East Cross Campus
After the New Year, Yu wanted Fan to rest and recuperate, so she came back straight after she said her respects. She was originally slim, but now she was even thinner after all the busy work. The clothes she made before the New Year felt empty around her waist.
Shanhu, Fan's maid, said distressedly, "Grandma, you have lost a lot of weight these days. Madam has asked you to take good care of yourself, so you should worry less."
"I'm fine." Fan took off the heavy weight on her head and wiped off her lip balm in front of the mirror. Seeing that she looked very bad in front of the mirror, she couldn't help but sigh.
She had been married to the Luo family for several years, and she was also mourning for her grandmother-in-law, so she had no news of pregnancy. Her husband was originally a bit unstable, and now he was hanging out with the group of playboys in the Marquis of Yanping's mansion, which was like a crow meeting an old crow, birds of a feather.
Not only did he have a beautiful concubine at home who was given to him by someone else, but she also heard that he had a concubine outside. However, even if she knew about it, she had to pretend not to know.
Because apart from this, there is nothing else that goes wrong in the family. The mother-in-law is kind, the sisters-in-law are sensible, and everyone in and outside the family respects her as grandma.
Her father-in-law was a doctor in the Ministry of Personnel. The provincial governors were all equals in front of him. There were countless people who came to him to seek official positions. Her father, brothers, and relatives from her natal family all relied on the Luo family. She also had great face in her natal family. Her mother also said that if she didn't know what was good for her and still made trouble in such a family, it would be her fault.
Even if she did make trouble, what would happen? I'm afraid her family would still blame her.
Suddenly, a maid's voice was heard from outside. The little maid came in and replied, "Grandma, Yinrong from the Fifth Miss sent a dish of candied hawthorns."
Fan stood up and let Yinrong in. After Yinrong came in, she handed the small dish to Shanhu and said with a smile, "This morning before our young lady went to school, she asked the maids to bring a dish over, saying that hawthorns are good for the appetite. The kitchen just prepared it, so the maids brought it over just now."
"It's hard to believe that your girl is still thinking about it. She kept it a secret from me this morning and only told me to go to her place to play after school." Although Fan had three sisters-in-law, the one she had the best relationship with was Yao Niang.
Although she knew that she should be more emotionally inclined towards Jingrou, after all, she was her husband's biological sister, but Yao Niang was very close to her and told her everything without any reservation. This was also the reason why Fan felt that her life in the mansion was not actually hard.
Seeing Fan accept it, Yinrong said hurriedly, "Our girl is always thinking about you, and she always says that the eldest sister-in-law is the best. If she hadn't started learning needlework recently, she might have come to talk to you often."
"Speaking of needlework, do you know Mrs. Jiang from the second house?" Yinrong asked.
Fan nodded. This morning, her mother-in-law said that the second wife was greedy for cheap things and did not investigate thoroughly. Jiang's son was a treacherous person. She brought her grandson to Beijing to seek refuge. It was unclear what her purpose was. Now that she said it, she was afraid that the people in the second wife would not believe it. But it was best to have less contact with her and wait for her to show her true colors before driving her out.
It was actually a little kid who discovered the clue. I heard that because of this, her father-in-law specially rewarded her with a new book and two paintings.
"I already knew about this. She gave me a few boxes of tooth powder the other day. She is very nice and seems like a warm-hearted person." Mrs. Fan had a good impression of Mrs. Jiang. After all, she was very nice, good at talking, and knew a lot about everything.
Yinrong smiled and said, "Yes, people like this are the ones that make people less defensive. Our girl said that the more simple-minded a person seems, the more calculating he is. So you should be careful."
Fan laughed: "I know."
Therefore, when Jiang Mu was about to do this for Chen Ziheng, she found that she could not enter the eldest house at all.
The two families lived in the same place. In order to avoid inconvenience in entering and exiting, after the marriage of the eldest daughter Luo Shilan, the second house opened a single door at the back of Ganquanju for entry and exit. The door between the first and second houses was basically closed day and night unless there was anything important, and there was no connection.
Therefore, when Jiang offered to bribe the gatekeeper with money, the gatekeeper refused even though she was jealous: "It's not that we don't want you to come in, but the gate is strictly guarded. Even our master's disciples have to bring a card and get the master's permission before they can come in. No one else is allowed to come in."
