On Liu Yulian's coming-of-age day, many people came to her house. In addition to the guests invited by the Jingning Marquisate, there were also people who brought some fruits and other things and placed them at the door.
Princess Zhaoyang asked someone to send the food to the kitchen. Of course, there were also special people to check the quality of the food to prevent someone from taking advantage of the situation and sending in bad things.
When the guests heard that common people came to give them fruits, they were not surprised, because those common people had even built the Rongning Temple for Liu Yulian.
Liu Yulian's coming-of-age ceremony went smoothly. No one else suddenly appeared at the door, and no one shouted or yelled about what had happened.
Madam Qin Dashao watched those people respectfully address Liu Yulian, and she felt a pang of discontent. Once upon a time, she too had been surrounded by such a crowd, and now, they were all eager to talk to Liu Yulian.
Xue Liushi didn't come to the Jingning Marquis's residence often, but she knew a few things. She knew that Madam Qin had been very close to Liu Yuqin for a while, and even though Liu Yuqin and the Marquis's residence had severed their relationship, Madam Qin still saw Liu Yuqin frequently.
But this had nothing to do with her. Xue Liushi didn't intend to bother with it. She was just a concubine's daughter, and it was already very difficult for her to have the stable life she had now. Xue Liushi couldn't think of anything else. She didn't think about becoming a female official, nor did she think about how much money she would make.
Xue Liu was not jealous of Liu Yulian. Having a younger sister like Liu Yulian, her in-laws treated her well.
"I'm afraid she doesn't have time to talk to you now." said Mrs. Qin.
"As you should." Xue Liu said, "There's no need for my sisters to entertain more guests. There are so many guests."
Xue Liushi wasn't unhappy. It didn't matter whether Liu Yulian had spoken to her much or not. Xue Liushi didn't say anything bad about Madam Qin. She just used the excuse of meeting someone she knew and left.
Xue Liushi had no intention of getting too close to Madam Qin, especially since she didn't like Liu Yulian very much. She didn't want to take advantage of her family, nor did she want Madam Qin to help her more. She just didn't want to get involved in these things.
Mrs. Qin Da Shao saw Xue Liushi like this, but she did not stop her. She thought that these people did not like to get close to her, and they all held Liu Yulian.
Mother Liu wanted to entertain other people, so she naturally didn't talk much with Madam Qin. She was more or less dissatisfied with her eldest daughter. This eldest daughter did well in other aspects, but she was unclear about the matter of treating Liu Yulian and Liu Yuqin.
The coming-of-age ceremony went smoothly. Liu Yulian did not talk much with Mrs. Qin. It was only after the coming-of-age ceremony that she talked to other people.
Liu Yulian thought that at her age, in the future, she would still be a student. Normally, she should be a high school student. In ancient times, girls would start looking for marriages at the age of twelve or thirteen, and could get married after they reached the age of marriage.
Those country girls get married even earlier.
Liu Yulian suddenly felt like she was getting old, even though she was still young.
When these things were over and Liu Yulian and He Xiyuan were alone together, He Xiyuan specially gave Liu Yulian a hairpin.
In the yard, He Xiyuan personally put the hairpin on Liu Yulian.
"Does it look good?" Liu Yulian asked.
"You look beautiful. You look especially beautiful today." He Xiyuan had a smile on his face. Sister Lian finally reached the age of marriage.
"Today, many people gave you gifts, including rewards from the palace." He Xiyuan said, "The hairpin I gave you seems ordinary."
"What you gave me is not ordinary." Liu Yulian didn't think that this hairpin was bad. A simple magnolia hairpin was also pretty good.
"Just wear it occasionally." He Xiyuan didn't intend for Liu Yulian to always wear the hairpin he gave her.
"Yeah." Liu Yulian thought of something, "Let's go out for a walk next year."
"Go out for a walk? Go somewhere else?" He Xiyuan thought that if Liu Yulian was just taking a walk around the capital, she would definitely not say that.
"Maybe." Liu Yulian said, "It's September now, time flies, and it will be Chinese New Year soon. Actually, I want to go to Hainan for a trip. It will take more than half a month to go and more than half a month to come back. I will be back in a few days."
