heard that his elders sent more than a dozen people to serve him. Guess what, they were either sent to the manor or sold. It's really..."
"Okay, let's not talk about other people's business. Anyway, we don't care about this matter." Old Madam Ruan is not stupid. The person sent by their family was sold to the kiln by Shen. It would be useless even if Prince Fang Weichang moved around frequently. If he was really good, he would let Shen stare at him.
It's just an act, and I want to make them feel miserable.
Now the news came from the palace that Yuzhen was pregnant. Old Madam Ruan and the Second Madam, as Fan Yuzhen's elders, went to the palace to see her, and she looked very pregnant. Because of this matter, Old Madam Ruan had no time to meddle in other people's affairs.
On the surface, the Ruan family is equivalent to Fang Weichang's grandmother's family, but since Old Lady Ruan has spoken, Duke Bohai, as a son, no longer cares.
The Xu family was filled with regret. Aunt Xu slapped her thigh and said, "If we had known earlier, we would never have called off the engagement."
Xu Zhongmao was quite open-minded: "It's too late to say more. I'll go ask Wei Yan if there's anything he can help me with. This is such a big deal, we can't let the title be given to someone else."
Aunt Xu immediately said, "Yes, go and have a look."
We are a family after all, even if our bones are broken, our tendons are still connected.
It really is this day when you have to stop and I have to stop.
When Fang Weiyan returned home, it was already dark. Mi Niang saw him coming back and asked hurriedly, "You must have been busy all day. I'm so grateful to you for being so kind and going to save someone."
"I went to the Imperial Academy. I asked some of my classmates who were in charge of the Ministry of Justice and learned that my second brother was the mastermind who hired a killer to commit murder and would be tattooed and exiled. Although my eldest brother was not the mastermind, his title of the crown prince is no longer secure."
Mi Niang nodded: "This makes sense."
"But, Mi Niang, what I want to tell you is that even if my father intends to make me the crown prince, I would not want to do it." Fang Weiyan was afraid that Mi Niang would be angry.
Because she had a strong desire for power in her previous life, and he is now just a low-ranking scholar.
Mi Niang smiled and said, "My God, this is great. To be honest, every time I see your mother managing such a big family, I feel exhausted. Besides, I don't care whether you have a title or not. If you are a loser, even if you have a title, you will have a big family and you will not be able to make ends meet sooner or later. If you are a good person, you don't care about these things."
Even though Mi Niang didn't know about his talents in his previous life, she knew that Fang Wei Yan was definitely a smart man, not really stupid, nor was he foolishly filial. He said that he didn't want his mother to raise his son, so he was definitely a very clear-headed person.
She just believed him.
Fang Weiyan felt relieved after hearing what Mi Niang said, and said, "You really understand the righteousness of the cause."
Before the couple finished talking, Fang Weiyan was called by Xu again. Fang Weiyan hesitated for a moment, and Mi Niang pushed him, "Hurry up."
As soon as he entered the room, Xu said coldly: "I didn't expect that you have become more successful now. You even interrupted what I wanted to do."
That Fang Furong was not a good person either. Her mother-in-law gave her all her private money, and yet she let this evil woman return with all her possessions intact.
She cried about the bullying Fang Furong had inflicted on her over the years.
Fang Weiyan said, "Mother, this is not a reason to watch someone die. As for the person she offended, Mi Niang was almost taught a lesson by her when she entered the house. She also told me that my aunt's crime did not deserve death."
"I didn't kill him. It was that bastard Fang Weishi who did it. Fang Weichang was secretly arranging things. What does it have to do with us?" Xu was very angry.
"Mother, do you really think I don't know? Weijun is timid and can't stand being intimidated. If you really want this position, you should train Weijun well instead of letting him do this kind of thing. If others are not good, can you stand it? If he is not good enough, even if this title is given to him, I don't think he will be able to sit on it for long. What's more, the eldest brother and the second brother have received the lessons they deserve. After this incident, the little aunt will no longer have the face to come out and take care of anything. If she really dies, the money will still belong to the Fang family."
After hearing the last part, Mrs. Xu realized that her son had good intentions.
But at the same time, he added: "Actually, you are the most suitable for that title."
Fang Weiyan shook his head: "No, if I get a title, I will just be a rich and idle person in the end, which will be a waste of what I have learned. I have said it before, a good man does not eat the meal of a divided family, and a good woman does not wear the dress she wore when she got married."
