"That would be a good match. Our family used to have some dealings with the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion. But when is the wedding date going to be set?" Mrs. Lin continued.
Yu said with a smile: "We have to wait until they come to Beijing to formally get engaged. Now they have returned to Huguang. If the Wang family receives a letter of admission in the provincial examination next year, it will be double happiness. Even if they don't, we are ready to hold the wedding."
"That's a very kind thing to say." Lin praised.
Yu smiled but said nothing. She called Yu Yan's future mother-in-law, the eighth wife of the Lin family, to come over to discuss the marriage. Yao Niang, a little girl, was taken to visit the Lin family's garden. The one who took her around the garden was a maid named Peony. She was particularly beautiful and lived up to her name of Peony.
"Where do you serve?" Yao Niang asked.
How come she had no impression of such an outstanding girl in her previous life?
Mudan smiled and said, "I am serving the prince in the study. Because I am good at sewing, I have been sewing in the upper room these days."
This situation means that Mudan is Lin Weinan's concubine. No wonder she was sent here today instead of anyone else. It seems that Mudan is not only proficient in writing and can serve Lin Weinan well, but also very much liked by Mrs. Lin.
Yao Niang reasonably guessed that maybe this Peony was dealt with by Luo Jingrou in her previous life, otherwise why didn't she hear about it again. But she would not show these on her face, this was just her guess, without any real evidence, and this life was different, she couldn't rely on her previous life for everything.
"So, sister Mudan is very good at sewing? I also started learning sewing at the beginning of the year, but I'm not very good at it. I will need your advice in the future." Yao Niang followed her words.
Mudan was humble again. She knew that the more polite these daughters of officials were, the more respect they showed. In reality, how could they really ask her for advice?
Especially this lady Luo Wu, her great-grandfather was the chief academic officer of the Imperial Academy, her grandfather was the top scholar in the imperial examination, and served as the Minister of Punishments, known as Luo Dasikou, her great-uncle was the Minister of Public Security, and her father was the Director of the Ministry of Personnel, a person that high-ranking officials from other places would visit when they came to the capital. Her uncle was also the Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple, and her family was married to the Fenyang Palace.
People say that, how can Mudan really be so arrogant?
"Miss Luo, although our Lin family has always been far away in Datong Xuanfu, our family servants have also been in Beijing. The people who cultivate this garden don't pay much attention to it, but this cyclamen has been blooming since winter and has been so beautiful all the time until this spring."
"I think it's not just the cyclamen, the pansies and geraniums are also in full bloom. That's how it is in spring, with pink, white and red everywhere. Our garden is the same. But I planted a pot of iris in my garden, which is light purple."
Mudan said happily: "I like Iris too."
"If you like, I can send you a few pots. It's not a big deal."
Because of this pot of iris, the two felt closer. Yao Niang even gave an armlet she was wearing to Mudan, and Mudan gave Yao Niang a tourmaline hairpin.
"We are slaves, and we don't have anything good. This is a gift from the eldest prince's wife."
Yes, the Lin family now has an aunt married to the eldest prince as his principal wife, but when Yao Niang saw the tourmaline hairpin, she quickly declined: "Such a valuable item is not worth asking my sister for, so put it away and give me an ordinary item instead."
Mudan was adamant and refused, so Yao Niang had no choice but to accept it. However, she was also moved by Mudan's enthusiasm. No wonder she was just a little girl, but was valued by both Lin Weinan and Mrs. Lin.
After returning from the garden, Mrs. Lin called a troupe to perform a play, and they also had a meal together. Yao Niang always liked to eat the cypress seed mutton from the Zhongjing Marquis's Mansion. This mutton is only available in Zhongyang County, Shanxi. It is fresh, tender, fragrant, and not fishy or smelly. Many people call it "local ginseng."
Seeing that Yao Niang liked it, Mrs. Lin said with a smile, "It's rare that you like to eat this mutton. Several of our Nan brothers can't get used to it, but I like it."