"You can go this year." He Xiyuan knew what Liu Yulian was thinking. "Do you want to see your cousin?"
"Not really. I want to look at other things." Liu Yulian shook her head. "I'm not going to study rice either. Others can do that. Seeds soaked in medicine are good, and good qualities can be passed down, but not all of them can be passed down. If all of them were good, then we wouldn't have to work so hard on research."
Liu Yulian had no intention of researching rice; she simply wanted to see how others were doing. Those people were working so hard, and Liu Yulian's visit was also a way to encourage them.
There were indeed some things going on at the research institute, but it wasn't that Liu Yulian couldn't leave.
"If we go this year, we'll be rushed," said Liu Yulian.
"If you want to go, go." He Xiyuan thought it was not a problem. "I'll go with you."
"You always walk with me. Aren't you afraid of people talking about you?" Liu Yulian joked.
"What's there to say? Go out and see for yourself." He Xiyuan said, "As long as we can get things done, it doesn't matter."
"Then let's leave in a few days." Liu Yulian was originally thinking of going next year, but since He Xiyuan said so, they would go this year and come back sooner rather than later.
They weren't going to Hainan to see the rice, and Liu Yulian didn't research rice, so she didn't need to see it. The research institute would arrange for someone to see it, and they could send them next year. Liu Yulian just wanted to go and take a look.
"Okay." He Xiyuan had no objection.
After He Xiyuan left, Liu Yulian went to tell her mother about her thoughts.
"Last year, you went to the beach, and this year, you're going to Hainan again." Liu's mother sighed, "The weather is getting cold."
"It's warmer in Hainan," Liu Yulian said. "We'll just go over there and take a look, and try to be back before the New Year."
"If you want to go, we can't stop you." Liu's mother said, "If you want to go, you must bring more guards."
"I will definitely bring it with me." Liu Yulian nodded. "I'm also afraid of danger, so don't worry."
It was impossible for Liu Yulian to refuse the protection of those people. If someone came to protect her, Liu Yulian would of course be very happy.
Ancient times were different from modern times. There were many bandits in ancient times. Even though there were fewer bandits in the past two years, they could not guarantee that they would not encounter them. If they did encounter bandits, it would not be so easy to deal with them.
"I can't just run around everywhere," Liu Yulian said. "I'm not one of those officials. I don't think about asking for orders on behalf of the people, or whether I want to see how other people are doing along the way or make decisions for them. I just want to walk around and take a look. At most, I'll treat it as a trip."
"Okay." Mother Liu knew Liu Yulian's personality. Her daughter really didn't care about the things in the government office. If those people had grievances, they could go to the government office or find the governor. There was no need to find Liu Yulian.
Even if Liu Yulian encountered it and asked someone to deal with it, she would not be able to handle it all the way.
Mother Liu was thinking about how hard her daughter worked. "When you go to Hainan, do you want to meet your second cousin?"
"Yes." Liu Yulian said, "I really need to meet her. My second cousin's situation over there isn't very good, and she needs to take care of some things if she wants to continue her research. It's natural for women to get pregnant and give birth, and others shouldn't think badly of them just because of this one thing."
Liu Yulian was not there to support Miss Xue Er, she just wanted to see what was going on in Hainan. If Miss Xue Er did have some problems, Liu Yulian would also take a look.
"You don't have to worry about your second cousin," said Liu's mother. "Since she decided to go, she should have been prepared. What she encountered isn't a big deal, and she can still stay at the institute. If you go, bring her some nourishment; she's about to give birth."
Mother Liu thought that by the time her daughter arrived in Hainan, Miss Xue's belly would be very big.
"Yes, take it. Maybe my uncle and aunt need something to take with them." Liu Yulian said, "You can go over and talk to them. But don't take too much. We're traveling light."
"Then ask." said Liu's mother.
That night, when Father Liu came to Mother Liu's place, he heard his wife tell him that Liu Yulian was going to Hainan. Father Liu was not unhappy that his daughter had not told him first.
Father Liu had long realized that his status in the mansion was not that high, not to mention that Liu Yulian was a girl, and the relationship between Liu Yulian and Mother Liu was already good.