"Then your brother..."
"Mother, if you think about it this way, Weijun is the legitimate son, and my elder brother cannot become the crown prince. I am determined not to do it, so father will definitely consider Weijun. But Weijun is in this condition now, can he succeed like this? Now he has the greatest chance, but he must convince others no matter what." Fang Weiyan said earnestly.
He still hoped that his younger brother Weijun could become better, but he was too old already, and he wouldn't like it if his older brother said too much, so his mother had to do it again.
Weijun listens to his mother the most.
Xu couldn't help herself: "I know, but I'm afraid your father will be soft-hearted. After all, he has been the prince for so many years?"
"Mom, if Weijun can't learn to slowly suppress these monsters, I don't think he will be able to sit firmly in the position of the prince." Fang Weiyan said seriously.
"This title cannot be given to Weijun just because you want to. If he doesn't do well enough and your elder brother reforms himself, then I tell you, the title will eventually go to your elder brother." This was the case in his previous life. Later, he was promoted, but the title was finally given to Fang Weichang, who reformed himself and made meritorious contributions on the battlefield.
Because the Marquis of Dong'an has the final say in this family.
It is not Xu's own business to decide the title.
Dong'an Hou would only raise his hand when it came to unimportant matters, like Fang Yaqing's marriage, but matters like titles were not something that the Xu family could decide.
Just like the throne of the emperor in the previous life, everyone knew that the Queen Mother had no children, so the eldest son should be made the crown prince. But the emperor was one step ahead. After making Concubine Nguyen Hien the Imperial Noble Consort, he deposed the Queen Mother of the Queen Mother and made the Imperial Noble Consort the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother's son would then be the Queen Mother's legitimate son.
The eldest prince himself was not very capable and was caught by the emperor himself and sent to a fiefdom long ago.
Xu's eyes were full of stars: "How could that be possible? Didn't he harm his aunt? Wei Yan, it would be better if you didn't come out."
"Mom, the mastermind of this case is my second brother, and my eldest brother was implicated. It was my second brother who hired the robbers and gave the order. At best, my second and eldest brothers had a meal together with my aunt's pretty boy. The only evidence is the eyewitness testimony, so he was only stripped of his title temporarily." Fang Weiyan sighed.
Although my mother was smart, she was a woman in the inner chamber after all, and she had never really experienced power struggles.
He comforted Xu patiently, and Xu understood what he said. She certainly felt that what Fang Weiyan said made sense, but she was just anxious as a mother.
She didn't want to endure the suffering any longer, fearing that instead of defeating the Shen family, she would be defeated by the Shen family.
Fang Weiyan smiled and said, "Mom, you don't have to worry. With my aunt here, I think my elder brother and his wife will be fine."
Xu slapped her thigh, it was really the case.
Shen is a person who does things flawlessly, but with Fang Furong gossiping to the old lady, how can she benefit Fang Weichang?
This is why Fang Weiyan personally asked Fang Furong to come back.
Xu thought about it secretly in her heart, and it turned out that her son was indeed scheming and far-sighted.
With all these arrangements, Fang Weichang has little chance to turn things around. And as for Weijun, she also wants him to get married as soon as possible. Only when you get married will others treat you as an adult.
After leaving Xu's place, Fang Weiyan heard that the Marquis of Dong'an called him over, so he straightened his clothes and went to see his father again.
It can be said that the Marquis of Dong'an is actually very close to the current emperor. When he reorganized the Yulin Army, he personally trained the personal guards. Now the emperor still sends people to visit him during the holidays.
"Dad." Fang Weiyan called out at the door.
Dong'an Hou waved over and said, "Come here and see how I write."
"Very powerful. Very good, Dad. Your handwriting is better than before."
"You know how to coax your father."
Dong'an Hou opened his hands and pressed them down: "Sit down, I want to ask you what's going on."
Fang Weiyan told him everything: "I thought the man was a scammer, so I just wanted to arrest him, but I didn't expect that he was hired by my second brother. Even Wang Anshen was hired by my second brother. Those robbers are all big-name thieves who don't care about their lives. They said that my aunt had money, so they wanted to share it with my eldest and second brothers."
