This interruption made the Queen Mother forget to ask Cheng Chuyu whether she was engaged.
She praised everyone and said a few words of encouragement to each of them without paying much attention. When it was Sheng Xiyan's turn, she first casually praised her for playing the piano well, and then changed the subject and said, "Ms. Sheng, you should get married in the next year."
Sheng Xiyan's wedding date was set for the ninth day of March, which was an auspicious day calculated by Zen Master Kongming himself.
Sheng Xiyan smiled and said, "Yes."
She responded neither humbly nor arrogantly, and she did not show any shyness at all when talking about marriage. Her generosity and composure made many ladies secretly praise her.
The Queen Mother nodded slightly and continued, "Achen has already been promoted to the title and is now the King of Zhenbei."
She paused deliberately, picked up the teacup, and skimmed off the foam with the tea lid. She originally wanted to wait and see Sheng Xiyan's awkward look, but Sheng Xiyan in front of her was still calm and composed, not in a hurry.
The Queen Mother felt even more uncomfortable and said in one breath: "Miss Shengda, I see that you have not learned the rules very well."
Sheng Xiyan was not afraid at all, instead she smiled and replied, "The Queen Mother is right."
Her words were gentle, and the curve of her lips did not change at all, but the way she looked at the Queen Mother was as if she was looking at an ignorant child.
Queen Mother: “…”
The Queen Mother said in a smooth manner: "As a princess of a vassal state, the rules and regulations you need to learn are not the same as those you have to learn as a concubine, Mammy Xu and Mammy Ma."
The Queen Mother shouted, and then said, "You should go back with Miss Shengda today and teach her a lesson."
The Queen Mother's words were meaningful.
After asking her daughter to discipline Sheng Xiyan last time without success, she had been thinking about asking two maids to go there herself, but there had never been a suitable opportunity.
I just happened to be feeling very angry today, so I just did this as well.
The Queen Mother felt that her arrangements were extremely appropriate.
These religious rules are, of course, more than just religious rules.
The Zhenbei Palace had just been thoroughly cleaned a while ago, and she had also heard the emperor mention that all the hidden stakes in the palace had been removed. Perhaps because Chu Yuanchen had returned to the capital, Princess Jingle had become much more assertive, and this time the cleanup was done forcefully and without any scruples. Now the emperor was completely in the dark about the Zhenbei Palace.
Originally there was Jiang Ting, but Jiang Ting is about to be sent to exile, and no one from the Jiang family is left behind, which means that now they cannot place anyone in the Zhenbei Palace.
Although the emperor did not mention it, the empress dowager could see that he was in a bad mood recently. Plus, his youngest son was often causing trouble, and the empress dowager was afraid that the emperor would be upset. She wanted to share some of the emperor's worries and say a few good words for his youngest son. She didn't want to make the brothers alienated.
Sheng Xiyan is indeed arrogant and domineering, but if she is taught well, she will be a good chess piece in the future, and maybe she can be as useful as Jiang Ting.
"Madame Xu? Madame Ma?" Sheng Xiyan glanced at the two maids and said with a smile, "Thank you, Queen Mother."
Seeing that she accepted it obediently, the Queen Mother nodded silently.
Jiang Ting has been married to Zhu for more than 20 years, and he can betray her at will. Sheng Xiyan hasn't even married yet, and the Queen Mother doesn't believe that she is not afraid.
The Queen Mother was very thoughtful and did not notice that the two maids trembled noticeably when their names were called. They looked at each other and were about to cry.
The princess ordered the ladies to continue to bow their heads and adjust their sleeves.
The Queen Mother gave the winner a reward and then left.
As soon as the Empress Dowager left, a group of ladies followed. After leaving the girls' school and respectfully seeing the Empress Dowager off, they all looked excited.
Today's Jinxin Conference can be said to be extremely exciting, and I'm afraid there will be a lot more topics to talk about in the capital.
The true face of Zhao Yuanrou, the so-called talented woman, has been completely exposed. The grievances and love-hate relationship between King Zhao, Zhou Jingxun and Zhao Yuanrou can be turned into a big drama.
They couldn't wait to find someone to talk it out.
"Let's go back too." Cheng Chuyu said excitedly, "I've reserved a seat, let's go see a play. But this play is definitely not as good as today's play."
After Cheng Chuyu finished speaking, she thought of something else, glanced at the two maids following behind Sheng Xiyan, and said hesitantly: "It's okay if you don't see it today. Sister Yan, do you want to go to the Zhenbei Palace?"