"Mrs. Lin, I don't eat much mutton at home because I think it's fishy. But the mutton cooked in your house has no fishy smell at all. Instead, it's fresh and tender. I think it tastes good. My father is the same as me. I just regret that he didn't come today. Otherwise, if he had eaten it, he would definitely do the same as me." Yao Niang smiled.
Mrs. Lin laughed out loud: "You kid, you're here to ask your father for food. I don't believe that your family doesn't have anything."
Yao Niang said, "Ah, you figured it out. You're a good person."
Seeing her daughter able to socialize with adults without any instruction, Yu felt relieved. She was afraid that her daughter would not be able to adapt or would become too arrogant.
When the mother and daughter returned home, the Lin family actually sent them cypress seed mutton. Yao Niang smiled and said, "This is for Dad."
"Then your father must be very happy." Yu couldn't help but say.
Yao Niang's feelings towards Luo Zhizheng are too complicated. She knows that her father treats her well now, but that is based on the fact that she has become better. But if one day she is not what he expects, he may not be nice to her anymore.
This is different from mom. No matter what she becomes, mom will love her the most.
When he got home, Luo Zhizheng was at home, and Yu praised him: "Your daughter had a dish of cypress seed mutton at the Marquis's residence. It tasted delicious, and she insisted that you must like it, and she specially asked for it. Look how filial she is."
"Didn't I say I don't eat mutton? How did you get that?" Luo Zhizheng complained.
"Do you think I am like you, thinking about food every day?"
Knowing that her husband had a bad mouth, Yu didn't care. She just said that the meat was delicious and not fishy. She spoke softly and gently, and Luo Zhizheng only spoke to her.
Of course, Yao Niang didn't know all this. She returned to the east room almost immediately after paying her respects. The first thing she asked was how Jinghao was doing. Although the matter of Fan's family was resolved, no one knew how her brother Jinghao fell to the bottom of the lake.
Although Jinghao's wet nurse, Nanny Song, was not a loyal servant, she was an honest person with a courage smaller than that of a mouse. She was definitely not someone who would dare to harm her young son.
This matter lingered in her mind and she dared not take it lightly.
"The Third Young Master just came back from school and is doing his homework. I dare not disturb him." Yinrong said.
"Okay." Yao Niang felt relieved.
These days, there is no need to learn rules, so Yao Niang puts all her energy into studying. The same goes for Shi Yu. They can't play after school like before. Since they are already registered and ready to choose study partners, they don't want to be eliminated because of their academic performance, otherwise, others will think they are idiots.
Of course, because of the post, Luo Jingrou also knew about her marriage.
This was a bolt from the blue for her. Shi Zhen was jealous of her and said jokingly with a smile: "Third uncle and aunt have told you about a talented person."
Shi Zhen originally thought that the Shan family was no longer as powerful as before, but the Shan family was really generous. For just a small deposit, they gave a deposit of nearly one hundred kg, which made Shi Zhen very proud.
She was different from the others. The ladies in the mansion would not mention money easily, thinking that money was vulgar, but she thought that only yellow and white things were the most lovely. Those people were noble, but she was not.
The Shan family satisfied her on this point, but seeing that the man Luo Jingrou was engaged to was so prominent, she couldn't help but feel jealous again.
Luo Jingrou curled her lips and said, "Second sister, how can we girls talk about this all the time? I won't talk to you about it." Then she stood up and left.
When they were left, Zhenhe's maid Baozhu said indignantly: "She really thinks she is a fairy."
Baozhu smiled and said, "Maybe the third lady also wants to be like our eldest lady."
"She really overestimates her own abilities. The reason why our family was able to have an eldest sister is because my father was once the chief historian of Prince Heng, but my third uncle was banished for the sake of the eldest prince. My eldest sister had the support of Concubine Liao in the palace, so she was able to marry into the Prince of Fenyang's Mansion. Who would care about my third sister? The Marquis of Yanping's Mansion did have a concubine, but she has not been favored for a long time. How can she compare with Concubine Liao?" Luo Shizhen himself was unlucky, and of course he didn't want to see Luo Jingrou come to the fore.
