Jiang came to the Mei family with such a large dowry and gave so many things to the Mei family. The main reason was that her brother had beaten someone to death. Fortunately, the man's parents had died early and the servants were not very helpful. The Jiang family bribed the officials and put the blame on the servants.
It was the servant who didn't know how to control his strength and ended up killing someone.
Jiang's brother escaped death, but this incident made the Jiang family realize the importance of government influence. The Jiang family was not an imperial merchant, nor a powerful businessman, so they could not find a better person. Therefore, the Jiang family decided to let Jiang marry the second young master Mei.
Perhaps Mei Hanlin will be promoted in the future, so that he can help the Jiang family. Jiang brought so much dowry to the Mei family, because the Jiang family hoped that Jiang could get along well in the Mei family.
When Mrs. Mei mentioned the idea of a co-wife, the Jiang family was very happy. Even though they knew that a co-wife was not legal, this also showed the good attitude of the Mei family towards the Jiang family.
Jiang Shi was more or less unwilling to accept this. She had originally been engaged to the Second Young Master Mei, but because Mrs. Mei wanted her son to marry someone higher up, she simply forced him to marry someone else. After the Jiang family learned of this, they didn't cancel the engagement and even wanted her to marry.
She could have married someone else and become the principal wife, but she became the concubine of the Second Young Master Mei. No woman wanted to be someone else's concubine, and Jiang Shi was not happy about it either. She had originally thought that if the Jingning Marquisate failed, then she would become a concubine and would eventually become the principal wife.
Who could have thought that the Jingning Marquis Mansion would rise again and the Mei family's attitude towards her would change again.
"Young Madam." The maid beside her supported Jiang.
"It's Auntie." Jiang reminded the maid, "It's okay to stay in the room for now, but if you go outside and someone hears you, you'll be in trouble."
Jiang Shi had to endure it. She wanted to let the Jiang family know that she had compromised and was just a concubine. She could understand their difficulties. She lowered her posture a little so that those people would love her more.
The Jiang family originally thought that Mei Hanlin would be transferred out of Beijing to serve as an official this year, and they were waiting for Mei Hanlin's family to rise, but in the end, Mei Hanlin did not receive the transfer order.
"Things are different now." Jiang said.
Previously, they could still step on the wife of the second young master Mei, but now, they can’t.
Mrs. Mei was a concubine of the Marquis's family, while she was just a merchant's daughter. Jiang gritted her teeth, wondering how she could be so unfortunate.
Mrs. Mei had proposed a co-wife, but now she wasn't one, and those people were still secretly blaming her. Jiang wondered why her parents thought the Mei family was okay. The Mei family was clearly a group of heartless and ungrateful people. But since she had already married into the family, she could only bite the bullet and move on.
In the northwest, Princess Zhaoyang caught a cold, so Liu Yulian made some snacks and went to see Princess Zhaoyang.
"I wasn't paying attention for a moment and caught a cold." Princess Zhaoyang leaned on the couch. "I took the medicine and I'm much better now."
"That's good." Liu Yulian brought out the food she had prepared. "This is something warming and nourishing, with some medicinal ingredients in it. Please try it. If you like it, I'll write down the recipe and ask the chef to make it."
Liu Yulian originally wanted to say that she would do it another day, but it would probably take many days for her to do it.
"It's delicious." Princess Zhaoyang took a few bites. "It doesn't have a strong medicinal taste, but it has a refreshing fragrance."
Princess Zhaoyang took a few more bites. The medicinal food tasted quite good. It was not that she was deliberately trying to please Liu Yulian.
"Your cooking skills are quite good," Princess Zhaoyang said. "Whoever marries you will be blessed. No, you're already engaged."
"Just some simple things." Liu Yulian said.
When Liu Yulian heard what Princess Zhaoyang said, she thought of He Xiyuan. He Xiyuan was still in the military camp, and she didn't know how he was doing now.
"You..." Princess Zhaoyang paused, and ultimately did not say much about Liu Yulian and He Xiyuan. Matters of marriage and love still depend on how these people live, and it is not up to others to decide.
Princess Zhaoyang thought that she had not married a good man the first time. A man who kept a mistress was not a good person at all. And He Xiyuan gave up his literary career and joined the army in the northwest to avoid breaking off the engagement. How many men in the world could do this?