She deliberately said, "I haven't paid my respects to the princess for quite some time. Why don't we go together?"
She wanted to use the opportunity of paying her respects to signal Sheng Xiyan to ask Princess Jingle to take charge of the matter. At least she couldn't let these two maids bully her.
"No need." Sheng Xiyan said with a smile, "Let's go watch the show."
Cheng Chuyu was afraid that the nanny would stop her, but when she looked over, she saw that they were both standing quietly, with their hands clasped in front of them, their brows lowered and their eyes submissive.
Cheng Chuyu: “…”
She couldn't help but feel a little strange. How could they be more submissive than they were in front of the Queen Mother? Was it an illusion?
"Let's go, let's go watch a show!"
Cheng Chuyu didn't think about it anymore, took her arm, and went out happily.
The two maids looked at each other and followed obediently.
The carriage went directly to the theater. The Sheng family's carriage was small and could not accommodate so many people, so the two maids got on the Cheng family's empty carriage.
After watching the show in the theater until three quarters after pm, it was almost time to go back.
Cheng Chuyu was still very satisfied with what he saw. After leaving the theater, he still held Sheng Xiyan's arm and kept talking.
The two maids didn't say a word from beginning to end, as if they didn't exist.
Cheng Chuyu was amazed. She had heard people say that whenever the empress dowager gave a nanny to teach rules and regulations, it was with the intention of torturing people.
The former Princess Shun was like this. She was born into a military family and loved playing with swords and guns. The Queen Mother said that she was undisciplined, so before Princess Shun got married, she sent several maids to teach her how to behave.
I don't know how she was taught, but when she got married, Princess Shun was as stiff as a mannequin. Now Prince Shun has several concubines, and he thinks Princess Shun is dull and boring, so he openly favors his concubines over his wife.
Cheng Chuyu was originally worried that Sheng Xiyan would be bullied.
"Sister Yan." Cheng Chuyu took her arm, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "These nannies in the palace are all bullies who only fear the strong. You must not back down. The more you give in to them, the more they will push their luck."
Sheng Xiyan nodded and said firmly, "Don't worry." She glanced at the two maids, and they immediately lowered their heads even lower and shrank back, as if they were facing some kind of ferocious beast.
Cheng Chuyu didn't notice it at all, and continued to remind him seriously: "If there is anything, go find the princess. The princess likes you so much, she will definitely make the decision for you..."
"ah."
Cheng Chuyu was so focused on talking that he didn't notice an old woman suddenly walked out of the alley, and the two of them almost bumped into each other.
She reacted very quickly, immediately raised her hand to support the old woman, and asked, "Are you okay?"
The old woman looked to be in her sixties, with cloudy and lifeless eyes. Her wrinkled face vaguely showed the delicate features of her youth. It was the outline of her face that made Sheng Xiyan feel vaguely familiar.
Her silver hair was tied into a bun with a jade hairpin inserted in it, a headband on her forehead, jade bracelets on her wrists, fair skin, and a blessed look. She was wearing a brocade dress with gold thread outlines, and was obviously an old lady from a wealthy family.
The old woman had a blank expression on her face. She didn't answer, nor did she shake off Cheng Chuyu. She stared straight ahead, looking a little dazed.
An old lady of this age cannot afford to fall, so Sheng Xiyan hurried to help her. She held her arm and was about to check if she was not hurt, and she also took her pulse with her fingers.
At this, she was slightly stunned and her eyebrows furrowed.
"Grandma, Grandma, why did you come out?"
At this time, a group of people rushed out from the alley.
There was a man and a woman, about thirty years old, who looked wealthy and seemed to be a couple. They were followed by several servants such as maids and nannies.
As soon as they saw the old woman, their faces lit up and they hurried over. The woman supported her anxiously and asked worriedly, "Grandma, are you okay?" Then she thanked Sheng Xiyan and the others, "Thank you very much, girls. My grandma is a little..." She pointed to her head, meaning that she was a little stupid.
The old woman does look like she has Alzheimer's disease.
"Grandma, let's go back." The woman supported the old woman and said gently, "The carriage is still ahead."
"Wait a minute." Cheng Chuyu asked cautiously, "Excuse me, madam, which family are you from?"
The woman was startled for a moment, then immediately said kindly, "Miss, we are from the Anping Marquis's Mansion, and this is our mansion's token."
A maid took out a token from her sleeve pocket and showed it to Cheng Chuyu.