"My second brother is the mastermind behind this. My eldest brother must have been kept in the dark by my second brother. Dad, I think you are still a chance for my eldest brother to reform himself."
As people get older, they always like a harmonious family, and Wei Yan does this particularly well.
Dong'an Hou looked at him and said: "If this title is given to you——"
"Dad, I'll let it go. I'm afraid it will be difficult for you." Fang Weiyan considered everything for the Marquis of Dong'an.
Dong'an Hou couldn't help but sigh. In fact, Fang Weiyan was the most suitable candidate.
"You are still in your prime, so don't worry about having no one to inherit. But second sister-in-law, my second brother is going to be exiled, and I am afraid that people in the mansion will flatter the powerful and bully the weak. You should take care of him more."
Hearing his son say this, Marquis Dong'an became even more depressed. The eldest son seemed good before, but he was nothing like Fang Weiyan in terms of how he dealt with people.
After Fang Weiyan left, Marquis Dong'an went to see Xu again. Without hesitation, Xu also said that she would take better care of the second family. She did not suggest anything about letting Weiyan and Weijun inherit the title, and did not even try.
This made Marquis Dong'an's heart lean even more towards the Xu family.
If he could keep the position of the crown prince, he could have kept it, but he sent someone to see the eldest brother, and the eldest brother blamed everything on Fang Weiyan, saying that he was a thief crying "stop thief". Fang Weiyan was very angry. If he was allowed to be the crown prince again, there would be no peace in the family.
Sometimes, when we are human, we only have a small piece of land, so we tend to be extreme.
The second brother scolded Xu and Fang Weiyan even more vigorously, but Xu still wanted to take care of the second house, and Weiyan asked him to give the eldest brother a chance and voluntarily give up the title.
This is not a show, everyone wants to take part if they have the chance.
The second master Fang Weichang was going to be exiled, and it would be very difficult for his children to pass the imperial examinations and become officials in the future. But as long as the marquisate was there, they would never lack for food, and would be able to grow up smoothly.
The incident ended with Fang Weichang's position as the crown prince being reported by historians, and the second son Fang Weishi being exiled. Xu remained the same as usual, but said that she wanted to find a marriage for Fang Weijun so that he could return home.
Mi Niang was very impressed with Fang Weijun's set of moves. She gave him a thumbs up and said, "You are worthy of being my man. You are different."
"You, don't compliment me like that. Last time you called me a nerd."
"I just said it casually, didn't I?"
She probably knew why her mother-in-law lived a good life in her previous life. It was not because her mother-in-law was really great, but because she had a son named Fang Weiyan.
On the other hand, it was a sad and miserable situation for Shin. When she was the Crown Prince's wife, she was the future head lady of the family. Although everyone was afraid of Xu, they would occasionally reveal news to her. But now no one dared to do so.
Fang Furong said a lot of bad things about Fang Weichang to Old Lady Weng, and mentioned Shen Shi again, "If she was really a good person, why did Yilian, the daughter you gave to Weichang, marry her to the manor? Look at the maid you gave to Weiyan, she is now living with Ruan Shi. And the maid Feiwen, who is with the third son, is also a girl."
Old Madam Weng said, "It's not her fault. That's the family motto of the Shen family."
"You can choose not to accept him, but there's no need to do that. And Wei Chang, he severely criticized Wei Yan. If it weren't for Wei Yan, I would have died long ago." Fang Furong didn't exaggerate when she said this.
Those bandit leaders simply wanted to kill him.
Mrs. Weng thought of this and said to Fang Furong, "You should stay at home in the future. If you want to get married, go find your sister-in-law. Although the marriage she found for Jiayin is not the best, it is not bad to marry a scholarly family like Mr. Lu. You will be able to be the head of the family in the future, which is better than many people."
Fang Furong was afraid of the ropes after being bitten by a snake once. She quickly said, "Men are all bad. It would be better for me to have more nephews now. They can take care of me and see me to my old age."
Especially Fang Weiyan, he is a really nice person.
This matter caused quite a stir. Mrs. Jian also came to see Fang Furong once. Fang Furong scolded Fang Weichang and Fang Weishi harshly, but praised Fang Weiyan, her savior.
Because of this, Shen became less and less popular. Apart from her cousin from her natal family and Wang Sanniang who occasionally visited her, she had no status in the mansion.