"Have some tea." Princess Zhaoyang said.
In the capital, at the Ouyang family's residence, Mrs. Huo's belly was already quite large. She was lying on the bed, claiming she had a miscarriage, having been frightened by her stepson.
Mrs. Huo knew clearly whether she was frightened by her stepson.
Mrs. Huo had never liked stepchildren, and when the doctor told her that this baby was most likely a son, she disliked her stepson even more, thinking him an eyesore. However, since he was already that old, she couldn't bring herself to kill him.
So Mrs. Huo had a miscarriage in front of her stepson, making people think that her stepson could not tolerate the child born by his stepmother, and was afraid that the child born by his stepmother would affect his status in the mansion.
The stepson had never expected that this would happen. He hadn't gotten too close to his stepmother, said anything unpleasant, or pushed her down, and yet she miscarried. He hadn't wanted to see his stepmother much, fearing she might be upset.
Who could have thought that when his stepmother wanted to see him and he went, something like this would happen.
"Don't blame him." Mrs. Huo deliberately said this when she saw her husband, Lord Ouyang. "Maybe he listened to other people's instigation and thought I was pregnant with a boy, so he acted like that."
Mrs. Huo didn't directly ask Lord Ouyang to deal with her stepson. If she had, her husband would have been displeased. After being reborn, divorced, and remarried, Mrs. Huo had changed considerably. She had spoken harshly about Liu Yulian in her past life, and she could still do the same with her stepson in this one.
"Take good care of him first." Lord Ouyang had long felt that his wife did not like the children left by his first wife. As for whether his son had hurt his second wife, Lord Ouyang could not just listen to what Mrs. Huo said.
Lord Ouyang simply felt that Mrs. Huo was not a very good person at all. A woman who could propose for divorce when her husband was in trouble and still had a pair of children with him could definitely not be a good person.
He personally raised his son, and Lord Ouyang did not believe that his son would attack the Huo family so easily.
When Mrs. Huo saw that Lord Ouyang did not say anything else, she was not very happy and thought that this man did not care about her at all.
"..." Mrs. Huo pursed her lips. It seemed that she still couldn't count on these men, let alone expect her stepson to be filial to her.
After meeting Mrs. Huo, Lord Ouyang went to see his son. He wanted to hear what his son had to say.
"I never touched my mother." Lord Ouyang's son, seeing his father question him, simply told him everything that happened. "I didn't say anything unpleasant. I didn't think of giving up my brother."
"Go and study hard." Lord Ouyang did not say much about his son's faults. This incident made him realize how much the Huo family could not tolerate his two children.
Ever since Mrs. Huo married into the family, her daughter fell in the yard and broke a corner of her forehead, leaving a scar. Her son was also accused of murdering his stepmother. If this matter got out, her son would have no reputation.
Is this the noble lady his mother has been dreaming of?
Lord Ouyang found it ridiculous. A woman like Da Huo was clearly someone other families didn't want, yet his family was eager to marry her. Even after marrying her, he still had to provide for her because Da Huo's family was from the Bo Mansion.
So Lord Ouyang went to the old lady and had to discuss how to live in the future.
"From now on, let the eldest brother stay in the front yard. There's no need for him to pay his respects to Mrs. Huo," Lord Ouyang said, "lest she get upset again if she sees him."
"Did my eldest brother really do that?" The old lady was unconvinced. She had always loved her eldest grandson. After Mrs. Huo became pregnant, she had told him not to get too close to her and to let her take good care of the baby, in order to prevent any conflict between the two.
The old lady hadn't expected that Mrs. Huo would still have a miscarriage, and she was still lying in bed. She couldn't say it wasn't her eldest grandson's fault. If no one had provoked Mrs. Huo, how could she have had a miscarriage?
"I heard that it was my eldest brother who spoke highly of the Marquis of Jingning's Mansion, saying that she was obsessed with it and that she looked down on us." The old lady also heard it from the servants.
In fact, what the servant said was something that Mrs. Huo had arranged for a long time ago. She didn't want her stepson to have an easy life and was deliberately trying to sow discord. She didn't care whether these people believed her words or not. Anyway, if she said them too much, they would always suspect her stepson.