Mrs. Jiang went back angrily, waiting for another opportunity.
She took the five hundred taels from Chen Ziheng, expanded the store, and hired more employees. After swallowing the money, she would do her best to do things. Perhaps, with Chen Ziheng's money, she could find a quiet place with her grandson to live in their old age.
After returning from school, Yao Niang and Shi Yu went to Bao Xia's place to learn needlework from Mrs. Dong. They both had already mastered knitting. In addition to knitting every day, they first learned a kind of needlework and then learned cutting. It was not difficult, but it took a lot of time.
I studied for an hour today, ate a few mouthfuls of food quickly, and then continued to embroider.
This is also for future social use. Girls do needlework to provide for their elders, especially in a few days, their female relatives will go to Fenyang Palace to participate in birthday celebrations, and these will be needed.
It was getting dark when Yao Niang got up from here and went to her room. Yu smiled and called her, "Come here quickly. Your father's colleagues sent a few baskets of cherries today. They gave some to the second wife and left a plate for you."
Yao Niang came over to eat and said, "Thank you for saving it for me."
"Of course. Mother asked someone to make some hot tea with chrysanthemum and cassia seed. Use it to warm your eyes. It's easy to have bad eyesight if you do needlework all day."
It's good to have my mother by my side to give me advice. Yao Niang asked her mother again: "Where did you go today?"
"I went to the Mansion of Marquis Zhongjing. You may not know what it is yet. His ancestors have been stationed in Datong all year round. They finally came back to Beijing this time, so I came to visit them." Yu said.
The Mansion of Marquis Zhongjing?
Yao Niang had always thought that her family had a good relationship with the Marquis Zhongjing Mansion only after Luo Jingrou got married. She didn't expect that the relationship is so good now?
She asked curiously, "Mother, how do you know the people from the Zhongjing Marquis' Mansion?"
"Oh, that was when your grandfather was still a Censor of the Ministry of Personnel. In our dynasty, the lower ranks were suppressed by the higher ranks, and even a third-rank official was not as good as a Censor. At that time, Marquis Zhongjing was still the commander-in-chief of the three frontiers, and the emperor was suspicious of him. It was your grandfather who led people from the court to attack the person who replaced the general, so the two sides had a good relationship. Before I got married, I went to their house several times. The old lady in his family was a well-known figure, and I asked him to arrange the marriage between your father and I." Yu was a little proud when she mentioned her father.
Back then, Yu's father started out as a county magistrate and rose to become a leader in the yantai court. From a country boy to an official who influenced the court, this was indeed something to be proud of for the Yu family.
No wonder Yu felt so proud.
But wait, does Luo Jingrou's marriage have anything to do with this?
When Yao Niang thought of this, she couldn't help but asked Yu: "What is the relationship between the Yanping Marquis's Mansion and the Zhongjing Marquis' Mansion?"
"Most of the nobles probably know each other, but I don't know whether they have any interaction." Yu had never been to the Marquis of Yanping's Mansion, so she didn't know these things.
Yao Niang nodded.
Then Yu said, "Don't worry about others. Eat less greasy food these days to avoid mouth sores. We are going to the Fenyang Palace in a few days, so we can't lose face for your father."
Yao Niang nodded and asked again: "Then will the third sister go?"
"She's not going."
This was a bit surprising. Yao Niang remembered that Luo Jingrou had passed away in her previous life. She acted as if she was Yu's daughter, and the wedding date was set at the end of this year. She didn't expect that this life would be so different.
Yu kept her mouth shut and didn't even tell Yao Niang.
Now that she realized that Luo Jingrou had evil intentions, she could no longer feel at ease letting her daughter have contact with Luo Jingrou. This girl was now desperately sending snacks to her daughter. Her daughter didn't eat them, so the servants shared them. She had carefully observed several servants around Yao Niang and found that in just two months, their waists had more than doubled in thickness.
To be kind to your enemy is to be cruel to yourself.
Marrying her off quickly would be enough to fulfill one of my wishes. Of course, she couldn't be informed of this matter in advance, and even the candidate couldn't be told to her in advance, otherwise, if something went wrong, it would cause trouble.