Mi Niang came over to her second sister-in-law Yu and said, "Second sister-in-law, you can't stay sick all the time. Cheer up quickly. The children still need you."
Yu's illness was partly due to shame. She really didn't expect her husband to do such a thing. Fortunately, when people in the courtyard heard that the Marquis's wife was in charge, no one dared to neglect her.
But she was also unwilling to go out and see people. Her husband had problems and her children's future was ruined. What good could this do? I heard that she was secretly deleted from the family tree. How could the Fang family keep such a guilty person?
Fortunately, the fourth brother's wife did not abandon her, and Yu nodded with tears in her eyes.
Mi Niang walked out of her room, thinking that this was the best she could do.
After the Double Ninth Festival, Mi Niang returned to her parents' home. The two of them had accumulated gossip for several months, and they literally skipped meals and just talked.
Mi Niang told the family about everything and added, "Wei Yan is really good at handling things. Now my father-in-law is personally teaching Wei Jun martial arts. Wei Jun was spoiled because of his young age, but now he is very hardworking."
"Oh, that's really good. I've seen the child. He is a little thin. If he learns martial arts, it will be good for his health. There is nothing wrong with it. I think the title may go to Weijun, so don't worry." Mrs. Ding was afraid that her daughter would be dissatisfied with her brother-in-law.
Mi Niang snorted coldly: "Do you think I'm that kind of person? I'm very open-minded. Once Wei Yan told me about it, I agreed."
"Okay, okay, I got it." As a mother, she had to ask Mi Niang, "It's been three months since you got married, is there any movement in your belly?"
This is what a mother cares about most. If she can get pregnant as soon as possible, it would be a great thing.
If you don't have children, your in-laws may not even consider you as a family member. This is how the love between husband and wife is worn away for many people.
Mi Niang shook her head: "Not yet, Wei Yan is always very busy, and Cui Ti locked him in the room and made him hungry. We don't often sleep together."
"You're going to die, you just said it out loud like that." Second Madam Ding poked her daughter's forehead and said, "Remember to replenish your blood. Your father went to Henan with Lord Cao to build a dam and brought back a lot of dates. Your eleventh sister-in-law and I couldn't finish them, so you can take them back. These are big dates, they are very good for replenishing blood."
Mi Niang accepted her mother's kindness with a giggle.
She asked Second Grandma Ding: "There's nothing new in our family, right? With just a few of us, I don't think there will be any trouble."
Second Madam Ding smiled and said, "There hasn't been any trouble in our family, but there has also been some trouble. Your eleventh brother went to Henan with your father and did a good job. Your sister-in-law is pregnant and is preparing to go back to bring her son to Beijing..."
"That's great. They're all in Beijing now anyway. Wouldn't it be better to bring the children to Beijing?"
Mrs. Ding Er said, "Oh, by the way, Guan Huiqing gave birth to a son, but he was taken to Wu's house as soon as he was born. Why do you think she became a concubine?"
It's unclear who raised this child and who her parents are. Guan Huiqing was once the daughter of a great scholar, but it has come to this.
But Mi Niang did not gloat over the misfortune. Instead, she said, "Although Guan Huiqing did not love herself, Li Guan was not a good person either. Now he has both a son and a daughter."
"Who said it wasn't true? But what's going on with your sister-in-law? I heard that she broke off the engagement."
Mi Niang explained the whole story and then said, "It's a good thing to retire. I can always find a good husband for her."
Mrs. Ding disagreed: "You shouldn't get involved in this matter. Why do you care about her? Anyway, it has nothing to do with you if she gets married."
"Mom, I know what you mean. It's better to have less trouble than more. When something happens to her, she will blame me. But I just can't help it. If I were the kind of person who would watch her die without helping, I would not be a good daughter to you." Mi Niang hugged her mother's neck and acted coquettishly.
"She's still acting like a spoiled brat at this age." But she still wanted to tell her daughter, "She broke off the engagement. No matter what the reason is, it's easy to find another one, but it's hard to find a good one."
"That's not necessarily the case, mother. Don't worry about it."
When she came back from her mother's house, she brought a large cart of red dates, which she distributed everywhere, even to Shen's family. Although Shen had a good temper, she couldn't help but say, "What are you doing with these broken things? Throw them away as soon as possible, or my family won't want them."