"Brother, don't say such things." Lord Ouyang said. Why would his son say such things for no reason? If he really wanted to say something, he shouldn't say it in front of Mrs. Huo, but in front of him, his father.
Lord Ouyang had long known that Mrs. Huo was not that kind, but now faced with the mess at home, he was powerless to do anything. He could only ask his son to stay away for a while and not get close to Mrs. Huo.
“…” The old lady was silent. If it wasn’t the eldest brother who said it, then who said it?
When Mrs. Huo came to visit her daughter, she was still stern in front of the old lady. Mrs. Huo knew that her daughter did not like her stepchildren and that her daughter might have played tricks. Of course, she stood on her daughter's side, not on the side of her grandchildren who had no blood relationship with her.
"Is this how you educate your children? My daughter hasn't given birth to a child yet. If she does, will you bully them to death?" Mrs. Huo said.
Old Madam Ouyang had no confidence in facing Madam Huo. She wasn't a royal consort, and she didn't have a large family to support her. She had no choice but to accept whatever Madam Huo said. The old lady could only apologize, saying she would treat the Huo family well in the future, and even saying that she would let her grandson and granddaughter return home first.
Let my grandson study in my hometown so that he and my granddaughter can have company.
Old Madam Ouyang originally wanted to bring her grandson and granddaughter back home when they were older, but when she saw Madam Huo was so angry, she didn't dare to say anything more.
When Mrs. Huo went to see Mrs. Huo, she told her that the old lady wanted to send the two children back to her hometown.
"Mother." Mrs. Huo's eyes were slightly red.
"Since you can't bear to see them, then disappear." Mrs. Huo knew her daughter was feeling aggrieved. How could she possibly accept the fact that the Marquis of Jingning's mansion was on the rise again? She could have been the wife of a prince, a marquis, but instead she became someone else's concubine and had to raise someone else's children.
When Lord Ouyang learned that Madam Ouyang was going to send his children to the countryside, he was furious. He had already married Mrs. Huo as Madam Ouyang had wished, so why did she want his children to go back to their hometown?
Doesn’t their mother know what their hometown is like?
The house in my hometown is old and dilapidated, so how can anyone live there? The only option is to buy a house. Although houses in the countryside are cheap, how can such young children survive in the countryside? Even if they are left to be taken care of by a mother-in-law, won’t the children suffer?
"Impossible." Lord Ouyang refused. "If you don't like it, I will buy another house outside and let them live there."
Lord Ouyang had thought about this issue a long time ago. He absolutely could not send his children to the countryside, so as not to let himself regret it for the rest of his life. Later, he might not have to come to this family more often. If Mrs. Huo had a child, then Mrs. Huo could rest assured to raise her child.
But Da Huo came from a noble family, so he couldn't do anything too embarrassing.
Lord Ouyang regretted marrying Mrs. Huo more and more. It was not like marrying a virtuous wife, but marrying a big trouble.
"You..." Madam Ouyang wanted to say something, but when she saw her son's cold eyes, she didn't dare to say anything more. "Forget it, then send them to another house and separate them."
Old Madam Ouyang could not force her son to send her grandson and granddaughter to the countryside, for fear that they would become alienated.
Lord Ouyang acted quickly and found a house in the next street. He didn't dare to buy a house next door or too close to the house, as he was afraid that Mrs. Huo would cause trouble for his children.
The affairs of the Ouyang family were no secret, especially when Master Ouyang often went to another house. At first, some people wondered if Master Ouyang had a mistress. But when they learned that Master Ouyang had raised a pair of children there, they couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for him.
It is not a good thing for a stepmother to force her stepson and stepdaughter to live outside.
When Mr. Huo, the father of Mrs. Huo, learned about this, he knew that it was probably his daughter and wife who forced his son-in-law, and his son-in-law refused to send the child to another place, so he simply sent the child to another house.
Uncle Huo felt ashamed at the thought, but he also knew it was not a good idea to let his son-in-law take both children home. If both children were to go home, his daughter would probably cause trouble in the future. The fact that his son-in-law had arranged for the two children to live in another house showed how much he valued them.
If something happens to the two children, such as one of them accidentally dies, then his daughter will not be able to live a good life.