Old Madam Dou could also understand that since Luo Jingrou was currently at her maternal grandparents' home, it was not convenient to call her back. However, the two girls that Yu was bringing up were both very outstanding, so that was fine.
Shi Yu whispered to Yao Niang, "Why don't you go see Fourth Sister?"
Yao Niang smiled and said, "My aunt doesn't have a royal title."
Although their family and the Fenyang Palace are now relatives, this occasion is not a family banquet. It is the old princess's birthday celebration. How can she meet people casually without rank?
This is Shi Fang's shortcoming. She looks no different from everyone else on weekdays, but she is actually different from them.
Especially with the aging of the old lady Dou, if the old lady died and the second branch of the family split up, then Shi Fang would not even be considered a lady of an official family. Even if she was the prime minister who had passed away, few people would buy her account, not to mention her deceased grandfather, who would protect her.
Just look at Yu Shi, she was once a daughter of an official family, her father passed away, she had no family, and she lived a cautious life.
If her children were not healthy and smart now, she would not be able to stand firm and relax.
Yao Niang and Shi Yu accompanied Yu on a carriage to the Fenyang Palace. After all, they were still little girls, and they found it very novel to hear people talking on the street.
Shi Yu whispered to Yao Niang: "Fifth sister, I heard someone selling sugar figurines outside?"
"It's quite lively outside, but we can't go out." This is also the inconvenience for the female members of the family, as they can't go out anywhere.
When the women of the Luo family were traveling and passing by Aunt Jiang's shop, Aunt Jiang was at a loss what to do.
She had met people from the Luo family's eldest branch of the family. The wife of the eldest branch and the eldest grandmother were both very friendly people. How could she have known that she was not allowed to enter their house?
But Chen Ziheng urged her so much that Jiang had to find another way.
It also said that Yao Niang and others arrived at the Palace of Prince Fenyang. The current Prince of Fenyang is the younger brother of the current emperor. His mother was allowed to leave the palace because of her old age and was taken care of in the Palace of Prince Fenyang.
There was a lot of traffic outside the palace, but no one dared to make a loud noise. Yao Niang followed Yu in, first sitting in a sedan chair, then in a carriage, and then went to the inner courtyard with Old Lady Dou.
Two maids and a servant girl were already waiting in the inner courtyard. When they saw the Luo family, they hurriedly came to the door and said, "Our Duke's wife asked us to welcome you here."
Old Lady Dou was supported by them and greeted them with a smile.
There were only three people who came to the palace today, Shi Zhen, Yao Niang and Shi Yu. Yao Niang was just a passer-by, looking at the flowers and grass, trees and woods, carved railings and jade bricks, and dragon carvings on beams in the Fenyang Palace with great interest.
Shi Zhen had never seen such a grand place. Her stepmother Jiang treated her well. Occasionally, when someone came to her house to propose marriage to a less-than-good family, her stepmother would refuse and never mistreat her.
But what she really hopes for is to marry into a royal palace. This status and imposing manner are beyond the reach of ordinary people and are truly enviable.
Shi Yu didn't think too much about it. Although her aunt always asked her to be the first, every time her fifth sister saw that she couldn't keep up, she would stop on purpose and had a good relationship with her. Although she wanted to show off, it was better for her to show off with her fifth sister.
After the Luo family members were led in, they kowtowed to wish him a happy birthday, including Old Lady Dou, who was still required to perform the ritual. After the state ritual, it was the family ritual, which was quite demanding.
The old concubine’s face could not be seen because there was a pearl curtain in front of her, and there were female officials on both sides.
The old concubine smiled and said, "We are all family members here, please remove the useless curtain."
In this way, everyone can get a glimpse of the old concubine's true appearance, but no one dares to look at it for too long.
Old Lady Dou was usually the elder who had the final say at home, but now she smiled and made fun of the old concubine, and even introduced the younger generation: "This is my daughter-in-law, the wife of the current Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple. This is my nephew's daughter-in-law, the wife of the current Langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel. The other three are my granddaughters."
Yao Niang stood in the middle and saluted with her sisters.
Today, the three of them were all wearing ivory-white plain floral tops, which looked neither fancy nor festive.