Xu asked someone to hand it over to the kitchen, and said to Fang Yaqing: "You girls should eat more red dates to replenish your blood and nourish your energy."
Fang Yaqing smiled and said, "Don't worry."
Although Ye Jiayin was an orphan, in order to redeem the scandal in the Dong'an Marquis' Mansion, Xu arranged a very respectable marriage for Ye Jiayin. Mi Niang and the sisters-in-law also gave her makeup. The eldest aunt also came back and took Ye Jiayin's hand and said, "Your mother and I have been the best since you were young. Now you are getting married, and your aunt has nothing to give you. These cloths were specially bought by your cousin from outside as a gift to me. I brought a box to give you makeup."
"Thank you, aunt." Ye Jiayin knew that although the family she married into was not a wealthy family, they were well-off and educated, so she would become the mistress of the house as soon as she got married, so there was always hope.
Mi Niang was very practical. She gave her a spinning loom and said, "This woman's ability to make money lies in this. I hope it will be stored in the warehouse and gather dust for the rest of its life. But if it can be put to use one day, it will be a token of my appreciation."
This is a jacquard loom, which was given to her by her sister-in-law Zhou.
Ye Jiayin has been dealing with Mi Niang for such a long time that she already knows what kind of person she is. Fortune and misfortune may come at any time, and no one knows what a person's life will be like. Before, the second cousin Fang Weishi was very rampant at home, but now he has been exiled.
These days, after Fang Yaqing broke off her engagement, in addition to coming to Mi Niang to learn music, chess, calligraphy and painting, she has been closest to Ye Jiayin. After all, they are both girls and have been together for many years. Because of Jin Shuqin's matter, the two of them have become closer than before.
What she gave Ye Jiayin was a golden crown made of pieces of gold as thin as a cicada's wing. The workmanship was very beautiful. It was originally intended for her to wear after her marriage, but her marriage was called off, so it was just the right gift for Ye Jiayin now.
Although Ye Jiayin was often a little sad, when she saw everyone treating her like this, she couldn't help but cry and felt very reluctant.
No matter what, the Dong'an Marquis Mansion is also her home.
This little girl, who died of depression in her previous life and was left alone, has now recovered from her illness and got married smoothly because she has hope. Fang Weiyan is very happy for her.
When he turned around again, Fang Weichang was staring at him inexplicably. Fang Weiyan smiled warmly: "Brother, today is cousin Ye's wedding, let's drink a few more glasses."
"Hmph, fourth brother, you are quite calculating." Fang Weichang lost his position as the crown prince and his job. He went to the Ruan family of Duke Bohai to plead for mercy, but the Ruan family ignored him. They were polite, but they didn't speak for him at all. Instead, they spoke up for Fang Weiyan.
He knew that this was all because Fang Weiyan married a girl from the Ruan family. At that time, he was still wondering why his wife would fall in love with a girl from a side branch. He didn't expect that it would work now. Perhaps this plan was set up when Fang Furong returned.
Xu deliberately refused to give money to the second son to donate for an official position - the second son knew Fang Furong's money and took a risk - Fang Weiyan was waiting behind while the mantis stalked the cicada.
All these benefits were gained by Xu and others.
Even when I got married, it was for them.
Fang Weiyan looked over fearlessly and said, "Brother, I have only one thing to say. If you don't want others to know, then don't do it yourself."
Fang Weichang went back in a rage, and Shen comforted him, saying, "This position has been ours for a long time. This matter is clearly the fault of the second son, but the old man blames it all on you. Auntie is also confused."
"It's all Fang Weiyan's fault. He seems quiet on weekdays, but when he strikes, he's very ruthless."
Shen agreed and said with a smile, "You don't have to worry. I know that Madam Cui and Ruan seem to have some enmity. Now Ruan wants to take Yaqing everywhere, and Madam Cui also wants to find a good marriage for her concubine's daughter. I have a good candidate." After saying that, she whispered in Fang Weichang's ear.
Fang Weichang smiled and said, "That's right, two peaches kill three warriors."
"Yes, if Fang Weiyan and Cui Ti become enemies, everyone knows how domineering Cui Ti is. If Fang Weiyan's career is damaged in the future, we can make a comeback." Shen said calmly.
In the past, she always thought that if an enemy came, she would just fight back with her generals, and if a flood came, she would just block it with earth. But now she really had no choice but to take action.
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