Luo Jingrou put all her attention on choosing a partner. She hoped that she would be noticed by a nobleman through this. How could the Wang family dare to compete with the nobleman? In this way, she would be considered a success.
Shi Yu didn't understand, so she asked Yao Niang, "Fifth sister, you said that Third sister is already engaged, why is she still studying so hard? Anyway, even if she is chosen, she still has to come back to get married when the time comes. She can't study with me for many years like this."
"I don't know either." Yao Niang shook her head.
Shi Yu asked Aunt Qin again, and Aunt Qin sneered: "Our third daughter is so proud and arrogant. The old master and the mistress chose such a good in-law, but she is still not satisfied. She just wants to enter the palace and become the queen. She is very similar to her mother, with high aspirations."
Shi Yu didn't understand: "But the eldest sister can get married, so it's understandable that the third sister wants to marry someone better."
"That's not the way it is said. The eldest girl has been a companion for several years. To say she is a companion just sounds respectable. How is she different from the eldest maid beside you? Besides, your second uncle is the man of Prince Heng and has the support of Concubine Liao. Your father supports the eldest prince. Since ancient times, if there is no legitimate son, the legitimate son will be supported. Why do you think the madam only took the fifth girl to the Zhongjing Marquis's Mansion and even sent her own niece there? It's because the Zhongjing Marquis's Mansion gave birth to the eldest prince's wife. But the madam only wants to make plans for her own daughter. How could she make plans for the third girl?" Aunt Qin entered the mansion very early and had a very clear understanding of the place.
Moreover, she has a promising son, and the managers outside all give her some respect.