The woman continued, "This is my master's grandmother, the lady of our house. My master and I just came to the capital from Lingnan. I got off the carriage at the entrance of the alley just now, but I didn't expect that in the blink of an eye, my grandmother disappeared." She said with a lingering fear, "It's a pity for the two girls."
Cheng Chuyu bowed and said, "It turns out to be the Marquis's wife."
There is no need for a marquis's wife to kidnap an old man.
Cheng Chuyu thought so and said with a smile, "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, it's okay." Lady Anping said softly, "Then we'll go first."
Cheng Chuyu quickly stepped aside.
At this moment, the carriage of the Marquis of Anping's Mansion also came from the other end of the alley. This carriage was indeed a standard carriage of the Marquis' Mansion. The Marquis of Anping's wife helped the lady-in-waiting to get into the carriage, looking very careful, fearing that she would get bumped or bruised.
After the carriage left, Cheng Chuyu turned around and said, "The wife of Marquis Anping has a really good temper."
A marquis' wife was not at all arrogant. She was unaware of their identities and was very kind to them.
Sheng Xiyan pondered and said, "Anping Marquis Mansion... Why does it sound familiar to me?"
"It's the Xue family." Cheng Chuyu obviously knew. "After Prince Xue's family passed away, the late emperor felt sorry for the Xue family because there was no one to offer incense to them, so he let Xue's distant relative take over as the successor and respect Prince Xue as his father."
That’s right!
Anping Marquis Mansion. Sheng Xiyan remembered that this was the case.
The one who inherited the throne was a distant relative of the Xue family, so the late emperor did not allow him to seize the title of a vassal king. Instead, after taking back the fiefdom, he gave him the nominal title of Marquis of Anping.
The Lingnan King and his wife only had one blood relative left, Princess Lingnan's biological mother, so the late emperor allowed her to be supported and honored her as the Grand Madam of the palace.
"That old lady," Sheng Xiyan murmured, "could she be Princess Lingnan's mother?"
Marquis Anping was the adopted son of Prince Xue and called Prince Xue and his wife his parents.
"Huh?" Cheng Chuyu blinked. She counted the relationship on her fingers and understood. "That's right! She said she was Marquis Anping's grandmother. Marquis Anping should call the late princess his mother."
Sheng Xiyan vaguely remembered that the Anping Marquis Mansion seemed to be mentioned in the middle or late part of the novel, and it was only mentioned briefly, saying that everyone in the Anping Marquis Mansion was killed, and no one was left alive.
At this time in the previous life, the Anping Marquisate should not have come to the capital yet.
"The Marquis of Anping's Mansion is in Lingnan?" Sheng Xiyan confirmed.
Cheng Chuyu nodded and said, "Yes. However, I heard from my father that after the emperor proved Prince Xue's innocence that day, he ordered the Anping Marquis's family to move to the capital."
She looked around carefully, then leaned close to Sheng Xiyan's ear and lowered her voice very low: "My father also said that because people are saying that the late emperor treated the princes as useless, he called people to the capital to show that the emperor has always been thinking about Prince Xue who passed away earlier."
After saying this, she immediately stood up and pretended nothing had happened.
Just for show?
This is easy to understand.
This Marquis of Anping is the emperor's golden signboard to the outside world.
No wonder they had never been to the capital in their previous life, because the emperor didn’t need this signboard at all at that time.
Sheng Xiyan stared deeply in the direction where the carriage was leaving for a few seconds, then silently withdrew her gaze.
After sending Cheng Chuyu to the carriage and making an appointment to go buy storybooks together in a few days, Sheng Xiyan went straight back to the mansion. She reported to Mrs. Liu as per the rules, and then took Xigui and two maids back to her Caicen Courtyard.
After entering the main room, she yawned lazily, then lay down on the beauty couch, went back and closed the door.
The moment the door closed, the two maids shuddered obviously. Then, their knees went weak and with two "thumps", they knelt in front of Sheng Xiyan.
Xigui: “…”
Xigui looked puzzled.
The Queen Mother gave the girl two maids and insisted that she bring them back, which was indeed a bit awkward, but Xigui believed that her girl would definitely be able to keep them in line, so she didn't worry too much.
However, no matter how hard she thought, she could not have imagined that the two maids would behave like this as soon as they entered the room. This was...
Old cold legs acting up?
Xigui was lost in thought, and then he deftly poured a cup of warm water for Sheng Xiyan who was leaning on the beauty couch.