Shi Zhen was gentle and elegant, Yao Niang was radiant and gorgeous, and Shi Yu was elegant and refined. Although the old concubine was well-informed, her eyes lit up when she saw these three people.
He was also rewarded with gold and silver ingots and a pair of bracelets. Shi Zhen wanted to show up more in front of such an important person, but he had to leave after the ceremony, which made Shi Zhen feel regretful.
After they came out, they all went to the nearby attic to listen to opera, and the women from several families quickly stood up and saluted.
Yu brought Yao Niang to greet a woman. Yao Niang looked over and found that it was the wife of Marquis Zhongjing, the still quite young Madam Lin.
Mrs. Lin was surprised and said, "I never thought I would see Mrs. Luo here. Yes, your family is related to the Fenyang Palace. If we had not returned from Datong earlier, I would have been able to go and congratulate your eldest daughter on her marriage."
"Who said it wasn't? When the peach blossoms in our garden bloom in a few days, we'll invite you to come and visit." Yu said politely.
Mrs. Lin also nodded and gave Yao Niang and Shi Yu each a bracelet.
Mrs. Lin never mentioned Luo Jingrou from beginning to end, and she didn't even know how many children she had in her family. She thought that Yao Niang and Shi Yu were both born to Yu.
In addition, Yu also had a very good relationship with a Ruixi Township Lady. The two talked a lot. Yao Niang and Shi Yu also paid their respects and listened to the opera. Seeing the adults socializing, they recognized quite a few people.
But socializing is necessary. On the way back, Yu said to Yao Niang and Shi Yu, "You should not be lazy about this kind of thing in the future. Being lazy is the business of a noble person. For a family like ours, we should go to any banquet. You see, you know others and you even chat with them. It's not bad for others not to send you invitations. This way, you will know more people."
Knowing more people is a big advantage. If the family backgrounds of two people are similar, and you have to choose between someone you know and someone you don't know, of course you will choose the one you know.
No wonder Luo Jingrou tried so hard to fatten herself up in her previous life and didn't want to go out and socialize. It was probably because of this mood.
As a woman of a wealthy family, socializing is very important. Your knowledge and character are useless if you only keep them at home. If you go out and socialize, more people will know you.
You can even get first-hand information from many female relatives, which will be helpful for future actions.
Because she couldn't go to the Fenyang Palace, Ren scolded her husband Luo Zhizhong, "I am the eldest aunt of the palace, why can't I go? Even if the eldest aunt is standing here, she still has to call me aunt respectfully. They look down on people, why can't I, the eldest lady of the Luo family, go?"
"It's all because of you, you bastard, that my whole family has suffered because of you."
…
Zhou was originally planning to discuss the distribution of the family's monthly salary with her mother-in-law, but she heard her mother-in-law cursing and quickly left with the servants.
"Murong, let's go back first and come back later."
"Well, Grandma, Aunt Jiang is teaching our fourth daughter today. I heard that she has some new perfume powder and wants to give it to you."
Although this Jiang Mu came from Jiangbei, she knew a lot of people. Last time when Zhou lent money at high interest, it was she who found someone to act as a go-between, and now the income is quite considerable.
In Beijing, even the prime minister lends money, let alone them? It all depends on whether there are reliable people to help.
After Zhou met Jiang, Jiang smiled and said, "I have a strange idea recently. I want to tell you about it. I'm afraid you've heard of my friends outside. Their family works in the Ministry of Revenue. They are orphans and widows who are looking for shelter. They give 20% of their profits to you every year."
"This..." Zhou was not as brave as Xiao Jiang and the others, so she didn't dare to ask for more, for fear of getting into trouble.
Ren might dare to do it, but she might not.
But this old lady Jiang was very eloquent. Although Zhou couldn't stand her mother-in-law being so rude, she felt the same way. Today, everyone was supposed to go to the Fenyang Palace together. Even the non-relatives of the eldest house went, but they couldn't go. How could this not make people upset?
If you don’t make more money now, what will you do in the future?
The old lady was not a fair person. She usually favored the second wife and loved Luo Jingfa and his wife. She was the eldest sister-in-law, but the housekeeping power in the family was given to the young Jiang.
Luo Jingfa and his wife usually rely on the old lady for private support, and they can only watch with envy. If they don't get more now while the old lady is still alive, what will they do when they return to their hometown in Gaoping?