"Why not wait until next year?" asked Liu's father.
"I think she still wants to go see her cousin. It was originally going to happen this year, so it's a good time to go this year," said Liu's mother. "She said she wanted to take in the scenery along the way. I don't think she'll just be there to enjoy the scenery. She might see some flowers and plants and want to dig them up."
It was the same when they returned to the capital from the northwest. Even though many flowers and plants had withered in this season, not all of them had turned yellow.
Mother Liu only hoped that Liu Yulian could return safely. She also wanted her little daughter to take all the medicines with her so that she wouldn't get sick on the way.
Fortunately, her daughter was not in a hurry to leave, so Liu's mother planned to ask them to slow down and not be so anxious. If they couldn't make it back before the New Year, they could just come back later, it wasn't a big deal.
"Just let her go." Father Liu thought that if Liu Yulian made any new discoveries, wouldn't that be great?
"She has to go. There's no way to stop her." Mother Liu said, "She's the director of the research institute, not just our daughter. We have to let her go."
"Yes." Father Liu said, "Find a few more guards, there are many bandits in the South Barbarians."
Father Liu was afraid that his daughter would be in danger, so he had to arrange more guards for her.
At the Duke Cheng's Mansion, when He Xiyuan went to pay his respects to Old Madam He in the morning, he told her that he was going to accompany Liu Yulian to Hainan.
"Yes, that's right. Wherever she goes, you go." Madam He said, "Don't think that your status is not enough to be with Rongning. Rongning needs a man like you who is willing to accompany her. You understand her, and she will be very happy if you accompany her."
Old Madam He was not reluctant to let go of He Xiyuan. Her grandson had grown up, and for the sake of their family, He Xiyuan should spend more time with Princess Rongning.
"When you come back, we'll discuss your wedding date with the Marquis' Mansion." Old Madam He said, "When you young people are together, you should be more careful and don't do anything reckless."
"Don't mess around." He Xiyuan said.
"That's good. Young people can be impulsive and careless, and they might..." Madam He stopped talking and said, "Just be more careful. Don't lose your composure when you see those pretty girls outside, don't..."
"That's not true." He Xiyuan frowned. He really had no intention of taking a concubine. "If that were the case, Sister Lian would definitely not want me. I would never do anything to let Sister Lian down."
"You're not being unfair to Rongning, you're being unfair to our He family. You're the sinner of our entire clan," Old Madam He said. "Your eldest brother is the Crown Prince. Yes, Grandmother knows you never really thought about becoming the Crown Prince before. But what about when you have children? Won't your children also want a title?"
"..." He Xiyuan had not expected Madam He to say such a thing. "Wait until the child grows up and let him take the imperial examination, that's all."
"Examinations are good, but it would be even better if there were a title you could inherit," said Old Madam He. "If you're with Rongning, and you're lucky, you might even have a title you can inherit. That would be fantastic."
Why did He Xiyuan feel that Madam He was looking down on him by saying this? Oh, not really, the old lady was letting him live off her.
"Don't take Grandma's words as offensive; they're the truth," said Madam He. "It's fine for men to be responsible for the outside affairs and women to be responsible for the inside affairs. If necessary, it's also fine for men to be responsible for the inside affairs and women to be responsible for the outside affairs. Besides, Rong Ning hasn't stopped you from doing other things. You're still in the Hanlin Academy, and that's enough."
"My grandson remembers it all." He Xiyuan said with a smile, "People who don't know you would think you are Sister Lian's grandmother."
"Yes, I am her biological grandmother." Madam He said, "I love her, and I love you as well."
"Yes, yes, yes." How could He Xiyuan say no?
Two days later, He Xiyuan and Liu Yulian left the capital. Before leaving, Liu Yulian made a special trip to the Xue family. Mr. and Mrs. Xue did ask Liu Yulian to bring some things for Miss Xue, but not much. They were also afraid that asking Liu Yulian to bring too much would embarrass her.
When Mrs. Qin learned that Liu Yulian and He Xiyuan had left Beijing, she was stunned. These two people had not even gotten married yet, so why were they always together?