After moistening her throat, Sheng Xiyan said to the maids kneeling below, "Mammies, there is no need to perform such a grand ceremony."
Her almond-shaped eyes are gentle and her aura is calm and elegant.
But the two maids became even more flustered. They looked at each other. Madam Xu forced a smile and said attentively and carefully, "Young lady, don't worry. I will never interfere. I am here, you can order me around. I can, I can... I am the best at combing hair! When I was young, I was a palace maid who combed hair. I combed hair very well. I'm sure I can do it better than your maid."
She smiled ingratiatingly, trying hard to show that she was actually very useful.
Xigui: “…” Why do I suddenly feel like my job has been snatched away from me?
Girls love to comb their own hair the most!!
Ma Ma was not to be outdone, and quickly added: "I can massage legs and make soup. I will go to the kitchen and prepare a table of delicious dishes for you."
Xigui: “…”
Aren’t they the foster nurses given by the Queen Mother?
Did I make a mistake? I feel like something is not right...
As soon as Mammy Ma finished speaking, Mammy Xu followed up, her face almost stiff with laughter: "Young lady, don't worry, I won't tell anyone a word about your affairs."
"If you tell me to go east, I will never go west."
"I will obey your orders in everything and will not make decisions on my own."
Nanny Ma nodded frantically beside her, fearing that Sheng Xiyan might think she was not sincere enough.
It's so cold today, their backs are already sticky and covered with cold sweat!
How could they be so unlucky that the Queen Mother would give them to Miss Shengda and train them? What a joke! If they had known this would happen, they would have pretended to be sick and not left the palace today.
Who among the twelve inner court supervisors dares to offend Governor Xiao?
Even if they were not the Twelve Inner Court Supervisors, they would not dare to offend the slaves working in the palace.
Isn't this seeking death?!
Not only is he seeking death, but he is also seeking neither life nor death. In comparison, offending the Queen Mother is not a big deal. To be disrespectful, it is only the Queen Mother herself who cannot understand that this inner court is no longer the inner court of the past.
The two maids looked at Sheng Xiyan cautiously, and they were almost ready to swear to the heavens or cut out their hearts to prove their loyalty.
Sheng Xiyan: “…”
Can I really walk around the capital city as I please now?
After the Queen Mother gave the person to the man, she noticed that the two maids were a little too respectful. Sheng Xiyan guessed that it was because of Xiao Shuo's influence, and sure enough...
Even without Xiao Shuo, she could still subdue them, but it would take a lot of effort. Now it is obviously easier for her.
Sheng Xiyan finished drinking the water, handed it back to Xigui, and asked directly: "What did the Queen Mother ask you to do?" There was a faint smile on her face, as if she was chatting casually.
Ma Ma did not dare to hide it, and said in one breath: "The Queen Mother told me to train the girl well, so that when she marries to the Zhenbei Palace in the future, she will listen to the Queen Mother's words and pass on messages for her."
After she finished speaking, she added in a panic, "Don't worry, young lady. I will never do that. You are a first-class noblewoman in the capital. I am not qualified to teach you."
Sheng Xiyan knew this was the case as soon as she guessed it. This royal family is really like to use the same tricks.
First it was Jiang Ting, and then he set his sights on her... It's really annoying.
Ma Ma was still trying to show her loyalty: "Don't worry, we servants will never say anything nonsense."
Aunt Xu also nodded frequently.
Yes, yes! They will definitely listen.
As long as you don't annoy them, it's okay to beat them or scold them.
Don't get angry with them just because they were sent by the Queen Mother!
Sheng Xiyan: “…”
She secretly sighed that Xiao Shuo was truly powerful, and said, "You guys get up."
"In my case, my word is the rule."
"As long as you follow the rules, I won't take it out on you."
What she meant was: be obedient.
Both maids were experienced people who had been in the palace for decades, so of course they understood.
They breathed a sigh of relief and said quickly, "The young lady is right." Then they trembled and climbed up from the ground.
Sheng Xiyan ordered, "Xigui, take the two maids to their rooms."
Of course, she would not trust two strangers so easily. There were many houses in the yard, so it would be okay to keep them.
Xigui was already stunned, but when he heard the words, he came back to his senses and bowed, saying, "It's the girl." The girl is really majestic now...
After the nanny left, Sheng Xiyan yawned and continued to lie there lazily, thinking about the things that happened in girls' school.