The servants in the house wear silver silk charcoal and wear fine silk and satin. Even the sleeping mats and bedding are thrown away when they get old. On weekdays, guests come and a table of meals is fifty taels. No matter how simple a life like this is, who can be willing?
After Jiang Ma had dealt with Zhou, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. In the future, she could take the opportunity to go to the eldest son's house with Zhou.
But it was said that Yao Niang and her companions had gone to Fenyang Prince's Palace. After hearing the news, Luo Jingrou hurried back from Yanping Marquis's Palace, very angry. Yanping Marquis's Palace was not on the list of places they would go to, and what's more, Yanping Marquis's Palace was intending to let her marry there, so Luo Jingrou was now trying to avoid it as much as possible.
But fortunately, she came back. According to the news sent back by Luo Shilan of Fenyang Palace, the emperor was preparing to select a study partner for his youngest daughter, Princess Zhaoping. Although Luo Shilan never mentioned letting her sisters run for the position, who would not understand the implication?
The current emperor's empress has no children and is not very favored. The most favored person in the palace is Prince Heng's mother, Concubine Liao. Prince Heng ranks third and suffers a loss in this position.
The mother of Princess Zhaoping was originally just a talented woman, but was especially favored by the emperor because she was born when he was fifty years old.
Her fiefdom was comparable to that of a legitimate princess, and even her biological mother was promoted to the position of consort because of her.
Being chosen as the companion of Princess Zhaoping meant that she would most likely be chosen as the crown prince's consort, because the previous companion of Princess Longqing married Prince Heng. There was a ready-made example in their family: the eldest daughter, Luo Shilan, was chosen as the companion of Princess Fenyang and is now the wife of a duke.
At this time, Luo Jingrou didn't know that she was already engaged, and she privately found her brother Luo Jingxi to ask about choosing a study partner.
Although Luo Jingxi was a playboy, he was always loyal and thought he had some sense. He would probably wait until his father got a higher position in his career, and then he would take the opportunity to become an official.
But now it is clear that there is a smoother road ahead, and if his sister succeeds, he can also benefit from it.
"Yes, I heard that Princess Zhaoping is going to choose a schoolmate, which is also a major event for the whole family. This princess is eight years old this year and is the apple of His Majesty's eye. But if she can be chosen, she will most likely become a princess. Among His Majesty's sons, the ninth prince Gao Mu is highly praised. His mother is one of the four concubines and is both civil and military."
This was too explicit. Luo Jingrou smiled awkwardly: "These may not be true. I just think that if I can study with the palace teacher, it will definitely be better than at home. My brother also knows that the madam hired a teacher for my fifth and sixth sisters, and it is not convenient for me to go there."
Luo Jingxi nodded: "Don't worry about this matter. With the example of my elder sister, if our family can really do this, it would be a blessing."
He himself was a failure. Although his second younger brother was studious, in his opinion, it was extremely difficult for him to finish his studies. And his other younger brother was too young and had suffered from many disasters and diseases, so it was hard to say what would happen to him.
The family depends on dad now, but who will the three brothers depend on in the future?
Luo Jingrou smiled and said, "You can say that Second Sister, I just went there to make up the numbers, and I don't expect any good fortune."
What he said sounded a bit fake, but Luo Jingxi didn't know whether what his sister said was true or not. After chatting with Luo Jingrou, he went to the back to meet Chen Ziheng.
Chen Ziheng was generous and they had been friends since childhood. They were both frequent customers of Wanhua Tower and they always laughed whenever they saw each other.
"Ziheng, I'll take you to the Marquis of Yanping's mansion in a few days. How about we have a drink together?"
Chen Ziheng smiled and said, "Of course that's good. I'm idle in Beijing and have nothing to do for the time being. It's not a bad thing to make a friend. What's more, he is a son of a noble family. I should go to his house to pay my respects to him."
A young master like Luo Jingxi likes others to flatter him the most, especially when Chen Ziheng puts him in a low position when interacting with him, which makes him even happier.
Luo Jingxi was fine despite being poor. His family was different from the second branch. The eldest branch of the Luo family was very wealthy. His father, Luo Zhizheng, was the only son. His grandmother and mother both had large dowries, and their family had been officials for three generations, so they had a lot of property.
