Chapter 411: Marriage Again
Two days later, there was a dinner at the Censor's residence.
When Li Taohua appeared with her two beautiful daughters, many people came forward to greet her. Those who took the initiative to talk to her were all wives of officials of the fourth or fifth rank.
At such banquets, the lowest rank was the fourth or fifth grade, and anyone lower than that was not eligible to receive an invitation.
The circle of noble ladies is also divided into different levels. Looking at the small groups one after another, others are afraid that they don’t know how these noble ladies form cliques.
In fact, the relationship between the men in the court can be seen from the interactions between the ladies. The men in the court are sworn enemies, and the ladies will fight to the death at various banquets.
"Is that the stepmother of Chief Censor Tang?" Madam Zhu asked the person next to her.
The man said, "It's her."
"There are two girls next to her. Which one is the one she gave birth to?"
"The bright-looking one is her. The other one is Lord Tang's biological sister."
The ladies nearby looked at each other in bewilderment. One of them was from the Gong family, the eldest wife of the Gong family, Gong Qianmiao's biological mother. The others were wives of officials from the Ministry of Personnel.
The news that the eldest son of the Zhu family fell in love with the stepsister of the upstart Tang Yichen had spread. In the past few days, some people secretly went to the gate of the Tang Mansion to see what Qin Huiyin looked like. There were also people who asked for paintings in the market, wanting to know what this woman who had just arrived in Beijing and became famous looked like. However, within a few days, those people either broke their hands or legs and became completely obedient.
"She is indeed good-looking." Mrs. Zhu said calmly.
"Not only is she good-looking, but I heard she's also a wealth man and good at business." The lady next to her said, "If a family marries a mistress like this, would they still be worried about the family not prospering?"
"Which family like ours doesn't have a rich family background? Marrying a virtuous wife is the way to prosperity." Madam Zhu said calmly, "How can you hope to build a family by relying on business?"
The lady wanted to flatter the horse, but ended up hitting the horse's hoof. She smiled awkwardly and dared not say anything else.
Mrs. Zhu signaled to the old nanny next to her, who understood her meaning and quietly retreated.
"I'm going to go somewhere else, you guys can do whatever you want."
"Mrs. Zhu, take care."
Li Taohua took Qin Huiyin and Tang Luwu for a walk in the mansion, enjoying the scenery and feeding the fish. When they met someone who took the initiative to talk to them, they introduced themselves to each other and got to know each other.
When the servants of the Zhu family came over, Runiang, the maid behind Li Taohua, was the first to notice.
Just then, Zhu Hongxiu and others came to play with them. She sent the two girls away and waited for the old lady to approach. Then she accepted the invitation and followed the old lady to the pavilion.
"This must be Mrs. Zhu. Nice to meet you." Li Taohua saluted.
Mrs. Zhu nodded and pointed to the opposite side: "Please sit down."
Li Taohua thanked her and sat opposite her.
The old nanny brought tea and snacks, then stood behind Mrs. Zhu, as straight as a pole.
"Let's not beat around the bush. Madam Tang should know why I'm here and what I want to say. My Xuan'er is a very filial child with a good heart, which is why he is the top scholar. He is the legitimate son of the family and will inherit the family business in the future. Your family has been reluctant to accept such a good marriage. Are you just like those vulgar people who only care about appearance? Excuse me for being blunt, but no matter how beautiful a person's appearance is, it will eventually fade with age. Your daughter is indeed good-looking, but what the world lacks the most is young and beautiful girls. How many years can your daughter stay young?"
"Madam, I don't agree with what you said. If appearance is not important, why would a man have three wives and four concubines? Don't men want good-looking appearance when they take concubines? If appearance is not important, why do ladies eat bird's nest and shark's fin and use the best beauty creams? Appearance is of course important, not to mention that my daughter is pretty, so of course she should find a good husband to be her perfect match."
"So, your family is really going to reject this marriage?" Madam Zhu's face was grim. "The reason is so funny."
"This marriage is not suitable, of course I have to refuse it. Your family should find another good match! My family has a wild temperament and is really not suitable to be a noble lady."
"Mrs. Zhu, I came to look for you, and you actually came here to seek some peace and quiet." A laughing voice sounded.
Madam Zhu turned around when she heard the voice. When she saw the person coming, her anger disappeared. She stood up and saluted to the lady: "Madam Chen."
Li Taohua pinched the embroidered handkerchief, stood up with Madam Zhu, and turned to look at Madam Chen.
When Mrs. Chen saw Li Taohua, a strange look flashed in her eyes. She was not surprised at all, and had obviously expected such a scene. Or, she came over just because she saw her.
When Li Taohua met Nanny Gong that day, she knew that the old woman would go back to report to her master. She had also calculated various scenes of their farewell, but it turned out not to be as grand as she had imagined. She felt calm in her heart. After all, those past events were already a thing of the past.
"Who is this..." Mrs. Chen asked puzzledly.
Mrs. Chen is a middle-aged woman with ordinary appearance. Yes, ordinary. After all, she looked ordinary when she was young, and now that she is old, of course she is even more ordinary.
Li Taohua is only five years younger than her, but standing in front of her, it feels like they are two generations apart.
"Madam Tang, this is Madam Chen from the Earl's Mansion." Madam Zhu introduced the unexpected guest to Li Taohua. "Madam Chen, this is Madam Tang, the mother of the Chief Censor, Lord Tang."
"Chief Censor? Could he be the one who is currently enjoying the emperor's favor?" Mrs. Chen looked at Li Taohua with an unfriendly look.
"Yes, it's that person." A look of watching a good show flashed in Mrs. Zhu's eyes.
Lord Tang was quite young and fearless, and he offended many people in the court. Earl Chen was one of them.
"What were you talking about? Did you stop talking because you saw me coming?" Mrs. Chen sat down.
Li Taohua couldn't leave at this time. If she left, it would make her look guilty. She saw Madam Zhu sitting down, so she sat down too.
"When we women get together, we talk about makeup and men and children. I just chatted with Mrs. Zhu about children." Li Taohua said with a smile.
"Speaking of children, how many children does Madam Tang have?" Madam Chen said, "Madam Tang looks like someone I know, but she doesn't have Madam Tang's good fortune. She is just a lowly concubine. It can be seen that the relationship between people is so wonderful. They have similar appearances but very different fates. Madam Tang can raise a young talent like Lord Tang. Her own talent must be extraordinary!"
"Mrs. Chen, you are too kind. I'm sure many people know my situation, so I won't hide it. I have only one biological child. Her father's surname is Qin. I have a deep affection for her father, and I didn't want her to change her surname even if she remarried later. My current husband has three children, and I treat them as my own. They are also filial and treat me like their own mother. Even my eldest son, who is an official, respects me very much. As for talent and learning, how can a country woman like me understand what talent and learning are? My late husband was a scholar and taught me a few words, so I just barely avoided becoming a blind man."
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