"Alas." Uncle Huo was helpless. His eldest daughter was really useless and narrow-minded.
The eldest daughter couldn't stand hardship and was narrow-minded, which was also caused by their pampering. Uncle Huo thought that he had spoiled this daughter too much in the past, so that she was raised in a wrong way.
In her previous life, Mrs. Huo hadn't divorced, but she refused to do much, thinking she was a daughter of a rich man. She just wanted Liu Yulian to work more and to keep the money. She didn't make any money but wanted to keep the money earned by her sister-in-law. Where in the world could such a good thing happen?
"Forget it, forget it." Uncle Huo didn't intend to interfere any more, so let it be.
When Mrs. Huo learned that Lord Ouyang had raised his two children in a house outside, she was furious and asked Lord Ouyang to bring his stepson and stepdaughter back. Lord Ouyang refused, as he was not stupid. Mrs. Huo would never treat the children well.
At the Ouyang family, Lord Ouyang listened to what Mrs. Huo said, saying that this would ruin his reputation and make people think that he was a bad father, and she, as the stepmother, did not want to make things difficult for her stepson.
"Let them come back," said Mrs. Huo. "They live outside. The eldest brother is fine, but what about the eldest sister? In the future, people will say that she has no mother to guide her. How will she get married?"
"That's fine." Lord Ouyang believed that there would always be someone who didn't dislike his daughter. If he let his daughter stay at home, her life would only become more miserable. "You don't have to say more. You like your own child more. It's okay. Just take good care of the child."
Lord Ouyang looked at Mrs. Huo's belly and said, "At least let this child grow up with his parents."
"You..." When Mrs. Huo heard what Lord Ouyang said, she felt that this man didn't care about her at all. Lord Ouyang's attitude was rather cold, and Mrs. Huo thought of Liu Yanjing's former gentleness.
When Liu Yanjing was pregnant, he was not like this at all. Liu Yanjing asked the servants to take good care of her, bought her delicious food, and Liu's mother also gave her various things.
When she was in the Ouyang family, the old lady didn't give her so many things. The old lady was a very stingy person. Ouyang Madam occasionally gave her a small amount of things and said that she was too picky.
Mrs. Huo wondered why the old lady hadn't told her, an old woman, to go to the countryside with her grandson and granddaughter. Then Master Ouyang wouldn't have raised the two children out there. Ultimately, it was the old lady who couldn't bear to give up her current life.
"If you want to raise them this way, then do it." Mrs. Huo thought that these people could make trouble if they wanted. Anyway, she couldn't go to pick up the two children in person, and she didn't really want the two children to come back.
That older girl should forget about getting married in the future, and the same goes for that stepson, he clearly doesn't respect his stepmother.
The more Mrs. Huo thought about it, the more she felt wronged. How could the man she remarried be such a jerk? Mrs. Huo didn't think there was something wrong with her, but only with her husband.
At the palace, the emperor received the memorial sent to the capital by Marquis Jingning. As expected, Marquis Jingning began to complain about his poverty. He also handed over the papers on which Liu Yulian had written down the things she wanted to research. The emperor looked at the papers and thought to himself that rubber was a good thing, and cement was also good.
The emperor had to send people to the south to look for rubber and cement, and he would have to give Liu Yulian more silver. Fortunately, he had already sent people to the northwest to announce the decree and also sent some silver to Liu Yulian.
"Take a look." The emperor often asked Prince Su to read some memorials so that Prince Su could handle more court affairs.
"The bicycle is indeed good. If the rubber wheels are good, then the bicycle can go further." Prince Su said, "Maybe it can even be used in the military camp."
"Send someone to look for it." The emperor didn't think Liu Yulian would dare to deceive him. As for whether it could be found and when it could be found, that would depend on those who went to look for it. If it couldn't be found, it couldn't be blamed on Liu Yulian. If she didn't even try, how could she know if she could find it? "The money that should be spent must be spent."
The emperor shouldn't wait until he dies, Prince Su will not spend more money. Besides, the royal family still has the final say on how much money to give.
The royal family rewards court officials with a lot of money every year. If they give Liu Yulian more, she can still make some things.
In the northwest, the person sent by the emperor to announce the decree has arrived at the Liu family's main house.
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