But he likes to fool around with other people.
"We'll go together then."
Seeing Luo Jingxi like this, Chen Ziheng hated him deeply. In the past, their Chen family had produced a high-ranking official, and now they are also the people who have the final say in Fujian. No one will disobey you if you pay them.
It's just that they are not as good as the Luo family. Luo Jingxi's grandfather was a top scholar and served as the Minister of Nanjing Ministry of Justice before retiring. His father also passed the imperial examination at a young age. Considering Luo Zhizheng's age, he still needs at least another 20 years of official career. However, the Chen family can only do business now, and the Chen family's backer in the palace has just fallen. The Luo family is the backer that the Chen family is looking for.
But Chen Ziheng looked down on Luo Jingxi in his heart, so he was very twisted.
Luo Jingxi didn't know all this. He had drunk a few glasses of wine today. When he heard Luo Zhizheng calling him to go to the front, he knew that his father was going to scold him again, so he walked over with his head down and a sad face.
As expected, Luo Zhizheng said to him, "I heard that you have been very close to your cousins from your maternal grandparents' side recently. Have you made any progress in your studies? Now, Wang Yaozhi's "Wen Si Fu" has been published. Have you learned anything from the last three sentences?"
Luo Jingxi hesitated for a few words, with his hands hanging down, not daring to say more.
Luo Zhizheng said, "I know you don't take your father's words to heart. I usually ask you to study more, but you just have fun. If you cause any trouble for me, you better be careful."
…
After leaving Luo Zhizheng, Luo Jingxi returned to Fan's room, where Fan was embroidering in front of the window, absorbed in it. As soon as Luo Jingxi came in, the servants withdrew, and he hugged Fan from behind.
Fan was startled, and then she was surprised to see that it was him: "Why is it you?"
He is like this, happy at one moment and cold at another. At first, Fan indulged in his gentleness, but soon he would be like this to others, and even ignored him more often.
Luo Jingxi was pleased by her expression, and his thumb began to slowly move around her body: "I can come, of course I miss you."
Fan lowered his head secretly, saying nothing, but his ears turned red.
The two of them made love, and along with the rain outside, they seemed to blend into it.
Yao Niang was listening to Yu Shi talking about the selection of a study partner: "This palace is not such an easy place to get around, and your father's official position is nothing compared to the nobles in the capital. I think if you are not chosen, you don't have to be sad, and if you are chosen, you don't have to stand out too much."
Yu wanted her daughter to be successful, but she was afraid that she would work too hard.
Yao Niang nodded: "Don't worry. In fact, I think it's best not to be chosen. This way, I can stay at home with my mother. Now my sisters at home are all squeezed after hearing this news. I don't want to wade into the muddy water."
She remembered that in her previous life, there had been a long-standing struggle in the family over the selection of this study partner. Yao Niang had begun to gain weight and had bad teeth at that time. She also heard Luo Jingrou say that if she was not chosen, all the relatives would know and would definitely gossip about her, so she did not want to go.
She was already very concerned about people saying she was not as good as that fake daughter, and now she was even more afraid to try.
But this time, she really didn't want to go, because the Luo sisters fought openly and secretly, and in the end only Shi Yu was eliminated. Moreover, Shi Yu was studying as a companion to a princess, who died suddenly a year later, and no one in the Luo family gained anything from it.
Even Shi Yu finally married a man from an official and scholarly family who was well-matched with her, which was also what Yao Niang hoped for.
Mrs. Yu nodded: "That's right. Some things may be successful for others, but not necessarily for you. Mother also wants my daughter to be successful, but there are only a few lucky people in this world. No one should think that they are lucky. Let's choose the most reliable way, and we won't go wrong."
"You're right." Yao Niang still wanted to stay at home, especially because of the death of Fan and her brother. These were the things she wanted to protect the most.
For example, although Yao Niang was unwilling, Aunt Qin had to be chosen by Shi Yu.
"The princess is eight years old, and you are about the same age. Your second and third sisters are too old. They will get married after just one or two years. What's the point of joining in the fun? Your biggest rival is actually your fifth sister."
Shi Yu shook her head: "If it's possible, my daughter doesn't want to."