Shi Yu really didn't expect that his wife would be so thoughtful. No wonder his mother said that if a person doesn't work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth. It seems that everyone has their own selfish desires.
But it is said that on the Dragon Boat Festival, the kitchen cooked the cypress seed mutton that Yao Niang brought back. Yu served the dish to Luo Zhizheng, who took one bite and couldn't stop eating.
He didn't really like eating mutton, but this cypress seed mutton was extremely tender.
飯畢，他看向郁氏道：“這道菜還真是不錯。”
“是啊，要不然這五丫頭巴巴的要過來說給爹爹吃，前兒還跟我說給爹爹吃了沒有，我還怕老爺你不喜歡吃呢。”郁氏不禁埋怨羅至正。
羅至正笑道：“罷罷罷，我什麽事情都被你成日家說，天天念叨，我對你們的好，你們是一點也記不得了。”
這也不怪郁氏只提自己女兒，人皆有私心，但是她也沒有損害別人的利益。如果是羅家共同的親眷，她一般都會帶着走動，但是是她本人認得的，自然只提自己的女兒，還有争寵也是各憑本事。
你秦姨娘當年在我進門時，風光無限時，你還不是把敬淵時雨都攏在膝下，天天在老爺面前提起。
現在她能夠公平對待時雨，已經是不錯了，怎麽可能和自己女兒一樣。
過了端午，天熱起來，好在瑤娘她們在園子裏學，園子裏的大樹遮雲蔽日，竟不會感到太曬，反而偶有微風吹來，覺得涼爽太多了。
因為可能要進宮選伴讀，自然就不能和以前那般了，沈先生也是最大限度的講四書，她們去年學了訓诂之後，今年開始學《弟子規》，之後就是從《論語》等等開始學。
瑤娘已經在這個月開始每日白讀書，晚上背書寫字，一日不敢歇息，平日還要學女紅，還好她女紅前世有底子，這輩子輕松許多。
如此，時雨就慢了不少，因為她是一個真正七歲的孩子，固然有秦姨娘在旁邊很早就提點，但是有瑤娘時刻比着，她進度太慢，故而愈發擔心，還因此生了一場病。
而此時已然是七月了，瑤娘聽到這個消息，覺得這輩子也許因為她的重生，連時雨的命運也似乎不同了。
她單獨去看了時雨一場，見她咳嗽頻頻，連忙道：“這幾日雖然天熱，但你一定得保養好，禮部會再派官員來的，否則你這般進宮就不好了。”
時雨心中有些羞愧，她本以為自己生病，五姐姐會幸災樂禍，可能還會勸她不必進宮了，沒想到她竟然對自己關懷有加。
但姨娘所言也不無道理，她只能做的不那麽極端了，她不可能剖心對五姐姐，永遠也做不到，她不信任任何人，可她能夠在不損害自己的利益前提下對五姐姐好。
瑤娘當然和時雨關系前世非常一般，這輩子二人都是孩童，好起來關系是真好，甚至同榻而眠，但除非郁氏一直對時雨和她是一樣的，否則，二人也不可能交心。
“五姐姐，大夫說我這咳疾若是好的快，不過幾日，有那好的慢的，甚至幾個月都還咳嗽。如果我不能進宮，那請你保重。”時雨咳嗽的床板似乎都在抖動。
瑤娘還是道：“六妹妹好生保養，你我姊妹一道，即便不能做昭平公主的伴讀，還有其她郡主的伴讀，這樣我們一起做伴讀，一起在宮裏相互扶持，豈不是很好？”
本來還有些芥蒂的時雨思路也打開了，是啊，昭平公主只有一個，可是諸王之女卻有多個，她突然意識到秦姨娘有時候說的話也不盡然對。
就比如她拿黃姨娘做例子，可是沒有黃姨娘，依舊也有青棠、紅袖，若是姨娘有黃姨娘扶持，兩個姨娘只要有一人受寵，在爹面前提另一位，也總比現在黃姨娘過世，姨娘現在也不受寵強啊。
就像點心只有一塊，大家争的死去活來的，可分明是因為點心給少了，如果一人一碟，她還吃不完呢。
秦姨娘總覺得她和其她姐妹的關系是非死即活的，以為只有一塊點心，而實際上，她們是可以一人一碟的，只要她和五姐姐一起共同努力。
“好，那我要喝五姐姐以前跟皓哥兒做的那個白蘿蔔水止咳。”時雨拉着瑤娘撒嬌。
“沒問題，不過也不能亂喝。”瑤娘刮了一下她的鼻子。
她還替時雨梳頭發，時雨纏着她講故事，做小蝴蝶，姐妹倆叽叽咕咕說了半晌。
秦姨娘等瑤娘走了，又想說什麽，時雨卻道：“姨娘，五姐姐待我好，就像您說的，太太若是真的替她找了關系，那我跟着五姐姐一起，興許別人也會多看顧我幾分呢。”
對女兒的固執，秦姨娘也就不便說什麽了，女兒大了，白日不是在讀書就是在上房請安說話用膳，她和羅敬柔的想法是一樣的。