"She left the capital without telling me." Madam Qin Dashao sighed in front of Master Qin Dashao.
Young Master Qin came to see Madam Qin, but he didn't expect to hear his wife say such words. "It's good enough for the father-in-law and mother-in-law to know, and it's good enough for the emperor to know." Young Master Qin said, "It doesn't matter whether we know or not."
Young Master Qin didn't think Liu Yulian needed to come here specially. "Don't you think about the bad things you did a while ago? Why did she come to see you?"
"I just wanted to see my second sister, that's not a big deal." Madam Qin said, "You just like to bring this up."
"If not this matter, what else can we talk about?" Young Master Qin said, "You love to ask about things that don't require your attention. And you don't care about things that require your attention."
Young Master Qin thought that his wife would sometimes do stupid things, especially when it came to the matter between Liu Yuqin and Liu Yulian.
"Princess Rongning was right not to tell you. If she had told you, would you have thought about letting your second sister return to Beijing for a few months?" Young Master Qin raised his eyebrows.
"No, not really." Madam Qin Dashao didn't really think so. "She has already left the capital. There is no need for her to come back for the next few months. Even if she did, I wouldn't be able to celebrate the New Year with her. There's really no need. It would be great if she could settle down somewhere else after leaving the capital."
"Now that you've said that, why are you still thinking about Princess Rongning?" asked Young Master Qin.
"This... my second cousin, yes, my second cousin." Madam Qin thought of Miss Xue. "My second cousin is in Hainan, and she's pregnant. If my younger sister were to go there, I, as her cousin, should ask her to bring something for her."
"Princess Rongning isn't going there for fun." Young Master Qin found it funny. "How could she bring so many things?"
"..." Madam Qin Da Shao was not very happy. Her husband only knew how to speak for Liu Yulian. "Do you think I'm not good enough? I'm not as good as my younger sister?"
"Look at this capital, in the entire world, how many people can compare to Princess Rongning?" Young Master Qin said, "I knew what you were like when I married you, and I didn't expect you to suddenly become a master of all eighteen martial arts."
Young Master Qin hadn't imagined his wife could be as capable as Princess Rongning, but she was simply too stubborn. This was probably because she was the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Jingning. Eldest daughters received a lot of attention, so Madam Qin felt she must be better than the other girls in the mansion.
But now, Madam Qin is not as good as Princess Rongning, so she can't help but have other ideas.
"Adjust your attitude. Don't wait until she returns from Hainan and still be like this." Young Master Qin said, "So many people outside envy you for having a sister like Princess Rongning, but you don't know how to cherish her."
"..." Madam Qin Dashao really didn't think there was any need for those people to envy her.
Madam Qin thought that it was precisely because she had a sister like Princess Rongning that she was ignored and not as valued as before. Even though many people praised her, it was because she was Princess Rongning's sister. She didn't care for such praise.
"If you were so capable, I wouldn't have to do this." Madam Qin Dashao muttered.
"I'm awesome? Go out there and see how many men can compare to your sister." Young Master Qin said, "You only say these things so lightly because you haven't suffered."
Young Master Qin simply left Young Master Qin's wife's yard and did not rest with Young Master Qin's wife.
Madam Qin Da Shao didn't expect her husband to leave so soon. She frowned. What was wrong with what she said? Why did her husband leave so soon?
In the next few days, Young Master Qin was not at Young Master Qin's wife's house, so Mrs. Qin decided to give Young Master Qin a maid.
When Mrs. Qin learned of her mother-in-law's actions, she was shocked.
Madam Qin Da Shao originally thought that since the Liu family had restored their title, then Madam Qin Da Shao should not have a maid so soon. Madam Qin Da Shao returned to her parents' home in the Marquis of Jingning's Mansion and told Liu's mother about this matter.
"Your children are not young anymore," said Mother Liu. "Your son-in-law only has a maidservant. Even if he takes a concubine, you have nothing to say."
It’s not that Liu’s mother doesn’t want to think from the perspective of Young Master Qin’s wife, but it’s normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines.
"If my younger sister encountered such a thing, would you say the same thing?" asked Mrs. Qin.
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