Aunt Qin smiled bitterly: "If she doesn't want to, what can we do? She is the legitimate daughter, and the wife is favored. You are of similar age, so even if she is not chosen, she can still have a good marriage. Didn't you also say that Madam Cao thinks highly of your fifth sister? You see, maybe she can marry into a marquis's family in the future, but what can you do?"
Just like she had a very good relationship with Aunt Huang in the past, but in the end, if she had not been cruel, she would not be the only person in the mansion who gave birth to a pair of children.
Aunt Huang died of illness and could not even enter the ancestral tomb. She must be hungry in the underworld.
If you don't work for yourself, you will be punished by heaven and earth. What sisterhood? If you are not as successful as others, everyone will look down on you in the future.
Shi Yu curled his lips: "But I may not be able to win over Fifth Sister."
It's not like she can do whatever her aunt says. She is diligent, and the fifth sister is even more diligent than her. She even studies during her days off. Moreover, the housekeeper has learned more about socializing than the fifth sister.
However, what my aunt said is right. If I try my best, maybe things will be different in the future.
Luo Zhizheng was worthy of being the head of the Luo family. Although he usually left the trivial matters of the family to Luo Jingxi to manage, he was never vague on major matters. He quickly asked someone to find a nanny released from the palace. Even Yu didn't know where he found her from.
"This is Nanny Xu, who used to work in the Funing Palace. She was the one who selected concubines for the emperor, and she knows how to teach new people to follow the rules. Although our daughter is not selected as a concubine, she must be familiar with the rules of the palace when choosing a companion."
Originally, the second house had asked Luo Shilan for help and was planning to invite a nanny from the palace to serve the princess, but when they saw that Luo Zhizheng had invited someone from the palace, they no longer bothered Luo Shilan.
Therefore, Yao Niang and her friends had one more thing to do, which was to learn the rules.
In addition to studying and learning needlework every day, she also had to hire a nanny to teach her. Although the teaching only lasted for one month, Luo Zhizheng paid her a lot of money.
Even Fan teased Yao Niang: "Fifth sister is busier than us now."
"Sister-in-law, please don't make fun of me. My brother has been at home with you these days, so you didn't come to see us." Yao Niang looked at Fan with a smile. When she heard that Luo Zhizheng had scolded Luo Jingxi and Luo Jingxi could not go out, he stayed at home well for a few days, Fan was naturally happy.
There is a difference between having a man to love you and not having a man to love you.
Fan pinched her face and said, "You are always so rude, and now you are being rude to me too."
"Sister-in-law, my sister-in-law is pretty good. If she were more cunning, what would you do?" Yao Niang covered her mouth and laughed.
We only started selecting study partners in August this year, and it is only March now, so no one feels a strong sense of urgency.
Luo Jingrou originally had four teaching maids in the mansion, and she was the best at learning the rules, but even so, she still studied very seriously. She knew that her opponent was not Luo Shizhen, but Yao Niang and Shi Yu, because they were similar in age to the princess and were easily chosen.
This time, in addition to sending snacks to Yao Niang, she also sent snacks to Shi Yu. However, Shi Yu received instructions from Aunt Qin and was full of experience in the struggles in the harem, so Aunt Qin distributed the snacks sent by Shi Yu to the people below.
Furthermore, while Yao Niang and others were studying, Luo Jingrou secretly sought instruction from the nanny. She even took the opportunity to move to the east room and live with Yao Niang. Yao Niang didn't mind, and let her learn if she wanted to.
Since even Yu agreed, she couldn't say anything more.
But when she came, she personally brought snacks to Yao Niang, and Yao Niang smiled and said, "Third sister, why do you always ask me to eat? Don't you eat yourself? Come, you eat first. I'm full today and I'm not hungry at all."
Luo Jingrou might have been perfunctory in the past, but now she dared not eat it at all. This snack contained fried peanut crisps, which could easily cause acne on the face and blisters on the mouth. She was not willing to take any risk now.
"No, no, I'm full too. I just thought I'd send it to you if you like it. If you don't like it, forget it."
"Sister, you are so mean. You put a lot of fried food in it. I know you mean well. If I didn't know, I would think you want to make me angry." Yao Niang said jokingly.