She couldn't understand how Zhao Yuanrou had the music score. She had never played this piece of music to anyone before. Even if Zhao Yuanrou had the same opportunity as herself and lived her life again, she would never know it...
It started snowing outside the window again. The snowflakes were fluttering down, and gradually a thin layer of snow covered the yard.
“It’s snowing.”
After this snow, the weather should be even colder.
Sheng Xiyan cheered up, got up and went to the small study.
There were several medical books on her desk, as well as several pages of discarded rice paper, which were densely written with words, all of which were prescriptions.
The snow continued to fall for two days. When it stopped, she went to the Zhenbei Palace to pay her respects to Princess Jingle.
"sister."
Sheng Yan had been waiting at the ceremonial gate for a while. As soon as he saw her, he hurried over and said, "I'll take you there."
He also had to go to Zhenbei Palace for classes today. Sheng Xiyan arrived early, so they could go together.
As soon as Sheng Xiyan got on the carriage, he rode his horse to guard beside her, holding his head high and looking straight ahead.
He secretly felt that he was extremely impressive and his sister would definitely be in awe when she saw him and would think that he was no longer a little brat!
As a result, Sheng Xiyan felt cold and didn't look outside along the way.
After waiting for a long time, they finally arrived at the Zhenbei Palace. The carriage stopped at the ceremonial gate. Sheng Yan quickly straightened his cloak and his hair that was messed up by the wind. He was just a few breaths late, and someone got to the front of the carriage before him, raised his hand and opened the curtain.
Sheng Yan: “…”
Seeing the hand stretched out in front of her, Sheng Xiyan stopped naturally. She didn't even need to kick her feet and jumped off the carriage with the help of his hand.
"Achen!"
Chu Yuanchen was at the age of full of vigor and vitality, and his broad palms were warm, more comfortable than a hand warmer. His fingertips were covered with thin threads from years of wielding swords and guns, and they rubbed against her delicate palms, making them a little itchy.
Sheng Xiyan looked up and smiled sweetly at him.
Xigui was holding the cloak and was about to help her put it on when Chu Yuanchen took it over, put it around her shoulders himself, and tied it up carefully.
Sheng Yan: “…”
Alas. How come his sister can't see how wise and powerful he is?
Is he no longer her favorite Yan Ge'er?
"Brother Yan, let's go."
Sheng Xiyan called out from the front, and Sheng Yan immediately perked up and followed happily.
As a result, Chu Yuanchen said, "Brother Yan, your master is getting impatient."
Sheng Yan exclaimed, "Ah!" and quickly said, "Sister, Prince, I'm leaving first." As he said that, he ran away quickly.
Chu Yuanchen was satisfied. He put a hand warmer that was kept in his arms into her hands, matched her pace, walked side by side with her, and chatted with her casually.
Xigui silently took a few steps back, and then a few more steps back.
When they were almost at the martial arts arena, Chu Yuanchen suddenly changed the subject and said, "Ayan, if you have time in a few days, can you come out with me?"
Sheng Xiyan tilted her head and looked at him: "Where are you going?"
"Marquis Anping and his family have come to the capital." Chu Yuanchen said, and then explained, "Marquis Anping is the adopted son of Prince Xue by the late emperor. Not long ago, the emperor summoned them to the capital. The emperor wants to save some face for the late emperor, and after a few days, he should arrange for them to pay homage to Prince Xue in a grand manner."
Sheng Xiyan was silent for a moment, then said, "I encountered him on the road a few days ago."
Chu Yuanchen raised his eyebrows, showing a little surprise.
She briefly recounted what happened that day, and then said, "Could that lady be..."
"It's my eldest brother's grandmother." Chu Yuanchen gave her a clear answer.
Sheng Xiyan had already guessed Xiao Shuo's identity, but this was the first time she got Chu Yuanchen's confirmation.
She couldn't help but be silent.
This person who should be so noble, as noble as Chu Yuanchen, is now...
Sheng Xiyan thought of her previous life, and felt even more sad.
In his previous life, even Chu Yuanchen died. Perhaps for Xiao Shuo, apart from turning the dynasty upside down, his life had no other meaning.
No wonder he decided to die in the end.
That's because his goal has been achieved and nothing else can move him.
Sometimes living is harder than dying.
She had experienced this feeling of total despair in her previous life...but it was definitely not as bad as Xiao Shuo's.
Sheng Xiyan calmed down and said bluntly: "Achen, the pulse of that lady seems a little strange..."