若郁氏真的偏心在明處，或者瑤娘再壞些，做出些她明确能抓到錯處的也罷了。
偏生她們還真的沒有什麽壞心，好也還算很好，至少月例，平日交際、衣裳，甚至是時雨常常能見到羅至正也是郁氏讓人請時雨過去用飯的。
再有自己兒子在外交際的花銷，老爺還未想到時，太太就提出來了，三不五時去山上送棉衣吃食，這要秦姨娘自己也沒法抱怨了。
時雨心病去了，病也好的很快，瑤娘也為她高興。
禮部派人勘驗，對照幾個月前的描述仔細核對之後，發了相關的牌子，這就相當于她們的身份證明。
比如瑤娘這裏就寫的是上述三代，何為仕宦名門，就是這了。左邊書寫曾祖特贈光祿大夫，已故國子監祭酒羅一魁，祖父升授光祿大夫，已故南京刑部尚書羅士兆，父為奉政大夫吏部文選司郎中羅至正，右下角則寫前母恭人汪氏，母為恭人郁氏，行二，名時微，再有出生年月不再表。
而敬柔的和時雨的在母親上略有不同，敬柔寫的母恭人汪氏，繼母恭人郁氏。
時雨處則是寫的，前母恭人汪氏，母恭人郁氏，生母秦氏。
懂行的大概一眼能看出誰是原配所出，誰是繼室所出，誰是偏房所出了。
這不是選秀，當然也不必要像秀女們還要住進宮中如何，但是檢查身體是要的，萬一你有痨病，傳染給宮裏貴人如何是好。
所以，第一步是在八月初六進宮先進宮查驗去。
正好郁氏就把羅時岚請了回來，羅時岚看了這三位妹妹一眼，先是道：“這頭次進宮，只是那些嬷嬷們在外看着，有禦醫把脈，故而準備兩封銀子，禦醫，一封給那些嬷嬷們。”
“到第二場，才會讓你們寫字，大字小字都要寫，再考經義這些。我想也并不會很難，但是字一定要寫好，有些娘娘們大抵不識字，但是能看出字工不工整。”
羅時岚的話是金玉良言了。
三姐妹站起來連忙謝過羅時岚，羅時岚則笑道：“還有，有些自稱仕宦名門，實際上也不過是假稱，咱們家的姑娘不必擔心。”
那是，一門五進士的羅家可不是開玩笑的啊。
羅敬柔更添信心，她還有位素未謀面的姨母在宮裏，這位姨母也曾經生過一位小公主，但之後就失寵，後來就只逢年過節賞賜些東西回來，除此之外，似乎也不太熟悉。
但無論如何，有個人在宮裏，總比沒有的好，而且還是主位。
當然，最後這個關系要留在之後再說。
瑤娘看着羅敬柔，卻覺得很怪，按照常理羅敬柔條件其實非常不錯，即便選不成昭平公主的伴讀，但也還有其他王府，甚至她還有延平侯汪家做後盾。
這樣的條件怎麽會落選呢？還記得前世她仿佛是很快就落選了。
羅敬柔也不會覺得自己會落選，甚至認為她當公主的伴讀也可以，只要她會哄人，到時候瞞着高位者賜婚，那王家不退婚也得退，因此此行只能成功不能失敗。
至于瑤娘卻不會完全指望所謂的大皇子妃，興許包括郁氏甚至林家都以為大皇子妃是皇長子妃，也很有分量，殊不知前世她曾經聽說過一些皇長子府上的事情。
據說當年選秀，只從北直隸、南直隸并山東、河南還有京中附近選秀，大興府秀女洪雲秀脫穎而出，但因年紀尚小，當年有太後亡故守孝，故而養育宮中，可人人視為皇長子妃，只等孝期過後指婚。
但是天有不測風雲，世事也難料，大同府出身的林氏長姐在宮中做尚宮，曾偶然有一次提及其妹出生時，天降甘霖不說，那次大同府連捷八次。
正好被當今皇帝聽聞，又讓欽天監再次合了八字，因此林尚宮之妹被選為皇長子妃，而原本板上釘釘的洪氏則成了次妃。
不過，洪氏生的聰明美貌，和皇長子耳鬓厮磨，更有青梅竹馬之情，反而是林氏退了一射之地，外人不知曉，但瑤娘因為有前世的經驗，知曉皇長子妃林氏其實沒什麽權利，大皇子非常偏寵洪氏，甚至管家權也分了一些給洪氏。
只不過怕外人知曉，遮掩的好，但林氏也只是面上光。
郁氏給姐妹三人都準備的是雪白絹質滾金邊的中衣，外面都是一樣的湖色梅蘭竹暗紋刻絲褙子，頭上都是精致的絹花，這只是初選，并不需要多麽的華麗。
瑤娘吩咐銀容道：“今兒就把衣裳熨出來，明兒起來正好穿。”
"Yes, I obey your command." Yinrong was also very happy. Her daughter had made progress, and she, as a servant, had also made progress.
At night, lying on the bed, Yao Niang was still a little excited. This was something she had never experienced in her previous life. She even avoided it as much as possible and felt that she did not dare to do it. But no matter what, she had to challenge it once or twice in this life.