Luo Jingrou's heart sank and she broke out in a cold sweat. She was afraid that Yao Niang would guess what she was thinking.
Looking at Yao Niang again, I just thought she was just quick-witted, but she had stopped eating snacks for a few days.
It was a day off, so Yu told Yao Niang to sleep a little longer and not to greet the emperor. Yao Niang slept a little longer. Feeling refreshed, she went to play with Jing Hao again. Last year, she always thought Jing Hao was a child, but now she saw that he was studying and had learned a lot of rules. He was well behaved, which made people happy.
"Sister, are you going to take me to play shuttlecock today? I don't want to play shuttlecock."
"Don't worry, I'll take you to make a wreath. Let's go to the garden to play, okay?" Yao Niang smiled.
As soon as the brother and sister walked out of the yard, they saw Shi Zhen. She was fine before, but now she is said to be obsessed with choosing a study partner. Shi Zhen's behavior is understandable, as the eldest sister is her biological sister. But Shi Fang also wants to choose a study partner, which is simply what Yao Niang thinks is overestimating her own abilities.
It's not a matter of status, but Shi Fang is studying at home, often absent from class, and very unfocused, let alone going to the palace. Yao Niang used to serve the emperor, and the palace usually gets up before dawn, and the rules are very strict. Shi Fang relies on some clever tricks all day long, and is not a down-to-earth person at all. I don't know why she wants to enter the palace?
As soon as Yao Niang and the others left, they saw Zhou and Jiang coming over. The maids at the second gate would not stop Zhou, after all, she was the eldest lady of the second house.
After Jiang entered the main room, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. She looked up and saw a young lady from the manor. She hurriedly asked, "Who is that?"
"Oh, she is the eldest daughter of the first house and the third in our clan. No wonder you didn't recognize her. She went to her maternal home, the Marquis of Yanping's Mansion, before." Zhou explained.
"So that's how it is." Jiang smiled and said to Zhou: "I won't bother you if you have something to do. I'll sit here for a while."
Zhou knew that Jiang must also want to come to the eldest house to seek connections, so she didn't stop her and was willing to help her. Jiang had already found out where Fan lived, so she went straight there.
But when the people in the head room saw her coming as a stranger, they couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"
"Oh, the second wife's eldest grandmother asked me to come here to pass on a message. That's why I just came here." Aunt Jiang smiled.
"Why do you look so unfamiliar?" The maids looked at her.
Mrs. Jiang took out her matching cards and said, "Look, would I dare to come over without this?"
In this way, the maids' doubts were dispelled and she was invited to come. In fact, Shanhu, a maid beside Fan, knew Jiang, but she didn't want her to come. However, when she showed the matching card, the maids thought that something really happened in the second house.
Jiang's plan succeeded, and she was very happy that she could get in smoothly.
On the other side, a little girl named Danju came over from Yao Niang's place and reported: "Girl, my godmother said that the woman surnamed Jiang went to our grandmother's place with the pair of cards given by the second wife's eldest grandmother."
Yao Niang ordered people to keep an eye on Fan, because she had not noticed anything abnormal about Fan on weekdays. Yao Niang even asked the imperial physician to take Fan's pulse, and found that there was nothing wrong with her health.
The only thing that Yao Niang found strange in the past few months was this Jiang Mu. As the saying goes, few good things come to your doorstep. This person's son committed such a serious crime, but she took the opportunity to show off her power so quickly under the name of the Luo family.
However, it is said that when Fan saw Jiang Mu come in, her right eyelid twitched. She had just drunk some tonic. Luo Jingxi had been at home these days and the couple had been very affectionate. She wanted to take the opportunity to have a baby quickly, so she had to drink the tonic.
"I don't know what the grandma wants to talk to me about. Why did she ask Manager Jiang to deliver the message?"
"Oh, Grandma Xi has a really good memory. She still remembers me. To be honest, I came here to tell you something private."
"Private matters? What are those? As the saying goes, there is nothing that cannot be told to others. Just tell me." Fan said calmly.
Mrs. Jiang thought to herself, you whore, you are pretending to be nice to me in person!
"Grandma, if you want me to tell you, I dare not. I want to tell you about the past when you were still a young lady, and you once
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